Linkin Empire, slow game AAR

[gwgardner]

Please indulge me, as a newbie player of Armada Supernova, as I attempt an AAR.

I let the game randomly choose my race - the Linkin. Then I set other parameters to enjoy a slow game with relatively small numbers of ships. With a huge galaxy and slow ship production, I imagine it will be some time before first contact - but who knows. A mitigating factor in that is that my home world is centrally located.

[2guncohen]

Good luck with your game [:D]

[Anguille]

This is going to be fun [:'(]

[gwgardner]

Thanks. yeah, fun if it doesn't turn out to be a complete disaster! The Linkin have lower research anyway, and I've set the game to low research. Hopefully I won't meet up with some race that has high research capability.

[martok]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

Thanks. yeah, fun if it doesn't turn out to be a complete disaster! The Linkin have lower research anyway, and I've set the game to low research. Hopefully I won't meet up with some race that has high research capability.

In that event, you could always trade your weapon techs (since the Linkin do get a sizable bonus in that area) for other goodies.

Unless, of course, you run into the Klurgu. Selling them weapon techs is generally a bad idea in my experience. [:'(]

[gwgardner]

The Great Coursing begins

For the first time in Linkin history, the world is united, all warring factions have been quelled or absorbed into the ruling Dominion. There is a new imperative among all Linkin, whether or not all Linkin in every land agree with it: there will be union and peace.

This new imperative of course defies the very nature of our species. we've always been a warlike race, reveling in the struggle, glorying in The Hunt.

Fortunately for the new powers that be, technological and scientific advances have converged with the new political reality, and make it possible for Linkin to take the hunt off-world.

It is now confirmed that in near space there are new worlds to be conquered. The Hunt has its new target, in the Great Coursing Expanse.

[gwgardner]

Linkin science has never been a priority, advances have been slow through the ages. The Dominion Council hopes to change this. As new worlds are colonized, research centers will be established. And not just for new ways to make war! The Council has decreed that every imaginable field of study be explored. The Dark Ages are gone forever.

[player's note: wow - I didn't realize just how slow a 10% research level would be! My hope is that if I expand fast and build more research centers, the research times shown here will drop drastically]

[gwgardner]

The Good and the Bad

Early surveys of the nearby systems have led to a world-wide rush to be on the first Ark Ship to Iota Corvi. The prospect of a Great Hunt there, among heretofore unknown species of wildlife, has all Linkin ready to join the adventure. A second Ark Ship is under construction, to be sent to Theta. The prospects for early economic gain there are less bright, but adventure there will be.

[gwgardner]

The Expanse is infinite, in all practicality, but that does not daunt those who have undertaken the Great Coursing for the last 42 years of the Dominion. Every star system found to be habitable has been colonized, and the search for more worlds to conquer continues. Transports are always full, more Arks are being constructed for worlds yet to be discovered.

It has been a struggle, nonetheless. So far there has been little to show in the way of technological advances due to the Coursing, even though every new world is studded with research facilities. No breakthrough is apparently imminent.

[Player's Note: I said I like a long game, but have indeed learned a lesson: Don't choose 10% research speed in game setup unless what you really want is glacial advances!]

The push for ever more research facilities continues, but the budget is slim.

[gwgardner]

No sign, through all the years, that any other sentient species exists in the Expanse. Good thing, as one would think that they would be surely more advanced militarily than us. And if not friendly, then we would be doomed.

[martok]

How many races do you have in this campaign, by the way? It does seem a bit unusual that you've gone this long without meeting anyone.

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

[Player's Note: I said I like a long game, but have indeed learned a lesson: Don't choose 10% research speed in game setup unless what you really want is glacial advances!]

Heh. Yeah, I nearly always choose the "scaled to map size" option, which I find generally works pretty good. Just 10% would drive me crazy!

[Anguille]

In one of my main games with the Jellutions, i have the option set to 10% research....(but i also set turns to 10'000)....so far not bad. [:)]

[martok]

You always were a glutton for punishment, my friend. [:'(]

[Anguille]

ORIGINAL: martok

You always were a glutton for punishment, my friend. [:'(]

I know...but it looks really nice...i will make an AAR with that one but with something like one post every 500 turns. [8D]

[gwgardner]

After 100 years of space-faring, the Linkin now have homes on 17 planets. The focus throughout that time has been on exploration and research. Progress in the latter area is achingly slow, but with the production of specialized research centers we're getting much better results. we actually had our first breakthrough - detecting wormholes. Now what to do with the ones we detect! We're doing research on that even as we speak.

Turns out that as the population grows on the more settled planets, there is growing unrest. Everyone wants to get off-planet to live the adventurous life. Looks like it's time to spend more on transports and trade routes. Taxes are low across the Expanse. Only the populations of Linkin, Lair, and Bountiful are taxed at a higher rate - guess where most of the unrest is.

There's some talk also of the need to create a space-capable military. So far the universe appears quite empty - only us Linkin - but on one newly explored planet we did find evidence of an ancient civilization. There must be more out there - will they be peaceful?

As of now, we have 0 - that's zero - military ships, and only the home planet has missile systems that could be used as a defensive shield.

[Anguille]

Beware of the Teyes...eh eh....

[gwgardner]

Turns out I should have been wary of the Jellution Collective.

It's turn 133 now, the Linkin Empire comprises more than 20 worlds, about half of which are fairly well developed. I still have not build any military units, depending on diplomacy to maintain treaties with the Walden Forest and the Jellution Collective.

Unfortunately, my treaty with the latter lapsed, and they attacked one of my colonies. All I had in defense were a couple of militia units, which were quickly dispatched.

I have bought another treaty period of 10 years by paying tribute, but now realize it's time to start devoting attention to the military.

The Linkin Empire is brown, the Walden Forest is lighter brown, in the map below.

[martok]

Heh.  The Jellutions's actions are more like what the Linkin should be doing.  (Certainly, they do it often enough to me when played by the AI!)  [:'(] 

[Anguille]

I think the scientific advantage of the Jellution is a key bonus. Good luck [:)].