Val the Moofia Boss
Well-known member
[X] Disapprove
Quest Deep Periphery Quest (Battletech Sandbox Empire Builder)
- Thread starter LordSunhawk
- Start date
Jarow
Well-known member
[X] Approve
No reason to keep our DEST-replacements complicating military reorganization. Benefits are pretty small, but military is a lot more focused on hitting things with a big hammer than the work the special operations people are trained for. Though, they probably should retain some connection to the military, as opposed to just intelligence.
No reason to keep our DEST-replacements complicating military reorganization. Benefits are pretty small, but military is a lot more focused on hitting things with a big hammer than the work the special operations people are trained for. Though, they probably should retain some connection to the military, as opposed to just intelligence.
Turn 97 - Way Down Yonder
Turn 97 - Way Down Yonder
It’s early on the morning of January 3rd when an alert sounds. The Raj system defenses report the destruction of a lone Black Steel Vincent, but 3 others were able to escape via a pirate point, all indications are that a major attack is incoming.
Luckily the recently reorganized Grand Fleet, built around a solid core of your most modern ships and with the fleet organization principles championed by Admiral Fisher in place, is in the New Phoenix system and is able to rapidly deploy to Raj. Admiral von Falkenrick is in command aboard HMS Prinz Eugen.
On the 5th the alert is sounded again, Admiral von Falkenrick reports the arrival of a substantial Black Steel fleet built around 16 battleships of mixed classes, supported by almost 30 lesser Black Steel warships and a veritable swarm of Black Steel dropships and drone ASFs.
At 1728 on the 6th of January you receive a transmission that the Grand Fleet is about to engage. At 2014 on the 6th you receive the all clear and a request for the immediate deployment of several Vestal-class repair ships to the system. Admiral von Falkenrick reports a clean sweep, all Black Steel elements destroyed, no damage to the colony or orbital infrastructure in the Raj system.
A more detailed report follows. The Grand Fleet was able to successfully execute their battleplan, holding the range open for an extended period in order to make maximum use of their extreme range capabilities. The apparent flagship of the Black Steel formation, an older looking Farragut hull, was identified based on signals and tactical analysis. A massive strike built around Bainbridge-class parasite destroyers accompanied by a very heavy ASF screen, supported by extreme range capital missile fire from the parasite missile ships and warships, managed to destroy this vessel early in the engagement, causing Black Steel fleet coordination to be severely degraded. The vast majority of the casualties suffered in the battle came during this strike, and Admiral von Falkenrick particularly commends the courage and daring of the Bainbridge crews.
At this point the screening elements of the fleet were engaged, taking very heavy damage but only losing 12 out of 60 vessels for one of the lowest loss rates you’d ever taken in the closing phase of the engagement. The Black Steel screen was utterly wrecked at this point, with only 15 damaged battleships remaining. The core fleet elements of the Grand Fleet at this point engaged directly, leading to the destruction of 3 ships out of 12 and severe damage to 6 more. The Prinz Eugen design proved particularly resilient, with 1 of the four engaged suffering heavy damage, the others rated at light to medium damage.
The initial loss report is as follows.
The ten crippled warships are, technically, repairable according to the reports you receive over the next several days, but doing so would be expensive as all have taken serious damage to their KF drives and would require massive work to be made safe to jump. The heavily damaged but not crippled vessels have received sufficient repairs to safely make their way to repair yards and will be back in service by the end of the year.
The navy would very much like to repair the cripples, arguing that despite the expense involved it will be far quicker to repair them than to replace them, and that the fleet is in dire need of numbers, especially of the most modern classes of ship. Alternatively you could scrap them in place, which would save you the expense of repairs.
Losses among your ASFs were heavy, although only 7 wings were completely written off many others suffered casualties. Likewise, while 50 dropships were destroyed all of the rest of the engaged Bainbridge-class ships suffered varying levels of damage short of destruction. The Aetna, Meteor and Saipan-class ships were successful in remaining out of direct combat, making use of ASFs or capital missiles, including the extremely formidable Kraken-T, to superb effect.
