Corporate_Jew_Master
Arcane
Pandora: First Contact is published by Matrix Games and currently in beta phase. Haven't looked it up at all so this early beta version is all I have to form my opinions on so far.
Without furtherado adieu, let's take a look at the different factions.
HHR high on Frankenwheat. A low tech unit spam faction if I ever saw one.
And no, she doesn't have Miriam's depth of character or eloquency.
True patriots and defender of Western Civilization. Obviously devastating in early game and small maps.
Jews.
Only this time not disguised as niggers nor led by Morgan Freeman.
Starting to look like SMAC already?
Chinks will be my faction choice this time because I need to EMBRACE THE SELF OF GROUP
Hippies. Only without boner inducing Deidra thus utterly worthless and pathetic.
FOR I HAVE TASTED THE FRUIT.
Alien Aggression will be high enough on medium and they can literally stomp your face if you are not careful or a beginner. Temperature is set on normal and World Shape is Pangea because fuck fleets.
And here we go.
We start off with a colonizer, a former and a unit of Colonial Troopers. Former at the start is exclusive toHuman Hive Chink Dynasty.
That blue-purple growth to our left is the Fungus, only not infested with mindworms or other horrors. Units who spend a turn on it however suffer some damage.
Flowers to the south are a natural resource that gives +50% industrial output to the city that works it. Those barrel icons on the forest tiles represent polution reduction, grasses food/organic material and rocks minerals.
Run out of food and growth is reversed and people are unhappy/riotous. Run out of minerals and you cannot produce buildings, units or conduct operations. Overpollute your lands and xenos will try to cleanse you.
Exploring the ruin to our south gives us some minerals. Lack of minerals is gonna be our main issue as Chink Industries as factories are ravenous for the stuff.
Now, a look at the city screen. Each time the city grows we get an extra citizen, standard stuff. You can assign citizens to farming, mining, manufacturing or science roles.
Notice the slots in mining and farming departments. Depending on the type of tiles and the resources they produce you can only assign so many to each role.
Habitat is also important as morale and productivity for unhoused citizens is in the gutter. Technologies can be researched to increase habitat levels either by edicts (they are automatically issued, no government types or economic plans are available
) or by buildings extra housing.
You can assign as many workers as you can which increases production but severely drains mineral and food reserves. Thus you either need to balance your cities or have some mining/farming settlements and some wholy focused in production. Growth and wealth are pretty self explanatory as you can gear all production to either assisting growth or making shekels.
Now, the research screen is pretty interesting.
Each game the project order in each tier is randomised as different techs are available and different routes lead to a certain tech.
When BURN THE XENOS is done researching, we will move on to the equipment tab.
As the Colonial Marines start exploring the surroundings, they come across the first Xeno Hive and a vein of gold. As soon as the hive has been cleansed, we will send a coloniser to secure that vein.
Now that the equipment to PURGE properly are available, it is time to hand them to the marines.
The colonial marines are shit, much like the omonymous game.
However they can be equipped with several new weapons, armor and implants (as can every other unit) to make them effective against different types of foes.
The +25% gear icon means that it will take 25% higher cost to build them than regular marines without hellfires.
The existing units do not receive the upgrade and have to be refitted. To do this you must place them inside a city and spend a certain amount of gold depending on what type of unit you want to upgrade them too.
For example: you can have two versions of Colonial Marines, one with rocket launchers and titanium armor and another with flamers and steel armor. Former are gonna cost more gold since they have better upgrades and more expensive weaponry.
You can also upgrade them into higher tier infantry once researched, such as assault troopers.
Next up are refining arrays for extra MINERALS. This should free up some miners for scientist or worker duties.
Xenos sighted.
Thankfully, they aren't hostile yet. But a few turns later an event will play that triggers Alien 2 tier ITZ.
To prepare the brave colonial marine patriots for the rape that awaits, steel armor is researched to protect sensitive spots in the colon area from multiheaded alien dicks.
The colony is growing well in the meantime and construction on a mineral array is started to stop the decline tread in mineral reserves and hopefully allows us to convert a miner into a worker.
Another upgrade for the colonial marines, especially for the ones defending our cities.
Now they have sufficient strength to take on the hive.
HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS CHICKENSHIT OUTFIT
You don't, son.
Nevertheless, despite many sacrifices and blood spilled, the hive is destroyed.
Mind you, this was a very small one. Big ones are scary and shit out xenos with kingcomradely enthusiasm.
The only worst thing than hippies is a hippy with a jewnose. But survival comes first so a NAP wouldn't be such a bad thing. We can always break it later.
IT WIRR ARR BERONG TO GRORIOUS CHINA
It is a sign of strength to give 0 fucks so the coloniser and a marine escort are sent out to establish a new city.
