Completed Let's Multiplay Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (PBEM) - Game 2

[Cassidy]

Well, at least the Hive is winning the propaganda war.

Not anymore. Even if I lose this game I'm going to win that one *tips fedora*

==========



2181

2182

DO NOT LOSE HOPE! ALL IS LOST INDEED... FOR THE HIVE!

The Bear will strike back to this unjustified act of violence, genocide and imperialism! For all the ones lost in Friendzone, for all the ones lost in Lovers Lab, for all the ones lost in the many bases the fascist and Nazi invaders of the Inhuman Hive have destroyed or subjugated, the time has come to leave the argument battles in the Planetary Datalinks with masters of rhetoric among the Believers behind, to leave the MMO Warfare Simulations of the Virtual World, and do all we can for the continued sovereignty of our Motherland! This is the beggining of the End, this is the Greatest Patriotic War of all History of mankind!

Even if this is the end and we are fighting for a lost cause, which will not happen, then men, let us die not as omega turbodweebs hooked to virtual simulations to escape from the gas attacks, but as men of courage, let us not be remembered like this:

INSTEAD, LET US BE REMEMBERED LIKE THIS THEN:

HEROES OF SAGANGRAD, HEROES OF THE ONLY TRULY SCIENTIFIC SOCIALIST COUNTRY ON PLANET! IF THE UNIVERSITY OF PLANET LASTS FOR A THOUSAND YEARS TO KEEP RECYCLING THE SAME OLD MEMES AND SPEECHES AGAIN AND AGAIN, MEN WILL STILL SAY: THIS WAS OUR FINEST HOUR!

DEFEND SCIENCE AND LIBERTY TO THE DEATH!

 

[Hellraiser]

Chairman Yang's Special Announcement

Citizens, due to the University's no doubt hostile and passive-aggressive refusal to cooperate with the Hive on key matters of Planetary Peace, as well as aiding the Zealots either for profit or for reasons ideological seeking to undermine the TRUE SOCIALISM that is the Human Hive, I, the Chairman, have authorized Operation Hammer. Its goal is to liberate the oppressed University Peoples, who are suffering under the yoke of Provost Zakharov's reactionary rule and dooming mankind to forever walk in the darkness!

Already we have secured multiple University Bases defeating the outdated troops of the University and their mindworm swarms. Victory will soon be upon us, just like the zealots cannot stop the tide of our Forces of Peace, the misguided Provost cannot hope to emerge victorious against progress!

show spoiler

Lovers Lab has already been secured, although of course it had too low pop when my ship seized it so it is no longer here. The east is secured all the way from Yang Mine to Infinity Chan station. The north lost Friendzone which was also too low in pop to survive. I seized three bases last turn and more will no doubt follow as the University is in a worse shape to fight than even the Peacekeepers were and they had the benefit of believing proximity which the University lacks.

Cassidy managed to sneak some mindworms into my turf and killed my formers who were building a borehole at Yang Mine though. Also his Isle of the Deep murdered my attacking ship despite odds being in my favour. There's more of those around, but I did prepare for it.

People need heroes. They don't need to know how he died being blown to pieces by the Hive interceptors, or that he had the help of at least four squadrons of Cherubim to score his kills, most of which are now resting at the bottom of the sea. That story would just hurt sales, and dampen the spiritual strength of our Congregation.

Or that he still missed some choppers and it took only one to finish destroying Time of Salvation, which you anticipated as the planet buster stationed there got repositioned.

Although I will admit I did not expected that interception prior to that.

At the moment though I am eager to see how my "investigate monolith" fuck up affected the battle of the ruins (lost an attack on a rover because I did not know ruin investigation spends all remaining movement).

That battle would have went better if I did not lose those two plasma shard rovers by getting too close to that sensor, might have gotten that Planet Buster at that.

 

[Nevill]

Spoiler

Is Zakharov a churka? 'cause he sounds like one.

 

[Kalin]

Savage and satanic Hiveling scum have once again invaded our sacred land, bent on trying to seize our mighty fortress New Masada and deprive us of our ever-burning Flame of Purity.

Now as before, the efforts of the Hivelings have all been in vain - Fortress Zion stands strong, shielded by the Lord God and the Angelic Host!

The enemy thought they had an easy victory ahead of them, but once again the power of pure capitalism struck the dumbfounded communists with awe, envy, and holy bolts of divine retribution!

In a perfectly co-ordinated strategic manoeuvre that could only have been directed by the Hand of God, our seemingly harmless United Faith Militia,
tasked primarily with purging the demonic xeno-fauna, was quickly armed with state-of-the-art Plasma Rifles and Photon Wall armour.

Strengthened by the miracles of the Holy Free Market they could swiftly strike at the advancing horde, dealing truly divine damage.

