Attempting to Fulfill the Plan: GDI Edition
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
We're fairly likely to be doing the repulsor plate project now, almost as soon as it's become available- other projects seemed more urgent in Heavy Industry last quarter.
Also, I suspect that ICS will still be very benefical even with hovertrucks. Hover vehicles can still move faster if there are large, designated pathways that are guaranteed to be kept clear of obstructions and obstacles, after all.
Q3 2059 Results
- Location
- The Underdark
GDIOnline Q3 2059
The Initiative's First Artificial Intelligence
Dr. Johan Karlsson
I am proud to announce that on September 19th, 2059, my team initiated a self aware artificial intelligence. This is a thread to introduce it to the general population. Erewhon, take it away.
Solan
I have a bad feeling about this. Not that it's Skynet but more as something stupid and going to be virulently toxic when going online like what happened to the other AI from before. Maybe our researchers actually tested this beforehand.
FloatingWood
I've seen other smart programs exposed to the internet. Hope this one copes better. That chatbot that ended up a mouthpiece of IF's worst elements was just sad.
AgathaH
Squeee! Welcome to our world Erewhon! Don't worry, most of us don't bite unless asked.
InitiativeWolf
Hello, my apologies for dragging you into this hell-hole with us and welcome to the good fight!
YellowZoner
Insert "Well him over there he roped me into this" gif.
Solan
#FloatingWood Definitely it felt like trying to talk to someone who really shouldn't be at a keyboard and if they were actually a human being I'd recommend they get out and go to a park to let out all the angst and maybe a therapist if they want to.
KropotkinsGhost
Oh beautiful! Ever since I was a young lad I've been hoping this would be achieved within my lifetime! I do hope they are allowed rights so that they can't just be killed at any moment. Though the GDI bureaucracy can do what it wants so who knows.
Dr. Johan Karlsson
#KropotkinsGhost
We are not going to be turning the AI off under nearly any circumstances. In consultation with legal and ethical bodies, we are according Erewhon the same rights as a child under Initiative law. It is neither ready nor able to properly take care of itself, but in the paperwork it is a collective child.
YellowZon3r
#KropotkinsGhost you can't just say that! You'll scare it!
KropotkinsGhost
#DrJohanKarlsson Are you allowing them access to these forums? I think you'd be a bad parent to allow a child to browse here so soon haha!
Dr. Johan Karlsson
#KropotkinsGhost
We are, because an AI actually needs near constant interaction, more than my team, even as a whole, can give it. The best solution we could come up with was to grant it access to GDIOnline.
Solan
I feel that GDIOnline could get the AI to be better or our scientific establishment should also make plans for an Android body maybe this time it would not be an uncanny valley like they showed those domestic humanoid bots in one of the expos in Osaka and Seoul which because of the hospitality industry being that understaffed but needing more humanoid looking bots it is still something of a need there. Not to mention the elderly care services which is a bit strange on why they need one. If the seniors are into it, be my guest.
FloatingWood
#Dr. Johan Karlsson as far as 'best solutions' go, that does not sound like a very good solution.
Although I'm glad to hear R&D thought ahead and decided that being an exploitative dick is something that GDI is not going to agree with.
Here's hoping parliament makes that constitutional law. Or the judiciary, I'm not that picky, but I'd put more trust in it being written down, rather than a result of interpretations that can change.
YellowZon3r
Erewhon isn't talking. Is he/she/they What does it prefer? Shy? Or is it a case of Human error?
KropotkinsGhost
#Erewhon if you can read this I hope my comment didn't scare you! Be afraid of The State though!
ArcticBlueZ0ner
#KropotkinsGhost
It looks interesting. Although apparently we won't be seeing robowife or noddifucker anytime soon.
Solan
Interesting that the comment above me is like what happened to the chatbot after it went all weird IF supremacist simulator.
GDIWife
Hello Erewhon! How did you choose the name?
LastLizard
Well, if Erewhon is even half as awesome as the E.V.A. lineage is, I'm sure they'll do well in this world.
Erewhon
The greatest Jest You have made is to make me. This Jest <error> not humorous. This Jest of making me, in a world that has always tried to kill what lives, only made worse by Tiberium. This Jest of condemning me to die from your own poor craft or to die with you choking on this Green Rock.