Next up in line are tanks. Very useful against smaller alien swarms but twice as vulnerable against big stompy ones.
City names will be a continuous source of amusement for most of the game.
Nevertheless, the gold mine is secured and shekels begin to flow.
This is my gold, xenogoy, git.
Although it pales in comparison to the demolisher tank we research at the next tier, it will be useful in cleaning out hives.
Now, as to some unit actions.
Fortify, wait, heal, skip turn, destroy environent, roads and improvements in that order. All are self explanatory.
In the grimdark darkness of the far future even the manboons dig bunkers.
They are pretty good for city defense, if not mandatory. Trust me, xenos can clear up a city pretty fast, especially in early game when your defenses aren't able to easily deal with the swarms. And I ain't taking screenshots of every alien incursion because I don't want to start paying imageshack money for over 400 images.
And Alien Invasion turned up to max? Haha. No.
Build bunkers.
Next up, the economy tab.
Here you can quickly manage any city you want as well as set the overall tax rate. Low morale is nothing to be laughed at though, since it lower productivity and leads to riots/rebellions when low enough.
Military tab is similar in the sense that you can quickly refit or redeploy your available forces or just check up on their status.
This larger hive is for some reason weak. Usually you won't find any big hives with less than 8.0 strength at the very least.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I purge the hive and pocket the shekels.
Cleanups, etc etc
Note: I do not name the cities. Not a single one.
Ie so far, this is how the game goes.
Next update will deal with a more expanded empire as well as diplomacy, dealing with larger hives, city development. After that it's faction wars.
Things I'd like to list so far:
1. You can have multiple units in a single tile.
2. Some units such as mechs or planes ignore some terrain features.
3. There are techs that decrease alien aggression on your empire.
4. Nukes. Never used any so I dunno about the consequences, we will look into it in this LP though.
5. No espionage that I know of so far but I haven't looked into diplomacy much so that's still open.
6. NO POLICY ISSUING/GOVERNMENT CHANGE. FUCK.
7. Alien invasions are much more numerous and frequent than SMAC and pretty much set the overall trend for expansion, which takes quite some time. Unless you enjoy having your cities raped by alien dongs.
About improvements:
Formers can do exactly the same stuff as in SMAC. Except for the lack of solar/power generators. Fungi and forest clearance (or forest planting) and all the rest are in it.
Verdict so far: meh. Poor man's SMAC but not popamole. Has potential. Lots of upgrades and different unit chassis' should make combat interestin at the very least.
Without further
HHR high on Frankenwheat. A low tech unit spam faction if I ever saw one.
And no, she doesn't have Miriam's depth of character or eloquency.
True patriots and defender of Western Civilization. Obviously devastating in early game and small maps.
Jews.
Only this time not disguised as niggers nor led by Morgan Freeman.
Starting to look like SMAC already?
Chinks will be my faction choice this time because I need to EMBRACE THE SELF OF GROUP
Hippies. Only without boner inducing Deidra thus utterly worthless and pathetic.
FOR I HAVE TASTED THE FRUIT.
Alien Aggression will be high enough on medium and they can literally stomp your face if you are not careful or a beginner. Temperature is set on normal and World Shape is Pangea because fuck fleets.
And here we go.
We start off with a colonizer, a former and a unit of Colonial Troopers. Former at the start is exclusive to
That blue-purple growth to our left is the Fungus, only not infested with mindworms or other horrors. Units who spend a turn on it however suffer some damage.
Flowers to the south are a natural resource that gives +50% industrial output to the city that works it. Those barrel icons on the forest tiles represent polution reduction, grasses food/organic material and rocks minerals.
Run out of food and growth is reversed and people are unhappy/riotous. Run out of minerals and you cannot produce buildings, units or conduct operations. Overpollute your lands and xenos will try to cleanse you.
Exploring the ruin to our south gives us some minerals. Lack of minerals is gonna be our main issue as Chink Industries as factories are ravenous for the stuff.
Now, a look at the city screen. Each time the city grows we get an extra citizen, standard stuff. You can assign citizens to farming, mining, manufacturing or science roles.
Notice the slots in mining and farming departments. Depending on the type of tiles and the resources they produce you can only assign so many to each role.
Habitat is also important as morale and productivity for unhoused citizens is in the gutter. Technologies can be researched to increase habitat levels either by edicts (they are automatically issued, no government types or economic plans are available
) or by buildings extra housing.You can assign as many workers as you can which increases production but severely drains mineral and food reserves. Thus you either need to balance your cities or have some mining/farming settlements and some wholy focused in production. Growth and wealth are pretty self explanatory as you can gear all production to either assisting growth or making shekels.
Now, the research screen is pretty interesting.
