Terra Invicta (Africa/Asia only) E4: "Human wave tactics" 

I myself was confused at a few points this episode on if hostile takeover was allowed or not - I believe I did it once and then decided not to do it again until this is clarified. Based on discussion last episode, additional rules are now in place: 1) Assassinations are not allowed to be used except for in response to an assassination attempt or coup attempt by another faction. 2) Orbital bombardment of civilian targets is prohibited as is the destruction of human habs (marines remain ok) - this isn't that impactful but thought it should be written down I also propose that Coups be banned as not sufficiently Utopian (unsure if any caveats should apply). There is also a slight roll-back towards the end of the episode after a crash. missed it in editing so apologies.

21:45 MANNED distraction stations are unethical and cannot be used. AUTOMATED distraction stations are intelligent uses of technology and can be used.

I like the idea of the aliens landing and just a horde of M113s and T-72Ms roar over the hills as MiG-21s scream overhead

I think it really is a neat detail that the Academy started off ATTEMPTING a negotiation. It isn’t just a move of “Idealistic attempt at peace,” it’s a long term tactical one. They can now always remind the Hydras that THEY were the faction which OFFERED negotiation right off the bat. Compared to HF and Res, they are the voices of reason with which Hydra can communicate. Showing trust in ones first negotiation with another power is a notoriously risky, and it isn’t surprising that it failed, but for the Academy it’s a show of their willingness to negotiate from stage 1. Ignoring their ethos, their whole organization would be weaker if they didn’t at least try to show sincerity

I love how much lore density the Academy gets. Whenever they get something new on the Hydra, they remind us that they are scientists first and foremost. Leaving aside the judgments of other factions, they go into painstaking detail on what they've found, analyzing and theorizing all the way while making sure to make clear what they know and what they're merely inferring.

I am enjoying envisioning the scene where the academics are sitting around the table discussing the need for a hardened killer: "What about you Dr. Tennenbaum, did you not say that you were familiar with some rather unsavoury characters?" "Well, er, yes, there was Biff who always flushed my glasses down the toilet at elementary school, but, er, I think he's in landscaping now" "Well, how about you Dr. Zhang? What about that cousin of yours?" "Oh him? Well I suppose he does get rather angry every time people cut him off in traffic, and some of the language he employs can be rather abrasive, but I don't think he would ever, er, kill a person... or, er, extraterrestrial." "My gardener is very effective with a can of pesticides and a bushwacker, perhaps that might be... utilised somehow..?" "Oh, is that so Dr. Soder? Well that does seem to be the most promising candidate so far. Do you propose that he might also be inclined to lead a state coup in Iran?" "...sure?"

I find the concept of hydras not being natural predators, physically, really interesting. Particularly the part where they discuss that while hydras are stronger than us, it appears only because they happen to just be bigger, and that proportionally if they were human size it seems they would be weaker. Makes me wonder what it must have been like psychologicalpy for the Hydra in the last game, when you have heavily armoured Humanity First marines exploding into bases and stations with heavy weaponry.

Alien invasions can make for strange and desperate countermeasures. Hence why we're watching a lone Australian with a geopolitical staple gun bolt together all of East Asia and Oceania.

I think its very amusing that the aliens all remember to put armor on only after one of their own gets killed. Their profile picture icon on their councilors changes lol

Watching Perun's shenanigans to create The Republic of Greater Indo Chinaustralianesia, I cannot help but think that it is still slightly less complicated than early 20th century Chinese history. :)

11:00 I find it fascinating the reasons why the factions call the alien species Hydras. Humanity First does it because they're hard to kill with anything short of a 50. Cal round. The Academy does it because for every one Servant or Alien they remove, two more show up. I imagine maybe the Resistance does it to refer to the three species invading, and how the Hydras are the "Heads" of the invasion

Hey Prerun a bit of a request, Do you think at the start of episodes you might be able to give us a state of the world check? Updating us on the various advances of the various factions? I figure it might be interesting to see how badly or well they are consolidating power

I'm surprised with the amount of small details in this game most devs would've just not thought like about automatically renaming Taiwan to the republic of china but there it is congrats to the dev for a focus on minute details most would not even think about

love that even facing against aliens, sending more bodies is still a viable tactic (to a certain extent)