Morale in the Navy is soaring, as this is the first unambiguous victory over a major Black Steel fleet without crippling losses. Admiral Fisher is, of course, unbearable smug over it all, with, as Tiberius puts it, the smuggest smugface that ever smugged, breaking over 9000 smugs on the smugifier scale. He manages to continue on in this vein for a good half hour, until you decide that he’s being far too smug himself and have him tossed into a pond. You’ll allow the good admiral his moment of glory, but if it goes on too long there’s always the Window.
Unfortunately for your sanity, but fortunately for your sense of humor and ridiculousness, the Department of Periphery Studies paid attention to the news and evidently the tenured faculty, the very distinguished and esteemed tenured faculty in fact, all with fully endowed chairs and everything, have decided that they are actually the incarnated spirits of your warships and are now running around shouting nonsense about Burning Love and Poi.
You don’t get it either.
In other news, Bauernparadis has started exporting exceptionally high quality beef equivalent to the legendary wagyu beef of old Terra. Export numbers are quite low, the quality is exceptionally high, and after you taste it for the first time you decide it is worth every single penny of it. The system economy is experiencing an unexpected and unprecedented boom, as the ranchers who specialize in this beef are making record profits.
In the Iskra system a motherlode of platinum has been discovered, likewise resulting in an economic boom in the system as mining firms scramble to take advantage of the windfall. Much like Bauernparadis, Iskra is experiencing significant, sustained economic growth as a result.
Things are still simmering a bit in the Skala system, with isolated flareups of violence from radicals here and there. The Imperial Guard has things quite well locked down, however. You get a report from General Messerschmidt that counterintelligence is continuing their work, they have reason to suspect foreign influence in the unrest. They’ve completely cleared the NRI and NRR of any involvement, as both report similar outbreaks in isolated areas. Based on the nature of the radicals demands and agitprop the Rouges Noir is strongly suspected to be involved, but there is as yet no smoking gun.
It’s early on the morning of January 3rd when an alert sounds. The Raj system defenses report the destruction of a lone Black Steel Vincent, but 3 others were able to escape via a pirate point, all indications are that a major attack is incoming.
Luckily the recently reorganized Grand Fleet, built around a solid core of your most modern ships and with the fleet organization principles championed by Admiral Fisher in place, is in the New Phoenix system and is able to rapidly deploy to Raj. Admiral von Falkenrick is in command aboard HMS Prinz Eugen.
On the 5th the alert is sounded again, Admiral von Falkenrick reports the arrival of a substantial Black Steel fleet built around 16 battleships of mixed classes, supported by almost 30 lesser Black Steel warships and a veritable swarm of Black Steel dropships and drone ASFs.
At 1728 on the 6th of January you receive a transmission that the Grand Fleet is about to engage. At 2014 on the 6th you receive the all clear and a request for the immediate deployment of several Vestal-class repair ships to the system. Admiral von Falkenrick reports a clean sweep, all Black Steel elements destroyed, no damage to the colony or orbital infrastructure in the Raj system.
A more detailed report follows. The Grand Fleet was able to successfully execute their battleplan, holding the range open for an extended period in order to make maximum use of their extreme range capabilities. The apparent flagship of the Black Steel formation, an older looking Farragut hull, was identified based on signals and tactical analysis. A massive strike built around Bainbridge-class parasite destroyers accompanied by a very heavy ASF screen, supported by extreme range capital missile fire from the parasite missile ships and warships, managed to destroy this vessel early in the engagement, causing Black Steel fleet coordination to be severely degraded. The vast majority of the casualties suffered in the battle came during this strike, and Admiral von Falkenrick particularly commends the courage and daring of the Bainbridge crews.
At this point the screening elements of the fleet were engaged, taking very heavy damage but only losing 12 out of 60 vessels for one of the lowest loss rates you’d ever taken in the closing phase of the engagement. The Black Steel screen was utterly wrecked at this point, with only 15 damaged battleships remaining. The core fleet elements of the Grand Fleet at this point engaged directly, leading to the destruction of 3 ships out of 12 and severe damage to 6 more. The Prinz Eugen design proved particularly resilient, with 1 of the four engaged suffering heavy damage, the others rated at light to medium damage.
The initial loss report is as follows.
