[AAR] The Catnip Cabal

[AAR] The Catnip Cabal (Full Version)

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StarWolf -> [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:13:35 PM)
I bought DW and the RoTS expansion around this time last year and only played a few games until the fonts and ship design issues caused me to put it on the back shelf. Due to that, I've just started playing Legends more as a noob than as an experienced player. So, I thought it would be kind of fun to do a Legends AAR as a (mostly) new player with some humor to it because, let's face it, it's going to be a comedy of errors anyway so we might as well just roll with it, right? I've chosen a 10x10 varied cluster galaxy with 700 stars and 11 races. All the setting are pretty much normal. I have space creatures turned off but Pirates are normal. I've chosen the story events for the original DW but have excluded those from RoTS. The race I've chosen to play is the Zenox. Why? Because they're giant, fluffy, golden furred, techno geek cats, that's why. 'Nuff said. The Zenox race has some interesting advantages and some weaknesses. Our strengths are some race specific shield tech and the Technocracy government type. It allows research at a high rate. We'll start with a natural 20% bonus to population growth and happiness. We'll also get a ship maintenance bonus. Fleet Admirals and Troop Generals will be more of a rare happenstance while Scientists and Ambassador leaders will be more more numerous. [image]local://upfiles/40349/5CF0FF93E046463CB22132A49397995A.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:22:15 PM)
With the AAR underway here you can see that our Zenox Leader has already nearly given his last full measure of devotion to the cause. Deeply exhausted from pounding those keys with his little paws, he struggles valiently to keep our fledgling empire afloat. [image]local://upfiles/40349/0271877570EF4AA799356625A9FFF7A6.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:25:16 PM)
And we're off... [image]local://upfiles/40349/A5E56B7CB8F34F67B02D8EBD70526D61.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:32:12 PM)
Here's our starting position in a small central cluster. On one hand, being right in the middle means we're surrounded by the other empires out there and that almost guarantees lots of conflict at some point. On the other, we should be able to reach most of the other clusters fairly easily and can hopefully levereage some diplomacy and tech selling to climb the empire ladder. With some luck we'll have this small starting litterbox all to ourselves for a while. [image]local://upfiles/40349/CFA7C6685B5D40D2AD0B7AB4B7F8A1CB.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:38:00 PM)
There is a also a potential colony nearby so we'll check that out right away. [image]local://upfiles/40349/EAD6BA8BADBE4D63ABB5499CC3447E4E.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:44:45 PM)
The first order of business is to upgrade our spaceport from medium to large and then buy some more exploration ships. Looking around the immediate neighborhood we can see that there's no caslon gas anywhere in our starting system or in nearby explored systems. No hydrogen gas either for that matter. This is bad mojo for our little catnip lovin' kitties. But, there's more than one way to skin a cat, as they say. We'll prioritize scouting all the remaining close by systems and hopefully find some soon. If we don't, this game may get ugly really fast. [image]local://upfiles/40349/5987BAC2D26945408622454A18F6A232.jpg[/image]

Gelatinous Cube -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:46:59 PM)
Hey, that's a pretty good little map. Looking forward to this! No such thing as too many AARs going on.

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:52:28 PM)
While we scout about and upgrade the starport, let's take a look at our leader. He has some pretty good stats. The +18% mining rate will come in handy in the early expansion and the trade income and diplomacy bonus' are nice as well. The population growth hit isn't too bad. Since we started with a 20% bonus, that means we're now down to +10% net there. [image]local://upfiles/40349/BA1264DDA3814612A2AC70AFBDA3C718.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/10/2011 11:58:25 PM)
And, our first scientist has emerged. He specializes in energy research and is methodical, which hopfully means fewer research failures. [image]local://upfiles/40349/2A2C87815C7C4CF08869C36931B705F7.jpg[/image]

Gelatinous Cube -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:00:40 AM)
Are you just playing the game, pausing every now and then to take pictures and post? If so, that's a pretty good way to do it. Much easier than taking a bunch of pictures and trying to remember the narrative later when you're typing it all up.

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:06:34 AM)
Cats are lucky and have nine lives. As proof, the potential colony right next door is populated with an independent race of Zenox. Talk about a stroke of good fortune! We'll want to get a colony ship over there ASAP. This will help our empire grow. There are also ruins on the planet which point to some coordinates to investigate nearby. [image]local://upfiles/40349/CC5664A562514B529FE6BBC2F2E35040.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:09:11 AM)
Nah, I played it some last night and took screenshots when playing. Then went back through and edited them all and put them in order. It takes quite a bit of time but now I can just post them in order and tell the story.

