Thinking about Pirates

[bvanevery]

Definitely up the expense of tech trading by various means.  The game currently charges a pittance and I make a lot of money every year.  Make the human player feel pain.

It seems AI is putting up some resistence there. Won't be just a walk in the park.

I can't tell yet.  I haven't even successfully infiltrated.  Clearly infiltration is not a walk in the park.  But 1 city I tried to infiltrate, only had a Scout and a Foil Probe Team.  The other only had a Probe Team.  I saw some reinforcement, and if the AI actually reinforces with real troops, I'll give you props.  WTP currently can't / won't do that, at all.  But it's too early to say what the Hive is doing on my front.

The Hive clearly doesn't consider me a real threat or priority.  If it did, it would have sent more planes and ships to hammer me, when it had the chance.  Instead it hammered the Free Drones.  I suspect the AI is better suited to fighting on land and doesn't quite know how to go after a sea power as effectively.  I think my response of stacking my bases with cannon fodder, has confused the AI to some extent.

It did send out those unarmored Chaos Foils, but that's not a credible response.  That's target practice for me.  AI moves wrong, I kill the unarmored ships.  It didn't even make good on attacking my sea bases and killing a unit in them.  It went out into my open waters, and then died for nothing at all.

Perhaps the behavior is based on the idea that it's going to sink incidental targets at sea, like exposed Sea Formers.  Of course, I turtled up all my Sea Formers into my bases, because it's all I had in the region!  This seems to have confused the AI on what it should be doing.  It will probably buy me the time to complete the "intermediate" AAA Silksteel ships.  Which is going to make it harder for the AI to pull any funny business, or prevent me from probing in force.  Like once I've got AAA, I can start shelling those probe teams in those cities.  Then the AI will need artillery.  If it doesn't provide it...

Anyways, we'll see.  It's not going to be resistance-less, I agree, but I'm not sold it's going to be effective resistance.

[bvanevery]

Details sinking in my favor

sinking in my favor

MY 2239.  I'm really rather surprised to see this.  Historically, Thinker had nerfed global warming dynamics pretty severely.  So severely, that I thought any attempt by the Pirates to put everyone else underwater, would be a complete waste of time.  Now I find that the Data Angels, of all people, are doing it for me?  I'm really shocked.  Well, I guess it remains to be seen how big the waves get.

Myself, I have not even "made good" on the promise of AQUATIC faction minerals yet.  What can I say, the war came when it came.  I shoved as much stuff in there before the war began as I could, taking advantage of my money before I had to start suffering the -2 INDUSTRY penalty.  I can still bang out some needful things, when I choose to.  I'll need at least 1 Aerospace Complex, but I'm not sure yet where I want to put it.  I'll want some Subsea Trunklines, but heretofore my development has been Tidal Harness heavy.  Which got me to where I am now, and is a valid use of the sea minerals bonus, so not to be dismissed.  I will be needing Super Sea Formers to make more Mining Platforms, and some AAA or Interceptor safety to keep them all alive.

What I really really need, more than anything, is my free Naval Yards.  I suppose I could rescind policy and put slightly more into RESEARCH, 40% rather than 30%.  But I'm already due for a new tech every 3 turns, even as is.  I'm not quite that stewed about it yet.  I mean, to the extent that the Hive is giving me breathing room, I just don't feel enough of a crisis about it.  The AAA fleet is coming and probably will slow the Hive down, quite a bit.

Details the western front

the western front

Once again the AI trashes cities on land, and makes no move against me at all.  Did it have very few planes, and did those get shot down?  The AI is giving me very dangerous breathing room.  Maybe that's fine as a human player experience, but it's not a good idea if one wants to win.  I am doubting that the AI has some great plan about beating everyone on land, then turning around and "having the time" to deal with me too.  I think it is short-sighted, and just taking what it sees as easy gains on land.

Like what if Rommel was never called in to prepare the Atlantic Wall?  This is almost the same situation, just reversed in direction.

Details manual scouting

manual scouting

Lacking opposition, I move a non-AAA ship 2 squares to see what's in 1 of the 2 bases I could probe.  I'm not sending my Foil Probe Team out "blind" like my previous units, as it'll just get chewed up, even if it kills an enemy probe.  The base that previously only had 1 probe team in it, is now better defended.  Well I have to admit, that looks more like a real army.  It wouldn't stand up to amphibious assault, or air assault, but it would hold off Speeders a bit.  Of course the AI may jolly well know that I don't have all my ducks in a row yet.  Can't tell yet whether it has infiltrated, and the vanilla AI would probably cheat in any event, just looking into bases regardless of infiltration.

