Quest Deep Periphery Quest (Battletech Sandbox Empire Builder)

[Artifex]

[X] When the situation changes, you can change your mind
[X] Support the Infrastructure Act of 3044

 

[Winter_Wind45]

[X] When the situation changes, you can change your mind
[X] Support the Infrastructure Act of 3044

 

[LordSunhawk]

Turn 114 - Theater of Pain

You must admit, your great-aunt’s peanut butter cookies are totally worth it, and spending a few hours learning how to make them properly is just some wonderful family bonding time. Learning that this was your great-grandmother’s favorite recipe, and that your great-aunt is now passing it on to you since your grandfather had never cared to learn how to make them? Just gravy.

Your daughter’s unit has been transferred to the Griffon system for a training rotation, so you take the opportunity to casually invite her entire lance to the palace for dinner. Which just coincidentally allows you to meet the young man she’s still not admitted to dating. You figure that if he survives yours and your husbands ‘suitable boyfriend’ test before he realizes he’s been outed as Tamara’s boyfriend, well… At least there will be cookies for dessert.

The dinner goes quite well, actually, and young Samuel is a quite polite, respectful, and proper young man. And he quite handily passes your husband’s ‘boyfriend’ test, and your own. You’ll have to return the anti-material rifles to the armory later. And the vibroaxe, now that you think of it, definitely needs to return that as well.

Tamara, of course, is suitably outraged at your actions, which has the unintended effect of spilling the beans about them dating, and results in you getting to engage in some proper parental jujitsu on her. The poor girl even insists on you not running a background check on her boyfriend. You readily promise not to initiate any such thing.

Conveniently not mentioning that you’d already done so, they’re so innocent at that age.

There’s still nothing happening on the Black Steel front. As for the Rouges Noir, there have been additional terrorist attacks on the Bourbons, although nothing nearly as devastating as the strike on Nouveau Paris. There haven’t been any Jolly Roger strikes, indicating that the fanatics might be building up their own defenses rather than wasting energy on futile attacks against you. Wise of them, if irritating.

Admiral Fisher is in fine form when he shows up for a brief pre-budget meeting meeting accompanied by Admiral Sims and a representative from Majeure Électrique. They are there to discuss the proposed Saratoga-class Fleet Carrier.

“Yes, yes, laugh it up, I needed a challenge.” Admiral Fisher grouses. “And I didn’t want to involve the usual design staff, since they’re busy working on fine tuning the Dreadnoughts in light of battle damage assessments. So I brought in ME.” He glares at the representative, who allows it to run off her back like water off of a duck. “If the flyboys and flygirls and flypeeps want a fleet carrier, well, we have one. 1.5 million tons worth of one. I’m still not sold on all the missiles they loaded onto her, but she’s a support unit, and fast enough to run the hell away from any Black Steel forces that want to exploit that.”

The Majeure Électrique representative smiles slightly. “The ship will be able to deploy a total of 32 wings of ASFs, Your Majesty, the current plan being 20 CAP wings and 12 Strike wings, but that will be up to the Aerospace Force.”

You do the mental math, over a thousand ASFs on one platform… Admiral Sims seems to be following your thoughts. “We’re mainly using the Wright-class platforms for that, Your Majesty, the Saratoga-class shouldn’t have the sort of issues that the Star League had with their supercarrier concept.”

You relax a bit at that.

The representative leaves as the rest of your advisors enter your office for the budget meeting.

Amaunet takes her place on the dias, curling up her massive bulk and looking quite smug. “Padrone, thank you for changing the timeline and strategic plan for operations against the Rouges Noir. Our production levels continue to be adequate, and with the additional 2 years we’ll certainly have the best possible force composition for the operation. Thanks to the new transports, we’ll be requiring fewer jumpships to support things, which should ease our overall logistical burden. That being said, we still will need to keep our feet firmly on the gas pedal for production purposes. We will start with General Bradley.”

