MOO2 Unification Repulsive stories

[neilkaz]

My settings are everything standard prewarp 8 player huge impossible. Other can feel free to play their own settings with this race which I will progressively weaken a bit if I keep winning easily, by adding more negatives than just repulsive. I play as Elerian picture since their spies look really hot in their black stealth suits .

I did win all 5 games in each of my Darlok and Bulrathi stories threads. I reduced galaxy size to Large and still won with both with 8 players. My one try with Bears 8 player medium was also a win, but the start certainly wasn't bad.

I had no issues in my previous game as UniSpy+20% with the usual full set of negatives winning turn 299 in the GC just a turn before I was going to Antares. Stealing techs is the most fun for me, and I stole 25-30 techs that game and once there was nothing to steal I sabotaged about 8 buildings. I could plan early research around what I could steal.

I won't have that luxury this time.

House rules require me to try to take over planets with transports (although I can make an exception and bomb it senseless if desperate). They also require me to try to win as quickly as is safely possible. Score means nothing and I won't delay a GC vote to go to Antares or to kill everyone to run up score.

So UniNothing....

Lets see starting out.... 3 farmers needed so 5 workers freed up. I can generate 15 RP/t or 23 PP/t which pollutes down to 14 PP/t. Thus I chose not to start as a power production race and went for Labs and then factories.

Unification is so good, that this race already may be superior to the weaker standard AI races. However, they have some bonuses to look forward to if they can survive the early and midgame.

 

[neilkaz]

Nice to get over 200 views in less than a day to a new topic here, which shows that this forum is still alive .

OK game 1. Note again that my only positive is Unification and my only negative is Repulsive. Game 1 will recap will have lots of details, especially starting out. Hopefully my starting details will help some newer players improve.

This race, while better at production than many standard in game races isn't a production powerhouse. Even though I spawned (Draconis 1) very close to the upper right corner I have only 1 mediocre planet in my home system to colonize. Thus I decided to not sell the star base and get my lab and factory built prior to building my colony base. Of course I sold my barracks as I don't need it for moral.

Turn 21 I buy my lab paying 60 BC for 30 pp. Along the way, while research the pre-req electronic comp and then labs when I'd gone far enough into research to have a decent percentage chance to complete the tech, I move one scientist over to become a worker to save 5 pp/T building my colony base. This saved production isn't lost when I switch tasks and this time things worked perfectly and I was immediately able to buy my lab exactly half built. Now my research jumped from 18 to 29 per turn.

Turn 33 Factory is bought paying 50 for 25 pp. All pop not farming is now put to work making my CB. Yes there's plenty of pollution but I want that new colony built. Research now plugs along at 5 RP/t from my lab as I want a freighter fleet and a couple of scouts out soon.

Using the F9 key I can tell that 5 red stars are within reach of scout ships my my homeworld. Hopefully, one will be a great system guarded by a monster and then research will be directed to quickly take it. Hopefully, I'll find another decent world or two to farm as well.

Turn 39 I buy my CB paying 160 for 80 pp. All but one worker now goes to research on my homeworld D1. Draconis 3 an ocean planet is colonized. Draconis 2 is a gas giant.

Turn 41 I buy a freighter fleet paying 50 for 25 pp and move a worker over to D3 to help build my factory and then lab. Had I moved a worker prior to having freighters I'd have lost a unit of pop to starvation. Note that it isn't possible to starve that last colonist on a planet to death. Now I started making two scout ships with nothing but extended fuel tanks to reduce costs.

Turn 47 I buy the factory on D3 paying 48 for 24 pp and my second scout is built and sent exploring.

Turn 49 CS construction is started on D1.

Turn 51 My lab is bought on D3 paying 48 for 24 pp.

Turn 52 I now leave just one colonist on D3 and he's building population at 190k/T meaning that a new worker will be born about every 5 turns. D1 is soon maxed out at 12 pop but I am researching Biospheres with my 10 RP/t from my two labs.