Holy Miracle!

Armed with the fury of the One True God, our faithful brethren fell upon the servants of Satan together with the Cherubim defence squadron, butchering them all in the valley of death.

And thus, the prophetic words of our ancient brother Joel were fulfilled, for as the Lord God foretold in chapter three of the sacred book:

"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of New Jerusalem, I will gather all [sinful] nations and bring them up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

And there I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my precious [Spiritual] Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse your warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Come quickly, all you wretches from every side.

Advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge you all for your unspeakable crimes against Zion.

Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.

Tread their skulls,
for the [rec tanks] overflow—
so great is their wickedness!

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
The suns and the moons will be darkened.

The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from New Jerusalem; Planet and the heavens will tremble!

And in all this, the Lord God will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for [Spiritual] Israel."

— Paraphrase of Joel 3, New Accurately Authentic Revised Authorized Conclave Bible

Spoiler

Nearly bit the bullet there, those sneaky crackas were cloaked by devil-fungus and only showed up inside the base screen window. Praise the Lord for speed-rushing with juicy Yehzah, already miss that "feature" in game 3. (And, come to think of it, that one move probably wouldn't have mattered, as the attack would likely have targeted the already beat up but still superior-to-a-mere-scout Photon Wall defender. Oh, and the sensor didn't give away the position of the Plasma Shard crackas some turns earlier, I just ran a random fly-by with a Cherubim and managed to spot them by pure luck divine guidance).

The Hive is of course rampaging into the University, and things really don't look good for the euphorians. They need throngs of air units and they just aren't building enough, and they have no Planet Buster with which to blast the Hive doom stack of nerve gas bombers in the east. We have still pacted up, of course - we have always been allied with the... erh... yeah - but like Hellraiser said, it will be tricky for yours truly to send any aid, especially since I'm swamped as it is by the Dragonfly swarms.

The only good news is that the pact brought more commerce, and that my research rate is quite decent despite the punishment spheres. Currently pushing for better armour, which Hellraiser hopefully won't be able to instant-steal with his "inconspicuous" agents of evil. Hive research, by contrast, is quite sub-par, and the University research has slowed down completely in favour of raising Big Yehzah for defence.

 

[Hellraiser]

Did I mention how I hate that feature bug? I already lost 2 major bases only because of it. Damn you firaxis for not fixing that shit!

If I didn't investigate that monolith it would be dead and there's not much you could do. The stack was guarded by a silksteel AAA rover and in fungus. SAM chopper would be useless.

 

[Kalin]

I was thinking about nuking everything before I noticed that little trance defender. Would have been a fitting end for a base named New Masada. Next time, perhaps.

 

[Hellraiser]

I was thinking about nuking everything before I noticed that little trance defender. Would have been a fitting end for a base named New Masada. Next time, perhaps.

I actually thought you might do that.

 

[Hellraiser]

Oh and yeah, I got really fucked by the RNG, had 2:2 odds at least on the shard rover killing the photon wall trooper, it died. If it won and if I did not fuck up with the chaos rover you would be forced to nuke it.

 

[Hellraiser]

Buzz TV Nodecast Headlines
Sol 02/08/2285 19:00 HST

Greetings Citizens of both the Hive and of Planet seeking the Truth that shall allow mankind to transcend.

The Zealots continue suffering major losses to their belligerent arsenal as the forces of Progress strike at their treacherous operations. Last year the zealots seized Bridge of Enlightenment using an aerial assault rover company, following their assault on UN Settlement Agency done in a similar fashion a year earlier. With UN Settlement Agency seized they hoped to launch a Thermonuclear attack on one of our north-western cities, audaciously moving their planet buster to the freshly seized base and renaming it to the Seat of Fiery Judgement*. Luckily the support of the Citizens Defence Force allowed our citizens to be prepared and evacuate the threatened area, consisting mostly of the liberated north-western half of Landmass Prime. Furthermore the fanatics have failed to account for the curvature of Planet, no doubt still believing that it is flat as their "holy" book says, and realized that even the edge of the cities forming the Great Urban Cluster of Socialism Crater in south-west landmass Prime is beyond the reach of their weapons of terror.

With that in mind, and encouraged by the fact they have easily taken a poorly defended former Peacekeeping base of no strategic value, they went after Bridge of Enlightenment which had greater strategic value and its position allowed the dreaded "Sacred" Flame of "Purity" Planet Buster to potentially strike at the Great Urban Cluster of Socialism Crater. Unfortunately for the Zealots, the great Generals and Strategists of the Hive Guard of Peace have anticipated this relocation of the Planet Buster, and Dragonfly Squadrons have been dispatched on Combat Patrols to strike at the Planet Buster as soon as our Hunter-Seeker mainframe extracted its new position out of the compromised Believing datalinks.

