MOO2 Bulrathi Stories

[neilkaz]

Just as I did with Darloks, I am going to play 5 games with Bulrathi (the 2nd worse stock race, IMHO) at the Impossible level with a pre-warp start in a typical 8 player huge galaxy. I won all 5 of my Darlok games and hope to be as fortunate here. As in that thread, I'll give lots of details for game 1 and especially the early game play, so others can try my starting methods if they wish.

Game 1

I've rolled a great start exactly in the upper right corner and have 3 planets in my system to colonize, two of which are UR! In spite of all 3 being radiated or barren, this is an epic start. The two UR planets will be production powerhouses in the mid game when fighting will likely start, once I can get rad shields and terraform them.

I'll be able to reach 3 more systems once I have the tech to make a scout. OK I'll gamble and do something I very rarely do with a slow poor production race like this and sell the Star Base for 200 BC and to save 2 BC/t maintenance so I can spend it to expand and develop quicker. There's also a nebula nearby and a black hole and I really don't expect to be attacked quickly and hopefully can play 100+ turns meeting no one else.

So I sold the SB at the start and started researching Elec Comp (the pre-req to Research Labs) and at turn 4 I had a 20% chance to finish the tech so I moved one worker to production of a SB to stock pile production. On turn 7 I had the comp tech and 9 pp banked and switched the worker back to the lab to research the lab tech. A couple near worthless leaders soon showed up and were ignored. Once I the game said that I'd researched enough of the tech to have 6 turns remaining I retasked a peon back to production with the plan of having about 30 pp banked when the lab tech finished. I had very bad luck finishing the tech, and ended up buying my lab on turn 27 paying 42 BC for 21 pp. Along the way on turn 20 some good fortune occurred when V'larr and his +10 BC/t megawealth showed up. The extra income would prove to be extremely useful and he was hired instantly.

I then researched Reinforced Hulls along the way to Autofactory and bought my factory on turn 47 exactly half built paying 60 BC for 30 pp and moved all non-farmers to production to start my 3 colony bases while letting my lab stand alone generating 5 RP/t towards the basic tech that includes freighters. On turn 52 I was able to buy my 1st CB exactly half built and then colonized the highest pop cap (pop 4) UR planet in my home system and set the lone worker to work on a factory and then lab. Even though every turn the game says that my new colony is starving (no freighters), a planet cannot lose its only unit of population so no worries.

On turn 58 I bought both my 2nd CB just a bit more than half built and my factory on the 1st colony half built. The freighter tech finished, and I interrupted production of my 3rd and final CB to buy a freighter fleet paying 28 for 14 pp so now my new colonies could get food and start growing slowly. Since they were small UR planets if I moved a 2nd worker to them the pollution losses seemed costly so I just kept all workers on my HW working on that 3rd CB.

On turn 62 my lab on the 1st colony finished and I decided to build housing with the one worker being able to create a newborn every 5 turns. Now I have 10 RP/t just from my labs working towards the basic chem tech so I can make ships and a couple of scouts. My factory on the 2nd colony was finished on turn 65 and I soon colonized the last planet in my system and put all but one worker (bank nearly pollution free pp building something expensive) back into science. On turn 70 the chem tech is finished and saved pp builds a scout on the next two turns. I made two scouts since I quickly wanted to inspect the 3 systems I can get two, in hopes of finding a good farming planet so I can get Biospheres rather than Hydrofarms.

On turn 76 Khunagg shows up and is immediately hired (he spends his new money on dentistry) and put to work in Ursa. This is a good leader for now as his 20% farming bonus will help feed me and 20% production will be very useful as well. Alas my scouts find nothing with acceptable farming so I must finish HydroFarms rather the Biospheres lest I end up using everyone to farm on my HW.

On turn 85 the last of my farms is built. All but my last colony has completed barracks for moral and is working towards a SB with one worker while researching with the others. I have an empire population of 18 and am generating 34 RP/t and +5 BC/t (thanks for the megawealth dude). I've spent most of my cash saved from selling the SB and have 98 BC in the bank. My CS will be done in 18 turns (Slow but I can likely buy it sooner) and Soil Enrichment (again to improve my food situation) in no more than 13 turns.