The pugnacious officer takes her place behind the podium. “Your Majesty, strategic materials are still a minor bottleneck to maximum utilization of our production capacity, however in the near future we will need to begin expanding production capacity once more. At that point it will become a balancing act between expansion of production, and expansion of strategic material capacity.”

She checks her notes. “I will note that we will be seeing less use out of the new Arrow IV launchers initially than we thought, as development work on compatible special ammunition types is lagging slightly. It’s nothing too serious, and mostly an issue due to the platform configurations causing feed problems. We’ll get it straightened out internally.”

She then brings up the customary budget request chart for you to look over.

• Imperial Griffon Army
  • Procurement
    • Regular
      • 9 Regimental Combat Team Divisions
    • Garrison
      • 22 Garrison Divisions
      • 22 Militia Divisions

You are a bit surprised when General Romanov steps up to the podium. “We are still a few years out from resuming ASF production, Your Majesty, however in preparation for that we would like to continue to expand our ASF production capacity, especially in light of the new carriers that Admiral Fisher managed to design.” She grins, which takes decades off of her wrinkled face.

• Imperial Griffon Aerospace Force
  • Production
    • ASF Factories
      • Awha
      • Bāṛi
      • Bellaterra
      • Glorreich
      • Landprettig

Admiral Fisher does not look amused as he takes over the podium, glaring at General Romanov. “OK, laugh it up.” he almost snarls. “The Navy will be calling for a great deal of expansion, because we need it if we’re going to continue to hold the line against the Black Steel. Our focus will primarily be on our combat capability, but also on filling out our transport assets.”

He brings up the chart for your perusal.

• Imperial Griffon Navy
  • Production
    • Orbital Shipyards
      • Expand All Orbital Shipyards
    • Refit & Repair Yards
      • Expand All Refit & Repair Yards
    • Escort Yards
      • Neubayern
      • Neuhessen
      • Nouvelle Bourgogne
      • Nuova Lombardia
      • Nuova Puglia
      • Nuovo Abruzzo
      • Nyū Shikoku
      • Stenen Tuin
      • New Libertalia
      • Nuova Tripoli
      • Awha
      • Catachan
      • Feurstern
      • Neuthüringen
      • Nowe Mazowsze
      • Nox
      • Platzregensburg
      • Iskra
      • New Algiers
      • New Clew Bay
      • Nubifragio
      • Bellaterra
      • Bohren
      • Landprettig
      • Porto Milano
    • Small Warship Yards
      • Pieklo
      • New Phoenix
      • Okusawa
      • New Castor
      • New Port Royal
      • Nowy Wrocław
      • Bari
      • Nowy Slask
      • Chuma
      • Glorreich
    • Large Warship Yards
      • Nya Kopenhamn
      • Kainga
      • Edelsteine
      • New Capricorn
  • Procurement
    • Regular Dropships
      • 200 Shimakaze-class Parasite Destroyers
      • 200 Spruance-class Parasite Destroyers
      • 28 Lublin-class Transports
    • Large Dropships
      • 90 Mikasa-class Parasite Battleships
      • 90 Normandy-class Transports
      • 7 Charleston-class Transports
    • Jumpships
      • 7 Windjammer-class Jumpships
    • Escorts
      • 80 Battle-class Destroyers
      • 100 Lyr-class Corvettes
    • Small Warships
      • 40 Dido-class Light Cruisers
      • 10 Guiseppe Garibaldi-class Light Cruisers
      • 20 De Grasse-class Light Cruisers
      • 1 Hosho-class Light Carrier
    • Medium Warships
      • 20 Prinz Eugen-class Heavy Cruisers
    • Large Warships
      • 10 Dreadnought-class Battleships
      • 2 Saratoga-class Fleet Carriers
  • Fortress Command
    • Black Tower
      • New Pollux
      • Kainga
      • Chuma
      • Stahlfurt
      • Bāṛi

Amaunet chuffs slightly in amusement as the prickly admiral returns to his seat. “We are growing more secure, Padrone, but we can’t rest on our laurels. Production levels may seem high, but are barely adequate for the spectrum of threats that we face.”

