Challenge Moo1: The Bugs of Life
- Thread starter AlanSHB
- Start date
Well that was one of my quickest MOO games.
I run to +20, duralloy to colonize the poor planet, building a couple of LR larges to defend it.
In 2341 my LR colship is ready but the vote comes and with my measly 2 planets I stand for election and it's all over
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I run to +20, duralloy to colonize the poor planet, building a couple of LR larges to defend it.
In 2341 my LR colship is ready but the vote comes and with my measly 2 planets I stand for election and it's all over
.Well that was one of my quickest MOO games.
I run to +20, duralloy to colonize the poor planet, building a couple of LR larges to defend it.
In 2341 my LR colship is ready but the vote comes and with my measly 2 planets I stand for election and it's all over
At least I managed to last till 2370.
It seems this game punishes you for being in the first vote. No doubt +20 contributed to your entry, I had more time to expand and luck a fertile event to gain my entry. It would seem wrong to intentionally delay growth/expansion but it may be the only way to guarantee 2 AI's in the first vote and your chance of a later success.
I don't remember delaying, it is most likely just how the other races interacted. If the Coids did not get off the ground, then you could be in the vote. In my run, the Coids did very well. So it was them and the apes for the longest time.
I did not mean to suggest that you could not win with a normal or rapid start.
Certainly it depends on the other races and not all 'good' starts were rewarded with entry to the first vote. That is my point though - that if you grow well you have a chance to be part of the first vote which is just an opportunity to lose whereas if you start slow you may have some catching up to do but you may well avoid an early vote loss. That was my reasoning trying to find a guaranteed path to victory. I'm just a little disappointed I didn't get to play this one out. I accept losses will happen sometimes but in both the Meklar challenge and Bugs of Life my game hung on the first vote (similarly in ungy's).Congrats to all those who succeeded for good starts and good finishes.
I guess I do not understand what you mean by slow growth. You have your HW and the nearby size 40 planet. The only other planet is out of your range until you can fit in a colonizer and range extension.
IOW everyone was limited in the number of votes they could have for the same amount of time, more or less. You could emphasize getting range or you could try to shrink space requirements sooner, but not much of a difference.
I doubt that anything you did would let you get the vote early. Only what the interaction between the apes and the coids would matter.
IOW everyone was limited in the number of votes they could have for the same amount of time, more or less. You could emphasize getting range or you could try to shrink space requirements sooner, but not much of a difference.
I doubt that anything you did would let you get the vote early. Only what the interaction between the apes and the coids would matter.
Well it was just a throwaway comment more than a strategy. In my game the vote happened when my colony founded Toranor immediately after contact with humans - if I hadn't founded then no vote, no loss and time to talk and break AI alliances but that is illogical. In this game you could emphasize LR Def more than tech and Colony ships to guard future acquisitions before actually founding them, that is a plausible start which could slow gaining more planets. You could also emphasize range tech (delaying planetology growth such as IT+10,20 etc.) to gain contact to assess the diplomatic situation as early as possible. There are a few things that could be done but, you are right, it is mostly outside your control - as I said I was just theorizing on if it was possible to guarantee avoiding the first vote loss by somehow avoiding being nominated. Having 2 games quickly following each other where a runaway AI allied with other races will win the vote unless another AI is in competition or you start cheesey diplomacy, if you have the time, led to illogical thoughts. In ungy's case he was nominated very early with just his starting 2 planets emphasizing it is most likely out of your control.
Why would you not seed the planet?
Don't you want to maximize your empire pop growth (especially with the bugs)?
That should lead to quicker total GNP growth.
I am not a believer in seed planets, unless they need to be defended right away. until I have my HW maxed. I do not subscribe to that. I prefer to get the home to the point it can build colony ships or research or what ever is needed.
In this game I needed to get planet techs soon or die, so I did not want to delay that, just to get a small planet up.
In this game I needed to get planet techs soon or die, so I did not want to delay that, just to get a small planet up.
Well I have to confess I'm still not convinced.
your total production is your total production however it's divided.
200 factories on kholdan=160 on kholdan +40 on #2. You get there much faster by growing your pop by seeding--you have more pop generating production. This is doubly true with the bugs.
