Battletech Welcome to the Jungle

paulobrito

Well-known member
C* is more interested in destroying it. Ricol, if get it, is to advance his position in the Black Dragon Society But Ricol doesn't have the resources to extract more than a battalion or two of mechs. And the DataCore, evidently.
 

Dreth

Member
I'd also like to point out that Julia plans to set up a non 'Company Town' society alongside him. For example, she's going to set up a college (CITE -- Catachan Institute of Technology & Education), although for a fair while it will be more of a 'community college' versus Harvard to help educate her subjects.

Would this incorporate the earlier idea of certifications (optical welder, capacitor inspection, etc)? I could see just having a LosTec Industry programs that would be valuable both to CAC or just in general.

C* is more interested in destroying it.
Could be butterflied in this case. If the FC looks like it would be happening C* might want it released to its (FC's) competitors to even the playing field. The LC could be much scarier by the time Helm came around OTL, and could make C* go with some decisions out of necessity they would otherwise not like.
 

Speaker4thesilent

Crazed Deplorable
From the descriptions so far, it sounds like Catachan has several facilities at different locations.
Correct. There are multiple cities like the Holdfast, but only the Holdfast has been reoccupied.
I'm just wondering is how the next chapter is coming along?
Was very slow for a while, but it’s starting to come along now. That whole mess with SB was intensely demotivational, and I needed a break to get my headspace and timing back.
Of course it might also be an original Rim Worlds Republic construction.
This.
Do they? Weber explained that the production of XL engines is finnicky and they are largely focusing on production of engines for Phoenix mechs, so for all we know they only produced enough 240s for Centurion upgrades, plus few spares.
The 240 XLFEs used to uptech Centurions have, to this point, come out of the existing stockpile. It is not currently in production.
Mind you getting the 240 XL line up and running at the maximum output possible is probably the top priority for the CAC after the Sarrisa line is done since the LCAF(especially Katrina and Nondi)really desires as many Centurion refit kits as possible
There’s a whole section about industrial planning that’s already written. It will be in either this chapter or the next one, barring scene bloating.
Did the smooth brains on SB kill this story?
They gave it the old college try, but no. Though they did exactly what I was worried about and found a way to infract me on the SB thread despite the way I bent over backward to make it clear that I wasn’t flinging shit at the staff. And despite the way they shit all over me.
One of the other things to point out is that the Halstead collection at NAIS was multidisciplinary, while the Catachan core was manufacturing only. Granted that's very useful, but it has no medical data, as an example. And even then it was data relevant to what Amaris was doing on that specific world, so for example it would not have the details for putting XL engines in hovercraft, or how to calibrate a gauss rifle in a Lee-class dropship. While not super extensive, (3000 books isn't really all that much) the Halstead library's probably broader base of first principles is more useful in the long run.
Leading back to what Yellowhammer said: most of what Catachan will be doing is practical ‘build up a workforce’ stuff, but if a graduate has clear skills or talents a degree from CITE would be a stepping stone to Tharkad U or another, more traditional college.

There’s also the apprentice system, which they’re already using to fill in gaps.
 

Brian-88

Well-known member
Correct. There are multiple cities like the Holdfast, but only the Holdfast has been reoccupied.
How large are they compared to the holdfast? This makes me very curious as to just how much military industry is actually on Catachan and if there were entire Battlemech lines present, just split up all over the different holds to keep the slave labor from getting their hands on finished mechs.

Have they explored the other sites beyond the tungsten mine yet? IIRC that's really the only one mentioned.
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
Was very slow for a while, but it’s starting to come along now. That whole mess with SB was intensely demotivational, and I needed a break to get my headspace and timing back.

...

They gave it the old college try, but no. Though they did exactly what I was worried about and found a way to infract me on the SB thread despite the way I bent over backward to make it clear that I wasn’t flinging shit at the staff. And despite the way they shit all over me.
Huh, didn't know the drama got to that level. I'm glad you're still writing after that.
 

Speaker4thesilent

Crazed Deplorable
How large are they compared to the holdfast? This makes me very curious as to just how much military industry is actually on Catachan and if there were entire Battlemech lines present, just split up all over the different holds to keep the slave labor from getting their hands on finished mechs.

