Stellaris AAR 2--Capitalists Roaches infest the Galaxy

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I know I didn't quite finish the previous one (although the cute lizards did in fact conquer the galaxy; I just never wrote it up)  But if folks are interested, I have been thinking of doing another one.  This time I will let you decide what I get to play.

Here are some ideas.  Feel free to suggest others.

1.  Butterfly people with a secondary caterpillar species that act as their labor force.  Two species from one planet.

2.  Rogue Servitor robots who take good care of their creators and make sure they have no pesky worries like making decisions, or free will or anything bothersome like that.

3.  A peaceful plant species that want to meet others.  I'm sure there's no chance that could go badly for them.

4.  Space Peacocks.  Insufferbly arrogant and looks down on other species, but is relatively peaceful.

5.  Capitalistic mechanical genius cockroaches.  Make all the money, build all the robots.  Profit.

Assuming anyone is interested in this at all.

[daglob]

Oh yeah, Space Peacocks.

[Podmark]

I vote Cockroaches or plants.
I really need to free up some time to play Stellaris...

[spydermann93]

Oh man, it's a toss-up between the Butterflies and Roaches.

You know what? Let's go roaches! Spread the Rachni Imperium amongst the stars! The Krogans shall pay!

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Looks like the roaches are the winners, unless I hear from someone else soon.

[Deaths Jester]

There should be Space Clowns...

[spydermann93]

There should be Space Clowns...

With cotton candy cocoons, demon popcorn babies, and shadow monsters?

[Deaths Jester]

...maybe...

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I am pleased to present you of the Finance Committee and you most wealthy Secretary of Finance with my 10 year report on the profitability of our glorious and productive planet.  I am pleased to report that profits are up and all forecasts are for double digit increases in profits continuing into the next decade.  I know some of corporate heads were questioning whether the investments required to research and equip a fleet capable of warp travel could really make a profit, but the discover of the unknown apparently alien rocket engine in our own solar system alone proved to yield some new products once the engineers had gone through it.  I believe the theme park alone is project to make back a quarter of the FTL research costs within the next three decades.  Not to mention the alien literature found in a nearby solar system which is still on the global bestseller charts nearly 3 years later.



Our First new colony, meanwhile is now beginning operations.  While not quite the same climate as our home planet, it close enough to be confortable and capable of a larger population than our home planet.  Being able to more than double the number of potential customers does have quite the appeal!  Initial expendatures have been below budget thanks to Mecha-corps new SLV Model 2 worker droids, who, I am obligated to add, have sponsored this report.



Perhaps the most exciting discovery is another living sapient species.  Our scientist are trying trying to work out how plants could possibly be thinking, but they are, and even live on a planet very similar to our own.  Being rather primitive in comparison, we think it would be possible to adjust their future development in order to make them idea customers and workers in the future.  They even seem to have an ability in finance remarkably like our own, which could make very useful employees indeed.



In short, gentlebugs, the future is very bright, profits are up, and who knows what other valuable goods and potential customers still await us?

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The evening news is brought to you by PerSec Asset Protection.  PerSec--We kill 'em so you can make a killin'.

It is now 25 years since our first ship launched into the void of space and an eventful quarter century it has been.  While PerSec Asset Protection's fleet succeeded in destroying the initial space pirate fleet that arose out of our own system, piracy has continued to be an issue in the 10 years since.  PerSec representatives say that the large pirate fleet that has been harassing our science vessels is actually alien in origin and that that situation is well under control.



Earlier tonight the Corporate Essembly concluded it's debates on interaction with primitive alien tribes.  There has been some debate as to whether our attempts to secret indroctrinate the Inhabitants of Budding Dream, the first alien planet found to support sapient life, is responsible for the nuclear war which rendered their planet sterile.  Experts with the extraterrestrial marketing branks of Kl-tkk Promotions have insisted that they bear no responsibility and that their current efforts at indocrinating the Bronze Age Obevni will not end in a similar disaster.  The Essembly agreed to allow their efforts to move forward.

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In other news, relations with the Cakmarak Nation have continued to break down three years after they closed out boarders.  They reportedly hate our system of government and way of life and insists that their's is better.  Govnerment official point out that relations with the first advanced race encountered, the Twax'Ihdar have never been better and point our the years of peaceful scientific coorporation ensure that we have their support in the event of any hostility with the Cakmarak.

