Morgan Biochemical - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.37

[bvanevery]

Details secure all decks! oops

secure all decks! oops

MY 2336.  I tend to forget about the Pirates' piracy ability, especially when they fixate on Isles and Sealurks and don't use conventional ships to attack.  So now they could make expensive mindworm resistant Sea Formers, goody for them.  If they were a human player, they could cheat (?) and make any Quantum unit design out of this.  The AI won't do that though.

Details the new normal

the new normal

I've survived the Isle and Locust hits up north, but one of my bases got pretty badly beat upon and needs reinforcements.

Details what is normal

what is normal

Some of my bases did complete Tachyon Fields before any Isles or Locusts attacked.  I haven't seen them frying against a Tachyon Field just yet.  I'm just watching fungus pop and water rise.

Details I'll get my Wellies

I'll get my Wellies

My lands are covered in a carpet of Locusts.  The good news is they do land on the ground between turns, so they can be attacked between turns.  The real problem is when they're out to sea.

Details spraying for bugs

spraying for bugs

I've designed what might be a good anti-Locust ship.  It's the minimum cost variant at any rate.  The problem is, I think all Quantum units cost at least 90 minerals no matter what they are.  My factories can't produce that in 1 turn.  I'm so swamped that I think I probably have to have units that I can chuck out in 1 turn.  I'm not certain if they'll be produced before attacks come again, but given that some of the Tachyon Fields did finish before attacks, there's a chance.  Hm, I'm not sure any Locusts ever did attack a Tachyon Field.  Did they just fly away?  Or is the turn resolution order not what I thought?

Details bigger gun smaller motor

bigger gun smaller motor

I can put a slightly bigger gun on it for the same minerals, if I cut the speed.  It still takes everyone at least 2 turns to produce though.  In principle I could just buy units outright, but I have a feeling they'll be cost prohibitive.  It also underutilizes all this industrial infrastructure I've built up.

Details cheaper units

cheaper units

I can't really abide all those Quantum designs that take 2 or more turns to complete.  I design a number of Fusion units to get done more quickly.  I even design a Fission unit for seriously impoverished bases.  I don't feel any kind of security at all right now.  If I ever feel safer, I'll worry about more expensive units, or about building some Nessus Mining Stations to boost my mineral output.  But that will increase my eco-damage so I'm not keen on it.

[bvanevery]

Details ground attack doesn't kill Locust stack

ground attack doesn't kill Locust stack

Still MY 2336.  I just attacked a stack of Locusts with a 20% wounded Scout inside my base.  It is a Commando.  The good news is it killed a Locust on the ground.  The bad news is it didn't kill anything else in the stack with it.  That's serious trouble!  I can't possibly kill these units on offense, if they don't die in stacks.  I've also found that unlike the mindworms, wounded Scouts can't harm the Locusts.  They will have to pull inside a base and hope for the best.

Details circling the wagons

circling the wagons

I can't destroy any of these Locust stacks.  My Scouts and R-Laser Hovertanks, I attacked them from inside the cities, figuring those units would do better on offense.  Other units I've left unused on defense.  I pulled land and sea Formers into bases to help with defense, as they've all got Trance 3-Res armor.  The distribution of forces in my cities is uneven, because the Locusts cut off my rails and I've divested myself of Drop units.  I'm simply going to have to take the hits next year and hope for the best.

Details Alien tech sure is fragile

Alien tech sure is fragile

The Manifold Nexus has sunk.  It's 367 meters underwater and my PLANET rating has been reduced to +2.  My Formers are ready to raise land this turn, but my previous experience is it's too late.  Once sunk, it's gone.  Well, I don't know if lowering the oceans for the entire planet, such as with many Solar Shades, would bring it back.  But raising land didn't bring it back in another game I played.  It's just not possible to rescue things like this on short notice.  Once Planet gets angry, everything sinks really fast.   Good grief the last prediction was 2400 meters in 20 years.  If I had anticipated this and wrested it from the Gaians a long time ago, I could have had it, but I didn't.

