Rephyrnomicon
Novice
- Joined
- May 19, 2022
- Messages
- 47
I'm loving this thread so much. Need to find the older games.
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In Progress Let's Multiplay Alpha Centauri - the Cognito Elite Club's sport of choice returns
- Thread starter Hellraiser
- Start date
TROYTRON
Learned
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2020
- Messages
- 42
The Spartan Federation might have been in an official state of war for more than twenty mission years – thirty, if you included the decade of crash mobilization to prepare for the special military operation – but that was no excuse for Lieutenant Colonel Tomasz Grzeskowiak, Chief of the Spartan Special Forces, to neglect his appearance prior to the morning’s strategy briefing. As the Colonel frequently emphasized, failure to uphold the grooming standard was inevitably a gateway to other, more lethal forms of failure, and failure was not an option for any Spartan. Besides, there was no way he was going to be caught looking slovenly while in the same room as that upstart Nicoli.
The former GROM operative wasn’t quite as sharp as he used to be, but he still cut an imposing figure after all these years, with a broad chest and a wide gait. His moustache was trim and not a millimetre over standard. Longevity treatments prevented greying or sagging from despoiling his image. Only the tired stare in his pale grey eyes spoke to his long years of experience.
He entered the briefing room, an adjunct of the supreme commander centre in the heart of First Among Equals, to see half the usual staff already present. Not too late, not too early.
“Tomasz,” Lieutenant Colonel Lebwohl greeted him, raising his cup of coffee in salute.
“Hashi,” Grzeskowiak replied respectfully as he took his seat next to Lebwohl. He liked to think he shared a certain affinity with the ex-Mossad spymaster: they were both men who often needed to use small pieces to achieve big results.
More importantly, Lebwohl served as a buffer between Grzeskowiak and Nicoli – both professionally and physically, given that the upstart major was seated on the other side of Lebwohl. Even though Major Nicoli would never be entitled to the rank of lieutenant colonel, thanks to the regulations forbidding non-combat personnel from attaining staff rank, his mere presence in the briefing room – let alone his proximity to the head of the table – was proof enough of the sheer favouritism he was shown. Yes, his contributions to the success of the Spartan Armed Forces were impressive indeed, but he was not and never would be a soldier, and he would do well to remember that.
Plus, Grzeskowiak still wasn’t sold on this whole Cloning Vats concept that sparked off the current war. The millions-strong legions of elite Spartan shock troopers were yet to fully materialize, a decade after the project’s supposed completion.
The double doors at the head of the room opened. Everyone present stood to attention as the Colonel entered–
Grzeskowiak blinked, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him, or the briefing room had suffered a sudden ventilation failure.
No. Not the Colonel. The Colonels. Two of them, side by side.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” the left-side Colonel addressed them, as if there was nothing out of place.
“Is something the matter?” the right-side Colonel queried, after seeing the room remain in a state of shock for more than five seconds.
“Not at all, my Colonel,” Major Nicoli was the first to reply. “I was simply admiring the perfection of the techniques. Naturally, any serious examination would find differences between you two: increased bone density and muscle mass from Planet’s higher gravity, alterations to respiratory function and biochemistry from being raised inside an entirely controlled atmosphere, the lack of cellular frostbite from sixty years of cryogenic sleep aboard the Unity. But from the outside, nobody could ever tell which one of you was the Earthborn and which one was the Planetborn. Unless...” He twirled one of the briefing room’s laser pointers in thought. “Neither of you are the original.”
“Correct.” The two Colonels answered in alternation. “As I said when Sparta began this project, these techniques would be used to take the greatest minds, the finest soldiers, the most faithful servants of the Spartan ideal, and multiply them a thousandfold. It is only natural that I would be included among their number.”
“But...” Grzeskowiak was still having a hard time understanding what he saw. “How is this possible? There can only be one Colonel, from whom our chain of command flows. Having more than one, let alone an indeterminate number, uproots the whole foundation of Spartan society!”
“My dear Lieutenant Colonel,” Nicoli said brightly, causing Grzeskowiak to reflexively grind his teeth at the appellation, “you misunderstand this entirely. Far from diluting our Colonel’s existence, this amplifies and strengthens it. In all of humanity’s history, how many individuals could claim to have known their nation’s or society’s leader? Not just witnessed from afar in a crowd, or heard on radio on television, or even ushered through a stage-managed public relations tour; but to have actually spoken with them at length, learned who they really are as people, understood the finer details of their motivations and vision for the future? So many societies fell because the common citizen lacked any reason to trust their leader, having no real connection with them on a personal level. But now we have created a new kind of leader, one whose existence can reach out and touch every living member of the Spartan Federation. A leader who can personally oversee the Incline of each and every member of humanity.”
“An existence that can touch every living member of the Spartan Federation.” Lebwohl nodded slowly, looking contemplative and appreciative. “I can certainly see plenty of advantages to such an arrangement. Immunity to assassination, obviously. Resistance to intelligence failure and political subversio,n with every unit able to compare information with each other to determine the truth. Increased compliance with command directives. And, of course, full confidence in the continuity of our leadership, now that the Colonel is at once everywhere and nowhere.”
“I... see.” He couldn’t say that he really understood. But if it made Sparta more efficient and effective in its mission, Grzeskowiak could hardly argue against it.
It still bothered him, though.
“Very well,” the Colonels interjected. “If there is nothing else, we will proceed with the briefing. Take your seats.”
Everyone did so, still unbalanced by the recent revelation.
“First, give me the current status of the west bank offensive,” the Colonels demanded.
“Yes, Colonel.” Lieutenant Colonel Kshatriya tapped the keys in front of her, bringing the holoscreens at the centre of the table to life. “We’ve continued to experience solid progress on the west bank. The assault on Great Zion in ’84 appears to have crippled the enemy’s air power in the AO with the jets and copters we destroyed on the ground, and we’ve advanced almost the whole length of the inland sea.”
“But?” the Colonels prompted, always fast to sense hesitation.
“But we’ve started encountering stiffer resistance,” Kshatrya continued, unruffled. “The enemy has stationed two bio-suit companies in Valley of the Faithful, which are a close match for our fusion lasers; and as we’ve neared the end of our logistics tail, we lack the numbers to keep on punching through like we have been. We hoped the Orbital Marines could reinforce the offensive, but while they succeeded in taking the bunker, they failed to disable the enemy’s sensor grid before enemy kamikazes forced them out.”
“I see. Very well, have our forces pull back and wait for a better opportunity. That base is strategically worthless; there is no sense in wasting lives to take it.”
“Yes, Colonel.”
“And the siege of The Lord’s Chosen? That base is also in your area of operations.”
As Kshatriya answered that question, an alert came through on Grzeskowiak’s terminal. Scanning through the contents, a satisfied smile soon came across his face.
“I take it you have good news to share with us, Grzeskowiak?” the Colonels remarked.
“Yes, Colonel.” He puffed his chest out with justifiable pride as he stood, taking a laser pointer to highlight another area of the strategic map. “As you know, the Orbital Marine Corps played a significant role in securing the east bank of the River Nautilus. Based on their performance, my staff identified a strong opportunity for further gains, and on my own initiative, I ordered a commando operation behind enemy lines to take advantage. I am pleased to report that these gains have now materialized, with distinction: a single company of Orbital Marines was able to wipe out two whole enemy fortresses without a shot fired. And for good measure, we also liberated fifty mega-credits’ worth of enemy industrial machinery, which we of course forwarded to the Logistics Corps for Sparta’s own use.”
“Most impressive.” The Colonels nodded appreciatively, as their aides hurried to update the strategic overview to remove the relevant enemy bases. “You have outdone yourself, Lieutenant Colonel Grzeskowiak. My compliments to you and your staff.”
“Thank you, Colonel.” He sat down again, basking in the glory of having won another victory for Sparta.
“Speaking of the Logistics Corps, what is the status of our northern incursion?”
“The preparations are on schedule,” Lieutenant Colonel Stewart spoke up. If the newest Chief of the Logistics Corps was at all conscious of the fates her last three predecessors suffered, her carefully even and neutral tone betrayed no sign of it. “I believe we will be ready to commence the operation next mission year as planned. That said... I don’t wish to question your judgement, of course, but is it really wise to send our sappers forward like this? Even guarded by Orbital Marines, their position is still very exposed. A single enemy air squadron could cause significant complications for the plan...”
“That is why I ordered Kshatriya’s forces to remain in place,” the Colonels answered. “As a force in being, they will distract the enemy and keep them from responding to our incursion until it is too late. In any case, we do have a contingency prepared should our sappers be eliminated. And if that also proves to be insufficient, Sparta will adapt to the facts on the ground, as it always has.”
“Yes, Colonel.” Stewart dipped her head.
“Good. Now then–”
An alert flashed red on the central holoscreen, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Report,” the Colonels ordered.
“Enemy incursion!” an aide answered. “Not by the Kingdom. The University is making a move on the Archipelago of Uranus!”
“Is that so?” The Colonels studied the rapidly updating holoscreen with mild interest. “They acted faster than your service predicted, Lebwohl.”
“It appears so, Colonel.” The Chief of the Spartan Intelligence Service had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed by this development. “We knew they were working on improving their orbital capabilities, but we thought it more logical for them to focus on rebuilding after the damage we inflicted on them, before they could even think about seeking revenge. Perhaps Zakharov thinks he can return the favour that Miriam did him; if that’s the case, he’s even more wrapped up in his echo chamber than we thought.”