On turn 90 I have 20 pop and am getting 44 RP/t. Next turn Chug shows up begging for a job but I have to raise taxes big time for a few turns to hire him. I want him ASAP for his 10 RP/t and for terraforming so I can increase the pop on my barren UR planet and have it become a great shipyard. On turn 100 I have 21 pop and 50 RP/t and having just completed Soil Enrichment, I've freed up two more peons to work on my CS. Terraforming is starting on my UR barren world which quickly becomes tundra due to banked pp but tundra doesn't increase pop so now a slow process to generate 500 pp to become a swamp planet (which at least I can farm well if needed).

My CS is finished on turn 107 (raised taxes to hire Chug slowed production for a while) and since the Hircus system is near the corner and will allow me to scout two more systems I send my CS to my left. Hircus is soon colonized and I send Chug there. His farming bonus won't help but his environmental bonus will and I transfer over two more workers.

Hmmmm... I meet the Trilarians too close to me and hold my breath in hopes that they aren't repulsive. Well...their pacifistic leader immediately agrees to stop spying (so I don't need agents yet) and we get a research treaty.
Soon we are amiable and get a NAP but he won't make a trade treaty (perhaps can't afford the cash outlay initially?).

I scout Anraq and make an outpost their to extend my range to a planet near the Tris and to keep them out of the Anraq system for now.

Onward to turn 129 and the Supercomp tech is finished and I'll build them almost instantly everywhere from saved PP. I have 25 pop and 75 RP/t which will explode once the supercomps are done. I moved the worker helping to build the SB's to tech as I don't need SB in the Ursa system yet and my factory will slowly build it anyhow. I'm doing OK for such a lousy race and the Tri's only have 50% more pop then I while tech is about equal. I have two frigates and the Tri's have two destroyers. I must make sure to not fall too far behind in the fleet comparison so I don't look like a victim to them. I plan one more CS for the desert planet below me (Tond) and now must consider my path thru more advanced chem techs for ships/pollution control/range and eventual war. I'll be able to scout one more system once I colonize that system below me and hopefully it has a monster guarding a UR gaia.

Often at this point in the game, strong AI's have 3 or 4 times the pop and tech of my human controlled lousy races, but with my supercomps I'll soon be ahead of the Tri's in tech.

On turn 134 the Tri's finally agreed to a trade treaty and would hopefully remain best friends for the entire game. I colonized Tond along the right edge on turn 140 and soon found the Joshua system, with 3 planets, one of which was good sized and terran and rich and a must have at this point. But first I have to defeat the hydra guarding it.

On check on turn 145 as I was progressing thru the Chem techs in the standard manner for me: Deut cells; Merc missiles; Atmos Renewer; Zort Armor; showed me with 29 pop and generating 185 RP/t and 14 BC/t. But still the Tri's
were slightly ahead of me in tech. However, my situation was lots better than one can have at this time when using a stock race with no econ advantages. After a couple of dozen turns I was able to send 8 FF's (frigates) with MIRV Nukes to kill the hydra and colonize Joshua. I'd suffered some from CP issues as only a couple of my SB's were complete by that time.

Well...enemy sighted...the Sakkra are just below Joshua along the middle and lower part of the right edge but not as far as the corner. They've got some decent defenses so I'll need serious warships and it takes me til turn 226 to get 2 MIRV Merc BB's (my beloved Merc 18's) and most of my remaining FF's into action. I was really suffering from CP issues and happy not to need a dozen transports at once to take over Lizard planets thanx to my tough Bear ground troops. My FF's proved to be a decent distraction and by retreating a couple to the back corners of the combat grid I could fire both missile salvos and retreat my BB's before Lizard missile and fighter could do too much damage, but soon I had no more FF's. The Sakkra main fleet ran from my attack and then counter attacked as I was finishing off the Sssla system. They recaptured one system and when attacking the next system were destroyed by a couple of EMG FF's. As I was conquering them, I met the Gnols near the bottom center edge of the galaxy and the Darloks in the right bottom corner. Gnols were friends soon, Darloks not and also forced me to add a couple more agents.