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:16:20 AM)
What's this? More luck? One of our curious kitty explorers has found an abandoned capital ship, the 'Grevious Enforcer'. This could be a real game changer this early in the game. With a capital ship in hand this early, our little cabal will be able to run its claws up and down the faces of any neighboring empires. Do we want to investigate? Oh heck yeah!! [image]local://upfiles/40349/229E654A42E34563A7EFA411E27A9794.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:25:21 AM)
NOOOO! The capital ship expodes and destroys our scout. Oh, what could have been. Just another reminder that exploring is dangerous business. That, and that curiousity killed the cat. [image]local://upfiles/40349/5F9E31E952FD412380957388FE4F4EDD.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:33:27 AM)
In the meantime, suddenly we have pirates on our doorstep. They attack our mining bases and make up an offer. We'd love to accept this offer but we only have $7K at the moment. We also still have not found any caslon and other critical resources. Our economy is limping along. [image]local://upfiles/40349/F0990A438FD346E6B8D618AB81CB51E9.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:36:54 AM)
Fighting the pirates has caused a rare troop general to appear and offer his services to the Cabal. We don't yet know what skills he has. [image]local://upfiles/40349/02687C066CB446C79497C109E1FF21F0.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 12:51:42 AM)
Our overall stragegy to this point has been to explore and colonize to the southeast and lock the bulk of the remaining systems in the cluster within our sphere of influence. When we do get around to taking a look toward the north, we find a nest of Frogs. The Haakonish homeworld is practically on our doorstep. Out influence is suddenly cut in half. This is really bad news We are really going to have to work hard now to find a system to colonize that will expand our influence and block the expansion of his. We'll take a look at those clusters of stars outside our sphere to the east first. In the middle term, there's only room for one race in this cluster and that's us. We are going to have to squish some frogs if we can. Right now, we are way too way to weak. As weak as kittens. [image]local://upfiles/40349/0DC7500B632F4F74BDEC089F2DB923C1.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:04:32 AM)
We are weaker than the frogs. Much weaker. We need to make nice for now. They can help us with trade and exploration until we are stronger. We approach them meekly with hat in hand. We ask them for a mutually beneficial trade agreement but they turn their froggy noses up at us. We ask to trade maps but they spit upon us. They are jeleous of our territory and the resources we control ahd they don't like us. One day, they will pay for their slights. [image]local://upfiles/40349/EAC25C33F1F54119B921453D0AACEECD.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:10:29 AM)
Immediately, our Power Meower sets about growing our empire. His mining rate skill and colony happiness skill both increase in short order. [image]local://upfiles/40349/5814B493537A45A7874A56C0EA089824.jpg[/image]

Grotius -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:21:23 AM)
Off to a fun start. Look forward to more! I do my AARs the same way. Play, take a bunch of pics, edit them and later and post. I usually end up cutting about half the pics I take, and it's easier to figure out what to delete if I play for a long session and then sit back and look at all the resulting pics. But yes, it does take a bit of time. :)

Gelatinous Cube -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:31:29 AM)
As the owner of a really funny cat, I find this AAR fantastic.

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:33:14 AM)
Our explorer ship finally gets over to the coordinates provided by the Zenox independent world. Well look at a that, a colony ship just full of frogs. How ironic. We will use this little bit of serendipity to thwart the frog empire with their own denizens. [image]local://upfiles/40349/9ECBA83F924E4CB8B120C9198FFC007F.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:38:41 AM)
And heeding the quickening pulse of the Cabal, a fleet admiral comes forward to lay a heavy guiding paw on the helm of our flagship. Where his talents may lie, we do not yet know. [image]local://upfiles/40349/860FF28B509346FDBACB6B071A78327F.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:54:06 AM)
At last, with supplies of caslon and hydrogen intact, our scouts press their whiskers beyond the bounds of our influence, desperately seaching for a new stepping stone across the yawning gulf of the abyss between clusters. One such scout investigates an abondoned ship just outside a pirate base and finds another colony ship. This one is full of Zenox colonists, another stoke of luck. [image]local://upfiles/40349/7D74DA6083964970864AD29251AB2E15.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 1:58:43 AM)
Immediately, it is sent on a course to colonize the Zenox independent world next door to our homeworld. There is great excitement and caterwauling back home. [image]local://upfiles/40349/59FF8240CD85496489D046B04C70A579.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 2:01:03 AM)
Soon after, other scouts outside our influence sphere at due galactic south report in. Their meows of excitement beam down faster-than-light tachyon comminications to the home world. A new colonizable world has been spotted. Moving in to investigate more closely. [image]local://upfiles/40349/90F0308334CC4DEFB23873BB6E39EA3A.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 2:08:43 AM)
Truely, these are some cool cats. And very lucky ones too. A second independent race of Zenox have been found. It contains a ruin, but it is empty. One by one, the long scattered remnants of our ancient fur flung star empire are being found and reunited. Our destiny is manifest. Our fangs are sharp. Our future greatness beckons... But first, it's time for a little cat nap. [image]local://upfiles/40349/2B05BE15F3B6440F8B6ABC0731E7462B.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 2:15:45 AM)
In the meantime, we have used the colony ship of frogs we found in deep freeze earlier to colonize a desert world on the eastern flank of the frog empire. As its influence grows, it will thrust into the side of their froggy influence and swallow up the unclaimed stars in the area around it. [image]local://upfiles/40349/7B42EC3A6FA04146B906D1EC0D3B2630.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 2:20:26 AM)
The pirates to our north that have been such a thorn in our paw have made an offer that's interesting. If we pay them a nominal fee, they will attack the frogs. This should weaken the frogs and may well eliminate the pirates. Win, win. We accept. [image]local://upfiles/40349/A476319027B44565A1CE65613B3EB65C.jpg[/image]

StarWolf -> RE: [AAR] The Catnip Cabal (12/11/2011 2:31:08 AM)
The colony ship that was originally intended for the Zenox independents next door has finally finished after being held up for so long due to lack of key resources. We form our first fleet to protect it and send it south. The second independent race of Zenox are being assailed by pirates and that system is rife with the buggers. For some reason, the protective fleet goes chasing off toward the pirate base leaving the colony ship unprotected as it tries to colonize except for one tiny escort. Bravely, it fights off the larger pirate ship just long enough for the colony to be formed. It survives somehow at the very brink of death. The pilot is rewarded with a sardine and some warm milk. [image]local://upfiles/40349/CF9B1723EFB24CF19147FBF27FCE9130.jpg[/image]

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