If you want a little info about sots, I started a thread on it here:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=134


This is a game Folko and I decided to play in succession. Each of us will play twelve turns, then post the save game for the other to play the next twelve turns, and back again and so forth until we conquer the galaxy or die horribly.


So, without further ado:


Turn 1:
The human solar system, known as Hercules, is situated at the edge of this globular galaxy:


The first human starships, named the Exploratoria class, are designed. 3 of these will be built this year to explore the recently discovered ‘node lines’ which lead from Hercules. Though there are four node lines, we do not have the industrial capacity to build another. It will have to wait until next year.
Because we wish to improve our industrial capabilities, we start research on remote control production devices, known as Waldo Units.


Turn 2:
The three Exploratoria are ready for deployment. The trips range from 7.1 to 10.9 lightyears, and will take between 2 and 3 years to fully explore. (Humans are the fastest movers, but limited to their node lines. They travel 4 lightyears per turn(year) from the start of the game)

These ships have around 30 crewmembers, a hold full of movies, plus eighteen terabytes of porn so they shouldn’t have too much trouble with cabin fever.

We will not be able to communicate with them until they come out of nodespace.

Turn 3:
The fourth Exploratoria is completed, and ordered to explore the last nodeline from Hercules. We prepare to hear the happy news of Exploration fleet Alpha’s arrival in the Durendal system.

Turn 4:
Disaster! Our Exploratoria comes out of the nodeline, and immediately encounters these strange creatures:

It is only able to send a brief FTL communication with these images from its camera drones before it is destroyed:





Some kind of swarm creatures, they appear to propel plasma from their mandibles. The galaxy has not welcomed us with open arms… but with open gun ports. We will have our vengeance, and know to be well armed in future.

Next year, Explorer fleets Beta and Gamma will reach the Nemesis and Kepler systems. We will see what else this galaxy brings.

T 5
Neither Kepler nor Nemesis hold any surprises. They contain planets, but with terrible corrosive atmospheres, we have no way of establishing a presence here.

We design the Enabler class, a ship typified by its large fuel tanks. It is lightly armed, but will allow our Exploratoria ships keep on exploring without needing to return to the home system. They will also bring relief crews, and fresh stocks of porn.


We put two of these into production, along with a new Exploratoria.

The scouts are ordered to explore the new nodelines which have been found at the discovered systems.

Research on Waldo units has started to go over budget.


(out of game note: many people use tankers for exploration, because though they can’t make as long single jumps as the extended range section, they have a longer absolute range; their disadvantage is that they are less well armed, and so don’t have much chance of surviving an encounter with an other race’s scout… they also cost twice as much as an extended range ship)



T 6
The Cygnus system, the last nodeline from Hercules, is explored, and found to be much like Kepler and Nemesis.
The newly built Enabler class encounters a problem: its range without refuelling is not enough to bring it down a nodeline longer than 9 lightyears, leaving it incapable of travelling anywhere but Durendal, the infested system.

Waldo Units are now massively overbudget, having already cost us 48% more than their planned cost.


T 7
The Betelgeuse and Octans systems are explored. Interestingly, Octans might be able to support life, though it would be an expensive undertaking:



Indeed, it would cost more to attempt to terraform the Octans planet than the entire production capacity of Hercules.

We design a combat craft, the Agamemnon class. It carries ten laser cannon, with one paired set on a central larger turret. We put the first three into production, of which two will be completed this year.


T 8
Orcus is explored. This system appears to share some characteristics with earth, circa 2 billion BC… with a monumental terraforming effort, this world might support a human colony!


The Exploratoria class which found Orcus does not have the fuel to tavel down any more node lines. It is therefore ordered to rotate its crews in suspended animation and guard the system and serve as a picket.

More good news: Waldo Units are finally available for use! The wait is worth it, as it improves all our manufacturing efficiency by ten percent!

Though this opens up other research options, including reflective armour coating, which would partially protect us against lasers like our own; orbital foundries, which would reduce the cost of producing ships and possibly lead to larger hulls eventually; and finally, Cybernetic Interfaces… a technology which would allow individuals control over huge groups of machines with their mind alone, improving both building capacity and individual ship building efficiency.

