Broken Hearts (It did break my heart)
Preface
> This is Alpha. I remember notthing about my life. Not even my
> name. I only have distant memory that I, was once human before.
> I am one with this Command Station. Someone's brain was cloned and
> burned into the system, hoping that if it wakes, it will think more
> humanly.
> I was told that I am able to command a fleet. A fleet that is always
> limited by my capacity. And I am facing two ever growing angry enemy
> that is hundreds of times outnumbering us right now, has almost
> infinite reinforcement, and is deadly intellegent. I only have
> dreams that I "had" defeated something similar, but it was far far
> less dangerous.
> The situation is much more dire, this time.
Set-up
- Map: 270786034/Realistic/Complex
- AI Types(Revealed): 9/9, Vanilla/Chivalric, Neinzui Viral Enthusiast/Chivalric
- No auto AIP
- Modifiers: 2x Waves, Lazy AI
- Minor Factions: Resistance 10, Spirecraft Hard 1
- Disabled: Swallowers, Dire Guardian Lairs
- Complete Visibility
Homeworld is at Erasowuv, the lower-left 2 wormhole planet. Starting ship changed to Spire Corvett. Let me try what four Heavy Beam Cannons plus 8 Sniper Turrets in my starfleet will look like.
7/7 was too easy, I think. Probably because of that almost-cheesy combination of support ships tricks me into thinking that I am super strong. So, let's prove or disprove that!
Chivalric, Lazy, and Resistance are there to counterbalance the difficulty of 9/9. You know, I really don't want to hack to negative this time so I can reserve some HaP for sabotage hacks(so that I can use less Armored Warheads). Spirecraft Hard will let me try some more defence in depth combined with chokepoint defending and distributed defence.
Complete Visibility because... I just don't want to scout that much. I can, of course.
Beginning
>> Alpha's log
> I am told to command the fleet to destroy the two AI's that go
> rampancy. However, intensive scanning of the galaxy shows that this
> is impossible. And they are going to attack us, soon. I scanned my
> own knowledge pool, and quickly realized that I can make some
> upgrade to our current defence arsenal.
00:01 Unlocked: Needler, Laser, Missile II; Heavy Beam Cannon I; Spider I; Grav I/II/III
> Surprisingly, the previous commander didn't even place down anything
> for defence. Are they just sitting ther waiting for the doom?
> Immediately, I scheduled an array of Needler, Laser, Missile,
> Spider, and Grav turrets. In seconds, our Metal Storage is empty.
> While waiting for their build, I scanned the local archive for
> information. Looks like I can do better!
02:28 Unlocked: Area Minefield
> These little explosives should be able to surprise any attack force!
> Hey, that is fast! Attack force detected!
05:06 120 Missile Frigate, 1 Starship in 2 minutes.
> Easily repelled. It's time for me to build the starfleet!
> Even after 20 minutes, the starfleet is still non-existant. My plan
> is: take Ulmoatboat, and my Homeworld will take all early waves.
31:10 Thanks to salvage, my Starfleet is complete (without Spire and Zenith), while still having 57,550 energy.
Now, I think it is the right time to strike Ulmoatboat, and successive Hasqa. A sound in my mind reminds me that somehow the current state of universe is made a snapshot. This is the single most powerful ability that was given by my creator.
No way! Hasqa has EMP Guardians! I remember a distant nightmare which one of these created real, big, trouble at defence line.
I learned that Spire Corvetts are frequently replaced. Unless you put shields on them.
42:05 Ulmoatboat command station down.
I am going with Econ I, it won't take waves. I also put down 10 Spider, 10 Missile, 10 Laser, 3 Grav II's to protect. After Energy Collector is up, a Reduced-Kahuna style defence is up. Oh hey, why do I call it that name? Strange. That Science Lab on this is feeding me new information salvaged from existing data on this planet. What can I do with them?
I am thinking about my fleet. It needs some more support. I don't know if I should put my research ability on these things... I researched Heavy Beam Cannon II, Spire Corvett II.
59:06 That Core Shield Generator is destroyed.
Wow, AI Progress up 25, and the AI sends almost twice the wave? That is not something to be overlooked. Take a note. I am really going to take only what I need!
1:09:23 Threat thinks it is powerful enough to attack Ulmoatboat. Some attacks.
Oh heck. I think I was powerful enough to attack Ulrallo. I have to retreat. This AI has really powerful Special Force.
This AI is much more powerful than those in my memory. I have to find another tactic.
Same thing applies to defence. Homeworld defence layout is reconsidered, and all MkI/II turrets are there.. Let me wait for another wave.
Let me look at Dicpiyar, the ARS planet I am planning on taking. Are you kidding me? A Fortress MkIII covering wormhole?
WOW! A Mk V Ion cannon on Poonno!! I have never seen that before!
Hey the AI gets Scapegoat! That will be problematic. Really. Because I know how dangerous they are.
Turned-Based Strategy
Well, why did I turn on Lazy AI and not making use of it?
Now, I am doing the slow procedure of making Raids, attrition some GP, Raids die, Reprisal returning metal, more Raids... Let's see what happens as the first CPA comes.
Oh, and at AIP 35, the Diff 9 AI is sending twice more ships than my end-game 250 AIP Diff 7 AI.
Here it comes.
2:27:00 1603 ships to CPA.
2:41:32 EMP Guardian MkV detonated on <some planets>
WHAT??!! Why the heck are MkV EMP Guardians freed? TWO!! Straight from Core World!
> My weak but adament Fleet tries to fight 1600 ships. My incomplete fleet.
> We are vastly outnumbered. Retreat!
> Still 860 ships left. They are going to attack both my worlds. Freed energy immediately goes to new turret reinforcement on Ulmoatboat.
2:43:43 Yeah, technically I still did not lose. But two MkV EMP Guardian just detonated on my Homeworld. Why the heck are they freed? If they are not, I still have a chance. Or say, I can definitely defend 600 mixed ships with my defence.
2:45:03 YOU HAVE LOST
OK, this is not a tactical issue. I definately made some terrible strategic mistakes. For example, unlocking Spire Corvett II instead of Assault Transports. Not getting another planet for my poor bottomed economy. However, I consider those two EMP Guardians "BUG". There is no way in hell MkV EMP Guardians should be freed in Core World during a CPA, which frees only MkI and MkII ships. Yes, MkII implosion guardian is understandable, but MkV EMP Guardian... In fact, I don't think EMP Guardians should ever be freed for CPAs.
> As missiles pounding on my station, everything was burning. One by one, my sensors lost
> connection. I prayed for those turrets to get online again, but they never did. Everything
> fades to darkness.
> I activated the magic power. I am doing this, all again.
