Morgan Biochemical - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.37

[bvanevery]

Details AI flood planning

AI flood planning

MY 2327.  The AI usually builds Pressure Domes to keep this from happening to it, but not always.

Details does it work against mindworms

does it work against mindworms

Gosh, Quantum reactors?  That's going to make dealing with the humans pretty much cake.

Details making bricks fly

making bricks fly

Since I clearly don't need any more tech, I shift a ridiculous amount to PSYCH.  I thought perhaps I could also go Police State since I don't need my ECONOMY to be any higher than +2.  However I do need +4 JUSTICE to skew this budget without any penalty.

I've designed new Quantum units and will start terrorizing with them "soon".  I'm not going to worry about producing units in 1 turn anymore.

[bvanevery]

Details nobody's gonna research anything

nobody's gonna research anything

MY 2328.  I take the last Cyborg Secret project with a pile of Drop Phase Marines.  I begin the Cyborg Factory.  My existing navy is sailing around eXterminating the Cyborgs and I've got a number of X Drop Probability Missile Cruisers in production.  They cost 100 minerals.  I thought that was the best armor and weapon combination with a Quantum reactor.  They don't have R-Lasers so they might not do well against mindworm defenders.

Details I should beat them

I should beat them

Most of my people are not in a Golden Age despite the massive amount of money I'm putting into PSYCH.  I'm not sure why that is.  It's not unhappiness due to military units, as I put a Brood Pit in every city to raise the POLICE rating.

Details you WILL be happy!

you WILL be happy!

I lock up dissidents and take a few people down dark staircases to be shot in the back of the head.  I forego the lopsided budget, which doesn't really matter because it wasn't working.  Maybe next year, with enough beatings, the morale will improve?

Details just slap me around and call me Sally

just slap me around and call me Sally

Wow, people like it!  Today we learned that this game is based on BDSM.  The Brood Pits have caused the effective POLICE rating in my home cities to rise to +2.  This overcomes a few holdouts.

[bvanevery]

Details glad I looked

glad I looked

MY 2329.  I have to look before I inflict plagues, because the Cyborgs have allies.  I don't want them hating me yet!  Previous debacles taught me a very strict discipline of taking out one faction with atrocities at a time.  Do otherwise and you get a nuke in the face.  Granted, I do have an ODP screen now, but one solar flare can end that.  When the mindworms start rolling in, I don't know that I'll have time to build new ones either.

Details not the odds I'm looking for

not the odds I'm looking for

My first "inexpensive" flying Quantum X boats enter service.  They're only armed with Missile Launchers.  The good news is they can take on some Fusion units.  The bad news is some Fusion units can stand up to them.  I will go find an easier target.  I do have probe teams that can deliver plagues to soften up places like this, but I don't have them right here.

Details ok odds

ok odds

A nearby sea base doesn't have a Perimeter Defense.  I could still die though.  I'm pleased that an Isle wasn't selected as a defender though.  I'm thinking my Quantum ships are strong enough that mindworms and Isles won't be a preferred defense against them anymore.  The combat goes way better than those odds would have you believe.  I only take 26% damage and drop the base to size 4.  That's really good considering I also did an orbital insertion this turn.

Details won't stand up to this

won't stand up to this

For more punch, I design an unarmored flying boat with as big a gun as I can put on it.  It costs 140 minerals.  A few of my bases can produce it in 2 turns.  It will be used to blow up the stalwart defenders, leaving my lesser units to mop up.  I find that even my old X Fusion R-Laser Needlejets are deadly once the main defenders are eliminated.  It doesn't matter how big or small a gun the nerve gas is delivered with, the base depopulates all the same.

[bvanevery]

Details as if I needed more strength

as if I needed more strength

MY 2330.  I complete the Cyborg Factory.

Details oops

oops

Did I space out and plague this city?  I don't remember doing that.  But I've also been interrupted quite a number of times this evening.  That's the problem with chemical weapons, it's hard to avoid using them once you've got them.  Well, worst case I might have to change plans and make the Gaians next on the list!

[bvanevery]

Details this creepy lady!

this creepy lady!