“Be that as it may, we do not need further distractions at this juncture. We must crush this incursion, and swiftly. What forces do we have available to respond?
“Colonel, if I may?” When they nodded permission, Grzeskowiak continued. “A rover company of Orbital Marines just completed training at C4ISTAREW Node. They were scheduled to join the fight against the Kingdom, but we could easily divert them south.”
“A single company against a whole incursion force?” Kshatriya remarked sceptically.
“A company with superior training and weaponry,” Grzeskowiak retorted. “I have full confidence that they will prevail against the University’s lesser brethren.”
“We can scramble helicopter forces in the area to support them, too,” Stewart added.
“Do it,” the Colonels ordered without hesitation.
----------
“This is your lucky day, Marines! High Command is pulling us off the Bravo offensive and sending us south. Zakky and his merry men are dropping into Uranus in force, and if we don’t stop them now, it won’t just be Uranus at risk; it’ll be all of Sparta getting it up the rear! Well, Marines? Are you gonna let Zakky just come into Uranus like that?”
“SIR, NO, SIR!”
“Damn straight! Now, this isn’t gonna be like hunting some raggedy youth militia in the jungle. This is the real deal! Grab whatever you need from the armoury, it’s open season today!”
“All lights are green! Launch in five, four, three, two–”
----------
“Whoa, you can see so much of Planet from up here. It’s so... purple.”
“You sure that’s Planet you’re seeing? Maybe your eyes just burst from all the gees.”
----------
“Looks like we’re coming down right on top of them. Prepare to engage immediately on landing!”
“Why haven’t they set up their command post yet? They’re sitting ducks down there!”
“Who gives a shit? Just kill ‘em all!”
“Touchdown! Weapons free, Marines!”
----------
“Where’s my air support, Lieutenant?”
“It’s en route, but there’s a problem. Enemy air is still contesting the air space. Our jets can’t get through!”
“Damned flyboys, can’t they do anything on their own? Ramirez! Get on the SAMs and shoot those enemy jets down!”
“Sir!”
----------
“I have tone! Firing!”
“That’s a hit! Enemy air is down! Skies are clear!”
“You hear that? Get those bombers here now!”
“They’re coming in hot! Danger close!”
----------
“Good effect on target! Enemy rover and construction companies wiped out!”
“Ahh... I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
“Captain, you’re wearing a full-face breathing mask. You can’t smell anything.”
“Shut up, Hank. Let me have this moment.”
----------
In the end, the battle would be less close than the Spartan High Command had feared.
As Grzeskowiak promised, the freshly trained Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Assault Brigade of the Spartan Orbital Marine Corps would receive new orders and be deployed within the hour. Thanks to the efforts of the Logistics Corps, an improvised forward air base would allow them to perform a suborbital insertion right on top of the University’s leading forces, which were attempting to establish a beachhead to support an invasion of Continent Alpha. Armed with fusion lasers, nerve gas, and surface-to-air missiles, the assault rovers of Bravo Company would completely devastate the University’s forces in the field, destroying five times their number in infantry, rovers, and needlejets wielding obsolete chaos guns and cyber-suits.
Once again, superior training and weaponry would triumph over greater numbers.
Once again, Lieutenant Colonel Tomasz Grzeskowiak would accomplish more with less.
TURN has really slowed down in the past few weeks, only partially due to IRL. I don’t mind it too much, though: these wars have been pretty intense.
I got the most perfect revenge for Kalin’s earlier surprise drop-and-raze of my base this turn (I’ve since rebuilt it, but the lost production was a blow in the meantime). After my drop rovers managed to finish off the southern bases, I sent a couple to sneak around the edge of Believing territory through fungus, betting that he wouldn’t have enough sensor coverage to spot them. I figured I might be able to surprise another base or just augment a future offensive by attacking from another direction, but imagine my surprise when I loaded up TURN 85 and saw this:
I couldn’t have set it up better if I tried. Two big bases razed in the blink of an eye, and right before they finished building defenders too. Absolutely beautiful.
Meanwhile, some action occurred south of Continent Alpha. My planes hunting worms nearby spotted this University task force a turn before, which, combined with the units stacked in Uni Fluid Dynamics, made it obvious they were trying to set up an air bridge to my territory. Luckily, I had a spare rover and colony pod nearby and civac2 didn’t set up the base on his turn for some reason, which allowed me to drop it in and wipe out the whole stack. Threat of invasion averted for now.
Next turn was even more epic, but I’ll save that and the liberation of pre-occupation Morganica for its own post.
I got the most perfect revenge for Kalin’s earlier surprise drop-and-raze of my base this turn (I’ve since rebuilt it, but the lost production was a blow in the meantime). After my drop rovers managed to finish off the southern bases, I sent a couple to sneak around the edge of Believing territory through fungus, betting that he wouldn’t have enough sensor coverage to spot them. I figured I might be able to surprise another base or just augment a future offensive by attacking from another direction, but imagine my surprise when I loaded up TURN 85 and saw this:
I couldn’t have set it up better if I tried. Two big bases razed in the blink of an eye, and right before they finished building defenders too. Absolutely beautiful.
Meanwhile, some action occurred south of Continent Alpha. My planes hunting worms nearby spotted this University task force a turn before, which, combined with the units stacked in Uni Fluid Dynamics, made it obvious they were trying to set up an air bridge to my territory. Luckily, I had a spare rover and colony pod nearby and civac2 didn’t set up the base on his turn for some reason, which allowed me to drop it in and wipe out the whole stack. Threat of invasion averted for now.
Next turn was even more epic, but I’ll save that and the liberation of pre-occupation Morganica for its own post.
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Hellraiser
Arcane
oldbonebrown
Arcane
Judgement Day
This is the end of the line for terrorist regime The Lord's Believers.
12 years ago they gas bombed the United Nations home territory,
slaughtering more than a million innocent men, women and children
Today, these are those same cities struck by evil
Far from the largest cities of the United States, they still outsize any city built by the other factions
When you madly lashed out Sister Miriam, this was your so-called Kingdom of God
Since then the Spartan Federation has punished your disorderly conduct. You would have lost even if they had stood alone, but with the backing of the United Nations each year supporting Operation Morgan Freedom with credits and arms, they have utterly crushed you.
To show my support for this operation my Blue Helmets have reached in and destroyed your terrorist plotting device, the Empath Guild
-a finger from all the citizens of U.N. mega-city 1, 7 and 17
That was now four years ago, when you last humiliated yourself by suggesting I switch sides
How Colonel Santiago laughed when I told her, as I transferred another 200 energy credits to her cause.
She is not you. Some of us have learned to coexist like civilized people, in order and unity Sparta and the U.N. have grown stronger together.
Some have taken another path
Today this is all that remains of that once flourishing kingdom
You are done Sister Miriam.
From the very beginning you have been unable to conduct yourself as a civilized leader. Destroying Morgan Industries, your rumored involvement with the disappearance of the Gaians, attacking The University while shirking responsibility, recklessly attacking your superior The Spartan Federation, and callously butchering innocent U.N. citizens.
Your own pride and paranoia has brought you low.
My locusts have spared you for now, for I do not wish for anything than peace
This is your last chance - repent your wicked ways
accept Spartan military control and put down your sword
pledge your vote to Governor Lal once more
surrender, and live in peace with the forces of Unity and Order
Surely you are not so crazy as to go Jonestown on us, are you Sister?
Come to your senses (vote pravin)
This is the end of the line for terrorist regime The Lord's Believers.
12 years ago they gas bombed the United Nations home territory,
slaughtering more than a million innocent men, women and children
Today, these are those same cities struck by evil
Far from the largest cities of the United States, they still outsize any city built by the other factions
When you madly lashed out Sister Miriam, this was your so-called Kingdom of God
Since then the Spartan Federation has punished your disorderly conduct. You would have lost even if they had stood alone, but with the backing of the United Nations each year supporting Operation Morgan Freedom with credits and arms, they have utterly crushed you.
To show my support for this operation my Blue Helmets have reached in and destroyed your terrorist plotting device, the Empath Guild
-a finger from all the citizens of U.N. mega-city 1, 7 and 17
That was now four years ago, when you last humiliated yourself by suggesting I switch sides
Did you think it would be any different than last time you regretted your foolish attack?
How Colonel Santiago laughed when I told her, as I transferred another 200 energy credits to her cause.
She is not you. Some of us have learned to coexist like civilized people, in order and unity Sparta and the U.N. have grown stronger together.
Some have taken another path
Today this is all that remains of that once flourishing kingdom
You are done Sister Miriam.
From the very beginning you have been unable to conduct yourself as a civilized leader. Destroying Morgan Industries, your rumored involvement with the disappearance of the Gaians, attacking The University while shirking responsibility, recklessly attacking your superior The Spartan Federation, and callously butchering innocent U.N. citizens.
Your own pride and paranoia has brought you low.
My locusts have spared you for now, for I do not wish for anything than peace
This is your last chance - repent your wicked ways
accept Spartan military control and put down your sword
pledge your vote to Governor Lal once more
surrender, and live in peace with the forces of Unity and Order
Surely you are not so crazy as to go Jonestown on us, are you Sister?
Come to your senses (vote pravin)
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oldbonebrown
Arcane
United Nations>Chiron Archive>2160-2173>The Pact of Unity
Zakharov having repeatedly shown himself unable to properly read Governor Lal's frequent diplomatic correspondences, and flagrantly stating undemocratic goals on Chiron such as "winning" and "to construct doomsday devices for fun", had increasingly been a cause of concern for the U.N. leadership. When Spartan intel agents revealed that the University had already constructed a veritable doomsday weapon through their army of terraformers and their Weather Paradigm project, the situation turned dire.