On turn 246 the Sakkras were eliminated and I could tell that I had a won game but it would take quite a while. I'd hired a couple more good leaders along the way and was making and positioning a few more EMG ships to join my two Merc 18's in an assault on Orion. The Guardian was destroyed on turn 251 but the basket of techs wasn't so good, so I traded two of them to the Gnols and Tri's mostly for econo stuff. After making a couple of outposts, it was trivial using The Avenger to put the Darloks out of my misery. I'd colonized Orion and decided to use Sakkra colonists there for better growth and a larger pop cap. By now I was clearly the dominant race.

I met Klackons, Humans, and Elerians all along the left edge in that order from the top down. Elerians wouldn't deal with me so they were the next victims, put up no resistance at all as The Avenger and several more BB's with death rays shredded them. In the mean time, I'd captured 4 Antaran ships and only 1 blew up! I think I had all the Antaran techs then and traded stuff like Black Hole Generator and Quantum Detonator away. I got the +125 computer from scrapping one of them and now could remove battle scanners from my ships.

LOL on turn 303 as the ant-brained Klackon leader demands a tribute treaty and breaks our tech treaty to DOW me when I refuse, of course. As I am finishing him off on turn 312 the GC vote comes up and I am just 1 vote shy of my win. Anyhow, time for a new victim and on turn 316 I demand a tech from the humans and he gives it to me. I do the same on turn 317 and he DOW's me of course and is removed from the galaxy on turn 320.

Now there's just 3 of us and I presume at this point it could be a 20+ turn wait for my win in the GC. I was expanding further with artifical planets, advanced city planning and cloning centers (stolen by ground troops). I figured the quickest win was to gear up for an assault on Antares. But first, I couldn't resist capturing the many Gnol ships that have been directed towards previous human systems as they'd DOW'd them during my blitz. I allied with the Tri's to better assure that they'd not stab me, and while making more ships captured a half a dozen+ Gnol ships to add to me fleet. I made some EMG ships to try to kill what ever defensive ships the Antarans would have guarding their Star Fortress.

Off to Antares on turn 330 with 30 ships and they have the usual Harbinger (doom star I think) guarded by two cruisers. Hmmm..didn't bring enough EMG missiles along, but while I am losing ships my X-armor, reflection field and damper field combo is making my ships hard to kill. I lost about half that fleet but finished off the Anties.

All in all an easy win, where I wasn't really threatened. Score Bears 1 AI's 0.

 

[neilkaz]

Game 2

I spawned just inside the left edge and in between the lower corner and center. My system has two toxic planets to colonize, one of which is rich. This is better than some starts but certainly not epic. I expect to encounter other races quickly and I don't expect to get a good ROI if I sell my SB.

I research in the same manner as game 1 and have better luck this time as my lab is bought on turn 23 and my factory on turn 41. On turn 43 I have to make a decision to hire Sparky for 100 BC before he goes away. I decide to do so, since I will have Advanced Damage Control which can be traded away for some early techs to AI's and which I want anyhow since I will be getting assault shuttles from that research line instead. Besides, he isn't a bad leader to put on a ship. But, ouch my bankers are crying about this early expenditure.

Just as I hired him, Ralleia showed up. I need her as well, as +15% moral is nice for an early system, and her +30 diplo will make AI's more likely to deal with me, and -120 BC famous will recruit and save on othe leaders. But in order to hire her, I will have to forgo buying these two CB's and build them 100%.

Hmm..hiring leaders too early has broken my economy and cost me games before, so lets hope it doesn't ruin me this time.

Onward to turn 70 and I just finished my 2nd CB. I had to raise taxes to 10% and then 20% for a few turns to raise the 240 to hire Ralleia at the last minute. Her +15 moral rounds it seems as my HW now has gained only 10 moral but my two colonies (-20 moral as lacking barracks) have gained 20 moral and now are at 0. Thus I have no need to rush my rax there as they will only gain +10 moral until Ralleia upgrades.

I've scouted two systems and in spite of the hyperspace beast am hoping to scout the 3rd and final one I can reach. Both are decent with a few planets which will mean a good number of labs and then supercomps for my tech efforts later.