Details drop defenders

drop defenders

I don't see much point working any land in Gaian territory, because pretty soon it's all going to be underwater.  I drop the units in my home cities to bolster defenses.  All of them are Trance 3-Res as I did expect to be facing a lot of mindworms.

Details southern circumstances

southern circumstances

Things don't look as bad in former Cyborg territory, but I have fewer units down there.  I found what I could find, and shelled what I could shell.

Details calm before the Manifold

calm before the Manifold

Things are pretty quiet in Gaian territory.  I wiped out a couple of mindworms that had wandered in from a nearby fungal tower I've yet to deal with.

Details running out of Cyborgs

running out of Cyborgs

I'm viciously eXterminating the Cyborgs in the waters to the west.  There's a final pocket of them to the east that I haven't dealt with much.  I use chemicals and plagues with impunity, perhaps excessively so.  But if they give any kind of advantage, I use them.  For all I know this could have Planet completely upset and out of sorts with me, but I'm not compromising.  It's difficult to see it getting any worse than it's going to be next year.  Can the game double the number of Locusts it throws at me?  I don't know and I really don't care.  I'm staying true to form: this Morgan is obsessed with chemical eradication, and he's not going to stop unless he absolutely has to.  So far, he doesn't have to.

After rushing more Tachyon Fields, I finish the year with 5.5k credits.  There's nothing to upgrade.  How my units do on defense next year, is going to say a lot about my viability.  There are things I could have done before if I wanted to plan more in advance, like complete Pressure Domes and Tachyon Fields early, instead of when it's clear they're needed.  Much depends on whether one wishes to game this or roleplay this.  Morgan certainly wouldn't have known to do these things in advance of the floods.  Yet, I have implicitly played the game with foreknowledge of what happens during a flood, so I'm not pure.

[bvanevery]

Details it's terrifying

it's terrifying

MY 2337.  I thought I was doing ok, as I had only lost maybe 10 units here and there.  Half of them were probably mere Scouts.  Then the Locusts changed direction and didn't just attack their nearest city.  They beelined for a weakened coastal city and almost wiped it off the map.  It's now size 2 and vacant.  To add insult to injury, the Pirates landed there, so I have 2 enemies to fight off.

Details stalks

stalks

At least this round is mostly land based mindworms, instead of solid Locusts as far as the eye can see.  Ordinarily I'd be optimistic about dealing with this, but most of my units are badly wounded and unable to do anything.

Details was it deliberate

was it deliberate

The Dream Twister is at risk.  Losing it would be a serious blow to my fighting capability.  This base has sunken so I cannot drop land units in there.  They managed to destroy the Tachyon Field while they were at it.

Details the logistical situation

the logistical situation

The only base that can reinforce Morgan Robotics is Morgan Energy Monopoly.  Assuming I don't run into an unseen wall of enemy units.  Fortunately it is a land base, so I could empty it, then drop my few remaining drop units in to reinforce it.  Typically those are Drop X ships, so I will upgrade them after the drops.  Morgan Energy Monopoly does not contain a Secret Project, so if something has to be defended less, it's a candidate.

Details the new society

the new society

I realize now that I do not in fact have enough techs to do well at this.  Quantum reactors are actually not helpful against mindworms, as they simply ignore the reactor when they attack.  So they just take longer to produce and my factories can't whip them out in 1 turn.  I would need bigger factories or breathing room to build Nessus Mining Stations to overcome this problem, and it doesn't really help against the mindworms anyways.  Resonance Bolts would be really useful against the mindworms.  I've always thought Tectonic Missiles were a bit hokey, but I sure could use them now to raise some land!

By going Cybernetic, I gain +4 JUSTICE.  This allows me to shift my economy to whatever I want.  I clearly don't need money.

