HF4A 31 - Altruism Solo (3)

Tags

• hf4a
• high-frontier
• altruism

This game played out over a couple of days. I started it the previous Sunday, then decided to wrap it up today. I learned a fair number of new things. Specifically, getting the Saturn Aerostat elevator is pretty hard. Some other things:

• Freighters can be pretty cool when everything clicks.
• In the following game I did not get around to using GW/TW thrusters. I'm still missing something with those.
• Focusing on a particular objective is a great way to lose the game. Winning really requires a fair bit of adaptability.

Upshot: the card combinations are really subtle. It takes a lot of plays to be able to recognize good, or even just workable combinations.

Turn 1

• Operation: Research: Monatomic Plug Nozzle thruster
• Event: Anarchy
• Notes: Playing the B612 Foundation faction and the Solo Political Assemply placard.
• Starting Aqua: 7
• Net Δ Aqua: -1
• Ending Aqua: 6

Turn 2

• Operation: Research: Ablative Plate thruster
• Starting Aqua: 6
• Net Δ Aqua: -1
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 3

• Operation: Research: Metallic Hygrogen reactor
• Event: Glitch
• Notes: This reactor is +4 thrust, which is a nice match for the relative wimpy Ablative Plate thruster.
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: -1
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 4

• Operation: Research: SS/NaK Pumped Loop radiator
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: -1
• Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 5

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate moves to Centrist
• Event: Glitch
• Notes: Time to twiddle with the Assembly.
• Starting Aqua: 3
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 6

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate and Active Law move to Individuality
• Free Actions:
  • Boost: whole hand.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 7

• Operation: Research: In-Situ Leaching refinery
• Event: Solar Flares
• Notes: Now all I need is a decent robonaut and I'm off to the races.
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: -1
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 8

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate and Active Law move to Equality
• Notes: The idea now is to grab as many patents as I can in the last few turns of the first cycle.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 9

• Operation: Research: Rock Splitter robonaut, AMTEC Thermoelectric generator
• Event: Glitch
• Notes: I might end up with a second reactor for the robonaut.
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: -2
• Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 10

• Operation: Research: Nuclear Drill robonaut, Lyman Alpha Trap reactor
• Notes: I have a lot of stuff I can sell, but I don't yet have a working prospector.
• Starting Aqua: 3
• Net Δ Aqua: -2
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 11

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Authority, Active Law to Individuality.
• Free Actions:
  • Boost: whole hand(!)
• Event: Anarchy
• Notes: I need to get some Inspirations to cycle the decks, particularly for the robonauts. This is too many cards in LEO.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 2

Turn 12

• Operation: Research: Optoelectric Nuclear Battery generator
• Notes: End of the first cycle. Patents now cost 2.
• Starting Aqua: 2
• Net Δ Aqua: -1
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 13

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Centrist.
• Event: Anarchy
• Notes: I have some good patents, not sure what I want to Industrialize first.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 2

Turn 14

• Operation: Research: D-T Fusion Tokamak
• Notes: This is a heavy bastard, but I'm only going to Mars with him.
• Starting Aqua: 2
• Net Δ Aqua: -2
• Ending Aqua: 0

Turn 15

• Operation: Fund Raise: Move delegate and Active Law to Individuality
• Free Actions:
  • Boost: hand
• Event: Budget Cuts
• Notes: About time to start collecting fuel. I think I'm going to need to go to Mars. It's the only place in the inner system I'm going to be able to get a Factory launched.
• Starting Aqua: 0
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 16

• Operation: Free Market: Rock Splitter robonaut
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: decommission Rock Splitter into hand.
  • Cargo Transfer: build rocket.
  • Internal Tankage: put 3 Aqua on rocket.
• Movement: Move along Red Route to first Hohmann.
• Notes: I need to get FINAO…maybe I'll risk it.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 17

• Operation: Prospect: claim on Arisa Mons Caves.
• Movement: Aerobrake into Mars…no FINAO, roll 3 to land safely.
• Event: Inspiration
• Notes: Not going to decommission anything just yet, I need to get some Aqua and make a decision on how to handle the radiator.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua:
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 18

• Operation: Free Market: Monatomic Plug Nozzle.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: Monatomic Plug Nozzle to hand.
  • Cargo Transfer: SS/NaK Pumped Loop radiator to hand.
  • Boost: SS/NaK Pumped Loop.
  • Cargo Transfer: build rocket.
  • Internal Tankage: 3 Aqua.
• Movement: Move to first Red Hohmann
• Notes: The previous Inspiration roll made my radiator decision for me: decommission on Mars, the super M radiator cycled.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 19

• Operation: Industrialize: Arisa Mons Caves.
• Free Actions:
  • Build colony: use the Crew.
• Movement: Aerobrake into Mars…no FINAO, roll 2 to land safely.
• Event: Inspiration
• Notes: Two lucky rolls, I'm industrialized on Arisa Mons Caves. Now to get a Factory.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 20

