Let's BLITZ

[Red Spot]

Oh, if I haven't said this before, AI bombards are quite micro heavy. Boy, they do sting. Only my spire ships can remove them quickly.

Wait till you find those in counter-attacks, combined with stuff like eye bots and tractor-platforms .. mucho fun when your FS-fleet isnt available when the attack hits
('pop' said all the Martyrs lying in ambush when the bombards launched their first shot, 'pop' said the CC when the eye bots dove underneath the FF, 'pop' said my fleet when they lost their advantage in speed and the tractor-platforms went running with them .. oh, did I mention the autobombs they trew in? )

[chemical_art]

Another hour, another ten pictures:

http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa460/Chemical53/030211/



Summary: No advancements strategically aside from rebuilding. Spire fleet of cruiser, destroyesr, frigates constructed. AIP dropping slowly. Numerous exo waves survived. Major slugfest defending the CPA for 2k of the units went via carriers into an expendable world. Two EMP warheads were dropped to defend terf; thankfully golems and resistence fighters are immune.






and my current situation



Shall continue to reclaim liberated worlds for knowledge and energy reserves. Need another MK III fleet unit for access to MK IV. Must remember to take ARS. Then sweeping operations for preparing next crystal shall begin. i do have a trick up my sleeve for this crystal, but I still need the ability to drop obscene amounts of damage quickly.



---


Z-bombers are proving their worth, they provide a nasty sting. Heavy beam cannons are useful on spire. fighters continue to provide cheap all round units. Nenzul useful in tracking down bombards. Bombers limited to anti heavy operations from exo-waves. Golem useful in everything but bombard detail.

[chemical_art]

I don't have pictures yet, but I felt like I have graduated from using a dagger to using a claymore against the ai. I am simply overpowering their fleets with my own. However, I must rebuild my spire fleet, then I shall use many trump cards to recover the next crystal (this very well not work, but boy I shall try!)

Assets (needed) for upcoming operations:
Two golems
First spire city's fleets
A dozen attritioners (Still not complete)
500 unit human fleet
A dozen warheads (Still not complete)
*Still must recover another, new ARS nearby



Future assets:
Armored golem floating around deep in AI space
New wave of three penetrators for alpha strikes
*Potential

Tactically, everything will go to **** about one minute after the survey is complete, but if I can hold my homeworld I can take it...Maybe. To even try to describe the tactics needed will be ridiculous without pictures.

[chemical_art]

Crystal retaking underway, (I won't directly say what I did, but I will admit upfront it could be an unintended tacit.)

...



Well, I saw my first core starship. I remember during the 4.x era someone once asked "who has even seen core starships?". Well, I can say I have finally done so.










This reminded me of broadsides of 18th century naval battles. The spire of course dominate long range, while my golem provides a close rapid fire support.










About ten minutes into the recovery, the spire + golem get worn down on defense. The crystal is still about 5 minutes out from entering friendly space where the human fleet awaits. I bring in a fourth trump card, martyrs, to provide a final pre-emptive defense.







The martyrs do their job well (three fell) and the enemy eventually became impatient and fall to the defending human fleet nearby.


 I shall say the human fleet + attritioners + military defense yields good results for defense. Golem + Spire fleet yields good offense.

Current pic:





I must now rest to expand spire military. Then I need to push forward and start removing opposition in deepspace...or, I expand (yet again) more energy so I can just capture more crystals . Penetrators are also a slow option to consider slowing neutering deepspace safely.


Strategically, I am running directly for more spire. I'm just going to have to assume the difficulty will step up drastically, so I should settle down, but I am just bulldozing the ai. On the other hand, it is nice to finally catch the AI unaware. Maybe with 3 cities, I can beat down the AI core worlds. If not, 5 cities will do. I just got to watch my borders. The AI, for once, cannot simply play pure defense. The exo-groups do hurt, and many a border world falls to them.


