This year, Jeanne begins your weekly morning briefings on the state of your organization with breakfast in bed delivered by one of your attendants and while wearing a robe cut to end at the thigh. You have to admit that it's an intensely unethical abuse of power to utilize your relationship with your subordinate to have weekly romantic liaisons and then enjoy her private company the next morning. Still, as much as you have always tried to maintain a sense of professionalism and decorum...
...you are also a Prince of Britannia, an empire self-declared in its decadence only to the Romans themselves.
How long before our inner circle meeting will turn into slumber parties?
[X] Plan Deescalation
-[X] Kallen's Squadron: Now that Sutherlands have been out for a year or two and the immediate demands of the army have been met, you'll be able to secure a few more units for Kallen to build a personal squadron. It will be a small unit, but composed of elite pilots under her tutelage and command as both your personal problem-solvers and guards on the field of battle. Cost: 300; Upkeep: 100; DC: 60; Rewards: Increase personal survival on the battlefield, Elite problem-solving unit.
-[X] On the Prowl: While you don't specifically have actionable intelligence, you have been informed by Prime Minister Weber that the New Heaven pirate faction is planning a large-scale raid sometime soon. It might be a little expensive, but you can order your fleet at full readiness during regular intervals. Cost: 600; Upkeep: 0; DC: 40; Rewards: Increased readiness in the event of a large pirate attack, chance of Greta's SL Progressing.
-[X] Area Eight: The Viceroy of the South Pacific, the Marquis Hugo von Eastbrook, has indicated a desire to meet with you at your leisure. Everything you know about the matter suggests a lack of urgency, but perhaps it is best to see what the man wants to talk about? Besides New Zealand is a very popular tourist destination, you're sure it will be a beautiful. Cost: 100; Upkeep: 0; DC: 40; Rewards: Information regarding ???.
-[X] Area Nine: The Viceroy of the West Pacific, the Countess Emilia Carbez, has indicated a desire to meet with you at your leisure. Everything you know about the matter suggests a lack of urgency, but perhaps it is best to see what the man wants to talk about? Besides New Zealand is a very popular tourist destination, you're sure it will be a beautiful. Cost: 100; Upkeep: 0; DC: 40; Rewards: Information regarding ???.
-[X] Domestic Supplies: It has come to your attention that your base imports all of your supplies, in particular food. While New Caledonia isn't exactly awash with fertile farmland and your stores will hold out should a shipment or two be delayed, an introduction of modern vertical farming and the sponsoring of a small fishing industry would be a welcome supplement. Cost: 300; Upkeep: 100; Time: 2 Years; DC: 30/60; Rewards: Domestic food supply, Possibility for Income Gain, start economic activity among the civilian population.
-[X] Enlarge Docks: Completes this year.
Current Annual Income: 4850 Britannian Royal Notes
Current Annual Upkeep: 3600 BRN
Current Banked Income: 4560 BRN (Turn 8 Phase III End)
Cost of plan: 1400 BRN
Upkeep increase: 200 BRN
State at end of turn 9 Phase 1 (not taking into account increases of income from the port, bounties, etc.):
Future Annual Income: 4850 Britannian Royal Notes
Future Annual Upkeep: 3800 BRN
Future Banked Income: 3160 BRN (Turn 9 Phase I End)
My plan is based on trying to limit our future problems instead of grabbing more power now. We don't want to be surrounded by enemies on all sides.
On the military front I am worried about the stolen Chinese Knightmares being used against the conference in a terrorist attack. An elite guard unit is easier to swallow than a normal army unit as security. Especially if Kallen is known as our lover. I want to hunt down New Haven fleet because attacking the conference or Indonesia would be a perfect way to destabilize the region and they have already been shown to be for hire by the anti psionic Organization.
On the diplomacy front I am going for deescalation. We can either go for the new shiny options or try to head of the incoming train wreck that is our local political situation. Honestly insulting Both area governors at the same time leaves stupid and goes into idiotic territory. I am for grabbing the new options next turn. Especially if Domestic Supplies works this turn and we can support an influx of new residents. As for KMF engineers. While the Gawain is shiny and getting it back into action as fast as possible would be nice we have a glut of Learning options and if we don't take it this turn I think we will survive.
In Stewardship I would really, really, really like to do Resource Scouting. Or even Watchtowers to help with our defense. But if we plan to invite refuges then we need to be able to at least feed them locally and give them some work.
The Refuge Crisis will not end in one turn. We don't need to grab it this turn. And remember that if we don't smooth out our relationship with the other Area governors then they will:
- Obstruct our cooperation with local Britannia naval forces stationed in their lands (or the gray mercenary/pirate groups for Area 8
- They will use their contacts to cause problems with our shipping. If a shipping firm is contacted and informed that they might require more inspections but that it will be focused on firms doing business with New Caledonia due to rumors of some disease coming from there. Just rumors but you can never be to careful. That shiny new port we built might be really empty in the future.
- They can decide to do their own land grabs when we start and use their contacts to compete over Australia causing us trouble in the future.
We can snub/ignore the governors. Just remember that there will be consequences and that we will need to spend actions in the future to counter them.
I disagree. If we take refugees, having the means to get an early warning about a possible pirate raid is more important. Besides, they are pirates. Long-term encirclement preventing us getting our food supplies is probably not viable for them, even if the New Heaven are more of a violent religious cult than thieves on sea.
We have a fleet that is optimized for hunting down single ships. To make an effective blockade you need to spread your forces. In essence making them shark food. On the other hand taking refuges in without domestic food production will make us look like bleeding heart idiots. If we have to double/triple/quadruple our imports of food that means there will be more ships to prey upon. Food is a bulk good that the pirates can use for themselves and ransom the transport ships.
