Quest Deep Periphery Quest (Battletech Sandbox Empire Builder)

Turn 33 - When People Run In Circles

LordSunhawk

Das BOOT (literally)
Owner
Administrator
Staff Member
Founder
Turn 33 - When People Run In Circles

You rather like it when Parliament actually pulls their weight for a change rather than simply being a pain in your backside. It’s a refreshing change.

The passage and implementation of the new plan has immediate effects, resulting in a surge of economic activity throughout the system. Civilian dropships are hard put to keep up with the surging demand for raw materials from the asteroid belt and it appears that the efforts to boost the economy have fully paid off already, with even better things projected ahead.

The Luxury Airship company that you are a part owner of has put up a proposal to the board of directors, which you sit on, to invest in luxury dropships to begin passenger and tourist service throughout the system. The proposed designs are every bit as opulent as the airships while containing every single safety system that the engineers have been able to devise to make them as safe as possible.

The initial design is for a large Aerodyne based on the files available for the Monarch class vessel. Future plans include building the massive Princess-class ultra luxury dropships. You’ll be able to afford your share of this expansion quite easily just from dividends, but approving this proposal will prevent such dividends until the dropship service begins, at which point they will be twice as valuable.

[] Yes
[] No

Jeremy is a busy little eager beaver, and shows up at your office accompanied by a number of representatives from several Industrialmech concerns with a proposal for you.

You don’t yet have a Shortbow factory, and until the Light Fire Company concept is proved out you may not need one. Jeremy has gotten a number of manufacturers experienced with lesser designs to hand-build a single unit’s worth of the middle-weight fire support mech at a premium. This wouldn’t at all be sustainable, but the primary rights holder has agreed to the proposal as they feel it is their best chance at earning long term profits from series production.

[]AgreeCost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company
[]Disagree

The twins are doing absolutely wonderfully this year, the new aero package rules seem to be working out very much in their favor, especially on the more challenging long tracks. Quan and James have been swapping the 1st and 2nd slot all season now, as they never finish worse than 8th and have 5 wins between them.

There’s a new driver this year who is making one hell of a splash. Nobody knows the guy's name, nobody has seen his face, as he never takes his helmet off in public. He hasn’t won a race, he’s always up there in contention. Sergeant-Major Ngo assures you that he’s been vetted, so somebody does know, but nobody who does is spoiling the mystery.

Some say he is working with a motoring show featuring three old guys who faff about in fast cars and make utter asses of themselves on camera, and that he knows four facts about Grifftigers, all of which are wrong. All we know is, he’s called HoverStig.

Thanh is on leave for her honeymoon, taking an around the world flying cruise on a luxury airship. From the calls and emails you’ve gotten from her she is having a grand time with her wife.

Sarah is going to be presenting a paper at a Historical Research Symposium on ‘Parallels and Divergences Between the Holy Roman Empire and the Star League’. You tried to read it, you really did, but after the fifth page of footnotes you gave up. Your academic days are long behind you, but Sarah seems to enjoy this immensely.

Then it’s that time of year again, budget time.

Say it with me now…. YAY! BUDGET TIME!

Could you at least fake some enthusiasm?

General Jackson kicks things off. “Your Majesty, as the recent events with the Bratva show, you can never have too much scouting capacity. The SH-1B proved itself very useful, along with the jump infantry. However the main drawback of the SH-1B/Jump Infantry combination is that in situations where the infantry is contraindicated, the SH-1B alone is a fairly weak scouting platform. We have plans for an ultra-fast VTOL scout platform that is completely independent of any infantry attachments. Moreover, this unit doesn’t require any strategic materials. The manufacturer is willing to provide us with a battalion set of the AH-2 at a discount in a similar arrangement as we got the Jaguar MBTs. The total cost would be 7200, as opposed to 8316 if we procured them normally, but we would agree to procure a second battalion set for the Rapid Reaction Force.”

[]NameCostHPA/DSpecial
[]AH-2924369Swift, VTOL, Scout, TAG
[]No

“In addition, we strongly recommend the procurement of at least a single lance of the Ambush II mech to fill out the Light Fire Company demonstration unit. Further procurement of Trooper, Pathfinder and Ambush II mechs is also recommended to start filling out the mech force for 2nd Brigade. The 1st Aerie Cadre is requesting Cadet mechs to start beefing up their training equipment.”

She starts to step back then pauses “Oh, before I forget, now that there is sufficient production capacity on Nowy Gdansk, it might be a good show of support to produce the start of an urban defense battalion of Verdun UDVs there. We could produce the entire battalion set, or we could spread it out. Also, we might want to consider training several battalions or even a full regiment of Space Marines, now that we have orbital habitats under construction in the Asteroid Belt.”