Details somewhat weaker

somewhat weaker

I move 1 more square to observe the other city in Foil Probe Team range.  It's not quite as well defended, but it does have anti-probe.  That's an Elite probe unit.  I forgot to make note of the strength of the other probe before moving forwards, a bit of a problem when playing and typing up stuff at the same time.  But I wasn't really considering moving against that city anyways.

Since this is not WTP and Sensor Arrays are not gloriously indestructible, I shell it.  Sadly, I missed.  Can't remember if a SA affects probe team combat, but it seems like good prep.  It's also good provocation, to see if it draws any kind of reaction from the AI.  Am I going to be left alone in my waters, or is a plane going to show up to sink me?  My real plan will be to bring up AAA ships to do the shelling, and use them as cover for probe team assaults.

Details under cover

under cover

My 1st real garrison ship arrives at my front line.  I send a Sea Former out to work a square a bit back from the front, and try to scurry my Transport to more distant safety.  I leave 2 Sea Formers in port as additional cannon fodder to confuse the AI, and in case planes show up that make mincemeat of this defender.  I want that Foil Probe Team protected until I'm ready to use it.  Many AAA garrison ships are in the water now.  They're just slow and need to make their way to the front.

I decide my other Transport at the front, in a different base, should make a break for it at the same time.  3 sacrificial targets in the water if anything shows up.  Doubt they'll get us all.  If the Transports live, they will be used to bring trained AAA Infantry into my bases, from my 1 Command Center city at the eastern end of my small empire.  I've got 1 produced so far and it is Veteran.  The Hive is still Police State Planned Wealth, so my MORALE advantage matters.

Details see Drones die

see Drones die

I'm not going to have the AAA ship strength to support my probing ambitions against these 3 defended cities just yet.  If I'm going to retask my Foil Probe Team, now is a good time to make a run for it, while there's other stuff in the water.  It is possible that the Free Drones could be under assault on the peninsula.  When/if the Hive takes one of those bases, I might be able to slip in and infiltrate before they've had a chance to put a probe team defense in there.  And if the Hive doesn't attack, infiltrating the Free Drones is still useful, even if it costs me the unit.  If nothing else, it can let me see the kinds of forces the Hive is sending at the Free Drones, to estimate what I'm dealing with and what's left over to fight me.

Details Morgan stiffs Yang

Morgan stiffs Yang

Realized I should apply that logic to my ally the Morganites.  Looks like they've got Yang held at bay for the moment, unless their air force is a lot more powerful than I suppose.  Maybe that's what happened to Yang's planes.  Maybe he ran them against either Morgan or Lal, and they got shot down.

Details Morgan facing Lal

Morgan facing Lal

Morgan looks like he's in a bit more trouble from Lal's R-Laser Needlejets.  Not bad trouble, but possibly could crack, if Lal has more to throw at it.  I shouldn't be so harsh on the AI, as to my front.  This is actually a 3-way war.  Morgan, Lal, and Yang all hate each other.  Morgan is Democratic Green Knowledge.  Lal is Democratic Green Wealth.  So, Morgan has the military advantage of the 3, and I'm better with Power than all of them.

[bvanevery]

Details covered probing

covered probing

MY 2240.  The Hive AI did actually react to my interloping non-AAA ship shelling its shore.  It sunk the ship with a Needlejet.  That's going to get a lot harder for it to do as AAA ships arrive in force.  I've got such a ship covering my Foil Probe Team to infiltrate the Free Drones next year.

[bvanevery]

Details you were distracted

you were distracted

MY 2241.  The Hive finally does make a run at my cannon fodder Sea Formers in one of my front line cities, but that's the last unopposed chance they're going to get at it.  Even that left it 70% wounded, so unless it was already hurt before the battle began, that bodes well for the ability of a Disciplined AAA Silksteel ship to defend.  I suppose there might be the problem of the "ship in port" penalty, which never made any sense for sea factions and is something I removed from my own mod.

I was right about the Hive attacking the Drone city on the peninsula.  I'm a bit surprised that it's gone now.  Maybe it was just small and it's natural depopulation, not an atrocity.  I'll check the previous screenshot in a minute.  Since the Free Drones have been so thoroughly kicked, maybe I can get them to surrender to me.  I'm not sure what good an extra patsy vote does me, but historically in the vanilla game, I remember it having its uses.

