The Clean Death of Us All - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.52

[bvanevery]

Details doing their duty

doing their duty

MY 2360.  Morgan did his part taking over a Usurper base.  Hope he keeps it up.  I'm happy to weaken everything.

Details super strike

super strike

Another gravship becomes available and in range of a target.

Details colony clearance

colony clearance

Since the point is to eliminate the Usurpers as a faction, if not as a conquered people, I can't very well let them go settling new bases.

Details attack the weak

attack the weak

This base has only 1 defender, and it is not an indigenous life form.  Even with AAA I don't think it can much stand up to us.  I was right.  We took a 3% wound.

Details building bridges

building bridges

I feel like doing a little terraforming for my sea base's benefit.  If I get a new tech to prototype, I can always abandon it.  I don't really want to sap my minerals output with a lot of gravships in the field.  Not that I expect this to take all that long anyways, considering their performance in that last battle.

Details deadly deployment

deadly deployment

Orbital insertion will get you everywhere.

Details wipeout

wipeout

I wonder what the cheap missile armament can blow apart, if it's actually used?  After all, it's quantum backed.  I'll probably just shell stuff though.

Details distracted by death

distracted by death

Our expensive boondoggle ship finally steps up to the firing line.  What seems like a lot of minerals in one era, a good place to put a Naval Yard, turns out to be not so much in another.  They were trying to build a probe team.  They've reconsidered.

Details prestige project

prestige project

We begin the Living Refinery as well.  We certainly don't need it.  I wonder if the Cult will do their supply crawler thing again?

[bvanevery]

Details wow they're good

wow they're good

MY 2361.  Ok I really gotta find out what their secret sauce is.

Details everybody's doin' it

everybody's doin' it

Maybe the AI gets motivated when others like myself and Morgan try to compete.

Details typical factory town

typical factory town

The Cult city in which it's being built, just has a Genejack Factory and a Hybrid Forest in it.  Nothing particularly special.  It wasn't accomplished with this city alone, as 600 minerals would take this city 15 turns.

Details not crawling along

not crawling along

Actually it only costs them 420 minerals due to the AI's INDUSTRY advantage.  Still it's been way longer than 10 turns, so they boosted this somehow.  If they did use a bunch of supply crawlers, their administration of crawler production was perfect.  They don't have any left over and aren't making any more of them.  I notice they're also making a nuke, which is a bit disconcerting.

Details Cultish beancounter

Cultish beancounter

They don't have any substantial income.  However they do have a fairly large cash reserve, so maybe it was even larger last year?  I myself just got a lot of cash from killing a mindworm stack.  I'll need to look at the previous turn to understand what's going on.

Details a year ago

a year ago

I start walking back the years to see how they did this.  Their money hasn't really changed, nor have they used any supply crawlers.

Details four years ago

four years ago

4 years ago they had the tech, and maybe were juggling some funky mindworm production before making it into the Secret Project.  The only legit thing I can think of, is maybe the AI is disbanding units to boost production?  If so, I didn't know it was capable of that.  Otherwise I think I've caught the AI cheating.

Details my own folly

my own folly

Due to that big mindworm stack I liquidated, I think I unexpectedly got the cash to actually complete this project.  However I'm one mineral away from the minimum needed to avoid the huge penalty.  It's time for another enlisted person to do their duty!

Details you old fossil

you old fossil

"But we're an ancient relic!  We do parades, senators' birthday parties..."

"You're sucking minerals.  It's not like every infantry unit doesn't know how to cross their eyeballs in a trance nowadays."

"But we're almost as old as you are!"

"Yes but I'm elected and you're not.  Executive order.  We'll name it after you, something nice, if you succeed.  Now give me those boots, soldier!"

Details without further fanfare

without further fanfare

It's remarkable to me that I wouldn't have had the money, absent the gaming of giant mindworm stacks.  Not like I couldn't have completed this, with some premeditation, but I really didn't think the AI could challenge me on this.  Disbanding or cheating?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Details wasted trip

wasted trip

By the time we got to the point of theft, we had long since researched the technology ourselves.  Since we're determined not to plague the Aliens, we start sailing back.

[bvanevery]

Details spacewalk

spacewalk

MY 2362.  The Central Appropriations Committee has determined that it would be tacky to elevate more surnames in the manner of the famous Jensen.  We make a general nod to their contribution to space based mining, and put their actual names in tiny engraved print on the requisite plaque.

Details jerks

jerks

The Morganites "solved" my deep sea ocean development problem, by getting hopelessly in the way.  I'm not sure if I can legally detonate a tectonic missile near them.  Technically it's not their land, but it is their water now.