MY 2331.  She never stops researching!  How??  She's got no Headquarters and I've knocked many of her cities silly.  Of course I neglected to steal from her, not thinking she could do this.  Next year, next year.

Details showtime

showtime

MY 2332.  And now the moment of truth.  I've had a great head start on my reign of chemical terror, but now I will have to begin suffering the consequences of my actions.  First question is, did I accidentally gas the Gaians?

Details blather

blather

I meet her units holed up in the Cyborg city.  She doesn't seem to think I've committed any atrocities against her.

Details business as usual for me

business as usual for me

But is it going to matter?  I've lost count of how many atrocities I've committed this turn, as well as how many years of sanctions have been imposed upon me.  I'm sure longer than the end of the game.  The Pirates have had enough!  I suspect the others will follow.

Details lemmings

lemmings

This can't possibly do them any good.  They're almost dead at Gaian hands.

Others were already at war with me.  Can any be placated?  The usual drill is to seize a city and see if they'll accept a Truce.  This will require some conventional units.  I don't really want to gas the Pirates just yet.  I've recalled all the conventional Drop Marines to my homeland, as they are of no use to my extermination campaign against the Cyborgs anyways.

Details did you say 840 years

did you say 840 years

Should I have elected myself Governor before gassing everyone this turn?  I guess so.  They still have enough votes to keep me out of office.  Well at least I'm still making money!  676 credits / turn.

[bvanevery]

Details multiple Sealurk and Isle hits

multiple Sealurk and Isle hits

MY 2333.  I took the precaution of putting Trance and 3-Res armor on my latest sea formers.  I've observed that the Pirates and other factions seriously favor Sealurks and Isles as naval attack units.  Well they pretty much bounced.

Details but I make money

but I make money

I'm now Infamous.  Only took 1 year to trash my Reputation.  Despite this, I haven't seen any mindworm pops or flooding.  Could it be that Planet's violent response to chemical attacks, only occurs during normal gameplay?  And that by initiating the devastation during sunspots, I've somehow avoided Planet's ire?  We shall see.

Details I guess they're getting around to it

I guess they're getting around to it

Umm some more time spent gassing the Cyborgs, and now I notice really serious eco-damage in a city that never had it before.  This is a light manufacturing city by my current standards.  I guess next year is going to be awful!  I will shift some production around accordingly.

Details apocalypse is nigh

apocalypse is nigh

122 eco-damage.  Really.  Well at least I've got all kinds of late game advantages for dealing with this.  If I can't handle it now, I'll never be able to.  I suppose R-12 lasers and armor would be useful, but I'm not going to change my research strategy.  I think completing the Voice of Planet stops mindworms from attacking you.  But if you're going to do that, heck, the game's over.  Taking over the Manifold Nexus would bump me to +3 PLANET, which might slightly slow this train down.  Not much though.

I remember in my previous attempt, I had to stop using chemical weapons.  The consequences were just too dire.  I'm determined to at least finish the extermination of the Cyborgs though.  Well, we'll see how determined I am shortly!  Even knowing this was coming, there's not actually a lot of warning for what comes next.  It's not like I've stockpiled hordes of anti-mindworm defenders, I've actually got pretty modest home defenses.  Every city that wasn't in the middle of something, is now making some kind of Trance 3-Res unit.

[bvanevery]

Details the Manifold is sinking

the Manifold is sinking

It's still MY 2333, the year before Doom.  Or so I expect.  I just remembered something bad from my last attempt at this.  If the Manifold Nexus is submerged, it will stop working.  If I ever want it, I need to intervene now.

Details we will fight by land or sea or air

we will fight by land or sea or air

This isn't the battle I expected my conventional Drop Marines to be fighting, but it's what they've been called out to do.  Conquest of the base next to the Manifold Nexus is fairly easy.  I suppose I can thank the flood waters for that.  Any Sensor Arrays they had have probably been washed away.  This also used to be a Believer base before the Gaians took it, so perhaps war has fried a lot of Sensor Arrays around here.  Other Gaian territory will not be so easy to overcome.  Last year I landed a Quantum Drop Neutronium unit to see how invulnerable it might be, and it is not.  Got picked off by several mindworms.