OK here's a progress report on turn 90. In spite of better luck with early research I am not doing as well as last game, but last game I had a 4 planet system and this time only 3 planets. The early megawealth leader was a great help last time as well. Also last game I was able to give my economy and early vitamin shot by selling my SB at the start, but at least this time I won't have to rebuild it. I have 16 pop and 27 RP/t and no income currently but could raise taxes if needed. I found no other world to farm so I had to go for farms instead of biospheres once again. My first CS should finish in 12 turns and soil enrichment tech in 13 turns.

My plan is to expand towards the bottom left corner but I'll grab a system (Pelanor) to my right as one planet is UR (HG is not an issue for the Bears) and another has gold.

Next turn (91) I meet the Trilarians above me and closer to the galaxy center and they are well ahead of me with several systems already. Fortunately they want to play nice, agreed to stop spying, and we made a research treaty instantly. Soil enrichment finished early on turn 99 so I switched I production to that and now was able to free up a couple farmers to help finish my CS which was completed on turn 102 and sent to Pelanor to colonize the UR planet. Also on turn 102 the Tri's agreed to a NAP and Trade Treaty and I was feeling rather OK and started another CS on my HW.


I'm continue to build up my newer colonies in subsequent turns and had to raise taxes to 10 and sometimes 20% which slows production but was needed to pay my building maintenance. This usually happens when one goes with hydrofarms rather than biospheres since you don't have the added population to generate 1BC/t each. I much prefer biospheres but saw no practical way to feed everyone and still make ships from my HW. My scout ship soon died to the dragon defending the Tigris system to the right of Pelanor which had a nice pop 20 UR terran planet along with a decent HG world.

On turn 125 I met the Darloks to my right and they have several systems as well and are expanding towards me and I fear that they may take some of few systems below me in the corner before I do. From the look of the galaxy now and the position of Darlok and Tri systems it was clear to me that I'd not meet another AI for sometime, even after getting Deut Cells, so I felt it was time to trade Sparky's tech ADC to these two. I get Deut Cells and Missile Bases for it, noting that on Impossible you have to trade down a couple of tech levels, but both these techs can save my life early on, although I won't make missile bases until I need them unless I feel extreely threatened or see an attack coming. I'd rather just build SB's for the CP gain and for better defense in general and not have to pay MB maintenance.

Darloks agreed to make a tech treaty with me but laughed at me when I told them to stop spying. Well, I used stored production and made 3 spies and aided by Neural Scanner (pre-req to Supercomps that I was working on) I held their spies at bay for a while. I also decided that I'd better scout out those systems near that bottom left corner in hopes I'd find something better than nearby so I made a couple outposts to extend my range and a couple scout ships. Soon they had 4 spies on me, in spite of good relations and all treaties. Rather than risk war by demanding that they stop spying (I feared a 2nd refusal would come with a DOW) I made two more spies for a total of 5. OMG, they stole Neural Scanner and now have even better spies, but they moved them elsewhere and never came back!

I'm glad I extend my scouting into the corner as I found some systems including terran planets for good farming and colonized one and went to work on another CS on my HW and also working on one from my pop 3 Rich colony, feeling safe. On turn 141 the supercomp tech finished and I was able to quickly build them on most planets aided by some stored production from working towards SB's with one worker. Soon my research starting catching up with the two AI's I'd met.

Just after turn 150 it dawned on me that my fleet was pitifully weak compared to my two friends. Once I finished Trit Armor and Merc missiles and Battle Pods I quickly refitted my scouts and started working towards a total of 10 frigates to go after the space dragon defending Tigris.

OOooo turn 187 and a wealthy merchant (likely enchanted with Ralleia) gives me 1000 BC some of which I spend for development and buying a CS paying 384 for the remaining 192.

It took a while to get Atmos Renewer and since I had Trit Armor and the two nearby AI's seemed to love me, I decided to forgo Zort Armor to go for Microlite Construction for +1 production instead. I would soon end up suffering militarily for this.