Turn 53 Exploration of my corner has show nothing great but things seem acceptable. Ubar is in the exact corner and has nothing but a gas giant. Above me against the upper side is Kyusho with two toxic waste dumps for planets. To the left of Kyusho is Gurion which has a low G small Gaia which can take 10 population and will be great for farming. There are two other planets in the Gurion system as well.

To my left below Gurion is Juga with nothing but two hot Jupiters. Below Juga to my southwest is Zin which has one large barren normal planet. Unfortunately there's no nice rich or better planets and no great monster system. This start isn't looking so good, but I think I am isolated enough to turtle with 7 planets for quite a while and be unknown. I won't yet colonize Zin since surely I meet aliens then and will need spies and may not be able to defend it early.

Gurion's Gaia also has artifacts so I discover a free tech. LOL it is scout labs..so useless. Perhaps if I could put more than 1 on a ship, I could make a few more frigates (FF) or destroyers (DD) up to my CP limit and let them sit around and gain experience, but with just one scout lab per ship I'll pass on that idea.

Turn 57 I hire Galos for 30 BC and must pay him 1 BC/t. He is cheap enough but with only 10% boost to my income in Draconis, is only just paying for himself. But he'll help out a bit more once he promotes and once a system is more built up. I'd never hire such a weak leader if not repulsive, but I've played entire games as repulsive where only 3 or 4 colony leaders ever showed up looking for work.

Turn 60 Biosphere research is completed and Biosphere's are inserted ahead of the CS in the queue on D1 as I need more space for colonists there. Soil enrichment research begins. The extra 1 food will be really 1.5 food due to being Uni and I want to free up colonists to do other things than farm.

Turn 65 I buy my CS paying 92 for 46 pp. Of course I'd liked to have purchased it earlier but hadn't the cash. The CS is sent to Gurion 2, the Gaia. I leave one worker to make another freighter fleet so I can send colonists to G2 noting that I still am building housing on G3. The rest of the workers head to the lab to help research Soils.

Turn 76 I buy Soils on D1 and now can use a few more colonists as workers to build another CS which will go to Kyusho. Research is now on Neural Scanners which is the pre-req for Supercomps and will make my spies better. Research is just being provided by my buildings currently. A scout ship could now reach Hermidon to the left of Juga but it has nothing but asteroids and a hot Jupiter however, some needed cash was found.

I'd post a screen shot or two if I knew how to take and post them. MOO2 from GOG so DOSbox and Win 7.

Turn 77 I buy the factory on G2 12 for 6 pp.

Turn 81 I buy the lab on G2 18 for 9 pp and start soil enrichment as I am farming there as well. Gurion 2 has become a functional planet and I continue to transport newborns from my housing on D3 over to G2.

Turn 85 I buy soils on G2 paying 112 for 56 pp and start work on biospheres since I need more living space.

I've received a couple of strange TV signals, likely bouncing off a galactic cloud. They have this goofy robot and he told of a plague on planet owned by something called Sakkra. I am not sure what they are, but I look forward to eating them. Something called Gnolam have gotten lucky and discovered technologies. Methinks the Gnols won't consider themselves to be lucky once they see my ground troops landing.

Turn 88 I buy biospheres on G2 36/18. My total pop is 22 and I am still housing on G3. All this is so slow and weak when compared to playing a power custom race but it is at least comparable to playing one of the weaker AI races so I am not unhappy.

Turn 93 My 2nd CS is out and sent to Kyusho. I kept some cash for later rather than buying it. Now all but one non farmer on D1 is sent to the labs and my total research is 55 with a pop of 24. I hope to be able to turtle alone and considerably longer. Ideally I can have labs and supercomps on my 7 planets and that will generate 105 RP/t just from the passive buildings. With biospheres to enlarge these mostly low pop planets I can have more scientists and roll down to techs needed both for more infrastructure and for war.

More later but so far I feel OK this game. Starting in the corner means than my weak race isn't yet threatened.