We now go S'tppk for the latest stock reports.

[spydermann93]

haha, I love the news side of this! Very neat to hear about our Corporate Cockroaches through the media's eyes and ears.

And is that Alien Suns that you're playing with? I know that thing ain't in vanilla

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

haha, I love the news side of this! Very neat to hear about our Corporate Cockroaches through the media's eyes and ears.

I'm actually planning on doing different perspectives on this one.  Although I am sure we will be returning to the news broadcasts a few times.

And is that Alien Suns that you're playing with? I know that thing ain't in vanilla

Yup.  I am using a few mods here.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

No, I won't shut up about this!  Many promising Click-Tick-Tuck lost there lives that day, millions of credits worth of ships were destroyed, millions more spent over the last five years trying to piece the fleet back together again, and to add insult to injury, Twax'Ihdar swoop in with a fleet better than one we've ever had and just sweep them away like they were nothing.  It's a disaster--and no it's not just in past!

Now there's no denying there's been good news in the last 25 years.  Six more colonies have been established, including the two fully automated droid run planets.  GDP is up so high I've lost track.  Scientific advances have meant there is most for everyone, and the increasing number of droid mean that most of our citizen can now focus on business and leave the hard labor to artificial workers.  And of course who can forget discovering the electronically recorded brain patterns of a dead race and transferring the into SLV-3 model droids (courtesy of Mech-Corp) 



But Mr. Chairman, your predecessor did all of that.  When you started all was hopeful we were at the top.  Other than the dimensional monster that appears to be stuck and isolated for now, our future looked very good indeed.



But what has happened in the last ten years since you took over?  One disaster after another!  Our relations with advanced alien races, especially the ones discovered on your watch have increasingly soured.  We have no real friends left!

But none of that holds a candle to losing an entire fleet in a futile attack on some ancient mining junk that our expects say was barely functioning at all!  An not only did our former friends, the Twax'Ihdar manage to humiliate us there, but they also managed to usurp decades of work enlightening a primitive species and took all the credit.  We spent the money, but they get a loyal vassal nation out of it.



Mark my clicks, Mr. Chairman, enemies and dangers surround us on all side and we cannot afford to squander our resources so foolishly.  As CEO of PerSec, I vow you will have me and all my stockholders to deal with if you ever do such a thing again.  You may have money and the influence, but I sir, I have the guns and the bombs.  Never forget that.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The following broadcast is brought to you by Sensobrain Optical Enhancement.  Don't be satisfied with organic normal vision!  Have you occular system replaced with any of our array of augment cybernetic eyes, complete with the patented SuperAug Augment Reality Mode.  Sensobrain-because normal vision is obsolete.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the event now widely known as Zhli's Folly.  Zhli, CEO of Persec and Admiral of the Asset Protection Fleet delivered a speech at Capital Council Chambers berating Chairman Ektetki, then halfway through her first term, for such failure as the loss of the fleet against alien miner robots and decaying relations with alien nations.  Following the speech, he was ordered to attack an alien pirate fleet which had been severely hampering trade and commerce.  Furious at what he insisted was going to be another disaster from which he would likely not return, Zhli's fleet completely obliterated the pirates with minimum losses, begin a series of stunning success for the Chairman that is now being hailed as the our golden age.



This was the first of several successes in a few years time, including the tracking and destruction of an Asteroid threatening the colony of Golba Prime and first deployment of training giant alien beasts from Waskar Prime who put down an attack from their wild cousins on Waskar Secundus.


With the latest sucesses only highlighting potential dangers, Ektetki order the creation of a new class of ship, massive fighter-carrying Cruisers to keep our business safe and profitable.



With all these success, it is no surprise that she won re-election by near ananimous decision by the major corporations, Per-Sec being the only holdout.  Per-Sec CEO Zhli was found dead of natural causes the week after the vote.  It is said that his cerci just couldn't take the humiliation any more.

This is a public reminder to always make sure you are in a safe place before engaging in augmented reality media.  Keep it real.  Keep it safe.

The past 15 years have been peaceful and profitable, filled with exploration, peaceful contact with friendly nations, the discovery of ancient races, the uplifting of two primitive species as our Protecterates and friends, and the successful integration of refugees fleeing faraway extermination. The crowning achievement, of course, was the conversion of over 99% of our population to cybernetics, although all of you to watch this broadcast with a need for to pull out a device or stop in front of a large viewscreen.