Details Yang used to say that

Yang used to say that

Taking Deirdre's base brings a response from her.  She's obviously not been beaten up enough yet to sign a Truce.  I didn't want peace anyways.  I need enough of a perimeter around the Nexus to get some Formers in there to raise it up.

Details so you think you're safe

so you think you're safe

The next city up has surprisingly little defending it.  I only see the one Sensor Array.  No air defenses, so I think I can just drop on it.  Same thing with the other cities in the area.  I'm definitely not going to have trouble establishing my perimeter.  Who and where does Deirdre think she's fighting?  Definitely not here.  Looking at the AI's unit mix, she doesn't have any unhealthy obsessions.  She's got 54 mindworms and perhaps they're wandering around in the field.

Details are you looking at me

are you looking at me

Ridding myself of the Sensor Array is pretty easy.  I'm having to strip units from my captured Cyborg cities to do it though.  I'm a little nervous about leaving them less defended, but this is important.  At least I've completed some factories down there and have new units being produced locally.

Details softening her up

softening her up

She's more tractable after another loss, but I still need more land.

Details flawed tactics

flawed tactics

Just realized I could have dropped at Virgin Soil and ridden the rails, thereby avoiding the 20% damage from dropping.  Oh well.  I won't make that mistake again.  I might be able to take Gaia's Landing.  It's got her 3 Secret Projects in it.  It's not as poorly defended as this other stuff, but it's not exactly stiff and secure.  Only 1 Fusion unit.

Details roving mindworms

roving mindworms

I'm running out of Drop units, and I've fumbled trying to remove the Sensor Array from behind Gaia's Landing.  Mindworms backed by a Sensor Array actually put up a pretty good defense, and I lost a Missile Speeder that way.  I made the mistake of trying to come down rails and roads when I should have dropped to destroy the Sensor Array.  I couldn't move there because of the zones of control of other units I hadn't seen.  I haven't moved any probe teams, cloaked units, or air cover into this theater.

Details trimming the fat

trimming the fat

In an effort to free up more units, I will scrape some money together and try to upgrade some units in my captured Cyborg cities.  That would free me to send the old Drop units elsewhere.  I don't have much money this year because I'm rushing the Nethack Terminus.  I captured the Virtual World from the Cyborgs a number of turns ago, but I held off on liquidating my stuff, lest the base change hands again.  It isn't going to now, as everything in the region is gone.

Details Truce when the hammer falls

Truce when the hammer falls

Drat, it seems that artillery has to stay artillery.  No point upgrading it.  I can't take Gaia's Landing this year.  At least for lack of units, and possibly for lack of firepower after an orbital insertion.

Details better odds next year

better odds next year

My toughest unit, a Quantum Tachyon Marine, won't actually do all that well right now.  I'm surprised as 3-Res isn't exactly a lot of armor.  I save those 2 units for next year, in cities where they are safe.  I also did something a bit dumb, I re-homed these units to these conquered cities.  Some of them don't have Children's Creches, but I suppose that's a defensive bonus anyways, so ok maybe it isn't really a mistake.  It would be if I expected to defend them.

[bvanevery]

Details modest flooding

modest flooding

MY 2334.  Plenty of ineffectual Pirate attacks against my Sea Formers.  Some Gaian counterattacks against my units in field.  No fungal pops and no notice of any new, profound flodding levels.  This is just the same-old same-old?  I hope there isn't some bug where I'm not going to be warned about how high it's going to rise!  What if my building of the Manifold Harmonics has made me safer from Planet?  Or controlling the Manifold Nexus?

Details spoke too soon

spoke too soon

Or what if I need to click another button before writing this stuff up?  I'll admit, I wanted to believe I'd circumvented this.  Not likely!

Details gratuitous vulcanism

gratuitous vulcanism

This means Planet is getting really hot, but it's completely illogical.  Global Warming is a surface and atmospheric process, not a core process.

Details death from below

death from below

I don't like pops near my sea bases, because it becomes really hard to even see the Isles coming.  Let alone defend against them when there are no terrain obstructions.