Showing great initiative, the Spartan Federation swiftly organized a Pact of Unity, bringing together themselves, the Believers, the Hive and the U.N. into private negotiations for the military containment of the growing University problem. The pact cemented to the U.N. that the democratic super-majority was behind the intervention, and full support within the bounds of existing agreements was agreed upon.
But the peacekeeping forces were in no position to directly partake in the invasion.
Having agreed to a 30 year No Aggression Pact with the University, what could the United Nations do?
Leave it to those more adapted to this kind of actions, to those who had time and time again proven themselves worthy
With the Colonel's blessing we adopted the economics of Wealth and set the vast industrial capacity of the U.N. mega-cities to mass produce arms that in our peacemaking hands would have been squandered, but in the expert hands of the Spartans became the fiercest of armies.
How many Needlejets, choppers and missiles did we transfer? How many credits?
Enough to make a difference
a little finger on the scales
Having been assured by the Spartans of the essentially peacekeeping nature of the intervention, the Governor tried to make Zakharov come to his senses. The U.N. directives makes us strive for a future where every faction gets to win, especially those that have graciously voted for Pravin as Governor.
So on the very first year of the war we offered the University the fairest of deals. Complete disarmament and surrender to the Spartans, and in exchange the U.N. would negotiate a peace treaty that let them keep their vast potential for growth for the sole purpose of continuing their scientific effort to the very end of science under Spartan supervision.
But this was not enough for Zakharov, in his pride he could not accept the mere glory of science unveiled, but wanted to claim military supremacy as his too.
More undemocratic opinions, trying to claim something which did not belong to him.
So the arms and the credits flowed -
and as always, the Spartans performed their mission with excellence.
The Pact of Unity was dissolved by the rash actions of the Believers.
But it only proves the merit of Sparta's great effort that they managed to make such an unceasingly unruly faction work towards the common good.
Year 2173>
In a small closed door ceremony attended only by chief officials, Colonel Santiago was awarded the highest sign of U.N. appreciation by Planetary Governor Pravin
"The battle is won, and though the horrors of a new war is already upon us, we know that we can rely on Sparta to always stand tall for what is right. I and the entire United Nations salute you"
Zakharov having repeatedly shown himself unable to properly read Governor Lal's frequent diplomatic correspondences, and flagrantly stating undemocratic goals on Chiron such as "winning" and "to construct doomsday devices for fun", had increasingly been a cause of concern for the U.N. leadership. When Spartan intel agents revealed that the University had already constructed a veritable doomsday weapon through their army of terraformers and their Weather Paradigm project, the situation turned dire.
Showing great initiative, the Spartan Federation swiftly organized a Pact of Unity, bringing together themselves, the Believers, the Hive and the U.N. into private negotiations for the military containment of the growing University problem. The pact cemented to the U.N. that the democratic super-majority was behind the intervention, and full support within the bounds of existing agreements was agreed upon.
But the peacekeeping forces were in no position to directly partake in the invasion.
Having agreed to a 30 year No Aggression Pact with the University, what could the United Nations do?
Leave it to those more adapted to this kind of actions, to those who had time and time again proven themselves worthy
With the Colonel's blessing we adopted the economics of Wealth and set the vast industrial capacity of the U.N. mega-cities to mass produce arms that in our peacemaking hands would have been squandered, but in the expert hands of the Spartans became the fiercest of armies.
How many Needlejets, choppers and missiles did we transfer? How many credits?
Enough to make a difference
a little finger on the scales
Having been assured by the Spartans of the essentially peacekeeping nature of the intervention, the Governor tried to make Zakharov come to his senses. The U.N. directives makes us strive for a future where every faction gets to win, especially those that have graciously voted for Pravin as Governor.
So on the very first year of the war we offered the University the fairest of deals. Complete disarmament and surrender to the Spartans, and in exchange the U.N. would negotiate a peace treaty that let them keep their vast potential for growth for the sole purpose of continuing their scientific effort to the very end of science under Spartan supervision.
But this was not enough for Zakharov, in his pride he could not accept the mere glory of science unveiled, but wanted to claim military supremacy as his too.
More undemocratic opinions, trying to claim something which did not belong to him.
So the arms and the credits flowed -
and as always, the Spartans performed their mission with excellence.
The Pact of Unity was dissolved by the rash actions of the Believers.
But it only proves the merit of Sparta's great effort that they managed to make such an unceasingly unruly faction work towards the common good.
Year 2173>
In a small closed door ceremony attended only by chief officials, Colonel Santiago was awarded the highest sign of U.N. appreciation by Planetary Governor Pravin
"The battle is won, and though the horrors of a new war is already upon us, we know that we can rely on Sparta to always stand tall for what is right. I and the entire United Nations salute you"
Should've posted about this way earlier, but there we go
archive-posting~
I've had an incredibly hard time communicating clearly with civac2 the whole game. It probably didn't help that as we planned the invasion I started actively trying to mislead him to cover for the imminent attack. Not sure how much attention he actually payed but it was fun.
archive-posting~
I've had an incredibly hard time communicating clearly with civac2 the whole game. It probably didn't help that as we planned the invasion I started actively trying to mislead him to cover for the imminent attack. Not sure how much attention he actually payed but it was fun.
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TROYTRON
Learned
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2020
- Messages
- 42
This is SBS Planet News, reporting live from the front lines of Continent Bravo. Behind me, you can watch Spartan troops working tirelessly to root out the final guerrilla forces still fighting in the name of the traitorous terrorist tyrant Miriam Godwinson. With last year’s seizure of Glory to God Eternal and the sinking of the enemy’s evacuation craft, left with no way out and knowing that they will face trial for their role in Godwinson’s war crimes, these so-called “Flaming Swordsmen” have chosen to make a doomed last stand in the fungal fields just outside the base. It will likely only be a few more hours until all traces of the Kingdom of God are completely eliminated from Continent Bravo.
Meanwhile, Sparta’s humanitarian reconstruction efforts are proceeding apace, with the first fusion-powered terraforming units being fabricated this year. Their first task was to repair the crippled road networks, which were sabotaged by Godwinson’s forces in their desperation to forestall their inevitable demise. Under close supervision by the Spartan Logistics Corps, former Kingdom citizens were employed to construct the New Sparta Highway, reconnecting the former Kingdom headquarters Zarepath Horeb with its sister bases to the southeast. This has already greatly eased the flows of humanitarian relief on Continent Bravo, with thousands of internally displaced refugees returning to take part in the reconstruction effort.
The devastation wrought in the final years of Miriam Godwinson’s terrorist regime was truly immense; but now that her Sword of Damocles hanging over Continent Bravo has been shattered for good, perhaps Morganites and Believers will be able to find peace at last.
----------
Officers, enlistees, and citizens alike are celebrating throughout the Spartan Federation as combat operations against the Kingdom of God come to a close. The extraordinary success of Sparta’s expeditionary campaign on Continent Bravo has left zero doubt as to the prowess of Planet’s premier military power. Tales of Spartan valour and ingenuity, both on and off the battlefield, will be the subject of military textbooks for decades to come.
Nonetheless, now that Sparta has resoundingly won the war, there are questions as to whether it will be able to win the peace. Twenty-five mission years of sustained combat operations against the Enemies of Humanity and Agents of Decline came at the sacrifice of the opportunity to develop Sparta’s economic and industrial base. Colonel Santiago is expected to address the Federation later today with a comprehensive plan for closing the “energy gap”, and ensuring Sparta will not be left behind in the turbulent conditions that exist on Planet today.
But before that, let’s look back at the sequence of events which brought us to this point today.
With the successful outcome of Operation Morgan Freedom in toppling the Megachurch collaborators and restoring liberty to all the oppressed people of Morganica, the Spartan Federation had already won a major victory. Yet this was only the first phase of a wider campaign: the traitorous terrorist tyrant Godwinson was still at large, her core Bible belt of bases untouched and continuing their efforts to produce weapons of mass destruction.
While Colonel Santiago pledged not to rest until Godwinson was brought to justice for her crimes against humanity, carrying out this pledge was expected to be a challenging task. Spartan military strategists had long considered the Kingdom of God’s location to be unfavourable for an invasion; either a naval or a land campaign would face lengthy supply lines, requiring significant air cover to prevent being intercepted before reaching their targets, whilst Kingdom forces would be fighting on home ground. Complicating matters was the issue of the University of Planet’s impending resurgence, which would divert Spartan attention and resources away from a long campaign against the Kingdom.
It was an enterprising S.I.S. junior analyst working double duty who spotted the critical route on the map of Planet, and had the foresight to alert Spartan High Command to its existence. It was thanks to the combined effort of all Sparta’s service branches, working together at the highest level, that Operation Achilles would be born: so named because Miriam Godwinson, clearly believing herself blessed by divine protection, would soon find her exposed heel to be her downfall.
In Mission Year 2185, a preliminary force that comprised a dozen companies of combat engineers and Orbital Marines would be covertly dispatched to Continent Bravo. There, they worked to clear xenofungus and build a canal allowing Spartan transports access to the inland sea, paving the way for Sparta’s coup de grace.
In Mission Year 2186, Sparta’s main landing forces struck. A diversionary attack by the hardened Morganite resistance armies drew enemy forces away from the northern front, enabling the elite Spartan task force to seize Port Purity without a fight. From there they would swiftly advance inland to Hallowed Ground, meeting barely any resistance, and link up with the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces, which had established a safe zone for refugees fleeing the terrors of Miriam Godwinson’s brutal fundamentalist regime.
