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[MonkeyHead]

Ok, so here goes with an OOC post to get this off the ground.



We all know this game was a dog. However, over the years a huge number of modifications have been developed by a small yet determined community that I was part of to turn this dog into a damn good 4X. The changes are far too many to list, and you can look in the spoiler tab below for a short guide to the mods I run.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The work done by the community culminated in a number of mod packs. Firstly, "Vanilla", which made the game play as the devs intended. Secondly, "Strawberry" which included a whole host of cosmetic changes. Thirdly, "Chocolate", which rebalanced all races, weapons and techs. Finally, "Tropical", which totally rewrote the tech trees and combat mechanics. I play a custom built mod based around a combination of Chocolate and Tropical.

In this LP my intent is to play as a Human empire doing its best to thrive in a turbulent galaxy. Race creation stats spoliered below...

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I choose poor mining and farming as mineral rich and fertile planets are hardly rare in a huge Galaxy, so colonies can and will provide all our needs here. I upped our manufacturing so we can try and keep pace with some of our rivals. We are good researchers already so we should out tech most of our rivals... more on that later. Seeing as we will be at war more often than not with our rivals trade is hardly essential. Humans are environmetally poor by defualt, which is fine by me. I nerfed our ground troop capability as I have no intention of using our citizens a meat shields. It pleases me more to glass enemy colonies, or to invade with conscripted captured races... I left our diplomacy as default as the odd vassal race might come in handy. Representative governmnets are the strongest but are tricky to play due to unrest factors, which is why I upped our citizenship. To prevent early game shortages I have gifted Earth with some nice mineral and fertility bonii. Our cunning as maximum by default, which will mean spying and other sneaky tricks will be a must for success. I cut our creativity back, which will mean less techs availiable for research, but spying will get us more than what we need to stay ahead, and this should also lead for more fun choices when designing ships due to tech gaps.

Here is the Galaxy we will be playing in:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So, what do I need from you guys? Well, feel free to take naming privelages for star systems, colonies, ships, fleets and anything else I can give names. Feel free to ask questions about any game content and details. Feel free to suggest courses of action, strategies or tactics to be used. First few turns to follow.

AS REQUESTED: a link to my mod bundle ready for you to unzip and use - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NFM4QOX2

[cerapa]

I have a question.

Why is there a juicer on the title screen?

That is all.

[MonkeyHead]

Its the old Atari forums avatar of the individual responsible for most of the mod work...

[MonkeyHead]

So it has fallen to me to take us into the stars. This journal should serve as either a record of our triumph or our eventual humilition, whichever fate has in store for us.

The Galaxy:

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Our home system:

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It has been known for generations that a number of planets in our system could support human colonies, but the technology for reaching them has not been availiable until now. I have instructed them to be marked for colonization, hoping some pioneers will make thier way there for me. My next task is to get our homeworld geared up for supporting these future colonies, and some domestic policies.

Earth:

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This basic housekeeping done, let us explore our neighbouring systems... however, for this, we need some state of the art ships, both for reaching new systems, and for keeping order in our own. Before they can be built, our engineers need to design them.

Scout design:

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These ships are hardly death dealing behemoths. If we are to control the stars, we will need bigger and better. To that end, my Scientists could do with some direction.

Early labs:

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I am happy for them to have a broad remit for the time being. No doubt this will change as dictated by future circumstances.

Our shipyards report that it will take a number of years before our first scout is ready for spaceflight. By then, our infrastructure will have imporved to the point where we could crank them out at a rate of one per year. So there is little to do for now but wait for the first scouts to be availiable for active service...

[Sheb]

I'd like a scout to be named after me, preferentially the first one. And we should research rocket chassis.

[MonkeyHead]

The first scout detachemnt is yours Sheb.

Oh also: How Research Works in Moo3:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Planets produce research points, mainly through research structures but there are other ways (e.g. diverting tax revenues). These RP's push forwards the 6 theoretical tech schools and are shared between them according to the %ages indicated in the labs screenshot, so we can puh for particularly promising upcoming techs later on if we so wish. The theoretical tech schools have 98 levels, and the 800 or so implementable techs are shared between these according to school and complexity.