• Operation: Free Market: Lyman Alpha Trap reactor
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: decommission Lyman Alpha Trap reactor
  • Boost: hand.
• Notes: Excellent to get Inspiration on the previous event, Free Electron Laser robonaut is on top now. It's heavy, but it's also ISRU 1. I need to Fund Raise to get this thing, the radiator which is C card by moving a delegate into Equality. If another Inspiration roll occurs I'll stop it with a Lobby in Authority.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 3
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 21

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate and Active Law to Equality.
• Event: Solar Flares for who cares.
• Notes: Next turn I can spend 4 to get the robonaut and 2 supports, which I'll sell back for Aqua.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 22

• Operation: Research: Free Electron Laser robonaut, Salt-cooled Reflux Tube radiator, Cascade Photovoltaic generator
• Notes: Now I need a lot of Aqua.
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: -4
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 23

• Operation: Free Market: Cascade Photovoltaic generator
• Event: Pad Explosion: refinery back to hand. Pay 1 to trigger Centrist and recoup 2 Aqua.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 5
• Ending Aqua: 6

Turn 24

• Operation: Research: Poodle Steam freighter.
• Notes: I'll need to decommission a card to protect against budget cuts.
• Starting Aqua: 6
• Net Δ Aqua: -2
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 25

• Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Centrist, move active Law to Individuality
• Free Actions:
  • Boost: Free Electron Laser, Salt-cooled Reflux Tube, In-Situ Leaching.
• Event: Pad Explosion: D-T Tokamak back to hand, pay 1 to recoup 2 and remove delegate from Centrist.
• Notes: Patents now cost 3. I'm going free action discard the Poodle Steamer to get a freighter that promotes on C colony.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: 3
• Ending Aqua: 7

Turn 26

• Operation: Research: Inflatable Solar Heated.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: discard Poodle Steamer.
• Notes: The Inflatable can't go past Ceres zone unless I have a power sat. No big deal.
• Starting Aqua: 7
• Net Δ Aqua: -3
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 27

• Operation: ET Produce: Inflatable Solar-heated.
• Free Actions:
  • Boost: D-T Fusion Tokamak
• Event: Inspiration: cancel by discarding the delegate in Lobby. I want to get the Photon Heliogyra next turn, it's C card.
• Notes: Now that I have a freighter out there, I need to generate Aqua to be able to take off.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 28

• Operation: Research: Photon Heliogyra.
• Notes: This sail ET Produces on a C site. I can bring it back and use it a while, or sell it for 8 Aqua.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: -3
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 29

• Operation: ET Produce: Electric Sail.
• Event: Pad Explosion: Salt-cooled Reflux Tube back to hand. This is fine as I can ET Produce it next turn.
• Notes: I haven't forgotten about the elevator. Going to build some components first.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 30

• Operation: ET Produce: Buckytube Filament radiator.
• Notes: 0 Mass, 4 Radhard, 2 therm radiator.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 31

• Operation: ET Produce: JTEC H2 Thermoelectric generator
• Event: Inspiration
• Notes: Provides both generators for 1 mass and 4 radhard.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 32

• Operation: Promotion: Archimedes Palmer Lens freighter
• Notes: Because why not. Now I need to do a Factory Refuel so that I can power the Acetylene boost, and save some Aqua back home to pay FINAO.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 33

• Operation: Site Refuel: 7 Aqua at Outpost 1.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: decommission Optoelectric Nuclear Battery
• Event: Glitch: no effect, Outpost 1 is colocated with a colony.
• Notes: I could probably have another rocket out there with what I have at LEO, but fueling it would use up Operations, either from generating Aqua at LEO, or Site Refuel operations.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 34

• Operation: Free Market: Optoelectric Nuclear Battery generator.
• Movement: Factory assist liftoff, using Acetylene Rocketplane Liftoff, no FINAO payment because this is a colony site. From H6c, and with wet mass 1, it costs 2 FT to perform. This allows moving through the landing burn to LMO.
• Notes: I'll need to generate Aqua to pay for Epic Hazard FINAO.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 3
• Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 35

• Operation: Epic Hazard: build elevator from Arisa Mons Caves to Phobos.
• Movement: Factory makes a burn and lands on Phobos.
• Event: Inspiration
• Notes: 3 cycles in, this would be a loss for CEO.
• Starting Aqua: 4
• Net Δ Aqua: -4
• Ending Aqua: 0

Turn 36

• Operation: Fund Raise: move delegate and Active Law to Honor.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: Build Electric Sail

• Movement: * Move Electric Sail to LEO.

