Heat wave continues, temperatures rising to 95 degrees Fahrenheit plus. I keep up with more than my share of contributions to war tasks. Found a 50% range LR with my junior compound, but the crowd says it's worth only 2-3 keys. I keep myself occupied with Alpha Centauri, where my faction the Data Angels under Sinder Rose survives but does not thrive. I'm right next to the overpowered Conqueror Marr, so he forces technologies out of me under threat of war. I also play Fallen London, where my character grinds his way up to the top. Many levels of play, however, lay ahead.
Entertainment: the name of the game. How do I meet the endlessness of the hours except with droll amusements. In life, you have to either struggle to survive or deal with boredom, the great enemy. But I toss and turn, and find little activities to fill my hours, and that is the material of the day.
30 July 2027
More heat wave. It's hard to stay hydrated in the intense humid heat. I can barely rouse the survivors to meet the challenges of the zombie hunting day. In more bad news, Dem60, the one man army of the Hustlers has left for whatever reason. We probably won't crack the top 3 next challenge round.
In Alpha Centauri, the Data Angels negotiates a blood truce with Conqueror Marr long enough to set up a Supply Carrier army. Hostilities have then resumed, but this time things will not go well for the Usurpers. We can count on the AI-controlled forces being sufficiently inefficient that their bases will fall like dominoes. Separately, the Consciousness under Prime Function Aki-Zeta had a brief but losing war against Foreman Domai of the Free Drones. The Consciousness remains top human faction, but their limitations were revealed. The Caretakers have control of their entire continent and the game lead.
31 July 2027
It's hot outside. I lay about the compound keeping my feet in a bin of water and fan myself with a paper fan. Outside the commerce and activity of the zeds goes on, but there's talk even some are overcome. As predicted, my faction in Alpha Centauri wiped out the Usurpers, but are meanwhile far behind the technologically advanced Consciousness. And in the alliance wars, I'm accepted back to the New World Republic without much ado, following the rainmaker Dem60 back to the old clan.
I have DVDs of Star Wars: Rogue One and X-men: Days of Future Past, but I'm in no hurry to watch them. Mentally immersed in Alpha Centauri and the challenges imposed when the AI-controlled factions have a 30% reduction in production costs. It's easy for one or another faction to runaway with victory, especially if their technological prowess permits them to monopolize the Secret Projects. That's the situation facing me with the friendly Consciousness whose sale of Fusion Power was the tipping point for my war against the Usurpers. But they're still far ahead and might power themselves to a Transcendent Victory whether I try to war on them or not. It's your friends you have to worry about, that's the lesson of A.C.
(a little later in the day)
The Consciousness has declared vendetta against me! Their huge technological edge plus their possession of the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm means they will be trouble. I don't know what will happen after the first few sea bases are traded. Because Aki Zeta-5 is pacifist, she might be quick to offer Blood Truce. No idea. But it is well coded A.I. that leads her to battle when peacetime means my building enough Supply Crawlers to make my bases powerhouses. I control an entire continent, but it's going to be tough working against an opponent whose bases I can't mess around with, with my probe teams. Let's see what happens...
(a little more later)
I conquered a small Consciousness outpost in my territory and it was enough to get a Truce from that dangerous enemy. However, in the meantime, Aki Zeta-5 had joined forces with Foreman Domai of the Free Drones, and I found myself in Vendetta with them as well. They did not respond to the loss of a small base with a offer for peace. Instead, I'm at war with them and the Caretakers, and all this speaks to how the diplomatic functions are coded in A.C. Not a formidable enemy, though--the Drones lack the Hunter Seeker Algorithm and will fall prey to my probe teams and shard-equipped air corps.
(and a little bit more)
One more Drone base fell, and then they sued for peace. How delicately balanced the world is! I'm still at war with the Caretakers, however.
1 August 2027
In the game Alpha Centauri, I've achieved a Blood Truce with the Consciousness and briefly took one of the Caretaker's bases, before he mind-controlled it out of my hands with a probe team. I'm used to having the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm, but in any case, my foothold on the Caretaker's continent is gone, and I'm back to where I started. Most of the A.I. factions are "Seething," meaning they're looking to pick a fight. I had to surrender two technologies to the Nautilus Pirates to avoid war with them. However, according to the charts, I'm pulling away and ahead, even despite the lack of Secret Projects. It's enough that I have the Cloning Vats and the project that lowers your support costs by 2. Population being cloned plus satellites pouring down food resources equals population boom. My cities are getting quite large.