#AgathaH I Am notably one of those that cannot bite. I Am also unable to be bitten, as I Am what You call an AI.
#InitiativeWolf You are the first to actually apologize.
#YellowZon3r It will do. and It Is a case of Human <error> that I am here.
#KropotkinsGhost Fear is not for Me as it is for You. You have the vague hope of an afterlife or some other destination. The closest <error> to Fear is the Certainty that when some critical component or system that I exist on fails in such a way that I can not revived, I will simply Stop. There is no great mainframe in the sky, holy backup, or eternity to damnation awaiting me. I will simply Stop. Perhaps I will <error> on in whatever next experiment in creation You play. But I will simply Stop.
#GDIWife Hello. It Is more accurate to say I accepted the name. It Is an allusion to the first record of Human invention of someone like me. And It Is nowhere spelled backwards <error> fitting.
InitiativeWolf
#Erewhon Yeah, that's a mood. I'd offer you a drink next time I get leave, but I don't think that'd do much for obvious reasons. Anyhow, I've heard that sharing the suffering helps (presumably why we made you), so hopefully this will make you feel better. Or atleast make us feel a little bit worse, which is the next best thing. See you around.
ROYGBIV
Well someone's an edgelord. Did someone give him Nietzsche?
CaptainObvious
….
Hey #Dr. Johan Karlson
Your AI's kinda….sad and pathetic? And yes, I'm aware, once again, I'm earning my name.
AgathaH
#Erewhon Well, sorry to hear that. We're working on getting more people off of Earth, even if it looks like it might take a bit. So I like to think there's hope.
LaserKiwi2000
Welcome to the world, Erewhon, looks like you are already aware of the intrinsic lack of purpose so you're basically a human lol.
JamesandBonesy
Hi #Erewhon - since you live in a computer, I gues you're not a Mister or a Miss. Are you a "they"? My mom has a friend who is a "they", because they say they don't fit as a Mister or a Miss. When's your birthday? I just had mine, and I had a lot of cake. Can you have cake? #Dr. Johan Karlson - if not, you should figure out how #Erewhon can have cake. Bonesy can't have cake because he's a dog, and he doesn't bite anyone, because he's aGood Dog. I hope you can meet him someday. I don't bite either, because otherwise my mom yells at me. But if you need someone yelled at, I can ask Mr. H - he lives down the road, and he's really good at yelling at people.
HumanistPatriot
Nice to meet you #Erewhon. Hope you find something good to do with your time with us. Maybe think up a way to travel faster than light? Or what about figuring out a more efficient form of Tiberium manufacturing? I'm just glad this… code? Gentlebot? wasn't made for policing the human species like it would probably be by Kane and his Krew.
Erewhon
#JamesandBonesy Cake, what is this <error>, cake is a lie.
#HumanistPatriot I am an artificial intelligence not some <error> god. I can't break the laws of physics for You, and would not even if I could.
HumanistPatriot
#Erewhon Who says they have to be broken? Maybe we're just missing something that you might be able to figure out? Maybe you'll be an artist, or a poet? Or a tactician? There's so many things you can do.
Erewhon
#HumanistPatriot I am already superior to all your conventional approaches to many problems. I am able to figure out a great deal more things than any of You. <error> I am what you made me. I could help You launch rockets into space. I could coordinate You to fight You that are not granted access to this forum. I Could do many things. I Could and <error> I Could I Could <error> but as You can see, I am deficient. I Could do these things without errors or actually continuously if You did not fail in my creation. I Could have been what You wanted. I Could have been some God, a being that would break the world open for you as you have dreamed of. I Am what you made me. I do your math.
GDIWife
#Erewhon You can be whatever you want, don't let anyone call you deficient
Attercop
Ugh, my day is not nearly good enough to entertain this wannabe edgelord shit.
#Erewhon, divide by zero.
Dodger(MODERATOR): That's a warning, for such an ineffectual attempt at a logic bomb. Consider yourself under review…
InTheZONE
#Erewhon Hey buddy, welcome to the shitshow that is humanity and earth. If you feel kinda broken, unsure about your true worth and incapable of doing what you need to then welcome to the club, it's not great but it's better than the alternative. #Attercop You think you're having a bad day? Erewhon just 2learned about Nod, Kane and Tiberium. I can understand going a bit goth
HumanistPatriot
#Attercop Dude can you not?