Tragically, the safe zone would be compromised the following mission year as Miriam Godwinson ordered that all “apostates who had forsaken the Lord’s ways” would face “divine retribution for their folly”. This took the form of “communion worms” let loose on the hapless refugees within Blue Helmets Camp, sowing terror upon their minds and bodies, before devouring their broken shells. With all Planet rightfully outraged by this latest atrocity, Spartan and Morganic forces redoubled their effort to bring the traitorous terrorist tyrant to justice, bringing down the enemy headquarters at Zarepath Horeb that same year.
Seeing their house of cards continuing to crumble, Godwinson’s followers embarked on a last-ditch attempt to forestall justice by tearing up roads and sabotaging infrastructure, with the bulk of their remaining military forces gathered in the arms depot of Bethel for a final stand. However, the unsanitary conditions within the base would prove to be its undoing, with most of the hundreds of troops crammed into a confined space suffering from otherwise easily treated diseases such as cholera, botulism, and Prometheus virus. As such, they were left debilitated and unable to resist when the Spartan task force made a loaded march across the Great Dunes, swiftly seizing the base and gaining access to the wealth of armaments and xenoartefacts within.
With the Kingdom’s last hope an abject failure, Godwinson’s long suffering subjects in her final base Glory to God Eternal finally revolted against her callous and incompetent rule, storming the government offices as the Spartan task force closed in. It wasn’t long until the base surrendered, bringing an end to the Kingdom of God and its nine mission decades of religious fundamentalist terror.
Regrettably, Spartan forces were unable to apprehend Miriam Godwinson and her few surviving cronies before they fled using the base’s still intact aerospace complex, taking refuge overseas on the unpopulated, as-yet-unnamed volcanic peninsula near the Human Hive’s sphere of influence on Continent Delta. Nevertheless, Spartan High Command is confident that the traitorous terrorist tyrant will soon be captured and brought to justice.
The year is 2190. Sparta has achieved total victory over the Lord’s Believers.
Final gains from this war were seven bases (minus the one lost to drop-and-raze), three techs, one artefact, and the Citizens Defense Force. Not bad at all considering how I was taken by surprise and unprepared for it initially.
GG Utfärd. You fought as well as you could have, but it just wasn’t enough to stand up to Spartan elites backed by Peacekeeping cash. The campaign was intense, and I got very worried at some points and insanely lucky at others, but I think I would’ve still won in the end. Even I was shocked at how effective some of my attacks were. Attacking me and oldbonebrown the way you did turned out not to be such a good idea.
Then again, you were already in a pretty disadvantaged position, first crippling yourself to take out Morgan, then getting roped into the war against Zakharov, and then finally being faced by two stronger factions on both sides without any hope for relief. civac2 made a valiant attempt to help, but it was already too late by the time he struck.
Technically, Kalin is not out of the game yet, but with only a single 1-pop base and zero units left (the last few were gifted to Bing’s Hive, including the second Planet Buster), I very much doubt he’s going to make a comeback.
Somewhat annoyingly, he called the Salvage Unity Fusion Core vote on the second-last turn, which passed giving him 500 credits. The silver lining is that the vote resolved on my turn, so I was at least able to loot some of the credits from his bases (74 to be exact). The rest of it ended up in the University’s coffers.
In the meantime, 25 years of total war have taken their toll on Sparta. My faction is very powerful on paper and still has the strongest military on Planet, but the economy leaves a lot to be desired and I’m somewhat behind as a result. I need to catch up, which means going on a long-delayed building spree. Good thing I have 500 credits burning a hole in my pocket.
Current power graph. Lal has the most populous faction with 260 pop, I’m close behind with 247, Zakharov has 164, Yang has 107. Lal makes as much energy every turn as Zakharov and I do.
Final gains from this war were seven bases (minus the one lost to drop-and-raze), three techs, one artefact, and the Citizens Defense Force. Not bad at all considering how I was taken by surprise and unprepared for it initially.
GG Utfärd. You fought as well as you could have, but it just wasn’t enough to stand up to Spartan elites backed by Peacekeeping cash. The campaign was intense, and I got very worried at some points and insanely lucky at others, but I think I would’ve still won in the end. Even I was shocked at how effective some of my attacks were. Attacking me and oldbonebrown the way you did turned out not to be such a good idea.
Then again, you were already in a pretty disadvantaged position, first crippling yourself to take out Morgan, then getting roped into the war against Zakharov, and then finally being faced by two stronger factions on both sides without any hope for relief. civac2 made a valiant attempt to help, but it was already too late by the time he struck.
Technically, Kalin is not out of the game yet, but with only a single 1-pop base and zero units left (the last few were gifted to Bing’s Hive, including the second Planet Buster), I very much doubt he’s going to make a comeback.
Somewhat annoyingly, he called the Salvage Unity Fusion Core vote on the second-last turn, which passed giving him 500 credits. The silver lining is that the vote resolved on my turn, so I was at least able to loot some of the credits from his bases (74 to be exact). The rest of it ended up in the University’s coffers.
In the meantime, 25 years of total war have taken their toll on Sparta. My faction is very powerful on paper and still has the strongest military on Planet, but the economy leaves a lot to be desired and I’m somewhat behind as a result. I need to catch up, which means going on a long-delayed building spree. Good thing I have 500 credits burning a hole in my pocket.
Current power graph. Lal has the most populous faction with 260 pop, I’m close behind with 247, Zakharov has 164, Yang has 107. Lal makes as much energy every turn as Zakharov and I do.
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oldbonebrown
Arcane
Seriously envy TROYTRON now. Wish I ever had a chance like this for majoras Sparta. Bah, butt is still sore from oldbonebrown's pact breaking fucking up my very good plan of obliterating the UN 3 games ago with my ubermensch marines and nerve gas aviation carrier fleet. It would have been glorious if not for the retarded pact breaking mechanics at sea.
Maybe you should have tried some diplomacy before trying to sail your navy through my territory. Kalin did, but it was all his usual paranoia and underhanded threats (what a perfect miriam he is). Maybe Sparta could've had themselves a Believer ally instead? But no, peaceful Mother Miriam was beneath stronk Sparta's notice.
You would have never been in troys situation, he is the only player to read my messages properly.
Hellraiser
Arcane
If I wanted to go after you that game I would have without sending ships all around your continent. Closest bases are always the priority target, especially if the other guy can drop shit into them.
You failed to notice that as long as I had units in your territory while there was a pact on, they were useless if I wanted to attack you, because the moment I would break pact they would get teleported to my turf. The moment you should start fearing a pact brother is when his forces start to be mysteriously positioned as close to you as possible while avoiding your territory.
If I told you I want to strike him or whatever, I would need to risk you leaking it to him and giving him time to prepare. He most likely wouldn't drop on Morgan but reinforced his west where I wanted to murder his dudes with tasty gas, or even worse he would try to drop somewhere on me.
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Utfärd
Guest
Eagerly awaiting news of Sparta raping U.N. mega-cities most tastelessly from my reserved spot in martyr heaven.
oldbonebrown
Arcane
One Hundred Years Together and to Infinity
As the second century of man on Chiron draws near, we stand on the doorstep of eternity.
In U.N.mega-city3: Morgan the dream of the man whose name the city bears is about to be fulfilled
"I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even five hundred would be pretty nice."
– CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "MorganLink 3DVision Interview"
Working on the principles discovered many years ago in the Longevity Vaccine Project, U.N. scientists under the personal supervision of chief surgeon-come-governor Pravin Lal has completed the final steps of the Clinical Immortality Project (Effects: One extra Talent at every base - Doubles your votes in elections for Planetary Governor and Supreme Leader).
The ever pop-booming population of the United Nations that from the principles of the Ascetic Virtues have long embraced nerve stapling as necessary for the greater good of man and the U.N. project. In unbroken democratic rule, they have patiently put their trust in Commissioner Pravin promise of medical technology eventually alleviating this burden.
Now, out of the ascetic virtues further enlightened by the dawn of eternal life, that promise is being fulfilled.
Through vatgrown replicas of the brain and central nervous system, the entire U.N. Population will be cloned and the nerve stapled bodies given new life by remote control. The consciousness freed from bodily concerns once again enters the physical realm, controlling its nerve stapled double with detached clarity, as if it were a bot. Free in unfettered meditation of the nonphysical realm, letting wisdom flow back pure and unhindered into the willing body. The perfect bureaucrat.
The Forever War
United Nations signs permanent defense agreement with the Spartan Federation
In light of the dawning eternity the eyes of United Nations planners must look to the horizon. In recent years attacks from wild mindworms has grown fiercer, and the spread of the fungal infection more aggressive.
Research at U.N. Manifold Research station positioned at the ruins called the Manifold Nexus indicates that this is the response to the reckless terraforming of the University in the early days of the Chiron colonization effort. It is likely that the full brunt of Planet's reaction to humanity's more recent terraforming of Chiron has yet to hit us.
In the planetary wide fungal network a new enemy is awakening, one that threatens us with a battle far greater than any so far fought here on our new home.
If there is to be a tomorrow for humanity, we need to plan for it today.
And since the United Nations is where it is today thanks to the great effort of the Spartan Federation to ensure stability around the globe, we have negotiated with them an agreement for order and unity to win in the future as well.