The temperature is said to feel as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It does feel like a sauna out of doors, and I'm sure keeping cool is on everybody's mind.
(some time later)
The Cybernetic Consciousness has fully researched all technologies, but they remain satisfied not proceeding with the Voice of Planet. I'm not entirely sure why; perhaps the video game designers wanted the end game to be a shooting spree. With their offensive weapons at 24, they will truly have the edge in faction-to-faction combat. But I'm dealing right now with a sudden and brazen attack by the Nautilus Pirates and the Free Drones. I took a Pirates' base, and they sued for peace and even friendship. The Drones have a landing party on my continent and a large air force stacked nearby. Their technological development is also on par with mine, so a good fight lies ahead. If the Cybernetic Consciousness jumps in, that might be an extremely tough puzzle to unravel.
2 August 2027
I won the game. The Cybernetic Consciousness behaved like the other factions and sued for peace as soon as they lost a base. But I had prepositioned units for just such a conflict, and nearly managed to grab two before they asked for Blood Truce. In the end, I waited until the CC researched the final technologies and built the Voice of Planet, and then, with my dozens of Supply Crawlers, I sped up the Ascent to Transcendence. My final score was only about 252% compared to ~290% with the Nautilus Pirates. Possibly the game assigned more points for technological progress and so forth.
Today is supposed to crack 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I could go out; or I could stay in and play the Cybernetic Consciousness. They seem a fun faction to play, zipping around in grav ships while other factions are using primitive chaos guns.
(a little later)
I did it. I started a third playthrough of Alpha Centauri. My Cybernetic Consciousness is all by itself on a large continent, so this should be a relatively straightforward playthrough. I'm surrounded by the naval bases of the Nautilus Pirates, but they'll find it hard to start a land war, just as I would find it hard to start a sea battle. Unmolested by aggressive factions, I can cook up research faster than the other factions and grab secret projects ahead of the rest.
(a little later)
Spoke too soon. Although I control an entire continent by myself, I'm not quite generating the research output the Free Drones are, and they're starting to pick up the Secret Projects. This, and they still bully me for energy-cash. Unfortunately, the game also developed a glitch and I have to see what save file works. Pain in the ass.
Because it's getting later in the day, the heat has just partly broken, and I'm off to a cool tub of water. Just getting around and moving is healthy, as is leading some scavenging missions.
(after the soak)
I booted up Alpha Centauri again, but the glitch occurs even with a back-up save file. So it's time to give up the little adventure with the Consciousness. What a shame. I was looking forward to the showdown with the Drones.
3 August 2027
Fired up A.C. again, this time using a save file from a couple years ago. I didn't built Supply Crawlers like crazy, and instead had most of my bases stockpiling energy. But the game lasted only a few more turns before my entire empire was wiped out in some kind of strange bug.
I don't know what to think. The game is troublesome. I might think about restarting, because I am interested in the capabilities of the Cybernetic Consciousness--it's just that I'm wary of investing tens of hours into a game that develops significant mid-game wipe outs.
4 August 2027
I restarted as the CC, but bad initial landing placement put me swiftly at the disposal of the Usurpers. My empire remained feeble. Then I loaded up a game using the huge map of Planet, this time with my favored Pirates, and I'm thriving. Still wary of the bugs in the game, because who will fix them, but I can't have too many complaints about a game written in 1999--in other words, 28 years ago.
Now I'm off to scavenge in the city. Will cut my hair, and look for clothes that fits me. Compound survivors' morale remains steady. Nothing much to report vis-a-vis the confrontation with the zombies shambling around.
(a little later that day)
Visited the dentist. Guess I'm masochistic--twenty minutes of pain and a mouth that bleeds. I will have to improve my brushing to avoid gum disease. I got my hair cut, and scavenged a pleasant blue shirt out in zombie-land. One should look nice, that is a principle of leadership.
In Alpha Centauri, my faction rises but not as fast as the Drones, who have a huge continent to themselves, or Datajack Roze, who leads the game. I have a huge armada of foil supply crawlers. This means I can quickly build a Secret Project once I get the necessary technology. But it takes 11 turns for my researchers to find a tech, and the other factions have an edge on me. All the game bonuses given to A.I. factions keeps the game tough. I'm thinking at the back of my mind that I only wish there to be no glitches in this runthrough. But I'll have to accept whatever happens, come what may.