General Reyes takes the podium then. “We have concluded the contest for the upgrade to the Goshawk. None of the proposals require any strategic materials to produce, allowing the platform to continue to be a viable filler ASF for defensive deployments. One of the designs that stuck out to the committee was the so-called Gausshawk, equipped with a gauss rifle instead of the Class 20 autocannon. While it loses the can opener of the autocannon, the increased overall effectiveness in simulations was noticeable as over time it had a higher damage output ratio.”

[]NameCostUpgrade CostHPFuelA/DSpecials
[]Goshawk 2L1688.48506.8965.514Swift, Armored, Armor-Piercing
[]Gausshawk 2G1601.67031.2108617Swift, Armored, AMS 1
[]Goshawk X21751.69581.296514Swift, Armored, Armor-Piercing, AMS 1
[]Support Hawk1832.410954.8100615Swift, Armored, Armor Piercing, AMS 3
[]Warhawk II172290781005.515Swift, Armored, Armor-Piercing

“The only platforms we recommend producing this year are Gyrfalcons to beef up our general interception force and Goshawks of whatever variant is successful in this procurement run to defend the stations in the Asteroid Belt.”

Admiral Benjamin then takes over. “Your Majesty, the next Defiant is well under construction. That being said, we’d like to propose taking advantage of the larger Aerodyne frames available to produce a proper assault ASF carrier. We would like your permission to open up a design contest to industry for this purpose.”

[] Approve
{] Disapprove

General Potter then takes the podium “Your Majesty, it goes without saying that I approve of the recommendations of my subordinates. I would like to especially stress the potential advantages to producing the Verduns on Nowy Gdansk both in terms of the defense of the planet but also in welding the inhabitants closer to the throne.”

Bridget is back to her normal perky Bridget-ness. “Your Majesty! Great news! We may have a lot on our plate right now, with all the surveys and construction that we’ve got going, but we’ve also got lots of great ideas for what we can do next. For starters, more resource surveys would never be a bad idea, and they’re relatively cheap thanks to our buddy Sarah. Finally we have all these imperial resources laying around, we can spend them on really turbocharging development on one of the planets in the system! For example, boosting up Nowy Gdansk would get them another step closer to being able to support full up battlemech and ASF factories, while doing the same on Griffin’s Roost proper would really boost our income next year thanks to all the sweet sweet economic growth!”

Isoroku has vacation, as he just recently got married and is on his honeymoon. He left a memo though, recommending another music festival, along with a note ‘and get us a proper Imperial anthem sometime soon, will you.’.

Jake is ebullient as ever. “Your Majesty, there’s no need to keep on schmoozing with the schmucks in Parliament, but I will if you really want me to. Instead, let’s work on expanding DoME so we can support more than one project at a time and, to keep Isoroku from committing sudoku on us, let’s go ahead and get us an anthem. A proper one this time.”

Mary shows up with her regular array of presentations. “I again won’t waste your time with things we’ve already gone over, Your Majesty. But we have a few new things.”
  • Streak SRM (All)
    • The Star League never bothered with expanding Streak to more than 2 packs, there’s no fundamental reason it won’t work
  • CASE (Cellular Armor Storage Equipment)
    • When ammunition and fire meet, bad things happen. This stops that.
She quirks her lips as she reads the slides, then comments “And I see I’ll need to supervise my interns a little more closely, my apologies, Your Majesty.” then calls up her recommendations.
  • Military
    • Heavy Battlemechs
      • Continuing to strengthen our Mech forces will be exceptionally useful for when we start liberating our neighbors from Drac tyranny, heavier designs are more efficient in terms of capability per mech bay.
    • Laser Anti-Missile System
      • Simplifies logistics by eliminating the need to stock AMS ammunition, in addition the targeting protocols for this system can be used in exo-atmospheric situations to permit any light weapon to act as an anti-missile system.
  • Non-Military
    • Thermal Dissipation (Advanced) Tier 1
      • We need to get started on this sometime as we predict a long row to hoe before we see significant results
    • Structural Materials (Advanced) Tier 1
      • For the same reason as above
    • Spheroid Dropships (Medium)
      • There’s no reason that military research should be confined to the Aerie
      • Larger dropships are more efficient as transports, both civil and military
Harry is taking time off, but he also left a memo for you recommending consideration of a true ‘Black Site’ in orbit to hold high value prisoners.

Janet is a bit giddy, she’s got more grandbabies of her own after all, but she’s also professional as always. “I’d like to see some commendations for the Special Branch and Royal Grifftiger Mounted Police for how well they handled the Bratva situation. We’re continuing the investigations, not simply into the Bratva themselves, but also what you might say is the ‘bratva-adjacent’ groups and individuals.”
 

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
[X] Yes

[X] Agree. Cost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company.


