Teddy Bears' Picnic - turn reporting thread

Googlie · March 4, 2002, 21:03

If you go out in the woods today, you're in for a big surprise

This is a SMAC game, at Transcend level

World is huge, 50% to 70 % water, weak erosion (so mountainous), average native life, dense cloud cover (so heavy rainfall and good nutrients)

Players, in turn order, are:

Gaians - Darsnan - dnandal@twcny.rr.com
Hive - SPasmofiT - spasm@xnet.ro
Believers - wgabrie - wgabrie@yahoo.com
Peacekeepers - Radman - bferdy@cs.com

AI is (obviously) Morgan, Sparta and the University, suitably tweaked (bases established, and a handful of "goodies, including an SP each, to get them rolling)

Morgan has the Merchant Exchange
Santiago has the Command Nexus
Zakharov has the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm

The Empath Guild has been inadvertently destroyed by a UoP acolyte who accidentally reversed the wiring on their master system and nuked the infiltration sequences of the EG but gave them the HSA's probe immunity instead

Game conditions are:

all winning conditions on
do or die on
look first on
tech stagnation - no
spoils of war - yes
directed research
intense rivalry - no
no unity survey
random scattering of Unity pods
No random events
all other custom conditions - no

other conditions:

Suggested play rules (FW set)

• Communications - none till contact, obtain commlink, or build EG
• Total freedom in Design Workshop (upgrades anytime, during turn or on-field,
• Retro-engineering - OK, except for using the probe rover chassis before discovering Doc. Mobility
• SE switches "quickies" forbidden - (obviously you can experiment to see what effect various SE choices have, but cannot change, play moves, then change back in the same turn)
• Council notification - immediate broadcast to all players (Post in the thread and e-mail to all immediately by player who has called elections, citing candidates and votes. After each player's turn, post in the thread the running totals)
• Stockpiling in Qs anytime - OK
• Crawlers Upgrade anytime - OK
• Probe actions: Must choose vendetta option when probing other players, rebuke if a pactmate (OK to probe teammate at any time)
• Using the AI - Cannot use the AI to bribe on council votes nor to demand withdrawal of units
• Cannot use the right click feature for multiple drop moves to extend range (ie limited to 8 tiles unless owning the Space Elevator SP)
• Cannot use the 'set waypoint' feature for automatic worm hunting/lifecycle enhancements
• Must 'Accept' or 'Decline' an offered Pact or Treaty that the other player has indicated 'Accepted' before exiting the diplo box and playing the turn (i.e. no accepting pending treaties/pacts *after* declaring vendetta in the same turn )
• Cannot use the F4 feature (or the bases feature of the F2 screen) to change an infiltrated faction's workers to specialists

Passwords have been sent to all, and 2101 has gone to Lord Darsnan

Good luck all,

Googlie

Darsnan · March 4, 2002, 21:16

OK, I accidently sent the wrong turn to Spasm. Also, I guess I deleted the wrong file when I cleaned my "saves" folder last night: I had to reload my turn and play from there. FYI concerning the reload message.

Turn to Spasm

wgabrie · March 5, 2002, 11:32

Okay let's get started.

turn to Radman.

Darsnan · March 5, 2002, 22:35

on to Spasm

Radman · March 5, 2002, 23:24

Hi all:

Just wanted to let you all know that move sent to Darsnan.

Also, as previously noted to players in other games, unfortunately I have to go out of town on business Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I'll be back Saturday evening so I'll be able to continue playing through Wednesday and back in the saddle Saturday evening. Sorry for the delay, but couldn't be helped.

Radman

Radman · March 7, 2002, 08:00

Move received, played and sent on to Darsnan! I'll talk to you all Saturday evening when I get back from the business trip. Sorry again for the delay.

Radman

Darsnan · March 9, 2002, 21:43

Glad to see you back, Radman!

Turn to Spasm

Radman · March 9, 2002, 21:47

Hi all:

Its good to be back! Anyway, move 2104 sent on to Darsnan who evidently already played it and posted it even before I could post here. Not bad at all!!!

Radman

Radman · March 10, 2002, 13:03

Hi all:

Move 2105 on to Darsnan!

Radman

Darsnan · March 10, 2002, 16:48

on to Spasm

Radman · March 12, 2002, 00:30

Move 2106 on to Darsnan!

Radman

Darsnan · March 12, 2002, 09:59

on to Spasm

SPasmofiT · March 12, 2002, 13:49

TURN to the believers.

Is it me, or this map stinks?! I mean, little or no resources, arid land, narrow strips of land, etc.