However, we must prioritise, and we now start to work on a pulsed fission drive. Not only would this allow our ships to move faster in-system, but it would increase their fuel efficiency, to allow them to travel longer nodelines. This will be absolutely vital to our expansion, so we set research to use all the recourses we have available.

The research allows for us to redesign our ships for enhanced combat effectiveness:



This new bridge section is better armoured, and sports another laser cannon, it has specially designed lateral thrusters on both sides of the ‘hammer’ section, allowing the ship to turn much faster than the original Agamemnon design, along with a slight speed increase.
Three of these are put into production, two of which, plus the Agamemnon from last year, will complete in the coming year.

T 9
The Psius and Henja systems are scouted. Henja could potentially support life.


We plan the production of three more Agamemnon II class vessels. This will bring our first real fleet into operation, then counting 6 Agamemnon II class, 3 Agamemnon class, and two Enabler class refuelling tankers.

T 10
The Exploratoria class scout which first discovered Orcus has arrived at the Shay’Mi system, and there is something there!
It’s a ship, with an organic looking, flowing curve design. We count 5 turrets in total, four with extended barrels, and the fifth looking like some kind of missile launcher set into the central hull.


Its drive system seems to consist of these extended pods, and a rotating, glowing disc at the rear of the vessel. The drive system does not appear to confer much acceleration though, as it has only a very low speed while it approaches our ship.


Though both vessels target each other, the alien ship does not open fire, and our crew maintains its composure enough to do likewise. The captain reports a strange sensation, likening it to a headache, and says that he found himself bringing up memories of home and his travels while the other ship was nearby.

After a few minutes of circling each other, where the ship displayed high manoeuvrability, despite low speed, we broke off, and so did the alien vessel.


With our new Agamemnon IIs completed at Hercules, we name the fleet Task Force Pesticide. It receives its first ever orders, to head to Durendal and engage the Swarm aliens. We hope these will not be the last orders they ever receive.

With these military matters examined, the greatest miracle of the year may well be the discovery of the Excalibur system:

The Exploratoria which reached it reports that this system contains a planet with a thriving ecosystem, an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, and what appears to be both edible vegetation and fauna. If the Swarm is neutralised, our node physicists claim that there will be an open route from Hercules to Excalibur encompassing three nodelines, each no more than 7.5 lightyears in length. We can feasibly, and with economic ease, create a second home for the Human race. This must be our greatest priority from now on.

T11
The alien vessel leaves Shay’Mi, heading for Noshu at Faster Than Light speeds. There is no nodeline in that direction, so we couldn’t follow even if our ship had fuel to do so. It is ordered to rotate cryosleep and act as another picket.

We prepare for the coming encounter at Durendal. If our scientists are correct, they will also provide us with the capability to create Pulsed Fission drives in the coming year.

T12
We come out of nodespace to engage the swarm. Due to lack of clear command and control systems in place, Task Force Pesticide reverts to normal space in a haphazard fashion, the two enabler tankers and three older Agamemnon designs come out first, along with three Agamemnon II class. The rest of the ships are not yet ready to engage.


A large brawl ensues, with the occasional pops of an exploding swarm creature in the melee, but also the jarring thuds of their plasma projectiles pockmarking our hulls.


Our first major loss comes when a stray plasma bolt ignites a fuel lead on one of our Enablers, it starts a chain reaction and the ship rips apart in a massive explosion


Fortunately, just moments later one of the delayed Agamemnon II class reverts to normal space, and joins the fray with all guns blazing.




Now that the swarm has been thinned out in earnest, Task Force Pesticide sets course for the dark, patterned asteroid in the distance that appears to be the Swarm’s Hive.



When in range, the fleet opens fire, all weapons on maximum yield.


Under the onslaught, the asteroid begins to crack and buckle, and it even sprouts flaming leaks of some kind where our shots pound into it.
One of the last surviving swarm aliens caused our second Enabler class tolose its fuel tank, but not before jettisoning fuel canisters, which will allow Task Force Pesticide to return home, victorious.


Eventually, the strain becames too much for the Hive asteroid, and it blows up in a spectacular blast, washing over our hulls without causing any further damage.