On turn 213 I killed the dragon and colonized that great UR planet in Tigris and lost only a couple FF's doing so. Then like a bolt from the blue, the Tri's DOW me! I presume I must have been framed for spying but usually when relations are good, you get a warning first. I hate fighting them early since their ships can move from system to system so quickly. I kill off or chase away a few of their attackers but was losing FF's and DD's doing so.

At this juncture I figured it would be a good idea to ally with the Darloks who also were fighting the Tri's and fortunately a couple Tri BB's were seen heading to a nearby Darlok planet where I think they were destroyed. Normally I won't ally with anyone when there's many AI's remaining as they'll drag me into their wars and then make peace leaving me at war. If I refuse they break the alliance.

Once I had a two Merc 18 BB's I took Niru and then both planets at Yad from the Tri's but took some losses as some of these planets had battle stations and/or planet based defenses. I lost a couple BB's and Cmdr. Sparky met his demise. They also now had Shield III. Ouch..as now they counter attack mostly with BB's with AF AP Mass Drivers and I am in trouble. One of the planets at Yad was pounded and I lost the SB at the other as well as some ships. I was able to get missile based to help out in critical areas as their BB's could destroy a SB it seemed. FF's and DD's with EMG sometimes score a kill, but their shields helped. However, my ships with just Trit armor rather than Zort seemed too easy to kill.

Soon I met the friendly Birds in the center and the nasty Cats up towards the upper left corner. In spite of Ralleia's now +45 diplo the Cats wouldn't treaty up with me and relations worsened but around turn 250 when my production of ships started to overwhelm the Tri's and I took two systems from them along the left edge, the Cats must have been worried as they asked me for a NAP. In the mean time I'd been expanding in safe places in my corner racing my Darlok ally to planets (we share a few systems) and was also terraforming.

Onward to turn 267 and I've recently met the Coids and the Sakkras and those Lizards are friendly. Two Antaran FF's are 3 turns away from attacking the Wei system and I need to do everything I can to capture one or both of them, taking advantage of my racial traits. I'll need more ground combat so I switch research to personnel shield which the game says will finish in 4 turns. My math tells me that it will be slightly over 50% to complete in 3 turns so maybe I'll luck out. I have no SB's on either planet and if I capture just one raider I need to destroy the other to win the battle to keep my prize so I rush MB's on both planets. I manage to have a CC with 6 assault shuttles and two DD's with 3 shuttles by the time they arrive and lucked out with the personnel shield tech for +20 GC which is just enough to capture one raider as they shot first and killed a DD. Again I was wishing that I had Z-armor for tougher ships and for +5 GC. I hadn't time to get N-armor due to the war with the Tri's and having to concentrate on ship building and some other techs and actually had to forgo N armor for U fuel cells as I needed the range to finish off the Tri's and then get to Orion.

Anyhow, my captured Antaran prize didn't self destruct and eagerly I scrapped it, but got only neutron bombs. But I traded them for helpful techs from all 4 AI's that I could trade with.

Four turns later on turn 271 I captured the last Trilarian planet and now at peace could gear up to take Orion with three BB's (one with lots of EMG) and some supporting EMG FF's and DD's and I attack Orion on turn 280. Ouch as the Guardian destroys a BB (they kill smaller ships instead if you have Z armor rather than Trit) before his drives explode. YES !! X-armor..what an upgrade from this lousy Trit. I trade quantum detonator to the 4 AI's for good techs like subspace comm, imperium, galactic cyber net and virtual reality net and now have nothing close to CP issues. I'll hang onto reflection field and use them for now and also compression field as I don't want them used to defend vs my assault ships and I'll wait for the AI's to get some better techs to trade for.

The situation on 281 looks fine for me, as I am close enough to the tech leaders and am 2nd to the Saks with over 180 pop and am generating almost 1600 RP/t. My fleet rating isn't so good, but I can and will make much better ships than anyone else now. I'll refit and gear up to attack the Coids and as they have a big fleet I'll try to capture much of it with shuttles and transporters, once again exploiting the Bear's main advantages. In the late stages of the war with the Tri's my ground troops stole Cloning Centers and the +100 computer, helping both my economy and military and allowing me an easy shift over to beams as now my death rays will hit and I should have ship initiative. I'm been progressing thru the tech tree hoping to save a turn or two and switching non-essential research to something more costly when I am nearly certain to get something cheaper. I'd soon luck out and get Universal Antidote when I was only 35% to get it.