  • Move freighter to first red Hohmann
• Notes: I need to go grab some Glory chits to be able to get better fund raising. I'd like to get an elevator on Saturn, but not quite sure how to do that yet. I'm just going to burn some turns and see where it goes.
• Starting Aqua: 0
• Net Δ Aqua: 1
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 37

• Operation: Fund raise
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: Load Crew

• Movement: * Move freighter to GEO.

  • Move Sail to Apophis.

  • Load Earth Zone Glory chit.

• Event: Inspiration
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 2
• Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 38

• Operation: Site Refuel: 7 Aqua to top of elevator at Phobos, Outpost 1.
• Free Actions:
  • Ticker Tape Parade.
  • Cargo Transfer: freighter unloads at GEO to Outpost 2.

• Movement: * Sail to LEO.

  • Freighter back to Phobos.
• Notes: Things are getting complicated now.
• Starting Aqua: 3
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 39

• Operation: Fund Raise: +2 Aqua, delegate to Authority.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: acquire Venus Zone glory chit.
  • Load 5 FT on freighter

• Movement: * Sail to Hathor, belt roll 3, pay FINAO -4.

  • Freighter to L1.
• Event: Budget Cuts: no effect.
• Notes: Having a delegate in Authority allows me to Lobby if I get a bad event roll.
• Starting Aqua: 3
• Net Δ Aqua: -2
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 40

• Operation: Free Market: Electric Sail.
• Free Actions:
  • Ticker Tape Parade.
  • Cargo Transfer: freighter unloads 5 FTs on Outpost 2.

• Movement: * Sail to LEO, roll hazard 6, pass and belt roll 2, pass.

  • Freighter to GEO.
• Notes: Now, do I want to get another Glory to make it an even 4? I think I won't, as I'll pick up the 4th on Titan, and the freighter should be able to make up the difference with a 5 FT delivery to LEO.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 8
• Ending Aqua: 9

Turn 41

• Operation: Fund Raise: +3 Aqua.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: build Ablative Plate rocket.
  • Internal Tankage: 3 FTs.

• Movement: * Rocket to Geo, afterburn to ensure belt roll 6 passes.

  • Freighter to Phobos.
• Event: Budget Cuts: Photon Heliogyra back to deck.
• Starting Aqua: 9
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 9

Turn 42

• Operation: Site Refuel: 7 FT to Phobos
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: decommission SS/NaK Pumped Loop radiator
  • Cargo Transfer: Outpost 2 components and 6 FTs.
  • Cargo Transfer: 5 FT on Freighter from Phobos.

• Movement: * Freighter to L1.

  • Rocket: afterburn to get thrust 6, burn 4 times to get to 3rd pivot past Jupiter Flyby. Belt rolls are moot with 6 thrust and lowest radhard 2.
• Notes: We're about to fly during Red season, when belt rolls get a +2 DRM. Low thrust and low radhard are especially vulnerable. This rocket should be ok with 6 thrust and radhard 2. Rolling a 6 + 2 is 8 - 2 is 2, which matches worst radhardness. I'll need 1 more Fund Raise to ensure I have enough Aqua to pay FINAO.
• Starting Aqua: 9
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 9

Turn 43

• Operation: Fund Raise: +3 Aqua,

• Movement: * Rocket to Hohmman before Saturn Flyby.

  • Freighter to GEO.
• Event: Inspiration
• Starting Aqua: 9
• Net Δ Aqua: 3
• Ending Aqua: 12

Turn 44

• Operation: Prospect: Hyperion, roll 4, reroll 6, busted.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: +5 Aqua from freighter.

• Movement: * Rocket to Saturn L1, pay 8 FINAO.

  • Freighter to LEO (Mistake here, it should have gone to Cycler. There is not much impact on game play though as I'm far enough ahead on Aqua that it wouldn't matter.)
• Notes: Not going to Titan right away, going to try and get some mobile factories going, which means I need to get a bunch of claims. Once I have the claims, I'll try to work out a sequence of ET Produce operations which can be done by successive movement of the mobile factory. I'll need to refuel first on Hyperion.
• Starting Aqua: 12
• Net Δ Aqua: -3
• Ending Aqua: 9

Turn 45

• Operation: Site Refuel: In Situ +4 FT.

• Movement: * Freighter to Cycler.

  • Rocket to Hyperion, pay hazard FINAO.
• Event: Pad Explosion: D-T Fusion Tokamak to hand.
• Notes: Picked up the Glory Chit for Saturn Zone with the Crew on Hyperion.
• Starting Aqua: 9
• Net Δ Aqua: -4
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 46

• Operation: Prospect: Tethys, roll 4, claimed. Prospect Telesto roll 2, roll 2, busted.

• Movement: * Rocket to L5.

  • Freighter to GEO.
• Notes: If I can get an S site I'll buy the current GW thruster.
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 47

• Operation: Site Refuel: In Situ +4 FT.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: load 5 FT on freighter.

