I don’t have much of an imagination, so my AARs are more of just a game description. I’ve played a few games with Ackdarians so far, and was able to win two by control of 25% of the Galaxy’s colonies. However, I’m by no means an expert player of this game, so any tips anyone can pass my way are appreciated. Bear in mind that I do play ahead of what I post, so my reaction to help likely won’t be instantaneous. Anyway, here’s my game:
Version – 1.0.3.0
Game Setup:
Galaxy – Spiral
Galaxy Size – Standard (700 Stars)
Alien Life – Normal
Expansion – Starting
Aggression – Normal
Research Speed – Normal
Space Creatures – Few
Pirates – Normal
Empire Name – Ackdarian Republic
Galaxy Starting Location – Outer Core (I tried starting two games in the Far Regions, but I always had another empire in my home system with me, so I gave up on that option – too many AI empires in too small of a galaxy I guess).
Home System – Normal
Size – Starting
Tech Level – Basic
Government – Republic
Race – Ackdarian
Starting Empires – 17, all except the Gizurean (due to their having the highest population growth rate in the game) and the Shandar (due to being the nicest reptiles), plus each of these are from the only two families with four races. All the AI empires have Random Governments, Basic Tech Levels, Normal Home Systems, and Random Proximity to the Player.
Do not allow independent colonies to start new empires.
Victory: Territory – Control 25% of the Colonies in the Galaxy.
The Ackdarians start on the Southeastern edge of the galaxy:
The Ackdarian home system is Kiadia:
Planet #1 – Volcanic – Neckros Stone, Osala
Planet #2 – Volcanic – Osala, Emeros Crystal, Aculon – Mining Station
Planet #3 – Volcanic – Emeros Crystal, Aculon, Neckros Stone – Mining Station
Planet #4 – Barren Rock – Iridium, Steel, Lead
Planet #5 – Barren Rock – Steel
Planet #6 – Marshy Swamp – Carbon Fibre, Polymer, Chromium, Megalos Nut – Home Planet (20% of
population is Kiadian)
Moon – EQ375 – Barren Rock – Gold
Planet #7 – Barren Rock – Iridium, Gold
Planet #8 – Gas Giant – Caslon, Hydrogen, Argon – Gas Mining Station
Moon – LO444 – Volcanic – Nekros Stone
Moon – DF83 - Continental – Steel, Carbon Fibre … and an independent colony of 1MM Kiadians
Planet #9 – Frozen Gas Giant – Helium, Krypton, Argon – Gas Mining Station
Moon – AA190 – Barren Rock – Gold, Lead, Steel – Mining Station
Moon – JY215- Barren Rock – Steel, Gold, Iridium – Mining Station
Isn’t Kiadia supposed to be the Kiadian’s home system? I wonder what happened to Ackdar? Oh well.
There are two known systems nearby, both to the Northeast.
YB218 - which is empty.
Yituris - which has two planets (one Volcanic and one Ice). Tyderos is the only resource of note present.
These are the options that I start the game with:
The Ackdarians’ starting military fleet consists of two DDs, two Fri, and two Esc. I split the military ships into two fleets – 1st Fleet for offensive purposes – two DDs and one Fri, and 2nd Fleet for defensive purposes – one Fri and two Esc. The 2nd Fleet is sent to patrol the Gas Mining Station at Kiadia 8.
The Ackdarians also have an Exploration Ship. The closest Black Holes and Super Novas are to the north, so that will be a critical exploration and colonization path. However, they also want to advance up and down the arm, so the exploration ship is sent to the nearest system to the Southwest and four exploration ships are queued up at the Kiadia 6 Space Port.
The Ackdarians also have two Construction Ships. The Expansion Planner shows no demand for anything, so the Construction ships will be used to build four Research Stations in the Ackdarians’ Home System. One Construction ship is sent to Kiadia 2 to build a High Tech Research Station and the other is sent to Kiadia 2 to build an Energy Research Station.
Two Colony Ships are queued up at Kiadia 6 – one for DF83, the Kiadian moon, and the other for the first colonization opportunity outside the Kiadia system.