Details stack blasting and obstructions

stack blasting and obstructions

I'm able to kill all the fungal towers.  I try to put mindworms on the fungus squares next to my bases to block enemy attacks.  That's another problem with being in the water, this tactic doesn't work with Isles.  They just attack anyways.  I didn't have to bring any ships back to my emptied base as some Drop Transports were sufficient reinforcement.  My tempo of chemical attacks is slowing because the Cyborg cities are farther away.  However I've probably ticked off Planet sufficiently to be in for more.  I have 10k credits after rushing things like Hab Domes for my conquered Cyborg cities.

[bvanevery]

Details just short of the 3k club

just short of the 3k club

MY 2338.  This year doesn't seem to be as bad.  It's mostly ground based mindworms, and most of my units are healed.

Details easy street

easy street

This was an easy year, as I had almost all of my units to work with.  The only problem is sometimes a fungal tower or stack of Isles appears somewhere without showing up on any Sensor Array.  Then if I discover it by scouting manually, units have already been committed elsewhere, and I have to scramble to figure out how to kill it.  I think I handled it this year though, mainly in conquered Cyborg waters.  I finish the year with 17k credits.  Nothing to spend it on.

[bvanevery]

Details who's counting

who's counting

MY 2339.  Flooding continues but it was pretty easy in the north.  Maybe I have a critical mass of units.  It's hard to tell what I can really handle without another massive Locust attack though.  I keep building the appropriate anti-air artillery pieces out of paranoia.

Details last western outpost

last western outpost

The western extent of the Cyborgs is almost gone.  I probably didn't need chemical attacks to deal with any of it.  Obliterations would have sufficed.  I still haven't bothered to find out if Planet is better disposed towards one or the other.

Details doom approaches

doom approaches

The eastern extent of the Cyborgs is all they've got left.  When they're gone, I will have achieved my 1st objective: to completely gas a faction, without committing any atrocities to any other faction.  Then I will start working on the Pirates.  I'm not sure how many bases I'll take over or gas.

I finish the year with 26.5k credits.  Cornering the Energy Market would take 214k credits.  I'm not sure if that's high compared to the unmodded game.  I did make mind control more costly in my mod, because probe teams are seriously overpowered in the stock game.  I wonder if that raises the cost of Economic Victory?  It usually seems unattainable, unless I want to engage in the very boring act of building lots of Orbital Power Transmitters.  I hadn't considered the possibility of getting rich by harvesting infinite numbers of Planet Pearls.  I might consider that victory condition instead, as it's thematically appropriate.  However it still takes 20 years to secure an Economic Victory, so it's not exactly a quick finish.  At 10k..15k per year, it could take me 20 years just to get there.  Gassing my enemies might actually be faster.  Or lighting them up with nukes; I haven't ruled that out.

If it were simply about winning the game, I could have done that by now.  Gassings are most certainly counterpoductive to winning.  Look how long it has taken to complete the annihilation of merely 1 faction!  If I had done it conventionally, with Quantum reactors I'm sure the Cyborgs would be dead already.  Or I could have just taken over a radial swath around my homeland and declared myself Supreme Leader.  I could still do that... which is why stated obsessions about chemical destruction are important.

[bvanevery]

Details easy to resent pirates

easy to resent pirates

MY 2340.  Pretty sure that's a Fusion unit.  It would be amusing if they started building a lot of these X units.  I haven't committed any atrocities against the Pirates, so they shouldn't have cause to attack me with them.  Unless having an Infamous reputation makes you open season as far as everyone's morality is concerned.  They'd still get sanctions for such actions at least.  Pirates are annoying!  They don't have much presence out here, but they managed to slip a unit out here somehow.

Details hippie planning

hippie planning

Maybe they caught some rad waves before going under.  It's too bad these super floods aren't more devastating to other factions.  The AI mostly just tends to build Pressure Domes to deal with them.  It does degrade their infrastructure though.  Except the Pirates.  Who are next to me and most easily conquered.  This game might be different if they were on the opposite side of Planet from me, like the Cyborgs were.

