We should keep the RCT under strength until we have heavy and assault to slot into place as well.
We have an insane amount of combat dropships and we'll need a great deal of money for building what we need to build modern subcompact Jumpship cores so we should pull back on the dropships and start saving. We'll want to build as many of them as possible as fast as possible.
Giving away info on the motherlode was completely stupid considering it's a massive strategic resource.
I'd recommend pulling back on Dropships other than the Troodons and Megaraptors, and refitting the Velociraptors to operate from Primitive JumpShips (for joint anti-piracy ops and/or export sale).
Given the . . . idiosyncrasies of JumpShip/DropShip operation, the benefits of "Collarmax" Droppers for operations beyond our star system are decisive. We want to keep our existing combat droppers for system defense, and have Collarmax gunboat, carrier, and strategic transport droppers.
We should keep the RCT under strength until we have heavy and assault to slot into place as well.
We have an insane amount of combat dropships and we'll need a great deal of money for building what we need to build modern subcompact Jumpship cores so we should pull back on the dropships and start saving. We'll want to build as many of them as possible as fast as possible.
Giving away info on the motherlode was completely stupid considering it's a massive strategic resource.
Not really. its called the Carrot and stick aprouch if what i think is happeing is indeed happening during the negotiations. We have something they want. IE a lot of Germanium. They have something we want, IE Jumpship tech, They have a Pirate problem we have a Drac problem that will soon erupt into war again once the treaty ends. And the list goes on.
[X] Accept Deal
While negotiating did make things better, I was happy with the previous iteration, and don't expect us to be lucky enough to get a better deal later on.
[X] Plan: Do everything
-[X] Military [$ 2226358.09]
--[X] Construct Armed Defense Stations Nowy Gdask* [->1]
--[X] Construct Armed Defense Stations Nadir [->3]
--[X] Construct Armed Defense Stations Zenith [->3]
(Top and bottom defenses)
--[X] Expand Factory 29 (Defiant) [95]
--[X] Expand Factory 30 (Defiant) [95]
(Cheap, and very useful for system defenses)
--[X] Lay Down Major Unit [Construction - 1022673.40]
(Note this price doesn't include any half pricing for second models)
---[X] Defiant [75]
---[X] Defiant [75]
---[X] Velociraptor [75]
---[X] Velociraptor [75]
---[X] Lightning [75]
---[X] Lightning [75]
---[X] Lightning [75]
---[X] Lightning [75]
---[X] Devastation [75]
---[X] Devastation [75]
---[X] Megaraptor [75]
---[X] Megaraptor [75]
---[X] Troodon [75]
---[X] Troodon [75]
(All the dropships we can build at a consistent rate)
--[X] Purchase New Units [$216842.94]
---[X] 8 Flights of Eagles [auto]
---[X] 2 Flights of Rocs [70]
---[X] 2 Flights of Griffons [70]
---[X] 1 Interceptor Squadrons [70]
---[X] 1 Standard Mech Regiment [70]
---[X] 1 Standard Armored Regiment [70]
---[X] 1 Rapid-Reaction Regiment [70]
(Requested military buildup)
-[X]Interior [$2251250]
--[X] Expand Orbital Factory 35 (DHS)* [auto]
--[X] Focus Development on Griffin Inner Asteroid Belt [65]
(More money for us)
--[X] Expand Factory 29 (Tyrannosaur) [95]
(Get factories up to usable levels)
--[X] Expand Orbital Factory 31 (Ferro-Aluminum) [90]
(Need a bit more of this)
--[X] Expand Orbital Factory 33 (Endo-Steel) [90]
--[X] Build Orbital Factory Endo-Steel GIAB [100]
--[X] Build Orbital Factory Endo-Steel GIAB [100]
(Need substantially more of this)
--[X] Build Orbital Factory Ferro-Fibrous GIAB [100]
(Need a bit more of this)
--[X] DOME - O'Neill Cylinder at Griffin's Roost* [->7]