When the information was confirmed, and any attempts at obfuscation and encryption have been excluded by the semi-sentient Mainframe at Socialism Tunnels, Dragongly Squadrons 26 and 57 of the Aerospace Protectors have been dispatched to annihilate all Believing presence in Bridge of Enlightenment. They encountered resistance in the form of Cherubim class air superiority copters armed with inferior Plasma Shard weaponry and a photon wall mobile AAA company. However that resistance was not enough, sacrifices had to be made by the Protectors, but the heroes of the 26th and 57th Dragonfly Squadrons have obliterated the enemy defenders and the Planet Buster with them leaving nothing but ashes behind.

In other news from the front, Operation Hammer continues as newly deployed Lei Sheng Raider companies make a daring landing on the shores near the University base called Tipped Fedora, circumventing the anti-air oriented defences of the base. The collaborators have however prepared for a land attack by deploying a boil of mindworms near tipped fedora, these vile beasts have been spotted and purged by the 18th Dragonfly Squadron which was on its way to aid the assault on Tipped Fedora. With Tipped Fedora secured, the forces of peace now posses a strategically located air and naval base well protected against the unlikely event of retaliation, greatly augmenting the offensive capacity of the Hive forces**. The success of this operation was followed by further attacks on University military assets, including the destruction of the only known University air superiority chopper squadron, also known as the Hyperhind squadron.

In news unrelated to the Planet War, terraforming and urban development in underdeveloped areas continues. Former drones, oppressed by the Neo-Kulak's, now enjoy much higher standards of living as new facilities and more Orbital Power Stations come online.

images and comments

*I actually saw this coming, as his rover was spotted sneaking through fungus a turn or so earlier, I just couldn't kill it in transit.

**also diminishing the impact of the loss of former Peacekeeping bases on Landmass Three that Kalin took in the last two turns, while providing me with a much better staging area for strikes against Cassidy. I am a bit surprised I did not encounter any University Isles of the Deep along the way, of course I had scouts sent ahead of the transport cruiser to make sure that does not happen, but I figured I would have to kill at least one along the way.

I did suffer one unfortunate loss, a transport cruiser loaded with two shard rovers got sunk in transit by Kalin's chopper.

In other news, not mentioned so far, an alien artefact granted me monopole magnets a few turns back, which I already was far into researching so I would have gotten Hovertanks soon after that. But Hive research got fucked by the random event causing the loss of all lab points, due to some shitty former peacekeeper base not having a network node.

power rankings 2285

The Hive continues growing for obvious reasons of conquest liberation, growth and tech theft research.

Believers are more or less plateauing due to all this Global War business going around.

Brother Lol is getting fed more tech, he's also settling more sea bases which will hopefully get eaten by Isles of the Deep saving me the trouble of sending ships after them.

University losses don't appear to account for much, however this was before I seized Tipped Fedora. Cassidy is also now dominating space as he has two more sats than me (one more skyfarm and one more transmitter). That will change as I have some transmitters of my own finishing soon, plus the University is in no position to favour building these over their Hyperhinds.

Gaians are just collecting energy for some reason.

 

[Kalin]

As final victory continues to elude the Inhuman Hive, Satan grows ever more desperate, lashing out with ever-increasing fury against the Royal Elect Priesthood. In the Sea of Leviathan, on Landmass Three and even on Providence Island and New Eden, the savage puppets of his Demonic Hierarchy carry out increasingly horrendous bludgeoning methods, launching acts of unspeakable terrorism, bombing our children and summoning plague demons in our midst. How faithful our brehtren are to endure this great tribulation, and how futile the effort of our enemy! Rather than to succumb to the onslaught and waver in their duty to the Lord, our brethren intensify their efforts to shun the Defiler, to slay his vile henchmen and to educate the unenlightened masses through loving kindness, opening their eyes to the glorious truth of our Almighty Father. For their service and suffering with Christ, great blessings have been bestowed upon the congregation!

To the Hierarchy of Evil we now declare: for centuries you have bluffed, frightened, forced and nerve-stapled humanity into submission to your oppressive communist racket. For centuries, you have mocked the Lord God, his Royal and Elect Priesthood and his Holy Free Market which turns the wheel of prosperity. Your sins have cried out to Heaven, and the day of reckoning has come - the Lord God, having long adjudged you opposers of his Kingdom, declares through his Word and Prophetess that he will render us invincible and utterly destroy you all.

