Does Miriam suck?

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Far to the west, I have discoverd the Uranium Flats.

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I research Secrets of the Human Brain.  I switch to Explore focus.  Ethical Calculus would allow me to go Democratic, which would be good for growth.  I don't need Hab Complexes yet as I can stand to settle more cities.  Also Morgan has discovered that tech, so there's a chance I can trade or steal it.  Finally, I just can't out-Build Morgan.

My scout rover got cloned.  Then my 2 scout rovers had to take on 4 mindworms from a pod.  1 may survive.

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I've found the Geothermal Shallows.

I found Lal's comm frequency in a sea pod.  Brrring!     Lal    Oh, forgot.  We've been in sunspots for awhile. 

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I've found the Spartans.  They might be moving south in the direction of the Monsoon Jungle, or they might not be connected to it.

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I've found the Morganites as well.  Now all sorts of city borders are lighting up on the map in the Monsoon Jungle.  Morgan must be in possession of it.  Perhaps the Spartans tried to settle in that direction, but got stuck on the approach, with say a Truce with Morgan.  Or they could be allied and Sparta is just incredibly stupid about movement.  Or they could be allied and Morgan gobbled up all the available land.  Well I'll find out soon enough.  Looks like a major theft target to me.

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I completed an Aquafarm in a landlocked city with a lake.  I totally forgot that I don't have Gene Splicing yet and am food restricted.  Although I could surely steal it from Morgan.

I've inflitrated him.  I lost my Foil Probe Team doing that.  He's got piles of techs, all the way through Environmental Economics.  I guess I should try to be sneaky when stealing from him.  Switching to Fundamentalist.

I just researched Field Modulation.

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No more Cultists!  Unless I rescue Cha Dawn someday.

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I've infiltrated the Spartans.

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The Caretakers have finished The Empath Guild, but we're still in sunspots.  It is odd that after all this time, I've built just as many SPs as any other faction.  What is holding up Morgan?

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Sunspots have ended.  Before moving so much as a single unit, I change my Economics from Planned to Simple.  I don't want to drive Morgan bonkers right out of the gate.  Maybe I can steal lots of stuff without him ever getting wise.

Morgan is Solicitous towards me.  Santiago is Seething.  Morgan is at war with the Caretakers.  Lal is an unknown.  Where to begin?

I guess there's no reason to talk to Santiago at all.  She only knows myself and Morgan.  I plan to steal from her, not trade.  It would be better if I stole from her first, but my probe teams are closer to Morgan.  Maybe I really should mine her out first.  She might threaten me and declare war, thereby making it easy for me to use my Foil Probe Teams on her.

Lal is Ambivalent towards me.  He would probably like to meet someone Democratic and stronger than I am.  Oh yeah that's right, I'm Fundamentalist at least until I've stolen everything I need.  So perhaps I don't contact Lal at all.

The odds of the Caretakers liking me are slim.  Morgan may offer an alliance to go to war with them.

The more I think about it, the more I don't want to talk to anyone.  I will try to steal from Santiago.

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The 1st meeting with the Spartans goes ok.  She's Seething but doesn't try to threaten me.  She wants Lal's comm frequency but I don't give it to her.  I don't offer any Treaty.

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I meet a Caretaker recon rover.  She wants me to fight Lal, but does not offer a Pact to do so.  I decline.  She offers a Treaty and I take it.  I ask for Domai's comm frequency and get it for 25 credits.  I sign off.

Domai's attitude is Noncommittal so I dial him up.  He wants H'minee's comm frequency but I don't give it to him.  He does agree to a Treaty.  I sign off.

I have built so many Formers that I simply can't use any more of them.  I have 2 landlocked cities that were producing them.  Instead I'm building Command Centers.  I really need Environmental Economics so I can raise land, but I have to get lots of stuff from the Spartans first.

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I find Applied Physics in a sea pod, so I don't ahve to steal it.

I decide Lal is going to be my scapegoat for frame jobs.  He's a natural enemy and he may be very far away from me.  My 1st attempt at Santiago is botched.  Lal declares war.  Santiago, oddly enough, only sends me a stern rebuke.  I wonder if failing to get anything has something to do with it?  Well, I'm trying again.  2nd time goes much better.  I get Nonlinear Mathematics and I frame Lal!  They're at war now.

I've found a remnant of the Cultist empire.  I infiltrate the Caretakers.

I research Industrial Economics on my own accord.  With an Explore focus.  I've acquired massive amounts of cash from wandering around popping pods, so I'm going to build Energy Banks everywhere.

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The jig is up with Santiago.  Enough failure that she's at war with me now.  Now it doesn't matter if I use my Foil Probe Teams on her.

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I've drained all of Santiago's techs!  Only thing left to take would be a world map.  I don't think I'll go near her just for that.

That's interesting.  Morgan has Adaptive Economics but has not begun that project.  Stressed from fighting the Caretakers? His attitude towards me is Ambivalent.  He doesn't have any techs in common with the Caretakers, so I can start stealing from him now.

The Caretakers have only 1 tech that I don't: Centauri Empathy.  They are Seething towards me.