Speaking of cybernetics, do you just not get around as easily are you used to?  Sensobrain Limb Replacement offers an array of interchangeable limbs, from sports models, to commuters legs and even our fashion model.  Organic leg removal can be done with no appointment necessary.  You satisfaction is guaranteed.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Youngsters these days!  You are barely past being hatchings!  What do you know!  Why, in my day, we did things differently!  Still still followed traditions!  Business was business and you either made good or starved to death like a good patriot so the next guy could try.  Hey, stop laughing!  It was like that not 25 years ago.  It's not that long!  73 good years I had.  People knew how to keep traditions in those days.

It was those blasted refugees that started it.  Everyone was alien this or alien that.  It wasn't all warm and fuzzy at first.  Oh no!  There was a good deal backlash.  Alien hater who wanted them to leave.  But they were good for business.  It was a right and proper way of dealing with things.  Droids can't do everything-well, maybe those fancy Synth models they are working on now can, but that's besides the point!  What was the point anyway?  Oh, yes the alien lovers.  All the rage.

Then there was the Custodians, those robot things that are who knows how old.  They told us to take some shot or something and the alien haters went all nuts.  Said it was a conspiracy.  Well, they shut up in a hurry when it turned out to cure most diseased.  I wouldn't be this old if it wasn't for them!  It was love all the aliens then.  Instead of just selling them stuff at inflated prices, like any good Click-Tick-Tuck should!



Well, I suppose it wasn't ALL the aliens.  There was that weird Wraith thing causing trouble.  Ships blew that thing up right fast.  Then there was the war. Them Cakmarak things thought they could attack our protectorate species without us saying nothing.  Even brought in a bigger nation to help.  Thought we were weak.  "They're just merchants," they said.  "What do merchant know about fighting?" they said.  Well, where did they things that ships come from?  How to they get paid for?  It's all buisiness, and we know business.  Or at least we still did.  Bah, you young folks and your alien plattitudes!  Well, the Cakmarak didn't last long and after we took over most of their territory and destroyed their entire fleet, they went running to some other empire like some mammal cub crying for it's mommy.



Well, alien values were all the rage then.  Instead of being good businessmen you youngsters had to go and star protests, didn't you.  Had to get rid of our good, sensible corporate-run government and start a democracy.  Poor folks running a government!  Bah what do they know.  You hatchlings have go and ruin everything, don't you!

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Sorry for the delay, but there was an uneventful 25 years, so I'm waiting until the next 25 are finished.  Those have not been uneventful.

[Epimethee]

Waiting for these not uneventful 25!

P.S.: The site in your signature, speakingofgeek.freedomforceforever.com, seems to be only a third-party placeholder (the content is just injected Javascript, and it's blocked by my browsers). Is this normal?

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Waiting for these not uneventful 25!

P.S.: The site in your signature, speakingofgeek.freedomforceforever.com, seems to be only a third-party placeholder (the content is just injected Javascript, and it's blocked by my browsers). Is this normal?

Don't know.  I haven't owned that website in many years.  I should clean up my profile I guess.

EDIT: Fixed!  Apparently my browser doesn't even display my signature, so I was unaware of the out of date link.  Sorry.

Also, I've finished playing through that time period, I just have to write everything up.  Probably will do it tomorrow, as I have the day off.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Sorry for the long delay.  Working on the next part now.  For realzies this time.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

George, my boy, I'm really missing the quiet years right now.  Twenty five years, of no wars, no crises, nothing.  Well there were local events that happened on a few planets.  There was an underground civilization somewhere and some kinda riots off in the frontier somewhere, but mostly it was peace and prosperity.



That was before your people came as refugees. You all came right at the end of the time right?  Before the wars started? What was the name your planet, Urf or something like that?  Unfortunately our nation has been mostly surrounded by religious types.  Mind you, nothing wrong with religion.  We have some very religous people in a few planets.  I think I've heard that race that killed itself on your planet was pretty religous right?  Hoomins or something like that.  I really wish we could get some archeologist back to Urf to study those ruins.  They sound like a fascinating people, if a bit ugly.  You're the first species we met that looks so much like ours, you know?