Domai's not talking unless I actually smack him down though, so I'll need to send some of these AAA ships his way.  Should be pretty easy, as I'm only seeing a Scout and a Sea Former.  I lose my Foil Probe Team infiltrating.  It wasn't exactly well trained.  I'm starting to reconsider my "window of insight" idea, as I wasn't paying attention to just how many cities Domai has lost.  Well, what's done is done.  At least I'll have a good view of his feebleness.

Details incautious at sea

incautious at sea

Remarkably, I capture a stack of stuff next to one of my front line bases, including another Foil Probe Team, if everything survives the turn.  I tend to forget about this aspect of my faction's fighting abilities.  I haven't done a lot of Pirate naval battles lately.  Having been so reminded, I'll be sure to make more effort to chase down vulnerable Hive Transports, that Yang is too cavalier about sending in my direction.

Details the wall is up

the wall is up

My leading 6 cities all have 2 AAA Gatling Silksteel Foil defenders in them.  I send the Sea Formers back father in my line, hoping they get away with making stuff without being picked off.  If they do, well I need new Super Sea Formers anyways.  My rearmost cities, garrisoned with a single AAA ship because they're out of reach, start working on more Foil Probe Teams.  My Command Center city is gradually distributing the tougher AAA Infantry units.

Details war dithering

war dithering

The 1 ship that's attacking the Free Drones, is causing some consternation.  It's not a big deal, but for blowing 50% of my money on PSYCH, it doesn't seem like people are very happy.  That particular city even has a Tree Farm in it.

[bvanevery]

Details what's the relation

what's the relation

MY 2242.  Does the AI ever surrender to another AI ?  Do they ever swear a pact to serve, or is that something only a human player can make an AI faction do?  For that matter, what happens in multiplayer?  I've never really thought about that.

Details so silly

so silly

To combine a force, you must have a force.

Details floating minerals

floating minerals

My mid-line Sea Formers were not attacked.  Must not be that high of a priority compared to other things.  Maybe my AAA defense looks scary.  I set them to making Mining Platforms.  My rear cities start making Fusion Plasma Super Sea Formers, since the armor doesn't cost anything extra.  It will take a few turns and it's not a direct war effort, but I want those minerals and subsea trunklines I talked about, at the beginning of this After Action Report.  Time to show what they can do.

Details Central Air Command

Central Air Command

I decide my capitol will be the airbase.  Unlike the forward cities, it has a lot of undeveloped kelp.  Sea Formers will probably not be struck at while they're working.  Not a big deal if they do, as I will soon have enough AAA ships to cover them.  From this point, I can attack all of the immediate Hive coast, and defend most of my small empire.

Details what was I waiting for

what was I waiting for

I'm surprised an Aerospace Complex is this cheap for me.  I'm used to paying Will To Power prices, which are exorbitant!  Even in my own mod, I think they're more expensive than vanilla.  This kind of pricing is nothing to me, even with only 20% of my budget devoted to ECONOMY.  I bet I could get Subsea Trunklines done quick too, but I think I'd like to have 3 Mining Platforms in any given city, before bothering to pay for that.

Details ceremonial war

ceremonial war

I haven't bugged Morgan for tech for awhile, partly because I've been living real life, and getting distracted from all the details of the game.  He wants me to join the war against Roze.  Fine, whatever.  Last I checked, she was Seething at me.  And last I checked before that, they were allies!  What's with this backstabbing AI stuff?

Details some of my valuable research data perhaps

some of my valuable research data perhaps

Well he didn't give it away for free, but it's awfully cheap.  I got all excited that I was about to have hovertanks, when I remembered this isn't my mod.  It's an even bigger gun though.

Details you can sell me more

you can sell me more

One thing about sales instead of a gift, is the sales can go on awhile.

Details right over the water

right over the water

I probably won't ever build one, but I've got lots of cash.

Details and finally he gets cagey

and finally he gets cagey

"What a pleasant chat we've had!"  He cuts me off.  Well since I don't have anywhere else to get techs from right now, it might be saving me some trouble with the Hive.  It's certainly faster, given that I have the cash.  I still have 1195 credits left.  Sea energy is good.  As is sea food, which lets you get so much sea energy.  And the sea minerals, which let you sustain the whole thing.  It's really, really, all quite beneficial.  No thermal boreholes at all.

