General Category > AI War II- After Action Reports
Fastball
Pireciter:
Hello again everyone. Time for another rousing round of AIW2...oh wait, the game's over already?
I've found myself tired of all the long games. 12+ hour marathons, whittling away at that AI until you finally tip over the edge.
So...
I have a new goal: Beat the AI before the first CPA launches.
2 hours. 10 minutes. No more.
Can I do it? Will RNG be nice to me?
Let's find out.
Map: Simple/Simple/Rectangle
80 planets
Seed: 367619863
Doorkicker/Shield/Rejuvenator
5/5/5 Ensemble/Base/Pred
Starting Planet: Cormack
Version: 2.032
Let the games begin.
0:00 - Yes, I know...it's only a diff 5 AI. I need to even the odds somewhere. Since that's the default when you add an AI faction, I figure it will be a good baseline.
Kinda bland starting scouts. I'm hoping for good reveals. I'm smack dab in the middle of everything.
1:02 - Cadez is mine...move move move!
Oh...scouting data reveals some TDLs. I'll need to get those.
3:05 - Next planet! MDC revealed. Also a DC shows it's face.
8:43 - 3 distribution nodes are down, as well as that DC
10:31 - Now Faresa drops...moving toward that MDC.
Brief timeout for some hacking and neutering along the way....I'm short on metal. An extender and a GCA.
19:30 - Command station on the MDC drops
21:49 - and now it's mine and secured.
I'm hoping for a golem...maybe a hive or artillery. Since I don't have one of those spotted yet, let's push instead toward the Frigate coordinator...there is also a ZPG that way.
38:52 - Mine. Still no luck.
43:02 - And now I have a ZPG.
No golems yet...BUT I spy with my little eyes...a spire archive off to the southeast. AIHW, here I come. Let's grab another planet to scout some remaining areas and find those golems.
48:55 - Another one. This got me a Inhibitor citadel as well.
Yay! Finally! Golem sighted...it's way off to the west though, but it is a hive. I'll dispatch some groups and pick up the other MDC along the way.
Oh...what's this? I also see the AIHW, let's take a look...Only 10 guard posts. I'm so used to the 12...that's nice.
Wait...
5 Tesla posts? Ugh...
Wait...
and 5 Shredder posts?! Double Ugh...
That's not very nice RNG. Drop two posts and give me a pile of that? *sigh* I don't think I'm going to make it with THAT grouping.
Ok...let's see what we can do. Half my fleets moving to get the hive. Rest with the citadels are going to start clearing to the archive and homeworld.
1:07:26 - Second MDC is mine. Moving on.
1:21:17 - And cleared to the Hive
1:27:22 - Hive mine.
30 minutes or so left...with that grouping, I really don't think I have a chance of wiping out that home world fast enough. I have to clear out the praetorians, kite around the shredder drones...AND get up close and personal to those teslas. TDLs will help somewhat, but with FIVE shredder posts there are just going to be too many.
Fine, you want to be that way AI? I'll just lazer you into dust...I'm grabbing the spire frigate as well.
1:45:08 - Planet claimed
1:48:18 - My frigate
Moving the golem and frigate to the front, doing a little clearing for levels along the way. Yeah...not going to make it.
1:59:28 - Grabbing the 2nd ZPG on my way to the homeworld.
2:00:02 - CPA declared. :(
2:02:17 - Starting the archive hack. Golem and frigate are clearing to the western approach.
2:10:02 - CPA launched :( For the record...381 ships for 33.5 strength.
2:12:17 - Archive done, now finish cleaning down.
2:18-2:22 - While that is going on, golem and frigate hack an ARS for science and also hack a planet.
Alright, I didn't make it but I'm not letting the AI get out of this one.
2:25:00 - Attack launched
It's...slow going to start with. Whittling away those Mk.7 ships takes a bit. Those shredders really do a number on things when they catch you.
2:39:30 - First post FINALLY goes down to the hive.
2:46:19 - Other 9 are dead by this point. Once the first one fell, it was a line of dominos.
2:47:05 - Phase 2
2:51:01 - Victory!
I really think I could have done it if the RNG gods were nicer. Any other "speed players" out there have any suggestions for round two?
BadgerBadger:
I wonder if a different map type might improve your speed?
Pireciter:
Hmm, Honeycomb maybe? Or something like that I guess?
Something with a lot of different routes and bypasses sounds good on paper...
Pireciter:
HAHA! I've done it!
Details tomorrow
Pireciter:
A new map, and hopefully better RNG
Map: Honeycomb
80 planets
Seed: 456367861
Doorkicker/Shield/Rejuvenator
5/5/5 Ensemble/Base/Pred
Starting Planet: Nadin
Version: 2.032
Let the games begin.