On turn 283 my Darlok allies ask me to go to war with them vs the Coids who were my intended target anyhow. I must carefully watch the turn ending new screen and make sure that the Darloks don't drag me into another war as I'll hopefully get them to make peace before they demand that I join them in another war. My relations with the Darloks are at harmony..as high as it goes. I don't recall ever having that with them before. The Cat and Birds are now at war as usual and this is good. Let them weaken each other and not worry about me.

The situation on turn 285 has some of my upgraded ships and the Avenger moving to planets with in striking range of the Coids while I make and upgrade a good size fleet with some assault ships mixed in with death ray BB's. My econ is expanding rapidly now as I have about 195 pop and over 1800 RP/t.

Turn 289 and my BB with 15 assuault shuttles and +100 GC with 2 hits (HG) easily captured a raiding Antaran DD but it self destructed. I now had two awesome leaders with +60 for most and +30 moral in two major systems.

Onward to turn 300 and the Coids will be gone in a few turns. Darloks made peace with them and started a war with the Birds which I instantly got them to stop so they wouldn't drag me into it. Birds and Cats made a quick peace and now Birds are at war with Saks. I've picked up some more nice techs and Plasma Cannons from scrapping a Coid ship. I now have over 300 pop and over 2900 RP/t. These are huge gains since 15 turns ago. I finally met the Elerians buried deep in the upper right corner and have a RT with them and also now a RT with the Cats. I'm soon to colonize the remain two lousy systems near me that I put outposts on.

Turn 307 and I've just eliminated the Coids and my ground troops took a few techs from them. I have 400 pop and a bit over 4000 RP/t and am nearing the end of some tech trees. Elerians just gave me Galactic Currency Exchange, but when I demand a tech next turn they'll likely DOW me and I will finish them off almost instantly and before the Saks do the same to them. I also had my Darlok ally make peace with those Saks before I end up drawn into a war. This is a won game for sure, but I am not sure how I'll actually win it, although I think mutating into Warlord for the CP and better crews and pumping out ships everywhere for a dozen to 20 turns and going to Antares is easiest from here. I now have Adv City Planning and have made more cloning centers and am growing my civ like a weed.

On turn 312 the last Elerian planet was mine and I decided to work towards an attack on Antares. At this point I had about 450 pop and was getting 5000 RP/t.

Turn 323 and the GC comes up and I won the vote with my own votes and some friends helping as they prefer my dominant and trustworthy empire much more than the treacherous Lizard leadership. I was going to Antares in a turn or two anyhow. At game's end I had 609 pop and 7000 RP/t and most of the non hyper advanced techs were finished.

Bears 2 AI's 0

 

[Culture Bomb]

I don't know if this thread is dead after nothing's been posted for a month - but if you're still playing them I'd be interested to see you do the same thing in a small or medium galaxy.

 

[neilkaz]

I don't know if this thread is dead after nothing's been posted for a month - but if you're still playing them I'd be interested to see you do the same thing in a small or medium galaxy.

I won one more game on these settings with similar ease and then put the game aside for a while to play some Civ5 to get back in shape for the coming BNW which I am playing now.

In a huge galaxy there seems to be enough room to expand and reach critical mass where I can fend off early AI aggression if needed and also come close to keeping up in tech.

When I played a bottom tier race like this in cluster galaxies (comes with the 1.40b23 patch and has 72 stars in a large galaxy rather than 54 stars) AI's were closer to me and an early attack sometimes finished me or crippled me badly.

I'm not sure what the default # of enemies is for smaller maps, but certainly playing a medium map with a lousy race vs 7 AI's could result in some quick losses.

I did just play 3 games Cluster/Impos/8 as Alkari and all 3 were easy wins and I was only concerned once when I was double DOW'd. But Alkari has a faster start than Bulrathi due to the artifacts on their HW.

A Darlok game on those Cluster settings is now going very well, however, I've lost plenty of Darlok games on those settings previously.