Man I absolutely love how intricate the research fluff of the Academy is. It makes you realize that, yes, they are actually a bunch of scientists and overall big brains that want to truly understand the Hydra

On the brights side the academy's leader does regret the order to give terms of surrender before shooting, not that she isn't going to change her orders, but still self aware enough to realize it *cough* protectorate *cough*

I think announcing their presence in the assassinate mission is absolutely the correct and most ethical move (albeit one that lead to the deaths of some team members - a burden that the director must bear on her conscience). Consider that at this point, humanity isn't technically at war with the aliens and has little to no idea of their intentions. The alien agents are therefore most similar to spies in a human nation state setting, and if you have an enemy spy surrounded and facing death if they fight back, it is ethical to take them into custody rather than just shoot them. If we assume a level of intelligence similar to a human (which the Academy would do), the alien should have been able to realise that it was outgunned in that situation and likely to die if it fought back, and not knowing anything about hydra behaviour, it was entirely possible that it would choose surrender. Therefore, the ethical move can only be to offer such a surrender, even if it is riskier than just shooting it immediately. Edit: not to mention from a strategic perspective to keep communication lines open with the hydra, it is better to be able to say "we offered them the chance to surrender, but they chose to fight"

The additional lore tidbits on the Hydra because it's the Academy are fascinating. Their actions make a lot more sense knowing that they view humans as essentially potential domesticates. Like, a farmer might allow their animals to get *a bit* rowdy before they decide a particular cow or chicken has to be put down because that'd be a waste of resources.

Masterful gameplay though, the direct investment Libyan army just before the aliens landed was amazing.

It's weird learning about the Hydra instead of just how to kill them

Watched the entire HF run, and I am enjoying the heck out of this run. Love the different strategies required.

From Dominions to Terra Invicta, for these niche games you seems to me the most watchable YT'ber. I don't feel bored out of my mind or think that you are incompetent. I never get the feeling i need to scream at the screen :P Top notch Job! Keep it up

26:00 God I love this. The Academy is actually using the pherocytes to ask it questions about why they're here. Humanity First never even figured out the reason they invaded to begin with. This is like a comparison between scientists, to barbarians with a cudgel and a smashable thing nearby. I wonder if that was intentional by the developers to subtly throw shade on the "grrr raah smash kill anything that isn't us" type of people who think the Imperium from 40k is an ideal to strive for and forget that it's meant to be a parody.

Also, unification through war should be allowed, as the academy isn't that naive that they think that they could win merely by just being diplomatic

"Our... consultant should be able to... 'procure' a pre-deceased Hydra corpse for Academic Research". Had to stop the video to laugh

About the whole academy still trying to figure things out, they simply wouldn't know yet about the extent of alien control (if you research the techs sure) from what I can tell based on the path of the story the academy simply couldn't be sure and they aren't actively looking for a fight. They are cautious for most of the story, and as far as I can tell are the most democratic when it comes to all the organizations in Terra Invicta. They are deliberate but unsure and I would be too. Not to mention THEY AREN'T SOLDIERS! Now I know things do rapidly change as more tech happens and the threat grows. Like any scholarly group you give them the evidence and with the right method you can convince them.

I must say I somewhat disagree with your assessment of the situation regarding the hang-ups the Academy has to the Hydra. The Academy very much seems to take a Legalistic view of the situation, before the interrogation, there was no confirmation this was technically an invasion. There was no war. The most we can say is that the Aliens are controlling Humans somehow, but for all we know, that could be through Psy-Ops as opposed to Psy-control. They pointed a gun at the hydra first, so they can't really claim self defence, but they recognise, quite rightly, that we need to even the playing field. Still, morally it is dubious. Obviously, with the knowledge of the later technologies, we can call them idiots for thinking that way, but the councillor here isn't omniscient. As a slight side note, I feel something is lost by not reading the Mission that pops up after the Interrogation, where it highlights that one of the guards assigned to guard duty has apparently become the "Pet" of "Rudi", and the academy considers this a good thing, even assigning him perpetual guard duty to say what the Hydra says. It's a very Academy way of doing things, and it sheds some light on later missions, too.