Details come and get it

come and get it

We attack the weakest targets, hoping Morgan will do the rest.  Indigenous life forms are the only things that can actually scratch us.

[bvanevery]

Details is it that time again

is it that time again

MY 2364.  Such is capitalism.

Details we have to drown a little

we have to drown a little

What's 200 meters.  Ok it's a skyscraper.  Still, what's 200 meters?  Issue the zoning ordinances for building inland.

Details let's make money!

let's make money!

Cha Dawn is the least likely to benefit from this arrangement, which is why we all agree to do it.

Details how drole!

how drole!

Can you believe the cheek on this thing?  Or the mandible?  I've never gotten used to looking at that.

Details That's Mr. P to you

That's Mr. P to you

Amazing.  I guess they don't know the difference between weakness and laziness.  Well your time is almost now!  This is how they talk before being conquered.

Details cleared

cleared

Now my home waters are clean, pure, and sparkling.  We set up a bottling plant.

Get this, they're still demanding money.

Details drat

drat

Turns out I can't blow this darned thing up much of anywhere.  Affecting Morgan's territorial waters is definitely off-limits.

Details slowly getting there

slowly getting there

I will keep making these things and try to improve the waters around UN Information Agency.

[bvanevery]

Details slow unpopular campaign

slow unpopular campaign

MY 2365.  I've stopped making the R-Bolt gravships.  I do have enough to do the job, and they do make my people unhappy, when more than 1 is assigned to a city.  All my cities pretty much have at least 1 terrifying warmongering unit now.  A few have 2, and I'm not sure I can spread those out any more, as they are ships.  If my allies would but do their job, I'm sure the Usurpers would eventually crumble.  Meanwhile I still haven't even reduced the last Caretaker sea base.

I'm getting into the orbital defense business.  I consider it an insurance policy.

Details no brainer

no brainer

I need my cruiser formers to relieve hunger in our western home waters, and to get back there much faster than they've been sailing.  It's time to use orbital insertion exclusively.  It's a surprisingly cheap upgrade.

Details why so much

why so much

Going from a modern quantum reactor design to another quantum design, seems to be a lot pricier than going from fusion to quantum.  Well I do have the money, and the need.

[bvanevery]

Details allied conquest

allied conquest

MY 2367.  I've started to get more aggressive with the Usurper bases.  Clashing with the Caretakers, has taught me that I don't particularly have anything to fear, from small grown indigenous life forms.  My Empath, R-Bolt, and Dream Twister abilities definitely compensate for my Capitalist penalty.  I'm now fighting on Morgan's front line, emptying cities out so he can walk in.  I use his nearest Aerospace Complex to heal up.

Details end of the Jungle War

end of the Jungle War

We're in sunspots, so I did not have the opportunity to hear H'minee plead for her last city.  Just as well.  Keeps Lal from having to wring his hands about the loss of diversity.  (Horse face!)

[bvanevery]

Details the irony

the irony

MY 2368.  It's always a good idea to invade your own capitol.  I didn't even think about whether any Secret Projects had ever been completed there.  Too busy securing my victory as a foregone conclusion.  Turns out there was nothing special in it, which went along with my instinct about it being invaded a long time ago.

Details before detonation

before detonation

I'm not sure if I'll have these waters improved before the game ends, but I'll keep working as though it'll get done.  I've got Cruiser Formers manually raising the tight spot in the waterway to the north.  Several cities with low food are also making Sky Hydroponics Labs, so nobody's going to starve.

[bvanevery]

Details come one come all

come one come all

MY 2369.  I really don't care who takes the Usurper cities.  They're worthless!  They depopulate to size 1.  Even if their full population was retained, at this point it wouldn't matter.  My orbital growth is legion.

Details do the cleanup

do the cleanup

Hey Morgan it's like you snooze you lose.  At least this means Marr doesn't have any friends.  Why make friends with a weak horse-faced runt anyways?  He's not even worth a vote on the Planetary Council.

Details avoid temptation

avoid temptation

Psi Gates can be useful if you have to go long distances.  I don't.  The Bulk Matter Transmitter, on the other hand, is a good way to wreck an ecological balance you've already honed!  I'll only build it if others threaten to.  I haven't checked on how far ahead I am.  I don't see the need.  My backup policy is putting all my spare money into Orbital Power Transmitters.

Details Emperor me

Emperor me

I feel like I need a new late late game government form.  Awesomidic or something.  I see no basic point in further research, so I shave off yet another dividend for the people's happiness.