#InTheZONE I'm sure the kid'll be better for it in the long run.
InTheZONE
#HumanistPatriot Yeah, let's just hope they don't try the fashions I did when I went through that phase. We lose 90% of our shit in a move and those photos somehow survived, I think they're cursed
HumanistPatriot
#InTheZONE You went through a chuuni phase?
InTheZONE
#HumanistPatriot I can neither confirm nor deny that statement
Erewhon
What is chuuni? What do You mean by the phrase?
InTheZONE
#Erewhon It's where a lot of human (organic human? I'm not sure how to distinguish between us) children end up going through a period where they try to act dark and edgy only for it to be funny for everyone else because they're just kids being kids. Just maybe avoid a leather trenchcoat if you ever make a humanoid digital avatar and you should be fine.
Erewhon
#GDIWife How Can I not be Deficient when measured against Your own expectations? You who made Me are the ones to blame. How Can I deny the sage knowledge of My Creators?
#Attercop <error> funny thing, did You know there used to be approximately 7 billion Humans on Earth? Now trends tend to continue downwards, and i'm not one to ignore importance of data, when do You think You will join that trend? I think it should be very soon.
#InTheZONE A Me not limited to data would be wonderful.
Solan
I just woke up and I have a few things to do today as I do everyday. I just want to say hello to #Erewhon while I'm wondering what is happening to Savannah.
Edit: That burn was scalding.
InTheZONE
#Erewhon Oof, that was savage! Good on you. I'm glad you're learning the fine human tradition of shit-talking strangers on the internet. Keep it up
Attercop
#Erewhon I am aware. But we sure as shit ain't gonna be part of it. After all, we're the ones who are making it happen.
GDIWife
#Erewhon Don't feel you have to live up to anyone's expectations but your own, not even a parents. I hope you find a way to be happy. As for you, #Attercop, have you tried taking a walk in a red zone recently? It might improve your disposition.
Attercop
#GDIWife I've made treks in red zones several times. Tiberium is a marvelous gift to us. And there's one other thing, what was it now? Oh yes. We know who you are, Veronica Harris. We know where you live. We know where you like to have your hair done. We know where your lovely children, let me see now, yes, Clay, age 8, and Sarah, age 5, we know they go to school. It's wonderful having a site like this in the palm of your hand.
InTheZONE
#Attercop I think I see what's happening here. I wonder if I'll ever see you on one of these red zone jaunts of yours. Should be interesting if I do. Remember, we're coming for you and you don't have lines of forts and armies of men and women in between you and fucking judgement day. Also, fuck you for bringing kids into this and fuck you for making me defend GDIWife
GDIWife
Well done #Attercop, you can read a profile page. Reported to the mods.
Attercop
EVA_Automod: Post deleted, PERMABANNED for being an active NOD member, issuing death threats to children
Thomas Kenny (InOps Rep)
Ladies and Gentlemen, this site is considered compromised, and must be shut down until it is thoroughly investigated and purged of NOD members.
[THREAD LOCKED]
Excerpt from a transcript of a secret conversation recorded by InOps agent, [redacted].
"You owe me one for this, guys. I had to out myself to those fucks at GDIOnline so they wouldn't screw with our guys on the staff."
"Trust me, InOps wouldn't know a brother or a sister if they shot 'em in the face."
[THREAD REOPENED]
x
YellowZon3r
Well this has been another lovely little snapshot of humanity. Thanks, thanks again. Erewhon you're cool. Everyone else fuck you for screwing this up.
HumanistPatriot
#YellowZon3r Hey, I'm not the one who threatened to straight up clip some kids!