I try to recruit an agent, but can’t; which leads to some frustration on my part. (I haven’t used agents very much in past games. Plus I tend to jump into computer games without reading the online encyclopedias, then get frustrated when I can’t figure things out. Eventually I breakdown and read the Galactopedia and discover that you can recruit one agent per two colonies you possess, up to a maximum of ten agents. So I won’t be able to recruit an agent until there are two Ackdarian colonies.)
I start the game – set at 2x speed.
2754.02.17
A Venomous Fang Skyjackers (VFS) escort attacks the Gas Mining Station at Kaidia 8. The 2nd Fleet destroys it.
Now that it is known that a pirate faction operates in the area, the Ackdarians build a DD to bring their fleet up to three DDs.
2754.03.24
A Colony Ship is completed and sent to colonize the independent colony of Kiadians on Kiadia 8’s moon, DF83. (Wouldn’t it be easier to just call the moon Kiadia 8A or Kiadia 8B, so the player would immediately know where the moon was; instead of spending our time trying to find some moon whose name doesn’t tell you a thing about its location?) Four Exploration Ships are also completed and one is sent East and one Southeast to explore gas clouds to make sure they are not the location of the Venomous Fang Skyjacker base, one is also sent Northeast up the arm, and the last one is sent North towards the Black Holes and Super Nova.
2754.04.10
A Kiadian Confederacy Exploration Ship is encountered and relations are established with them. They like the Ackdarians’ good reputation, as well as the Medium Gift of 2905 Credits that the Ackdarians send them.
2754.04.25
The High Tech Research Station at Kiadia 2 is completed. The Construction Ship is immediately ordered to build a Weapons Research Station at Kiadia 2.
2754.05.10
DF83 is colonized and 1MM Kiadians join the Ackdarian Republic. As I will at all colonies that are established, two ground units are immediately recruited and a Defensive Base is built. (If the colony is the first in the system, I’ll build a Small Space Port, otherwise it gets a Defensive Base.)
Now that they have two colonies, the Ackdarians can recruit an agent. So they do, and assign him to Counter Intelligence.
2754.05.15
The Energy Research Station at Kiadia 8 is completed. The Construction Ship is immediately ordered to build an Industrial Research Station at Kiadia 8.
2754.06.20
A Calabra Hegemony (Wekkarus) Exploration Ship is encountered in the Yiturus System and relations are established with them. They immediately offer to swap territory maps. The Ackdarians accept since there are no potential colony locations to be given away by doing so. The Calabra hegemony naturally like the Ackdarians and they like the Ackdarians’ reputation, but do not like the Ackdarians’ government (the Calabra hegemony is a Military Dictatorship). The AI suggests that a Free Trade Agreement be offered, but the Ackdarians give them a Medium Gift of gift of 2799 Credits instead.
Arrgh, two Space Slugs are discovered in the Asteroid Field at RL152 to the Northwest of the Kiadia. Nothing else of note is discovered at the system.
Calabra turns out to be to the Southeast of Kiadia.
The second Colony Ship is completed. It will have to be held until a Continental or Ocean Planet is discovered.
A Colony Ship is also queued up at the Kiadian moon (DF83) after completion of the Defensive Base. (If I had been thinking clearly, I would have built the Colony Ship before the Defensive Base.)
The Kiadian Confederacy Exploration Ship previously encountered is moving Northeast, so I assume their home system is to the Southwest. The Ackdarians will have to expand to the North and West (The Kiadian Confederacy is to the Southwest, the Calarba Hegemony is Southeast, and the East is empty space). Plus, they will not have a monopoly on Ocean Planets in this area; nor does the Kiadian colony give them a unique planet type to colonize, as the Kiadian Confederacy is a neighbor. The military of both the Kiadian Confederacy (767) and the Calarba Hegemony (576) are larger than the Ackdarians (200). Although the Ackdarians have an annual surplus of 18k Credits, so they could support a larger military if necessary. Nevertheless, this early in the game they want stay on good terms with thier neighbors and expand as peacefully as possible; although, they may need to turn on thier Southern neighbors later in the game.