I still got like 200 AIP till tech III, right? Ha! I'll free more spire civilians, my spire allies would like that. I don't know how the spire makes the AI less threatened by me (their own espionage actions?) but I'll gladly keep liberating worlds for them if they help me.

[keith.lamothe]

Cool stuff   Glad you're enjoying the "bulldozer" effect of the spire ships (plus the golem, I've never actually used those together, that sounds quite formidable).  Of course the AI bulldozes you right back with the exos, but that's half the fun

[chemical_art]

SHORT SUMMARY:

These next seven hours hours are image light. This was because the same tactics were used, just with increased caps for both sides. Spire craft dominate the AI, and its brutally efficient. I was busy just aggressively pursuing the crystals while keeping a low profile. That makes really, really boring reporting,To give you an idea of how careful I was, my AIP is less at 23:00 despite taking worlds. This was because I used penetrators to annhilate all the Coprocessors and data centers that I had already spotted with a MK IV scout. I have lost my MK IV factory. My only hope to ever get MK IV units again is to use nenzul starships, but at 20k this will be a last resort. I only have bought MK III beam cannons MK II lasers and MK III spire battleships. My spire ships keep the enemy at barely within weapon range, and the AI tries to simply overwhelm the spire ships. Cruisers allow a few more offenses, but ultimately you must still keep the AI at bay. I am on my fifth crystal now. Offense was boring, it just feels like things are harder to lose but also harder to recover from. But my defense was fun. Will take 5th crystal soon, assuming I survive.



Current status:




----

Longer, "fluff" information:

Other pictures:

http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa460/Chemical53/AI%20War/030511/

Defensively, this is getting interesting. 8.3 is throwing some real nasty CPA's and reinforcements. Thankfully, the 7.6 support corp does not throw its own waves. My empire has simply grown flexible. The planet chains are linked by several "anchor" planets. These planets are tough enemy to stop exowaves dead in their tracks. Each of these defensive planets has a spire city, except my homeworld.

Spire penetrators are great as "behind the line" attackers of opportunity. Having them destroy really troublesome guard posts ahead of time is great.

Asteroid spire craft on the back burner right now. I use the teleporting carrier occasionally to sweep and save my rebel colony. It'll eventually be worn down, but it does its job well. I keep attritioners at my core planets as part of my defensive network. Same with my golems.

Spire - Story waves are sneaky. Most of my exowaves are from golem or spire craft, and they are manageable due to the "true" spire craft's power. However, the occasional "Spire - Story" exowave crashes with 45 large craft. Quite understandable, due to they being the AI's only counter to the growing spire threat. But they look the same weaker exo-waves of my very particular game.

Reinforcements from the popped AI worlds due to the they holding spire civilians are coming in via carrier. Normally they are of the 200 unit garden variety, but the carriers from CPA's coming by the 1k. Still, those reinforcements got to go somewhere, even my spire craft can't kill them fast enough right now. I need to get that capitol first...


My threat got really high briefly due to CPA






My home world  currently uses both defense in depth and defense at the planet itself. To first gain entrance you must break its own core planets. Each holds hundreds of firepower (after adding roaming helping) through different defensive means. The whole planet is blanketed by gravity. Beam cannons dot the wall of turrets. Spire refuges cover all defensive fire angles, and a fort blankets firepower everywhere. My own homeworld holds my most destructive defensive weapons, the hive and armor golem. my nenzul horde, and what human fleet is available.


Like the AI, I now have many "border / neutral" planets. My own border planets are strong enough to swat away border aggression. However, it is also meant as a defense warning against rouge waves of units. These things are amazing at making a 4K carrier force manageable because they delay the AI for several minutes, allowing your own spire fleet to rally and counter attack. It costs maybe 100k to recover the planet, so its a very economical investment.

Example:






I am really amazed at my AIP. I mean its low right now. But I have burned away all data centers, and I'm 0/3 of getting super terminals at difficulty 8.0 or above. So I need to remove more spire civilians, because I have lost one of my own and it's my last method of removing AIP.