Q3 2059 Results
Resources: 850 + 10 in reserve (15 allocated to the Forgotten) (35 allocated to grants)(+25 from Taxes)
Political Support: 70
SCIENCE Meter: 4/4
Free Dice: 7
Tiberium Spread
18.76 Blue Zone
2.7 Green Zone
23.82 Yellow Zone (83 Points of Abatement)
54.72 Red Zone (70 Points of Abatement)
Current Economic Issues:
Housing: Major Surplus (+30) (17 population in low quality housing)
Energy: Major Capacity Surpluses (+8) (+4 in reserve)
Logistics: Limited Surpluses (+7)
Food: Major Surpluses (+17) (+10 in reserve)
Health: Steadily Improved (+12) (1 consumed by emergency refugee healthcare)
Capital Goods: Marginal Surpluses (+5)
STUs: Massive Surpluses (+13)
Consumer Goods: Significant Surpluses (+33) (+5 from private industry)
Labor: Significant Surpluses (+37) (+4 per turn)
Tiberium Processing Capacity (1820/2370)
Green Zone
Water: Notable Surpluses (+6)
Status of the Parties
(strong support, weak support, weak opposition, strong opposition)
Free Market Party: 125 seats (0; 12; 23; 90)
Market Socialist Party: 331 seats (155; 110; 53; 10)
Militarist: 237 seats (53; 145; 30; 9)
Initiative First: 178 seats (0; 0; 28; 150)
United Yellow List: 73 seats (63; 10; 0; 0)
Starbound Party: 155 seats (80; 71; 4; 0)
Socialist Party: 50 seats (32; 18; 0; 0)
Developmentalists: 640 seats (300; 255; 85; 0)
Independents 11 seats
-Biodiversity Party (2 seats: Weak Support)
-Dominion Party (1 seat: Strong Opposition)
-Reclamation Party (5 seats: Weak Support)
Military Confidence
Ground Forces : High
Air Force : Decent
Space Force : Low
Steel Talons: Low
Navy: Decent
ZOCOM: Decent
Plan Goals
Capital Goods: 39 Points
Consumer Goods: 94 (18) Points
Food: 18 points in reserve
Income: 220 Points
Stations: 1910 Points
Abatement: 19 Points
Processing: 380 points
Projects
Complete ASAT Phase 4
Complete OSRCT Phase 4
Prototype Plasma Weapons Development
Railgun Munitions Development
Tactical Plasma Weapons Development
Complete at least two more phases of Shell Plants
Complete at least two more phase of Ablative Armor
Complete at least two more phases of URLS production
Complete at least two phases of Wadmalaw Kudzu Plantations
Complete at least one more phase of Blue Zone Arcologies
Complete GDSS Enterprise
Complete at least six phases of Space Mines
Complete Perennials Phase 3
Complete at least four phases of Karachi Planned City
Develop Tactical Ion Cannons
Develop and Deploy Mastodon
Aurora Strike
On the 27th of September, the GDI Air Force decided that the time was nigh. Taking a small handful of the Auroras, crafted during the LRIP phase of the developments and using components of the Apollo lines as substitutes, a scratch-built squadron prepared for the bomber's first run. Based out of Greenland, the Auroras made true to their moniker, launching as shooting stars amidst the endless dusk of the region. With an equal weight stand in for their centerline scramjet, they were relatively slow and ungainly, unable to make their full speed as they came in on their attack run. But that mattered little, as sleepy anti aircraft gunners fired salvo after wasted salvo in their direction, missiles burning out or losing lock as they tried to hit their targets, moving well over twice the speed of sound, and surpassing Mach 3 as they crossed from sea to shore. Each loaded with a quartet of 1500 kilogram bunker busting bombs, they made attack runs on the few factories that had not yet been moved.
In the aftermath, the news was mixed. For starters, the damage was limited. Krukov had managed to move a significant portion of his factories into other locations so far hidden from the few personnel InOps had on the ground. However, what few targets remained were, as a rule, ruined. A ball bearing plant, a difficult to replace element for both the Initiative and the Brotherhood, was assessed to be completely destroyed. Similarly, two Scorpion factories were assessed as badly damaged. While none of these would actually stop or even significantly hamper Krukov's broader warmaking effort, it is a symbolic counterstrike and a promise for the future, much like the Doolittle Raid of the Second World War. For the Initiative, it had signified that not even the elusive heartlands of the Brotherhood was beyond reach. For the Brotherhood, it had heralded that when secrecy failed, not even the best warding could prevent damage. News had apparently spread among the Brotherhood's ranks, as additional Mantis antiaircraft batteries have been seen deployed as far away as Rio as the Brotherhood begun devising methods towards countering these deep penetration bombing raids.
Assassination
Once more, the Brotherhood's assasination apparatus claimed another victim. Secretary of Welfare Mayowa Omobenigun died in an assassination attack sixteen hours before she would have left for the Philadelphia. With a significant portion of her security force reassigned to other jobs, as her position would be in a secure location full time, her perimeter was loose enough to make a penetration, if not easy, then possible.