Woe unto you, you hypocrites! Howl, and cry, and wallow yourself in the ashes of your crumbling realm. The Lord God our Master Builder has shielded his faithful with probability sheaths and tachyon fields - the Lord's executioners shall soon lead each and every one of you to the slaughter, replicating a thousand times the great trampling of wretched Hiveling skulls in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and the glorious slaughter of the Assyrian host by the Angel of the Lord. Upon the withering bones of your multitudes, picked clean by the ravenous Locusts of Chiron, the Lord's Believers shall build the New World Order of the Kingdom of Christ, ruling for all eternity as Priests and Kings of the One True God, all while you burn forever in the fiery depths of Gehinnom!

Spoiler

Contrary to the snazzy vid I haven't actually built any tach fields yet as the tech has 1 turn to go (network overload would be hilarious right now). Also, Hellraiser will definitely probe the tech, so the lead surely won't last that long.

In fact, he already tried to get it the year before when it should've become available, but I anticipated it and switched my budget to full yehzah and psych, focusing on getting those defensive probes up. Sure enough, two lurking fungal pirates materialised and bit the plasma shard, but there are more where those come from and my air forces only have so many moves to cover those fungal-infested seas.

Still, much as the minor victory warmed my heart, it barely begins to compare to the loss of my precious nooka missile. Also, additional massive rape is definitely incoming, I slipped up and stationed interceptors in a base thinking they'd benefit from the Aerospace Complex bonus. Since they don't, I suspect I will have to rebuild it all over again.

At least better armour and dem tachyon majifickz will boost my defences against those damn bombing runs - until the Hive gets stronger weapons, of course. Currently dreading carrier deck the most though - it will be hell to guard against sneaky transports, particularly when Hellraiser has the xeno-satanic dome. I must say I underestimated it quite a bit, used correctly it's all kinds of awesome.

Oh yeah, and Hellraiser snuck a chaos foil over to Brozil's territory and is now menacing his grand Enclave re-settlement plan. Leave Brother Lal alone!

 

[Hellraiser]

Well, this will last a while longer with those coming into play.

The Xenoempathy Dome is quite useful for a conquest game. Not holy shit must have like say the Cyborg Factory, Empath Guild or Hunter-Seeker algorithm, but it gives you additional tactical and strategic flexibility due to the extra mobility. Most importantly one that can't really be countered by the enemy unless he goes into full fungicide mode. With New Sargasso between us, and with clear fungal paths into former Peacekeeping turf, I just had to get it as it made my life a lot easier in addition to just denying it to rivals. Plus it has the added bonus of saving my formers time on fungus removal.

There are no Hive foils in Peacekeeping territory, that is merely inferior capitalist engineering building shoddy bases and colony pods that sink by themselves.

 

[Kalin]

"And I looked, and behold, a pale horse: and the rider upon it was named Death,
and Hell followed with him. Power was given unto them over a fourth of Planet,
to kill with the sword, with hunger, with plague and the beasts of the fungus."

— Revelation 6:8, New Accurately Revised Conclave Bible


Prokhor Zakharov has put up his last defiant stand against the seemingly unstoppable horde of the Inhuman Hive, slaughtering millions of his own people and detonating University bases on a scale that makes the Spartan genocide during the Monsoon War seem a mere trifle by comparison. Death now rides triumphant through the skies of Planet, and ironically, his glorious purge appears to have been initiated by the unleashing of the University's rumoured counter-part of Yang's Hunter-Seeker Algorithm, proving once and for all the danger of technology once placed in the hands of the godless remnant.

With the aid of the pre-sentient military algorithm APEX the diseased brain of every single atheist euphorian still jacked into the blasphemous Virtual World network was summarily fried in a massive righteous manifestation of the ever-burning Holy Flame of Purity! As the decadent faction was still attempting to recover from the onslaught, University death squads ruthlessly descended upon their brethren, slaughtering every man, woman, child, otherkin and transmutant found within the faction's borders. Only their former comrades in the Hive-controlled bases now remain alive in a hellish cycle of perpetual nerve-stapling and brutal slavery, assuming that one can rightly call such a wretched existence "life" to begin with.

In one swift stroke, Death slaughtered the misguided atheist scum of the University and deprived the satanic communist horde of its vast plunder. Truly a miracle of the Lord if ever we saw one! This powerful prophetic event unmistakably signals the imminent conclusion of Armageddon, as well as the utter destruction of all evildoers by the Lord God in Heaven!

"And the angel cried with a loud voice, saying to all the locusts in the midst of heaven: Come, and gather yourselves unto the supper of the great God,
that you may feast on the flesh of Kings, and captains, and all men, both both free and bond, both small and great!"