I predict that the Academy ending is basically going to be making a Pherocyte vaccine.

it looks like Perun have seen some academic debates in his life and knows how bad they can go X))

What a great tutorial for how to paint a large chunk of the world with the same colour.

I'm now imagining the Hydra perspective in the last campaign: Oh look a cute little stray puppy, I'm going to pet it. Oh it's name is Max; how cute, maybe I should adopt him? What do you mean he isn't friendly? I'm sure all he needs is some proper training and he'll be a great dog! . . . OH GOD, OH GOD, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF . . . OH GOD HELP ME . . . gurgling and screaming noises

Funny, my mom's cat's named Rudi. He's indeed talkative, probably bored (other cat keeps stealing his toys) and is apparently - as we found out after his recent 1½-week stay at the animal hospital - somewhat regarded as a rockstar by the vets and nurses. Gotta be them pherocytes. Though, I, for one, welcome our new feline overlord.

Your description of the Pan Asian Combine's future borders reminds me of that image of the world with a circle centered on Vietnam that contains more than half of humanity.

The Resistance throws punches. Humanity First throws punches while spitting in their face. The Academy throws punches while yelling "LET'S BE FRIENDS. LET'S BE FRIENDS. LET'S BE FRIENDS...".

A rule I follow in my own personal games is to take a maximum of half of the hab sites on Mars, Mercury, and luna. Just because it prevents the AI from being Neutered.

28:10 This is like Gandalf talking to Saruman through Theoden "HAHAHAHAHHAHAH, you have no power here, puny humans"

Love your channels! These Terra Invicta videos are so relaxing. Picked the right game. Really cool watching/listening to your serious, real life, stuff on the other channel then hopping over here. In the same vein, just, a cool videogame. On the fun end of the spectrum instead of the depressing end. This game is not something I'd normally play. When YOU are the one going through and playing, with the context of your other channel. This is fun, sci-fi/fantasy MIC/Political work. Just love the combo of this and your real-world work. {Edit: BEAR-KAISER said this but in a prettier way.

Ok, comments and such. An idea for another way to refer to Spies and Assassins could be Security Consultants or Specimen Requisition Specialists. Regarding Distraction Stations, if they are manned by Humans, that's a hard no because it reeks too much of using Civilians as Meat Shields. But if they are automated, then it is fine. I am personally fine if you have to declare war to unify states, but there has to be a limitation to that. Like it has to be controlled by an Extremist Faction or the Protectorate for it to be valid. I do wonder what those diplomatic stunts look in-universe.

Academy wanting peace with a species where peace is not even a word in their vocabulary! Good luck!

Uniting Australia with Indonesia. So nice, he did it twice.

I've always just nuked em for the first couple invasions, your academy is more noble than mine

Gleaning the fundamental mechanism from this episode leads me to beleive it's a Stanislaw Lem reference. Allow me to explain my reasoning; -The Fundamental Game Mechanic in TI is just this: the [NP]Narrative Plot of "understading/interacting" a Conscious Alien Entity is driven by Academic Research, -That's the /entire/ plot of "Solaris", the Greatest (and arguably the only /actual/) narrative about what trying to interact with a genuine CAE would be like {[AR]Academic Research is the only fundamental Resource in the game; MC & CP are produced by region ownership, which is possible only through researching [PR]Politcal concept Research, [TR]Tech Research, which boils down to "Plot Options" essentially, is what opens up choices to shape the game's Story Narrative along one's desired course. TR also makes more tactical and strategic control available to you, so half of Tech's Impact is also Crunch. What you have then, is: AR=1 CRx(.5 TR) & NP=(.5 TR)xAR. Pretty Impressive to have a Grand Strategy Game that consists of 75% Crunch, nearly all of which is in complete alignment with it's 25% Fluff. We're approaching "DUNE: The Board Game" levels of Thematic Cohesion) This is a Grand Strategy Game where the primary Gameplay Loop has you playing as a University Admin Board deciding how Funding should be allocated between the STEM & Humanities Faculties, allthewhile in direct service of variaged Tumescent SciFi "First Contact" storylines. That's an impressive achievement.

After coming from Humanity first it's quite neat to see how talkative the hydra can be

The interrogation of the Hydra has profound implications for the Free German Shepards movement among canines.

