Would have been more convincing without the obvious counter-example in the second sentence. XD
I'm trying to be truthful, not a persuasive liar. Technological progression in this game so far has always followed one of two paths:
1) Steady improvement on what has already been developed and implemented, or
2) A completely novel technology outflanking the process (1).
If we're going to rely on (1) to improve our refinery tech, we need to research the current version of the Hewlett-Gardner process.
If
you think we should rely on (2) instead, then would you mind explaining to me why you think we have an 'outflanking' tech coming along soon?
Now, I'm going to artificially divide your next quote into a numbered list so that I can address it without quote spaghetti...
Which also makes this the perfect time for all the other projects we have put off.
1) We've got the Tendrils, which would be great to finish.
2) The Harvesting Claws may need a deployment of some sort.
3) Green Zone Intensification is available.
4) A single die of refits to finish.
5) Two Inhibitors available outside of Blue Zones.
6) Building Tiberium Containment Facilities before we need them would be good.
1) Plans by me will be deliberately holding off on Phase 2 of
Tendrils for now, because I'm
taking seriously the claim that we should avoid expanding our Red Zone operations until ZOCOM is ready. If we had access to super-glacier mines and Red Zone border offensives, I wouldn't feel this way, but I do. So as far as I'm concerned, the Q2 plan shouldn't have tendrils, and about 4-5 dice of work on tendrils should happen in Q3 and Q4, to position us for Q1 completion. Again, I've already explained my reasons at greater length, so please read my earlier posts on the subject if you disagree with me here.
2) My policy in writing draft plans is not to include options that haven't been statted out. If claw deployment is an attractive option (i.e. one that isn't mainly an income-enhancer at a time when income-enhancers don't help us much), I'll probably shift dice to it. I like to avoid doing that before I know what the cost per die and other parameters of a project are.
3) Already on the list.
4) Already on the list.
5) Already on the list.
6) Already on the list, seriously, did you
read the list?
All of those projects will take about 18 dice (Claws uncounted). So three quarters of projects there.
Nothing may be urgent, but delaying a Plan Goal for optimisation reasons this close to the end point is a pointless risk. Things could roll badly, or suddenly increase in Energy usage, or get bombed.
My plan is to do the bulk of the work on the processing plants in Q3. If we roll badly enough, we throw several dice at them in Q4, problem solved.
If we get bombed, that doesn't count against Plan commitments as long as we
built enough plants. Plus, Nod on the back foot.
If we "suddenly increase in Energy usage," and I'm not entirely sure I know what that means... Well, we can slam out more Energy in several ways if we really have to. We've got the Phase 8 fusion reactors coming this turn, which covers all the Energy-hungry Plan requirements (Anadyr, the last carrier yard, the Mastodon factories, et cetera). Crystal beam laser rollout is good for +10 Energy, and
Bergen Phase 3 is good for +4. One is required for this Plan; the other is something we're seriously working towards. That's enough to compensate for most other things we might do, though if we really want to do
Ground Force Zone Armor and the Seattle yard (both desirable), we'll need a ninth phase of fusion rollout just to make everything work.
I'd prefer to finish off what we need with the current tech, before we speculate on the next tech. New tech rollouts are always more expensive than we expect.
Note that refitting the last of the current plants is already on my list. Q3 plus Q4 provides ample time to build the Phase 2 processing plants. Refitting with
Improved Hewlett-Gardner, by contrast, is something we can do at our leisure.
I'm not seeing the problem.
I am also game for grabbing Kane by the ankles and shaking him until the Tacitus and his unhodly STU stockpiles fall out.
Kane has very slippery ankles.