--[X] DOME - Water Seeding Griffin IV* [->3]
--[X] DOME - Asteroid Redirect Mission Griffin IV* [->3]
--[X] DOME - Nowy Gdansk Arcology* [->8]
-[X] Diplomatic [$40000]
--[X] Have Exploration Fleet Survey GIAB* [->5]
--[X] Have Exploration Fleet Survey Griffin VI* [->1]
--[X] Have Exploration Fleet Survey GOAB [->9]
(Inner belt was pretty useful, worth getting a chance to mess with the outer one too)
--[X] CULTURE - Benefit Concert [75]
-[X] Political [$520000]
--[X] Continue to expand DoME* [65]
--[X] Build Relations with Chamber of Delegates [60]
--[X] Build Relations with Senate [60]
(Well, relations had an issue this turn, time to work on fixing it)
-[X] Research [$6239000]
--[X] Genetic Engineering Lvl 1* [->2]
--[X] Orbital Infrastructure lvl 5 [70]
(Having more and better stuff in space is definitely good for us)
--[X] Electronics lvl 5 [80]
--[X] Power Generation lvl 5 [85]
(Almost all of the tech level things)
--[X] Orbital Construction Yard - Milspec Lvl 1 [65]
(We've wanted this for a while, it's finally affordable)
--[X] Standard Core Construction* [->1]
--[X] Standard Core Theory* [->1]
--[X] Standard Core Design* [->1]
-[X] Intelligence [$2000]
--[X] Counterintelligence Surveillance [?]
--[X] Investigate potential MPs [65]
--[X] Investigate potential Nobles [65]
(Keeping them at 5 is where we like them; helps prevent some problems from affecting us)
-[X] Justice [$20000]
--[X] Have Exploration Fleet Survey Griffin VII [->4]
--[X] Have Exploration Fleet Survey Griffin VIII [->4]
(Grants basic exploration for every planet)
$4,124,327.12 leftover (plus a bit from errors I probably made in dropship cost calculations), and literally every available action in use. Contributes towards turning our home system into a nigh-impenetrable fortress.
Even though it's one of my designs, faster-than-expected technological development has pretty much shot past the Utahraptor. A Troodon/Megaraptor mix is better than the Utahraptor for pretty much every purpose.
Even though it's one of my designs, faster-than-expected technological development has pretty much shot past the Utahraptor. A Troodon/Megaraptor mix is better than the Utahraptor for pretty much every purpose.
Nowy Gdansk Economy - 6
Nowy Gdansk Population - 3
Nowy Gdansk Rating Change - 9
GIAB Economy - 7
GIAB Rating Change - 0
G2O Economy - -2
G2O Rating Change - -3
Griffon IV Economy - 2
Griffon IV Rating Change - 4
Expand Factory 29 (Defiant) [95]
Target - 95
Roll - 75
Result - SUCCESS
Expand Factory 30 (Defiant) [95]
Target - 95
Roll - 4
Result - SUCCESS
Lay Down Major Unit [Construction - 1022673.40]
-Defiant [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 69
Result - SUCCESS
-Defiant [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 32
Result - SUCCESS
-Velociraptor [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 46
Result - SUCCESS
-Velociraptor [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 46
Result - SUCCESS
-Lightning [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 12
Result - SUCCESS
-Lightning [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 9
Result - SUCCESS
-Lightning [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 39
Result - SUCCESS
-Lightning [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 72
Result - SUCCESS
-Devastation [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 18
Result - SUCCESS
-Devastation [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 1
Result - Critical SUCCESS
-Megaraptor [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 6
Result - SUCCESS
-Megaraptor [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 23
Result - SUCCESS
-Troodon [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 72