- Destroyed
- 1 Canarias-class Heavy Cruiser
- 2 Scharnhorst-class Battlecruiser
- 2 Dido-class Light Cruiser
- 5 Fubuki-class Destroyer
- 5 Lyr-class Corvette
- 50 Bainbridge-class Parasite Destroyer
- 7 Fighter Wings
- Crippled
- 1 Canarias-class Heavy Cruiser
- 2 Scharnhorst-class Battlecruiser
- 1 Dido-class Light Cruiser
- 3 Fubuki-class Destroyer
- 3 Lyr-class Corvette
- Heavily Damaged
- 1 Prinze Eugen-class Heavy Cruiser
- 2 Canarias-class Heavy Cruiser
- 3 Dido-class Light Cruiser
- 10 Fubuki-class Destroyer
- 15 Lyr-class Corvette
The ten crippled warships are, technically, repairable according to the reports you receive over the next several days, but doing so would be expensive as all have taken serious damage to their KF drives and would require massive work to be made safe to jump. The heavily damaged but not crippled vessels have received sufficient repairs to safely make their way to repair yards and will be back in service by the end of the year.
The navy would very much like to repair the cripples, arguing that despite the expense involved it will be far quicker to repair them than to replace them, and that the fleet is in dire need of numbers, especially of the most modern classes of ship. Alternatively you could scrap them in place, which would save you the expense of repairs.
| [] | Action | Effect |
| [] | We can rebuild them, we have the technology |
|
| [] | Scrap them |
|
Losses among your ASFs were heavy, although only 7 wings were completely written off many others suffered casualties. Likewise, while 50 dropships were destroyed all of the rest of the engaged Bainbridge-class ships suffered varying levels of damage short of destruction. The Aetna, Meteor and Saipan-class ships were successful in remaining out of direct combat, making use of ASFs or capital missiles, including the extremely formidable Kraken-T, to superb effect.
Morale in the Navy is soaring, as this is the first unambiguous victory over a major Black Steel fleet without crippling losses. Admiral Fisher is, of course, unbearable smug over it all, with, as Tiberius puts it, the smuggest smugface that ever smugged, breaking over 9000 smugs on the smugifier scale. He manages to continue on in this vein for a good half hour, until you decide that he’s being far too smug himself and have him tossed into a pond. You’ll allow the good admiral his moment of glory, but if it goes on too long there’s always the Window.
Unfortunately for your sanity, but fortunately for your sense of humor and ridiculousness, the Department of Periphery Studies paid attention to the news and evidently the tenured faculty, the very distinguished and esteemed tenured faculty in fact, all with fully endowed chairs and everything, have decided that they are actually the incarnated spirits of your warships and are now running around shouting nonsense about Burning Love and Poi.
You don’t get it either.
In other news, Bauernparadis has started exporting exceptionally high quality beef equivalent to the legendary wagyu beef of old Terra. Export numbers are quite low, the quality is exceptionally high, and after you taste it for the first time you decide it is worth every single penny of it. The system economy is experiencing an unexpected and unprecedented boom, as the ranchers who specialize in this beef are making record profits.
In the Iskra system a motherlode of platinum has been discovered, likewise resulting in an economic boom in the system as mining firms scramble to take advantage of the windfall. Much like Bauernparadis, Iskra is experiencing significant, sustained economic growth as a result.
Things are still simmering a bit in the Skala system, with isolated flareups of violence from radicals here and there. The Imperial Guard has things quite well locked down, however. You get a report from General Messerschmidt that counterintelligence is continuing their work, they have reason to suspect foreign influence in the unrest. They’ve completely cleared the NRI and NRR of any involvement, as both report similar outbreaks in isolated areas. Based on the nature of the radicals demands and agitprop the Rouges Noir is strongly suspected to be involved, but there is as yet no smoking gun.
Thors_Alumni
Well-known member
[x] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
Winter_Wind45
Well-known member
[X] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
[X] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
Definitely need the hulls.
Curious what are personnel losses actually look like in real numbers.
Definitely need the hulls.
Curious what are personnel losses actually look like in real numbers.
Roughly around 3.7k total casualties.