Only drawback is that you might be a turn slower on getting out a colship--here again irrelavant as we know we need some advanced tech to build one so we know at turn 3 that we won't need to hurry a colship for 40-50 turns as opposed to 20 or so normally so planet will be maxed by then anyway.
I am not trying to convince anyone, I am not even saying it is the best way to go, only that is how I will always do it. No standing up crappy planets that are not going to be under pressure without help.
Once we get either a better planet or one that may be contested, then I stand it up. I will also stand up any planet once the HW is well on its way to being maxed.
Once we get either a better planet or one that may be contested, then I stand it up. I will also stand up any planet once the HW is well on its way to being maxed.
Well, I had a little bit of time this afternoon, so I thought I'd give this a shot.
I shouldn't have bothered.
I got the Nova event in 2376.
At Kholdan. 
My entire empire was Zoctan, Kholdan, and Phyco, just like everybody else at that time. My reserve was empty at the time, gone to Zoctan to stand it up faster. Even with reserves from Phyco, I wasn't able to solve the event in time. Kholdan went boom, and I resigned.
Whatever I did to piss you off, MOO random event generator, I'M SORRY ALREADY!!!
*sigh*
dathon
I shouldn't have bothered.
I got the Nova event in 2376.
At Kholdan. My entire empire was Zoctan, Kholdan, and Phyco, just like everybody else at that time. My reserve was empty at the time, gone to Zoctan to stand it up faster. Even with reserves from Phyco, I wasn't able to solve the event in time. Kholdan went boom, and I resigned. Whatever I did to piss you off, MOO random event generator, I'M SORRY ALREADY!!!
*sigh*
dathon
Well it had to happen sooner or later, sorry it was you.
Hi guys, Im new to the board. Played MOO in the mid 90s when I was about 10-13 yrs old. Havent touched it in more than a decade. Randomly the other day I wondered if it was still around, and I found Sirians website. Read the whole thing, downloaded Dosbox/MOO, and here I am. Played three games by myself, and then found this board. Even though this is an older challenge, I thought Id give it a shot
2300 Colony to yellow. Only two more scoutable planets. Will have to defend those until I can pick up range techs if they're habitable.
2303 Settled Phyco. Will send 2-3 there each turn to keep Kholdan @ ~50 until Phyco has ~13 colonists.
2304 Discovered Inferno Rana. Design long-range laser med fighter and will begin building one every 2 yrs with the rest of the slider in industry.
2306 Discovered Jungle Zoctan. Would be good except its poor. This is what I call a Coffin Corner. Chased Psilons away from Rana.
2309 - Put a few RP in tech last turn to see the tree. Opted for Range 5 instead of four simply because Ill get the range far before Ill get controlled inferno. Didnt want to get stuck with Range 5 as my only choice after Range 4 due to Klackons sucking at Prop tech. Also chose IER instead of +10 for the same reason need to climb this tree quickly. All tech to Planetology with a few clicks in all others. Chased Humans away from Zoctan. LR Lasers (a la Sirian) en route. On Kholdan I now am building LR Lasers every 2 yrs, 20 rp in tech, and the rest in factories.
2314 Coids with three systems. Phyco now @ 50% pop (20/40), so will keep them at that % and shuttle the extras back to home world a few at a time. (Again, a la Sirian)
2315 With 3 LR Lasers for each unsettled planet, will take a break from those and split evenly between factories and tech.
2323 Kholdan maxed out in pop.
2325 Improved Eco comes through. Choice of +10, +20, and spores. I chose +20 to climb faster I really hope I dont have to get spores before I get another choice! Still primarily focusing on planetology.
2326 IIT9 comes through.
2330 GNN says Coids with 6, me with two. Still no contacts. Kholdan maxed a few turns ago so Im now building one LR Laser/yr and rest in tech.
2336 Phyco maxes out pop and factories, helps tech along. Each unsettled planet now with 9 LR Lasers either there or en route. No more challengers except for those two scouts. Will stop when each has ten and focus on tech. +20 comes through, I set each planet to enough to complete it in one turn (once again, a la Sirian the tech RP trick for measuring BC of output is genius). I chose Controlled Toxic full steam ahead!!
2339 VOTING!!!!! Despite the Coids having 6 planets to my 2, it is me versus Humans. All vote for Humans, game over. No one ever even met me.
