Quest Deep Periphery Quest (Battletech Sandbox Empire Builder)

Turn 68 - Big Black Dodge

LordSunhawk

Das BOOT (literally)
Owner
Administrator
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Founder
Turn 68 - Big Black Dodge

Solicitations for bids to develop a dedicated export dropship design have been issued, it remains to be seen what responses are received.

On New Capricorn a series of massive storms lash the settled portions of the planet, stretching civil defense preparations and resulting in hundreds of injuries. Luckily there are no fatalities from the storms. The local system government is spending significant amounts to shore up storm defenses, build more robust storm shelters, and implement better storm warning systems.

At the same time a strike by tourist industry employees on Sukaishi impacts the local economy rather heavily. It’s a rather straightforward situation and the TTP has it well in hand, mediating between the workers and the corporations involved. The strike lasted a month, but unfortunately it was a month in the middle of what is usually the most important part of the tourist season. In the end a major hotel chain loses their contracts to operate hotels in the system, triggering contract default penalties which the TTP pays without any quibbles, and a new contract is established with a different company. There’s some minor grumbling in the Griffon system over this, as the losing firm is based here at home, but ultimately the chain in question has a bit of a bad reputation for being a bottom of the barrel operation that is only profitable due to cutting every corner possible and managing to never once pay a single clipped coin more than the absolute minimum for anything.

In sporting news, the NRI continues to dominate in the Olympics, winning 3 more gold medals in wrestling and men’s archery, the Rasalhaguians take gold in women’s archery, and Team Griffon manages to scrape out close victories over the NRI in the fencing events. So far Team Griffon is a rather distant second in the gold medal count, and the local papers are not happy with the team's performance. Analysts do note that many of Griffon’s best events are yet to come, however.

Closer to home, the Department of Periphery Studies managed to escape professional oversight for just long enough to smuggle a box of prepaid cell phones onto campus, and have taken to their latest hobby of prank calling media outlets to press various wild and wacky conspiracy theories.

Like anybody would believe that the Inner Sphere is now made up of House Deviant of the Amphibian Suns, House Purina of the Draconian Combine, House Low of the Conniption Confederation, House Mongrel of the Flea Worlds League, and House Katzen of the Feline Commonwealth, all linked together by the All Stars and… obsessively playing baseball.

Although the long rants between supporters of Wolf’s Baboons and the Swell Hounds over which scriptwriter is on whose side are truly hilarious.

You do take notes for if and when you go to the Inner Sphere, it would be truly amusing to see the locals' reactions to something like this.

Parliament, however, is in session, and you know what that means.

The Chamber of Delegates is actually being troublesome, while the Senate is, shockingly, trying to be helpful. The problem is that if you want the helpful contributions from the Senate, and thank you to the Eldest for wrangling Senators into being helpful, you’ll need to compromise with the Chamber, where the leading parties appear to have taken leave of their senses and are probably all candidates for tenured positions at the Department of Periphery Studies with how pants on head stupid they are being.

You might be a little biased in your evaluations.

First the good news. The Imperial Senate has put together a package of bills aimed at assisting the very poor to access greater economic opportunity without trapping them in a cycle of dependency nor empowering bureaucrats with the opportunity to create perpetual sinecures that never accomplish anything.

Simply speaking, the first bill establishes a grant fund that private and religious charities can apply to for funding, with funds being disbursed strictly on the basis of past results in actually reducing poverty. In other words, an organization that can show that they have helped X number of their clients escape poverty and no longer require their assistance will get more funds than an organization that may help more people, but do not show such progression. The idea is to reward those groups whose very success endangers their reason for existing by ensuring that they are able to continue to exist.

The second bill modifies current welfare laws by replacing the current model of a strict means tested cut off point for benefits with a more graduated approach, wherein as the beneficiary needs less assistance due to their own prosperity rising, the amount of government assistance drops at a lower rate than the rise in income from non-welfare sources.

The third bill revises the tax system slightly, introducing a graduated child tax credit that is based on overall income, replacing the current fixed credit. The lowest credit will remain the same as the current credit, but at below 150% of the calculated poverty line the credit increases by 25% for married filers and 10% for unmarried ones, and below 125% of the calculated poverty line the credit increases by 50% for married filers and 25% for unmarried ones.