[bvanevery]

Details yesssss

yesssss

MY 2243.  All faction abilities completed!

Details it is the power of a pirate

it is the power of a pirate

What is the strict reading of a Naval Yard?  Haven't read the Datalinks in a long time.  The short description in alphax.txt says "Sea Def +100%".  Why am I wondering whether that's really true?  I have a vague memory of some bug about that.  Well Thinker has Scient's Patch built in, so I'm supposing it works as advertized.  If so, no navy is ever going to be able to realistically threaten me.  It doesn't directly change the problem of air assault.  Indirectly though, my AAA defense ships will now be even tougher.

Details bigpox

bigpox

What will I research next?  I don't think I need Explore techs anymore.  And I think I've already got enough Conquer techs, to trash the Hive.  Given that my entire strategy is vertical, I'm probably going to want to go even more vertical.  I mean, I do have enough food to already be approaching the size 14 limit.  Plus if I had orbital insertion, that would be pretty sweet for messing up these faraway factions.  They make one wrong move leaving a city empty, and BOOM it's mine.

Hmm, looking at the Matter Compression side of the tech tree though, I'm really far off on those techs.  Lots of holes.  I have Hab Domes fairly early in my mod, so I'm not used to this being a long term late game proposition.  I'll need to settle on something more practical.

Details sweeping the land

sweeping the land

Hovertanks and Robotic Assembly Plants sound good.

Details happy happy workers

happy happy workers

Let's get back to pure Build!

[bvanevery]

Details friends don't let friends ride Transports

friends don't let friends ride Transports

This unarmored, unescorted Transport stuff needs to stop.  Yang, this is not your backyard.  It's my backyard.  You can tell that by the borders around it, which say that it's all mine.  And the fact that you keep getting your ass kicked here.  Come in force or don't come at all.  Where the heck are you sailing these clowns to anyways??

Probably a vanilla AI problem, but this is a big waste of units.  They just sank, I didn't get to capture them.

Details like I was saying, MY waters

like I was saying, MY waters

Ok does Domai have any survival sense?  It's not like I've gotten the chance to go Cybernetic or Thought Control.  If he had half a brain, he'd surrender to me now.  But he is the brainless Foreman Domai, so who knows.

Details there ought to be clowns

there ought to be clowns

A couple dialog beats on, he didn't surrender.  Why is the AI so determined to go down to the last 2 cities?  Very tedious that way.  Ok, sending in more ships, to trivially take stuff.  And suddenly they come out Veteran, so I'll be sending all the Disciplined ships as a training exercise.  I'll even send that unarmored Chaos Foil I captured.  I'm feeling pretty jaded and safe now.

Details infiltration mission

infiltration mission

I bet Rho Beta Sector, a captured Morganic sea base to the west, has no probe defender.  And that I can reach it, without an air strike, or even a ship coming at me.  If not there, that whole bay probably has something vulnerable.  Those waters will also soon be under my control, one way or another.

If you can't hit them head on, flank.  Bet the AI won't have a clue.  Especially if I keep distracting them at the front.

[bvanevery]

Details discipline stands up

discipline stands up

MY 2244.  A Disciplined AAA Silksteel ship will survive a Chaos Gun assault, at least in base.  I was wise to stack my bases with 2 such units, as 1 is clearly not enough to have a safety margin.  So Yang, what else you've got?  Better have more or you've got a problem.  The Fusion Interceptor is coming online this year too.

Details Yangish grit and determination

Yangish grit and determination

Yang did actually commit more air forces to pound my 2 defending ships to oblivion.  In the course of doing so, he lost 2 planes, which makes it at least attrition.  And I haven't taken my turn yet.  I'm not sure the Fusion Interceptor can reach these planes from as far back as I produced it, but it might happen, due to diagonal orientation.  If I have the right of reprisal, then Yang will start losing worse than 1:1.  My prediction is he will not be able to keep it up, and I will win the air war.  My AAA ships are pretty cost effective to produce.

Details sneaking south

sneaking south

Nope, the new Fusion Interceptor did not reach.  But I did get it to my capitol.  I replenished my garrisons with 2 more Disciplined AAA ships.  I was right that my foil probe team and captured unarmored ship headed for Domai, did not get attacked.  Outside of the Hive's area of concern or obvious air capability.  Frankly, they blew their wad.

[bvanevery]

Details how did I miss that

how did I miss that

MY 2245.  The Maritime Control Center isn't built??  I thought Lal finished that eons ago!  Maybe he changed it to something else, after issuing a "major breakthrough" warning.

