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

[bvanevery]

Details a worthy test

a worthy test

We survived, but they did themselves no damage.  Try again?  If we must slink off in shame, at least we only seem to suffer the consequence of moving a few transports about.  Perhaps these Aliens don't even understand that they're in a war.  They talk like it's war, but they don't act like it.

[bvanevery]

Details a knight's errand

a knight's errand

Well, we wounded them, but that must have been a slow crew.  I'm not sure how to explain this one to their families.  In practical terms, we would be better served with cheaper units, if this is to be the result.  I hope it was unusual, but if not, then shortly it's back to infantry.  We really could use some basic training.  I'm not sure why we haven't even figured out how to do that yet.  We have the form of a democracy, but not the teeth.

[bvanevery]

Details tactical withdrawl

tactical withdrawl

Another speeder crew blew up, and this time, did not even scratch our foe.  Perhaps we have made the mistake of allowing them target practice.  They might be getting better at their guns.  Scouting of their interior still shows no offensive capability or lines of communication at all.  We have encountered one pathetic former, perched upon a rock so we did not kill it.  We will just keep building and eventually our industry will level them.  And who knows, Aki might finally come through with lasers.

Details have they got some goddamn lasers

have they got some goddamn lasers

I hate paying a lot for simple communication, but we are quite rich.  I smile and say thank you, like a good little diplomat.  Then I cut her off.  If she's any use to me later, I'll worry about it later.

Details a bedfellow!

a bedfellow!

Or not.  Well, this is a surprise.  I accept her hand.  Do we jump a broom, perform a tea ceremony, trill at the four moons?  I don't think we're even signing a piece of paper.  But allies it is.

Details the readout

the readout

I hardly noticed, in all the fuss, that she's a good Democrat as well.  We're going to get along famously.  I don't think I'll invite her to our private war just yet.  As a practical matter, she is unlikely to be able to assist.  And her smiling face might be useful for back channel spying.

Details training aid

training aid

She has a military tech that we do not.  This might be as good as a laser, if we put enough industry behind it.

Details basic fighting

basic fighting

If we had not found her comm frequency in a bottle out in the ocean, where would we be now?  We have explored, but not as much as I'd like.  We haven't run into anyone else.  Well, oh yes, Zhakarov.  Let's get on with it.  I don't expect much from him.  He's... haughty.

Details diving down

diving down

Like many items in our military inventory, we've been sacrificing things that consume our resources.  Not intentionally, we try to get something out of them.  But we've been throwing things into harm's way.  When we no longer have to pay their support, we are free to make new things.  Yes, Zhakarov, any minute now.  So many incoming files on my bureau desk.

[bvanevery]

Details talk with the Aliens, walk with the Aliens

talk with the Aliens, walk with the Aliens

By all means, wear out your own ears with their burbling rubbish.  Here's a free clue for you.  They will not have any tech you want to know about.  That's assuming I even do.  Have you been busy, Zak?

Details unimpressed

unimpressed

What did you land on, a one foot square rock?  Am I to be your brain trust?  Well he would learn recycling from someone else anyways.

Details runt

runt

Gosh, Aki's poor neighbor.  That almost explains his pathetic country.  Except his lack of good sense to get in a boat.  It's not like we don't all come with boats.  I don't care if Aki wipes this loser out.  Get me a real ally.

Details future puppet of planet

future puppet of planet

I will happily pull your strings, or buy you for a pittance, on election day.  This I promise.

Cut him off.  Gods.

I forgot to ask if he knows of anyone far more useful than himself.  Know what?  He doesn't.  I can see he's never been anywhere.  He didn't even know about that huge volcano echoing on the radar to the east of him.  How can a man of science lack such basic curiosity about the world around him?  I don't know if it's common sense, but he's clearly lacking some sense.

[bvanevery]

Details the famous Usurpers

the famous Usurpers

Well someone finally has an explorational motive like us.  As the one entity on the planet likely to have figured out a laser, I will try not to upset him.  I must remember that his superficial ugliness and similarity to my other horse faced adversary, does not imply any particular culture, mannerism, or habit of thought.  I will now audience his true self.