Have they explored the other sites beyond the tungsten mine yet? IIRC that's really the only one mentioned.
There has been little mention of them. The big Germanium lode is down in Bad Places, but it’s the only one that’s gotten any mention. Others were clearly smaller and certainly appear from altitude to be mostly areas that were particularly good for mining. As CAC expands and begins to vacuum up more raw materials, expect them to get more mention.
 

Lancelot

Well-known member
There has been little mention of them. The big Germanium lode is down in Bad Places, but it’s the only one that’s gotten any mention. Others were clearly smaller and certainly appear from altitude to be mostly areas that were particularly good for mining. As CAC expands and begins to vacuum up more raw materials, expect them to get more mention.

So no other ASF, Mech, or tank factories, just resource mines and mining towns around them?
 

Satorious

Active member
So no other ASF, Mech, or tank factories, just resource mines and mining towns around them?
Even if there are Weber has enough problems gumming down the holdfast itself. That said as postulated above putting the assembly lines on the other side of the deathworld from the slave labor make sense. However if I had to guess the major factories are in the Holdfast but the other cities might have some lines but not to the extent of the the Holdfast or the RWR put a RnD lab in one or more of the other cities. Another possiblity is one of the other cities have some civil manufactory so the RWR did not have to jump in all office supplies or new computers and the like. Remember this was a black sight the less traffic to it the less likely it is to be found.
 

Satorious

Active member
There’s certainly no evidence of anything militarily significant. Some limited civilian production seems probable, though.
How much has Weber really explored them though? If I am reading his situation right he has enough problems getting the Holdfast and his production stations up and running. Catachan being Catachan I would bet the effort of getting a full list of what he has is a non trivial task. That said what sort of civilian production? there are civilian things that could be real money makers like the Noteputers they found. Questions for another day in any event Weber has his hands full with the holdfast for the foreseeable future, just getting the factories he has up and running again is streching him to near breaking.
 

Knowledgeispower

Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
There’s certainly no evidence of anything militarily significant. Some limited civilian production seems probable, though.
if nothing else I don't think assembling completed combat units was something the RWR did on Catachan. Important Parts for them sure but having your slave labor assemble the things is just asking for a rebellion to be highly successful. Given what almost happened in terms of the Rebellion working....yeah imagine if Catachan had a ASF plant.
 

Detlef

Member
There’s certainly no evidence of anything militarily significant. Some limited civilian production seems probable, though.

That makes sense. After all each "outpost" needs to be protected from the domestic "wildlife". Keeping them small would reduce the amount of protection needed. Say, the mine itself, a smelter to refine the ore so that less material needs to be transported to the holdfast factories plus quarters for the workers and guards. Oh, and of course a small dropship port for transportation. Roads and railways outside the base fortifications after all would be ... useless.

The question is did Amaris rely only on the prisoners (and handheld tools) for mining?
Or did he use some mining and industrial Mechs to raise production levels?
For transport conveyor belts and low tech ICE trucks could be used. But some mining Mechs to raise production of ores and some industrial Mechs to load a dropship might make sense.
(After all they did use some industrial Mechs for felling trees. Maple Argent? So use of them is not totally impossible. And trying to escape in them - if they are piloted by prisoners at all - seems to be ill advised given the wildlife.)

If so then some small / midsize workshops for repairs and production of spare parts and consumables might exist. After all mining accidents happen. Consumable material will have to be replaced. Perhaps at a higher rate on a high gravity world? And if they had to wait weeks or months to import a specific spare part by jumpship mining production might take a hit. Not something Amaris would like. And since dictators dislike hearing bad news and tend to punish their own followers too, not just the prisoners ....
Said subordinates might have wanted "insurance" against such "displeasure" after the first or second temper tantrum? :)
I mean it´s almost impossible to store every needed spare part in case of freak accidents. Much easier to establish small / midsized workshops with "flexible" tool equipment to produce / repair said spare parts fast.