Details more

more

I suppose I should keep taking screenshots of this, but it could get old.  Maybe I'll only snip the city affected.

Details Cyborg's fault

Cyborg's fault

Actually I think every single one of my cities is going to get hit.  We'll just look at some of the map at the end of it all.

Details information you can use

information you can use

Well now I know what we're starting with. It's going to get worse.  For comparison, I think we've done 600 meters already this whole game.

Details it's going to matter so much

it's going to matter so much

Too bad mindworms are immune to probe teams!  The map is looking a little scary.

Details mitigable

mitigable

I can handle this year.  The problem is when it keeps happening, and when the land keeps sinking.  Once you're in the water, it's really hard to stay alive.  Isles and Locusts just converge on you too fast.

Details are they here

are they here

If there are stacks in the water, I can't even see them.  At least I have Skybases in the region.  Their high movement rate will be useful for rooting out any lurking horrors.

Details we will drown you fools

we will drown you fools

Without further ado, I propose that we Launch a Solar Shade to cool off our world and prevent the seas from rising any further.  Most of the other factions will have none of it!  Nobody likes me, so it's not worth talking to anyone to try to bribe them.  Svensgaard would veto it anyways.

Now I've seen 3000 meter rises before, so I'm not worried yet.  But I'm not planning on stopping my use of chemical weapons until either the Cyborgs are dead, or I simply cannot continue to do it.  I'm definitely not building any new chemical weapons.  The old inventory should be enough, and if it isn't, so beit!  There's always just Obliterating a base.  Maybe Planet would like that better.

If anyone really needs more detail on what I'm facing, I've attached a save of the game, just before I start dealing with any of this stuff.  Don't forget, you'll need my SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.37 to make sense of it.

[bvanevery]

Details the mopping up problem

the mopping up problem

Still MY 2334.  I've killed most of the mindworms in my homeland, and all the big fungal tower stacks are gone at least.  I did not have enough Scouts from the beginning of the game and had to call out my Clean Police units.  I lack high mobility units, as my home defense has been almost all infantry.  I have appropriate Hovertanks in production but they're not done yet.  I can extend my reach somewhat by building more rails, but I don't have that many Formers to do it with.  Some land units got isolated in sunken cities without boats, so I shifted a few boats around as best I could to alleviate that.  It's important to remember that Locusts of Chiron actually land on the ground or water between turns, and can be attacked by land units or ships.

Details Green Police need rails

Green Police need rails

Green Police are not effective against these big mindworms when they don't have full movement.  Whatever my rails touch, they can hit, but no more.

Details R Lasers handle it

R Lasers handle it

R-Laser infantry is capable of stepping 1 square off the rail.  I don't like using these units for offensive mindworm killing duty though.  They're supposed to be defense in my cities.  I'm nervous about what's going to attack me that I haven't seen yet.

Details poor placement

poor placement

I eliminate all but this 1 Locust.  I actually did attack it with an old foil, but it died.  It may get to munch on something.  If I have Drop R-Laser Needlejets to spare from the fight with the Cyborgs, I'll use them, but I need to fight those battles first and see what I have left over.

[bvanevery]

Details sneaky popping

sneaky popping

Still MY 2334.  Needlejets that had to return to base, have identified some units hidden in sea fungus.  This gets really hard to deal with.

Details planes can't hang

planes can't hang

I find that a wounded R-Laser Needlejet can't take out a Locust.  I suppose they do all have Air Superiority.  I also forgot about the stack of Isles sitting underneath them.  I seem to remember the answer is to shell those stacks.

Details shelling is effective against Isle stacks

shelling is effective against Isle stacks

A 2nd barrage eliminates all but 1 of the Isles.  The 3 Locusts remain and I doubt I can do anything but take the hits next year.

Details persistent plagues

persistent plagues

I throw 6 plagues at the last large Cyborg city in the region, because those probe teams couldn't move very far and had no other target.  Due to the Research Hospital I believe the defenders can only be knocked down to 50%.  However each plague dropped the city's population by 1.  At that rate, next turn I could reduce the city to size 1.  It then becomes fairly easy to drown most of the defenders.