Now, Task Force Pesticide can return home. We suspect that the onboard Champaign stores will be depleted before their arrival.

The brave souls aboard the first Enabler will be remembered, along with the casualties aboard the other vessels, and the crew of the first Exploratoria which arrived at this terrible place. This day is henceforth a galaxy wide holiday, the first interstellar victory of the Human race!



T12
Victory is achieved, and along with it comes the advent of the Pulsed Fission Drive, we begin research into ultraviolet lasers, to improve our combat capabilities. We will not lose more brave souls in space without putting up the best fight we can.

(as you can see, there is a link to the cheaper, and less powerful green lasers. That link is always there, and there’s a % chance of getting a direct bypassing link to UV lasers, and we go lucky.)


Grand Admiral Raziel is now taking a twelve year sabbatical. It is now up to Overlord Folko to lead us to further victory among the stars!



----------------------------------------------------------------------

Savefile is here: http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~py1eu0

Just come and ply Sins with me if you love this game so much lol. Sick of being the only Demon.

So... because I like this game, I should go play an inferior one?


Naw, seriously, I'm trying to get my hands on a copy of sins, it's just taking me a while. My economic capacity is limited

Turn 12:

New ship class, destroyer hull based colony ship, under simple name of Colonizer Mk2 Introduced. These ships are made using latest technologies, which include newly invented pulsed fission engines.

Our scientists started work on UV lasers.

Fleet Pesticide has been ordered back to Homeworld, to conduct needed repairs. ETA on arrival - 2 years.

Turn 14:

Fleet Pesticide is being sent Excalibur to protect colony, that is going to be started on that planet.

Colony ships depart to Excalibur, with newly designed Enabler II, featuring new bridge section - that packs more firepower, as well as new - more powerful engines.


Turn 18:

Song of Peace alliance invited us to NAP. Offer was refused, as no benefit for our alliance was seen.

Turn 19:

Ultara explored - small and barren world, good only for mining base perhaps, with almost 6000 resource units. Exploration team moves on.

Turn 21:

Colony on Excalibur created.
Exploration team reports: planet slightly larger then Excalibur (type 6) found. Semi-friendly atmosphere, with classification no. of 124. Distance of approx 16.3 ly from Homeworld, planet was named Tully. New colonizing team is being assembled as we speak to claim this beautiful world.

Turn 22:
New colonizing fleet departs to planet Tully.

Turn 23:
UV lasers project is ready, our scientists recived valuable rewards for their effort. Agamemnon+ class is created, to make use of them. Right now, our scientifict powers, are being directed into battle computers project.

Turn 24:
One of exploration fleets is about to discover a new world, and will send information as soon as it will become avalaible.
I step down from my command, handing position over to Raziel

link to save: http://www.folko.republika.pl/SotS/RnFt24.sav (sorry for changing naming theme, needed for ftp)

raz tx for a nice post but can u plz keep the pics as links except a few next time? the page gets a bit long

T24

We set Excalibur’s limited resources to 90% infrastructure improvement, 10% terraforming. Also, we start overharvesting to accelerate its readiness to become the habitat for millions upon millions of humans; this increases temporary industrial output by 1800%, while decreasing its long term effectiveness by 5% per year. This is a price we are willing to pay, though for a short time only.
The Enablers at Excalibur are sent to explore the offshoot nodelines nearby; the 9 remaining ships of Task Force Pesticide remain.

The Enabler+ and Exploratoria+ are designed, making use of the new UV laser technology.

T26

We stop overharvesting now that Excalibur’s infrastructure has reached 7.5% of its eventual total capacity; this will give it enough of a head start without reducing its ultimate usefulness unduly.

T27

An Enabler class sent from Excalibur finds the Egoun system. It is barely able to send the audio message ‘Song of Peace fish people here! Colon…’ before we presume it is destroyed. This system is only ten lightyears away from Excalibur via Pentacon.


Our scientists report that Battle Computers are ready for deployment three full years ahead of their estimation. They are all granted a free subscription to SotS: Online (Hercules’s premier holographic MMO-4X), to last until their next overbudget technology.