I think distractions stations are a valid strategy. Anything else will be too limiting, and scientists are willing to die for the sake of progress.

Thus proving the Soviet tactics had merit. Estimated alien survival was about the same as the Fulda Gap. That’s a lot of T-72s blaring Islamic prayers fighting in the desert. I love that this game creates incredibly cinematic stories out of ridiculous starting points.

I would say that distraction stations are fair game as long as they continue to get funny names

For the academy and a moral playthrough, I say fully automated distraction stations are fair game, but only automated ones.

I can just imagine two just-out-of-basic ROC soldiers talking: ROC1 "Hey dude, I'm getting posted to the 6th Army Corp." ROC2 "Oh, that's cool, I hear they're a great unit." ROC1 "What about you, where are you getting posted?" ROC2 "Uhhh...to...err...to Disband." ROC1 "Huh."

Thanks for the video. Fine with HT, as long as it is kept to the boardroom. Distraction stations are good way to "test" alien ship weaponry.

A protect on an assassin protects them from being killed. That's cool. I didn't know that :o (130 hrs ingame)

These videos are so great, you actually know what you're doing which is really nice because you're not just going down the main paths you're trying new things and doing it well. Keep it up! These are great!

Whole wars have been fought over citation styles. This is a dark future indeed.

I had an alien landing in Sudan in my current HF playthrough and didn't get there in time. I invaded them instead some time later from Egypt, with a mutlilnational coalition of Russian, Indian, British, Japanese, Turkish, Israeli and Egyptian armies. Still wasn't sure how they'd hold up against 100% alien armies, so I threw in an Israli and an Indian nuke. Seemed appropriate for HF. I got a similar lootdrop out of the radioactive rubble :D

It was the power of friendship

The Chancellor is giving us Academics (and hell, I have an engineering masters too) a bad name...I am most likely of the accademy's moral outlook, but I sure as hell wouldn't be announcing my intentions first when engaging the xenos. If one is invaded, you gotta defend yourself, and surely that gives you a better negotiating position too. What would be cool (though I don't expect it) would be if she became a bit more...hardened over time, understanding the realities of war etc

I absolutely love what the devs did with the faction flavor. It might only be visible in these small research/event texts but it adds a lot to my enjoyment of the game. :D It feels like you actually need to play all factions to get the full picture. For my second playthrough I also went with the Academy (Resistance for 1st playthrough) and I already learned so much more about the Hydra. For example *Full Hydra Interrogation quest chain SPOILERS* the fact that the Resistance only finds out the Hydra were attacked by the Salamanders once and almost lost, whereas the Academy learns that the whole Hydra planet's population was wiped out by a single Salamander WMD and the 0.9% of off-planet Hydra were the only survivors of the entire species. That actually made me feel bad about the aliens, despite them trying to conquer Earth... Though in hindsight I feel like you should play through all other factions *before* playing Academy because in my game so far (around 2034) their quests already revealed major spoilers about Initiative, Humanity First, Servants and Protectorate (mainly regarding th faction's victory goals)

Me: Getting my food ready and looking for something to watch thinking: Maybe the 4th episode of terra invicta is online. Perun: Uploads the next episode of terra invicta me: YAY :D

"I'm gonna fight 'em off A seven nation army gonna hold them back..."

hey Perun mind explaining what happened at 41:00 and 45:26. did you need to reload an earlier save? coz you unified Australia twice mate lol

[30:10] .... Rigorous Academic Debate in Jordan... Almost blew my drink out my nose. I started laughing at that.

"you're nothing special" Literally the same pic and role as Max.

The Nuances in Map Painting are not lost on me, and make any EU4 player proud.

You produce really great content on two channels! Hope you look after yourself tho and don't burn out at the rate you put out content.

