Year 14319

Well now I’m hosed.

All I can do is build up my factories, and wait for something to change via research.

Year 14326

Thankfully, Deuterium fuel cells were not far away. I have two systems in range now and scouts are on their way.

I’m researching Irridium cells now, and getting antsy about missing either Warp 2 or 3 drives (Nuclear or Sublight). My ships move pretty slow. On the plus side I hardly care about that nebula.

Year 14332

Jungle planet discovered and the spare Colony Reserve is on its way, with a new one under construction.

Year 14342

New Colony Reserve moving towards probable planet sightings. I can’t see making more than one “spare”. Still waiting for colonization which will take 3 turns.

Year 14345

It’s starting to look like I’m trapped in the corner.

With any luck, those systems north of Bogrum will be colonizable and will lead me out of the dead space nearby. It shouldn’t be disastrous anyway, Irridium cells are halfway researched, and that might put things in range too.

Year 14348

Naturally.

So it’s time to turtle up and wait until something gets researched. Maybe the scout will find something useful south of Bogrum.

Year 14350

Nope. Toxic world near Bogrum.

Year 14353

Robotic Controls III is researched, and I add +50% to the IND slider for all planets. This boost of production should eventually help me research my way out of the corner.

Year 14365

Irridium Fuel Cells are at last 0% ready. How soon until I get that lucky roll and discover it ?

Year 14369

Irridium Fuel Cells bring two additional planets in range.

On the east, I’m not even sending a scout, the Colony Reserve is heading straight there. On the West one scout is on his way.

Meanwhile, this same year colonies are finished up with 3x factories so I reset Ursa to build a new Colony Reserve. Down to a mere 5 years for construction.

Finally, good news on the engine front – I am now researching Sub Light drives for 3 warp speed for ships and 2x speed for transports.

Year 14371

Terraforming +20 comes online. Given the squished start I have been stuck with I put 50% resources on terraforming to keep my economic engine growing as fast as possible.

Year 14376

This is seriously getting cruel.

Nope, not going to land on that one.

The current Planetology tech being researched is more eco restoration, so no help on the horizon there.

Colony Reserve completed at Ursa and sent on its way.

Year 14378

I catch a break at last, the world in the nebula is a jungle planet, which should allow me to break out of the dead space ghetto I find myself in.

Year 14387

I now have two “spare” Colony Reserves on their way towards the Nebula. Ursa goes to back to research.

Year 14390

There we go ! Many worlds in range now.

I should have built scouts before and sent them to Brokil. Oh well. I will build 3 and have the existing scouts survey for the moment.

Year 14397

I have a colony ship on the way to another planet, scouts swarming the area, and additional colony ships on their way to the Nebula area to complete both settling the area and expanding our space.

Year 14399

We discover sub light drives. I establish a moratorium on building new ships. I’ll let the existing scouts figure out the West then scrap them; and the existing colony ships can hopefully colonize everything I’ve found then I’ll scrap them.

Year 14400

This is a bit of luck.

Year 14408

No planetary landing techs at all, until the most important one pops up.

I tweak our research priorities again, making everything besides planetology barely register, at least until this one pops up.

This definitely makes sense considering not a single alien race has been encountered yet. So far, I’m playing against the map and against RNG.

Year 14418

Irradiated Environment is complete. Research reset back to the Big Four (Computers, Planetology, Construction and Propulsion).

Year 14419

The last colony ship I was waiting for, makes a colony. Now the empire map looks much better.

Time to dive into design of new ships.

After scrapping my scouts for a whopping 18 BC of reserve credits, I make new ones with Sublight engines for a 3x movement rate across the galaxy. I’m even able to cram a laser in there thanks to miniaturization.

Next I redesign my Colony ships to have Irradiated bases.

So for shipbuilding, I set Lumdum to make scout ships, Ursa makes Radiated Colony, and Durzol makes Radiated Reserves. We’ll see what gets built out to the max first. The colony ships do not take long to build so the skies might get crowded quickly.

Year 14422

As expected I build needed scout ships first and send them on their way. Colony ships begin filling in the holes in my empire.

Year 14433

The great colony grab is in full effect now.

Year 14440

Planet Brokil, on the West side of the nebulas, begins cranking out colony ships too after being fast tracked with reserve money to full industrial output.

Year 14450

By this point, the empire is filled in and colony ships fly as fast as they can to other worlds. All colony ships are actually the Reserve versions since only they can reach the planets found. This is with three planets cranking out a ship every 1-2 turns.

And that is enough for this installment of the playthrough.