Details yeah, water, I get it

yeah, water, I get it

Details new sea lane

new sea lane

Defense up north is still easy.  I don't think I need any new defensive units to defend up there.  The main thing to start thinking about, is what it's all going to be like when it's underwater.  It's easy now because I've still got a rail network and Scouts that can move back and forth whacking fungal towers as they pop up.  Once everything is in the water, it becomes more a game of hide and seek.  Maybe building lots of Sea Formers with Trance 3-Res defenses would help.  I can also build Nessus Mining Stations to boost my minerals output, but I don't want to do that until the eco-damage stops.  I bet that's not going to happen until I'm done wiping out the Cyborgs.  I haven't been paying attention to how much new damage I do, after chemical attacks.  It's not that relevant because I need to get done, what I need to get done.

Details not long for this world

not long for this world

The Cyborgs will last 2 more turns at most.

Planning and budgetary considerations tomorrow.  It's 1:30 AM and I'm going to bed.

[bvanevery]

Details manually upgradeable Fusion units

manually upgradeable Fusion units

Still MY 2340.  I don't want to get rid of these Fusion unit designs.  Far from being obsolete, they're the only things my factories can chuck out in 1 turn.  However I could upgrade them manually to Quantum designs, by hitting CTRL-U for each one individually.  That's tedious but effective.  I don't think it helps in the case of mere armor upgrades.  I suspect that a Trace 3-Res defense does exactly the same thing when a mindworm attacks it, no matter what the reactor size.  But anti-air artillery is another matter!  Bigger guns are clearly better, and I think the reactor power does matter to the damage done.  So all of those, I should upgrade.

Details foiled!

foiled!

Unfortunately my plan is not compatible with continuous mindworm spam.  To the extent that I have to use all my units to defend myself, I can't upgrade them.  There's an answer for that: build yet more anti-air artillery and forget about other stuff.  Eventually I'll have enough to rotate the upgrades and be happy.

Details what comes with the Merchant Exchange

what comes with the Merchant Exchange

It may be a bit of an exploit, but if one upgrades the entire design to something "better", one doesn't face the turn limit problem.  I have, for instance, done this fairly regularly with Drop units I don't need anymore, sometimes in the same turn.  I could do this to Pirate bases.  My main worry about them, has been not having enough defenders when Planet attacks.  Actually for defensive units, I don't need the exploit, I could just CTRL-U the unmoved units individually.  It's really only a question of whether I think I've got enough defenders to weather Planet's attacks.

Details the one true weapons platform

the one true weapons platform

I decide that I don't trust the rage of Planet.  I think the Pirate cities would still be a liability.  If I had a strong occupying fleet, it would be different.  Consequently, every base that can build SAM Tachyon Destroyers starts to do so.  Every base that can't, and isn't otherwise disposed, builds Sky Hydroponics Labs because I do have people starting to starve.

Details too small a pop

too small a pop

I get rid of various intermediate designs that were cost based, such as this one.  It just doesn't have enough punch to do anything to the Locusts.  Bigger guns are better for that!  I upgrade a few unused Fusion anti-air artillery to Quantum.  I find some lesser unused Cruisers and make them into SAM Tachyon Destroyers.  I finish with 31k credits.

It suddenly occurs to me that if Planet's attacks don't abate, I could buy Quantum Planet Busters every turn, and destroy a substantial portion of Planet's surface with them.  This would require me to reach a steady state of defense, i.e. the Locust hordes not getting worse.  I think Planet might be relaxing more than aggrieving now, so I will hold this plan in reserve.

[bvanevery]

Details this is getting old

this is getting old

MY 2341.  An unseen swarm of Locusts killed a unit in Cyborg territory.  That's not a super tragedy, but it shows the risks of being surrounded by water.  It's hard to scout everything, and Sensor Arrays don't seem to reveal anything.  Maybe I should build Geosynchronous Survey Pods?  I never do, but maybe they'll be of some use.

Details I'm secretive

I'm secretive

With my change in policy I finally get some new research.  This one doesn't do much, but I do get more energy from fungus squares.