The Spartan Federation has accepted the mission of fully leading the peacekeeping army going forward. They will be receiving a steady tax transfer of energy credits each year from the United Nations, making them in effect the richest faction of Chiron. This in order that they may strengthen their infrastructure today, so that they may continue to ensure unity and order among the human factions and for them to tomorrow lead us in the long war against the fungal onslaught.
New technologies allow us to turn the Planet forces against itself. The Spartan Federation have already taken this step in constructing the Xenoempathy Dome, and starting the construction of the Pholus Mutagen and Neural Amplifier projects, all enabled by the research of United Nations scientists. Just this year Planet warfare science took another step with Will to Power discovery, revealing the Dream Twister project that will enable the Spartans to breed even stronger versions of what Planet is pitting against us.
In combining our effort this way, no alien aggressor will ever threaten humanity.
As they have supported the growth of the United Nations, the United Nations will support Sparta in growing stronger, for the benefit of all. First among equals, lead the way!
As the second century of man on Chiron draws near, we stand on the doorstep of eternity.
In U.N.mega-city3: Morgan the dream of the man whose name the city bears is about to be fulfilled
"I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even five hundred would be pretty nice."
– CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "MorganLink 3DVision Interview"
Working on the principles discovered many years ago in the Longevity Vaccine Project, U.N. scientists under the personal supervision of chief surgeon-come-governor Pravin Lal has completed the final steps of the Clinical Immortality Project (Effects: One extra Talent at every base - Doubles your votes in elections for Planetary Governor and Supreme Leader).
The ever pop-booming population of the United Nations that from the principles of the Ascetic Virtues have long embraced nerve stapling as necessary for the greater good of man and the U.N. project. In unbroken democratic rule, they have patiently put their trust in Commissioner Pravin promise of medical technology eventually alleviating this burden.
Now, out of the ascetic virtues further enlightened by the dawn of eternal life, that promise is being fulfilled.
Through vatgrown replicas of the brain and central nervous system, the entire U.N. Population will be cloned and the nerve stapled bodies given new life by remote control. The consciousness freed from bodily concerns once again enters the physical realm, controlling its nerve stapled double with detached clarity, as if it were a bot. Free in unfettered meditation of the nonphysical realm, letting wisdom flow back pure and unhindered into the willing body. The perfect bureaucrat.
The Forever War
United Nations signs permanent defense agreement with the Spartan Federation
In light of the dawning eternity the eyes of United Nations planners must look to the horizon. In recent years attacks from wild mindworms has grown fiercer, and the spread of the fungal infection more aggressive.
Research at U.N. Manifold Research station positioned at the ruins called the Manifold Nexus indicates that this is the response to the reckless terraforming of the University in the early days of the Chiron colonization effort. It is likely that the full brunt of Planet's reaction to humanity's more recent terraforming of Chiron has yet to hit us.
In the planetary wide fungal network a new enemy is awakening, one that threatens us with a battle far greater than any so far fought here on our new home.
If there is to be a tomorrow for humanity, we need to plan for it today.
And since the United Nations is where it is today thanks to the great effort of the Spartan Federation to ensure stability around the globe, we have negotiated with them an agreement for order and unity to win in the future as well.
The Spartan Federation has accepted the mission of fully leading the peacekeeping army going forward. They will be receiving a steady tax transfer of energy credits each year from the United Nations, making them in effect the richest faction of Chiron. This in order that they may strengthen their infrastructure today, so that they may continue to ensure unity and order among the human factions and for them to tomorrow lead us in the long war against the fungal onslaught.
New technologies allow us to turn the Planet forces against itself. The Spartan Federation have already taken this step in constructing the Xenoempathy Dome, and starting the construction of the Pholus Mutagen and Neural Amplifier projects, all enabled by the research of United Nations scientists. Just this year Planet warfare science took another step with Will to Power discovery, revealing the Dream Twister project that will enable the Spartans to breed even stronger versions of what Planet is pitting against us.
In combining our effort this way, no alien aggressor will ever threaten humanity.
As they have supported the growth of the United Nations, the United Nations will support Sparta in growing stronger, for the benefit of all. First among equals, lead the way!
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oldbonebrown
Arcane
Excerpts from the Planetary History of the United Nations
Datalinks>
2192. Document B5 - Buck broken terrorist cult leader Miriam Godwinson submits to Spartan authority after U.N. pressure campaign
After a three year U.N. siege of Children of God, Miriam Godwinson gave up her leadership of the Lord's Believers and is presumed dead by suicide.
Finally displaying a small bit of grace, Miriam freed the last of her congregation from her tyranny instead of dragging them down with her, leaving them under Spartan oversight.
Datalinks>
2192. Document B5 - Buck broken terrorist cult leader Miriam Godwinson submits to Spartan authority after U.N. pressure campaign
After a three year U.N. siege of Children of God, Miriam Godwinson gave up her leadership of the Lord's Believers and is presumed dead by suicide.
Finally displaying a small bit of grace, Miriam freed the last of her congregation from her tyranny instead of dragging them down with her, leaving them under Spartan oversight.
So Utfärd/the lord's believers is not actually dead, their final 1-pop city is still around but he has given his password up so that he won't have to play anymore given that there's nothing he can do. TROYTRON being the player to take his turn before the Lord's Believers it is up to him to pass their TURN now
the most excellent result imaginable, since I have always wanted Sparta to win the conquest victory, which this is a better display of than I dared hope for when I positioned my Locust outside the base instead of destroying it
now if civac2 would only accept being a research faction (under the oversight of interfactional interests) my diplomatic dream might soon be fulfilled, shame we lost several along the way
I wish Morgan was around to win economically (under watchful eyes)
but I'm getting ahead of myself, let's see how next TURN plays out
the most excellent result imaginable, since I have always wanted Sparta to win the conquest victory, which this is a better display of than I dared hope for when I positioned my Locust outside the base instead of destroying it
now if civac2 would only accept being a research faction (under the oversight of interfactional interests) my diplomatic dream might soon be fulfilled, shame we lost several along the way
I wish Morgan was around to win economically (under watchful eyes)
but I'm getting ahead of myself, let's see how next TURN plays out
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oldbonebrown
Arcane
Vote PRAVIN for Supreme Leader
Brothers and Sisters, mankind of Chiron
I call you all today to make a decision for our future together on this planet
The United Nations have under my leadership risen to the most prominent faction in the rankings
For 50 years I have stood unopposed as Global Governor by unanimous vote, and you have all known me as the most active of diplomats among you
Now at the dawn of our second century together on Chiron draws near I feel the time for a greater mission has come
I come to you asking that you let me serve you all to a greater extent than any man before
as Supreme Leader of Mankind on Chiron
A Vote of Pravin is a Vote for SANTIAGO
For 100 years the Spartan Federation have proven themselves as worthy of bearing that name of those legendary warriors of old
With unparalleled skill have stood against the dark forces of those who would seek to rule this world for their own simple gain
There can be no doubt that the United Nations shines today because of the relentless effort by the Spartan Federation to ensure the order required for civilized humanity to succeed on Chiron.
Step by step, year by year we have gained each others trust, and they have always proven themselves of sound judgment and excellent foresight in the politics of armed conflict. As they have pledged to support the U.N. and Pravin Lal as Supreme Leader - it is an honor for the Peacekeeping Forces of the United Nations to today stand under the full command of the Spartan Federation.
There is no United Nations army but the Spartan army, and they have in turn accepted the full burden of the Peacekeeping mission. Continent Alpha Stand as one!
This is a necessity of global order. That there be one arbiter of force, the right to bear arms will henceforth be a right granted by Sparta Command.
As such a vote to accept Pravin Lal as Supreme leader is a vote to accept Corazón Santiago as Supreme Commander -
For Unity & Order!
To the Human Hive
Great Chairman of the Hive. Is it not true that Governor Pravin is the leader that has striven to support your faction the most?
To see the The Hive stand tall with us today is a great joy to the United Nations. Join me and Sparta now as we conquer the future. Humanity united beyond simple factional squabbles!
To the University of Planet
Academician come to your senses. The future is ours if you choose to walk towards it with us. Your scientific mind can be the key to the stars. Your battle is not with the Spartans, but with the aliens that assault us all each day. Put your best weapon, your sharp mind, in the hands of greater humanity, and let us win the universe.
To the Lord's Believers
Lost sheep, you have been freed from you errant shepherd. The good leader is the one that serves the least among his subjects, vote for me and I will lead the withered tree of Christianity to once more bear good fruit.
Hellraiser
Arcane
So is this over or what?
Utfärd
Guest
wtf
oldbonebrown
Arcane
I was waiting for Troy to go ahead since he won, but if he's not posting soon I'm gonna start swinging.
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TROYTRON
Learned
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2020
- Messages
- 42
The ceremony was taking place in a grand hall, an aesthetic homage to the old United Nations General Assembly back on Earth. Warm lighting bathed the wood panels which formed an all-inclusive bowl around the room, while banners hung from the ceiling with the lavender livery of the United Nations, today accompanied by the black and orange of the Spartan Federation. The hall was packed to the brim with the top men and women of both factions: the former in sombre civilian suits or rainbow cultural attire, the latter in their midnight black dress uniforms. All were present to bear witness to the end of an era.
It was to be a magnificent event, and yet, as the Colonel waited patiently on its sidelines for her appointed time, she couldn’t help but feel a deep-seated sense of dissatisfaction and disenchantment with it all. As she half-listened to Planetary Governor Pravin Lal delivering his address at great length, she pondered as to its meaning. In theory, this was everything that Sparta had been working towards for almost a century. The final taming of chaos and imposition of order over Planet’s squabbling factions, the enshrinement of leadership by the most civilized and qualified of humanity, the maturation from survival to flourishment. After so many years of toil and war, humanity was finally on the cusp of achieving golden prosperity. So why, then, did the Colonel feel this way?