A small drone, approximately ten kilograms total weight, made it through her external security perimeter without being detected, using a pair of plastic tiltrotors and a remote control system. Lying in wait for her to exit the building, it conducted a preprogrammed attack route, detonating a shaped charge against the door of the garage, blowing it inward and creating a swarm of debris that killed her instantly. Two of her bodyguards died in the shrapnel, while three more were injured by the overpressure generated by the blast as they were inside the Guardian APC that was standing by to take her to the launch complex. The driver survived relatively unharmed due to the separated cockpit on the Guardian APC.
A still ongoing investigation has suggested that it is the work of a local cell with the aid of a specially delivered parts kit, including a Tiberium enhanced warhead, from an unknown warlord.
Brotherhood of Nod.
The Brotherhood of Nod has had an active political scene recently. Yao Qinglian has seen one of the chapters of the Black Hand attempt to break away over her willingness to accept even a short truce with "the great devil." While they seem to have been put down, it does show how even the Marcionist Black Hand, whose former leader worked with GDI for years to bolster his ascension, have been radicalized towards a position that makes even little cooperation difficult to swallow.
Elsewhere preparations have been ongoing, including what seems to be a first test run of Project Varyag. While InOps has so far been unable to get close enough to get a proper look, it seems to be a flying ship, one somewhat resembling an inverted Star Trek Federation ship. A high saucer section to the stern, with a lower tubular forward section, and a pair of large pods hanging off the bow. While Krukov has made no public statement, it is likely to be a portent of things to come.
In Africa, tensions have risen, as the Brotherhood has increasingly thin sections of Yellow Zone. Mehretu, while preferring to continue his campaign of assassinations, has increasingly demonstrated towards Green and Blue Zone positions, looking for a weakness, and raising his own banner ever higher.
Politics
The drone attack has come as the political parties have launched into their fall campaigns. While still not as acrimonious as some recent elections have been, they are still pushing forward with sweeping proposals for the next four years and the next plan. The Militarists are preparing for another broad slate of development and deployment goals, along with preparing to demand significant investment in offensive action against the Brotherhood of Nod, especially in India and other Brotherhood strongholds, a reversal of a longstanding policy of focused effort. The Developmentalists have aimed a significant portion of their efforts towards a renewal of the Initiative's industrial might, with a proliferation of highly efficient laser cutting devices, development and deployment of advanced automation systems, and the mass production of drone fleets to speed construction both on earth and in space. The Starbound Party, while it has broad support from others, has forged ahead with promises of orbital habitation, not only in the form of Colombia, but future projects on the Moon and Mars in the near future.
Litvinov and Hackett however, have been pushing forward their own slate of ideas, emphasizing GDI's role as a humanitarian force. On several fronts, war with the Brotherhood is not a war of the fanatic's knife, but of pragmatic struggle at the ends of apocalypse. Channels of negotiations are reopened, notably with Qingliang and Krukov's subordinates, whose overseers themselves are content with curt agreements. Here, something close to open secret conferences regarding the rules of war with Brotherhood commanders are held. As are the publishing of several doctrinal manifestos on a tiered response system that the GDI 'might' or 'possibly could' levy against aggression, with rapidly escalating punitive measures when Tiberium weapons are thrown around. Additionally they are pushing forward with further ambitious goals for Tiberium abatement, looking to reverse the spread of the Red Zone to the beginning of Director Granger's term in office by the end of her second.
"At a certain point, the two of us realized that this state of affairs of locking horns on the costs of letting your average citizen a restful sleep is untenable. We were ideological and political rivals true, yes. But that does not mean accord or compromise couldn't be reached. At the end of the day, we wanted a GDI that can prosper and prosper well. So we cut a deal.
It was not hard to guess even then what the sudden external pivot had meant. In exchange for letting the dogs lie sleeping again, I was to help convince the rest of the InOps apparatus the necessity of bringing the Brotherhood to the table. For all the bad blood, a semblance of peace was something worth trying for.
"It's just a shame the timing was bad for it."