Sarah is going to be presenting a paper at a Historical Research Symposium on ‘Parallels and Divergences Between the Holy Roman Empire and the Star League’. You tried to read it, you really did, but after the fifth page of footnotes you gave up. Your academic days are long behind you, but Sarah seems to enjoy this immensely.

In other words, Sarah learned from Sarah how to comprehensively go on and on and on and on with technical detail after detail after detail. . .

. . . ow, stop hitting me!

Could you at least fake some enthusiasm?

<Department of Periphery Studies Men's Choir> NEG, NEG, NEGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

[X] AH-2

[X] Gausshawk

The Gausshawk is the hardest-hitting, toughest, tied for longest endurance, AND cheapest option, all at once. On the other hand, the manufacturer is stubbornly sticking to the terrible pun in the name. You strongly, strongly suspect that this is somehow Willis' fault.

[X] Approve

(OOC evil cackling at getting to show off the first of a set of designs I've spent weeks tweaking.)
 

Thors_Alumni

Well-known member
[X] Yes
[X] Agree. Cost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company.
[X] AH-2
[X] Gausshawk
[X] Approve
 

Lightwhispers

Well-known member
[X] Yes
[X] Agree. Cost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company.
[X] AH-2
[X] Gausshawk
[X] Approve

Now that we have combat droppers being built, and more/better Rocs, I think we can afford for them to not be armor-piercing.
 

kashim3

Texan, Mandalorian, Alabamian.
[X] Yes
[X] Agree. Cost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company.
[X] AH-2
[X] Gausshawk
[X] Approve
[X] Plan: Lostech Boom Town
 
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ShadowArxxy - TOTALLY NON CANON OMAKE - All Hail The God Empress Of Griffin!

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
Omake: The Wurst Is Over, Time To Party!

As the anti-Bratva campaign came to a victorious end, it became increasingly obvious that Jane was up to something. More precisely, Jane was always up to something, but those who knew her well could generally tell when she was extra specially up to something. The special operative was honestly pretty terrible at hiding that she was up to something, but she was tremendously skilled at concealing the exact nature of her intended shenanigans.

The reveal came one bright sunny morning, when the morning quiet of Griffsport was broken by the entire Special Branch marching down the central boulevard in a surprise parade, clad in stolen borrowed Winged Hussar ultralight mechs that had been elaborately decorated as Sisters of Battle cosplay. Behind the came every single military unit stationed in Griffsport, with their armored combat vehicles just as elaborately decorated as their approximate counterparts from the 40K universe, most notably shiny new Jaguars dressed up as surprisingly convincing Baneblades.

And for the grand finale of the parade came the brand-new Light Fire Company (who were supposed to be nowhere near Griffsport!), with their mechs elaborately rigged as miniature Titans and bearing enormous pennants declaring, "ALL HAIL THE HOLY GOD-EMPRESS OF GRIFFIN!"

You are definitely going to strangle Jane. And Jeremy. And General Potter, whose cheerful smirk says he was totally in on this.
 
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Chaeronea

Well-known member
[X] Yes
[X] Agree. Cost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company.
[X] AH-2
[X] Gausshawk
[X] Approve
 

Jarow

Well-known member
[X] Yes

No bonus for a little bit, but bonus becomes more relevant afterwards. Long term worth it.

[X] Agree. Cost 3000, gain 1 lance of Shortbow FS Mechs for the Light Fire Company.

We'll be building the factory in my plan, but having the tests done before using it could allow switching the factory if it doesn't work out.

[X] AH-2

Not overly expensive, and we can go ahead and get the extra battalion this turn.

[X] Gausshawk

Armor piercing is ridiculously good, but this is enough better than the other options to be worth giving it up.

[X] Approve

We've been wanting this for so long, glad we're finally getting to do it.

[X] Plan: Lostech Boom Town
-[X] Military [$159,245.51]
--[X] Establish Advanced Concept Development Bureau [->1]
(Helps make Lostech research a lot easier)
--[X] Lay Down Major Unit
---[X] Haskell "Haskell" [75]
--[X] Purchase New Units
---[X] 1 Flight of Goshawks [70]
(For new Asteroid Belt station)
---[X] 1 Flight of Gyrfalcons [70]
---[X] 1 Lance of Trooper Battlemechs [70]
(Unfinished unit)
---[X] 1 Lance of Ambush Battlemechs [70]
(Needed for Fire company)
---[X] 1 Lance of Pathfinder Battlemechs [70]
(Unfinished unit)
---[X] 2 Lances Cadet Battlemechs [70]
(Aerie request)
---[X] 5 Platoons Jaguar MBT [70]
(Finishes that contract on time)
---[X] 27 Platoons Space Marines [70]
(Basic garrison for our second most profitable colony)
---[X] 9 Platoons Verdun UDV [70]
(Always better for relations)
---[X] 9 Platoons AH-2 [70]
(Go ahead and get this built so we don't forget)