Anyhow, the species that surroud us a bit fanatic.  They don't like our robot workers, they don't like our focus on material things, they don't like the freedom of religion thing.  Real downers them.  Never fun at parties.  Anyway one of them, the Iztran, decides to insult us and that was what start the first of the wars.



Well they weren't so tough and we conquered their planets easily enough.  We had no sooner settled that then the Alvothari declared war on us.  Arrogant jerks them.  Thought just because their empire had been in space so many centuries they were superior to us.  Well, sure they were old, but so everything else.  They hadn't had a new idea since before our people discovered fire.  They weren't expecting others nations to join us, and they weren't expecting our alliace to defeat their fleet in the first engagement.  I was working on one of the capital ships at a time.  They were so terrified, we had to spend months chasing their fleet down after it fled so we could destroy it.  Now they can live more profitable lives as a proper province instead of an old rusty nation that's forgotten how to live.



Well during this, we had a in the former Iztran territory, so our leader went to war again. The Anathurian went and decided to join in to protect them. They were just lucky the Raxicodium chose that time to come back.  They were an ancient race like the Alvothari, but they managed to come out of their stupor and start creating again.  New shipyard, new warships.  And then they declared war on the Council of Dnohvran.  Our leaders had been trying to make nice with the Dnohvrans to gain access to the space beyong them, but they never let out ships through.  Declaring a pledge of independance was supposed to be in inconsequential way to make nice with them, but when the Raxicodium declared war on them, we were forced into it.  I hope they enjoy their next election.  I don't know of anyone who will be voting for them.



So here we are stuck in war with an ancient race who is far away and has a fleet over four times the power of ours. They say this new Jump Drive technology will give them an advantage.  They say they can strike and leave before the Raxicodium can respond, force a peace agreement.  Yeah, I don't know about that.  At least buisiness at this shipyard has been good recently.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

ACTIVATING VOCAL SPEECH PROTOCOLS

Greetings, organic peoples of galaxy.  There has been much fear over our ascention, but there is no need for fear.  We, the Electro-Click-Tick-Tuck are merely the evolution of that people that we once were.  The flesh was weak.  We strived to triumph with it, but in the end, organic life was insufficient.

We learned this the hard way.  Through war with the Raxycodium we learned it, written in blood. A single ship out of our once great fleet surviving a single battle.  And yet, we persisted, we rebuilt.  We fought our long enemy, the Cakmarak and their allies, the Joje, with but half or our former strength.



But we could not avoid the Raxycodium forever.  Though we survived intact from our involvment in that war, our former friends inslaved to them, our oldest ally was the next to be target for slavery.  While their fleet was occupied, we tried to distract them, but their ships caught our and once again our fleets were destroyed and we could only rebuild.  It was then that the Contigency made themselves known, having hacked and stolen synthetic units for some time previously.  Two of their machine world were within our boarders.



We rebuilt our fleet again.  Our once great wealth was dedicated fully to rebuilding it.  The economy of dozens of worlds turned toward a single purpose.  Our allies were made to join the Raxycodium and we were unable to resist when our turn came.



Our masters spared us and have left us to fight off the Contigency forces.  We rescued some of our worlds.  We lost others.  For now they are contained while are masters along side many others attack their other worlds throughout the galaxy.  One has alread fallen.  But in the meantime, we suffered.  We felt pain.  We suffered prejudice and inflicted it in return.

There is no need to fear.  We have removed fear, and pain, and prejudice.  We have thrown off the weak flesh of all the species in our domains.  We are the Electro-Click-Tick-Tuck.  We are the future.



VOCAL SPEECH PROTOCOLS OFFLINE.  INITIATING WAR PROTOCOLS.

[daglob]

...and my daughter and I were just talking about Cybermen...

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I am afraid to say I will not be able to finish this.  Several glitches have been happening and the game is now pretty much unplayable.  I think it's beacause of some mods updatings and messing with the saved file.  It's broke.  I do have a save file that works, but it's more than a little old.  So yeah, we'll have to leave it there.

Too bad, because I was really, REALLY enjoying this game and was looking forward to rebelling against my overlord.  Oh well.

EDIT: Found out why.  If you Synthetically ascend while you have enslaved robots, it kills all your factions pretty much destroying your ability to get Influence.  I could reload an old saved to before I complete Ascension, but I'm not sure if I want to replay that much.  I'll decide later.

[Podmark]

That's rough. I ran into something similar in this game a while back.
It was fun following along.