---[Operation Cold Boot]---First things first, time to set up shop in Vega and take a look around the galaxy via long-range sensors. As usual two hops out and I'm completely ringed in by Mark III planets. Eh, better than last time when it was mostly Mk. IV, AI is being sporting this time. Mark out the CSGs and other goodies on the map, and boggle at the hilarious string of Mk. IV planets leading to Black's homeworld on Antares. Seriously, the shortest route in is 4 Mk. IV in a row. Talk about defense in depth. I will probably attack Black second so all that doesn't stay on alert for absolutely longer than it has to (and as there is a risk my trigger finger will get itchy and I will warhead the crap out of all that), not that I am thrilled at the prospect of having to deal with the Raid Engine (do zombies set these off? I hope not) *and* Raid Eye on Lathi to prepare a safe staging ground to attack White on Kochab. That is going to get hacked.
Speaking of hacking, I have a Super Terminal on this map, but it's on a useless planet with absolutely nothing else of interest -- as I'd have to hack for over 20 net AIP to do more than break even from capturing it, it's probably going to get left alone. That makes me sad as I was looking forward to trying out the Botnet in that situation.
The most important and joy-inducing discovery is that the Botnet Golem is practically wrapped up with a bow on my doorstep -- it's parked on Iota Persei, just four hops from my homeworld. I can't wait to give it a test drive. But first I have to secure my home and get the fleet built.
Popped my initial unlocks (Military Command II, Spire starship I, Neinzul Enclave, Plasma Siege, Protector IIs), dropped my usual starting defenses, and began cranking out the starship-heavy fleet. Kick back for a few minutes and enjoy the soundtrack while the economy faceplants. Wonder when AI Revolution is going to come up in the rotation.
First wave announces, time to get an initial taste of how waves in 8/8 will be different from 7/7. Black's is a bit bigger than what I saw on 7/7, somewhere around 150-180ish, while White's is... about 17 ships? Um, I thought the Sledgehammer sent huge waves? I'm assuming the fixed initial wave time shortcircuited it charging and that the next one will be normal. Placid start.
Once everything was set and the fleet was ready, it was time for the initial land rush. I grabbed all three adjacent planets, turning Nekkar and Pi Mensae into permanent chokepoints with Mil II command stations, and Enlil into a temporary choke. Enlil will get converted into an Econo II once I capture the rest of my backyard and turn it into my industrial zone, but in the meantime it needs to be able to keep the undesirables off my lawn.
I unlock
Assault Assassination Transports.
With the immediate fence and "Do Not Enter" signs posted, it's time to go get the Botnet! I am intensely excited, this is the very first Golem I am going to ever get my hands on -- I didn't Kamikaze Test these before launching this match.
---[Operation Smooth Criminal]---My transport-packed fleet chews a direct route through Hugin and Kitalpha without much trouble. I don't worry about doing more than boring a path at the moment as I intend to use them as testing grounds for the Botnet on the trip back home.
I charge through the wormhole onto Iota Persei at full speed and lay waste to everything that moves (and doesn't), with minimal resistance. Until Mk. III ships start to trickle in from the wormhole to Yed Posterior. When the first Riot pops in I realize what's up -- it's the Special Forces.
This planet, in addition to the Botnet, has a Co-Processor and one of the minor CSGs, so it's under police protection. I take a few potshots at the first ships through the door, it's only about an hour in so the SF can't be *that* bad yet... then I see the strength tally on Yed suddenly shoot through the roof. Something Horrible is about to come through that wormhole.
HOLY CRAP IT HAS A HUNTER KILLER ALREADY EVERYONE IN THE BUS QUICK!!!!
My ships hide in the cloaked safety of the transports (I triple-check to make sure they are in stand-down mode) as the H/K and its entourage prowl about the planet. I thank the Machine Spirit that it hasn't unlocked Tachyon Microfighters again. After a minute or two, the H/K is satisfied there's nothing to murder here and heads back off into the murk of space, its squad in tow. I follow it on the map to find where the SF has chosen to lair -- EV Lacertae. I mark it as P6 to get my attention and add the note "~Here there be dragons~". Going to have to keep an eye on that.
Once the fuzz has left, I bring in a colony ship and a few engis and stake my claim. The Botnet turns that beautiful shade of red that says MINE. I throw up some turrets and then pile on as many Engis as I can click onto it, popping a distribution node out of impatience to fire up the engine on this thing. I love reclamation and I love insanity, and this thing promises to be both at industrial strength. Gimme gimme gimme...
AIP is up around 130 already thanks to the autoprogress and that stupid CoProc. Really wish the Datacenters and other 3 CoProcs weren't mostly on the far side of the map, just going to have to live with the AIP for a while, however much it ends up stinging on this difficulty. Guess it means I get to better test how fast and hard the pain escalates on 8 vs. 7. For (!!)science(!!)!
Enough contemplating future misery, time to play with the new toy and take this monster for a test drive! I rev the engine, roll down the windows, and crank "Born To Be Wild" to annoy the other ships in traffic as I point the golem at Kitalpha.