Each game the project order in each tier is randomised as different techs are available and different routes lead to a certain tech.
When BURN THE XENOS is done researching, we will move on to the equipment tab.
As the Colonial Marines start exploring the surroundings, they come across the first Xeno Hive and a vein of gold. As soon as the hive has been cleansed, we will send a coloniser to secure that vein.
Now that the equipment to PURGE properly are available, it is time to hand them to the marines.
The colonial marines are shit, much like the omonymous game.
However they can be equipped with several new weapons, armor and implants (as can every other unit) to make them effective against different types of foes.
The +25% gear icon means that it will take 25% higher cost to build them than regular marines without hellfires.
The existing units do not receive the upgrade and have to be refitted. To do this you must place them inside a city and spend a certain amount of gold depending on what type of unit you want to upgrade them too.
For example: you can have two versions of Colonial Marines, one with rocket launchers and titanium armor and another with flamers and steel armor. Former are gonna cost more gold since they have better upgrades and more expensive weaponry.
You can also upgrade them into higher tier infantry once researched, such as assault troopers.
Next up are refining arrays for extra MINERALS. This should free up some miners for scientist or worker duties.
Xenos sighted.
Thankfully, they aren't hostile yet. But a few turns later an event will play that triggers Alien 2 tier ITZ.
To prepare the brave colonial marine patriots for the rape that awaits, steel armor is researched to protect sensitive spots in the colon area from multiheaded alien dicks.
The colony is growing well in the meantime and construction on a mineral array is started to stop the decline tread in mineral reserves and hopefully allows us to convert a miner into a worker.
Another upgrade for the colonial marines, especially for the ones defending our cities.
Now they have sufficient strength to take on the hive.
HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS CHICKENSHIT OUTFIT
You don't, son.
Nevertheless, despite many sacrifices and blood spilled, the hive is destroyed.
Mind you, this was a very small one. Big ones are scary and shit out xenos with kingcomradely enthusiasm.
The only worst thing than hippies is a hippy with a jewnose. But survival comes first so a NAP wouldn't be such a bad thing. We can always break it later.
It is a sign of strength to give 0 fucks so the coloniser and a marine escort are sent out to establish a new city.
Next up in line are tanks. Very useful against smaller alien swarms but twice as vulnerable against big stompy ones.
City names will be a continuous source of amusement for most of the game.
Nevertheless, the gold mine is secured and shekels begin to flow.
This is my gold, xenogoy, git.
Although it pales in comparison to the demolisher tank we research at the next tier, it will be useful in cleaning out hives.
Now, as to some unit actions.
Fortify, wait, heal, skip turn, destroy environent, roads and improvements in that order. All are self explanatory.
In the grimdark darkness of the far future even the manboons dig bunkers.
They are pretty good for city defense, if not mandatory. Trust me, xenos can clear up a city pretty fast, especially in early game when your defenses aren't able to easily deal with the swarms. And I ain't taking screenshots of every alien incursion because I don't want to start paying imageshack money for over 400 images.
And Alien Invasion turned up to max? Haha. No.
Build bunkers.
Next up, the economy tab.
Here you can quickly manage any city you want as well as set the overall tax rate. Low morale is nothing to be laughed at though, since it lower productivity and leads to riots/rebellions when low enough.
Military tab is similar in the sense that you can quickly refit or redeploy your available forces or just check up on their status.
This larger hive is for some reason weak. Usually you won't find any big hives with less than 8.0 strength at the very least.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I purge the hive and pocket the shekels.
Cleanups, etc etc
Note: I do not name the cities. Not a single one.
Ie so far, this is how the game goes.
Next update will deal with a more expanded empire as well as diplomacy, dealing with larger hives, city development. After that it's faction wars.
Things I'd like to list so far:
1. You can have multiple units in a single tile.
2. Some units such as mechs or planes ignore some terrain features.
3. There are techs that decrease alien aggression on your empire.
4. Nukes. Never used any so I dunno about the consequences, we will look into it in this LP though.
5. No espionage that I know of so far but I haven't looked into diplomacy much so that's still open.
6. NO POLICY ISSUING/GOVERNMENT CHANGE. FUCK.
7. Alien invasions are much more numerous and frequent than SMAC and pretty much set the overall trend for expansion, which takes quite some time. Unless you enjoy having your cities raped by alien dongs.
About improvements:
Formers can do exactly the same stuff as in SMAC. Except for the lack of solar/power generators. Fungi and forest clearance (or forest planting) and all the rest are in it.
Verdict so far: meh. Poor man's SMAC but not popamole. Has potential. Lots of upgrades and different unit chassis' should make combat interestin at the very least.
But her face doesn't have the genuine sadness of Deidre.