 

[Darza]

Unification-only race (with only unimportant repulsive as malus, not with say -prod -food -bc) isnt "weak" at all, its better than many stock races, and should have 100% winning result. No point to tech for supercomuters etc with it tho, just build usual battleship and outposts to attack, or even colonyship in case of good planet nearby.

"Draconis 3 an ocean planet is colonized. Turn 41 I buy a freighter fleet paying 50 for 25 pp and move a worker over to D3 to help build my factory and then lab. Had I moved a worker prior to having freighters I'd have lost a unit of pop to starvation" - no, you wouldnt lost it, as ocean planets are... err... farmable, 3 food per farmer in your case. Also as a general rule, you can settle unfarmable planet and house your starving colonist there, thus enabling some growth still, without freighters.

 

[neilkaz]

LOL of course you're right.

"Draconis 3 an ocean planet is colonized. Turn 41 I buy a freighter fleet paying 50 for 25 pp and move a worker over to D3 to help build my factory and then lab. Had I moved a worker prior to having freighters I'd have lost a unit of pop to starvation" - no, you wouldnt lost it, as ocean planets are... err... farmable, 3 food per farmer in your case. Also as a general rule, you can settle unfarmable planet and house your starving colonist there, thus enabling some growth still, without freighters.

I could've moved a colonist over and sent him to farm.

When building housing on a starving 1 pop planet you starve 50k per turn. Lets assume, that if not starving the housing colony would be growing at 98k/t, then if starving it grows at 48k/t.

Yeah, this race does seem better than some bad standard races. If I try one more game assuming this is the win I expect, I'll add in -20 GC and -20 def but with this start I'd still expect to win. DemoRep would be more of a challenge I think and DictRep might be very difficult.

Your approach to this game is more blitz oriented and more aggressive than mine. I'm happy to build up some and then attack. My house rules do require me to try to take planets with transports and not bomb them so if I need a few transports, I might have some CP issues with an early blitz. In this game I feel no need to attack early, and as usual once I can build a Merc 18 or two prior to turn 200, the game will be won.

Merc 18 is my name for a BB with Zort armor, rein hull and 18 MIRV Merc missiles.

 

[Darza]

With weak races you will need to "Build some and then attack", as you cannot win with 1-2 battleship in time of course. Just more effective is to capture nearby AI's than developing your own planets, as its cheaper. Wait for so later tech as zort armor to kill AI is not good idea if you playing a weak race. To get so much RP's from few planets take too long, but you could need to get them from captured AI's after intial strike. Also if you play missiles - there is no need in Rhull on those ships actually. Also whats the idea about bombing planets? You mean you dont bomb them at all, or you dont destroy a whole colony with bombardment? Latter is absolutely unneeded VS AI anyway, as you need to capture them. You will have huge CP issues with weak race, how else, its well, weak race. But if you actually do care about "My rules also require me to try to win as quickly as is safely possible." - you will need to have a strategy working in worst case - 1) you have only one planet beside HW in starting system, and its tiny UP toxic; 2) the best planet you can settle with OP\deut is 4 pop no farming. So, you have to count anything above it as lucky start (if you can win under those conditions with your strategy, surely you will win with any better ones, but not reversed). Thus, basically if you want to play reliable - you will need to learn how to win AI with weak race from 1 starting planet only, and it eventually will make you forget about supercomputers and merculites (btw merculites needed only VS guardian, or for tolerant race, or simply for fun). Or you can decide not to bother about 100% reliability, and just play "average" starts, but its other story.

 

[neilkaz]

OK Darza has told me in this thread and others to try attacking earlier and with fighters, thereby not getting rhulls. I'll try that in the next game and if I end up in a corner turtle spot, I'll build a couple outposts to find a victim even though this game I felt I'd have an easy win by turtling in the corner and then busting out.

Anyhow, onward with this game and less details, since I've given more than enough to those who want to start and turtle somewhat.

T 181 First Merc 18 is built and attack soon starts on the Gnols. I have some Merc 2 FF's along a well to leave back as defenders and to be able to run to map corners in case I somehow need to retreat my Merc 18.