[bvanevery]

Details distant spoils

distant spoils

MY 2370.  I notice 2 supply pods at the south pole.  I send my 1 drop cruiser to a University coastal base, to eventually pick them up.

Details Morganic scraps

Morganic scraps

I keep saying I'm going to grab that supply pod with my hovertank, but the reality is, it's been on occasional anti-mindworm stack duty.  It's very good at that job.  I think it's time to make something a bit more purpose built for retrieving the very few supply pods remaining.

Details this is cheap

this is cheap

If I put a quantum reactor on it, the minimum cost would be 90.  Mindworms don't care about reactors, they just chew things up, so it would be a waste.  This might survive 1 mindworm hit.  Using a couple of my bigger minerals output cities that have nothing better to do than build satellites, I'll have 2 of these next year.

Details waterways

waterways

I also see 2 supply pods in inland lakes, with Morganic coastal bases suitable for drop transport landings.  I'll need to build 2 to get them, as my existing ship is busy at the south pole.  My coastal bases with substantial productivity are all busy, so I need to make some tradeoffs.

Details fusion is cheaper

fusion is cheaper

The quantum version costs 80.  I do have 1 coastal city that was making a Drop Trance 3-Res unit, so I switch it to this new drop cruiser.  My available inland cities only have 40 minerals productivity.  Can I make an even cheaper land drop unit?

Details gone fission

gone fission

Yep!  That takes care of the land.

[bvanevery]

Details achieving orbital supremacy

achieving orbital supremacy

MY 2372.  The Cult launched 2 Orbital Defense Pods this year.  First time they've been in space.  They may have gotten in a shooting match with the Cyborgs, but I didn't get any notifications for that.

Details busybody in space

busybody in space

I have no reason to take chances.  I shift most of my production to ODPs.

Details here cutie cutie cutie form

here cutie cutie cutie form

My 1st pod dropping is a misadventure, but at least he'll be able to get out of the way.  The 2nd pod, I think it sunk!  Well at least if I ever want to drop things on someone's head, I've got the power.

[bvanevery]

Details Cult do the job

Cult do the job

MY 2373.  Who says enemies can't be useful?  The enemy of my enemy, who is still my enemy... sheesh.

Details more planned

more planned

Yeah Morgan you're awfully slow with the mindworm marching.  All these doors I've left wide open for you.

Details cleaning up

cleaning up

It's not an Artifact, but at least no one else can claim it anymore.

Details so rich

so rich

I'm again making way more money that I need or can spend, and still stay below 1000 credits.  It's probably from all those Hybrid Forests I built, just to give everybody some more "terrestrial food".  I give a dividend to the people yet again.

[bvanevery]

Details appropriate

appropriate

MY 2374.  The Usurpers are doomed.

Details good old fashioned kelp

good old fashioned kelp

It's so tasty and delicious.  Essential to the diet of even advanced technological civilizations.  I'm sure Morgan will be pleased at his growth!  Yeah, kelp.  KELP!

Details glorious surrounding data!

glorious surrounding data!

So worth the trip.  Again, no one will claim it.  Someone else popped the pod to the east, so this boat's done.

Details good to the last drop

good to the last drop

Found a use for the cheap drop unit.  It can wipe out an unoccupied size 1 land base.  I would have healed a gravship instead, but it was only reduced to size 1, when I had 1 fully healed gravship remaining.  This allows my healed gravship to strike somewhere else.

Details feeling adequate

feeling adequate

I saw the Cult launch another ODP, but the Cyborgs must be shooting at them, because it's gone now.  Once again I didn't get any notification of that orbital warfare.  I have a pretty comfortable lead in ODPs, so I think I can stop stewing about producing more of them.

Details cognitive dissonance

cognitive dissonance

I switch most of my excess production to Orbital Power Transmitters.  This doesn't make a whole helluva lot of sense, as I'm not really trying to stockpile credits.  Why would I put in the work for Economic Victory, when Diplomatic Victory is so near at hand?  I guess only on the false premise that something in the 11th Hour could yet happen.  It can't, but... I pretend like it can!

Really I could probably end this just by walking into all the Usurper bases I've emptied.  Maybe it's time to finally do that.  I just... really don't want ownership of even a single one of them.  I guess in a sense, I'm toying with my enemy.  Seeing what the limit of my fleet of gravships can do.

[bvanevery]

Details thank u Aki

thank u Aki

MY 2375.  I prefer it when the spoils of war are shared.

