My First Real AAR -- Also My First 8/8

[Radiant Phoenix]

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:

Spoiler for Hiden:

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:

Spoiler for Hiden:

• 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.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Fast forward to the 30 minute mark. I've scouted a little further, and am preparing to capture the first Civilian Leader.

Both P0s are SCLs. The nearer one also has an ARS on the same system, with Space Tanks, Munitions Boosters, and MLRS, in that order. (Convenient that I don't see any reason to hack it...)

One P9 is the Black Hole Machine I mentioned, and the other is a Raid Engine. I think I can avoid the Raid Engine for a while, now that it's just one and not a dozen, like that time I played against a Raid Engine AI type. (The game's on my other computer. I'm pretty much ready to go for the homeworlds, but the beginning was very hacky)

I plan to put the Starship+ grade elements of my fleet there preemptively to guard the SCL once I capture the system, while my Fleet Ships aid the turrets on Yarpo in guarding the other front. (Yarpo is the system right next to my homeworld)

[Radiant Phoenix]

Last entry before bed.

• First SCL is secure
• First SCRVs are built
• Engineer IIIs are unlocked
• My Champion is pushing the western front with the help of one SCRV, with the intent to capture the Black Hole Machine.
• The game is playing a chipper tune

Things seem good... for now.

EDIT: Note: this is where I'm currently up to in the game, so the next update won't happen until I play some more.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Played some more while waiting in a waiting room.

Sent both SCRVs in to aid the Champ, specced sniper+shield, along with the Neinzul Enclave Starships, and a flagship. Popped the CS and moved the SciLabs in. Once things were mostly clear, sent in a colony ship and dropped another CS-Mil2. Cruiser was unlocked, so I respecced the Champ to that. N-S-CA has Vampirism, so no more shields.

Champion heads on to Zormbzor and Tachyon raids. I'm adjacent to the BHM now, and find it convenient that the Neinzul champ has immunity to BHMs.

Also built some Spirecraft Translocators to guard the CL -- a Mk1 and a Mk2.

Comments and suggestions welcome, and if you have ideas of sorts of things to screenshot, suggest them -- I'm still playing this game.

Major decisions I'm aware of:

• AdvFac detected: hack or capture?
• I'm not sure what to unlock right now with my 6,500 K.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Whee! More playing!

Zormbzor (AF Planet) has been scoured of ships, but I haven't popped the CS yet, because I'm considering some hacking.

• Probably not going to do the AF, because I expect this to be far behind my lines eventually
• There's a design backup with Zenith Siege Engines. How bad are those? I'm considering sabotaging them.

The Champ is doing pretty well at scouring Chaisimurder (BHM planet) too, but I don't think I'll get the second SCL by 1:00:00

Suggestions?

[Pumpkin]

AdvFac detected: hack or capture?

You don't seem to go for an archipelago empire or a low-AIP game. Your plan is to take the whole (or a big part) of this microcosm, isn't it? So capture, IMO.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Alright, I've decided: I don't care about ZSEs

I'll pop-and-capture that planet as per usual, and also work on capturing the BHM planet:

• Cleanse all normal resistance
• Destroy the Mk1 Ion Cannon
• Build a forcefield over the captive human settlement
• Put the CS under that FF

I don't think I'll manage to capture the second SCL before the hour.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Popped the AFac planet CS, and started building a CS-Mil 2 there. Small fleet patrols that planet.

My Champion is working on the BHM planet, and I'm prepping a transport with a mobile builder and colony ship for that planet, when suddenly, Hybrids! Unlock Assault Transports and Mk3 Needler, Laser, MLRS, Missile, Sniper turrets. And then I get another splinter faction: Shattered Pilar.

I'm also sending a fleet of 5x Scout Starship Mark I to explore the galaxy a bit. Trying to make it to the likely site of AI 1's homeworld.

Wait, what the hug? Why won't the transport unload?

By the way, the scout starship fleet didn't make it very far.

[Toranth]

Wait, what the hug? Why won't the transport unload?