Details firing circle

firing circle

It takes a lot of boats to bring down the other big stack of Isles in the region.  My planes haven't found anything else.  I can't quite kill them all, but the ones that remain shouldn't do much damage.  Again it's the Locusts that are the real threat.  Maybe R-Lasers on water can take them out, but I haven't made many of those yet.

Details scientific method

scientific method

This base has an Artifact in it, so I've been sparing it.  However my wounded ships have nowhere practical to attack anymore.  I knock it down to size 1, but I don't think there's any reliable method for ensuring an Artifact survives a base attack, let alone at sea.  Consequently, I decide to take it over.  Depopulating it probably did make it cheaper at least.

Details moral quandry

moral quandry

The captured Isle can leave immediately, and it can transport its precious cargo to a Network Node.  However it is small and can only take 1 other passenger.  Do I take the Colonist or the Garrison unit?  I don't think colonizing a base has any value to me, but there's something about leaving what is now nominally "my own" colonist to die that bothers me.  If it had Cyborg markings I'd feel differently, but it doesn't, it's been "laundered" by my takeover.  I guess that's like ripping all their cybernetic implants out.   

Am I going to Obliterate the base?  It could draw off some Isle attacks and get destroyed anyways... or its mere existence could create an attack.  Notice the 48 eco-damage just from having taken it over.  Any base I own is a liability now.

Details you're new here

you're new here

In a massive subterfuge of last minute duplicity, I swap the troops for the colonists and leave the latter to their fate.  The way Planet is thinking about me, I think every base generates an attack.  The troops can be upgraded to a better Trance 3-Res defender.

Details does Planet say OK

does Planet say OK

I wonder if Planet is as ornery about Obliterations as it is about chemical attacks.  Or plagues for that matter.  I've done 6 this year and I'm not done yet.

Details Planet doesn't mind sabotage

Planet doesn't mind sabotage

I had a Cruiser Probe Team with nothing else in range.  I thought I might get lucky and take out the Perimeter Defense, but this is good too.  Next year, plagues will reduce these defenders to a feeble shadow of their former selves.

Details the irony

the irony

All I needed was a Network Node.  I completely forgot that the Universal Translator lives here.  My captured bases just look like feeble depots in the sea.  Each one of them is actually guarding a fairly valuable Secret Project.

Details feel the wonder!

feel the wonder!

Wonder what I'll get?  Sentient Resonance would be useful right about now.  Could use me some 12-Res Lasers.  Not sure if 12-Res armor is any more valuable than 3-Res armor against mindworms.  It's just useful against everyone else, which isn't my problem right now.

Details sure let's do this

sure let's do this

I'm down with the Cloning Vats.  I could go all Thought Control instead of Police State.  I just have to find a place that's sorta safe to build it.

Details can't handle everything

can't handle everything

I almost forgot to mention the 5 additional Locusts I discovered on land.  They were hiding in a patch of fungus.  I plan to do unit upgrades at the end of my turn, but I'm lacking quantity of units.  Defenses should be pretty good this year, but when they just keep coming, it's a problem.

[bvanevery]

Details the Nexus in peril

the Nexus in peril

I didn't feel good about taking Gaia's Landing this year, as my units were all wounded.  They probably could have done it anyways, but instead I put them back in my captured bases to heal.  I'm sending my 3 Drop Transports home, to bring up 6 Formers next year.  I'm not sure if I'm going to be in time, but it's all I can do.

Details too bad no chemical warheads

too bad no chemical warheads

The titular Morgan Biochemical is as safe as place as any to build the Cloning Vats.  It's "only" taking 95 eco-damage.  My lowest bases are in the 80s.  I'm clearly going to get exactly the same abuse next year.  I could rush the Cloning Vats now if I wanted to disband a unit, such as one of my missiles.  However at this point in the game, unit designs have a nasty tendency of disappearing if you don't have a live unit of that type.  I don't want to figure out how to build Planet Busters all over again, as I might decide to build and use them.  Especially with a Quantum warhead, why fool around with 10 chemical attacks when I could end multiple cities with 1 super nuke?  Planet might not think a nuke is any worse than a chemical attack for all I know.  I should probably ask on the forums and search the wiki to find out for sure.