— Paraphrase of Revelation 19:17-18, New Accurately Revised Conclave Bible

A third blessing came out of the ordeal as well, for despite his stubborn refusal to accept the Light of our Lord and Saviour, Zakharov at least recognised the importance of stopping the Hive onslaught. Mere moments before ending his own life, he authorized the transfer of top-secret records of the final breakthrough of his now obliterated faction - Nanominiaturization, eagerly pursued by the accursed Hiveling enemy - delivering it into the hands of our intellectual elite in Fortress Zion. We can but only hope that this final act of good may weigh in his favour as he stands before the Throne of Christ, and that we will one day meet him in Paradise, reformed, purified and truly enlightened by the eternal truth of the Lord God.

Spoiler

Yep, Cassidy is out! Mass-obliteration may have been the best way to go, really, as there simply were no resources available to repel the Hive invasion force. Even if I'd sunk all my yehzah into helping him get level 6 armour and tachyon fields it would've likely been too late, so better to deny the gains and pull a massive Masada.

Pity we never got to see the University boom or repel the Hive long enough to pursue those godly techs like in his LP. Suffice it to say that defence simply can't be put off in PBEM as it can be in single-player, particularly not when you are in close proximity of the communist ITZ-horde.

 

[Hellraiser]

Buzz TV Nodecast Headlines
Sol 15/08/2290 19:00 HST

Greetings Citizens of both the Hive and of Planet seeking the Truth that shall allow mankind to transcend.

The forces of Peace and Progress have once again triumphed over the reactionary darkness spilling from "New Eden". In an obvious bid to support Planetary Peace as opposed to violent destruction, genocide and ecological holocaust of the capitalist zealots, the people of planet have chosen Chairman Yang as their governor. The Chairman has vowed to defend the values and virtues of harmony and enlightenment he stands for. His first act as Governor is to abolish the exploitative Global Trade Pact, which exists solely so that zealot fat cats can reap all the profits from the labour of weaker factions. Free trade is what doomed Earth, we cannot let it doom Planet as well.

The annihilation of the University itself was no doubt capitalist sabotage. Seeing our triumphant march and liberation of three key University bases within a single year, including the capital University Base itself, Believing agents have grown desperate and sabotaged the primary fusion reactors of university colonies and mass murdered millions, to prevent them from the liberty and harmony the Hive was about to bring. To prevent all the people of Planet from benefiting from the Virtual World. This tragedy, this atrocity from two years ago shall not be forgotten. It is clear that our foe is not man, he is beast, a beast that is incapable of more than its animal instincts allow it to. Limited in its potential and a danger to all, it is a beast that must be put down.

Let it be known that the Hive Guard of Peace, victorious in its mission to spread peace and progress, will continue marching on, no matter the zealot resistance, until Miriam Godwinson hangs for her crimes. No supernatural force will save her, for there is no such thing as divine favour, only men, their minds, their tools and their labour. And the Human Hive is the greatest collective of men, minds, tools and labour. Our work builds the future, our work builds peace and our work shall carry us to victory over the dark forces of reactionary thought and untruth.

Build citizens, fight citizens, march towards victory and transcendence. Together we shall spread across the stars once we eradicate those who revel in the darkest anti-intellectual ideologies. Together we shall build a true collective, the Hive of Humanity.

propaganda off, maybe

I will not deny that Cassidy suicide displeased me, I was hoping to take the Virtual World and was most disappointed when I realised it was not at University Base but at Sagangrad. That and I planned to steal glorious Hovertank tech from the University, which would essentially allow me to instant research something else. Could have prevented the full suicide by killing everything in a base and leaving it empty and exposed for probing.

I still took the Supercolider and some bases. Less than I would prefer to but enough to make a difference, if only during the Governorship vote. Although my raw population still had to content with Kalin's Empath Guild+Longetivity Vaccine vote bonus. Luckily what happened to the University proved to make for good persuasion material convincing that voting for Miriam is not in anyone's interest.

However the University suicide is not all bad, the Believers lost a fair chunk of commerce profits and a research partner forcing them to do their own research. That and I have now a secured south-western flank and my forces can focus on one enemy.

I am now trying to abolish the Global Trade pact, but I doubt I'll have enough support for the measure as that's not a pop-based vote. Believers and Peacekeepers will vote Nay against my Yes. I would need both neutral factions to vote Yes to have it pass. Unlikely, should have killed Brother Lol first before launching this vote.

 

[Kalin]

The behaviour of the Gaians has no doubt come as a shock to us all. Why did our formal allies vote the beastly Sheng-Ji Yang into office? Why didn't they vote for Sister Miriam instead, the friend and protector of all good people on Planet? And why, oh why did they vote YEA to sabotage the Planetary Prosperity Pact, when it would so obviously damage our market-driven Congregation? While it can be difficult to believe, the answers to all these questions can actually be found in this popular portrait of "Lady" Deirdre Skye. But how can this be?

