So, Karachi prep thoughts for Q1 and Q2.
Infra. 10 dice available.
[ ] Suborbital Shuttle Service (Phase 3)
A final and most significant step, prioritizing even more leopards for the suborbital role will make it so that GDI can establish a regular network of flights, and create efficiencies of scale rather than brute forcing the problem. While there are significant limits imposed by the turnaround time of a leopard class fusioncraft, there are also significant advantages.
(Progress 27/150: 25 resources per die) (+8 Logistics)
-Critical. We want that last bit of interconnection.
[ ] Yellow Zone Fortress Towns (Phase 7)
The last pair of Fortress Town waves will focus heavily on preparing a more rigid defensive line, albeit one that is in many cases tens or hundreds of kilometers deep. Positioned to dominate the surrounding areas, these towns are intended to provide the base for future bands of defensive fortifications.
(Progress 93/250: 20 resources per die) (+4 Housing)
-High. We want to be able to sandbag Nod if they decide to counterinvade while we're busy with the Shah.
[ ] Rail Network Construction Campaigns (Phase 6)
Further work on the rail networks will be focused primarily on preparing the ground for exploitation of the interior, especially in light of the pushes into the Red Zones and creating new environs for Initiative exploitation.
-Med. More rails mean more opportunity to act and react, and make it easier to get people and goods where they need to be. And if we're going to be facing strategic strikes, then logistics becomes even more critical.
[ ] Emergency Caloric Reclamation Processor Installations (Phase 2)
With a first wave of Caloric Reclamation Processors built and deployed, a second wave will not be too difficult. However, it is likely to result in political pushback, especially without further expansions to strategic food stockpiles.
(Progress 31/70: 10 resources per die) (+5 Food in reserve) (-5 Political Support)
-Low. I think a lot of our assets from the first wave will be deployed directly to Karachi. Building a second phase to allow us to maintain the mobility would be nice, but not a good investment compared to more YZ FT, or Rail Networks. I could see a single die being put in it in Q2, depending on what the CoS are on the other Infra phases.
HI. 10 dice available.
Already handled by DAE and Distributed HI departments. Just need to continue plodding away at Fusion.
LCI. 8 dice available.
Partly handled by our Distributed Consumer Gooods department. Department of Distributed Manufacturers is too little, too late.
Agri. 12 dice available.
[ ] Strategic Food Stockpile Construction (Phase 5)
While localized caches are useful, more central positioning and expansion of existing larger stockpiles will be critical for allowing GDI to centralize refugee populations and continue to offer key services.
(Progress 78/170: 10 resources per die) (+2 Food in Reserve, -3 Food)
-High. The key here isn't the food reserve, it's the narrative benefit from being able to handle refugee populations. We'll hopefully be getting a lot of refugees immigrating due to Karachi. And we might end up with internally displaced refugees if the Shah is successful. It does help that this will be something that we'll need to handle future tiberium mutation anyways, so it's not solely a short term benefit. If we get confirmation that more phases will continue to help with refugee processing, I think it'd be worth further investment beyond phase 5.
Tiberium. 14 dice available.
[ ] Coordinated Abatement Programs (Phase 2) (Updated)
While certainly not an easy thing, and with significant security risks to large detachments of Initiative troops, the coordinated abatement projects have been of significant value to the warlords that are participating; they are more willing to both put their own resources in, and do more to dissuade the radical side of the Brotherhood from interfering.
(Progress 88/180: 25 resources per die) (+3 Red Zone Abatement)
-Critical. There are some indications that finishing this will make it less likely for the Bannerjees/Bintang/Yao to interfere.
[ ] IHG Tiberium Processing Plants (Stage 1)
Building a first wave of Improved Hewlett Gardener plants will noticeably increase GDI's supply of Stable Trans-Uranic materials. While significantly more expensive to operate, especially as the last of the kinks in the process are worked out, the wonder materials are enough of a priority to make this worthwhile.
(Progress 0/150: 35 resources per die) (+450 processing capacity) (-4 Energy, -3 Logistics)
-Med. Mostly to be able to reroute tiberium away from the battle zone, but also nice to increase our processing redundancy.
[ ] Improved Tiberium Containment Facilities Construction (Phase 2)
While there is some significant amount of reserve capacity, it is something where more will very rarely hurt, either as a stopgap to allow GDI to build new capacity, or to mitigate damages from Brotherhood or alien attack. It is, however, not an immediate priority, and more investing in precautions against a future that may not come.
(Progress 11/90: 20 resources per die) (+500 Tiberium Reserve)
-Low. I'd rather just get more of the above.
Orbital. 14 dice available.
I don't think any of the bays will have an impact on the war.
Services. 8 dice available.
[ ] Autodoc Systems Deployment
While currently politically complicated and psychologically difficult, the autodoc systems represent the potential for a significant increase in GDI's ability to process injuries. Broadly speaking, these are only going to be found in some of the largest and most capable medical facilities, especially those specialized in wound care, and other forms of traumatic injury. Even so, pushing them out will make people nervous, and give politicians opposed to the Treasury ammunition.
(Progress 0/280: 30 resources per die) (+4 Health, +6 Emergency Health, -3 Capital Goods, -3 Energy) (-5 Political Support)
-Critical. Not just for our troops, or for refugees, but having this in place will make our medical system far more resilient to strategic weapons.
[ ] Regional Hospital Expansions (Phase 2)
While currently, there are few real needs for further expansion in the health sector, the Initiative's population is likely to continue aging, and with the diseases of the old, time of response is critical, as is increasing the automation levels to deal with what is likely to be a sharp decrease in workforce availability in the coming decades.
(Progress 85/270: 25 resources per die) (+4 Health) (-1 Energy, -1 Capital Goods, -1 Labor)
-High. As we saw during the last war, our medical system is going to be put under heavy strain by combat losses and refugees.
Military. 14 dice available.
Most of these won't be deployed in time for the operation.
[ ] ASAT Defense System (Phase 5)
With the final station of the current pattern deployed, it is high time for diversification. Kinetics, lasers, and tactical ion cannons, among other options, are the future of the global network of missile interception platforms, ones that will be more resilient than ever against the threats of the Brotherhood of Nod, and beyond that, act as a defensive screen against further extraterrestrial invasion. (Station)
(Progress 41/425: 20 resources per die)
-Low. More defense against strategic exchange, but I'm not sure it'll have a significant impact given the 4 phases of ASAT and SADN we've already done, and it's a very expensive project.
edit:
It looks like we might actually have Q1, Q2, and Q3 to prepare. So add 50% dice availability.