Construction starts on two more Exploration Ships to accelerate the exploration of the North and West.
I usually play at 2x and sometimes a whole series of events occur simultaneously making you have to pause the game and ponder the situation for a while.
2754.08.09
A Continental Planet has been discovered at Mantarran to the Northwest and an Ocean Planet has been discovered at Lorideos to the Northeast (although the Exploration Ships are not done exploring the systems yet). The Ackdarian Colony Ship is ordered to colonize the Ocean Planet in the Lorideos System. The Continental Planet in the Mantarran System will be colonized by either the Kiadian Colony Ship already queued up at DF83, or by an Ackdarian Colony Ship built at Kiaidia 6. Two Colony Ships are ordered built at Kiadia 6. Nothing else of note has been discovered so far.
2754.09.06
The industry Research Station at Kaidia 8 has been completed.
The Mining Station at Kiadia 3 is attacked by a VFS escort. The 1st Fleet responds and destroys the pirate escort.
Two Exploration Ships are completed and sent to explore the North and the West.
2754.09.12
The Ackdarians accept the Kiadian Confederacy’s offer to sell them the Epsilon Torpedo K TX-3000 for 9,071 Credits. I have no idea if it’s a good deal or not. Once the offer comes up I can’t do anything except respond to the offer, so I can’t check the research panel to find out how close the Ackdarians are to developing this technology. I guess it’s a good deal, as the Ackdarians do not have the technology, so now at least they can build more powerful warships.
2754.09.27
The Expansion Planner indicates that the Ackdarians are a little low on Caslon, so the Construction Ship that just finished the Research Station at Kiaidia 8 is sent to Mantarran 6 to build a Gas Mining Station. (Two colonies will be established there shortly.) The Ackdarians ignore the Caslon source in the Thaneom System directly to the Southwest of Kiadia because all the system has are three Ice Planets, plus a Space Slug (ugh).
2754.10.04
The Weapons Research Station at Kiadia 2 is completed. The only other resources that the Ackdarians are short of are Luxury Goods with no known location, so the Construction Ship is moved to Kiadia 6 and refueled.
2754.10.20
The Kiadian Colony Ship is complete, so it is sent to colonize the Continental Planet Mantarran 1. The Ackdarian Colony Ship under construction is also assigned to colonize the Ocean Planet Mantarran 2.
The Exploration Planner also shows that there is a continental Planet (with another independent colony of Kiadians) and an Ocean Planet in the Kattamaskar System Southwest of Kiadia, along with Pirates. Sure enough, the system is the home of the Venomous Fang Skyjackers – but they only have a frigate present. I’ll leave them alone until another Kiadian Colony Ship and another Ackdarian Colony Ship are built and ready to colonize the system.
screenshot
I was going to refit my DDs to incorporate torpedoes, but the autodesign has not yet redesigned a DD with them. I’m not big on the ship design aspect of these games, and I have not yet designed a ship in this game. I have been assuming that a redesign automatically occurs when new technology is completed or acquired. It’s not that critical now, so I’ll wait until 2755.01.01 and see if the first day of the year triggers a redesign. (Or, I’ll get around to researching it in the Galactopedia and find information on it there.)
2754.10.28
A VFS frigate attacks the Exploration Ship exploring Kattamaskar, so it moves to the next system. Vodkal is the only resource of note discovered there so far. The Ackdarians will finish exploring the system after the pirates are gone – if I remember.
2754.12.15
The exploration of Mantarran is complete. In addition to the potential colonies; Questurian Skin, Natarran Incense, and Wiconium are present. The Monastery of Mantarran is also present, but unexplored. I manually send the Exploration Ship back to investigate it.
2754.12.22
Lorideos 1 is colonized, formally bringing Kiadians into the Ackdarian Republic (Gifted Scientist: faster research +20%). Two ground units are recruited there and construction of a Small Space Port is started.