Wow, by far my earliest defeat. Early voting loss, no contacts, no chance. I did not have enough time to put tanks on a Colony and get Zoctan, nor did I have enough time to get Controlled Toxic. I suppose I could have gotten Range 5 early and maybe met a contact and tried to politic my way out of an early voting loss, but who knows. Im not sure I could have done anything else better. Both planets were maxed, both unsettled planets were well-protected. Good challenge, disappointing result.
2300 Colony to yellow. Only two more scoutable planets. Will have to defend those until I can pick up range techs if they're habitable.
2303 Settled Phyco. Will send 2-3 there each turn to keep Kholdan @ ~50 until Phyco has ~13 colonists.
2304 Discovered Inferno Rana. Design long-range laser med fighter and will begin building one every 2 yrs with the rest of the slider in industry.
2306 Discovered Jungle Zoctan. Would be good except its poor. This is what I call a Coffin Corner. Chased Psilons away from Rana.
2309 - Put a few RP in tech last turn to see the tree. Opted for Range 5 instead of four simply because Ill get the range far before Ill get controlled inferno. Didnt want to get stuck with Range 5 as my only choice after Range 4 due to Klackons sucking at Prop tech. Also chose IER instead of +10 for the same reason need to climb this tree quickly. All tech to Planetology with a few clicks in all others. Chased Humans away from Zoctan. LR Lasers (a la Sirian) en route. On Kholdan I now am building LR Lasers every 2 yrs, 20 rp in tech, and the rest in factories.
2314 Coids with three systems. Phyco now @ 50% pop (20/40), so will keep them at that % and shuttle the extras back to home world a few at a time. (Again, a la Sirian)
2315 With 3 LR Lasers for each unsettled planet, will take a break from those and split evenly between factories and tech.
2323 Kholdan maxed out in pop.
2325 Improved Eco comes through. Choice of +10, +20, and spores. I chose +20 to climb faster I really hope I dont have to get spores before I get another choice! Still primarily focusing on planetology.
2326 IIT9 comes through.
2330 GNN says Coids with 6, me with two. Still no contacts. Kholdan maxed a few turns ago so Im now building one LR Laser/yr and rest in tech.
2336 Phyco maxes out pop and factories, helps tech along. Each unsettled planet now with 9 LR Lasers either there or en route. No more challengers except for those two scouts. Will stop when each has ten and focus on tech. +20 comes through, I set each planet to enough to complete it in one turn (once again, a la Sirian the tech RP trick for measuring BC of output is genius). I chose Controlled Toxic full steam ahead!!
2339 VOTING!!!!! Despite the Coids having 6 planets to my 2, it is me versus Humans. All vote for Humans, game over. No one ever even met me.
Wow, by far my earliest defeat. Early voting loss, no contacts, no chance. I did not have enough time to put tanks on a Colony and get Zoctan, nor did I have enough time to get Controlled Toxic. I suppose I could have gotten Range 5 early and maybe met a contact and tried to politic my way out of an early voting loss, but who knows. Im not sure I could have done anything else better. Both planets were maxed, both unsettled planets were well-protected. Good challenge, disappointing result.
Glad to see you found us lanolin. At least one other player got the early vote and exit.
Welcome lanolin!
That's because voting is by population, not planet count. When a certain amount of the systems (including empty ones!) is settled (I don't remember the breakdown), the first vote is held. Opponents are #1 and #2 in population. Afterwards, the vote is held on every 25 year mark. This can result in another vote very quickly after the first. For example, if the Humans had not won your game, next vote would have been 2350, then 2375, etc.
Hope you'll join in on an SG or two, and play the Imperia when Sullla gets around to starting them again
dathon
That's because voting is by population, not planet count. When a certain amount of the systems (including empty ones!) is settled (I don't remember the breakdown), the first vote is held. Opponents are #1 and #2 in population. Afterwards, the vote is held on every 25 year mark. This can result in another vote very quickly after the first. For example, if the Humans had not won your game, next vote would have been 2350, then 2375, etc.
Hope you'll join in on an SG or two, and play the Imperia when Sullla gets around to starting them again
dathon
I think it is 2/3 of planets triggers a vote.