Result - SUCCESS
-Troodon [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 1
Result - Critical SUCCESS
Purchase New Units [$216842.94]
-8 Flights of Eagles [auto]
-2 Flights of Rocs [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 48
Result - SUCCESS
-2 Flights of Griffons [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 51
Result - SUCCESS
-1 Interceptor Squadrons [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 39
Result - SUCCESS
-1 Standard Mech Regiment [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 1
Result - Critical SUCCESS
-1 Standard Armored Regiment [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 58
Result - SUCCESS
-1 Rapid-Reaction Regiment [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 68
Result - SUCCESS
Expand Orbital Factory 35 (DHS)* [auto]
Focus Development on Griffin Inner Asteroid Belt [65]
Target - 65
Roll - 100, Economist Reroll 65
Result - SUCCESS
Expand Factory 29 (Tyrannosaur) [95]
Target - 95
Roll - 24
Result - SUCCESS
Expand Orbital Factory 31 (Ferro-Aluminum) [90]
Target - 90
Roll - 6
Result - SUCCESS
Expand Orbital Factory 33 (Endo-Steel) [90]
Target - 90
Roll - 33
Result - SUCCESS
Build Orbital Factory Endo-Steel GIAB [100]
Target - 100
Roll - 24
Result - SUCCESS
Build Orbital Factory Endo-Steel GIAB [100]
Target - 100
Roll - 53
Result - SUCCESS
Build Orbital Factory Ferro-Fibrous GIAB [100]
Target - 100
Roll - 94
Result - SUCCESS
Benefit Concert [75]
Target - 75
Roll - 63
Result - SUCCESS
Continue to expand DoME* [65]
Target - 65
Roll - 16
Result - SUCCESS
Build Relations with Chamber of Delegates [60]
Target - 60
Roll - 8
Result - SUCCESS
Build Relations with Senate [60]
Target - 60
Roll - 42
Result - SUCCESS
Orbital Infrastructure lvl 5 [70]
Target - 70
Roll - 99, ShadowArxxy Omake reroll - 51
Result - SUCCESS
Electronics lvl 5 [80]
Target - 80
Roll - 59
Result - SUCCESS
Power Generation lvl 5 [85]
Target - 85
Roll - 100, ShadowArxxy Omake reroll - 41
Result - SUCCESS
Orbital Construction Yard - Milspec Lvl 1 [65]
Target - 65
Roll - 16
Result - SUCCESS
Investigate potential MPs [65]
Target - 65
Roll - 93, Artifex reroll - 64
Result - SUCCESS
Investigate potential Nobles [65]
Target - 65
Roll - 53
Result - SUCCESS
-----
Negotiations with the NRI have been amicably concluded, the Ambassador will be sending a message on the next trip of the Free Folk detailing the agreement and she expects on issues with it being accepted by her superiors in the Senate.
Meanwhile, there is a decision that you will need to make in regards to precisely which sort of Germanium Processing Facility you will construct. A surface based facility would be functionally free to build thanks to the subsidies from the NRI as part of the deal, however it would be an enormously polluting monster which would cause severe health effects on the surrounding area and even potentially affect the entire planet. An orbital facility would be far more expensive, but would completely avoid the negative side effects of the refining process.
[]
Type
Cost
Effects
[]
Surface
Lvl 1 Free with NRI subsidy, 1 turn
Refines sufficient Germanium to produce 1 primitive jumpship core (after transfers to NRI
Upgrade cost of 500,000 per level
-10 Health Rating of location per lvl
-10 Rating Change of location per lvl
-1 Population Limit per lvl
[]
Orbital
1,000,000 per turn, 2 turns, with NRI subsidy
Refines Sufficient Germanium to produce 1 primitive jumpship core (after transfers to NRI)
Upgrade cost of 1,000,000 per level
QM Note - All Germanium Processing Facilities start at Lvl 1, higher levels require research. All Germanium Processing Facilities increase closest planets GDP by +10% upon completion
But onto more important things, like family.