Details headin' to the Governor's Mansion!

headin' to the Governor's Mansion!

My bonus tech is more useful.  I've been growing votes for awhile now, and I could win an election if other factions don't put up a united front.  With another 2X votes it becomes a certainty.  I don't really need the extra money, and I don't think I'm collecting any COMMERCE income anyways with the hundreds of years of Sanctions imposed upon me.  Plus all the vendettas.  It does let me propose stuff in the Planetary Council every 10 years instead of every 20, and nobody can veto me.  I wonder how long it's been since I suggested we Launch a Solar Shade?  Would they be more likely to see sense?

Details how high can it go

how high can it go

It occurs to me that Planet does better terraforming than I'm ever going to be able to do.  I really wanted a Tectonic Missile though.

Details northern link

northern link

I've completed a rail on high ground, with each portion in excess of 500 meters.  It should last a few more turns until the eastern tip of my empire is underwater.  The Scout On Rails system is very effective for wiping out fungal buttons.  Fission Trance Empath Scouts are particularly effective and cheap at only 20 minerals, but I don't plan to make any more right now.  I can handle the mindworm based fungal pops on land, I've reached a steady state.  It's the possibility of a pure Locust assault that still worries me, but my upgrades of anti-air artillery and ships proceed apace.

Details can ships heal on these

can ships heal on these

I believe I've lost the use of Monoliths to heal my units.  The one linked by rail is down to 44 meters.  I think if I left units on it this turn, they would drown next turn.  The other land Monolith that is not linked by rail is down to 202 meters.  I might be able to use it for a few more turns, but the healing is only useful for a Scout if they can immediately move and strike once healed.  It would take too long to build a rail to it, and all of that land will soon be underwater.  Thus I focused my rail building efforts elsewhere, where I will get more benefit for longer.

I'm taking a break, my dog needs a walk.

[bvanevery]

Details so what is one to do

so what is one to do

Still MY 2341.  For some reason my Gaian holdings are being attacked by pure Locust stacks.  I don't know why they should get this special treatment.  I haven't built any anti-air artillery there at all.  In fact I've been building Temples to try to mitigate eco-damage, so it's quite annoying that the worst forces have shown up here.  I do have a complement of AAA Trance 3-Res defensive units, but they've taken beatings from previous indigenous and Gaian hordes.  I've moved the nearly dead units to Blackroot Palace, my one city that for some reason does no eco-damage.  I still have enough of a rotation to possibly hold off these stacks, but I might also get fried.  The irony is that with the sinking of the Manifold Nexus, only Gaia's Landing is valuable to hold.

Since I can't kill stacks, attacking any unit only makes them stronger.  I wait on defense, hoping they will spend themselves.  In the future I will concern myself with building appropriate anti-air artillery.  I can't design a self-contained anti-air drop artillery, as that's too many abilities.  I could design a self-contained drop ship.  I think I can deploy those to an inland city.  I could also bring in artillery with my 3 existing Drop Transports.  That seems like a prudent course, as the Drop Transports themselves have defensive value, and I currently seem to have more in my home territory than I need.

Details previous heroics

previous heroics

Unfortunately my 3 Drop Transports were in a city that has since detached from the mainland.  I wasn't going to be able to bring and fire artillery until next turn anyways, but now it'll have to be 2 turns as I redeploy.  I'll send 1 to Gaia's Landing for immediate defensive reinforcement.  2 to the mainland in different places to pick up artillery, hopefully.

Details southern holdings

southern holdings

In the south I'm beset by Isle stacks topped by a single Locust.  These are easier to deal with, although it's not entirely trivial because I haven't been building any units down here.  I'm still trying to add facility improvements.  Whether that's ultimately purposeful, I don't know.  I can't reinforce this area with drop ships as all the bases have sunk into the water.  I could land Drop Transports on the land next to the bases, but most of this land is not going to be left for much longer.

