Quest Deep Periphery Quest (Battletech Sandbox Empire Builder)
- Thread starter LordSunhawk
- Start date
Knowledgeispower
Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
[X] Civilian Production
More money never hurt us
More money never hurt us
Panzerkraken
Well-known member
It should be pointed out that "intentionally" and "safely and reliably" are not synonymous though...
Turn 81 - But I'm Thinking Nothing, Nothing Can Go Wrong
Turn 81 - But I’m Thinking Nothing, Nothing Can Go Wrong
The unrest on Okusawa has been on a slightly lower simmer than usual so far this year, attacks are down about 15% from last year and General Messerschmidt has reported that they currently have no actionable intelligence of any major attacks. The IGMP and local authorities are using the relative lull to push through minor infrastructure and civic engagement projects.
A traditional Shinto temple to Hachiman has been built in the system capital of Okusawa, challenging the ‘bull-shit-o’ of the Drac remnants with an example of actual Bushido. Siriwan is muttering darkly about ‘impetuous boys’ when she informs you that her charge has decided that it would be a wonderful idea to spend several weeks at that temple following the dedication teaching kenjutsu. Sure enough, the ISF does attempt an attack on the temple during this time, which accomplishes very little apart from causing Siriwan’s blood pressure to spike as she gets to watch her young Tenno enthusiastically dueling the lone ISF commando who managed to get inside with his vibrokatana. It becomes obvious almost immediately that the young man is toying with his opponent to give him an opportunity to lecture his students on the tenets of bushido, illustrating the ISF’s lack of them. That they lack Yuki or courage, instead striking from the shadows and refusing to face their opponents squarely. That they lack Jin or benevolence, instead embracing hate and division. That they lack Gi, or rectitude, pursuing unjust ends with unjust means. That they lack Rei, or etiquette, failing to even attempt to uphold their own societies' stated social mores and discipline. That they lack Makoto, or Truth - Honesty, showing a false face to the world and seeking to spread deception rather than truth. That they lack even true Chugi, or loyalty, to which his battered opponent rather vigorously starts objecting with no real result, in that they, in their embrace of lies over truth, fail to be loyal to those to whom they truly own loyalty, their own people rather than a madman. And that the ultimate sin of all, stated in the same stroke where he smoothly disarms, quite literally, his opponent, is that they lack even the faintest trace of Meiyo, or honor, due to all of their other, manifold, failings. And thus, he states, they fail, and will continue to fail, before ushering the students out of the room and away from the dying would be assassin.
It’s a quite masterful performance, although you know better than to say that to the seething Siriwan who apparently is plotting means of wrapping the boy in cotton-wool and sealing him away before he gives her yet another heart attack.
Meanwhile you are feeling all 75 of your years. The last 11 seem heavier than the previous 64 combined. You cannot figure out how your mother held up under the strain as well as she did. She always looked so young, and despite the anti-aging treatments when you look in the mirror you could swear you look twice your actual age. Your doctors keep telling you to take vacations, reduce stress, but you simply can’t. You have far too much work to do, far too many balls to juggle, to take any more time than you already do for yourself.
There are a few proposals swirling about your inner circle for the future, with a tentative plan to establish a mandatory retirement age of 80 for the monarch, along with allowing the current monarch to choose their successor rather than strict primogeniture. There’s nothing set in stone, since you really want to consult your mother before deciding anything, but you have no idea when she’ll be back, what with having just how many babies to ba.
And Parliament is not helping. Oh, they think they are helping, but they aren’t. Both the Senate and the Chamber of Delegates have put forward a bill that has drawn diplomatic protests from both the NRI and the NRR. It would significantly raise tariffs on all imports, putting the money into the general fund. On paper it seems like a very good idea for you, in a very self-oriented sort of way. The Eldest had opposed it, but it had passed the Senate anyways.
The way it would work is that the tariff rates on all imports would be doubled, the number of exclusions from the current tariff would shrink, all imported goods would be impounded for safety inspection at the first point of contact with the Empire, any further carriage would have to be on Imperial hulls. Quite a few industry groups are quite happy about this, although those that rely on exports are far less sanguine. In many ways this would shift you from a relatively free trade orientation to a far more mercantilist one, and you suspect that if you do so all of your neighbors will as well. Your economics training tells you that this is only a short-term benefit to the Empire, that retaliatory tariffs and the cutting of trade routes would eventually cause more harm to the economy than good. It would also antagonize your allies, right when they are finally starting to reach the point of being able to pull their weight against the Black Steel.
The unrest on Okusawa has been on a slightly lower simmer than usual so far this year, attacks are down about 15% from last year and General Messerschmidt has reported that they currently have no actionable intelligence of any major attacks. The IGMP and local authorities are using the relative lull to push through minor infrastructure and civic engagement projects.