We have a 50% chace of "knowing" a particular implementable tech or not, which can be changed depending on how you set your race up. Level 0 techs are your starting techs use for your first ships and structures. We are currently at level 1 in all techs, but will rattle through the first 5 levels in no time at all. A level may contain any number of techs. Once a level is "researched", any tech projects within that level are then availiable to be developed. We are currently developing both the focus detection array (early sensor - useful) and the rocket chasis, one of 3 compulsory bits needed to make missiles. How fast this development occurs is dependant on the complexity of the project and on how many RP's our labs produce. Once developed, a tech provides a space or planetary structure, a ship construction item, or an empire wide benefit.

Whilst this system seems a little hands off (you dont actually get to choose which individual projects to develop), it does make for interesting games where you have to adapt your playing strategies according to what your empire has at its disposal - you can end up with tiny but fast ships, massive slow moving armoured hulks, swarms of fighters, or weapon laden behemoths, depending on what techs you "know", can steal or trade for, or what schools you push forwards in... 

[MonkeyHead]

The years while we waited for our first scout to be laid down proved to be moderatley interesting. Firstly, a wandering alien offered his services to us.

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The increase in farming output from emplying his alien methods should prove useful, and I am unworried by the diplomatic penalties, seeing as we yet have no relations with any other species.

Secondly, Earth completed a number of mines and farms, increasing both our mineral and food output. Earth also built a recreational hub, which will serve to lower unrest in the medium term future.

Then finally, seven years after the plans were drawn up, out first scout was ready.

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A lone test pilot, codename "Sheb" has been entrusted with responsibility for this craft.

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Shebs orders are to investigate the bright White Giant star to our galatic south. His report is due in 2 years.

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Meanwhile, constrction continues apace on another scout ship to investigate the Red Dwarf star to our galactic west.

[MonkeyHead]

Shortly after Sheb departed on his mission, a group of pioneers sent word that they had established an outpost on Sol V. This was welcome news, as although Sol V has little in the way of minerals, it appears to have a surface made up entireley of tropical plant life, which could be farmed for a high output. In addition there are seams of Rare radioactive elements present in its crust, which should prove useful in some industrial or scientific application.

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A number of incentives have been put in place to encourage further pioneers to settle there. Before long Sol V will attain full colony status and need to be named...

Also welcome was another alien arrival:

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This bizare cybernetic organsim is a scientific genius, but needs to be kept away from all diplomatic functions as it has no grasp of how we organics conduct ourselves.

Then after a short 2 years, yet more good news: Sheb has arrived at his destination - provisionally given the name "Zaoth". Survey Data enclosed:

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As is to be expected from such a young and hot star system, the planets are barren and inhospitable to human life. There is considerable mineral weath in this system, and a strange and wonderful array of native life, ranging from hostile microbes to large dangerous predators. Once we have the technology, taking advantage of these minerals and lifeforms should prove entertaining. System survey complete, Sheb then heads galactic west to investigate the orange dwarf star which our astronomers have a good feeling about...

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[Sheb]

Shouldn't Sol 5 be Jupiter?

[MonkeyHead]

In reality, yes. In the procedurally generated universe we have got on our hands here, its a moonless body slightly smaller than Earth with what appears to be abundant tropical forests.

[MonkeyHead]

Turn 11.

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Our second scout is ready. Before dispatching it my engineers report that a new sensor has been developed, and that a casing for a space capable missile is complete. A new scout class is designed to include this sensor (simply removing the reconnissance fighter drone and replacing it with the actve sensor), and the old ones obsoleted. This new class will be named the "Sheb Class Scout" in honour of the first human to leave the Sol system. The older scouts will remain in active service until we have explored much more of our local volume.

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All we now need is a warhead operational in the hard vacuum of space and we would have a weapon to supplement our laser cannons...

Reports also indicate that the measures put in place are attracting migrants to Sol V. Good.

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Scout Beta is dispatched to its previously designated target of our neighbouring Red Dwarf star. It will take 2 years to arrive and report back.


Turn 12

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Sheb arrives at the Orange Dwarf star, provisionally named Sukra, and sends back the following survey data:

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The innermost planet is a desert world with abundant industrial fuels and a fragile ecosystem. Just about habitable, it is marked for colonization. The outermost planet is another planet dominated by plant like lifeforms. It has a remarkably high frequency of earthquakes, and useful radioactive elemnts in its crust. This too is marked for colonization. The other 2 planets are as of yet unsuitable for us to live on. He is ordered to proceed south to a Red Supergiant, which our astronomers are not very worked up about - they expect a system of long dead barren worlds.