2754.12.28
While investigating the Monastery of Mantarran a swarm of Giant Kaltors has been released – GREAT!!!! HAVE I MENIONED THAT I DON”T LIKE THE GAME CONCEPT OF SPACE CREATURES YET? There are four Giant Kaltors – one with a strength of 6, one 7 and two 8s. OK, the colonization and mining of the Mantarran System is off for now. I guess the pirate system of Kattamaskar will get cleared and settled sooner than originally planned. The Colony Ships headed for Mantarran 1 and 2 are redirected to Kattanaskar 2 and 3 and the Construction Ship Headed for Mantarran 6 is redirected to Lorideos 6.
Here’s the situation at 2755.01.09:
Some end of the first year stats:
Ackdarian Republic – 3 colony, 6,524 citizens, 280 Military Strength, Republic, Satisfactory
Kiadian Confederacy – 1 colony, 5,059 citizens, 807 Military Strength, Republic, Satisfactory
Calarba Hegemony – 1 colony, 4,638 citizens, 504 Military Strength, Military Dictatorship, Satisfactory
I now realize that the Kiadian Confederacy and the Calarba Hegemony share the same home system of Calarba. This is a disturbing trend that I have noticed of empires sharing a single home system. I think I’m jamming too many AI empires into my galaxies, or I’m letting Random AI Empire location and my starting position on the edge of the galaxy force too many empires into too small of a space around me without enough suitable planets. Although I think the last is unlikely – after all, there are two systems with Continental Planets near Kiadia and they are empty of AI Empires. Although one has Giant Kaltors – @&#*%$ GIANT KALTORS![:@]
I will be very happy when I install an update for this game, get to the “Start a New Game: The Galaxy” screen for the first time, and see a Space Creature setting of NONE!
2755.01.23
Two Colony Ships are completed, but no planets are available for colonization, so they’ll stick around Kiadia 6.
I also consulted the Galactopedia and found that clicking on the “Upgrade Selected” button on the Designs Screen will update the selected design. So I tried it, but the updated DD design does not include torpedoes.
2755.04.07
The Ackdarians accept a Free Trade Agreement from the Kiadian Confederacy. The Ackdarians offer a Free Trade Agreement to the Calarba Hegemony, but it is turned down.
2755.04.14
Kattamaskar 2 has been colonized.
2755.04.17
Kattamaskar 3 has been colonized, and it gets the system’s Small Space Port due to its higher population (it was a Kiadian independet colony).
2755.04.19
Korabbian Spice is discovered at Endo San 5. Unfortunately, Endo San is directly east of Calarba, and both the Kiadian Confederacy and the Calarba Hegemony have established themselves in the system – military ships and Mining Stations. Plus, Endo San is a desert Planet and can’t be colonized by the Ackdarians.
2755.05.14
The 1st Fleet (3 DDs, 1 Fri) destroys the VFS pirate base at Kattamaskar 7. After the destruction of the VFS base, the Dirty Fang Pillagers join the Ackdarian Republic.
They bring a Fri, an Esc and a Base at Tar Murdin to the West of Kiadia. They also bring information on the Secura System, where there is a desert planet with an independent colony of Securans.
…and at Secura 7 I find this:
Man, what is it with Space Creatures in this game!!! Oh wait…I get it now. When you select Fewer Space Creatures at game setup, you get more of them; and when you select More Space Creatures, you get less of them - how diabolical!
Four Ocean worlds have been discovered in the Irgishoe System North of Kiadia. Although the Exploration Ship is not done exploring the system, an Ackdarian colony Ship is immediately sent to colonize Irgishoe 7, and more Colony Ships are ordered built.
2755.08.27
A Naxxilian Exploration Ship is encountered at Lorideos and contact is established with the Naxxilian Republic, who naturally likes the Ackdarians. A Medium Gift of 1,204 Credits is sent to them.
2755.09.10
Irgishoe 7 is colonized.
2755.12.08
Secura 5 is colonized and the Securan Race is brought into the Ackdarian Republic (Natural Happiness: happiness +25%).