The fourth bill revises the pension scheme of the Imperial government. Politicians would see their pensions remain at the same levels as currently, but in the future they would be indexed to always be at a fixed relative value to the military pensions exclusive of combat bonuses with Parliament banned from ever increasing the relative difference. Non-military civil servants would see their pensions indexed to a formula combining their years of service, final rank attained, personal contribution to the pension fund, and the overall Imperial economy of each year during their time of service. In general there would be a very slight decrease for existing non-military civil servants due to this, but in the future this will make the pensions more responsive to performance rather than merely time in grade. Finally military pensions would be slightly increased across the board and indexed to economic growth with bonuses for time in active combat zones.

The fifth and final bill is one that raises your eyebrows well into your hairline. All assets of all politicians in the Imperial Senate and Chamber of Delegates would be transferred to blind trusts, all members of both houses would receive ‘adequate’ housing and all expenses will be paid by the State for their term in office, moreover all members of both the Senate and Chamber will be completely banned from engaging in investment or any other business-related activity during their terms, likewise absolutely forbidden from accepting any honoraria of any sort while in office. The honoraria ban would extend for a decade after leaving office, nor would any former office holder be permitted to engage in any business with the Imperial government for ten years times the number of terms that they served in Parliament. Likewise, all commissioned officers are barred from accepting positions with defense contractors of any kind for a number of years equal to their final rank in the military, plus ten years for field officers and twenty years for flag officers. Civil servants of a supervisory rank or higher are likewise barred from accepting positions in any industry regulated by their former civil service position for a decade after departing from the civil service.

All in all, the Senate is on a roll. You are rather impressed, as the ethics bill in particular is something you’d never expect politicians to actually propose. You can see the influence of the Eldest in much of it, but nonetheless you are very impressed.

Unfortunately the Chamber of Delegates hates all five of these bills with a burning passion that blazes hotter than a thousand exploding suns. The civil service is not far behind, and even elements of the defense industry are staunchly opposing the ethics bill in particular.

In the end you have a difficult choice. You can either ram through the ethics bill, earning a great deal of resentment from the Chamber and killing any chance for any of the other reform bills passing, or pass the other four and leave the ethics bill to die on the vine. And in either case the Chamber is demanding concessions.

For one thing, they are demanding direct Imperial investment in multiple pork barrel projects throughout the Empire that seem to primarily serve as means for the Delegates to get their names on buildings, bridges, and drop ports. The more bills that you get them to approve, the more pork they are demanding before reluctantly falling in line. And if you want the reform bill? They intend to feast on pork to let that one through.

They are also demanding the head of Jake on a platter before they’ll accept anything at all, evidently they really hate how he has been twisting arms on your behalf for all of these years and want him gone, preferably in complete disgrace.
[]Pass the Poverty Reduction Grant Program
  • Increases Benefits level to 2
  • Across the board +1% base GDP growth
  • Increases per-system base upkeep cost to 1,000,000
  • Extra Costs
    • If Political Advisor Fired
      • One time 10,000,000
    • If Political Advisor Retained
      • One time 20,000,000
[]Pass the Welfare Adjustment Act of 2998
  • Prevents certain events
  • Gives 1 reroll for negative Econ Rating rolls for each planet
  • Gives 1 reroll for negative Rating Change rolls for each planet
  • Extra Costs
    • If Political Advisor Fired
      • One time 5,000,000
    • If Political Advisor Retained
      • One time 10,000,000
[]Pass the Tax Reform Act of 2998
  • Gives 1 reroll for negative Approval Change rolls per turn
  • On failed Approval rolls removes 1 degree of failure
  • Increases Imperial Infrastructure cost to rating * 10,000
  • Extra Costs
    • If Political Advisor Fired
      • One time 5,000,000
    • If Political Advisor Retained
      • One time 10,000,000
[]Pass the Pension Reform Act of 2998
  • Increases Civil Service reform level to 2
  • Increases Military Industrial efficiency modifier to 6
  • Increases Logistics modifier to 2
  • Adds +10,000 to base Imperial Infrastructure cost
  • Extra Costs
    • If Political Advisor Fired
      • One time 20,000,000
    • If Political Advisor Retained
      • One time 40,000,000
  • Imperial Senate
    • +1 Influence
[]Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
  • Precludes all other reforms
  • Increases Civil Service reform level to 2
  • Increases Logistics modifier to 2
  • Provides +1 free reroll for Imperial Approval rolls per turn
  • Gives 1 reroll for negative Politics rolls per turn
  • Gives 1 reroll for any ratings rolls per planet per turn
  • Increases base imperial infrastructure cost to 10,000
  • Prevents certain events
  • Extra Costs
    • If Political Advisor fired
      • One time 25,000,000
    • If Political Advisor Retained
      • One time 50,000,000
  • -50 support Chamber of Delegates
  • +1 Influence Imperial Senate
  • Makes ‘The Just’ permanent
    • 1 free reroll of any negative Meta Event or Dynasty Luck roll per turn
[]Fire your Political Advisor
  • Triggers a decision for a new Political Advisor
  • -5 Approval Change
  • -5 Politics
  • +1 Influence - Chamber of Delegates
[]Retain your Political Advisor
  • +1 Imperial Approval
  • -25 support Chamber of Delegates
[]Refuse to deal with the Chamber of Delegates
  • -10 Politics
  • -1 Influence - Imperial Senate
  • -1 Influence - Chamber of Delegates
QM Note - Format here is a bit complicated. Vote for whichever reforms you support and whether or not to retain Jake as your Political Advisor. If the Imperial Ethics Reform Act gets the most votes it will be implemented, otherwise any reform measure that gets more than 8 votes will be implemented. A vote to Refuse to Deal will be counted as a vote to retain Jake as Political Advisor
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
Closer to home, the Department of Periphery Studies managed to escape professional oversight for just long enough to smuggle a box of prepaid cell phones onto campus, and have taken to their latest hobby of prank calling media outlets to press various wild and wacky conspiracy theories.