Elizabeth Lee comes up next, smiling a bit. “Your Majesty, Interior is, of course, prepared to support all of the military's construction needs as always. We do, however, have six DoME teams who need gainful employment before we wake up to find our moon turned into a disco ball or something.” That draws a general laugh.

• DoME
  • Expand Shin Tōkyō Arcologies
  • Terraforming
    • Grand View
    • Feurstem
    • Pinball
    • Shin Tōkyō
    • Pustina

“In terms of economic investment and focus, we have the following recommendations this year.”

• Economic Foci, Investment & Infrastructure
  • Economic Focus
    • Core
      • Okusawa
    • Periphery
      • Iskra
  • Major Investment
    • Core
      • Chuma
    • Periphery
      • Nyū Shikoku
  • Investment
    • Catachan
  • Infrastructure & Industrial Zone
    • Arvum
    • Nouvelle Bourgogne
    • Bohren
    • Landprettig
    • Nuova Puglia

“I know it seems like it’s the same worlds for the infrastructure, Your Majesty, but those are the systems where we’d see the greatest benefit.”

Dr Kamato has his hands folded in front of him. “Your Majesty, next year will be my last as your Foreign Minister. As such, I’d like to take this opportunity to present a slate of potential replacements for your consideration.”

[]	Name	Qualifications	Notes
[]	Agostina San Severino	Dean of the School of International Relations at Griffin’s Roost University.	Remains highly recommended by your Great Aunt, has superb academic qualifications. Has been serving on Dr Kamato’s Advisory Board for the last several years.
[]	Gloria Biescas	Ambassador to the NRI	Is a highly experienced and respected voice within the diplomatic community
[]	Eduard Shirlitz	Ambassador to the NRR	Has a superb reputation, very experienced and respected
[]	Miri Zahavy	Ambassador to the Bourbons	Has continued to impress with her work at the Bourbon court representing your interests. Has demonstrated a certain creativity in achieving your diplomatic goals
[]	Ludwig Bergler	Current Deputy Foreign Minister	A quiet, almost colorless man who nevertheless seems to be able to instantly recall even the most trivial factoid about diplomatic minutiae. Would not be a very vocal Foriegn Minister, but would be steady.

Tiberius had tried to smuggle a kazoo into the meeting, and you have dark suspicions about what he’d been planning on doing with that thing. You realize he’d only let you find one of his kazoos, as he pulls out the other and starts tootling it while waving a flag reading ‘Moar Civil Service Spending Pleaz.’

The meeting is paused for a half hour while you personally drag your old friend to the Window of Defenestration and toss him into a decorative pond.

Neither General Messerschmidt nor Martina from Justice are at the meeting, both are at conferences with their opposite numbers in the various allied states.

 

[KyranKandosa]

[X]	Agostina San Severino

 

[ShadowArxxy]

[X] Agostina San Severino

 

[Rukatin]

[X] Miri Zahavy

 

[The Whispering Monk]

[X] Eduard Shirlitz

It's time we reward his excellent service with greater responsibility.

-I'm still not behind the idea of Severino as the main head of our diplomatic efforts. Book expertise, though useful, shouldn't be put in charge of face to face negotiations.

-Zahavy is a good choice, but I feel we shouldn't be rocking the diplomatic waters by pulling our subject matter expert on the Bourbons in the midst of a mutual conflict with the "Commies-in-SPAAAAACE!"

 

[Artifex]

[X] Eduard Shirlitz

 

[kashim3]

[X] Eduard Shirlitz

 

[ShadowArxxy]

[X] Eduard Shirlitz

It's time we reward his excellent service with greater responsibility.

I strongly disagree. He's needed where he already is.

I'm still not behind the idea of Severino as the main head of our diplomatic efforts. Book expertise, though useful, shouldn't be put in charge of face to face negotiations.

