Vote NERVE GAS

[bvanevery]

Details collateral damage

collateral damage

MY 2256.  The Hive is weakened!  I think now is the time to overrun them.  I could attack with chemical weapons and just rely on pop booming to replace the casualties.  Or I could attack conventionally and accept the loss of perhaps 2 Elite units at most to get the job done.  They might not die at all, against weakened foes.  Heck, let's try to take it intact!

Details the death of Chairman Yang

the death of Chairman Yang

No problemo!  My Elite units went through his wounded units like butter.  I didn't need any chemicals and didn't take a single loss.  One of my enemies is eXterminated and my empire is finally unified.  A great day for Democracy!  Brought to you by... chemicals.

When I think about how brutal and horrid it is to fight Planet when chemicals aren't approved by UN Charter, it's a complete farce.  Night and day difference.  I'm really starting to wonder why I've played the game the other way for 20 years.

[bvanevery]

Details cult of fools

cult of fools

MY 2257.  Recently I noticed that Cha Dawn had gone back to war with Morgan again.  I was thinking about how convenient it would be to just take him over, the problem being, Morgan never actually asks for my help.  Well now Cha Dawn has solved the problem for me!  I'm not certain this was a rational decision, although in my mod he's fixated on Fundamentalist politics and might hate my Democratic ways.  Maybe he attacked one of Morgan's bases that I have garrison units in?  Yep, just after I captured that screenshot, I got an illustration of him attacking Morgan Metagenics.  My Battle Ogre MK2 was the strongest defender, thereby giving me the excuse I need to wipe out the Cultists.  So I guess it had a purpose after all.

Details not known for their judgment

not known for their judgment

I easily take the Cultist city of Morgan Processing.  I think if I gave it to Morgan, it would now seem like a captured base to him?  Not sure; it doesn't matter and I don't really care that much.  I'm ok with my empire being slightly larger, and Morgan hasn't given me a new tech in ages.  Probably he never will, so no reason to spend resources doing more than defending him.  He's a vote on the Council, that's my reason for keeping him alive.

Details did you know it would end this way

did you know it would end this way

Similarly, that's what Cha Dawn is good for.  Despite being willing to bribe me, he wasn't ready to surrender.  Zhakarov recently has given me various conventional forces, and I have made a Gas Impact Penetrator, when I thought I needed it to take out Yang.  I will bring these forces against the Cultists and otherwise continue my campaign against the Cyborgs.

Details long trip back

long trip back

It has taken awhile, but I have managed to bring an Artifact back from the oceans, on a simple Transport!  Nobody's been fighting naval wars to speak of this game, so the southern hemisphere is mostly a big, calm, inconveniently placed lake.

Details ho hum

ho hum

I gain the Cloaking Device.  That's not terribly exciting as it's only a Tier 3 tech.  In fact, version 1.25 of my mod is the very thing that makes this available "so early".  As the year is 2257 and I will clearly win the game, you can see that it's not that early after all.  That's why I pushed it earlier in the tech tree.  It used to be a Tier 6 tech, and I think the "interesting" techs should get used before the game ends.

Granted, I have been playing a Planned economy this whole time, not something that can make a lot of money for research.  But frankly I don't have the breathing room anyways on such a small map.  I had to fight for a long time, it's only recently that it's become optional.  And I can't very well leave the Cyborgs sitting around.  If I did that long enough, they'd nuke me for all the atrocities I've pulled!  Once you've started down that road with a faction, you have to obliterate them.

[bvanevery]

Details not much of a Trance game

not much of a Trance game

MY 2258.  I've polluted enough to attract Locusts.  My ECM unit of course did not hold up to that.  I will need to make a new kind of garrison.  Meanwhile I'll try to fake it with some high morale stuff.

[bvanevery]

Details primitive weaponry

primitive weaponry

MY 2260.  A simple mindworm flanked and totally destroyed my Battle Ogre MK2.  I've buffed those things with every kind of anti-mindworm ability you can have, but it doesn't matter.  This has blunted my offensive against the Cultists but it's a temporary setback.