Like anybody would believe that the Inner Sphere is now made up of House Deviant of the Amphibian Suns, House Purina of the Draconian Combine, House Low of the Conniption Confederation, House Mongrel of the Flea Worlds League, and House Katzen of the Feline Commonwealth, all linked together by the All Stars and… obsessively playing baseball.

Although the long rants between supporters of Wolf’s Baboons and the Swell Hounds over which scriptwriter is on whose side are truly hilarious.

You do take notes for if and when you go to the Inner Sphere, it would be truly amusing to see the locals' reactions to something like this.
I have that book...
 

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
Like anybody would believe that the Inner Sphere is now made up of House Deviant of the Amphibian Suns, House Purina of the Draconian Combine, House Low of the Conniption Confederation, House Mongrel of the Flea Worlds League, and House Katzen of the Feline Commonwealth, all linked together by the All Stars and… obsessively playing baseball.

Although the long rants between supporters of Wolf’s Baboons and the Swell Hounds over which scriptwriter is on whose side are truly hilarious.

You do take notes for if and when you go to the Inner Sphere, it would be truly amusing to see the locals' reactions to something like this.

This is absolutely, positively canon and by order of the Queen God-Empress (DAMMIT JANE!), all Griffons are required to use these names for the Great Houses / Successor States for all eternity.


[X] Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
- [X] As much as I hate giving up the other four reforms, this is the most important one by far, and from a meta perspective making "The Just" permanent so that we *keep* that priceless benefit into Jeremy's reign. . .

[X] Retain your Political Advisor
 

Trashman.exe

Well-known member
If the public goes looking for it then yes it public but if we make it obvious then we're turning public opinion against these politicians.

It's not going to have an effect mechanically but it will feel nice to screw these people over narratively.
 

Artifex

Well-known member
[X] Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
-[X] Release the info of what the CoD are pulling to the public
[X] Retain your Political Advisor
 

SuperHeavy

Well-known member
[X] Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
-[X] Release the info of what the CoD are pulling to the public
[X] Retain your Political Advisor

I will not have us lose our position as the only sane and moral government when everyone and their dog is one afternoon away from lunacy around here.
 

Thors_Alumni

Well-known member
[X] Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
-[X] Release the info of what the CoD are pulling to the public
[X] Retain your Political Advisor
 

VicSage

Carpenter, Cobbler, Chirugeon, Dataminer.
[X] Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
-[X] Release the info of what the CoD are pulling to the public
[X] Retain your Political Advisor

They're just mad they can't use the government to enrich themselves.
 

Belidonk

Member
As much as I hate giving up the other four reforms, this is the most important one by far, and from a meta perspective making "The Just" permanent so that we *keep* that priceless benefit into Jeremy's reign. . .
Does it make it permanent for Jeremy too?
I thought any monikers were tied to the person earning it. So my understanding is that when the queen retires all personal benefits disappear. But i am new to the quest and mostly read the threadmarked posts.
 

Brogatar

Well-known member
[X] Pass the Imperial Ethics Reform Act of 2998
-[X] Release the info of what the CoD are pulling to the public
[X] Retain your Political Advisor
 

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