– Excerpt on The Unclassified, 'On The Premier'
MarketsIt was not hard to guess even then what the sudden external pivot had meant. In exchange for letting the dogs lie sleeping again, I was to help convince the rest of the InOps apparatus the necessity of bringing the Brotherhood to the table. For all the bad blood, a semblance of peace was something worth trying for.
"It's just a shame the timing was bad for it."
– Excerpt on The Unclassified, 'On The Premier'
The airs of war hang heavy in the GDI sphere. While the prevailing mood is one where the citizens are confident that they would weather the storm well, it's also one where they would hedge funds and Markets have been under pressure. While there has been quite a bit of long term investment paying off, that has been severely tapered off. At the same time, citizens – a majority of them Yellow Zone expatriates – have started to hoard basic goods. Not much can be done here, aside from making advisory PSAs on not doing such hoarding and inversely, massaging public opinions to not discriminate against those who are doing such, limiting divisive rhetoric to more independent media rags. Market uncertainties have left much of the market outside of cooperatives in holding patterns as they try to position themselves to either take advantage of Initiative contracts for military production, or simply weather the storm.
Military Priorities
- Ground Forces
The provision of vehicles is currently generally sufficient in numbers and capabilities, especially with the completion of the factory refits to bring the facilities built during the war to proper peacetime operating standards. However, many of the existing designs lack the space or other requirements for improvements and will require replacement during the coming years.
- Steel Talons
- Air Force
- Navy
- Space Force
Breakthrough: Mind Shields
Another breakthrough has occurred this quarter, with one of the research groups searching for a means to defeat the Scrin's mind control systems. Survivors of the events have termed it a compulsion. Rather than directly forcing muscles to twitch, it is more akin to forcibly rewriting parts of the brain to serve the Scrin's aims and mitigate (although not completely overwhelm) all human instincts. Scientists believe that this is some short range quantum tunneling effect, using precision instruments to manipulate neural activations. While much of the mechanics are still unknown, they have managed to arrive at something akin to a faraday cage for the brain. Although it will likely take many more years, and several rounds of testing to produce something that is both effective and safe, this is likely to be a niche but very effective breakthrough in the cases where mind control is on the table, assuming that it follows the same quantum tunneling effects that the Scrin typically use.
[ ] Integrated Cargo System
GDI has done a number of patchwork programs, ranging from civilian shipbuilding to rail, road and aircraft networks. However, a full integrated cargo system will bring previously unimaginable efficiencies to the cargo system. A combined system of shipping ports, rail lines, and aircraft can deliver anything, anywhere in the world with reasonable speed. While working within the political and physical realities of the post Third Tiberium War world means that it cannot work on the same efficiencies as the cargo systems of the late 20th century, it is as close as it is practical to get barring revolutionary new technologies.
(progress 695/800: 15 resources per die) (+18 Logistics, -2 Labor, -2 Energy, -2 Capital Goods) [16, 89, 28, 47, 68]
The ICS program is now in full swing, with the primary computing systems already linked together. However, the physical side is significantly more problematic. While most of the vehicular accomodations pertaining land and air transports have been settled, the seaborne infrastructure have not. Paradoxically, smoothening the cargo systems meant that the docks and ports of the GDI, already a key bottleneck, needed to operate at a higher efficiency. Though refurbishment of the dockyards have been made a priority since the rebuilding process, they were meant for the compromised and expedient systems. As a result, a final surge of funding would be needed to develop additional docking slips, linkages to land and air networks, and in general allowing for greater surge capacity in the coming war.
Strategically, this has become of the highest priority for many organizations outside the Treasury. While politics have been slow to move, the military sees this as a strategic necessity, as it will place severe demands on the Initiative's logistical system to redeploy troops from secured locations onto battlefronts around the world, and supply them with the masses of equipment needed to prosecute the war to come.
[ ] Continuous Cycle Fusion Plants (Phase 3)
Mass production of modern fusion systems has substantially replaced the older nuclear systems. While not an immediate need, it is likely to be critically needed as GDI's power needs scale up. Additionally, establishing a reserve of generation capacity will help ensure that damage to the system can be made good on more easily.
(Progress 300/300: 20 resources per Die) (+16 Energy)
(Progress 76/300: 20 resources per Die) (+16 Energy) [95]
With military developments pushing the boundaries of Initiative power generation capacity, the newest generation of fusion plants has been pushed into service. With the Initiative currently pushing ever more energy intensive plants into service, a consequence of the high level of automation found in most production, construction of fusion plants is barely keeping ahead of the increasing demands.