Before we go any further, it is important to know that image mirroring is one of the secret techniques that cultists have employed throughout history to hide their blasphemous evil in plain sight. The corporate Moloch-worshipers on Earth used it to great effect, as did the satanic Morganites during their reign of terror on Planet. To mask these vile practices, demonically inspired "scientists" have once and again sought to explain away identified satanic content as "coincidental" or the result of mental and visual "conditions" plaguing the beholder. Faithful Believers know better than to fall for such obvious deception and trickery!

Now, at first glance, of course, there is nothing immediately wrong with the picture of Deirdre, at least not aside from her dull, no doubt xeno-drugged gaze and liebrul-whorish attire. However, focus your attention to her right shoulder - what do you see next to it? It is no mere shadow brethren. There is more to this than meets the eye. A simple mirror effect reveals the hidden nature of our "great ally" for all to see!

TRUTH BOMB! Deirdre and her Gaians are in bed with the Father of Lies!

This revelation sheds perfect, truthful light upon all the events involving their accursed faction:

2185 AD – The wretched Gaians feign innocence to bait the faithful into the Monsoon War, all while they sit safe at home enjoying the show.
2200 AD – As the war turns in favour of the faithful, the Gaians finally join in to reap all the rewards without any risk or sacrifice of their own.
2251 AD – Despite accepting payment to let us use their airbases, Deirdre colludes with Yang and declares the "Gaian Neutrality Act" to expel us from their territory.
2290 AD – The Gaians betray the faithful once again, electing the depraved satanic puppet Sheng-Ji Yang as Planetary Governor.
2291 AD – The Gaians vote YEA to rescind the Prosperity Pact, causing losses of hundreds of thousands yehudimzahav, further strengthening the vile Beast!

No wonder they have been aiding the Beast, bowing down before it and doing its bidding at every turn. What we thought was cowardice was in fact pure calculating devil-worship!

Willingly, even proudly, our false allies wear the damning mark of the Beast upon their foreheads! The will of the Lord God is clear: the Gaians must be utterly destroyed and the Monsoon Jungle returned to the Spartan Federation!

Rejoice, all you of pure heart, for soon our holy retribution will sweep the wretched cultist plague off the face of Planet! The Lord's Believers are at war with the Gaians - we have always been at war with the Gaians!

 

[Hellraiser]

Of course the propaganda failed to mention that the Gaians abstained in the governor vote, although, to the Hive's surprise, they voted yea for the trade pact repeal along with the Spartans. Really shocking that was, I expected the measure to fail.

Anyway it is called the Planet War for a reason. Gaians got quite possibly the worst starting position ever. You have warmongers to the south, warmongers to the north and warmongers to the west. It was only a matter of time before this happened, although neutrality was the best choice given that you have two factions fond of doing gas attacks and launching nukes within striking range. Nobody is going to tolerate anybody staging choppers or planet busters on Gaian turf and doing so would just paint the Gaians as a target.

Naturally though the Hive is coming to the aid of the Gaian people, because they are an oppressed progressive peoples wanting only peace. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Kalin]

Oh, I actually didn't know Oscar abstained (can't see the results in PBEM). Still, the loss of the Trade Pact cut my profits by nearly 200 credits. In fact, I am down to half my annual yehzah from when I was trading happily with the University, and my research rate has really gone down the rec tanks. It used to be I could rush-build the things I wanted, now it's getting harder and harder to keep up. Massive oy vey!

 

[Hellraiser]

 

[oscar]

While Gaia had attempted to navigate peacefully through the Great Hive-Believer War many suspected it was only a matter of time until Gaia would find itself forcibly embroiled. While the threat of Believer force (tragically employed on the innocent civilians of the north to secure Gaian diplomatic support and basing rights) had kept the Gaians silent, inwardly that seethed at the brutal and callous behaviour towards a former ally.

Miriam's recent invasion has taken few by surprise however and despite more despicable use of toxic weaponry upon Gaia's Landing, the capital still stands proud and free. The only clear Believer victory has been over the lightly defended and sparsely populated eastern frontier. The great sons and daughters of Gaia however have no intention to sit idly in their forcefields and a recent counter-attack has seen Deidre's airwolves turn scores of Miriam's flying butchers into flaming wreckages scattered across the broad plains of the east. Counter-attack in the north by Gaian mobile armoured units have also been generally successful with orbitally-inserted light armour launching lightning strikes on the Believer infantry fanatics and retreating to safety before a response can be organised.

Ultimately the Gaians stand ready. We know the struggle may be hard and bloody but in the end there can be no doubt about who justice and, ultimately, victory shall rest with.