Yeah I know Yed Posterior (hehehe that's a funny name, rebooting maturity module) is Mk.IV and is now reinforcing angrily, I'll get to that in just a little bit. Surely it won't be a big deal if I get to it after some live fire testing with my shiny new golem and secure those three planets in my designated Industrial Zone, right? Stuff didn't reinforce *that* quick at this AIP on 7/7...
-
--[Operation NIMBY]---Audible mad cackling in my home as I roll the Botnet through Kitalpha and Hugin, vacuuming up everything that's not reclamation immune and obliterating the rest. I am officially mollified at not getting to start with Parasites this time.
The BNG and the rest of my fleet storm DENIS, Wadjat, and Sadal Malik in rapid succession, exploding and zombifying everything in its path. I pop the CSGs back here, and then discover how awesome hacking with a BNG is.
I start hacking to download Railclusters, see the beginning of One Billion Railclusters start pouring out as hacking response, and then remember This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (TM). I switch to corrupting them instead.
Sigh. My BNG cheers me up with a comical tide of zombies that begins diligently patrolling my territory.
I also hack the ARS back here -- the default was something lame I don't recall. Options 2 and 3 were Teleport Leeches and Spire Corvettes. Initial delighted "oooo" at discovering that Parasites can come in a teleporting flavor (why did no one TELL me?!). Resist temptation to get Teleleeches however, as they'll just get shut out from targets by the Botnet, and I really should take something with more practical firepower, especially something that will help me in the endgame. I've heard the Spire Corvette is pretty nice and take that instead (Corvette with shields + Protector with shields + Riots? This sounds like fun). Still kind of look wistfully at the Teleleech but then I remember there is a Parasite V fab elsewhere on the map and I am soothed.
Right around when I send the colonizing squads out to start industrializing my back yard, the first CPA announces. Huh, about 2.5 hours, that's a bit on the early side, isn't it? I remember the Chivalric has a bonus to CPAs, let's look up in the corner and see how big it's going to-
---[Operation It Means Big CPAs]----be... Oo.
Well now.
3000 ships for the first CPA, I think that's about double what the first CPA in Aggressive Stupidity I was, and that one charged until about the 4 hour mark.
Oh, White just announced a Sledgehammer wave too, and it's going to sync it. Add another 345 ships, bringing the total up to about 3.4K in 11 minutes. Wonder where it's going to aim. The Sledgehammer wave is pointed at Iota Persei of course, which is not where my Botnet or heaviest defenses are. I suspect if it's sending a wave there, it will probably route the CPA through there too. I unlock Area Mines and start painting the world in high explosives. I also pop up a pair of missile silos and start building some Mk. I Lightning warheads and Mk. I EMPs, just in case.
Excessive and unnecessary? Very likely. I don't care. >D They save valuable time, and more importantly, they're fun.
The clock ticks down and I start looking for carriers. They've spawned all spread out. Two're on Raiden (um, that must be Raiden 2 actually), one's on Aladfar, and the rest is coming through Agaue in another pair. It's either splitting the attack between Iota and Nekkar, or else it's going to pincer Nekkar. I wait, finger on the trigger.
Absolutely nothing significant happens. The Sledgehammer wave spawns and gets vaporized on Iota. None of the carriers follow it in.
I have no intent on chasing the carriers out into AI territory by Iota, as one of those planets has a Black Hole Machine, and I want the scrap/turret assistance. They seem to have no intent on either grouping up so I can warhead them efficiently, or attacking. Then I hear gunshots.
Zombies have decided to take things into their own hands and are chewing on the carriers trying to pass through Agaue -- looks like those were actually wanting to head for Iota as well, via Yed. But the zombies gnawing on their ankles keeps luring them back to the wormhole, along with all the guards on the planet. I know exactly what needs to be done.
KABOOM! 3 AIP for a Lightning I and an EMP I. One carrier is totally vaporized, the other panic-dumps its cargo -- apparently EMPs don't stop this. Well now, if you *insist* I zombify all these ships... The BNG lumbers through the wormhole and does that voodoo that it do so well. The rest of my fleet picks off the starships. When nothing's left but the living dead, I bring the fleet back to the front line and reevalute the situation.
Moving the fleet to Agaue temporarily emboldened the other carriers and I find them bimbling across Hugin towards the Nekkar wormhole. I wait for that other EMP to finish.
Gunshots.
The zombies are at it again.
Fun fact -- in the time it takes for an EMP I to build, a large enough swarm of zombies can annoy carriers sufficiently to make them rage-drop about 1500 ships. Oh well, guess I'll save that warhead. In the immortal words of Slab Rankle:
TIME FOR ZOMBIES!Hugin is pacified again, the CPA has neatly fallen to the combined might of technecromancy (techromancy?) and concentrated firepower. The leap to 8/8's going pretty well so far.
Now, about that loose end with the silly name, Yed Posterior?
Huh. Stuff reinforces a LOT faster on 8/8. That was at about 12K strength when I took Iota. It's now 22K and climbing fast. It's about double my whole fleet.
I can fix this.
An EMP II warhead begins construction on Iota Persei.
Hold My Beer.sav created.
---[End Transmission 2]---