Expertise is exactly why she's the best choice, and writing it off as "book" knowledge is ludicrous.

 

[mmgaballah]

[X] Eduard Shirlitz

 

[Peepeeman]

[X]Agostina San Severino

 

[Jarow]

[X] Agostina San Severino

I'm accepting our great aunt's recommendation here.


[X] Plan: Research delays
-[X] Procurement [$ 290,710,417,865.92 ]
--[X] Lay Down Major Unit [Construction - $11,032,019,346.00 ] (95)
---[X] 200 Shimakaze [95]
---[X] 200 Spruance [95]
---[X] 28 Lublin [95]

---[X] 90 Normandy [95]
---[X] 90 Mikasa [95]
---[X] 7 Charleston [95]

--[X] Lay down Jumpship [Jumpship Construction - $32,620,094.85 ] (90)
---[X] 7 Windjammer [90]

--[X] Lay down Warship [Warship Construction - $23,995,881,900.00 ] (90)
---[X] 30 Dido*
---[X] 10 Guiseppe Garibaldi*
---[X] 20 De Grasse*

---[X] 10 Prinz Eugen*
---[X] 10 Algerie*
---[X] 10 Prinz Eugen*
---[X] 10 Algerie*

---[X] 8 Dreadnought*
---[X] 8 Dreadnought*
---[X] 12 Dreadnought*

---[X] 80 Battle [90]
---[X] 0 England [90]
---[X] 100 Lyr [90]

---[X] 40 Dido [90]
---[X] 10 Guiseppe Garibaldi [90]
---[X] 20 De Grasse [90]
---[X] 1 Hosho [90]

---[X] 20 Prinz Eugen [90]
---[X] 0 Algerie [90]

---[X] 10 Dreadnought [90]
---[X] 2 Saratoga [90]

--[X] Purchase New Units [Minor Unit - $ 26,649,246,525.07 ] (90)
---[X] 9 Regimental Combat Team Division [90]

---[X] 22 Garrison Division [90]
---[X] 22 Militia Division [90]

--[X] Fortress Command [$ 229,000,650,000.00 ] (90)
---[X] Construct Black Tower
----[X] Kainga [90]
----[X] New Pollux [90]
----[X] Chuma [90]
----[X] Stahlfurt [90]
----[X] Bari [90]

-[X] General [$ 2,364,650,000,000.00 ]
--[X] Focus Development on Core World Okusawa [85]
--[X] Focus Development on Peripheral World Iskra [85]
--[X] Massive Core Investment Chuma [80]
--[X] Massive Peripheral Investment Nyu Shikoku [80]
--[X] Economic Investment Catachan [90]
--[X] Construct Infrastructure and Industrial zones on Nuova Puglia [90]
--[X] Construct Infrastructure and Industrial zones on Bohren [90]
--[X] Construct Infrastructure and Industrial zones on Landprettig [90]
--[X] Construct Infrastructure and Industrial zones on Nouvelle Bourgogne [90]
--[X] Construct Infrastructure and Industrial zones on Arvum [90]
(We need the money from doing this)

--[X] Expand Civil Service [80]
(Extra actions aren't our main issue now, but they're still important)
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nuovo Abruzzo [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Stenen Tuin [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard New Libertalia [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Neuthuringen [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Porto Milano [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nuova Triploi [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Awha [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Catachan [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Feurstem [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nowe Mazowsze [90]

--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nouvelle Bourgogne [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Platzregensburg [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Neubayern [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nyū Shikoku [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Landprettig [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Neuhessen [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nuova Lombardia [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nuova Puglia [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard New Algiers [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard New Clew Bay [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Bellaterra [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Bohren [90]