 

[Hellraiser]

Buzz TV Breaking News
Sol 20/08/2293 15:58 HST

Nuclear detonation detected by Red Dawn II orbital sensors. Initial report claim usage of the last remaining fanatic thermonuclear device at Gaia's Landing, following unsuccessfully zealot hovertank gas assault. More details to follow.

 

[Hellraiser]

Unfortunately my job decided to remind me why I really need to change it, so I lack the time or energy to write proper propaganda. But here's what is happening now (MY 2295):

- Despite the nuking of Gaia's Landing all Believer invasion forces in Gaian territory have either fled or been killed. Kalin even razed his base he used as a staging area (he set it up in no-man's land in the norther of Landmass Two using a needlejet colony pod shortly before the war).
- Hive Air Support and Gaian rovers pushed away hostile choppers and drop troops. One occupied base was liberated, another was lost.
- Hive troops have very quickly reinforced major Gaian bases in the Monsoon Jungle, granting much needed AAA troops to bolster the Gaians while they erected Aerospace Complexes, making further Believing gas strikes likely to fail.
- Believer Air Force continues making the spring 1945 Luftwaffe look unstoppable, with choppers and needlejet numbers vastly outnumbered by Hive forces, often severely damaged and too far apart to mount any offensive.
- Believer industry is still busy focusing on defensive troops, but also construction of new Planet Busters has begun. One will finish this turn (MY 2295), two more are being built. Offensive troops are nowhere to be seen. Just some conventional missiles, a chopper somewhere, I think.
- My 4th Planet Buster will finish next year, so I can easily continue to maintain my strategic nuclear advantage.
- I have rebuilt the sea base Kalin razed, shame to waste all those sea tile improvements it had. Also its location makes it a good transit base, especially with the Gaians at war.
- Former Peacekeeping bases start identifying themselves as Hive bases. Also they're nearly done rebuilding.
- Believers switched to Planned Economy, which pretty much killed their energy production and research. At 80% economy they make less than 200 energy per turn, compared to mine 300+ at 50% econ. My research time is 5 turns, theirs is something obscene in the 3 digit range (was 25 turns at 40% labs on free market a turn ago).

 

[Kalin]

The great Day of the Lord God is near,
near and coming very quickly;
Hear the sound of the Day of the Lord God!
When it's here, even the warriors will cry bitterly.

For that Day is a Day of fury,
a Day of trouble and distress,
a Day of waste and desolation,
a Day of darkness and gloom,
a Day of clouds and thick fog,
a Day of the shofar and battle-cry
against the fortified cities
and against the high towers.

"I will bring such distress on the people
that they will grope their way like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord God.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their bowels like excrement.

Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them.
On the day of the Lord God's fury,
the whole land will be destroyed
in the fire of his jealousy.
For he will make an end, a horrible end,
of all those living in the land."

— Zephaniah 1:14-18, Conclave Bible

Blessings of the Holy Flame! Gaia's Landing has been wiped off the face of Planet, cleansing all of its blasphemous inhabitants in direct retribution for their collusion with the Beast and opposition to the Throne of Christ. Yet even as the burnt cultists now languish for all eternity in the even greater flames of Gehinnom, the anger of the Lord God has not abated - more sacrifices are needed, declares the mouth-piece of the Lord, more blood for the Lord God! And thus, Mount Deirdre, the very symbol of the satanic faction and its pagan nature worship, has also been struck by the might of the Divine Hand, flattening it completely and ripping asunder the wretched homeland of the Gaians, slaying everyone and everything within.

Aptly renamed for its new irradiated crater, the purified landmark is henceforth known as "the Glow", and it should provide a powerful witness to all those who take up arms against the Elect Priesthood of New Eden. These glorious manifestations of the Divine Flame of Purity are but a preview of the all-devouring purge on the Great Day of the Lord God, when the Sacred Flame shall sweep across Planet and consume all in its path, paving the way for the Thousand-Year Kingdom.

Spoiler

Enjoyable as that was, things don't look good! Hellraiser is suicide-bombing my precious boreholes, and has either probed or extorted some additional technological advances. He also has the production advantage and has a greater territory thanks to his conquests. I'm not dead yet though, and planned does at least allow me to pop boom. +2 Industry is pretty sweet as well, and pretty much the entire Believing population has now been nerve-stapled, making drone management a non-issue.

Like Hellraiser said, I'm investing in more Planet Busters. If there's hope, it's in thermonuclear war.

Spoiler

Besides, they'll come in handy for the very likely scenario of pulling the Masada card.

 

[Hellraiser]

Tech got probed, you had holes in your probe coverage.

 

[Hellraiser]

Buzz TV Nodecast Headlines
Sol 05/09/2297 19:00 HST

Greetings Citizens of both the Hive and of Planet seeking the Truth that shall allow mankind to transcend.

