This thread is for me to share my strategy for approaching the Nomads game. I hope it turns into a full AAR, but I am not sure I have time to get it all posted to be of help for those attempting the Nomads challenge, so I will post as a serial, so at least I can be of some help.
First, we need to analyze the new Nomads factions. This faction is unlike any other faction, with a unique set of strengths and weaknesses.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=420)
Advantages
+1 Planet: Can be helpful for mindworm capture/combat, especially when you switch to Green
+2 Efficiency: This is VERY useful, perhaps the strongest aspect of this faction
+25% attack: Useful, but not game changing
Disadvantages
The profile does not say this, but Nomads cannot use Planned. This is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of this faction!
Extra drone for every 4 citizens (like University). Ouch!
Growth past 5 requires a Hab comples (like Morgan). Double ouch!
-1 Police: No big deal, but will make things worse with free market
-1 Probe: I was never successfully probed, so no harm here
These are some nasty disadvantages. I would never pick this faction in a multiplayer game, if it were available, due to so many disadvantages. If that is not enough, the scenario imposes an additional very, very painful disadvantage: no colony pods!
You do start with one great advantage: you have The Virtual World! I think this is the best of the early secret projects, but this means building Network Nodes to take advantage of it.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=423)
Your starting position is shown below.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=424)
YEAR 2181
My first move, I moved my probe cruiser north, and saw a University unit. I moved close enough to make contact, so that I could maybe trade tech with University, and maybe even get a treaty. I want to switch to Wealth as soon as possible (since Planned was not available), and so I wanted to befriend University before I insulted them with my shameless pursuit of Wealth. University loves to trade tech, so I traded as much as University wanted, then I went for a pact. University accepted, which gave me the University world map!
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=470)
Next, I contacted the Spartans, and again traded tech to enhance the relationship (again before my shameless pursuit of wealth). I traded all of the tech Sparta wanted, and managed a treaty. I saw that Sparta and University were at war, and these were the only neighbors close enough to worry about for now. So since I had good relations with my neighbors, I decided to build up as much as a could first, rather than arm for war. Might as well let University and Sparta fight it out for awhile.
Now I did switch to Wealth, because I wanted to visit with Morgan, who would welcome my visionary pursuit of wealth. Again, traded tech as much as Morgan wanted, and then got a pact.
Research: Neural Grafting (30 years left ;) )
Social Engineering: Wealth 50%E/50%L
Production:
West Winds - Recycling Tanks
Enchanted Herd - Recreation Commons
All other - Network Node
Terraformers making Forest in the most productive places
Sea Former making Kelp Farm
Supply Crawlers crawling from the most productive mines
This marks the end of the first year, a very good year indeed, especially from a diplomacy/tech standpoint.
YEAR 2211
30 fun-filled years have passed! To recap:
Social: Democratic, Free Market, Wealth; 90% research, 10% psych
Diplomacy:
University - Pact
Morgan - Pact
Peacekeeprs - Treaty
Gaia - Truce
Believers - Vendetta
Santiago - Vendetta
Energy Bank: 1224 Energy Reserves
Tech: Currently researching MMI (3 years)
In addition to all prerequisites for MMI, I also have (thanks to Datalinks SP):
Polymorphic Software
Advanced Subatomic Theory
Optical Computers
Superconductor
Fusion Power
AMA
PSA
Silksteel Alloys
II
Cyberethics
Planetary Economics
Superstring Theory
Monopole Magnets
D:I
There may be some techs I missed, but I think I got them.
Units:
12 Clean Formers
1 Sea Former
21 Supply Crawlers
1 Cruiser Probe team
3 Probe team MK2
8 ECM Silksteel Sentinels
All 5 bases now have:
Recycling tanks
Children's Creche
Hab Complex
Network Node
Recreation Commons
Tree Farm
My HQ additionally has:
Command Center
The Virtual World
The Planetary Datalinks
One of the extra goals I set for myself (not required for the contest) was that I personally wanted to take the last base of each faction myself. University has very nearly wiped out Sparta; Sparta has only 3 bases left. So if I want to stick with this goal, I will need to make my move soon. Copters will be available in 3 years, so I will want to be prepared to put them into action.
Most formers are still making road and forest, with an occasional mine.
All supply crawlers are crawling a productive spot, mostly mines.
Every base is building supply crawlers
YEAR 2215
MMI researched! Now researching Advanced Ecological Engineering.