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Migration onto Sol V has raised its population enough for it to be a viable colony. For some reason, its inhabitants have taken to calling thier world "Jupiter". Plans for its infrasturcture are laid down for it to develop according to its best features: it is remarkably fertile so the natural vegetation will be exploited to feed our growing population.

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Yet more pioneers have set up an outpost on Sol IV - an icy world with active volcanic eruptions. Perhaps they have been attracted there by the large gem formations present in its crust thanks to its vulcanism. It too will reach named colony status shortly if its remarkable rate of population growth continues.

[Rilder]

Excellent LP so far! Will follow (that is if I don't get distracted)

[MonkeyHead]

Turn 13

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Earth is now producing a steady stream of scouts. These will be dispatched to unexplored systems as they are finished.

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Scout Beta has arrived at its destination, provisionally named "Kaff". The outer 5 gas giants are particularly hostile to human life. The innermost planet is a temperate gas giant which is habitable despite stong magnetic and gravitational fields - of note is the diverse ecosystem based around some type of bluegreen analoge to algae in its upper atmosphere. As a matter of course it is marked for colonization. The second planet is little more than a sterile rock, but is remarkable in as much as it has a comfortable temperature and a breathable atmosphere, so it too is tagged as a future colony site. Scout Beta is then ordered to contunue along what appears to be one of the arms present in the structure of our galaxy.

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A third scout (2nd Recon Det.) is dispatched to another unexplored system to our south.

[MonkeyHead]

Turn 14

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Kappa Ceti? Well done. Where is it? The other side of the galaxy? How useless.

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Sheb has arrived at the Red Supergiant "Desmos". As expected, there is little here we can make use of. Sheb is ordered to continue southwards towards another nondescript Red Dwarf star.

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Scout Beta has arrived at thier destination, and for reasons only known to itself named the Red Dwarf system "Naam"... the inner gas giant is an attractive looking ringed planet with multiple moons, bu there are no useable worlds here. Scout beta is ordered to continue northwards.

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Migration to Sol IV has resulted in a viable colony. The residents of this world have carried on the trend of naming thier worlds after defunct gods and given thier wolrd the moniker of "Mars". Mars is covered by planetary scale glaciers, with deep volcanic fissures between ice plates. These volcanic fissures expose great gem deposits that our labs and industries can exploit to great gain. The ash released by these volcanic eruptions is particularly fertile and will be used for further food production.

State of our exploration:

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Turn 15: Another scout produced and dispatched to explore the unknown...

Feel free to claim naming privelages for any ship, fleet, planet or inhabited system you wish - Stars unfortunatly can not be renamed until you have a colony there...

[MonkeyHead]

Turn 16.

Not content with being the first human to leave the Solar System, Sheb goes and finds the first evidence of an Alien Civilization...

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The Irra system appears to be home to the Gogannm, a race with very different environmental preferences to our own. No formal contact has been established with them, but they will have detected Sheb's craft and no doubt will investigate. There are no planets in thier home system of use to us. The Gogannm inhabit hot and volcanic worlds. Shebs mission has now changed - to prevent the Gogannm from exploring our systems and to prevent the movement of Silicoid migrants to worlds that are ours he will hold picket at Desmos until a larger fleet can be sent to take over border duty, and we establish some kind of diplomatic contact.

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2nd Recon Det. has reached Indu San. They completed a survey before continuing towards galactic centre. Indu San VI has perfect atmospheric conditions for human life even if its surface is as of yet a mystery due to its heavy cloud cover. Indu San IV is an interesting binary pair made up of one watery world and one dry desert world, both suitable for habitation. Indu San II appears to be a forested world also with habitable conditions. All 3 are marked for future colonization. The others are as of yet little use to us.

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Scout Beta has reached Nicrom. Before continuing along the galactic arm they sent back the usual survey data showing that none of the worlds here are habitable.

Current exploration data:

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Turn 17: Nothing happens. Research carries on with no breakthroughs. No new systems charted. No events. Nothing.