I'm not sure where to spend my knowledge. I have all the ARS I can count on. I have already decided to add MK I-III spire battleships to my spire fleet. They have the same speed, and the stealth ships can provide close range cover. But where will this other 15k go? I'll wait and see based on the galactic capitol.

[BobTheJanitor]

You'll need that 15k and more for the capitol, so I would definitely save that knowledge if you can resist the urge to spend it.

[keith.lamothe]

Yea, if memory serves you'll probably want at least 22k for the advanced technologies.  Though to get to all the ones I'm thinking of you'll need to have researched MkIII forcefields, MkIII laser turrets, and MkIV heavy beam cannons too.  The forcefield technology is particularly helpful, the way I play, it can make those cities so super-buff that they can withstand the full fire of a big exo wave for a significant period of time, and those ffs don't apply an attack penalty to stuff under them (the Spire have better ff tech, you see).

[chemical_art]

Two hours, four pictures.

Summary of non pictured events due to a self created bug I have now fixed:
5th Crystal recovery led by spire fleet. Felt boring, since I already did it four times.   After crystal recovery, I dig in. Absorb Fallen Spire exo-wave. Absorb CPA rapidly afterward. Then I rebuild, and then my pics resume.

[chemical_art]

I think this first pic was after I started building my final city. It was tucked away in a chockpoint (planet Jerro) protecting energy reserves.





Beginning Spire Capital. All 5 city hubs are fully operational, and spire fleet is fully ready.





As part of fully using the galactic capital, I need to conduct a fact finding mission. I have TONS of firepower and resources, but don't want AIP cost. So I am hitting a backwater planet and setting up MK III research operations. However, I got knocked back greatly after my first huge exo-wave, and I suffering energy shortages.




Due to economic woes, research operations have been suspended after one successful research operation. Planet Puralas temporarily lost, but it won't be recovered until my own borders are settled.





Continued goals:

More "grinding", this time for knowledge using MK III stations. Must rebuild spire destroyer sub fleet. Due to my ability of rebuilding spire military and economy, my only real need is to watch my homeworld from a sneaky attack.

[chemical_art]

Continuing to stomp the AI. I am now driving straight to acquire the final spire shard in the AI core worlds. The final world I'll capture will be just outside of the AI's core planets reinforcement range.

The match is approaching end-game; my own spire fleets can crush thousands of ships, and the AI's exo waves carve through several worlds at a time, and now even my own core worlds cannot blunt them alone.

One of our homeworld's are going to blow soon enough.

[chemical_art]

As my endgame approaches, I may not get another time to really prepare before I breach the AI core planets. I thought I'd explain a few things.

I want to follow my initial tactic to its conculsion; of simply beating the AI via attrition. The tactics have changed via technology, but the goal is the same.







My main spire fleet, the 7k firepower one, is edging out of the shipyards and onto the friendly seas as they will simply go from post to post toasting any AI ships in the area. My spire dreadnought, on deep patrol on the AI homeworld border, is  guarding the rapid retrieval of knowledge.


My whole mobile construction fleet is teleporting MK III's. These things are builders that can reach any planet within 10 seconds with enough power to empty my economy. My shipyards both contain MK I and II's, but only core worlds get more then one MK I engineer.

Their complements are Teleporting Shuttles from spirecraft. Able to bring a colony ship anywhere, these and MK III's can plop a MK I station anywhere in my turf in 25 seconds.


There are now many "anchors" in my chain of planets. My spire cities are self sufficient stations in the desert of space. The one's on my extremities are admittedly vulnerable, but they are meant as buffers.



More powerful turrets are strongly being considered. A low energy, high power defense is needed, and the now aging turrets are still doing their job alright. Future research may bring them back on par, or at least help out on the friendly core planets

Massive energy operations may be attempted in order provide power at great economic cost. If the core worlds can each pump out massive energy through any means necessary, then mk II forts could also be considered, or better yet, gravity turrets everywhere as well.

