Advanced Save Game Six Empires Huge Map and Minor Races

[UesugiKenshin]

I could build basic infrastructure for all six with a decent treasury and realistic research, but different special research, and make a set number of starships and troops, then have maybe two customized starships, so those might be flagships. You would count upon them, but nothing is stopping you from making more after turn #101 or #151.

I think I could do six empires to turn#101 in six weeks. It probably would take nine weeks to turn#150 which would be a more stable game.

Even on the easiest level, this would be a tough game as the AI would be quite ready for war and have limited ground invasion forces.

The Khayoran ships would probably be much stronger than the Terrans, but the Rotharians would be the ones to fear.

Hull differences would be why the Khaoran starships would be feared and there wouldn't be enough money for expensive better hulls. Based on experience manipulating the commodity market, then it would be a struggle and you could overspend by redesigning and bankrupt your empire. Those starships could outlast your own even though you have nearly comparable weaponry.

If creating is anywhere close then the Khaoran have slightly better beam weaponry and torpedoes when you don't and stronger hulls. It would be a largely defensive war for the Terrans.

[UesugiKenshin]

To make such a scenario fair, then it would be turn#100 and I would set up everything but not set up diplomatic relationships as having even a single membership would unbalanced it IF they were space faring. Gaining those fleets would negate any sense that you are playing on your own strengths. It would be a shame to turn them off minor races, but the Terran and Heyoun would gain many members. I would almost have to on purpose screw up diplomatic relations with minor races.

Think about the early Federation. They have only two starships, very low power, but have Vulcan, Andorians, and Tellarites and all three are significantly better. But the way that begins, the humans are puny and mocked as not being knowledgeable and responsible enough to out wandering around. Watch the first two seasons of Enterprise. They screwed up royally over and over.

[UesugiKenshin]

Putting it within the realm of BotE's empires, the Khaoran and Rotharians would hate the Terrans because they would fear these upstarts gaining whole fleets while that is difficult for them. And really loathe the Heyoun bribing them to gain fleets.

[UesugiKenshin]

If
Rudyard Kipling
(In the public domain)
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

[UesugiKenshin]

From turn #400 on, as the Omega have so much power and need not be concerned with minutia, then BotE is a completely different wargame about deploying forces and not the dreary task of creating resource routes. Now every turn is compelling and complicated making choices that affect the survival of 156 species. You could crush every other species, if you wanted, but it is complicated that I don't want to.

Now it feels like a midgame Medieval 2 Total War Kingdoms and very open ended. I could attack anyone, but have to do so carefully so Omega colonies are protected.

I could make an immense armada and ground invasion force now.

There is an endless temptation to keep making colonies when I should leave that up to the other five empires and just complete what I have.

I might even help the Terrans get stronger by dispatching colony ships to terraform. I could help the Khaorans as well as I want them strong. The latter hate me, when for the pleasure of a strong nemesis, maybe I should get them on a better footing?

[UesugiKenshin]

During the Sengoku period, some samurai daimyo would grieve when a rival died as they admired him and felt cheated that their soldiers could not fight his. They might even delay the battle because of the death of a commander.

There was chivalry and respect between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin to such a degree that they visited each other and once Saladin even offered Richard another horse as his own was wounded.

http://www.strangehistory.net/2016/03/2 ... ns-swords/

It was not a unique situation as several French crusaders so admired their Muslim peers that they took to adopting clothing and mannerisms and were called poulains as a result. They had more in common then differences. Their descendants grew up in the Middle Eastern Holy Lands and had more in common with them than French aristocrats.

[UesugiKenshin]

I think the same thing would happen to soldiers in space who spent so much time among many alien species that while they might be rivals, they had more in common with each other than back on their distant homeworlds...and the inevitable corruption and petty arguing over scarcity on those planets.

Everyone who could would leave and go elsewhere to an optimistic future.

[UesugiKenshin]

A soldier astronaut would be such a disciplined person, especially their mind due to constantly trying to understand entire sectors of space and the people who lived there. Think of the rigorous science required and anthropology. And to prevent bone loss, they would be exercising every single day or otherwise osteocytes and osteoclasts would ravage their skeletons. Their muscles would atrophy. They would get sick as even with HEPA filtration, those infectious agents would just multiply. Look up mold or fungus on the space station if you doubt this.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06 ... kill-human

They would question why they are fighting other aliens when the universe is infinite. Sure, they would defend their empires, but how many planets is enough?

People have a terrible sense of loyalty to a nation, so how would they do when separated by moons and planets and asteroids and starbases? Not well. See Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. People on the moon want their autonomy and self-determination so how will people 100 light years away feel?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moo ... h_Mistress

[UesugiKenshin]

Study world history. Empires rarely last. Total paradigm shifts happen like John Locke's theory of natural rights which effectively ended monarchies. So why would you think a system with an emperor would work? Why would a democracy work over a galaxy? That is insane as distant colonists would have zero political representation. That was why the American republic was actually founded to prevent political bullying by concentrated urbanites.