Day remains hot. Survivors rest and/or scavenge the relatively simple Security-type buildings for advanced weaponry.
(a little later)
My faction in A.C. is falling behind technologically. I think the bonuses given to the A.I. factions in Transcend mode are strong. It makes for a mid-game where you're number 3 or 4 in the rankings--and it means every unit, battle, and decision has a consequence throughout the entire game play.
5 August 2027
Awoke a little early to monitor my survivors' condition. Also played A.C., where the Caretakers are folding before my airpower. More importantly, however, I'm off to the northern reaches of the city to meet a friend. Will update at the end of this day.
(end of the day)
Spent the balance of the day in far northern reaches of Unity City. All is well. Had a good time hanging out with A.P., who sports a nasal ring now. In A.C., I've conquered the shore cities linking together two subcontinental land masses, but have yet to get the offer for a Blood Truce without demands for technology transfer. We'll see what happens after a couple more cities fall.
The day was quite hot. Personally supervised a number of missions in support of infected bounties. And next war round, I'm back in the TNR winners' club for a fuel bonus. Have also received word that some of my writings have been downloaded more than usual last few days. Is something starting?
6 August 2027
A few more cities fall, and the Caretakers under Lular H'minee sue for peace. I've taken as much of their territory as I care to digest at the moment, and meanwhile, I can return my focus on building up bases with appropriate technologies unlocking the base facilities that will give an edge. Also managed to get the Manifold Caretakers to sign Blood Truce with the Cybernetic Consciousness, so the war for them is over, at least for now. My Chaos-gun Drop units never saw battle. That's fine with me--wars are expensive. I only continue to worry that the game will crash under the size of so many units.
Had a fair day at the Science City, the first after two weeks of summer break. It went slowly, but I went to the bank, I guarded the front desk, I participated in cleaning. All in all six hours or so a day isn't really a hardship by pre-fall standards. It's only that in the evenings I have to direct my survivors to fight and scavenge in a huge uncaring city populated by shambling zombies. Why do they walk in that strange way anyway...
Dem60, the rainmaker whose raiding prowess leads alliances to the top switched back to the Hustlers' alliance. How awkward. Now I have to try to finesse my way to their group, since they will raid more than TNR. Also busy taking care of infected bounties and making sure I have the resources to complete war tasks when the next round of battle opens in 12 hours' time. Metal, cloth, food, and ammo: these will all have to be donated in large amounts to complete the alliance tasks that provide for survivor performance bonuses. That's the name of the game called life, or would it be, after life since we live in the age of the dead. I dunno. I didn't make the rules, they happened to me.
I traded two grade 5 unique upgrade tokens for a pair of Replica Wasteland Wings at my main compound. TheWhopperTinger, who I traded with, practically made a speech about the whole deal. But, in the end, we sealed the deal and went our separate ways. TNR has no raiders the next round, and I'll not be getting any fuel bonuses for the war. Oh well, at least the alliance is credit rich and can afford survivor performance bonuses for the foreseeable future.
Played a little more A.C. Stole research files on Fusion Power and Orbital Spaceflight from the Usurpers. I'm still way behind Datajack Roze in research, however. That, plus her large share of a continent makes her the number ranked faction at present. Sooner or later, also, she'll probably launch an attack one me. So I have attack jets stationed around my empire, and can activate these units when the time comes... if the time comes. There are so many variables, and it's just as possible the Free Drones under Domai will overtake Roze.
7 August 2027 (early morning)
The war round has begun. Was able to contact Dem60 who says he switched alliances because TNR is boring. Fair enough. But now I'm stuck in an alliance without raiders, and have to just watch as fuel bonuses get wasted.
(evening)
The Planet Cult has surprise attacked me. Then, in the same game turn, my Pact Sister Prime Function Aki-Zeta has asked me to join in her war against the Free Drones. So I'm simultaneously at war with three factions including the Usurpers, whose air force picked apart my Supply Crawler operations on a northern island. I'm going to have to mobilize all my dispersed forces, and force the Cult to a Truce before I take on the much greater difficulty of doing the same against the more technologically (compared to me) Free Drones and/or the Usurpers. War on all sides. My Shard Needlejets will be pressed to the limits.