We design the Forinax class command ship; it will allow us to control larger groups of ships at once, and to place them in specific battle formations ahead of time.
The Forinax Class

Our researchers are ordered to work on Cybernetic Interfaces to improve our industrial base further and speed up ship building; unfortunately, they claim this will take at least sixteen years to make ready.

Tully is reached by the small colonization fleet. We order them to set down and claim its world as our own.
Tully

T28

Tully is now a Human world. Again, we set Tully to 90% infrastructure improvement, 10% terraforming with overharvesting to accelerate its growth; here, this early boost increases rate of improvement 20-fold while again decreasing its long term effectiveness by 5% per year.

T30

We encounter more fish people at Moshu. They use a type of mass driver weaponry, along with long range, though weak fission missiles. Our old Exploratoria class scout is more than a match for them, our outdated red lasers demolishing their bridge with ease, before moving on to their main hull, hoping to spare their drive section for an extended examination of their engines.


Unfortunately, they turn away from us to flee, and we are forced to destroy them utterly. Their missiles prove ineffective.


We also encounter yet more of the swarm at Rigel, they were apparently not limited to only the Durendal system…

Already there are three million good souls on Excalibur, and ten times that many Humans.

T32

An old Exploratoria reaches the Bomono system… there is a huge and heavily armed asteroid there, which opens fire on the vessel almost immediately. It sent a report of receiving fish-speak transmissions before the missiles the Asteroid Monitor launched hit, destroying the ship on a single volley. This is most worrying.


We hope that these are not usual battle-stations for the fish-people, as we doubt they can be easily assaulted. They do however use what appear to be normal mass driver and missile weapons for this race, though exponentially more powerful than those on the individual ships which we have encountered. Strangely, none of the planets in the system supported any water, so we presume there is no fish colony, and it would probably be uninhabitable to us from the short scans that the Exploratoria was able to perform.

A fish ship is detected as incoming on Excalibur; it will cross the 4 lightyear distance in three years. Our defensive fleet should be more than sufficient to neutralise them.

Ilmatar is found which could one day support a colony. We leave it be for now, until the two current colonies are ready for full scale production on their own.
Ilmatar


T34

We have an interesting and violent encounter is at the Etek’tet system, here we find ships of designs quite dissimilar from the fish vessels, and we close to examine them.
This particular exemplar is intriguing; it has a high power energy field extended in a kind of triangle above its hull. The purpose of this field is not known, but the energy readings are off the scale.


This appears to be a combat vessel, 9 turrets of some kind, plus what appear to be two individual missile launchers on the sides. It approaches us at speed, and opens fire with its missiles!
Battle vessel

We barely make it to firing range before its mass drivers pulverise the hull of our ship, and shortly after it is lost.

T35

We find more single fish ships at Chepren and Henja, and at Chepren we see that the fish have drastically redesigned their vessels, and it appears the redesign is meant to copy us!


A command section like our hammerheads, their missile launcher and mass drivers replaced with red lasers, as they have seen on all of our ships that they have encountered. Though this is puzzling, and more than a little disturbing, at least they have not yet seen our UV laser technology, lest they had copied that also.

Thankfully, our armour and importantly our battle tactics still seem to be more advanced than theirs, as we are able to manoeuvre behind them and destroy their engines before they seriously damage us, and we were able to proceed to destroy them utterly.
Precision fire
Our experience at Henja was similar.

Though we expected the fish ship we detected earlier to arrive at Excalibur this year, but, presumably due to their detecting our force there, they have bypassed the system entirely.

Henja and Chepren are examined more closely, and while Henja is unappealing, Chepren contains a very large planet, almost the size of Hercules, with a great many exploitable natural resources. It even appears to have an early carbon-oxygen based ecosystem in the process of spreading over the planet. It can be made habitable to humans with some work, and with the planet looking so appealing, this should be strongly considered.


We decide to build three Agamemnon+ class vessels at the homeworld to ensure its protection against the multitude of alien ships which appear to roam around the galaxy.

T36

The Lomoshu system is found, which contains another planet which could some day be habitable.
Lomoshu

The three Agamemnon+ at Hercules are ready for duty, and are assigned to the Home Guard fleet.