A traditional Shinto temple to Hachiman has been built in the system capital of Okusawa, challenging the ‘bull-shit-o’ of the Drac remnants with an example of actual Bushido. Siriwan is muttering darkly about ‘impetuous boys’ when she informs you that her charge has decided that it would be a wonderful idea to spend several weeks at that temple following the dedication teaching kenjutsu. Sure enough, the ISF does attempt an attack on the temple during this time, which accomplishes very little apart from causing Siriwan’s blood pressure to spike as she gets to watch her young Tenno enthusiastically dueling the lone ISF commando who managed to get inside with his vibrokatana. It becomes obvious almost immediately that the young man is toying with his opponent to give him an opportunity to lecture his students on the tenets of bushido, illustrating the ISF’s lack of them. That they lack Yuki or courage, instead striking from the shadows and refusing to face their opponents squarely. That they lack Jin or benevolence, instead embracing hate and division. That they lack Gi, or rectitude, pursuing unjust ends with unjust means. That they lack Rei, or etiquette, failing to even attempt to uphold their own societies' stated social mores and discipline. That they lack Makoto, or Truth - Honesty, showing a false face to the world and seeking to spread deception rather than truth. That they lack even true Chugi, or loyalty, to which his battered opponent rather vigorously starts objecting with no real result, in that they, in their embrace of lies over truth, fail to be loyal to those to whom they truly own loyalty, their own people rather than a madman. And that the ultimate sin of all, stated in the same stroke where he smoothly disarms, quite literally, his opponent, is that they lack even the faintest trace of Meiyo, or honor, due to all of their other, manifold, failings. And thus, he states, they fail, and will continue to fail, before ushering the students out of the room and away from the dying would be assassin.
It’s a quite masterful performance, although you know better than to say that to the seething Siriwan who apparently is plotting means of wrapping the boy in cotton-wool and sealing him away before he gives her yet another heart attack.
Meanwhile you are feeling all 75 of your years. The last 11 seem heavier than the previous 64 combined. You cannot figure out how your mother held up under the strain as well as she did. She always looked so young, and despite the anti-aging treatments when you look in the mirror you could swear you look twice your actual age. Your doctors keep telling you to take vacations, reduce stress, but you simply can’t. You have far too much work to do, far too many balls to juggle, to take any more time than you already do for yourself.
There are a few proposals swirling about your inner circle for the future, with a tentative plan to establish a mandatory retirement age of 80 for the monarch, along with allowing the current monarch to choose their successor rather than strict primogeniture. There’s nothing set in stone, since you really want to consult your mother before deciding anything, but you have no idea when she’ll be back, what with having just how many babies to ba.
And Parliament is not helping. Oh, they think they are helping, but they aren’t. Both the Senate and the Chamber of Delegates have put forward a bill that has drawn diplomatic protests from both the NRI and the NRR. It would significantly raise tariffs on all imports, putting the money into the general fund. On paper it seems like a very good idea for you, in a very self-oriented sort of way. The Eldest had opposed it, but it had passed the Senate anyways.
The way it would work is that the tariff rates on all imports would be doubled, the number of exclusions from the current tariff would shrink, all imported goods would be impounded for safety inspection at the first point of contact with the Empire, any further carriage would have to be on Imperial hulls. Quite a few industry groups are quite happy about this, although those that rely on exports are far less sanguine. In many ways this would shift you from a relatively free trade orientation to a far more mercantilist one, and you suspect that if you do so all of your neighbors will as well. Your economics training tells you that this is only a short-term benefit to the Empire, that retaliatory tariffs and the cutting of trade routes would eventually cause more harm to the economy than good. It would also antagonize your allies, right when they are finally starting to reach the point of being able to pull their weight against the Black Steel.
| [] | Support the Tariff Act of 3011 |
|
| [] | Oppose the Tariff Act of 3011 |
|
Knowledgeispower
Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
[X] Oppose the Tarrif Act of 3011
I'm not having a Smoot-Hawley act
I'm not having a Smoot-Hawley act
Knowledgeispower
Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
We were so close to greatness
[X] Oppose the Tariff Act of 3011
Thors_Alumni
Well-known member
[X] Oppose the Tarrif Act of 3011
AlphaOmega
Well-known member
[X] Oppose the Tarrif Act of 3011
Yacovo
Occasionally spouting nonsense
[X] Oppose the Tarrif Act of 3011
Yeah the Trade Route Tax Rate doubling, the main upside, might end up being a short term negative if we end up losing too many Trade Routes due to bad rolls. It will also definitely be a long term negative with the loss of future trade routes.
If someone asks you to punch two of your friends in the stomach and they might give you ten bucks, I think it is safe to laugh in that guy’s face.
Yeah the Trade Route Tax Rate doubling, the main upside, might end up being a short term negative if we end up losing too many Trade Routes due to bad rolls. It will also definitely be a long term negative with the loss of future trade routes.
If someone asks you to punch two of your friends in the stomach and they might give you ten bucks, I think it is safe to laugh in that guy’s face.
Last edited:
Val the Moofia Boss
Well-known member
[X] Oppose the Tarrif Act of 3011
hellspawn023
Active member
[X] Oppose the Tarrif Act of 3011