Details he makes himself useful

he makes himself useful

Volunteering a key to my planetary election victory, goes a long way with me.

Details what a d___

what a d___

And I almost liked him.  Horse mouth!

Details dirty tactic

dirty tactic

Sadly, he triggered a pod and our noble ship, was lost at sea.

Details lose my mighty mineral

lose my mighty mineral

I suppose we will need more, to find the origin of the Usurpers, and this mysterious "Cha Dawn".  Our 3 Command Center crushing of the Alien neighbors, shall be reduced to a summary 2.

[bvanevery]

Details well that's handy of you

well that's handy of you

I think we could get along well together.  We both agree that money is important for running nations.  Even if we have a noticeable shift of emphasis, on what the ends are.

Details gold teeth

gold teeth

Yes I am happy to learn the ways of prototypical capitalists.  You can go train some troops.  I doubt they'll be doing anything near me for centuries.  Hey, maybe you can go kill some Usurpers.

Details raincheck please

raincheck please

Capitalism has some serious disadvantages for dealing with the ecosystem.  Like the kind that get your troops killed when advancing upon enemies.  This is still a reality for us, and until it is not, we must forego the gold.  The survivability of our scouts in the field, and ships at sea, are also concerns.  We have made great economic strides, not stirring what we don't need to.

Details like a fly to honey

like a fly to honey

However we could most certainly use an alliance, in pursuit of our future, mutual economic interests.  Did he drool?

Details selling what I should volunteer

selling what I should volunteer

Let's tell Aki the good news.

Details it's a living

it's a living

I cut him off again because I figured he might want to know about the Caretakers as well.

Details a good living

a good living

I was right.  Cutting off communications, and renewing them, has this speedy effect on both comm frequencies and map acquisition.  With new allies, it's an extremely useful way to get map info about old enemies.  Just have them make friends and get the map to you by proxy.

Details a VERY good living

a VERY good living

Even Zhakarov wants to know everybody, no matter how deleterious that relationship may prove to be.

Details sure, puppet

sure, puppet

I laughed in his face and he still wants an alliance with me.  I guess that's the advantage of being weak!  You'll do anything.  Well why not present the humans as a united front.  There is only this human prophet to find now, somewhere out in the bush.  I will make it a priority.

[bvanevery]

Ok, it's a new day and I have to admit, my enthusiasm for writing this "from the perspective of Lal" is pretty much gone.  I thought it might be easier to provide commentary from him "in character".  However, the events of a game do not have to provide a good vehicle for character.  Nor any particular continuity.  I find myself very much distracted by "this happened, that happened, and then that happened" without any cogency or consistency in Lal's thought.  And this causes me to slip, because it's too much effort.  Less in Lal's voice, more simply in my own.

I'm simply not going to bother to commit myself to writing from Lal's perspective anymore.  Maybe at some point, I'll see an opportunity to describe something "Lalishly".  Maybe I'll take it.  But for the most part, I'm going to continue with the more functional style of game mechanical description I have in the past.  Pointedly, only talking about the major events, and not every single detail.  4 web pages is a lot for only getting 63 years into the game.

On Reddit, I started with 1 upvote for announcing this AAR.  That number has risen to a mighty 5.  This is way below the level of interest usually shown for my mod releases, and is not encouraging or incentivizing as far as bothering to produce this content.  Meanwhile here, 173 views so far and I really don't know what that means.  Does it include my own writing and replies as views?  Well, it's obviously more than what I wrote myself, but not much more.

The main reason I'll continue this for now, is it's still an interesting scenario.  I'm in a rockfight with the Caretakers due to inadequate military tech, in pursuit of the Monsoon Jungle.  I've acquired a moon's worth of Artifacts advancing my cause.  I actually do expect my industry to suffocate the Caretakers, it's not just Lal's in-character posturing.

The halfway house of character, might be attempting to pursue trade rather than obliteration with these noxious neighbors.  From a purely gamist perspective, one would switch to Conquer as the research focus, get the lasers, add the chemical weapons that come along with them, and summarily eliminate the Caretakers from the game.  There would be no penalty to it whatsoever, as they're not a part of the U.N. Charter.  There would be no retribution from Planet.

