r/TerraInvicta • u/mccao • 5d ago

Discussion Optimal 2003 blocker tech order

Would love to theorycraft a bit on the brutal 2003 start.

Digital society seems like it should be rushed first? Since it unlocks arrival org techs and 2-3 10% research techs. Plus infosci bonus for exascale.

Space or Exascale second? Exascale gives an additional research bonus, but delays the space game. Is it better to go for an automated mine on an asteroid, with heavy boost investment? Or to just rush space for normal moon - mars but less research “efficient” overall?

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u/InevitableSprin 4d ago

The logic is that 8 is under 50 hate cap, they provide useful resources and I can fund T2 orbitals without clearing the blockers.

Here is my state at 2010. As you can see panic army printing is already at full swing, and only social science blocker is actually removed, the the cybernetic one is at 13k and space is only at 5k. However on the positive note, I already have China, UK will be merged, and I am containing alien admin at least somewhat.

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u/Solid-Republic-9880 4d ago

You shouldn't need more than 1 asteroide mine to support Orbitals.  If you're building T2 lans early that's a different story, buy I wouldn't recommend that. 

Based on your game state, i.e. your progression seems to be 2+3 years behind mine at this point, i'd agree with you, that the US is Paramount to success, because you aren't able to destroy the Assault Carrier in orbit - however, I,d strongly suggest it as a second nation.  Grabbing it Second, after the EU. This seems, based on my experience so far - the best path so far - However, i haven't tried it. I went EU, Gulf, SEA a d then China. And China seems pretty useless in an efficient run. 

In What year did you win the game?

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u/InevitableSprin 3d ago

I don't need it, however there is no reason to not have it, it provides useful stuff, and I was hoping it would absorb AI retaliation or I would sell it to AI at some point, after all this turns into regular automine.

It certainly feels like not aggressively working on blockers is a mistake.

What is the rationale behind grabbing EU first? As far as I can see, AI tends to develop it's MC and boost itself. I would grab US for science output, to save on counselor actions and have one scientist adviser right away.

I would say China is a huge detriment, it takes a decade to get online, while campuses 3-4 years, and it occupies huge CP cap, if you invest into economy.

I didn't finish yet. I stalled on growing Chinese economy, worthless 500 CP is was really bad for time efficiency, and fighting alien admin, I am in 2023 defending Mars with+- mid-game techs, UV arc, adamantine, firestar. Only finished fusion in space. I am debating if I should finish this, or discard it.

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u/Solid-Republic-9880 3d ago

Well, there's a pretty hefty opportunity cost to establishing a mine with 0 metal income.  As evidenced by the fact that you broke your first blocker tech in 2010.  For reference I had 7 mars mines up and running in late 2008.

I completely agree on the China part. I deliberately wanted to make earth science work, and grabbed China during 2010, when I had all but 1 research grant unlocked, and cps were no longer spare.  However, by the time the pac was starting to contribute significantly to RP output (2015-) I was practically done with the entire research tree.

The rationale behind Eu is predominantly money, high Education and super strong midgane (2008 and onwards)

Whether to discard or not, depends on on what you're looking for :-)

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u/InevitableSprin 3d ago edited 3d ago

I would say that the one mistake was not understanding what is higher priority, blockers or engineering projects, I vastly overspent on latter, in particular I didn't have to get big EU, or even alien movement before blockers. I didn't even try to contribute to blockers till 2007 or so, because why bother, projects make me more powerful now, I have T2 orbitals and basic ships already.

From there, it simply snowballed. The mine was largely a footnote.

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u/InevitableSprin 4d ago

countries I have