Do this meant that this is a "surpsise" map?

wgabrie · March 12, 2002, 14:34

Well I've been blessed with rivers. Rivers, rivers everywhere, I think I'm going to dround.

Of course a fungal bloom pod just had to ruin it by filling up the only land bridge off of my little Eden with fungus.

turn to radman.

Darsnan · March 12, 2002, 21:16

I like my starting location! The view is terrific!

Turn to Spasm

Radman · March 12, 2002, 21:20

Hi all:

Move 2107 to Darsnan! Boy, you guys must be living well as all I'm seem to be getting are a few red fungus things (WORMS)!

Radman

Darsnan · March 13, 2002, 21:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Radman
Hi all:

Move 2107 to Darsnan! Boy, you guys must be living well as all I'm seem to be getting are a few red fungus things (WORMS)!

Radman

Boy, I'd give my left frontal lobe for a worm - automatic first worm capture and all!

Turn to Spasm

Radman · March 13, 2002, 21:51

Hi all:

Move 2108 on to Darsnan who already posted!

Radman

Radman · March 15, 2002, 00:31

Hi all:

Move on to Darsnan!

Radman

Darsnan · March 15, 2002, 00:40

OK, so you beat me posting this time Radman - its just cause you overloaded me with too many turns at once!

Turn to Spasm!

Googlie · March 15, 2002, 01:59

Quote:

Originally posted by SPasmofiT
TURN to the believers.

Is it me, or this map stinks?! I mean, little or no resources, arid land, narrow strips of land, etc.

Do this meant that this is a "surpsise" map?

Spas:

Not sure what you mean - I've checked out the map and your nearest arid tile is ten moves away - in fact you have only six arid tiles out of the 400 or so in your main landmass. And your start position is surrounded by resources, plus you're within three tiles of four rivers.

Sure, you're on an isthmus, but I don't see how your first two comments bear out.

***********************************

Darsnan:

You have fungal fields to romp in - you just have to get to them.

Googlie

SPasmofiT · March 15, 2002, 04:11

Let me repharese. There is no fertile land (the green one), which is vital for Hive's development.
As far as I see, the maps is fine, but doesn't adtantages me

wgabrie · March 15, 2002, 09:07

turn to Radman

Googlie · March 15, 2002, 10:51

Quote:

Originally posted by SPasmofiT
As far as I see, :

Ah - that's the crucial comment

About ten % of your contiguous landmass (some 40 tiles in all) are rollining & rainy or flat & rainy - slightly more than the other factions. But in balancing it out I usually don't start the growth-impired factions on their best land (although I do put goodies in the immediate landing area) - you just have to explore, find it and colonize it

I'd say you're pretty OK as regards resources - with your industry you'll have farms/solars galore

Googlie

(I just playtested 50 turns as the Hive - I don't think you'll have any worries about being able to sustain decent growth - I hadn't quite caught up to the AI, but was comfortably fourth, and did snag the WP and the HGP. Had thirteen bases and nineteen pops by 2150)

G.

Darsnan · March 15, 2002, 21:49

Gaian Intelligence, working covertly, have interecepted a communique from the enigmatic agent "Googlie" to his superiors, to quote:

"My last couple of efforts have a significantly improved middle-game AI - I'll do a section to add to the Academy - maybe titled Advanced Scenario Concepts

Might wait for players' reactions first. Teddy Bears' Picnic is prolly my best so far.

G."

Bad news: we're part of an experiment. Good news: "Googlie" considered us worthy of such a challenge!

Googlie · March 16, 2002, 00:23

LOL, Darsnan

G.

Darsnan · March 16, 2002, 00:44

Since I appear to be the only "Teddy Bearer" cruising Civgaming, I thought about keeping this knowlegde to myself, however I think in the best interests of gaming, that the information my agents gleaned should be shared with all factions on this Planet. I am also aware that I may now be the target of reprisal from the agent "Googlie" in an alternate universe, known as "CGN7". Because of this, I would appreciate all factions on this Planet researching a hitherto unknown tech called "Alternative Universes" , and once researched, start pouring in units to the Gaian faction there to counter the anticipated Googlie offensive against our faction there....

Radman · March 16, 2002, 00:55

Move 2110 to Darsnan!

Radman

Darsnan · March 16, 2002, 12:30

turn to Spasm

Googlie · March 16, 2002, 12:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Darsnan
I am also aware that I may now be the target of reprisal from the agent "Googlie" in an alternate universe, known as "CGN7".

Naw - the Drones and the Gaians have so much in common - like .................. hmmm .............. same # of letters in their name??

G.