Details I'm a singular sensation

I'm a singular sensation

Can I build a subspace generator and lose the game??  That would be funny.  Lal loses his mind.  "I wanted more voters!"

Details so popular

so popular

I clearly don't need more research, so I diminish it to the lowest level that isn't fiscally irresponsible.  The people rejoice!  Well they already were, hard.  But they rejoice!  Again!

Details it will look good here

it will look good here

I'm finally getting my land bridge, which is one of the things I was really holding out for.  I don't know that I'll feel so bullish about terraforming the new land though.  With all the Sky Hydroponics Labs, it's rather unnecessary.  I certainly won't make new land formers.  The few that I have, are on Soil Enricher duty in various places.  So, I never really maxed my terrain.  When you hand terraform every single square though, there's a bit of achievement in what I did do though.  I'd probably need a different theme to justify blowing up lotsa tectonics.  I wonder how many of those I could do, before Planet gets really mad?  But I don't think tectonics can give you an Infamous rating, which is where the real deadliness starts.

Details a nice shiny dull matte flat territorial bridge

a nice shiny dull matte flat territorial bridge

Ok Cult, run this way!  Actually it only connects to Morganic land.

I don't think I'll rush Orbital Power Transmitters anymore.  I'll continue to rush Sky Hydroponics Labs, which I build in cities that have 0 or 1 food.  Otherwise I think it's time to just let the money ride and build up.  It would currently cost 256k credits to Corner The Energy Market.  Now in my mod, you only have to wait 5 years after that to be declared the winner, instead of 20 like in the stock game.  I figure if you amass such a stupendous amount of money, you really shouldn't have to sit around forever to win.  It already takes a long time to make that kind of bank.

[bvanevery]

[Cue major roleplay intervention.  Drumroll please...]

[I don't know how we lost a calendar year yet again.  The game says 2374.]

Details a new Age of humanity

a new Age of humanity

In the year 2374 of our mission to what is now called, Planet... we harnessed the power of a small black hole.  In the face of such inconceivable singularity, I had a hard time believing in our current method of governance.  My administration has been largely sycophantic, keeping the peace between most human factions, so that I myself might be anointed Supreme Leader.

But how can I pretend, in the face of such abundant energy, that Capitalism is even remotely necessary anymore?  We have enough energy for every man, woman, and child, to fly about this planet in personal rocket ships indefinitely.  How can we possibly believe that such people must collect wages, or punch clocks, or personally tabulate their contribution to societal wealth?  Let alone Morganic, oligarchic wealth.  It is an archaic system and makes no sense, just as a theocracy makes no sense.

One thing our Capitalist tutors have taught us though, is that we need not strictly fear the ravages of this Planet.  It is best to look after humankind - the voters - and not fret unduly about the next worm lurking behind the hedgerow.  The worms can take care of themselves.  We've even had the ability to control them better, for centuries, if we had ever chosen to muscle in on the arcane Manifold Nexus.  We have not, and we've been none the poorer.  Actually leaving it in Morganic hands, may have curbed some of the worst of his planetary abuses.

Henceforth to this day, I declare Socialism the one and only true viable economic system, of and for Planet.  If Morgan doesn't like it, he can take it up in Council.  Lord knows he's been slow to make gains upon all the easy would-be victories we've offered him, and my patience wears thin with him.

[bvanevery]

Details attrition of the smartest

attrition of the smartest

MY 2375.  I've seen the Cyborgs do nothing but lose ground, for many decades now.  It's slow, but relentless.  Why should we pretend that cyberneticism matters anymore?  We've gained nearly everything that could be gained, from the fusing of the intellect and the chip.  And yet they show themselves to be inferior in practice, to an army of simpletons kowtowing to false mindworm gods.  Do we learn that the human spirit is indomitable?

Details and they ride jetpacks

and they ride jetpacks

Details with style

with style

I do not pretend to need this Cult for anything.  They are not the ones who emptied the Usurper bases.  They are a tool, a force of human nature, that we have taken advantage of.  We could crush them if we so chose, and the worst insult is, we have ignored them.

Details the Peacekeeper

the Peacekeeper

It is time to politely and firmly put an end to all violent struggle on Planet.  We prefer everyone remain a part of the new social order.  For those that cannot put their differences aside, we shall trust in the flagrant superiority of our arms.

Details does it corrupt absolutely

does it corrupt absolutely

Planetary peacekeeping requires broad discretion upon the placement of troops, at key choke points if nothing else.  We are but one global village now.  We shall perform our mission in accordance with the most exemplary standards of social justice.