Details went after my interceptor

went after my interceptor

Well that was certainly... bloodthirsty.  I would have thought it rather ill advised, since I have an Aerospace Complex and am defending with Air Superiority.  Does he have more to throw at me?  I'm going to be rather disappointed if I inadvertently just got my Artifacts killed, as I was about to use them to rush the MCC.

Details begin sea control

begin sea control

Nope, that's all Yang had to offer.  It was a stupid move.  Really stupid, throwing 1 plane away on a mission you can't hope to win.  Not sure what to make of that.  I thought the vanilla AI tended to limit itself to going after Formers and other such weak targets, and was pretty ineffective about main air battle.  If Thinker has pumped up the propensity for main air battle, well it needs to do so with greater competence.

Details I will have it now

I will have it now

I only cash 1 Artifact for this SP.  For the rest, I just spend a big wad of money.  I do this in my own mod all the time.  Much harder to do in WTP, because most SPs are egregiously expensive, and there's a horrible 6:1 exchange rate for credits.  Playing with the original 4:1 exchange rate is pretty tame for me by comparison.  Mind you, I don't like 6:1, and I don't do that in my mod.  I have 4:1 as well.  Anyways, this is gonna be mine.

[bvanevery]

Details is it a fast ship

is it a fast ship

MY 2246.  It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.  She's fast enough for you old man.  This will help with not only eventual long distance logistics, but with short term Free Market warfare.  Can stay in friendly waters and attack where I need to, a lot easier this way.

Details killin' me with the transports

killin' me with the transports

Where do you think you're going?

Details nowhere

nowhere

Seriously, someone teach these guys respect for the enemy.  That's Mr. Pirate to you.

Details feeling bold

feeling bold

I guard the captured Independent units because they're a worthy prize, but I'm feeling pretty confident about sailing through Domai's waters.  He's got nothing.  Yang's got a nearly dead plane in there, that's about it.  I put 2 units in position to take Chainlink Break next year.  Maybe Domai will finally see sense and surrender.

Details here come minerals

here come minerals

I'm garrisoned.  It's time to make those pirate minerals I've been talking about.

Details look what I turned up

look what I turned up

I was just shifting some garrisons around, getting ready to add insult to injury by shelling that Thermal Borehole on Yang's coast.  My Deep Radar happened to pick up this thing!  Sucker's armored.

Details should I

should I

I can take it out via attrition if I'm so inclined.  I'm starting to see a purpose in that captured Chaos Foil, but in fairness, its movement was only 4 when I sent it after Domai.  With higher movement, it would be much more useful on the home front now.

Details bigger gun isn't better

bigger gun isn't better

Unfortunately Air Superiority isn't the thing for attacking ships.

Details attrition it is then

attrition it is then

The odds calculator lied.  My Veteran Gatling ship blew up that probe team easily.  I proceed with the insulting plan of shelling the Thermal Borehole.  A supply crawler gets in the way of me destroying it.  Now we'll see how many planes Yang loses to this Disciplined AAA ship in open water.

[bvanevery]

Details the parley

the parley

The Hive managed to outright kill one of my Disciplined AAA foils in port, although it'll be my turn to send up my Interceptor next.  It also killed the Disciplined AAA foil shelling their coast, using a Chaos Megafoil.  I guess I have to respect them a bit too.  They still did the stupid blunder of putting yet another Transport right next to my base.  But just as I was about to open fire, Yang decides he wants to talk.  I will hear him out.

Details it can help me

it can help me

I think I could do just fine finishing all my Subsea Trunklines, improving my garrisons, readying a marine invasion force, getting you to go after Lal, and maneuvering around your flank.  I don't think you'll do a darned thing better to me in the meantime.  If you make peace with Morgan immediately, my objective is achieved.  If you don't make peace with Morgan immediately, then of course my ally will ask me to resume war at a moment's notice, and nothing will have changed.  My ships are still overrunning Domai regardless of what you do, and I will have you infiltrated soon enough.

I'd be ok with putting troops into Morganic territory to attack Lal.  That was my original plan before Morgan declared war on you.

Details you could hear a pin drop

you could hear a pin drop

I don't care about the Cyborgs and am surprised you'd bother to mention them.  They've very far away, unimportant, and feeble.  Morgan though, what's your answer?

Details he bends

he bends

We are agreed.  We will all go destroy Lal.  I hope I get some of his sweet SPs out of the deal.

