Turn 1: January 1st, 2227...
"On this day, the Korath Clan begins its expansion. Those pathetic Eart creatures have unwittingly shared the schematic for a useful Hyperdrive engine, which has been outfitted on a new Colony ship which waits for launch. We will take that ship to expand the borders of the Korath Clan, with doom awaiting any that should threaten our great nation!"
And thus we begin. We start off by being immediately taken to the Research screen and pick out our first research project. I decide to go with the shortest wait time*, which is Corrupted Genetics. In addition to some handy bonuses*, it allows us to research the Medicine Tree, which focuses on Population Growth and Production.
Next we are taken to the home planet of Kora. It is a Class 10 planet, meaning it has 10 sites available to build things on. It looks like a bunch of islands inside a volcano. Geez, no wonder these guys are so hateful. Looking for any inherent surface bonuses and I flip the fuck out: One site has gives 700% bonus to all Manufacturing sites there! Unfortunately, I have no buildings available to make use of this, so I buy a Basic Slave Pit* for 204bc* so I can have that bonus to start off with and then get started on building a Slaveling Imagination Lab*, which will be complete in 8 weeks. In addition, I get the Starport to get started on a Constructor ship, so I can start setting up some orbital defenses. Unfortunately, it will take 23 weeks to get it built. Ugh...
With that out of the way, I get to see the start of my empire. There is a general information panel showing me some statistics about Kora. It informs me that it has a population of 8 billion people living on it, I have an approval rating of 87%, it is bringing in 22 bc and I am spending 16 bc on it. This is all fine and dandy and good stuff.
I notice I now have 2796 bc in my treasury, after splurging on the Basic Slave Pit. I also see I have three ships at the ready: a Space Miner, which I set to work on a nearby Asteroid Field; a Colony Ship, which I can use to colonize empty, habitable worlds; and a Flagship, which is the only ship that can investigate Anomalies.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 1
- 1000 bc
- 1 bc ("It must be my lucky day!" Hurr hurr.)
- +1% to Population Growth
Finally, I raise my Taxation Rate from 33% to 54%, as that stops me from dipping into the <50% approval area, and allows me to have a net income of 18bc.
Turn 2: January 8th, 2227...
Exploring the area immediately south-west of my starting point*, I find a Class 9 planet. Unfortunately, I cannot reach it in time to colonize it this turn, but I will be able to next turn.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 2
- +1% to Economy
Turn 3: January 15th, 2227...
My Space Miner arrives at the first Asteroid Field and begins setting up the mining operation.
In addition, I notice an Ascension Crystal nearby. Ascension Crystals allow for the Ascension Victory, much like the Wonder Victory that Age Of Empires players are familiar with. You must build a "Mining Starbase" on them to claim them as your own. Thankfully, I am already in the progress of building a Constructor so that Ascension Crystal is as good as mine.
Next, I instruct my Colony Ship to colonize Marshall III, the aforementioned Class 9. I think I'll be naming planets after Tropers, so if you want a planet named after you, post here! Until then, I'm just going with some Tropers I know really well.
And thus, Xiphon is colonized under Evii the Paladin and the great Korath Clan! Looking at the building sites, I spy two bonuses: One is a 100% bonus to Approval, the other is a 100% bonus to Influence. Approval is nice, but Influence is unnecessary, considering I'm going for an angry facestomping sort of run here. I buy another Basic Slave Pit here, for the same price as before. Then I order a Starport built, since they only come pre-built on your homeplanet and you are unable to build ships without one. I order the planet to specialize in Social Production*, so as to complete the Starport faster.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 3
- +1% to Defenses
Turn 4: January 22nd, 2227...
We start the turn by being informed that the Corrupted Genetics research project is complete. This game has a rather quirky sense of humour*, so I figure I'll give you a taste of it with the flavour text about completing the research.
Our protagonist nation, ladies and gentlemen!
Next, we are returned to the research screen to select our next choice in studying. I select Interstellar Conquest, as that will allow us to begin researching weaponry for our ships. It won't be done for 11 weeks though, so the waiting game is starting up...
Anomaly Finds: Turn 4
- 250 bc
- +4 to Hit Points
Turn 5: February 1st, 2227...
Not much to do on this turn. I'm out of Anomalies in the immediate vicinity of my homeworld, so I'm sending the Flagship over to look into the Anomalies over by Xiphon, but it won't be there until another 2 turns.
Speaking of 2 turns, that's how long it is until my first Asteroid Mining Base is set up.
Turn 6: February 8th, 2227...
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Turn 7: February 15th, 2227...
With my first Asteroid Mining Base set-up, I remembered that I can set the Space Miners to Automate so that I don't have to baby-sit them and tell them which Asteroid fields to go to. Makes my life so much more streamlined.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 7
- +1% to Defenses
Turn 8: February 22nd, 2227...
The Starbase has finished its construction on Xiphon! Now we can build more ships! Yay! Unfortunately, I notice how bad the production rate is on the planet, partially because its population is sitting at 0.13 billion Koraths. So I order them to start work on another Basic Slave Pit, to be completed in 7 weeks.
I also notice that my approval has risen to 56%. Time to take advantage of that and tax the fuck out of these unsuspecting sheep! Taxation rate rises from 54% to 58% and I am sitting at a 50% approval rating and earning a net income of 39 bc. Still passing.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 8
- +1% to Defenses
- 500 bc
Turn 9: March 1st, 2227...
Slaveling Imagination Lab on Kora is complete! Looking over my options, I decide to get started on building another Basic Slave Pit, so that I don't fall behind on production. It should be complete in 5 weeks, with the Constructor to be finished in 13. However, I decide that a Constructor is no longer in my best interest and swap it out for a Colony Ship, which will be done in 11.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 9
- +1% to Loyalty
Turn 10: March 8th, 2227...
Not much to be done this turn except inspect a few Anomalies.
But that's when I saw it. Russom III. Class... 20. Unfortunately, I am unable to colonize it at this point. It has Heavy Gravity and I need a certain tech to survive in those conditions. I stop my Interstellar Conquest research to refocus on getting further along the Extreme Colonization tree. So I pick up Gravity Control. I need that planet.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 10
- 100 bc
- +5% to Espionage
Turn 11: March 15th, 2227...
I'm getting worried. I saw a green blur flash across the screen, near Russom III. But it went straight into a warphole, so I didn't get a chance to speak with whatever race it is controlled by. Whatever, I'll worry about that later.
In my hunt for Anomalies and bonuses, I find another Ascension Crystal. This makes me seriously consider the option of going for an Ascension Victory. I'll think about building a Constructor after the Colony Ship.
I also see a green border on the edge of my visible map. Time to meet whoever is ballsy enough to try and live near my bloodthirsty empire...
Anomaly Finds: Turn 11
- +1% to Loyalty
Turn 12: March 22nd, 2227...
I notice my approval rating has dipped down to 48%. Grumbling, I go to check the Domestic Stats screen. For shits and giggles, I drop the Taxation Rate down to 0. Surprised, I'm only operating at a net income of -8 bc at that point. Intrigued, I edge up the Taxation Rate to see how high I can get it while retaining 100% approval. 24%, allowing me to operate at a net income of 11 bc.
This is helpful as the higher the approval rating, the faster your people reproduce. This results in higher production rates. Which means no more 18 turn wait times for Constructors and Colony Ships. I happily take this new Taxation Rate.
Anomaly Finds: Turn 12
- 100 bc
That ends the first quarter (of the year, not of the game). I think I'll wait a bit before getting back and playing the next quarter. Hope you enjoyed!
ONWARDS! TO DEATH!
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