-[X]Interior [$113750]
--[X] Conduct Environmental Survey of Nowy Gdansk* [->1]
--[X] Focus Development on Griffin's Roost. [65]
(Lots of GDP growth)
--[X] Build factories for Shortbow [105]
(Will be needed for fire companies)
--[X] Build factories for Falcon II [105]
(We just lost some of our Falcons, we'll need new ones to replace)
--[X] Build Space Station Asteroid 3 [80]
(Continue progress towards securing out Asteroid belt colony)
--[X] Expand Orbital Factory 2 (Endosteel) [85]
(We'll need a bit more endosteel for our current set of mechs)
--[X] DOME - Nowy Gdansk Arcology* [->6]

-[X] Diplomatic [$20000]
--[X] Pre-colonization Survey of Griffin IV* [->2]
--[X] CULTURE - Benefit Concert [75]
(Tax rate, approval meta-stat being affected by Bratva issue)

-[X] Political [$30000]
--[X] Build Relations with Chamber of Delegates [60]
(We're still to quite at good relations yet, if up to generally positive)
--[X] Strengthen political ties to Nowy Gdansk [75]
(Closer to integration done)
--[X] Conduct Referendum on Imperial Anthem [95]
(Final remaining referendum)

-[X] Research [$520000]
--[X] Genetic Editing* [->2]
--[X] Survey And Recover All Artifacts From Ruins* [->3] (->1 with "Clear and Secure Ruins")
--[X] Electronics lvl 4 [75]
--[X] Power Generation lvl 4 [80]
--[X] Improved Communications Lvl 4 [80]
(Upgrades TL)
--[X] Advanced Ultra Autocannons* [auto]
--[X] Light Quad Mechs [95]
(Cost saving, Grifftiger power armor, can be good for light scout mechs)
--[X] Spheroid Dropships (medium) [85]
(More potential dropship sizes)

-[X] Intelligence [$0]
--[X] Counterintelligence Surveillance [?]

-[X] Justice [$300000]
--[X] Intensive Investigation of Bratva* [->3]
--[X] Clear and Secure Ruins [75]
(Finishes Ruins as soon as possible. Doing this any turn after this one is nearly pointless)


Less money left over than I'd prefer (~$160k, so about half last turn), but developing Griffin's roost massively helps our budget, so we should be in decent shape next turn.
 

Chaeronea

Well-known member
[X] Plan Uptech not Upchuck

Starting Funds: $1 333 898 [ $1 583 898 - 250 000 (K-F research station) ]
Expenditure: $1 032 967
Remaining Funds: $300 931

Military $144 763
-[X] Lay Down Haskell DropShip <HMS Haskell>
-[X]Purchase New Units - 9 units Verdun UDVs + 2 units Goshawks + 9 units Space Marine infantry + 2 units Cadet Mechs +2 units Ambush II Mechs + 1 unit Pathfinder Mechs + 2 units Trooper Mechs = $15 971
-[X] Establish Advanced Concept Development Bureau
-[X] [Colonisation] Pre-Colonisations Survey of Griffin IV (ongoing)

Interior $62 500
-[X]DOME - Nowy Gdansk Arcology (ongoing)
-[X]Conduct Environmental Survey of Nowy Gdansk (ongoing)
-[X]Build Factory for Shortbow
-[X]Build Space Station <14> <Inner Asteroid Belt>
-[X]Expand Factory 6 <Pathfinder> to <lvl 2>
-[X] Expand Orbital Factory <2> <Lvl 2>

Diplomacy $25 100
-[X]Increased funding for the arts (ongoing)
-[X] [Colonisation] Tax Rebates for Investment on Nowy Gdansk
-[X] [Colonisation] Infrastructure Development on Nowy Gdansk
-[X] CULTURE - Benefits Concert

Political $30 000
-[X]Conduct Referendum on Imperial Anthem
-[X]Build relations with Chamber of Delegates
-[X]Strengthen Political Ties to Nowy Gdansk

Research $484 000
-[X]Survey and Recover All Artifacts from Ruins (ongoing)
-[X]Genetic Editing (ongoing)
-[X]Improved Comms lvl 4
-[X]Power Generation lvl 4
-[X]Guardian ECM

-[X]Advanced Ultra Autocannons (ongoing)
-[X]Laser Anti-Missile System
-[X]Streak SRM (All)

Intelligence $251 000
-[X] Counterintelligence Surveillance
-[X]Construct secure 'Black Site'

Justice $50 000
-[X]Intensive Investigation of Bratva (ongoing)

Even with the amount of funds we're drawing in there is still a limit on what we can afford, especially with $500 000 committed straight off the bat for the K-F research facility we're building and Surveying and Recovering Artifacts from the ruins. I really wanted the Black Site as a security measure because of our war with the Bratva, but everything else is relatively cheap.
 

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