Remember, you cannot unload transports outside of the inner gravity well.  And, sort of bug-ish, the dashed circles you see don't quite line up with the actual borders of the gravity well.  In this case, although the line appears to be slightly up and left of your transports, you are actually already on it.  Move the transport down-and-right a little, and you'll be able to unload fine.

(In my experience, the lines are usually shifted a little up-left - which means you can sometime unload/place structures beyond the line in the lower-right)

[Radiant Phoenix]

Wait, what the hug? Why won't the transport unload?

Remember, you cannot unload transports outside of the inner gravity well.  And, sort of bug-ish, the dashed circles you see don't quite line up with the actual borders of the gravity well.  In this case, although the line appears to be slightly up and left of your transports, you are actually already on it.  Move the transport down-and-right a little, and you'll be able to unload fine.

(In my experience, the lines are usually shifted a little up-left - which means you can sometime unload/place structures beyond the line in the lower-right)

I'll try that in the next episode.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Alright, 11 more minutes on the clock. Moving the transport worked.

I've finished capturing the AFac planet, and fortifying it somewhat, but that's taking a backseat to fortifying the BHM planet, which also has a Captive Human Settlement on it. The BHM gives me the liberty of putting my CS-under-glass basically wherever I want, so I'm putting it next to the +15 AIP structure.

Next steps: grab the second SCL and fortify it, and sabotage-hack the Raid Engine.

Also, I redesignated P9, and assigned P8 to the old P9 -- P9 is now where I think the AI Homeworlds are.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Built more turrets, moved west fleet to BHM planet, harvested all the K, built more turrets. I'm so glad I did the calcs and learned the Fortresses aren't as impressive as they look, because if I were trying to build those, everything would take ten times as long (Well, not quite -- I'm spending M on other things too). Also, the Mourners showed up at my homeworld, so I'm building their ships now. Also finishing the Hacker and building a transport for it.

Shadow Cruiser raids second SCL planet, while the eastern fleet raids Sofo's guard posts. Unfortunate things happen to the latter (half the fleet dies, which I think is about a million metal, or 6 minutes of production), so I'm going to try to avoid such things expeditions in the future, although this did convince the Preservation Wardens to come play, which might prove advantageous. I think I'm going to have my facilities prioritize rebuilding the cheap ships in their loops. Also, next time: maybe raid starships? It's a pity that I can't pack Offroad ships in transports...

Shadow Cruiser seemed to be doing fine, but some AI reinforcements showed up. I think it's Special Forces, because of the dozen Riot Control Starships. Still, that's one eye poked out. Time to send my respawned Champion the other way.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Hmm... I think I should load my Bombers and Space Tanks into the Assault Transport. They're the most expensive fleet ships to replace. Also, turrets are done, and I'm not sure what to spend another 3000K on. Forcefields? Better turrets? Raid Starships with missile immunity? Unfortunately, none of the Offroad ships are anti-Structural or anti-Heavy, so I'll need to look elsewhere to deal with Hybrid Hives. Really wishing I had the Spire champ and Plasma Siege Cannons, because those have about a 25x multiplier against [Heavy] targets under [Structural] forcefields. (Wait, do Plasma Siege Cannons care about the hull type of the thing under the forcefield, or just about how much damage they dealt to the forcefield? Can someone tell me?)

Huh, the champ popped. Apparently not having Insanity Inducers is relevant. Let's run it at the problem again, but this time try to wipe out Hybrid Hives. Much better. I <3 vampirism. Also range exceeding Radar Dampening. Totally worth giving up +50% base damage and +167% light slots, at least to me.

Oh hey, some roaming enclaves have joined me. Also, my economy stabilized. Time to punch it with some anti-medium Offroad ships and some cloaker starships. Also, a scout mission, although that's much cheaper.

Another eye bites the dust, and so does my scouting mission. It's almost like the AI is trying to hide something from me...

[Radiant Phoenix]

I played a bit more but then my computer froze and I lost the progress and the journal entry. I've enabled some kernel updates I didn't even know existed before, which might fix the problem.

[Radiant Phoenix]

Oh, wow, I think this solved my overheating problem.