Does anyone think communism is relevant today? It's a total fraud responsible for the worst democides in world history. It failed and pretty quickly.

Socialism in outer space? Please spare me infantile prattle that rugged individuals on distant colonies would mock.

[UesugiKenshin]

The Omega have 257 colonial sectors and have absorbed 33 species. Taking new sectors is passe and they are ready to evolve and solve real issues...permanently and take the next step in their development.

At this point, benevolence to other species is what is occupying my mind. That way I have worthy foes. Crushing insects is not a worthy pastime and no different than burning ants with a magnifying glass.

[UesugiKenshin]

Literally at this point, they would learn all the technology even if it did nothing just for the thrill of comprehending the galaxy. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Did other species who went extinct know more than us? Why did they fail?

[UesugiKenshin]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_savage
The Omega are so wealthy and knowledgeable and powerful, that what keeps turning over in my mind is the idea of the noble savage.

Primitive people are interesting.

I think the Omega would be absorbed in the works of Jean Jacques Rousseau.
https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/r ... 0objective.

Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.
No man has any natural authority over his fellow men.
Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves.
Cities are the abyss of the human species.
The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.
Jean Jacques Rousseau

If you are all powerful, you have no fear.
If you have no fear, there is no need for war.

[UesugiKenshin]

A 40 x 40 galactic map
Where each sector is 20 light years
Is 32,000 light years
Divided by 6 empires
Is 5,333 light years.

That is plenty and might as well be infinity.
Realistically speaking, there is no way a major species could run out of land.
There would be no scarcity.
Every single person could live freely and unemcumbered by debt.

At that point, there has to be other worthy goals to accomplish and not selfish ones.

[UesugiKenshin]

Plausibly, the Omega would try to acquire genetic samples of all 156 species and through genetic engineering develop a superior body to inhabit and no longer need to take over a host body. That would allow them perfect freedom.

Every major species would also have their own goals.

If you know anything about fungus, they spread via mycorrhizal networks.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrh ... etworks%20(also%20known%20as,and%20other%20nutrients%20and%20minerals.

Like this.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WWD_1Nq6iwQ

And the Omega might as they evolve, having accomplished so much, might mostly just return to a mycorrhizal network with a rotation defending the rest of their citizens.

That hidden subterranean network is a collaboration with the other members of the plant kingdom.

[UesugiKenshin]

There are theories about the search for extraterrestrial life.
1. Can we communicate with them? After all, we can't communicate with clearly intelligent humpback whales and only a few times have taught gorillas sign language, but cannot speak their languages. We sort of sense the needs of domesticated dogs and we now know they can smell cancer. So we know there are senses beyond our own like dog's olfaction that can be a unique way to communicate concepts. But we can't truly speak their language. Thus how could we hope to communicate with extraterrestrials or interdimensionals?

2. Are sentient species from other world possessing bilateral symmetry? Many of our terrestrial creatures do. Would extraterrestrials or interdimensionals?

3. If we are shaped the same, does that lead to similar anatomical development, histology, embryology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, neurology, psychology, microbiology, immunology, and make other sentient isn't being to be prone to infections and diseases (pathology). Are they vulnerable like us? Do they have similar shortening of telemeres? Do they get mentally ill? Do they copulate or have sustained romantic relationships and friendship? Do they have genders and exchange of genetic information, or is it scientific and clinical and pragmatic? Do they raise offspring? Or are they rapidly mature at birth?

All of these will have enormous effects on our ability to communicate as we may have entirely different morals and ethics. They may be impervious to damage or may be more fragile and even visiting get ill or infected or perish.

3. Why would we imagine that we have anything in common if they evolved on an entirely different world? Would we have common frames of reference then?

4. Why would a unique sentient species see along the same miniscule range of the electromagnetic spectrum or hear sounds at these frequencies? Could we artificially communicate at those frequencies? Or would they understand us, and be secretive about their own language by making excuses to hide their customs? Can we trust them?

5. Would they be exploiters of their worlds and be looking to continue that exploitation? Would they see humans as parasites on the Earth? Why travel all this way? Would their presence make other human beings abandon human culture? Would they contaminate us or would our communication with them damage their culture? Would they be worshipped like a cargo cult?

6. What if they are from this same space time but from a dimension in which we cannot travel? What if they are our future descendants traveling through time? What if we have no way to oppose them?

We have a rich lengthy history of science fiction going back to vimanas from India. So what if all of it is wrong? Yet all of that science fiction has shaped our expectations about sentient species. See we have a history with any sentient species even without encountering any in point of fact. So our preconceived ideas will affect diplomacy.