Details as the bold fall

as the bold fall

I am assaulting the Cybernetic capitol.  She has acquired Silksteel Armor and I lost an Elite 4X-1-1 unit going up against it.  I forgot to spread a genetic plague first.  After that, things died readily, but I didn't have enough Elite units to finish off the base this turn.  I am moving with impunity through the northern reaches of Cybernetic territory, using Scouts and Scout Rovers as a screen.  Shortly the Cyborgs will have no further presence up there.  Then it's a matter of walking to the Monsoon Jungle to the south.  I've been harassing it with plagues delivered by Submarine Cruiser Probe Teams.

[bvanevery]

Details I will create monsters

I will create monsters

MY 2262.  Zhakarov isn't sharing techs, but he did give me a Hovertank unit.  With that I can make a lot of troublesome unit designs.  Hovertanks are not that exotic in my mod, they are a Tier 4 tech.  I might have researched them myself by now, except I didn't.  A most obviously beneficial unit would be a Hovertank Probe Team, as I can hit the Monsoon Jungle more quickly with more plagues.  Hovertank Formers are also useful.

[bvanevery]

Details Zeta jungle

Zeta jungle

MY 2263.  I have wiped out all of the Cyborg's northern cities.  Meanwhile, Zhakarov has seized the 1st of their Monsoon Jungle cities.  Although in time I expect us to declare a joint military victory, I almost think I should hold back and let the Cyborgs retake it, just so Zhakarov doesn't get a land claim on the Monsoon Jungle.  I've had allies ditch me before, but maybe that's more like when you have 4 allies and are about to win.  1 tends to go its own way.

[bvanevery]

Details what can he gain

what can he gain

MY 2264.  I take 1 of 4 of Cha Dawn's remaining cities.  He doesn't want to quit.  Why?  An abiding hatred of Democracy?  I haven't used any chemical weapons on him.

[bvanevery]

Details no nukes is good nukes

no nukes is good nukes

MY 2267.  I am the 1st faction to become Planet Buster capable.  Zhakarov has more technologies than I do, but he has an Explore, Discover research focus so hasn't learned how to blow things up.  I don't anticipate needing a Planet Buster, in fact it would greatly slow down the time it would take me to win the game at this point.  But I find it interesting that even with crap research on my part, our research paths have diverged that much.  I think that means my reclassification of different techs into Explore, Discover, Build, Conquer categories to make them "more pure", actually means something.

The Missile Launcher strength 6 weapon is more immediately useful.  That's as good as my 4X-1-1 chemical units, without needing any chemicals.

Note that the usual array of abuseable orbital facilities is not available until much later in my mod.  Also note that Conventional Missiles and Planet Busters can hit anywhere on the planet.  If I have enough production to crank out such things, then that's a good way to end it all for someone.  But Genejack Factories and Supply Crawlers aren't really showing up this game, for lack of a Build focused researcher who's willing to trade.  That would have been Morgan, but he got clobbered early.

[bvanevery]

Details dont look a gift missile in the mouth

dont look a gift missile in the mouth

MY 2268.  For completely inscrutable reasons a Conventional Missile has appeared in my territory.  I think it must be some bug in the Unit Design Workshop.  It was completely stuffed with designs.  I deleted several to make room for a new Missile Launcher based unit.  Once I completed the prototype, perhaps the game added more designs, and somehow something turned into this.  It's weird, but hey I'll take a free missile.

Note the 66 moves remaining.  I can do a 33 distant scouting trip and back with this thing.  That's actually needed at times because I do not allow satellites upon getting Orbital Spaceflight.  With Advanced Spaceflight you can get an Orbital Defense Pod.  That's the 1st satellite that reveals Planet.  The orbital facilities that give you resources come even after that, as I figure they're distant logistical challenges.

Details AI gets to exploit

AI gets to exploit

Now here we have an example of the dreaded 3-Pulse Probe Team.  I created these in version 1.25 of my mod, so that the AI could do unto others what I was doing unto it!  It never uses armored probe teams defensively, it always attacks with them.  So, I've brought along a unit that I know can kill it.

Details never mind the mindworm

never mind the mindworm

I also need to bring up a unit behind it, to block its ability to disengage.  I, uh, sorta managed that, but not the way I expected.  I suppose hovertanks are only great for going over fungus when they don't stir up unwanted mindworms.  I can't get out of its way, so I'll have to kill it.