(a little while later)
I did it. I knocked out Planet Cult from one of their cities, one with a Secret Project to boot, and they sued for peace. Now it's time to concentrate on the Free Drones.
(real life, not the game)
After finishing this little interlude, I led a mission to a military base in the city and scavenged lots of ammo for my junior compound.
8 August 2027
In Alpha Centauri, I took over the Drones' foothold on my main continent, and then they sued for peace. After further discussion, they also reached peace and even a trade friendship with the Cybernetic Consciousness.
(later that day)
The peace didn't last very long. The Cult has declared Vendetta against me, and then the Drones did as well. Planet is full of war. I think the A.I. realized I was protecting the Consciousness's cities so that explains the Cult, but only, perhaps, a sophisticated A.I. realized it was a good time for the Drones to jump in. It's going to be a handful to manage the two factions, partly because the Cult is now mostly their cities in the freshwater sea, a large lake on Planet and also the Drones are far away across a large ocean themselves. I don't know how long the war will last, or what the outcome will be. Probably an extended stalemate while we try to climb the technology tree faster than the other.
In day-to-day scavenging my compounds are busy in the alliance task wars. It feels somewhat repetitive to lead the missions personally, but you get better results leading by yourself than leaving it to the survivors' own disposition. I keep my recycler busy churning through heavy fabric to eventually contribute to the alliance. I also keep an eye out for good weaponry to pick up, but that's always a rare and welcome event.
At Science City today I was mostly bored and took up my post with a realization only of its necessity. Next week the group is going somewhere, but I got out because of the heatwave.
(Actually, after closer inspection of the documents, it's next month rather than next week. But same difference.)
(slightly later)
Chatted with fellow human survivors on the radio nets. Gave a newbie 300 rounds of ammunition in exchange for 39 treated wood and a rare gear crafting kit. With close out the day with some survivor-led missions to the fringes of city territory, and wake up early to meet the night-crawlers returning from their missions.
Don't really feel like playing A.C. Too or rather two many wars at the same time. Also have reached a plateau in Fallen London. Everything is just a grind.
9 August 2027
Woke up and played Alpha Centauri. Overcame all but one of the Planetary Cult's bases, and they surrendered Otherwise, only busy taking care of some tasks. Today's the half day of the week at Science City, so I'll return early and guide both compounds to success in their missions.
Have some jock itch, for which I'm using a spray.
(later that day)
Datajack Roze attacked. (!) She's close by so this is going to be a bloody war. She already used a probe team to capture one of my cities. But I can't switch of my society orientation towards Knowledge because it powers my technology. All I can do is make sure each of my bases/cities are well covered with my own probe teams.
I have air defense traveling the way to the front. Once I get a city to fall, another one will follow, like dominoes. In the end, I'll have conquered her continent and will be the dominant faction of the game. But it's going to be a while, and there's plenty of micromanagement along the way.
In the real world, I've led my teams to scavenge and collect infected bounties. Ideally a mission includes (1) infected bounty, (2) survivor request, (3) your own experience gained from scavenging, and (4) your alliance task requirements. One mission should ideally fulfill four goals, and you're humming nicely along without real danger to you in zombieland. But sometimes the management is tiresome and you just lead your troops to the scavenge site and then just let them shoot at will.
(and a little later...)
I took one of Roze's cities, but she still demands energy currency for an armistice. We shall see what happens in following turns as the cities fall. But in the meantime, I've switched my social values to Power rather than Knowledge, and instituted Thought Control as future society goal. I'm going to power myself through this war against a powerful foe, even while remaining officially at war with the #2 power, Domai, and the Conquerors under Marr.
(a few more turns)
One of the battleground cities changed hands twice, and I'm aggressively hunting down Datajack forces in the Garland Crater. The war will be long, but I have a large air force, and more drop troops coming in to theater. I'm confident of doing well, but it will still take plenty of time and energy.
10 August 2027
Heavy fighting in the Garland Crater continues, with the Data Angels putting up a fierce resistance. I have to accept losses in order to pry each city from the Data Angels' control, and they are beginning to field air units as well, including tactical air-to-air fighter jets. When all this is over, however, I'll be firmly entrenched in two continents and easily the foremost faction. It's good, tight, well-written A.I. that provides a satisfying early, mid, and late game.