--[X] Construct Escort Yard Iskra [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nubifragio [90]
--[X] Construct Escort Yard Nox [90]
(Baby warships for garrison and escort duties)
--[X] Build ASF Factory Complex (95)
---[X] Awha [95]
---[X] Bari [95]
---[X] Bellaterra [95]
---[X] Glorreich [95]
---[X] Landprettig [95]
(We need to be able to build ASFs for our carriers)
--[X] Upgrade Refit & Repair Yard [105]
--[X] Expand Orbital Shipyards [105]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard Calliope* [90]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard Nowa Warzsawa* [90]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard Griffon* [90]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard New Pollux* [90]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard New Capricorn [->1]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard Edelsteine [->1]

--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard Nya Kopenhamn [->1]
--[X] Construct Large Warship Yard Kainga [->1]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard New Phoenix [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Okusawa [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard New Port Royal [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Nowy Wroclaw [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard New Castor [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Pieklo [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Bari [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Nowy Slask [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Chuma [90]
--[X] Construct Small Warship Yard Glorreich [90]
(Actual warships do matter)

-[X] DoME [$ 632,000,000,000.00 ]
--[X] Expand Shin Tōkyō Arcologies [->1]
--[X] Terraforming Grand View [->3]
--[X] Terraforming Feurstem [->3]
--[X] Terraforming Pinball [->3]
--[X] Terraforming Shin Tokyo [->3]
--[X] Terraforming Pustina [->3]
(Not quick turnaround, but does help us get more money)
--[X] Construct Major Fleet Base - New Libertalia* [->1]
--[X] Terraforming Nubifragio* [85]
--[X] Terraforming Arvum* [85]
--[X] Terraforming Pustina* [->1]
--[X] Terraforming Steingarten* [->1]
--[X] Nouveau Paris Cleanup* [->2]

--[X] Planetary Optimization (Peripheral) - Steingarten* [85]

-[X] Research [$ 3,850,350,000,000.00 ]
--[X] Specialist Battle Armor* [75]
--[X] Variant Autocannon Ammunition* [85]
--[X] Improved Pilot Exosuits Level 1* [->1]
--[X] Advanced Terraforming Techniques Lvl 2* [80]
--[X] Advanced Communications (Advanced) Tier 7 [90]
--[X] Advanced Electronics (Advanced) Tier 7 [90]
--[X] High Energy Physics (Advanced) Tier 7 [90]
(Above average research costs - helps deflate the leftover bubble - and fast enough to not block compact core next turn if viable)
--[X] Improved Germanium Refining Lvl 4* [95]
--[X] Commercial R&D [-]
--[X] Industrial R&D [-]

-[X] Miscellaneous [$ 134,700,000,000 ]
--[X] Production Contract [->1][134,700,000,000]

Sadly, compact core is just barely, technically affordable this turn, but would do so by immediately removing all of our savings and essentially take up all of our new income on its own. I'm hopeful next turn will leave it viable, and expect the turn after that will probably be enough. So instead, I stuck quick research in. Little over 4.4t leftover, a bit less than last turn, hopefully contributing to less confusing longer-term planning.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

@Jarow

Holding off that big research makes sense and lets us move forward in a concerted effort, and we do need all those heavy warship yards.
[X] Research delays

@LordSunhawk is it possible for us to upgrade Small Warship Yards to Large ones? If so, are we able to produce all the smaller warships out of them as well if we wish to?

 

[Rukatin]

All hail the Jarow plan!

[X] Plan: Research delays

 

[LordSunhawk]

@Jarow

Holding off that big research makes sense and lets us move forward in a concerted effort, and we do need all those heavy warship yards.
[X] Research delays

@LordSunhawk is it possible for us to upgrade Small Warship Yards to Large ones? If so, are we able to produce all the smaller warships out of them as well if we wish to?

For game balance reasons, no. Large Yards are committed to Large ships (otherwise the record keeping becomes far more difficult)

 

[Havalt300]

[X] Plan: Research delays

 

[Yacovo]

[X] Plan: Research delays

 

[Winter_Wind45]

[X] Plan: Research delays

 

[Thors_Alumni]

[X] Agostina San Severino
[X] Plan: Research delays