Today we celebrate a year since the Victory on Landmass Three day. It was a year ago that the forces of Peace and Progress have seized the last reactionary outpost on landmass Three belonging to the fanatical Great Enemy. New Massada, now named Nexus of Harmony, was captured by Lei Sheng Raiders in a daring operation. Unlike the previous heroic attack on that Believing outpost, this one was not suddenly repelled through zealot treachery. The Believers, unaware of our plans, have foolishly settles a new base in the vicinity of New Masada, making it exposed to the already in progress operation.

With Righteous Sentence doomed to fall, the fanatical inhabitants have initiated the self-destruct sequence, detonating the reactors of the base and killing thousands. Truly an unimaginable and horrifying show of reactionary animal-like lack of reason.

Meanwhile our forces on Landmass Two continue aiding the oppressed Gaian people. The Gaians in particular have welcome the deployment of some of our Revolution-class Thermonuclear Deterrent Forces in their base, after the inhuman nuclear strikes launched against Gaia's Landing and Song of Planet. With those forces the Gaian Jungle is now secure from zealot attack.

Dragonfly squadrons continue their raids on zealot assets, destroying large numbers of robotic crawlers, terraformers, collapsing thermal boreholes and destroying any enemy forces encountered.

Black trefoils - nuclear detonation sites
Red trefoils - nuclear weapon deployment sites (approximate coverage shown)
Yellow trefoils- current nuclear weapon construction sites
White trefoils - nuclear weapon destruction sites

Currently have two Believer bases in range, thanks to the fact Gaia's Landing was nuked and the sole Believing PB no longer had coverage over my northern cape.

Currently the Believers used three Planet Busters as opposed to one of mine. I destroyed both destroyed planet busters.

the deed

Well second time was a charm and New Masada is mine, probably because I took it in one turn this time around, without investigating a monolith. Razed that other base, it was pretty useless.

power ratings

Growing strong while Believers are stagnating. Currently they are 17 years away from researching Nanometalurgy with an income of 60-ish energy credits a year. Meanwhile I get 300+ energy per year and 6 turn research. So it does not look good for them.

Of course it seems Kalin uncovered one of my schemes and sunk a transport as well as some other assets so I did suffer some losses. Did not expect the scheme to work anyway although it would be great if it did. With the final century approaching, things will probably heat up as the fight will no doubt move closer to his turf.

 

[Hellraiser]

Paging The Brazilian Slaughter to stop stalling ITZ and play his turn already.

 

[Hellraiser]

Buzz TV Nodecast Headlines
Sol 15/08/2300 19:00 HST

Greetings Citizens of both the Hive and of Planet seeking the Truth that shall allow mankind to transcend.

Victorious Hive forces launch Operation Dragon Talon and achieve first of the many strategic objectives of operation Dragon Talon, the invasion of New Eden has begun and a beachhead has been secured. While final objective, the complete destruction of the belligerent zealot faction, is still far, we draw closer to the final hour of victory! Our forces are at New Jerusalem's doorstep, "Sister" Miriam, Anti-human Criminal Prime, sees our forces of peace marching towards her temples of reactionarism!

The Zealot forces, hopeless outmatched on Landmass Two, on the Sea of Leviathan and now even on their own Home territory, are guaranteed to crumble as our forces of Peace and Progress march onwards. Already the newly liberated bases, now named Sword of Progress and Harbinger of Peace, see a massive citizen re-education and deprogramming effort being enforced by the Hive Guard of Peace. The former zealots have started to see reason and are now fully integrated into the Hive of Humanity, producing much needed materials to aid our struggle towards transcendence.

In other war news, the Peacekeeping Neo-Kulak Remnant has suffered major loses as Operation Thunderclap left one of the major sea colony platforms on the verge of collapse. With the loss of both boreholes, their entire garrison and all terraformers and most of its population, the industrial capacity of the Peacekeepers is now even more negligible. Meanwhile their Believing allies saw a similar fate at Mount Yehzah, where Dragonflies left the base utterly devastated with 90% of the population dead.

In Peace and Progress news. The Solar Shade has been launched stemming the tide of rising sea levels. The Hive's dominant position in Space is solidified as our Aerospace Complexes were major contributors to this Planetary Project.

Furthermore the Chairman has hinted that a major breakthrough is about to happen, one which will be vital to securing us on a path to trandescence. In the next ten years, the Human Hive shall see a great leap forward, a new Golden Age of prosperity! Meanwhile the zealots shall continue on their decline, until they finally crumble under our might!

Dragon Talon Phase I aftermath

The invasion has begun, while losing one of my transports sucked, I had more of those coming. With complete Air and Naval superiority, the Believing forces had no way of stopping it. Of course I fully expect to see nukes flying soon.