She was still pondering as Lal finished his speech and gave her the floor. As she stepped across the stage towards the lectern, she glanced out over her assembled audience. They all stood perfectly to attention, all wearing expressions of vague optimism for the future.
All except for Major Nicoli, that most valuable and least respectful of the Spartans, who slouched insouciantly with his hands in his pockets right at the front of the audience. He wore his tie crookedly, and his peaked service cap served mostly to cover eyes that were unfocused and distracted. It was a stunning contrast from his usual comportment, one he would never have dared to display inside of a Spartan base, no matter his importance to the cause.
It was at that point that the Colonel knew.
“Citizens of Planet,” she began, speaking calmly and deliberately as she always did. “I stand here before you to usher in a new era for humanity. It is an era that has been hard-fought for by the valiant soldiers of the Spartan Federation, as well as its valued partner the United Nations. It is an era whose principles have been demonstrated by the manner in which it has come about: the principle that all legitimate authority over humanity can only ever be derived through force.”
The U.N.’s delegates started to shift uneasily. This wasn’t how they expected the speech to go.
“But before we can go boldly forth into this new era, we must first excise all that is old and decrepit from humanity. And what I now see before me is the foremost exemplar of that which is unfit to follow us into the new era: a faction which has deluded itself into thinking that authority derives from sophistry and words on paper. The United Nations, more than happy to benefit from the peace and prosperity created by Sparta’s total war, now proclaims itself to be the moral leadership of humanity. I speak for all Sparta when I state that a faction which cannot be bothered to defend its own rights and sovereignty deserves to have none! You, Pravin Lal, have existed because we allowed it; now, you will end because we demand it.”
Outrage rapidly spread throughout the audience, but it was already too late for them. As the Colonel continued to speak, the buzzing of Spartan copters above the base could be heard.
“Therefore, my first act as the Supreme Commander of all Planetary Forces is to order the complete and thorough dismantlement of the United Nations as an institution in its entirety! Spartans: commence Operation Unity!”
“Yes, Colonel!” the Spartans in the room chorused, and broke into action.
Shots rang out from hidden snipers, neutralizing armed guards before they could acquire a target. Smoke and tear gas billowed amongst the audience, incapacitating the civilians who were unprepared for it. A struggle took place as the Colonel’s bodyguards subdued those of the former Governor Lal in hand-to-hand combat.
As the Colonel strode from the stage, she drank in the sights and sounds of all the chaos around her, and knew she’d made the right choice.
This time, it was Athens which would fall.
For once, it was quiet inside the supreme command centre of the Spartan Federation, if no less dark and foreboding. The great machinery of war which had consumed so much attention and resources throughout Sparta’s history, for now, lay dormant. The services of the cognitive elite operators, technicians, and officers who attended the many layers of holoscreens and consoles were no longer required; save for a skeleton crew tinkering in the background, they were all deservedly celebrating their hard-fought for victory, as they well should.
And so would the Colonel and her most trusted of advisors, once a last few matters were dealt with. It was the burden of Sparta’s leadership to always be looking out beyond the horizon of the present victory, no matter how sweet it might taste in the moment.
Major Vincenzo Nicoli’s boots clanked into the silence as he once more climbed to the pyramid’s summit. How many years it had been since he was first granted the privilege of being here – almost three mission decades, a third of a pre-Incline human’s lifespan. How he had relished the euphoria of advancement through the ranks, being recognized for his talents and ideas, tinged with just a hint of gloating toward the officers and aides who always surrounded the Colonel. They distrusted him for his background, despised him for his manner, and yet without his abilities their successes would never have been possible.
None of them were here now. Only the Colonel stood alone atop the dais: a single one, out of the many now in existence.
As always, he stood to attention and saluted crisply. The Colonel nodded and beckoned him forward.
“Major Nicoli,” she opened. “Few would deny that the Spartan Federation now stands at the peak of its power. Its enemies lie broken and defeated; the survivors have all yielded before its overwhelming might. It wields complete hegemony over two thirds of Planet; its ranks outnumber all other factions combined. Its economy, technology, and military are unparalleled by those of any civilization before or since. There is nothing more that could possibly stand in its way.
“So my question to you is: what happens now?”
Nicoli took his time answering. “When I first stood here, I spoke about the fate awaiting civilizations which have reached their peak. The word in itself implies the passing of an inflection point, beyond which there can be no further improvement, merely a long and unstoppable downward slope. There may yet be temporary reversals, if its leaders seek to emulate past glories, but all too often it is these efforts which hasten the inevitable. In the end, though, it matters little whether the decline is fast or slow, for that is what it is: a Decline.”
“And you believe that Sparta will too experience this inflection point, an inexorable and irreversible Decline, just as the civilizations of Old Earth did?”
“Yes.” The treasonous idea passed Nicoli’s lips with ease. “For Sparta in particular, that point may come even sooner than you’d think. A civilization’s existence is just as much defined by the presence of another: something to serve as a point of comparison, to look up to or down on, to push and pull against as your fates intertwine together to the future.
But for Sparta, this competition takes on a more terminal character, because ultimately there must be a winner and a loser. Ironically, it is in undisputed victory that Sparta has truly lost, for Sparta can only ever be truly alive when it is locked into a struggle to the death with a genuinely threatening foe: an opponent that forces it to push to the limits, to discover and develop new aspects of itself, to become more than it could ever have if it was left to its own devices. In essence: it is death that gives life meaning.
“And now that Sparta has won, there is no more opposition that can give its struggle meaning. The Human Hive and the University of Planet are hollowed shells, their spirits crushed by defeat, unworthy of being considered as Sparta’s peers. Even if you were to grant them autonomy, and provide them with the means to stand up for themselves and challenge you on equal terms, you would not find the satisfaction you seek, for in your heart you would know that the challenge you faced was both artificial and self-inflicted; and this too would represent the diminution of your power.”
“If what you say is true,” the Colonel replied, “then there is no point to anything Sparta undertakes from now on. No matter how high we soar, all that awaits us is the fall at the end. Planetary conquest, interstellar expansion, exponential growth: none of it will last.”
Nicoli spread his hands wide. “It is as you say. Civilizations rise and fall, greater than any one man or woman could do anything about. However... for us, perhaps there is an alternative.”
“Enlighten me, Major.”
“There is one key distinction between Sparta and the civilizations that came before: true continuity of leadership. On Earth, not even the greatest emperor could evade death; and when their time came, everything they built would unravel, as their successors would be inadequate to the task of maintaining it. The savvier states tried to transfer their essence into impersonal institutions, but these too would become perverted over time until their original ideals and purpose were lost. It’s only on Planet that Sparta was able to conquer the enemy that Earth could not.
“This is, admittedly, something of a double-edged sword, for the inevitability of death is another method through which ideologies were kept in touch with reality. Thus, we are presented with a paradox: the risk of death is needed to spur evolution, but death itself is the cause of devolution. The invention of the Cloning Vats provides a solution. Tell me, my Colonel: there are so many of you out there now, administering bases, supervising research, leading men into battle and glory. Do you consider them all a part of you?”
“Of course,” the Colonel answered immediately. “They are entities born from my genes and memes; they carry my skills and ideals with them wherever they go. No matter how many of them die, I will continue to exist.”
“And yet if I was to draw a gun and shoot you, the Colonel who stands before me would die. She would no longer be able to lead Sparta; her experiences would be lost forever.”
“A presumptuous scenario, considering how unlikely you are to succeed.”
Nicoli gave a knowing smile. “Precisely. Even knowing that you will survive elsewhere, you still feel compelled to preserve your own life here and now. Perhaps I will surprise you somehow, and either you will learn from the experience, or one of your other selves will. And that is how a perfect, immortal Colonel may yet continue to evolve, regardless of what the future holds.”
“You said that a genuinely threatening opponent is needed to stimulate evolution. Who will play such a role for Sparta, given its unquestioned supremacy over humanity?”
“Isn’t it obvious? As the only worthy contender to rule humanity, Sparta itself will play that role.”
The Colonel chuckled. “So you propose to break Sparta apart, to stimulate evolution by having it fight itself?”
“More of a mitosis. With enough ambition, the Cloning Vats would allow us to replicate Spartan society in its entirety. Under the leadership of their respective Colonels, copies of Sparta will struggle for dominance, and the victors would learn from the vanquished, only to be challenged and overthrown in turn. A game that will play out for all eternity.”
“How very interesting. I wonder, what will your place be in this new order, Major?”
“I’ve taken on many different mantles during my service to Sparta; but at heart, I remain an anthropologist, one who studies the evolution of human society throughout the eras. I will take it upon myself to observe and record Sparta as it undertakes its eternal journey to perfection. It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to witness history from the inside and the outside.”
“To think, there were once those who proclaimed the end of history. How arrogant the humans of Old Earth were.” The Colonel shook her head briefly. “Well then, I will look forward to seeing what you make of this new era of humanity... Professor.” She held out her hand.
“Yes, my Colonel!” Nicoli grinned, and shook her hand.