~200 or so ASF pilots
~500 or so dropship crewmen on the lost ships, plus ~200 or so on the heavily damaged ones
~3k total across all of the warships you lost (average crew size is ~200, you lost 15 warships
[X] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
The more I see our casualty numbers, the more I think we really, REALLY want to develop Caspar technology and automate all of our ASFs and Parasite WarShips. The screen gets brutally hammered every time and it would be an enormous game changer if that wasn't costing us thousands of lives.
(Ghost!Willis + Ghost!Thanh: HERESY! HERESY!!! HANDS OFF MY ASFs!
But that's exactly the point, going hands off with unmanned drone craft.
NOT WHAT WE MEANT! WE WILL HAUNT YOUR ASS FOREVER!!!!!!!)
The more I see our casualty numbers, the more I think we really, REALLY want to develop Caspar technology and automate all of our ASFs and Parasite WarShips. The screen gets brutally hammered every time and it would be an enormous game changer if that wasn't costing us thousands of lives.
(Ghost!Willis + Ghost!Thanh: HERESY! HERESY!!! HANDS OFF MY ASFs!
But that's exactly the point, going hands off with unmanned drone craft.
NOT WHAT WE MEANT! WE WILL HAUNT YOUR ASS FOREVER!!!!!!!)
Knowledgeispower
Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
[X] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
its a damm good thing that we're winning these engagements since it means the scum don't have the opportunity to shoot up lifeboats and escape pods
its a damm good thing that we're winning these engagements since it means the scum don't have the opportunity to shoot up lifeboats and escape pods
Val the Moofia Boss
Well-known member
[X] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
Pretty impressive that these saboteurs (presumably the Rouges Noir, unless this is a false flag operation) managed to infiltrate Griffon territory. I presume we thoroughly check and track every ship and its passengers moving through our star systems. My guess is that they have stealth ships (hydrogen steamers?) that managed to evade our sensors and was able to drop agents off on Skala, completely evading our bureaucracy.
A couple weeks back, we found out that:
So there is evidence that Rouges Noir ships are going abroad. Obviously the situation on Skala had been brewing for years so they have been probably skulking about long before we or the Bourbons caught wind of it. I wonder just how long they have active within Griffon. If any of them have become military officers or government officials, there is no telling how far up they have climbed the ranks and how much information they are gaining access to (ship vulnerabilities), let alone positioning for an opportunity to blow up our factories and white bases and so on during a first strike and such.
The question is whether or not we should make contact with Rouges Noir. If we do so now that might our tip our hand that we aware of their infiltration, which might be undesirable if we want to somehow capture their agents.
Pretty impressive that these saboteurs (presumably the Rouges Noir, unless this is a false flag operation) managed to infiltrate Griffon territory. I presume we thoroughly check and track every ship and its passengers moving through our star systems. My guess is that they have stealth ships (hydrogen steamers?) that managed to evade our sensors and was able to drop agents off on Skala, completely evading our bureaucracy.
A couple weeks back, we found out that:
So there is evidence that Rouges Noir ships are going abroad. Obviously the situation on Skala had been brewing for years so they have been probably skulking about long before we or the Bourbons caught wind of it. I wonder just how long they have active within Griffon. If any of them have become military officers or government officials, there is no telling how far up they have climbed the ranks and how much information they are gaining access to (ship vulnerabilities), let alone positioning for an opportunity to blow up our factories and white bases and so on during a first strike and such.
The question is whether or not we should make contact with Rouges Noir. If we do so now that might our tip our hand that we aware of their infiltration, which might be undesirable if we want to somehow capture their agents.
Jarow
Well-known member
[x] We can rebuild them, we have the technology
Definitely affordable, and comes with admittedly small benefits beyond saving several ships (including several of our larger ship classes)
For the record, purely by ship construction type, the crippled ships are:
3x Medium (our current largest type)
1x Small
6x Escort
Escorts are pretty easily replaced, but the bigger ships take up more time and resources.
Definitely affordable, and comes with admittedly small benefits beyond saving several ships (including several of our larger ship classes)
For the record, purely by ship construction type, the crippled ships are:
3x Medium (our current largest type)
1x Small
6x Escort
Escorts are pretty easily replaced, but the bigger ships take up more time and resources.