Your eldest grandson John has won the championship in his division, although this will be the last year he can compete in the children’s division for Karting. Right now Jeremy is having to fend off offers from various teams in the junior Formula division, the entry level stock car division, and even from the small (but very enthusiastic) junior rallying division. You remember those days with your kids and the various higher division hovercraft racing league teams.
The twins are now acting both as driver’s for their own hovercraft in the championship league, but are also running several other hovercraft as team owners as they’ve purchased controlling interests in one of the largest racing teams in the entire HRL.
There was a minor scandal in the Navy which resulted in the captain of HMS Devastation being summarily stripped of his command following a navigation mishap which resulted in several weeks of yard time for the military dropship and the loss of a small civilian cargo shuttle. Ultimately it hadn’t been the result of any incompetence, except on the part of the unfortunately deceased shuttle pilot, but the Board of Inquiry did determine that the crew of HMS Devastation had failed to properly respond to the emergency situation, had been unacceptably slow to provide aid to the distressed shuttle following the collision, and that the root cause of this was that the command crew of the dropship had been lax about emergency training.
As a result, Thanh and her command team have been transferred over from HMS Hector to HMS Devastation, with the Warrior class vessel now being crewed by fresh graduates of the Aerie’s Dropship Crew Program.
To be honest, you think the Board of Inquiry may have been a trifle harsh, but by the same token you aren’t a spacer so it may well have been appropriate considering that none of the officers affected protested the Board’s decision.
But now Thanh is in command of an even bigger boat, and as a consequence has become even more grumpily resigned to no longer being allowed in the cockpit of one of her beloved ASFs.
She can’t blame you, you’d been considering asking Admiral Benjamin to give her one of the new Troodons when they commissioned next year!
Sarah and Tony have evidently sparked an academic war in the History Department of Griffin’s Roost University that has become intellectually vicious. Her latest monograph closely analyzes one of your great-grandfather’s lesser known military campaigns near Griffsport and comes to massively different conclusions than the ‘accepted’ wisdom that the nearly complete annihilation of the enemy forces in the course of the fighting was the result of war crimes and atrocities. By going through multiple war diaries of the commanders under your great-grandfather, as well as the archived transcripts of recorded radio communications during the battles she has shown that at no point did the rebel forces even attempt to surrender, and had in fact responded extremely profanely to two offers by your great-grandfather to allow them to surrender.
You cheerfully allow your youngest to engage as she sees fit, although Sergeant-Major Ngo has assured you that security is keeping an eye on the situation.
In more business news, research into orbital shipyards has been completed and it looks like it will be an interesting setup. A basic military yard would replicate a maximum capacity Large or Regular Dropship factory in terms of output, with each expansion increasing the number of production lines available. Once the yard complex becomes large enough it would support the construction of jumpships in addition to dropships. You look over the documentation that has been sent your way.
The construction plan refers to expansion phases as ‘levels’ as a way to simplify the explanation. The initial project to build the shipyard includes the base ancillary equipment, reactors, and life support systems for the workforce as well as the tooling and equipment to produce either a single Large or a pair of ordinary dropships in a single year, including trials time. The main downside is that only a single yard can be built in a single planet's orbit. More research would be required to build yards in the asteroid belts, as such yards would require more robust construction due to the higher concentration of micro-meteorites in those orbital planes. Each ‘level’ of a yard would expand production by a single Large or two regular dropships. Once the size has reached Level 10, the facility will be large enough to support construction of a single jumpship alongside, although it would take several years to build each one at that point. Further increases in size would allow for faster jumpship construction while also increasing dropship construction space. At level 15 the yard is sufficiently massive to support a pair of jumpships under construction, although the second would be much slower to build than the first. Likewise at level 20 when a third jumpship could be laid down at the same time.
There is a note that this is for ‘regular’ jumpships, not for compact core vessels. A compact core warship would require a minimum rating of 20 to begin construction due to the need to fully enclose the production facility, which would be a separate upgrade to the yard. Current estimates are that compact core warship production would be divided into three categories, small vessels below a half-million tons, medium vessels between a half million and a million tons, and large vessels above a million tons. But that was an issue for the future.