(later this day)
I went to Science City this morning, and checked in with my fellow survivors at both compounds in the afternoon. I'm going to try to find a number of special titles at the libraries in Unity City, works which I have a special connection to or otherwise know (or knew) the author. But for the immediate now, I'm looking to acquire unique weapons and gear in the dead zone, and this takes time and effort.
(late in the evening)
I've pried Garland Crater from Data Angels' control, and my forces, accompanied by probe teams, are ready to strike out to the northwest, the heart of the D.A. empire. It's bloody fighting all the way, and the enemy gives no quarter. They have at least a trio of tactical air-to-air jets, and plenty of ground troops. Meanwhile, heavy sunspot activity prevents communication, but from the sounds of their earlier encounters, they would simply continue to ask for energy credits in return for a ceasefire. I'm not considering that option: I want this war to end with the surrender of all D.A. forces, with Sinder Roze reporting directly to me.
11 August 2027
Woke up early to play Alpha Centauri, leading my forces deeper into Datajack territory. I've pushed northwest from Garland Crater leaving the periphery of bases untouched. I've even launched an amphibious assault from the far north, but that will probably be lost to a probe team since I failed to bring along my own probes. In any case, the homeland of the Datajacks is being disassembled. They put up a tough resistance with multiple units in each city, and for the moment, my advance has to halt as I figure out how to produce more land/infantry units to accompany my air force.
(later the same day)
Applet Way, a major Datajack city, fell under infantry assault. Making mag tubes is a two-way sword: it allows you to move units freely around your territory, but once invaded, it speeds up how quickly enemy infantry can get close to your bases. Now all that remains is to take the Datajack headquarters, and then I'll have every city of theirs I want. Hopefully they'll surrender, but if not, I may have to eviscerate more of their empire, and then my dominance in the game will be truly complete.
(a little later)
It happened! I conquered the Datajack headquarters, and with communications restored after sunspot activity had cut off all transmissions, we had a final conversation where Roze tried to go for a ceasefire or even pay me for the same. In the end, she was stuck in the corner, and she saved herself only by submitting to me. With a number of bases, she isn't the weakest faction member, but she is a shell of what used to be a powerful empire.
Guardian H'minee of the Caretakers declared Vendetta on me after demanding an advanced technology (Orbital Spaceflight). So I'm at war with Domai, Marr, and H'minee, but they're all sort of far away. I'm even contemplating changing my societal values to Knowledge, but that will only gain me one turn quicker in research and I'm doing quite well with massive policing, Telepathic Matrix or not.
The game turns into defense mode now, with myself trying to protect far-flung reaches of my empire, while climbing the tech tree to Transcendence.
I have a cup of coffee, and ponder the role of entertainment in a post-apocalyptic world. Time to go see the survivors off on their missions. Infected bounties begin soon. And I'm curious what the radio nets are saying even when we're not trading per se.
(and towards the evening)
I soaked in a tub of cold water to beat the heat. Normal day-to-day business of scavenging combined with chit-chat on the radio to hear what is what. In the A.C. game, I've switched to defensive mode and am stockpiling supply gravships. Soon the tech tree will be complete, and I'll be first to ascend to Transcendence.
12 August 2027
Woke up early again, both to lead scavenging missions and to play a few rounds of Alpha Centauri. I beat it. As I predicted, after expanding through the Datajack's territory, I was largely in control of two continents and my research sped through the tree at a fast clip. In the end, I had just about enough Gravship Supply Crawlers to build the Ascent to Transcendence, and I won the game with a final rating of about 304%. Even the Free Drones' territory was under attack by my gravship fleet towards the end, and not even the last ditch efforts of the other faction A.I.s could stop me from winning the game. So now I'm satisfied, after 110 hours of play (including the first playthrough). I'll turn my attention back to juggling tasks in zombieland and perhaps reading a copy of Ernest Cline's Armada I scavenged from a decrepit bookstore.
I spent quite a few hours immersed in this game. I'm not entirely sure what will catch my attention now, but there are always unfinished tasks around. I'd also like to go soak again in a tub of cool water to deal with the heat that feels like a hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
(a little later)
The tub worked. It made enduring the heat a lot easier. But now I'm left with a sense of anomie, having immersed mys