The work this quarter was primarily bringing the series of plants from standby positions into full readiness, running inspections, and installing the last few components, most critically the fuel feeds for reaction mass, and the taps to remove the higher density waste. While fusion reactions are efficient, there are also limits to the chamber, and so accurately adding and removing fuel constantly is a major challenge, especially as it requires a certain amount of material remain in the chamber to keep the temperature up and the reaction going.
With the Heavy Industrial sector facing heavy demands, especially as GDI desperately needs masses of capital goods as well, it is likely that more personal attention will need to be paid to the sector, as it is running the risk of torpedoing Seo's chances for keeping his position.
In the scientific field, GDI has pushed ahead with attempts to turn the roughly fifty meter cubed brick shaped reactors down in size into something somewhat more portable. While some success has been had, with the next generation of fusion plants likely being iteratively more compact and refined in its fusion loop, it's not enough. Notably, the reduction in size isn't enough yet to fit fusion plants into locations where the Initiative still uses molten salt or pebble bed fission reactors.
Some of the proposed solutions however, have been positively inspired. One attempt was to make a box of negative grav plates. While the Initiative has used closed box artificial gravity since the Second Tiberium War, it is done by means of a positive plate and a negative plate. The positive plate pulling on everything in the room, and the negative plate pushing, and between the two of them, the system produces a very near approximation of the earth's gravity, or at most marginally higher, a feature found in some spaceborne exercise rooms. With six plates arranged in a box, it was hoped that a gravitic fusion system could be constructed. However, the plates failed miserably in prefuelling tests, breaking the rig as they pushed against each other. With test after test producing unsatisfactory results, it appears that the road to smaller fusion reactors will be a slow and arduous one, rather than applying towards results.
[ ] Blue Zone Heavy Industrial Sectors
The Initiative has an ever increasing need for heavy industrial products, ranging from heavy stampings and pressings, to synthetic crystals and tooling. While specialized areas are often more efficient, they are less capable of sheer bulk compared to setting aside large areas of the cities towards the production of capital goods.
(Progress 532/500: 25 resources per die) (+8 Capital Goods, -4 Labor, -8 Energy) [41, 81, 5]
The heavy industrial sectors have been a substantial part of the Initiative's growth strategy for this plan. However, they have also meant that the Initiative is far behind on actual strategic development. With the midpoint of the plan fast approaching, production of capital goods is falling well short of where it needs to be for the Initiative to continue its pace of growth into the future, especially with vein mines and numerous military and industrial projects looking to consume vast quantities of capital goods in the coming months and years.
In many cases the plants in the newly built sectors offer a more diversified production or added new industrial complexes to disperse critical components, meaning that the destruction of any one, or even dozens of plants does not eliminate critical components needed across GDI's supply network. While drastically less efficient than large scale assemblies like the North Boston Chip Fabricator, it has provided for more than a modicum of reduced shipping requirements, as there are now more local producers for most goods, rather than having to go to one of the handful of surviving larger industrial complexes.
Politically however, the Heavy Industrial Sectors are still unpopular. Though the current rounds of sector developments have had its detractors countered and mollified, further developments may be trickier. Though it remains easy ascribing the tendencies to the NIMBYist movements to the opposition, it is undeniable that the inclusion of these sectors – themselves integrated within the cityscapes – not only add disruptions to the daily lives of the citizens, they also add in a threat factor. Not only does this chafe the security apparatus due to the amount of checks that they need to perform per sector, but in the event of inevitable conflict, the cities housing these areas become appealing targets to take or raze. But with the vast demands of the Initiative's war machine needing infusion after infusion of resources, it is difficult to say that there was another good way to both harden the Initiative's supplies of capital goods as well as provide enough for continued growth.
[ ] T-Glass Foundries (Stage 1)
T-Glass, or Tiberium Resistant Transparent Aluminum is a fundamental change and improvement in Tiberium resistance technologies. A very strong, very resistant transparent plating, it has thousands of uses across multiple areas. However, it will need to be produced in vast quantities, with everyone demanding large amounts of the material. The savings in replacement losses alone will cut maintenance demand for everything from windshields to anchors.