QM Note - an Orbital Shipyard costs 250,000 and takes 1 year to build. At Lvl 1 it can act either as a Lvl 4 Large Dropship Factory or 2 Lvl 4 Dropship Factories. These factories can build any design and do not need to be specialized. At Lvl 10 jumpship production can begin, at rating 1. A rating 1 jumpship production facility takes 4 years to build a jumpship, plus 1 year for commissioning. Maximum rating on a jumpship production facility is 4. Upgrading the shipyard automatically upgrades the associated jumpship production.
Military procurement goes extremely well this year, as the Aerie graduates a banner class of very high performing graduates who mostly go on to fill out the ranks of the new Standard Battlemech Regiment, giving you your first genuinely elite unit. The new armored regiment and rapid reaction regiment both show promise as well, with each of the Rapid Reaction Forces now being at ⅔ Brigade strength.
Aerospace fighter procurement is similarly successful, with all dropships capable of carrying fighters now with permanently assigned complements. Exercises have already shown marginal but significant increases in operational efficiency for those units.
You attend a goodly number of keel laying ceremonies as the various dropship factories gear up for full production. You also had to spend several hours in various meetings to select the names for all of the new dropships. You worry sometimes about running out of names, but Admiral Benjamin assures you that they have a very large reservoir of potential names to choose from, then cheerfully points out that once that is exhausted they could always start reusing names by abusing SARAHs language files and translating them into other languages like they’re cheerfully doing for the Lightning class, which are all being named after the word ‘Storm’ in various languages.
Focused development grants are distributed for the Griffon Inner Asteroid Belt mining operations which has resulted in a surge of economic activity there, which should be helpful for next year's budget.
The two idly Defiant lines and the quiescent Tyrannosaurus line have completed their upgrades, improving their throughput to match the other active factory lines.
A large number of orbital factories have been upgraded or built, although Endo-Steel production remains a concern, preventing you from procuring more than a single regiment of mechs at a time at the current production levels.
The Department of Mega-Engineering is proving to have a wonderful sense of humor, as they’ve named their newest facility the Volcano Comet Research And Development Center. Interestingly enough, the Center Director is a Grifftiger who had obtained a doctorate in Civil Engineering who’s first announcement was that the first person to launch a Volcano Comet in his general direction will be assigned to Target Duties for his son, who is three years old and learning how to properly pounce things. The raw glittering malice in that threat is spoiled by Geb’s mate cuffing him for being excessively silly.
Which evidently was the signal for their son to pounce dad.
The benefit concert is a massive, if extremely loud and rowdy, success. This year's theme is dance music, and the selections are amazingly eclectic. From classical waltz music to country line dancing all the way to pulse pounding EDM. You wind up spending most of your time at the classical concert, waltzing with Willis and enjoying yourself immensely.
Jake spends many hours schmoozing and buttering up annoyed delegates and senators in an effort to get them more favorably inclined towards the crown and reassuring them that simply opposing you won’t get them stomped on as hard as the unethical twats who tried that power play are being pulled through the ringer by ethics investigations, tax investigations, and civil suits.
A rather smug Harry deposits several stacks of dirt on a number of politicians. Nothing criminal, but a lot of it is very embarrassing indeed, or would be if it were to be released if said politicians got too… troublesome.
You aren’t totally sure you’ll ever be able to look the head of the Budget Committee in the face again without laughing. And that’s all you’ll say on that matter unless the idiot tries something.
Reports from the R&D teams over at Griffin’s Roost University are uniformly positive, despite some minor scares in the orbital infrastructure and power generation projects that worked themselves out before they caused any real delays or harm. As a result you’ve made solid advances in basic sciences and engineering which taken together have resulted in numerous minor advances across the board.