I also need to bring up

[bvanevery]

Details reasoning with a cult

reasoning with a cult

MY 2269.  Cha Dawn finally succumbs with 2 cities remaining.

Details reasoning with a mad scientist

reasoning with a mad scientist

Zhakarov insists on getting a piece of her!  Dude, this is one of my trophy votes on the Council.  I don't even have anything I want to propose, but it's the principle of the thing!  I did all kinds of work to keep him alive and here you are mucking it up.  Well, if we win the game soon I suppose it won't matter.

Can I prevent him attacking if I garrison Cultist cities with my own troops?  Better not do it with artillery!  He'll probably shell the city, inadvertently destroy my artillery piece, and start a war somehow.  Or if he doesn't, he'll kill my artillery, which isn't what I want.  Zipping a cheap hovertank down there ought to do the trick.  Might need some probe team garrisons too.

Details reasoning with a god talker

reasoning with a god talker

I have a lot of money and technology.  If I could get Miriam to join us, then the game could end sooner.  Looks like she's going to need a probe team visit to get her undivided attention.

[bvanevery]

Details I don wanna be Green

I don wanna be Green

MY 2270.  At least my rate of eco-damage hasn't been as bad as a Free Market.  Usually at this point in the game I would have built Tree Farms.  However, nobody has learned that tech.  Maybe it is wrong to obsess about maintaining a permanent state of population boom.  My cities have spent far more time not growing than growing.

[bvanevery]

Details last legs

last legs

MY 2275.  The Cyborgs are down to 2 cities.  My Gas Penetrators just completely bounce off their Silksteel armor and die.  Waste of time building those things.  I'm advancing with the last of my chemical troops, but Zhakarov is mostly getting out in front of me.  He tends to do a lot of damage with his mindworms, which then gives me opportunity to strafe wounded defenders.  This partnership tends to leave cities in his hands though, which I didn't exactly want.  I'm realizing I'm just shy of enough votes for Supreme Leader.  Giving Zhakarov more population works against that.

I don't really know what to do for production anymore, so I'm building lots of Formers and basically nothing else.  I think I'm getting near to having "built out" all my squares, at least for my relatively low level of tech.  When I finally have an excess, I suppose I'll just drill a massive rail line to the Believers and clobber them or something.  Or maybe Zhakarov gets there first.  I just wish this wouldn't drag on when the game is basically won.

Barring Zhakarov suddenly dissolving our alliance.  But in that case, I do not have to fight him.  I can vote myself Supreme Leader imminently.

[bvanevery]

Details on my bucket list

on my bucket list

MY 2276.  I thought, let's salvage the Unity Fusion Core before the Cyborgs die!  More money will go into circulation that way.  If I had been really clever, I would have done that just before taking over her last base.  But I would probably blow away her last base anyways.   I guess the University may end up benefiting.

I finally figured out what to produce: Conventional Missiles.  If Miriam does not comply, her life ends immediately.

[bvanevery]

Details huh

huh

MY 2277.  You've gotta be kidding me.  Just like that?  Perfect ally to perfect cad?  Is this some kind of misunderstanding due to the Cultists?  I'm not going to prolong the game for a pile of hours just for that.  I will go back a turn and remove the problem, if that's all it is.

Details artillery practice

artillery practice

Yep, this is where the trouble begins.  Next turn, Zhakarov will shell this city.  If I'm in it, I'm "attacked".  Well I just won't be in it.  Seems I can't stop Zhakarov from harming the Cultists and stay allied with him.  So I guess the Cultists have to die, for the sake of the peace.  I don't really feel like providing them enough troops to fight back... unless I could do it cheaply?  I don't think he has the support for much assistance anyways.  Pity nobody discovered Clean Reactors, it's a relatively early tech in my mod. 

[bvanevery]

Details fools gold

fools gold

MY 2276 again.  Ha ha!  This time instead of waging genetic warfare, I drained their energy grid.  That's probably the biggest payday I've seen in this game for awhile.  I hope I can time it so that I walk into that city instead of the University, and thereby get MO MONEY!