Grand Admiral Raziel signing off for 12 more years while I enjoy a much earned rest playing SotS: Online.



-----------------------------------------


Here's the save, your naming is fine:
http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~jab2pw

Turn 36:

Overbeast Folko takes over

NAP request from fish people rejected again

Turn 38:

Enabler II sent to explore nearby star found enemy colony there. Colony belong to fish people. Facing planetary defenses - with 3 missisile silos acrosss the globe, capitain decided to disengage. Some damage was done though, and this ship will be sent back to conduct repairs on homeworld.

Two new Exploratoria+ constructed. Their mission: to boldly go, where no Exploratoria (or Enabler) has gone before. Hopefully.

Turn 39:
Enabler arrived to Zhadum, promptly after disengaging node drive, it was assaluted by slavers and destroyed within seconds. Only intel about planet we could get, is about it's classification no: 70. We will be focusing our colonizing efforts on this one.

Enemy ships incoming on Chavren detected. Bugships, in number of 9 will arrive to system within 3 years. Intelligence officer was shot, for not providing this information earlier.

To handle this threat, we ordered 4 more Agememnon+ and one Forinax class destroyer on our homeworld. They will be ready within 2 years.

Turn 41:
One of our Exploratoria+ encountered a fishpeople destroyer on Nemesis. It was neutralized within seconds, thanks to superior firepower.

New fleet, under codename of 'Paktu - S'jet Armada is departing to intercept bugships. While not as strong as it could be, we belive superior firepower will grant us victory. Fleet will arrive to it's destination within 8 years.

Exploratoria II will be scouting on Chaven, hopefully, we'll get to know enemy fleet composition.

Turn 42:
Thanks to sacrifice of Exploratoria II's captaion we've come to know what we are facing here:
- 5 battle destroyers, heavly missile oriented with mass driver weapons as support.
- 1 destroyer with giant, glowing wings. Role of this ship remains unknown.
- 1 support destroyer, it's assumed it's fleet tanker.

Forinax class destroyer will be constructed on Excalibur - this planet will reach it's full potential this year. Empire - wide celebrations are announced.

Turn 43:
Our scientists finished research on Cybernetics Interface.

Research on VRF technology started, hopefully, with enhanced ROF we will manage to counter bug-missiles somehow...

Turn 44:
Task force Pesticide, now with Forinax class destroyer as support departs to Zhadum - to clear it of any enemy menace it will encounter, and prepearing planet to recive our colonists.

Turn 46:
VRF research overbudget...
One of our Exploratoria found Arcadia. Large and resource rich planet, however it's enviroment classivication is slightly over 400. Good investment, but possibly on later term.

Turn 48:
VRF technology obtained, Point Defense Tracking tech started.

Task Force Pesticide, encountered ship of alien design. Intially we were not firing at each other, but after direct order from homeworld, we opened fire. Enemy ships was destroyed after one volley. After exemining the wreck, we found that it's crew cinsists of weird monkey shaped creatures - possibly another evolution variant of human? Hopefully we will be good allies in the future, right now many in fleet regret that our first contact ended like this.

One of our Exploratoria+ was attacked by 4 enemy destroyers. Which seemed as hopeless engagement, turned out to be brilliant victory - enemy fleet consisted of 3 colony ships and one tanker. All of them were taken care of. Crew of Exploratoria, as well as their families here, one homeworld were rewarded for their victory.

PS Armada will intercept bugships next year.

Colonizers with Enabler are being prepeared on Excalibur - their destination: Zhadum, once Task Force Pesticide confirms it's safe.

Save: http://www.folko.republika.pl/SotS/RnFt48.sav

WHERES THE REST OF THE TURNS? sorry caps.

you havnt finished the game yet, i was watching that!

Of Topic thing But ,Hideki can i have ur mail..i need to discuss something with u regarding (L)ife (o)f (L)overs topic.

do you know how to do 'private message' ffs??? (click on the PM icon on my post, if you didnt know or just click on 'Email' and it will dispatch mail to me, if you write it there, so please use either of those.) not stick it at the end of a whole different thread.

and im sure i dont have to say tfl actually dont own.
also, raz, please make links to the pics and not make them as actual images plz, the thread is getting gigantic.