0:00 - Similar start to last time..however, I see two ARSs with torpedo frigates already. THAT is going to be a boon.
0:28 - First batch of frigates are mine
1:30 - And now first planet
2:40 - Second batch
8:40 - Second planet. Interceptor citadel with this one. That's going to be useful
14:24 - Next planet, with a GCA. Not going to bother hacking it, just FF it and leave it.
Got a ZPG revealed, but nothing else big...I wish I had a DC to snipe real quick...
16:13 - Another hack for more siege frigates. Haven't found any daggers and the like. Doing a lot of micro loading/unloading from the transports to cart around my slow units.
19:21 - Distribution node popped
23:50 - ZPG mine. Ah ha! There's a DC...and the AIHW. Target spotted. Tesla's and Heavy Beams this time...manageable.
32:12 - Bye Bye DC
32:22 - Doubled some parasites I picked up with an earlier fleet.
Need a little more power here. Oh, fleet with a bunch of frigates.
42:15 - Gimmie
Ohh...this is a nice planet. Two hops from the AIHW, with a fleet. A fleet with more torpedos AND some TDLs. Good jump off point for the attack.
45:58 - Double some tanks
47:25 - Hacking for gunboats.
55:05 - Planet mine. Now I have a staging ground.
I've spotted the frigate coordinator. Seems a good target to bump some counts up a bit. Oh, and another DC. Slight detour for it, but worth it...keeping the AI at Mk.I for a little longer.
59:20 - Tech hack for +1 Technologist
59:34 - Another distribution node.
1:03:54 - DC down
1:03:55 - Oh and another ARS for Bombards.
1:07:48 - Coordinator mine.
Alright...I could attack now, but it will drag me out a bit. I don't have the greatest force count, and those heavy beams will eat things. Let's get some more power.
1:07:58 - Hacking spree to reveal planets until I spot useful stuff. 7 planets scouted.
Oh. How nice. Hive and ZPG on the same planet.
1:10:31 - Nothing nice on this ARS as I'm passing through..so converted to Science.
1:16:01 - Another DC to keep AI low...
1:16:27 - Second ZPG mine. Starting repair on the hive.
The hive will be my trigger to attack, so let's get a couple more things while it's being repaired...that strikecraft coordinator looks nice...
1:20:54 - DC down, but I need another to stay at Mk.I when the hive finishes...
1:23:18 - Doubled my bombards.
1:26:40 - Hive done. Mk.II AI at 122 AIP. It starts moving toward the AIHW right away.
1:26:44 - Strikecraft coordinator mine.
1:29:55 - Another DC for good measure.
1:30:59 - More bombards as I pass through.
1:34:17 - 1 more DC
1:34:58 - And a distribution node.
Alright. Clearing the core planet en-route to the homeworld. Definitely in a good place with this round.
First wave on the homeworld has one purpose...release as many Mk.VII ships as I can. Done....only about 100 or so threat. Manageable.
1:50:12 - First beam post down.
As the rest start dropping...I start thinking. What can I do to kill Phase 2 quickly? Oh, I know: One of my citidels has seeker turrets, plus all the other turrets I got.
2:00:02 - CPA declares...time is running out.
2:00:55 - Last post goes down. Command station is vulnerable. Turrets are finishing up and start firing.
2:01:06 - Phase 2.
For the record, 20 Mk.VI Seeker turrets against Phase 2 is...deadly.
2:01:46 - Victory!
Now, I need to ponder some more about what I can do to go even faster...though another run may wait for a bit.
-RNG and map choice is key.
Bad RNG that puts good ARSs, golems, and other goodies the wrong direction will doom a run before the 30 minute mark.
Good call Badger on looking over the maps some more. Thanks for that.
-Infinite rage units are needed as early as possible.
Not just for kills, but to release units and clear posts on your routes. Let them run away and join threat. You can whittle them down later. I had 100+ threat running around real quick and only once had to backtrack a single transport to cover a planet. Also, if you leave posts on planets next to yours that are not on the routes you are taking, release the units from them ASAP. The AI will spend reinforcement points there and not as much where you are going.
-Speed boosters are needed.
I didn't find any daggers or the like this run and didn't want to lose time rolling for them. I stuck with transport micro this round.
-Have something to kill Phase 2 quickly before it can run away.
If Phase 2 gets off planet, you're done if you didn't already clear the planet it went to. This round it was ambush/seeker turrets for me. Last game it was just everything I had.
Have fun folks, and good luck if you go for a speed clear. I'm looking forward to even faster times from someone out there.
Pi
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