Building Cyborg Factory at HQ, supply crawlers everywhere else. (I would start with CBA instead of Cyborg Factory, but this is a SMAC scenario, not SMACX, so there is no CBA.)
YEAR 2217
Cyborg Factory built (with help from some supply crawlers)
YEAR 2220
All 5 bases now have:
Children's Creche
Recycling tanks
Recreation Commons
Energy Bank
Network Node
Tree Farm
Hybrid Forest
Hab Complex
(and a free Bioenhancement Center)
HQ additionally has:
Command Center
The Virtual World
The Planetary Datalinks
The Cyborg Factory
Two bases are size 7, one is size 8, and two are size 9.
Formers are mostly building mag tubes, roads, and forests. Cities are linked by mag tubes.
Most cities have 31 incoming minerals; all cities have ZERO ecodamage.
YEAR 2225
University cancelled the Pact, and we are now down to Treaty. Normally, I would first build some Aerospace complexes, but I felt some defensive copters needed to be built right away. I now have 10 choppers 10/1/12 (*2), and 3 choppers 8/1/12 (*2).
I had to go back to simple economics, since the drone penalty for Free Market would have killed me. (I really don't like that fact that ALL aircraft create a drone penalty, even if they are well within your borders at all times.) Since I have not yet researched CE, and surprisingly the Datalinks has not given it to me, I cannot go Green (which otherwise I would certainly do).
But since I am no longer in Free Market, I built a Clean Police at every city, which suppresses two drones.
I don't feel the research priorities are that important, so I am back to 90E/10P for energy. I have 4116 energy in the bank, so I can rush build pretty freely (but I still don't waste my energy at much more than 2 energy per mineral).
Sparta made a bit of a comeback against University, taking back 3 bases from University. However, now Morgan is pressing Sparta from the north.
My formers built an Air Base 4 squares directly north of Enchanted Herd to facilitate my choppers, and I moved most of my choppers to the Air Base.
YEAR 2228
At this point, all cities now also have Fusion Labs. HQ additionally has a Skunkworks (free prototypes).
I am sure this is what you have all been waiting for: WAR!!!
As I suspect would happen soon, University declared vendetta this turn, with the pretext of the Wealth society choice. No matter, I was ready with 18 copters built. They have no idea how much pain they are in for!
I built magtube up to the university road network, and linked it with a road of my own. I took out the two defenders in Academgorodok with a single chopper, and moved in a defender that I had protecting the former. I then landed the chopper in the city. First city taken!
All cities are building choppers.
Is that enough for this year? Of course not! My choppers wiped out all of the defenders in Sparta Command, and another defender ran down the road and took Sparta Command (which has the Planetary Transit System, which is nice, but of no real value to me). I start an Aerospace Complex, which I will rush build next turn to help my choppers recover damage faster. The rest of my choppers are wiping out anything they can find, including wiping out all defenders at University Base.
Meanwhile, my formers are busy building mag tubes to my newly acquired cities.
All my original bases have 34 minerals, and are building a chopper every turn. I upgraded all of my Silksteel garrisons to Clean, to reduce support.
Here is the current situation:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=472)
YEAR 2229
This is a consolidation turn. All choppers are moved into one of the two newly captured cities. The Aresospace complex is completed at Sparta Command. Formers continue to build mag tubes. Healthy copters attack anything in range.
University brings out his air force to kill a couple of my units, and to slow my advance with ZOC. I will use probe teams to bypass the ZOC, and will kill the needlejets when they land.
Before I end the turn, I move my defender in Acaderngorodok NE 3 square to be in striking range of University Base.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=473)
YEAR 2230
I take University Base with the defender I positioned last turn. I now have Hunter Seeker Algorithm and HGP. I can probe with impunity, and proceed to do so in the subsequent turns, taking every tech that University has.
All defenders have been eliminated in Monitoring Station, my next target.
Formers are continuing with mag tubs.
My choppers are also wiping out all defenders in sea bases. I start building a cruiser to begin taking the defenseless sea bases.
At this point, I have surpassed University on the power graph. Only Morgan is higher (but not for long). After almost 50 years of preparation, I will acheive total conquest in 2257, just 27 more years!
Alas, Monday is here, real life intrudes, work for 3 days this week, then camping until next Monday, so updates to this AAR will be slow or suspended for a week or so. But frankly, from this point, I suspect that any experienced SMAC player could push on to victory!
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=474)