That would mean that once they have the resources and manpower to really look at the outposts they might be able to produce spare parts for mining and industrial Mechs still existing in the inner sphere? Perhaps even reverse engineer a model?
The workshops after all might have the blueprints?

Other than that I have to admit I can´t think of any (limited) civilian production that might be located in one of the smaller mining towns? I mean just think of the tungsten mine. Anything else except tungsten needed for civilian production would have to be transported there. While you have the holdfast which already got supplied by all the mines of the planet. Wouldn´t it be easier to produce at the holdfast? Satorious mentioned noteputers? The holdfast is already producing electronics and Star League era Neurohelmets for the Mechs so why "outsource" noteputers to a mining outpost?

The only reason you would want to produce something at a mining outpost - except specialized spare parts for the equipment there perhaps - would be higher secrecy and perhaps better control of distribution?
Not impossible but right now I can´t think of anything? What civilian production would deserve that extra effort?
 

PeaceMaker 03

Well-known member
Speaker thanks for continuing the story, do not let the SB commissars ruin your groove. I think it was complete BS that people come on your page and SKREE-EECH, about your “ wrong think” because they do not like your science fiction story based on neo-feudalism, even though BT is about neo-feudalism.


?

The only reason you would want to produce something at a mining outpost - except specialized spare parts for the equipment there perhaps - would be higher secrecy and perhaps better control of distribution?
Not impossible but right now I can´t think of anything? What civilian production would deserve that extra effort?

My first thought was an R&D black site, specifically that 95-ton ASF that had the data scrubbed.

The data on the space station might have been the collection point for data, might be the actual R&D location on the ground?
 

Speaker4thesilent

Crazed Deplorable
Other than that I have to admit I can´t think of any (limited) civilian production that might be located in one of the smaller mining towns?
Ah, but you’re thinking in terms of a free society. Remember that Catachan was a prison planet run under the auspices of the same guy that made Stalin and Hitler both look like unambitious underachievers in the fields of oppression and mass murder.
 

Detlef

Member
My first thought was an R&D black site, specifically that 95-ton ASF that had the data scrubbed.

The data on the space station might have been the collection point for data, might be the actual R&D location on the ground?

But a 95 ton ASF would hardly count as civilian production or research?

One bit of civilian tech that is worth it and requires Germanium to make to boot are HPGs

Now that would be a possibility. Either research or production. I don´t know if Amaris could actually produce HPGs?
Quite a few of the political prisoners seem to have been highly educated and trained.
It´s quite possible that a few scientists / university professors with the right expertise were also among the prisoners. And that Amaris used their families as leverage to "encourage" them.

Ah, but you’re thinking in terms of a free society. Remember that Catachan was a prison planet run under the auspices of the same guy that made Stalin and Hitler both look like unambitious underachievers in the fields of oppression and mass murder.

Uh oh.
We know about forced labour / slave labour for political prisoners. Decimation as punishment was also mentioned.
Now (unhappily) thinking about Hitler and concentration camps.
Extermination camps, slave labour aaand (again unhappily) Mengele.
Medical experiments?
 

Speaker4thesilent

Crazed Deplorable
But a 95 ton ASF would hardly count as civilian production or research?
I think he focused more on the word ‘appears’ in my statement. Theoretically, hiding a research center from aerial observation isn’t too hard.

Medical experiments?
Nah, but keeping manufacture of critical goods isolated is a means of control in and of itself.
 
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Brian-88

Well-known member
I think he focused more on the work ‘appears’ in my statement. Theoretically, hiding a research center from aerial observation isn’t too hard.


Nah, but keeping manufacture of critical goods isolated is a means of control in and of itself.
Feel free to just say you don't want to answer, but I'm making an assumption here. Amaris would need most if not all of the manufacturing processes for the materiel stored on Catachan to be kept relatively close, say within four to five jumps max, preferably one or two just for ease of logistics, especially since this seems to be a pre-coup site and he would want SLIC to fuck off before he killed the Camerons and took over.

Would the rest of the Catachan manufacturing "cell" be close enough for Weber to move final assembly to the hold if he could locate it? One or two jumps out wouldn't be too awful to check out when their jumpers have spare time (hah!).
 

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