I just might take as much knowledge as I can. I can conduct between 7 to 11 MK III raids, and another ~4.5k knowledge from annihilated planets. Have you ever tried using 3 MK III stations for one planet? I haven't yet, but I will now.

[chemical_art]

I haven't been playing nearly as much AI War due to other games, but 100% of my little gametime is on this case. The AI homeworld's are now untouchable due to the spire defense mechanic (curse you AI super ship, and your 50+ golem horde). So my last option is to simply call in the spire. Unfortunately, the AI exo-waves are proving quite troubling, and leading to very many headaches.
My empire is slowly crumbling again like it was back in AI tech +1, but this time the galaxy is at stake, and both me and the AI are aware.
EDIT: A highpoint is reached though, the path to the final crystal is neutered, and now my two spire dreadnoughts are online. After one more armored golem is acquired, the run for the final crystal will begin. 

[Red Spot]

Seeing how you handled yourself so far, I have no doubt you will show the AI what we humans are capable of when commanding a few Golems & Spire DNs.


Bit of a spoiler below.





If you can I'd set up as many cities as I can after getting the capitol, while you pave a way for the very last recovery, in an effort to get an extra 1 or 2 DNs. Those combined with say a botnet golem clean out heavilly reinforced coreplanets in seconds
Anyway, once you trigger the last event you wont have to be so stressed aboutkeeping all your fronts secured, you get some help in that regard, nevertheless, you will want to be as reinforced as caps and knowledge allows.

[chemical_art]

Well, I did win. A long time ago, actually, no more then a week after my last post. I just never got around because it was, sadly for me, disappointing. 


That is not to say challenging. The final crystal recovery would have been a complete chore were it not for me occupying the planets from the AI core worlds to my own homeworld. The building and defense of the final structure (name escapes me) was certainly challenging, and my tactics were reminiscent of defender mode in that I would over the hour do a fighting withdrawal into my "core" worlds. Actually, that part was really fun. Which makes the next point seem even more drastic:

The final part, watching the spire proper devastate the AI, was not fun. I wager it was as fun as watching the grass grow (which is actually not that boring if your in a forest with plenty of critters) but I digress. The reasoning for the not fun was like this

[my thought pattern]

"Wow! The AI is really pounding me know. These hordes of golems are really causing me to strategically abandon planets to ensure the homeworld survives. I will love to watch the AI and spire engage in full force"

"Here comes the spire! YES! I won. Time to watch some fireworks..."

"Wait, the AI are no longer spamming exo-waves...and the spire continue to drive upon their worlds...maybe the  AI is massing a counter force..."

"Well, the initial spire went virtually unscathed as it marched to the AI homeworld. I'm sure a mothership or two will knock them back though...wait. Why hasn't the AI spawned a mothership to defend its home?"

"Well, the AI seems to have rollen over from the start. One AI world is down and the other AI seems to be neither stepping up its fleets nor trying to spam exo-waves at my own homeworld. I'm sure it will be even more boring then the first, since the reinforcement points have already been depleated" and it was unfortunately boring.


To summarize: I was expecting the AI to fight back hard to try to survive when the spire came around. Maybe even expecting them to try something drastic (lightning warhead barrages, anyone?). After all, they don't want to lose their galaxy, right? I was fundamentally expecting the AI to at least maintain its pace after the first summoning. To watch the AI go into regular vanilla mode as the whole galaxy is being cleansed seemed downright insulting to an AI who had done so much at this point. It was jarring enough that I lost the feeling of fighting an hyper-intellegent AI.


I understand the AI is supposed to ultimately lose, and I read the reports about the spire fleet not being enough to take out the AI. But I was just expecting more of a response from the AI so I can enjoy my allies more. The AI response to the spire seemed to equal to or less then the player (that mothership ALWAYS spawned from my attacks, but did not for the spire).

Difficulty was 8.3 / 7.6

Anywho, I did grow a lot during this game. I'll jot down those notes here later.