Smothering The Enemy - SMACX AI Growth mod

[bvanevery]

Lying around in bed, not really having the energy to do much else for the next X minutes, I got motivated.

Details the peoples buyout

the peoples buyout

MY 2343.  Since I'm morally opposed to Transcending, I decided the fastest way to win the game (turn-wise) is to manually buy everything.  I probably have the credits / turn to do it.  If I don't, then I can just make as many Orbital Power Transmitters as needed.  I'll know I need OPTs when I run out of money buying cities.  I've ended Drop Former production, switching all of those cities to Drop Hovertank Probe Marines.  They're very effective against Pirate sea bases touching land.

Details decapitation

decapitation

I've decided to use my forward positioned military units to do some outright conquest as well.  That can stretch my money farther.  The most efficient use of troops is knocking off enemy capitols.  City buyout costs are a lot cheaper when a civ doesn't have a headquarters.  I haven't made much progress this year, but then I didn't start this turn with this idea in mind.  I just came back to a saved game, expecting to hit "TURN COMPLETE" and instead decided to use as many garrisoned units as possible for my cause.

Details pretty sneaky sis

pretty sneaky sis

I've taken a few Consciousness cities by Total Thought Control.  Haven't tripped their radar yet.  These cities were relatively far away from their capitol so were under 2K credits to buy out.  I am mainly limited by the lack of good rail networks to anywhere.  My hovertank probe teams are stumbling around trying to get to targets.

[bvanevery]

Details unconsciousness

unconsciousness

MY 2351.  I take over the last Consciousness base with a probe team.  My money wasn't remotely enough to buy all the very expensive bases on Planet, so this has become an outright conquest.  Probe teams do some of the work where they can.  They have a disadvantage compared to combat units, in that their movement ends after they drop.  Combat units can attack immediately and do not require me to plan ahead.  Drop Wave Hovertanks did the heavy lifting while I was making war on land.  Drop Marine Hovertanks killed the coastal bases once I ran out of land.  They're not as effective as Wave units but I had piles of them.  Drop Cruisers are now going after the few remaining out-at-sea bases.  Yes, it's useful to have drop pods on a ship.  You can't drop into the sea, but you can drop into a coastal land base and sail out to sea.

The entire planet is sinking.  I am thinking the idea of reaching a stable system was a pipe dream, unless it's all underwater.  Or unless I've conquered everybody first.  I get fungal pops every turn and now they've become gigantic stacks of Locusts.  I haven't built any air units to deal with something so massive, so I might experience casualties next year.  I'm shifting production to Drop R-Bolt Rotors to fight back.  I definitely don't need more land or marine units, it will take ships to finish off the last of my enemies.

[bvanevery]

Details cult dont fear the reaper

cult dont fear the reaper

MY 2352.  The Cult of Planet succumbs to a Hovertank Marine.  One of my cities was completely wiped out by a stack of Locusts.  My R-Bolt Rotors are not terribly effective, they only get 1 or 2 hits before being too wounded to continue.  I am creating a new "Sprayer" unit, basically air mounted artillery.  Such a unit is enabled in this mod; hope it helps!

Details no more droning on and on and on

no more droning on and on and on

The Drones die.

[bvanevery]

Details I hate you

I hate you

MY2353.  I've gone the whole game without this happening.  Indeed, I've gone many games.  Why now?

Drat, air mounted artillery doesn't work.  When I try to hit "F" to initiate indirect fire, it thinks I'm trying to terraform.  There is no menu command to let me do it either.  Oh well, I'll try making defensive units.

Details check check a check it out yall

check check a check it out yall

What an interesting skill!  A Drop Cruiser can land on an Airbase.  I suspected that I could probably land on inland cities, although I haven't tried it.  Now all I have to do is sail off of the airbase into the water.  Pretty neat huh?  Good for rounding up those pesky distant Pirate bases that I can't drop directly on top of.  Heck, the Airbase just keeps me from taking wounds!  I can land on any coast and just sail off it.  Didn't realize that, would have saved me some time before.

[bvanevery]

Details wet streets paved with gold

wet streets paved with gold

MY 2354.  I just want to point out the absurd costs I've been dealing with.  I don't understand how this stuff is formulated. 

Details nice probing you

nice probing you

Goodbye Pirates!  Other than my ally Roze, the Spartans are the only one left.  We have a Treaty and I've left them alone since the beginning of the game.  It's time to buy them out though.  I have so many cities it's difficult to find my probe teams now.  I could just crush them militarily but I'm going to be polite.  Although, once it's down to their capitol, maybe I'll just do a polite invasion.  Wish these sunspots would lift.

[bvanevery]

MY 2355.  Having redeployed what probe teams I could find, I take 3 Spartan cities by Total Thought Control.  The 4th eludes me because a screen of troops is in the way.  I take 1 of the troops in preparation for next turn.

Details the nerve of some dictators

the nerve of some dictators

MY 2356.  How did Santiago figure out that I was about to whack her to bits?  Well hey I'm all about the pretext.  I savor my Noble reputation in the face such infamy.

Details explodophobic

explodophobic

I am obsessively building Flechette Defense Systems at every base, even now, out of the perceived fear that "someone could hit me with a missile".  Now who could that be at this point, eh?

[bvanevery]

Details to swat or not to swat

to swat or not to swat

And now the moment of truth.  Do I take the Spartan capitol, stop the sandboxing exercise and win the game?  I think so.  If nothing else, being pestered by so many cities has gotten to be a drag.  I think I'd rather play a new game with the 1.14 rules.  This game didn't get the major changes in Fusion, Quantum, and Singularity engines until the very end of the game, so I don't actually know what that progression is like.

Details put them to the sword

put them to the sword

I have enjoyed your pensive company, Santiago.

Details advanced advanced spaceflight

advanced advanced spaceflight

In celebration of our victory we erect a giant floating flower in geosynchronous orbit over Gaia's Landing.

Details number crunching

number crunching

I never know if my scores are any good, but this is less than I was spending to buy out size 1 bases at the end of the game.

Details meaningless metrics

meaningless metrics

So what am I 452% of?

Details it is good being lime green

it is good being lime green

The replay movie was abrupt, with a sudden splotch of green exploding at the end.  The area in the center without green was a Pirate enclave with only sea bases ringing the coast of the continent.

Details good riddance

good riddance

Yes go away!  Quit smothering me.  The moral of this story is no matter how much you think you're going to sandbox, you're going to conquer everyone eventually.