T 192 Gnols half dead and a second Merc 18 is almost ready.

T 206 The Human vulture (eats the dead) DOW'd Gnols and took their last planet.

T 215 Orion found and I can get there with an outpost and once I add some EMG ships along with my 2 Merc 18's this game will be effectively over. Of course, I don't need Orion to steamroll the few Human and Bear systems below Gnol and have the entire right half of the galaxy as mine. I'll call this a win and start game 2 with the same race but trying Darza's method of an early attack with fighters.

 

[Darza]

Corner spot is a worst possible in any case (assuming no WH out of it). Btw - do you play game "as it", or you're using a keys to remove wormholes etc? Anyway dont forget to bring enough transports, and what special weapons cannot bomb planets overmap, so add some bomb ships if needed.
Runners are empty frigates with augments and battle pods, as they can simply outrun missiles. But for AI armed ones could do some work too.

 

[neilkaz]

Game 2 as UniRep and the goal was to at least start out as Darza suggests and attack more quickly than I usually had in the past, often by making outposts to get to an enemy.

I spawned along the center of the right edge and the home system wasn't so good with a small mediocre planet to colonize which I did, and 2 worthless planets which I left until later. My scout could only get to the one system which I'd not colonize for now as it wasn't great and had a wormhole into the Cat's systems in the upper right corner.

OK lets make an outpost and attack with a BB with fighters. My BB started the attack on turn 102 and lacking Bpod's could only have 8 fighters but that was enough. They were enhanced slightly with Fusion Beams. By T 113 all Cat systems were mine and I was feeling much healthier. Next was the Psilons below me aided by worm holes again to speed things up. They as usual had plenty of tech and weren't a push over. My fighter BB wasn't terribly effective but I was soon to get pol.proc for a quick econo-boost to my production planets and to MIRV nukes. I felt that my Nuke 21 BB was more effective than my Fighter 8 BB and maybe more effective than a Fighter 12 (Bpods) would have been. Psilons put up a good fight but were gone on T 175.

Now back home and refit a bit and down wormhole to Darlok spying menace Northwest of galaxy center. They gone on T 208. In the mean time I am working on infrastructure and teching and colonizing the better planets including monster planet Oba in my right sector of the galaxy, but WOW..I met the Master Race. I switched over to a very fine weapon, Graviton Beams and researched Physics to Disrupter to miniturize them lots.

Silicoids were Sub and didn't have the -50 pop penalty. Imagine what those workers will due under my Uni Gov't!! However, they were far above me (nearly double) so I felt I had to wait to attack. They didn't wait long and at T 228 a fleet was soon to arrive at Feiras in 4 turns. I'd waste them with EMG many times along with some Grav Beam BB's.

I lost quite a few BB's than would've survived with rhull this game but rarely will I have a runaway AI as bad as the Coids were.

I went to attack Coid systems and OMG...what AI has Star Fortresses by T240 prewarp? Well they did so I had to put those plans on hold. I need some Coid war techs. How to get? Well Neutron Blasters and Transporters is an easy capture so I captured some Coid ships and actually needed them to defend. I scrapped a couple and then used EMG Mercs to easily kill the Guardian next to Crysilon and that turned the tide.

Now with Damper and Reflection fields and Spatial Compressor, my ships could stay in battle. A-armor was soon stolen by my ground troops and I mutated to +20 GC to make it trivial to conquer and hold Coid planets. Many more techs stolen by conquest and then a win in the GC with Coids over half dead on T 303.

OK next game will be harder in combat with the full complement of usual negs.

I add in -10 GC (Need more transports) and -20 def (hope I don't lose more ships)

 

[Darza]

Now its only needed to get why it took a whooping 102 turns to attack via wormhole. Its around a time Alkari do, seems quite late. No doubt bpods ship with mirvs is more effective than non-bpods fighters BB, eh. You just need to compare their cost in production and research (quite huge difference), and add the amount of planets fighter one can take by that time.