It was to be a magnificent event, and yet, as the Colonel waited patiently on its sidelines for her appointed time, she couldn’t help but feel a deep-seated sense of dissatisfaction and disenchantment with it all. As she half-listened to Planetary Governor Pravin Lal delivering his address at great length, she pondered as to its meaning. In theory, this was everything that Sparta had been working towards for almost a century. The final taming of chaos and imposition of order over Planet’s squabbling factions, the enshrinement of leadership by the most civilized and qualified of humanity, the maturation from survival to flourishment. After so many years of toil and war, humanity was finally on the cusp of achieving golden prosperity. So why, then, did the Colonel feel this way?
She was still pondering as Lal finished his speech and gave her the floor. As she stepped across the stage towards the lectern, she glanced out over her assembled audience. They all stood perfectly to attention, all wearing expressions of vague optimism for the future.
All except for Major Nicoli, that most valuable and least respectful of the Spartans, who slouched insouciantly with his hands in his pockets right at the front of the audience. He wore his tie crookedly, and his peaked service cap served mostly to cover eyes that were unfocused and distracted. It was a stunning contrast from his usual comportment, one he would never have dared to display inside of a Spartan base, no matter his importance to the cause.
It was at that point that the Colonel knew.
“Citizens of Planet,” she began, speaking calmly and deliberately as she always did. “I stand here before you to usher in a new era for humanity. It is an era that has been hard-fought for by the valiant soldiers of the Spartan Federation, as well as its valued partner the United Nations. It is an era whose principles have been demonstrated by the manner in which it has come about: the principle that all legitimate authority over humanity can only ever be derived through force.”
The U.N.’s delegates started to shift uneasily. This wasn’t how they expected the speech to go.
“But before we can go boldly forth into this new era, we must first excise all that is old and decrepit from humanity. And what I now see before me is the foremost exemplar of that which is unfit to follow us into the new era: a faction which has deluded itself into thinking that authority derives from sophistry and words on paper. The United Nations, more than happy to benefit from the peace and prosperity created by Sparta’s total war, now proclaims itself to be the moral leadership of humanity. I speak for all Sparta when I state that a faction which cannot be bothered to defend its own rights and sovereignty deserves to have none! You, Pravin Lal, have existed because we allowed it; now, you will end because we demand it.”
Outrage rapidly spread throughout the audience, but it was already too late for them. As the Colonel continued to speak, the buzzing of Spartan copters above the base could be heard.
“Therefore, my first act as the Supreme Commander of all Planetary Forces is to order the complete and thorough dismantlement of the United Nations as an institution in its entirety! Spartans: commence Operation Unity!”
“Yes, Colonel!” the Spartans in the room chorused, and broke into action.
Shots rang out from hidden snipers, neutralizing armed guards before they could acquire a target. Smoke and tear gas billowed amongst the audience, incapacitating the civilians who were unprepared for it. A struggle took place as the Colonel’s bodyguards subdued those of the former Governor Lal in hand-to-hand combat.
As the Colonel strode from the stage, she drank in the sights and sounds of all the chaos around her, and knew she’d made the right choice.
This time, it was Athens which would fall.
----------
For once, it was quiet inside the supreme command centre of the Spartan Federation, if no less dark and foreboding. The great machinery of war which had consumed so much attention and resources throughout Sparta’s history, for now, lay dormant. The services of the cognitive elite operators, technicians, and officers who attended the many layers of holoscreens and consoles were no longer required; save for a skeleton crew tinkering in the background, they were all deservedly celebrating their hard-fought for victory, as they well should.
And so would the Colonel and her most trusted of advisors, once a last few matters were dealt with. It was the burden of Sparta’s leadership to always be looking out beyond the horizon of the present victory, no matter how sweet it might taste in the moment.
Major Vincenzo Nicoli’s boots clanked into the silence as he once more climbed to the pyramid’s summit. How many years it had been since he was first granted the privilege of being here – almost three mission decades, a third of a pre-Incline human’s lifespan. How he had relished the euphoria of advancement through the ranks, being recognized for his talents and ideas, tinged with just a hint of gloating toward the officers and aides who always surrounded the Colonel. They distrusted him for his background, despised him for his manner, and yet without his abilities their successes would never have been possible.
None of them were here now. Only the Colonel stood alone atop the dais: a single one, out of the many now in existence.
As always, he stood to attention and saluted crisply. The Colonel nodded and beckoned him forward.
“Major Nicoli,” she opened. “Few would deny that the Spartan Federation now stands at the peak of its power. Its enemies lie broken and defeated; the survivors have all yielded before its overwhelming might. It wields complete hegemony over two thirds of Planet; its ranks outnumber all other factions combined. Its economy, technology, and military are unparalleled by those of any civilization before or since. There is nothing more that could possibly stand in its way.
“So my question to you is: what happens now?”
Nicoli took his time answering. “When I first stood here, I spoke about the fate awaiting civilizations which have reached their peak. The word in itself implies the passing of an inflection point, beyond which there can be no further improvement, merely a long and unstoppable downward slope. There may yet be temporary reversals, if its leaders seek to emulate past glories, but all too often it is these efforts which hasten the inevitable. In the end, though, it matters little whether the decline is fast or slow, for that is what it is: a Decline.”
“And you believe that Sparta will too experience this inflection point, an inexorable and irreversible Decline, just as the civilizations of Old Earth did?”
“Yes.” The treasonous idea passed Nicoli’s lips with ease. “For Sparta in particular, that point may come even sooner than you’d think. A civilization’s existence is just as much defined by the presence of another: something to serve as a point of comparison, to look up to or down on, to push and pull against as your fates intertwine together to the future.
But for Sparta, this competition takes on a more terminal character, because ultimately there must be a winner and a loser. Ironically, it is in undisputed victory that Sparta has truly lost, for Sparta can only ever be truly alive when it is locked into a struggle to the death with a genuinely threatening foe: an opponent that forces it to push to the limits, to discover and develop new aspects of itself, to become more than it could ever have if it was left to its own devices. In essence: it is death that gives life meaning.
“And now that Sparta has won, there is no more opposition that can give its struggle meaning. The Human Hive and the University of Planet are hollowed shells, their spirits crushed by defeat, unworthy of being considered as Sparta’s peers. Even if you were to grant them autonomy, and provide them with the means to stand up for themselves and challenge you on equal terms, you would not find the satisfaction you seek, for in your heart you would know that the challenge you faced was both artificial and self-inflicted; and this too would represent the diminution of your power.”
“If what you say is true,” the Colonel replied, “then there is no point to anything Sparta undertakes from now on. No matter how high we soar, all that awaits us is the fall at the end. Planetary conquest, interstellar expansion, exponential growth: none of it will last.”
Nicoli spread his hands wide. “It is as you say. Civilizations rise and fall, greater than any one man or woman could do anything about. However... for us, perhaps there is an alternative.”
“Enlighten me, Major.”
“There is one key distinction between Sparta and the civilizations that came before: true continuity of leadership. On Earth, not even the greatest emperor could evade death; and when their time came, everything they built would unravel, as their successors would be inadequate to the task of maintaining it. The savvier states tried to transfer their essence into impersonal institutions, but these too would become perverted over time until their original ideals and purpose were lost. It’s only on Planet that Sparta was able to conquer the enemy that Earth could not.
“This is, admittedly, something of a double-edged sword, for the inevitability of death is another method through which ideologies were kept in touch with reality. Thus, we are presented with a paradox: the risk of death is needed to spur evolution, but death itself is the cause of devolution. The invention of the Cloning Vats provides a solution. Tell me, my Colonel: there are so many of you out there now, administering bases, supervising research, leading men into battle and glory. Do you consider them all a part of you?”
“Of course,” the Colonel answered immediately. “They are entities born from my genes and memes; they carry my skills and ideals with them wherever they go. No matter how many of them die, I will continue to exist.”
“And yet if I was to draw a gun and shoot you, the Colonel who stands before me would die. She would no longer be able to lead Sparta; her experiences would be lost forever.”
“A presumptuous scenario, considering how unlikely you are to succeed.”
Nicoli gave a knowing smile. “Precisely. Even knowing that you will survive elsewhere, you still feel compelled to preserve your own life here and now. Perhaps I will surprise you somehow, and either you will learn from the experience, or one of your other selves will. And that is how a perfect, immortal Colonel may yet continue to evolve, regardless of what the future holds.”
“You said that a genuinely threatening opponent is needed to stimulate evolution. Who will play such a role for Sparta, given its unquestioned supremacy over humanity?”
“Isn’t it obvious? As the only worthy contender to rule humanity, Sparta itself will play that role.”
The Colonel chuckled. “So you propose to break Sparta apart, to stimulate evolution by having it fight itself?”
“More of a mitosis. With enough ambition, the Cloning Vats would allow us to replicate Spartan society in its entirety. Under the leadership of their respective Colonels, copies of Sparta will struggle for dominance, and the victors would learn from the vanquished, only to be challenged and overthrown in turn. A game that will play out for all eternity.”
“How very interesting. I wonder, what will your place be in this new order, Major?”
“I’ve taken on many different mantles during my service to Sparta; but at heart, I remain an anthropologist, one who studies the evolution of human society throughout the eras. I will take it upon myself to observe and record Sparta as it undertakes its eternal journey to perfection. It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to witness history from the inside and the outside.”
“To think, there were once those who proclaimed the end of history. How arrogant the humans of Old Earth were.” The Colonel shook her head briefly. “Well then, I will look forward to seeing what you make of this new era of humanity... Professor.” She held out her hand.
“Yes, my Colonel!” Nicoli grinned, and shook her hand.
Finally wrote this damn ending. I resolved not to show my face around here until it was done, turns out I didn’t miss much in the meantime.