Details Planet Pearls 'R' Us

Planet Pearls 'R' Us

Killing all those mindworms has made me filthy rich.  After completing a few needed facilities, I still have 9444 credits.  Holding onto such a vast pile of cash makes me worry about an energy market crash, so it would be best to find a way to spend it.

Details paying through the noses

paying through the noses

The only practical activity that can absorb that much cash is completing the Cloning Vats.  In my mod it's an exceedingly expensive late game project, 1000 minerals.  I'm a little unclear on just how many minerals I have to dump into that project to overcome the "insufficiently complete" penalty when rushing it.  I save the game and fool around in order to determine the needed threshold.

Details a bargain

a bargain

Turns out the threshold is a mere 40 minerals.  It isn't proportional to the expense of the project!  I achieve it by disbanding old Police units, then I gladly pay up the rest.  I'm still filthy rich.  Time to do some unit upgrades.

Details Locust defense

Locust defense

I think my old Fusion Drop X R-Laser Infantry units are where I need them to be.  I don't need Drop capability as much as I need mindworm defense.  The best deal is to arm them with R-Lasers and make them Hovertanks, but when upgrading I can't switch the chassis type like that.  I design a new AAA Phase unit with the biggest gun on it for the cheapest price.  It won't help with attacking mindworms, but I don't plan to do that anyways.  Whereas I might eventually attack someone's base with them.

Details pretty cheap upgrade

pretty cheap upgrade

I don't actually know that Quantum units defend any better against mindworms than Fusion units.  But I do need to spend money, and it also removes the potential of accidentally using the chemical weapons.

Details anti Locust gun

anti Locust gun

I have a vague memory that combining Heavy Artillery and Air Superiority actually works against stacks of air units, such as Locusts.  I also have some idle artillery pieces stuck on an island, with no other use, that I could test this idea with.

Details it does work

it does work

It doesn't do a lot of damage, but the principle is sound.

Details bigger bang for the buck

bigger bang for the buck

Will a Tachyon Bolt do more damage than an R-Laser?

Details maybe

maybe

I killed one of them!  As for the wounds, it's hard to say who's responsible because a 2nd R-Laser piece shelled them before the Tachyon Bolt did.  But there's no question these Air Superiority Artillery units helped.  Only 1 of the original 5 Locusts is a threat now.

[bvanevery]

Details strange selection

strange selection

Still MY 2334.  I've spent a lot of money upgrading units.  Consequently, I have many more armored units in Gaian territory now.  I can afford to take over Gaia's Landing.  I'm surprised that my AAA Phase unit will select for a conventional defender, but my Tachyon Marines will select for a mindworm.  It could be that the former has Trance 3-Res and the latter has plain Plasma armor.  I'm confused about whether the Trance and 3-Res matter only for defense, or whether Psi combat is an exchange of attacks.  The game is selecting the defender as though it were the latter.  Perhaps if I simply put 3-Res armor on my offensive units, they would be able to bypass mindworm defenders?  That would be extremely handy for chemical attacks.

Details more beer for soldiers

more beer for soldiers

Details fence sale at Home Depot

fence sale at Home Depot

Details double guards coming to a street near you

double guards coming to a street near you

Gaia's Landing is quite a prize.

Details NOW we can stop fighting

NOW we can stop fighting

She's got nothing else I need... until it's time to gas her.  First I must finish the Cyborgs.

[bvanevery]

Details so it meant nothing

so it meant nothing

MY 2335.  Deirdre isn't true to her word.  Of course her attack is ineffective.

Details it can get worse

it can get worse

I survive the straggler Locust attacks just fine, including some from a previously unnoticed fungal tower.  The flooding, on the other hand, will be a problem.

Details like I was saying

like I was saying

Every 6 fungal pops, the water level goes up.