Details a surprising response

a surprising response

Just for fun, I offer him a Treaty, fully expecting him to refuse.  I'm surprised that he's willing to accept a tech bribe to make good on it.  Doesn't seem like vanilla AI behavior, and I don't actually remember being in this position before.  I'm equally surprised that I have something he wants.  Yeah, sure, I haven't seen any Fusion weapons, so I shouldn't be completely shocked.  But I wonder, how much more do I have, that he doesn't?  And why has he done a poor job of stealing it from the Morganites?  Are the Morganic probe defenses that good?  Did they complete the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm and I forgot about it?

This is so unusual, that I'm just gonna try it.  My rationale is he's gotta be able to acquire Fusion Lasers pretty soon anyways.  It's a chance for him to ruin his reputation a bit, if he does a 'surprise' attack after signing a Treaty.

Details oh you slimebag

oh you slimebag

And now you've played me for a chump.  Or at least, the game's UI has.  It shouldn't be able to just keep shaggy dogging things, handing stuff over like I just give give give and the other party gets to refuse.  The proposals should be on the table.  Well, I won't get fooled by this kind of unusual dialogue tree in the future.

Details but he did sign

but he did sign

This is an oddly passive aggressive AI.  Caveat emptor!

Details knock off the stupid stuff

knock off the stupid stuff

He's still talking, and I don't want any trades with him, absent me infiltrating first.  And some track record that he isn't about to just surprise attack me.  It's not like I'll be standing down from my war footing, at all.  So, I will try to resolve a pointless squabble that can harm our communication in the future.  I don't need him yabbering at me about the totally unimportant Cyborgs.  Go kill the sanctimonious Lal already!  Lal, that guy has never liked me.

Details comply!

comply!

Remarkable.  If only we had any potential for ideological compatibility.  But absent a Future Society, I need EFFIC and GROWTH.  I'm going to stay Democratic.  I sign off.

[bvanevery]

Details let's get the Drone

let's get the Drone

Will a sail-in trigger a surrender?  Nope.  But I wanted that base gone anyways.  I don't need smallpox crowding.

Details bow to the inevitable

bow to the inevitable

Will taking a real base trigger a surrender?

Details if I only had a brain

if I only had a brain

Ok!  I've got a Planetary Council vote in my pocket.  I get him to stop fighting with the Morganites.  He's actually allied with the Hive, which will be a bit weird for a bit.  Might make for some cool bugs, who knows.

[bvanevery]

Details can never be too careful

can never be too careful

I infiltrate my ally the Morganites because well, I haven't.  Who knows how the winds of war could suddenly change?  My team lives and is promoted to Veteran, so that went well.  Onwards to the Hive.  Think I'll be sending the other 2 teams somewhere else though.  They're Commando.

Details flooding, what flooding

flooding, what flooding

My capitol suddenly completes all its Mining Platforms, and even without a Subsea Trunkline, is doing 72 eco-damage.   I'm not sure what exactly that means in Thinker's terms.  In vanilla, that would be catastrophic!  Now is this a problem, or is this a weapon?  Should I focus on making all of my cities as polluting as possible?  And this mind you, is on top of a Hybrid Forest.  I'm not entirely sure a HF works as advertized though.  Thought I remember something about WTP fixing that problem.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna do nothing and just watch the fireworks.  Complete my Subsea Trunkline and see if there are any consequences.

[bvanevery]

Details oh

oh

The Hive took over the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm from the Peacekeepers.  Whatever I thought I was going to do with foil probe teams, ain't gonna happen.  I will need that Nano Whatever stuff and Algorithmic Enhancement.  I will complete my last 2 ships and then transition to Knowledge.  That gives me 1 turn of insurance against the Hive immediately 'surprise' attacking me as well.

Details shifting the money

shifting the money

I do increase my LABS budget now though.  This requires me to increase my ECONOMY to avoid an efficiency penalty.  My PSYCH will not be quite so over the top.  I doubt that matters, or that I was benefiting much from it.

[bvanevery]

Details transition

transition

MY 2248.  I make the transition to Knowledge.  Yang didn't attack.  However he did try to interlope another armored foil probe team.  I sent it home, but it made me rethink sailing my own foil probe teams off anywhere.  I think I'd rather have them as a mild amount of home defense.  Yang seems to have been clumsy on the movement, stopping his teams right next to my bases, but that doesn't have to always happen.