I'm playing on 8/8 for the first time, and I decided to get some writing practice by AARing about it. (Basically all my over a dozen previous games were on 7/7. There might have been a 1/1 once upon a time, but if so, I can't find it, and of course I did the big tutorial)
First, the scenario:
Expansions: 1-4
Galaxy: 120-planet Clusters-Microcosm #104594, with complex ship types. Swallowers disabled.
Me: Human + Champion, +0%. Bonus: Spire Corvette
AI 1: Entrenched Homeworlder 8, +0%
AI 2: Zenith Descendant 8, +0%
Auto-AIP: Spire Civilian Leaders +0
AI Mods:
- Schizophrenic
- Reveal Random AI Types
AI Plots (Both AIs):
- Avenger
- Hybrid Hives 4
- Advanced Hybrids 4
- Warp Relays
Minor Factions: Almost everything.
- Human Marauders 4
- Human Resistance 4
- Human Colony Rebellions 1
- Zenith Dyson Sphere 4
- Neinzul Preservation Wardens 4
- Neinzul Roaming Enclaves 4
- Fallen Spire 4
- Spire Civlian Leaders
- Broken Golems (Hard) 4
- Spirecraft (Hard) 4
- Dark Spire 4
- Alt Champ Progress 10
- Alt Champ Nemesis 4
I have picked a nice, easily defensible center of a concentric microcosm.
Starting Unlocks:
- Scout II (0.5kK)
- Engineer II (1.0kK)
- CS-Econ II (4.0kK)
- Needler II (0.5kK)
- Laser II (0.75kK)
- MLRS II (0.75kK)
- Missile II (0.75kK)
- HBC I (0.25 kK)
- Sniper II (1.25 kK)
- FF II (2kK)
Naturally, I immediately send my scouts to the only adjacent system, soon followed by my champion. Meanwhile, I'm plopping out about a dozen engineers and half a dozen SciLab-II
The first planet was popped... in the first two minutes, I think? Anyway, then I had enough K to unlock CS-Mil II, and put one of those down on the first planet, to improve its defenses.
To my momentary sadness, I lost the Ion Cannon to not clearing out the guardposts before capturing. Too bad, so sad, but I need to keep moving before the SCLs turn this into Agressive Stupidity -- Radiant Phoenix's Edition.
Scouting reveals two SCLs -- one behind a black hole machine, the other just two more hops clockwise around the inner ring. So I go for the second one.
A note: SCLs don't tick at 1min like the minor faction tip says. I presume that they will tick at 1 hour, but I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm quite glad that they don't tick at 1min, actually.