I’ve loved everything you’ve done on terra invicta, and I can’t believe the madness you’ve figured out here, and how quickly you’re pulling it off! The academy mathematicians stared grimly at their calculations, bracing themselves to convince their peers that the militarized unification of Africa was the only way to prepare humanity’s cradle in time for mankind’s salvation. Naive politics were often a fatal game. The debate was fierce, then solemn. Many felt a debt was already owed. The grave decision was made, opposed by all, adorned in conditions. Special research divisions were created, funding increased. Tempted by the rapid advancement of humanity’s scientific and industrial capabilities in less than a decade, they knew the post arrival era held riches for their species’ advancement. The right minds could solve anything! Rapid transformations possible like never before! Science at a breakneck sprint. An Africa again atop the world stage. Unified and thriving, humanity as a whole transformed. A tool, shined to help them sleep. A vilest sin repeated. And the question gnawed on the minds of even the most fervent advocates. How much could be diverted? None knew how much time we had.

Something really confusing is going on around the 41-44 minute mark, at 41 minutes Australia is being unified and then at 43:30 it is no longer unified, is this a save game oopsie?

While the Academy chancellor does feel a bit 'bleeding heart' in some lines, like thinking themselves terrorists for killing an alien thats actively doing spy stuff on Earth, I can appreciate the offer to surrender part. It cost a life yes, and it looks like a stupid move as the alien would never accept. But it does give them some valid argument later in the peace table that when they kill aliens, they did try to avoid it first. Rather than 'you shot without even asking' blame.

Series is going great so far, I would love a Councilor guide and that is whats tripping me up the most in my personal games.

The semantics of the founding of the "Utopia of Humanity" is a discussion for historians. This omelette is not going to assemble itself...

So apparently there is an achievement for making a come back after the servants or the protectorate win the game. So basically you can get kicked off earth and then use your space based assets to fight your way back and reclaim it from the aliens.

The straits in international development are going to be so OP this run. Millions of t34s, then hover tanks, driving over the bridges. Are alien landings in South America going to be a problem at all with the slow tanks and movement speed penalties? Big Peru or Brazil might be worth it just to have something you can rapidly deploy, tho inequality tends to be pretty bad by now. Aliens landed troops super early o.O

Idea for content: a series where we send you our messed up playthroughs. Save your diaster capaigns from lotw basically. I messed up big time so seeing you revert some mistakes would be very entertaining and informative! Love the series!

32:45 Ah, so that's how you bring India in. Clever, assuming it works. Never would have thought of that

As an indonesian i approve of this playthrough

41:50 sending army of seven nation with the bunch of atomic age equipment is funny. Cooperation is key, that and enough body and tanks

Pan-Asia Combine? PAC? *the BF 2142 music intensifies*

The Academy guy asks "how can we try to engage in diplomacy with a species that views us as a stray pet." However, it looks like it's actually worse than that. Consider: we know pherocytes are also effective on Hydra; that was one of the tricks exploited by the HF bioweapon (sticking to just stuff we see in other Perun videos). The Academy gets 'all Hydra follow the defense consensus' and projects a lack of cultural diversity from biological factors and evo psych. HF comments on them being completed united from their interrogation. It seems possible that Hydra have NEVER really done diplomacy or any kind of cultural exchange even internally - their own pherocytes might just start influencing them when interacting. Everyone agrees with the consensus. So the Academy goal isn't to find a way to convince them to accept friendly independent coexistence, it might be to teach an alien species that that kind of independent coexistence can even exist because they might have never recognized it.

36:22 another difference between humanity first and the academy, humanity first gust used gas masks for this tech, and the academy crated this whole blood test workaround, both work, one is much less complex than the other.

I figured the Hydra corpse was going to come from assaulting an Alien Administration building. I knew we needed a fixer to do the assault but going for assinationmission as a scientist, props.

Love the series but I caught a little spoiling of India there :D at 47:42.

Your videos must be very popular in 'China'.

10:40 They are not surprised. However they offered terms of surrender because that is the only right thing to do. And had it worked it would have made things much easier. Yes, there will be casualties, but frankly even knowing that, as one of the soldiers on the ground I hope I would have been willing to volunteer for the approach.

A lot of real-world events would make a lot more sense if there were aliens trying to destabilize the world and take it over.

2022 being the Year of the T-72 was just Not something I saw coming... 🤯

Hmm, Anirudh looks familiar. I'm sure despite intentions he'll be of Maximum value.

As to additional rules - I vote yes on Coups and no on violent integration. While you do have to get your hands dirty, there’s a difference between kicking out another organization’s puppets and unleashing a modern war on a civilian population. Also, less wars mean less atrocities.