• Movement: * Rocket to Telesto.

  • Freighter to Phobos.
• Event: Inspiration
• Notes: I think I'm out of order, I should have made a claim on the V site Dione. I'm carrying on, not going to retro.
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 48

• Operation: Research: Solar-pumped Exciplex Laser.

• Movement: * Rocket to L1 at Mimas.

  • Freighter to L1.
• Notes: This is probably the best single robonaut in the game on the black side, and I can ET Produce it on a C site. I need to get an S site to grab a GW thruster!
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: -4
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 49

• Operation: Prospect: Mimas, roll 3 to claim.

• Movement: * Rocket land on Mimas to refuel.

  • Freighter to Geo.
• Event: Glitch: marker on freighter.
• Notes: Running out of time to get enough componetry for an elevator on Saturn Aerostat.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 50

• Operation: Site Refuel: In Situ +4 FT.

• Movement: * Rocket: move to Dust Ring location for 1 burn.

  • Freighter to Cycler.
• Notes: Prospect all the things next turn.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 51

• Operation: Prospect: Prometheus, roll 2, claimed! This is awesome, I can put a factory here. Pandora roll 2, claimed. Janus roll 2, claimed! Dang! Epimetheus roll 1 claimed. Dang. These could have easily been all 5s and 6s.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: FT to +5 Aqua at LEO.
  • Glitch Repair: LEO.

• Movement: * Rocket: Back to Mimas to refuel.

  • Freighter to LEO.
• Event: Budget Cuts: D-T Fusion Tokamak back to deck.
• Notes: I need to go back to the D and V sites and see if I can claim them. Will need to refuel first.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 5
• Ending Aqua: 6

Turn 52

• Operation: Site Refuel: In Situ +4 FT.

• Movement: * Rocket to L5 at Dione.

  • Freighter to Cycler.
• Notes: I think I should have done this first. I might play longer than 60 turns to see how it works out. But there needs to be claims ahead of the mobile factory.
• Starting Aqua: 6
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 6

Turn 53

• Operation: Prospect: Dione claimed, Polydeuces roll 6, 5 busted.

• Movement: * Freighter to GEO.

  • Rocket lands on Polydeuces to refuel.
• Event: Inspiration
• Starting Aqua: 6
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 6

Turn 54

• Operation: Industrialize: Dione.

• Movement: * Freighter to Phobos.

  • Rocket lands on Dione.
• Notes: I need to get another cube out around Saturn to be able to build the elevator at the aerostat.
• Starting Aqua: 6
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 6

Turn 55

• Operation: Research: Fluidized Bed refinery.
• Event: Glitch
• Notes: This refinery adds 2 ISRU to adjacent or colocated Aerostat sites. I need it anyway to be able to build another cube.
• Starting Aqua: 6
• Net Δ Aqua: -5
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 56

• Operation: Site Refuel: In Situ +4 FT.
• Notes: I'm not going to make it in 60 turns, but I see what I need to do now. The Mimas claim was a wasted couple of turns, but I didn't know that then.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 57

• Operation: ET Produce: Atmospheric Scoop.
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: build rocket with mobile freighter on board.
• Movement: * Crew blasts the mobile freighter to L5.
• Event: Solar Flares, roll 4, all good.
• Notes: I've run out of time.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 58

• Operation: Fund Raise: +4 Aqua
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: cut the freighter loose with the refinery.
  • Cube Swap.
• Movement: * Freighter to Dione Trojans L1.
• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 4
• Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 59

• Operation: ET Produce: Quantum Cascade Laser
• Movement: * Freighter to Tethys, land, pay FINAO.
• Event: Anarchy
• Starting Aqua: 5
• Net Δ Aqua: -4
• Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 60

• Operation: ET Produce: JTEC H2 Thermoelectric generator
• Free Actions:
  • Cargo Transfer: load generator.

• Notes: From here, it's ~5 turns of movement to get the mobile factory on to Promotheus, with 3 hazards to navigate through.

  I should have stayed an extra turn on Dione to ET Produce a V reactor, because it's 11 steps of fuel to use the Crew thruster to get to the aerostate, which also has 2 hazards. That would allow me to use the Ablative Plate thruster and get to the aerostat with a lot less fuel. Using the thruster and doing cargo transfers with the freighter at Dust Ring would be 6 steps of fuel, but it could make it there in a single movement instead of the multiple movements required by the freighter. Also, there wasn't any need to prospect the Dust Ring cluster. Given the aerostat is industrialized, moving the mobile freighter on to the site will establish the claim.

  It may be the case that I could have industrialized Prometheus, decommissioned then ET Produced the freighter at Prometheus, and sent that in to aerostate.

• Starting Aqua: 1
• Net Δ Aqua: 0
• Ending Aqua: 1

Tags

• hf4a
• high-frontier
• altruism