So, it is quite a contrivance to try to trade with them.  Also, they don't share our Commerce system, they have their own, so the concept of "trade" isn't even terribly meaningful.  Trade what?  Techs?  I've already got better techs than they do, and that will always continue to be true.  If not by my own research, by that of my many allies.

Perhaps I should write the scene where Lal thinks this through and finally decides to wipe them completely out.

[bvanevery]

Details likely story

likely story

Mission year 21  .  The elusive Planet Cult has contacted my ally of convenience and declared war upon him.  I must press upon Zhakarov, that this is not at all convenient.  Planetary elections will shortly follow and I hardly need worry about his paltry number of votes, so he will do as I say.  I cut him off and contact this problem child.  Literally a child!  Walked out of a fungal patch somewhere.

Details slightly rational

slightly rational

I can't get him to trade a tech, or sell it for a reasonable price, and he loses patience before bringing up a Treaty.  But at least I got him to knock off his bullying of my nominal ally.  What's the point of taking over 3 puny cities anyways?

Details horse trading

horse trading

I seek to sell the comm frequency to as many people as possible, before calling a general election.  This includes the distant Usurpers.  They even sign a Treaty.  I buy a tech that I probably could have stolen from the Caretakers soon enough, but this is quicker. 

[bvanevery]

Details of course I am the best

of course I am the best

A real life interruption causes Zhakarov to call the election instead of myself.

[bvanevery]

Details shakedown

shakedown

MY 2170.  Cha Dawn demands a pittance from me, which of course I refuse.  We are at war.

[bvanevery]

Details siege

siege

MY 2181.  I've occupied all the food producing squares of the nearest enemy city.  This should begin to induce a process of starvation.  It will likely take several turns to take effect, and I do not have infiltration yet to see the progress.  In addition to not learning how to make lasers, for some reason I haven't learned how to make a probe team either.

Belatedly, I realize I forgot the ocean squares.  They might not starve.  I will hurry my facilities so I can get to ship building.

[bvanevery]

Details bizarre enemy

bizarre enemy

MY 21  .  Cha Dawn wants to trade with his foe?  Well, he does have a unique tech, that I wasn't willing to pay 200 credits for earlier.

Details clueless

clueless

It's a prelude to a Truce.  Actually he signs a Treaty.

[bvanevery]

Details instant holograms

instant holograms

MY 2188.  I research the tech necessary for the Virtual World.  As I have 6 Artifacts in my home territory, I cash 4 of 'em and 400 worth of credits to rush the project.  I believe that's the most productive use of Artifacts until the late game, when supply crawlers finally become available.  My citizens are going to be very happy and we shall have a big 3 cities.

[bvanevery]

Details ordinariness

ordinariness

MY 2191.  Zhakarov traded me probe team tech some time ago, and I finally got one to the front.  I made the cheapest possible team because predictably, it died.  The Caretakers have nothing of note.

Details shipless

shipless

Now I can see the progress of my starvation campaign.  I did indeed fail to block off the water.  At least this base will be useless for quite awhile.  The objective of blocking the enemy from reaching the Monsoon Jungle has been mostly achieved, at least by land.  They could still try to make use of it by sea, but sea bases are notoriously feeble.

Details priorities

priorities

I doubt I will actually build a fleet now.  I have these lovely facilities to build.  Gotta plug my citizens into the Virtual World, to keep them tame happy.

[bvanevery]

Details left it on the table

left it on the table

MY 2197.  I've been playtesting The Will To Power mod for so long, that I forgot my own version of Green doesn't have any downsides.  It doesn't do all that much, but, no downsides.  This is because of a bug in the original game where the Gaians won't choose Green until they know how to make Locusts of Chiron.  That can be almost late game and it's ridiculous for the Gaians not to go Green.  The only way to induce them to do it, is to make sure there are now downsides for Green.  People playing my mod for the 1st time who don't read the fine print of my design notes, i.e most people lol, may think this looks funny and wonder why my Social Engineering Table is laid out this way.  But it's for a reason, to work around bugs in the original game.  Some of the other table values are about preventing the AI from obsessing about things it shouldn't.