 

[neilkaz]

Now its only needed to get why it took a whooping 102 turns to attack via wormhole. Its around a time Alkari do, seems quite late. No doubt bpods ship with mirvs is more effective than non-bpods fighters BB, eh. You just need to compare their cost in production and research (quite huge difference), and add the amount of planets fighter one can take by that time.

It sounds like I was late when all I had to do was to spend 780 PP to make my fighter BB, rather than just 500 PP to make a CS which I'd been able to do with the same race in about 65 turns. Well, I made an outpost to help explore to find my victim. I didn't find anyone (Cats) til I built my 2nd OP at the end of the worm hole. Cats quickly destroyed it and DOW's me.

Thus I needed to make a 3rd OP suit and also waited til I had a few transports and then moved everything down the wormhole, rebuilt the OP and took my first planet. I also took a few turns to travel with no drive tech. Later I had to get Fusion drives in my fight with Psilon and they could out maneuver me from system to system. I didn't have the luxury of taking Aug. Eng, and then waiting for Ion drive.

 

[Darza]

BB cost 684, you forgot to take away a computer. You also need to store production to launch attack in a punch, not "build BB, 3 turns, build transport, 3 turns, build transport etc". Store > build transports > build BB > attack. If you not sure about early clear contact - you need to do deuterium prior launching an attack (you will need it later anyway, prior fusion pair). Anyway this race launch BB with 6 100prod-ships + frigates around 80 from one starting planet without leaders used (just tried yesturday to refresh), later is about a map only (if you decided to build colonybases - it could generally work better (but slower in approach, say to build a colonyship with developed second planet and built freighters is around late 50-s indeed), but im here about "worst case scenario", where you get 1 pop ultrapoor as only planet in HW, so skipping CBases and CShips entirely). Real blitz race do the same in T40, and have a doubled flight speed (just for comparison). And well, augments VS AI is indeed a pure luxury, cake icing, not needed (unlike real opponent game).

 

[neilkaz]

I see your point about not having to pay for the computer on a fighter carrier BB since all it will do is launch the fighters and then retreat. Thus whether it has ship initiative and fires first really won't matter as it is unlikely to be hit hard enough to be destroyed prior to retreating.

One other I did, that maybe I don't need to worry about when blitzing was to make one spy when I met the Cats since they had one spy on me.

 

[Darza]

You dont need to pay for computer for missile ships also. You need it only when you actually care about initiative or/and beam hits, and early AI game is not a place. And the thing is huge in cost for battleship in the beginning of game. Btw the real shine of fighters is ability of their re-launch, unlike missiles, this is a way to beat some upgraded starbases early, say, cybernetic ones, or with rhulls etc. But im about the real race here, not weak one, you dont have a speed to run away from upcoming missiles enough time with basic engines (though you still can beat amoeba with just 2 fighter frigates for 45 prod each with any race on basic nuclear engines). Spies are spies, sometimes they can broke your starbase, but that is luck based, taking the production shortages early, i think spy will only slow you down, especially taking what one spy isnt guarantee of safety anyway.

 

[neilkaz]

Game 3 and now with the full -10 negs. This game wasn't Darza's style, but I spawned at the very top center of the galaxy and decided to go for rhull rather than fighters and if I needed to fight early I'd just use nukes, probably waiting until I could MIRV them.

Just about the first planet my scout ship found was a monster protecting a Huge pop 25 UR Gaia. I should have a won game once I kill the monster and colonize and build up that incredible planet. Therefore, I quickly went for D-cells and Pol. Proc. and then BP's so my FF's would have 37 space and could fit two MIRV Nukes. Monster killed and UR Gaia colonized and I quickly transferred people from my home system over there. At one point I had transferred all but one pop from each of my home system's 2 planets and was housing on both my original planets!

Soon I was cranking out BB's and transports and killing a victim. When ever I had CP issues I just traded goods with all workers on that super planet for a couple of turns to make lots of cash.