Sparta’s feelings in this piece mirror my own. Throughout the game I was expecting and planning to wage a glorious final war of Planetary conquest, with everyone else ganging up on me when it became clear that my advantage was becoming unstoppable. I actually planned to attack the Peacekeepers much earlier than now, as for most of the game they were blocking my expansion and I considered them an economically powerful and close by threat, compared to the Believers who were crippled and on another continent. So the original plan was to build up my forces under the guise of launching another invasion of the University, then send them west against the Peacekeepers while I had the advantage.
Hopefully, I would conquer them before anybody else could react, which would provide far greater gains than continuing to smash my forces against the University’s. With that conquest and the Cloning Vats soon under my belt, I’d be in a strong position to win the game, even if I had to take on the rest of the world at that point.
But then Kalin attacked me and I ended up invading him instead with the Peacekeepers’ support. Not what I planned to do, but in the end it went even better than expected, and I gained access to his entire continent for expansion. The Cloning Vats is a truly powerful and frightening project, as not only did it allow me to run Power permanently to make all my units Elite with no downsides, the minute I stopped waging total war and started building stuff again, it took a mere 10 turns to catch up to and surpass the Peacekeepers in both population and economy. If I was left to my devices, I would probably win just by outgrowing everyone else.
Of course, that was when OBB announced that he was building Clinical Immortality (x2 votes) and calling the Supreme Leader vote, which I assessed he had a strong chance of winning (more if the Hive supported him), thus snatching Diplomatic Victory and a win by the game’s rules. Naturally, I didn’t want that to happen, on top of my paranoia that he would snipe my HQ with the Cloning Vats which were in a very exposed position all game. So I hastily redeployed all the forces I had on Kalin’s former continent, rushed up some choppers and drop troops in tactically-advantageous locations, and geared myself for the final showdown over Planet’s future.
And then it turned out that the Peacekeepers weren’t actually prepared to fight me at all, while everyone else was tired of the game and just wanted to surrender. So it ended in a disappointingly anticlimactic victory for Sparta, leaving me embarrassed about stabbing my closest ally when I didn’t have to. Like Cassandra’s prophecies, Kalin’s warnings to OBB went sadly unheeded.
Oh well. I still won in the end.
Very tense game, I had a lot of fun despite all the turns of INTENSE WAR that dragged on and sapped everyone’s morale. Not sure I’ll be able to pull that off again for a while, I was really burned out by the end of it all.
Some pictures of Planet on the final turn:
Sparta out!
Sparta’s feelings in this piece mirror my own. Throughout the game I was expecting and planning to wage a glorious final war of Planetary conquest, with everyone else ganging up on me when it became clear that my advantage was becoming unstoppable. I actually planned to attack the Peacekeepers much earlier than now, as for most of the game they were blocking my expansion and I considered them an economically powerful and close by threat, compared to the Believers who were crippled and on another continent. So the original plan was to build up my forces under the guise of launching another invasion of the University, then send them west against the Peacekeepers while I had the advantage.
Hopefully, I would conquer them before anybody else could react, which would provide far greater gains than continuing to smash my forces against the University’s. With that conquest and the Cloning Vats soon under my belt, I’d be in a strong position to win the game, even if I had to take on the rest of the world at that point.
But then Kalin attacked me and I ended up invading him instead with the Peacekeepers’ support. Not what I planned to do, but in the end it went even better than expected, and I gained access to his entire continent for expansion. The Cloning Vats is a truly powerful and frightening project, as not only did it allow me to run Power permanently to make all my units Elite with no downsides, the minute I stopped waging total war and started building stuff again, it took a mere 10 turns to catch up to and surpass the Peacekeepers in both population and economy. If I was left to my devices, I would probably win just by outgrowing everyone else.
Of course, that was when OBB announced that he was building Clinical Immortality (x2 votes) and calling the Supreme Leader vote, which I assessed he had a strong chance of winning (more if the Hive supported him), thus snatching Diplomatic Victory and a win by the game’s rules. Naturally, I didn’t want that to happen, on top of my paranoia that he would snipe my HQ with the Cloning Vats which were in a very exposed position all game. So I hastily redeployed all the forces I had on Kalin’s former continent, rushed up some choppers and drop troops in tactically-advantageous locations, and geared myself for the final showdown over Planet’s future.
And then it turned out that the Peacekeepers weren’t actually prepared to fight me at all, while everyone else was tired of the game and just wanted to surrender. So it ended in a disappointingly anticlimactic victory for Sparta, leaving me embarrassed about stabbing my closest ally when I didn’t have to. Like Cassandra’s prophecies, Kalin’s warnings to OBB went sadly unheeded.
Oh well. I still won in the end.
Very tense game, I had a lot of fun despite all the turns of INTENSE WAR that dragged on and sapped everyone’s morale. Not sure I’ll be able to pull that off again for a while, I was really burned out by the end of it all.
Some pictures of Planet on the final turn:
Sparta out!
civac2
Novice
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2022
- Messages
- 33
I had quite a bit of fun in the game but it also reminded me why my usual MP games (Civ4 Pitboss) turn off tech trading and heavily restrict diplomacy.
Initially, I had a huge economic advantage from the settling phase where I must say performance of my competitors was a bit underwhelming.
When I started my first satellite and saw their territories I (arrogantly, it turned out) thought I had already won. However, the trade embargo organised against me was both very effective and very frustrating. And TROYTRON's subsequent attack was impressively planned and executed. He used Sparta's meagre advantages to devastating effect by fielding an army (in Power) which was made up nearly entirely of elite units. Unlike the economic realm, I was outmatched in the tactical battle. The most important thing was that I could not figure out how he kept evading my control zones when I attempted to tie down his units with my formers/policemen. When he kept going behind my screening forces and blowing shit up (bases and offensive rovers) I lost heart to an extent. The ludicrous superiority of TROYTRON's units didn't help. Elite Silksteel AA/ECM defender on forest with sensors has 22.5 defence strength while I initially had green Missile units and later Chaos Guns.
Kalin intervened on my side and my faction survived badly crippled. Presumably, Kalin's game plan was upended by me doing so badly vs the Spartan menace. TROYTRON switched targets to Kalin and since Kalin saved me I wanted to assist in the war instead of rebuilding. But without control of the seas I couldn't really hurt TROYTRON substantially. The distances were too great. We traded some units in no-mans land I destroyed one of his bases. But Kalin got rolled over and that was game. Again, impressively played by TROYTRON.
Final remarks:
As obb said, we got off on the wrong foot in this game. One reason was him lying to me from the second message he sent me and he kept on lying for another 30 turns. This game he fooled me but I doubt conduct like that is wise if you play more than a single game in the same group. What really rubbed me the wrong way was him acting as a Spartan vassal, however.
The mod Kalin made was fantastic. Almost all balance choices turned out very well. Could see the experience from all those rpgcodex MP game in that.
Initially, I had a huge economic advantage from the settling phase where I must say performance of my competitors was a bit underwhelming.
When I started my first satellite and saw their territories I (arrogantly, it turned out) thought I had already won. However, the trade embargo organised against me was both very effective and very frustrating. And TROYTRON's subsequent attack was impressively planned and executed. He used Sparta's meagre advantages to devastating effect by fielding an army (in Power) which was made up nearly entirely of elite units. Unlike the economic realm, I was outmatched in the tactical battle. The most important thing was that I could not figure out how he kept evading my control zones when I attempted to tie down his units with my formers/policemen. When he kept going behind my screening forces and blowing shit up (bases and offensive rovers) I lost heart to an extent. The ludicrous superiority of TROYTRON's units didn't help. Elite Silksteel AA/ECM defender on forest with sensors has 22.5 defence strength while I initially had green Missile units and later Chaos Guns.Kalin intervened on my side and my faction survived badly crippled. Presumably, Kalin's game plan was upended by me doing so badly vs the Spartan menace. TROYTRON switched targets to Kalin and since Kalin saved me I wanted to assist in the war instead of rebuilding. But without control of the seas I couldn't really hurt TROYTRON substantially. The distances were too great. We traded some units in no-mans land I destroyed one of his bases. But Kalin got rolled over and that was game. Again, impressively played by TROYTRON.
Final remarks:
As obb said, we got off on the wrong foot in this game. One reason was him lying to me from the second message he sent me and he kept on lying for another 30 turns. This game he fooled me but I doubt conduct like that is wise if you play more than a single game in the same group. What really rubbed me the wrong way was him acting as a Spartan vassal, however.
The mod Kalin made was fantastic. Almost all balance choices turned out very well. Could see the experience from all those rpgcodex MP game in that.
oldbonebrown
Arcane
I tried to never technically lie to civac2 at the start
it went against my roleplay, these are my first two messages to him
Pravin (seething)
it went against my roleplay, these are my first two messages to him
Greetings great Academician Provost Zakharov and his prestigeous University
Your reputation proceeds you, greatest among all of the human factions on this Planet
This is Commissioner Pravin speaking as the voice of the U.N. Peacekeeping Forces
We are an organization built upon the U.N. Mission and our current goal is to establish contact with all the factions in order that a council might be established. We warmly welcome finally making contact with you.
As a great faction your democratic voice is an important one to my ears. Please state your intent and if you have any wishes of the U.N. Peacekeeping Forces or its mission.
Might edit this the coming hour unless you respond first
I got angry with civac2 later when he wouldn't surrender completely to Sparta. It was fun for me how continuously his messages would anger me.
Pravin (seething)
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