So the Academy is the equivalent of pet dogs unionising for greater rights?

9:58 at this point armed conflict has yet to errupt so that's probably why she's saying that. Also it's just true that those groups would see anyone who interfere with them as terrorists and like the Academy being y'know a research organization would just consider murdering someone to get their body highly unethical. I think you're seeing this from an HF perspective when a strength of the writing of this game is that whatever views a faction has becomes true if you play as them. Like when you play as HF they see it as a total genocidal war and because of that they turn it into one. You can argue that it's the only way to resist the aliens but also they literally prove the aliens right by constructing a biological weapon likely to kill the majority of their population, which is like very obviously a disproportinate response based on fear when like in order to even get to that point you have to beat the invasion in the first place. If you play as the Protectorate instead you'll have to spend much of your time fighting other factions, proving their view that humans can't live peacefully and need to be ruled by a benevolent overlord. If you play as the Servents you won't focus on matching alien tech thereby proving that the aliens were always superior and should rule. If you play as Exodus most infrastructure will be focused on escaping thus proving that this was the only way for humanity to survive independent of alien rule. So if you play as the Academy you'll sign a peace treaty you'll prove that peaceful cooperation was always possible and thus show that any other goals and more dirty methods were barbaric and pointless. Thus this event becomes an unfortunate black stain and not a reasonable act of war. The only faction you can argue is canonically correct is the Resistance since they see this for what it is, an invasion, and respond by beating back the invasion. They do not grow paranoid about the aliens comming back and justify genocide on that ground because like if you've beaten an enemy once you can beat them again. And it's obvious that the aliens never intended to genocide the humans since if they did they would have just chucked an asteroid at Earth, they merely intended to subjugate the planet so responding with genocide is an enormous escalation. Also if that was their goal there wouldn't be any game. Basically this game is written so that the factions create their own reality and that is really neat. In their own view they're always the good guys and the writing does a pretty good job of making it seem that way.

There is a rigorous academic debate going on there at the moment. LOL :D

Max Picardo, still wanting more fame and attention, renames himself discretely and sets himself back in the counselor pool @4:05, with the hopes Perun doesn't notice the lack of cosmetic plastic surgery.

"human wave tactics" ah yes, the Zap Brannigan school of military strategy

Despite the name, Hostile Takeovers are not violent in any way. It's entirely a financial maneuver, which academics and lawyers should be able to handle just fine. I say go for it, 100% no objections. As for bait stations... eesh. I don't know how it would be possible to win this game without them, especially given the increased difficulty level. If you REALLY think bait stations are not necessary, it would be better to avoid them from a roleplaying perspective. I'm just not convinced this can be done without 'em.

Welcome to the fold fellow Indonesian ^u^

Well Academy is doing everything like they were talking to another huma being, What academy says is that the alien supporters are going to consider the academy as a Terror organization because they killed their religious figure. Academy isn't dumb for announce their plans of assassination to the Hydra, at the end of the day hydras are intelligent beings and the Hydra could have surrendered first seeing that they couldn't win. Academy certainly risks much more than other factions, they are the ones that do everything in a shady line and risk their lives on trying to learn everything they can, to reach an end that benefits Humanity and the aliens in some way.

i just did a game as the Initiative they pretty much want to enslave the hydra

Rewatching this cuz I’m addicted to the game, and I love the humor of the west destroying itself while Perun gains control of the vast majority of the world’s armies... but only the ones running last century’s tech lmao Nervous about what happens to America after the alien sympathizers are driven from their Asia enclaves

With all the navies and armies being created the 5K information science tech for 5% faster military development seems the equivalent of a decent organization.

Perun, I worry that hostile actions against the Servants, especially if you aren't sabotaging their contact research, is gonna bite you. Consider dedicating 1 high investigation Councillor and a fair amount of influence to spending a majority of their time cracking down servant control points. Crackdowns only generate a little hate, but are almost irresistable to the other factions. This should diversify their targets and get the servants into war state with other factions and give you a bit of cover?

41:07, 45:27 - Indonesia in this playthrough : 😂 (this is exciting) Indonesia IRL : welp, this is going to be rough…

The assassin is the head of the IRB "The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the institution with which it is affiliated." It fits well with the rules.