Details hope it helps

hope it helps

I'm building a fair number of Geosynchronous Survey Pods this year.  Next year I'll see if they do me any good spotting swarms.  I finish the year with absurd money as usual, 38.5k.  I do not rush Clinical Immortality as I'm being cheap.  I haven't produced the 40 minerals necessary to lower the price.  Nobody else is going to get it and it doesn't give me any major advantage, so I put it in one of my most pathetic cities to be worked on.  The main advantage of that particular city is it doesn't have a Secret Project yet.  This reduces my risk of losing a Secret Project if super hordes of indigenous life forms ever show up.

[bvanevery]

Details almost over

almost over

MY 2342.  My Gaian cities held, barely.  I've reinforced with 2 hovertanks and 2 Formers.  I'm counting on not getting big Locust stacks again back to back, since I don't see anything in the area this turn.  Up north was the easiest it's been.  Hardly anything to mop up.  The south doesn't have much either.  The last thing to do is finally slay the hated Cyborgs!  Yippie!

Details a groaner

a groaner

Isle and Spore defenders drag it out one more year.  I just didn't quite have the ships.  I finish the year with 40k credits, indicating that I must not have killed that many mindworms.  One thing I forgot to do last year that I make sure to do this year, is go back over all my cities and click to maximize the number of squares worked.  I wish the game didn't make me babysit that.  And no, I never use Governors, because they are so stupid.

[bvanevery]

Details it's good to watch others drown

it's good to watch others drown

Details yeah yeah

yeah yeah

MY 2343.  A light year for mindworms!  Marred only by a Locust threat to one of my Gaian bases.  Maybe it's a programmed phase that all cities go through, the "Locust hit".

Details try me now

try me now

I reinforce with a Drop Transport and 2 anti-air artillery pieces.  They won't get to fire, but they will get to end the interference of a Gaian Spore Launcher that's been bothering me forever.

Details defeated!

defeated!

Finally they're gone!  I didn't make a single chemical attack this turn, although I did Obliterate that last base.  My last few X ships shall return to port to be refitted with anti-Locust cannons.  That leaves only a handful of X Drop Needlejets to make mistakes with.

I finish the year with 38.5k credits, which includes rushing Clinical Immortality.  Once Planet calms down, I'll see how much of the Pirates I can take over by spending money.  I've also begun to build some Quantum Planet Busters.  My next round of destruction is likely to be most unkind.

It's 1 AM and I'm resting on my laurels for the night.  I've made a milestone: 1 faction gassed!

[bvanevery]

Details more enemies gone

more enemies gone

Details more water rising

more water rising

Details locust magnet

locust magnet

MY 2344.   My only real spot of trouble this year is Gaia's Landing.  I reinforced with a Drop Transport and 2 anti-air artillery.

Details ready for my big chair

ready for my big chair

Details hegemony

hegemony

They present a united front, but Clinical Immortality overwhelms them.  It appears I could have done without it anyways, just barely.

Details up to 10 more years of flooding

up to 10 more years of flooding

This is why I didn't care that much about getting elected Governor.

[bvanevery]

Details I'm not putting up with this

I'm not putting up with this

MY 2345.  I'm getting really bored and I want this game over.  It'll liven up once my nukes are ready, but that'll be a few turns of the usual drill of cleaning out mindworms.  God Knows I've done enough of that already!  The one thing that could provide relief would be a new tech, such as Tectonic Missiles.  I'm not going to allow this poorly designed game to randomly deprive me of that, 1 turn before I was going to get a new tech!

These random events are some of the worst, laziest "game design" that someone could do.  Like I really should have my entire research infrastructure disrupted because a far flung base under a Punishment Sphere had a network hiccup.  Get real!  Nobody's gonna build a Network Node there, the Sphere gives it a -50% research penalty and it's too far away to contribute anything anyways.  This is like CERN failing because some kid in Pensacola plugged a coffee pot into the wrong outlet.  In this part of the game, the designers were clearly just a bunch of jerks who didn't think this through.  Or they did playtest it and said ha ha ha, lolz.  Jerks!!!