Details oh good grief

oh good grief

Do you see why I hid my actions behind the sunspots?  If I hadn't had that head start, I might not even be able to kill off one faction.  I wonder how much trouble it's going to be as it is.  Chemical weapons are like hit yourself in the head weapons.  Would I be any worse off nuking everyone?

Details usually this makes Morgan happy

usually this makes Morgan happy

In my mod, this tech is required to win an Economic Victory.  It also doesn't appear in the original game.  The art assets are there, but they've been turned off.  I reactivated them, and gave it an appropriate benefit.  In this game however I'm sworn to gas everyone.  This Morgan is a little obsessive that way.

Details situation normal

situation normal

The fungal pops look worse than last year.  I have fewer unwounded units to deal with them, but at least I did complete some appropriate Hovertanks.  I've decided that this year, everyone who doesn't have a Pressure Dome yet, needs to build one.  It's clearly not going to be long before there's no land left.

It's 1 AM.  Tomorrow I'll figure out what to do about this.  Now I'm going to bed.

[bvanevery]

Details the awesome Fungicidal Plasma Sentinel

the awesome Fungicidal Plasma Sentinel

Still MY 2335.  While moving my few wounded units in the Cyborg waters, I notice that Plasma Sentinel I mind controlled last year, is Fungicidal!  Go figure.  Certainly not something I designed, and not among my workshop designs.  This unit didn't get upgraded to AAA Phase last year, and this oddity would be why I missed it.  There was no white marked Obsolete design for it.  I'm attaching a saved game to peruse at a later time.

[bvanevery]

Details improving justice with Thought Control

improving justice with Thought Control

Still MY 2335.  I got halfway through my turn before remembering that I don't need the GROWTH from Eudaimonic anymore.  In the future I won't have a MORALE penalty; I don't think the change sets in immediately.  I abandon the Police State because I need to keep my ECONOMY at +2.  I need my PLANET rating as high as possible, so I'm stuck with Green and Knowledge.

Details periphery of the homeland

periphery of the homeland

I'm able to clear the land interlopers, but I don't have enough units to deal with sea or air attacks.  I'm able to weaken big stacks of Isles using naval artillery, but I didn't have enough ships to wipe them out.  Fortunately Locusts are only showing up around my homeland one at at time so far.

Details assault on Alpha Prime

assault on Alpha Prime

The same is not true of captured Cyborg bases.  I was able to weaken or destroy some stacks of Locusts with the very effective Tachyon Anti-Air Artillery, but I don't have those units everywhere.  It would be best to put these anti-air capabilities on ships.  However this year I'm being spammed with floods and must build Pressure Domes.

Details purchasable defense

purchasable defense

I've decided that almost everyone who isn't building a Pressure Dome, is going to build a Tachyon Field.  I'm not a big fan of them, since I never need them when fighting the AI factions, but fighting continuous mindworm spam is another story.  I change the production of 3 ships in captured Cyborg cities to make Tachyon Fields instead.  Unfortunately I think the rules on "when production completes" are not in my favor.  Probably my shields get built after I've been attacked.  I can't tell if they have enough force to damage one of my bases.  We'll see next year.

Details fat budget

fat budget

I pay double price on some items because I'm filthy rich and need to get stuff done.  I made almost 15k credits killing mindworms this year.  After expenditures I still have 9.6k, far more than I can use.  If I intended conventional conquest, I could buy enemy bases.  I might even yet do that in the case of the nearest Pirate bases.  However, I believe bases are simply a defense liability for me right now.  I need to eXterminate the Cyborgs and then wait for Planet to calm down, before picking my next victim.

Details money to burn

money to burn

Since I have so much money, I make more upgrades.  Now I own a Quantum Planet Buster!  The R-Laser anti-air artillery is now Tachyon, since it's clearly more effective.  All the AAA Phase units are now Quantum AAA Tachyon.  That seemed excessively expensive, but whatever.  I still have 6k credits left.

Details best I could do

best I could do

My +3 JUSTICE allows me more budgetary flexibility than I had, but some of the combos it allows are lopsided and weird, like 10% PSYCH spending.  I need 20% to keep people happy, and I get a penalty for anything other than a 40-20-40 split.