Easy game, never threatened and I ended it by going to Antares on turn 300 as it seemed faster than killing the last two races.

Game 4, more of the same as I spawned in the upper right corner and my scout found a UR pop 25 Gaia right in that corner. Same plan, kill monster etc etc. Hydras aren't so easy to kill since they fire a few times a turn, but 10 FF's did the trick, although I had to self destruct one to finish off the hydra.

I stopped this game, as it was going to be an easy win, as I was mauling the Trilarians on turn 200 and no other races had much of anything going.

I do think that this race UniRep-GC-def is better than the weakest AI races. That is how strong Unification is.

 

[Darza]

I do think that this race UniRep-GC-def is better than the weakest AI races. That is how strong Unification is.

It was obvious from mere start, no? Time to try Uni -food -prod -science now, and then drop the Uni from it after?

 

[neilkaz]

Game 5

This time I was determined to improve my slow blitz time from game 2 and hopefully get some nice comments from Darza about my start when he sees this in the morning.

I spawned somewhat above the center and colonized my one planet which is huge but radiated.

I concentrated on getting out that fighter BB quickly while trying to find a victim.

My Fighter 8 BB was bought on turn 74, paying 250 bc for the remaining 125 pp. I'd found 2 acceptable fleet leaders and put Commodore Altos on board. He is a fighter pilot and also being a navigator, meant that this BB could get to Altair in 7 turns rather than 9.

I had to make 4 outposts to find and get to Altair. On turn 82 the SB there was destroyed and the system blockaded and the Birds were crippled as they had only 1 other pop 1 planet and a CS enroute to another system. I was making transports on my home system's other planet, but in spite of having Commodore Grak onboard one of my scout ship runners, it took 3 transports to take Altair. Altair would revolt twice which slowed me down and finally I had another Bird colony built up enough to make transports. They were finished off on turn 121 and in spite of conquering Altair 3 times, all I stole was anti-missile rockets.

Now, had I been telepathic (tele-anything is overpowered) I'd just have made ships everywhere and blitzed everyone as I met them, but here I went for my tried and true build up, colonizing a system with 3 R or UR radiated planets and killing two space monsters (one guarding a splinter colony). My empire basically covered the center of the galaxy from near top to bottom.

I built up as usual concentrating and expanding somewhat (not too quickly or AI's will just take it from me) and research. Altair has artifacts so my science leader goes there etc.

Just as my chefs were studying the art of cooking big fat purple lizards (Saks in the lower right corner) those ugly trolls decided to attack my home system ! This didn't end happily for them as on turn 230 I finished taking the last of their 6 systems. They had no defense against a Nuke 41 BB with a runner. Two outposts made it easy to get to their heart.

Also on T230 a Coid fleet decided to attack one of the systems I'd taken from the Gnols. I saved it as I was able to build a fighter garrison (stolen during an invasion of a Gnolam colony) and I could get one Nuke 10 DD their. Coids had brought along a colony ship, apparently with the plan of killing everyone and colonizing it. The Coid fleet was easily destroyed as they have nothing but cardboard armor.

Interesting that the Coids didn't DOW me. I will be bring the war to them as soon I a 2nd Nuke 41 arrives from the lower center of the galaxy as I will have a replacement for it there feeling the need to station something in that sector so the Saks (they love me for voting for them in GC twice) don't see weakness and attack.

I expect to win this game and then it is onward to a different and non-Uni races.

 

[neilkaz]

It was obvious from mere start, no? Time to try Uni -food -prod -science now, and then drop the Uni from it after?

What's the weakest race you or anyone has ever beaten the game with on these default settings? Impos/8/prewarp/ rest standard.

I recall reading about guys beating Impos/8/ with no plusses..ie just Dictatorship and usual 10 minuses, but don't know whether this was from standard start or prewarp. Prewarp is harder, with a bad race.