So yes, I'm save scumming this turn.  Actually, I already had to reload it because I forgot to rush my facilities after taking my dog for a walk.  And I've seen this message twice now.  I'm determined to suppress it somehow.  I'm not sure what incantations influence the Random Number Generator, but I think sometimes changing the game events will "distract" it.  Or maybe it's just luck and the luck finally goes my way.  Who knows, but I'm having to terminate this with Task Manager each time and it's boring.

Details controlling my fate

controlling my fate

The game is being bafflingly persistent about having this random event, given that it didn't happen the 1st time I started my turn.  The difference is I rushed a lot of facilities in a lot of cities.  Am I being penalized for rushing a Robotic Assembly Plant at Gaia's Landing?  I'm changing my workers who can't work a square to Thinkers, hoping a science increase might help me.  Well dammit, that didn't help!  Squashing the game with Task Manager yet again.

Details wasteful

wasteful

This better darned well do the trick.

Details FFS

FFS

What more can I do?  Why is it hung up on this?  It's not like I've never built a Network Node anywhere.  If I can't think of some in-game way to make it go away, I may have to resort to the Scenario Editor and be declared a Cheater.  Maybe I can turn random events off.

What about rebooting my laptop to change the RNG.  Lol!  Well it didn't work.

Details drastic measures

drastic measures

I gotta get on with this game.  I don't like being accused of cheating when I'm just working selecting an option I jolly well could have started the game with in the 1st place.  Granted, if there were no sunspots, I wouldn't have gotten a 20-odd year head start on gassing the Cyborgs.  But these random events totally suck!  I'm bored!  I want this game to move on!  I've been tortured for days!  Yes, by choice, but still!  I mean, this is complete garbage.

Details fix it just like that

fix it just like that

I wonder if I can diff the game .sav and determine what bit in the binary controls this rule?  Then I could turn it on and off without activating the Scenario Editor.  The other thing that's changed, is I activated the Scenario Editor.  Well, cranking up WinMerge, I realize that a line oriented diff tool isn't enough for poking through a binary file.

[bvanevery]

Details WinMerge binary comparison

WinMerge binary comparison

I update to the latest greatest WinMerge, hoping it has options my older version didn't.

Details Difference in the Current Line

Difference in the Current Line

There's an option for looking for diffs within a line, that I didn't notice or pay attention to before.  However it's not really helping me narrow things down.  Feels like a needle in a haystack problem.  Maybe if I research better tools, and whatever people know about .sav files, I could find a way to get control of this, but it's not really worth it for purposes of finishing this game.  Moving right along!

[bvanevery]

Details minerals of doom

minerals of doom

Still MY 2345.  I find it hard to resist building Secret Projects.  In typical games I don't bother with the Bulk Matter Transmitter though, because all it does is massively push up my minerals production and hence eco-damage.  In this game though, I can't imagine it making things any worse than they already are, so I'm doing it!

Details Locust attack

Locust attack

I'm having trouble understanding how this is supposed to work.  I've stopped using chemical weapons, but the attacks keep coming.  Arguably, they're getting worse, since Locusts are harder to deal with.  Will it ever end?  Is it even going to slow down?  Is this all keyed to me being Infamous and there's no going back?

Details reinstating random events

reinstating random events

I use the Scenario Editor to turn random events back on.  Maybe the thing with Gaia's Landing was a one time annoyance.  If it becomes a pattern, I'll turn them off permanently.

Ridding my lands of the Locusts didn't turn out to be that difficult.  Eliminating a Locust stack is difficult, it takes preparation.  But a single Locust on land is not much tougher than a mindworm.  I end the year with 39k credits.  I'm mostly building Sea Formers now.  I have 1 Quantum Planet Buster and 5 in production.  I will refrain from atrocities until those are completed, to see if Planet is capable of calming down.  Then I'm lighting someone up!