And I notice that the DD design has now been updated to include torpedoes. Unfortunately its size is 205, which is too big for the Ackdarians to build. So I get into the Design Screen, make a copy of it, remove the Troop Compartment, and save it under a new name. Now it's ready to be built by the Ackdarians. (They need firepower, not amphibious capacity – or whatever you call the capacity to land troops on a planet.)
2755.12.18
Zerolast 2 has been colonized.
Now that the construction yard of Kiadia 6 has finished some civilian construction, the Ackdarians start construction of 4 DDs so they can deal with some Giant Kaltors. The existing DDs are also ordered to refit.
2756.01.07
The Ackdarian Republic:
Some Stats:
Ackdarian Republic – 8 colonies, 8,117M population, Military Strength: 390, Respectable
Kiadian Confederacy – 1 colony, 5,394M population, Military Strength: 970, Satisfactory, +15 to Ackdarians
Naxxilian Republic – 2 colonies, 4,288M population, Military Strength: 1,097, Satisfactory, +12 to Ackdarians
Calarba Hegemony – 1 colony, 4,934M population, Military Strength: 560, Satisfactory, +2 to Ackdarians
2756.02.06
Irgishoe 6 is colonized.
2756.02.23
A Construction Ship just completed a Mining Station in the Mantarran System. Somehow the Giant Kaltors left them alone. Plus, the build order must have been given by the AI.
2756.03.16
Now the Secura Gangsters are asking for protection money from the Ackdarians – no way.
..and the Mining Station in the Mantarran System is being attacked by the Giant Kaltors.
2756.04.14
Irgishoe 10 is colonized.
2756.05.21
Four DDs are completed – the Ackdarians will now see what seven DDs can do against Giant Kaltors. Plus they start construction on more DDs, just in case.
2756.07.19
The pirate base that joined the Ackdarians has been destroyed by an Ardilus. It’s probably the same one that was encountered at Secura. I saw that one disappear when the Ackdarian colony ship approached Secura 5 to colonize it. I was carefully watching it just in case the Ackdarian ex-pirate ships located at Secura 5 had to defend the colony ship from its attack.
2756.08.08
Fundar 2 is colonized.
2756.08.14
A Naxxilian Republic Free Trade Agreement offer is accepted by the Ackdarians.
2756.10.20
An Exploration Ship had to flee from a pirate ship in the Uilabre System. The Tatarong Bandits are now in contact with the Ackdarians.
One Giant Kaltor has been killed at Mantarran, and now one with a strength of 11 is under attack by 7 DDs and 1 Fri.
2756.11.07
A Capital Ship has been discovered at Osis 2 and it is now in the service of the Ackdarian Republic.
2756.11.22
The Gas Mining Station at Kiadia 9 is under attack by a pirate Escort from the Dirty Buccaneers. The Ackdarians have no military ships in the area to defend the base, hopefully the escort will do no damage. A third pirate faction now has contact with the Ackdarians.
2756.12.06
The second Giant Kaltor has been destroyed at Mantarran with no losses to the Ackdarians. The Ackdarian ships will refuel and go back to get the other two, and bring two Colony Ships with them.
2756.12.25
Bilcadan 2 is colonized.
The Ackdarians have a Securan Colony Ship headed for the Desert Planet of Endo San 5, the location of the Korabbian Spice. I have not exploited a high demand luxury item like this before, so I’m not sure what impact this will have on the Ackdarians’ relations with the other empires. Now I’m thinking that the new Acdarian colony might be the target of military activity by the Kiadian Confederacy or the Calarba Hegemony, and the Ackdarian Republic’s military forces are poorly deployed to defend the planet. Most the Ackdarians’ naval strength is engaged with the Giant Kaltors at Mantarran.[:@] The 2nd Fleet of 2 Fri and 3 Esc is headed for Kiadia to protect it from pirates, and the only other military ships they have are 2 DDs at Secura, in the far Southwest of the Republic. Two more DDs are under construction at the Secura 5 Space Port (the rest of the Ackdarian construction yards are full with civilian construction.). This could get interesting.