 

[Darza]

I wrote it here in some other topic: [feudal -food -prod cyber]; few times from prewarp, it took many restarts to do. There is also The Ultimate Worst race [dict -food -prod -res poorHW cyber], and slightly more "powerful" (eh) [dict -food -prod -BC cyber]. Dictatorship with usual 10 non-hurting malus is not so hard, just not 100% result (or im not good enough to achieve it), as it basically a Darlock race, weakest one from preconstructed, if you got a good starting system - its quite simple to do (it just lack a power alittle to do it from one starting planet), so nothing special with winning with "zero dictatorship" actually. With real anti-races you need some extremally good homesystem with large Gaia and monster planets nearby, and in the corner, and with weak race as neigbour etc. From average all the above is easier of course.

Oh, about other game - not much i can say, exept repeat one thing i sayd eariler - if you see what you need to build too much outposts - you better do deuteruim pre-launch (you know how to locate AI's homeworlds on the map at start, btw?), and what you better have a battle-affecting leader on runner instead of BB, as he will cease his actions after you will retreat him, so leaving fighters without bonus, and 2 runners are preferred, or even more, as you need to raid a SB sometimes with them from the start of battle. And well, its not always work due to shortage of resources, but dont forget what you can drop a transports on captured planet to prevent rebellion, and better take the HW as last planet, as otherwise it will revolt and revol due to number of colonists there. If youll destroy the AI this way - there will be no revolts.

 

[neilkaz]

I did take D-cells early. I still needed 4 outposts to get to Altair. This is in a huge galaxy.

I used to play mostly on cluster (1.40b23 patch), and it was easier to get to my victims, and of course they could get to me as well and quickly.

Sometimes there's no choice when attacking early as the system closest to you is the enemy home system and they haven't colonized another planet there. But of course, when you take their capital early they are never able to fight back.

"you know how to locate AI's homeworlds on the map at start, btw?"

Huh ?? How is this possible unless you're Omni?

Thx .. neilkaz ..

 

[Darza]

Thats the point - maybe you could get to some other race with 3 OP or so. If you built 4 outposts with deut - it means ~36 parsecs range (ok, lets round to 30, or even 25, its still too much to reach). But well, in theory it could happen on a bad map (some really bad stars placement), so impossible to say without seeing it.

Never actually played cluster, its too easy crap imho, no problem with ship moving at all.

Of course sometimes you have to attack other way, all i meant is what is preferred to take largest AI planet as last one, to minimize the rebellions. Sometimes it would be cheaper to build one more outpost than extra 10 transports, as, say Sakkras would liberate their 25 pop HW again and again and again, and, well, fight back.

Spawn spots for HW's arent random, you surely know it (thats why you'll never find AI homeworlds on adjacent stars, if we're about huge). Game is trying to spawn a players farthest. If we're about huge - it will mean 15-17 (some less frequent numbers are 18 and 21) parsecs distance (sometimes mapgenerator do crazy things, and map become very distorted in terms of star system placement, so can result to some different distance, but by default its the +-16). And second rule - HW star always have at least one adjacent star in 4 parsec range in huge maps (again, it could be 3 parsec, or even 1 in really distorted map, and for smaller galaxies numbers are different again, but it keep the same idea). So - you need to find a 4-parsec stars pairs (not all of them would be HW-included), and measure a distance between them following a 15-17 parsecs pattern (you need to build a whole pattern, not just "oh, there's a 4-pair in 15 from me, there's it!", it should also match the pattern for next 4-pairs). Sometimes it can lead to a wrong detection (Orion "helps" there), due to map distortion, but its a good working data for a "blind attack". So, using this knowledge - its clearly seen what sometimes you need 1 OP from your HW to AI's one with deuterium (its quite rare case ofc), and average is 2-3, so 4 is simply too much.

Maybe it would be useful to play some games with real teleblitz race, that use extended fuel cells, first, to get used to such attacks, as weak races have to do essentially the same things, just without telepacy and with bad production capabilities. And also it offer unique fun of eliminating AI's without establishing a contact with it at all (from pre-warp, where they can still have 1 planet by that time).