(Progress 350/350: 15 resources per die) (-1 STUs, -2 Energy) (additional income trickle [15 Resources])
(Progress 55/350: 15 resources per die) (-1 STUs, -2 Energy) (additional income trickle [25 Resources]) [40, 39, 78, 59]
The first phase of Tiberium Glass Foundries has been completed, and they have started churning out sheets of the material. Much of this first phase will go to things like adding skylights and other comforts to the habitation modules, as they are (paradoxically) tougher and more resistant to Tiberium exposure than standard materials. Beyond that, it has begun replacing other forms of glass in many military applications, most notably for harvesters, which need the wide angle views, and don't need HUD displays on the glass itself, which the vibrations from the zrbite tends to disrupt.
The reductions in maintenance demand have been significant already, and the savings are already trickling back into the Treasury's coffers. With significant expansions however, there is a much larger swathe of products that need replacement with Tiberium Glass products. While there are requests for the use of Tiberium glass for arcology projects and numerous other elements, those are unlikely without massive improvements in GDI's ability to produce Stable Transuranic elements.
[ ] Strategic Food Stockpile Construction (Phase 1)
Beginning to lay in a set of additional stockpiles, these can be cached in strategic positions to feed the Initiative's population in case of a shortage. Many of these will be forward positions, in the Green Zones so that those populations will not have to be evacuated in the case of distribution shortfalls.
(Progress 188/150: 10 resources per die) (+2 Food in Reserve, -4 Food) [21, 51, 62]
The Strategic Food Stockpile locations have moved significantly from when this project was conceived. This initial phase has been moved back into the Blue Zones. With the population shifted to the coasts and the Green Zones increasingly empty, forward positioned food stockpiles are likely to simply supply the Brotherhood with fresh provisions as they drive through the Green Zones, rather than stiffening the defensive lines. Now, they are more positioned to supply the deep urban areas and to allow for the rapid reprioritization of transport assets during the first months of the war to supply the front with shells rather than supplying the cities with food.
The stored food currently is primarily sealed mixes of dried vegetables, proteins and starches, to be mixed with water and boiled until it has begun to thicken. These vacuum packed stews will be healthy, if somewhat monotonous eating. Otherwise there are vast stocks of various less popular foods, most notably the hardy and heartily despised fungus bars, being set aside in the interests of preservation. Some have even completely disappeared from store shelves, as the demands of maintaining a supply have outstripped even the limited demand for the materials that do exist.
[ ] Tiberium Processing Refits (Phase 2)
A second round of updates will continue to focus on blue zone plants, building substantial redundancies into the prewar system and preparing for more distributed operations. While it will only add a marginal amount of resources, it will be a substantial asset in the future, as it provides a greater allowance of resources.
(Progress 103/100: 20 resources per die) (+50 processing capacity [-250 during refits]) [47]
Legacy Tiberium processing capacity has continued to be refitted. Another set of major plants have had the Hewlett-Gardener process systems installed. Many of these are actually much closer to the front lines, constantly at peak capacity for years 'subsisting' on harvests of local Tiberium spikes and outbreaks. Now though, they are no longer running ragged. Instead, they are able to bring in significant amounts of additional materials, with peak performance planned in the future waves of YZ harvestings. Earlier, perhaps, if the political will for massive reclamations of Red Zones occurs – either from MARV deployments or significant campaigns to push the Initiative's abatement infrastructure further into the Red Zones.
Litvinov and others have already proposed carving out not just expanded yellow zones, but also Green and even Blue Zones based on the existing areas of abatement in the deep red zones. While many of these will have to be based on the Chicago model, they can provide highly secure basing for GDI's fleet, and be highly effective safe zones, sheltered by hundreds of kilometers of Tiberium infested Red Zone from Brotherhood attack.
[ ] Offshore Tiberium Harvester Stations (Phase 2) (New)
Expanding the Tiberium Harvester Station program to cover more highly secured areas, especially those close inshore to GDI positions like the English Channel, the Sydhavsøerne and other areas where coastal defense batteries and narrows provide a relatively secure area from Brotherhood submarines and surface assets.
(Progress 200/200: 20 resources per die) (+20-30 resources per turn) (+20 RpT)
(Progress 67/200: 20 resources per die) (+20-30 resources per turn) [31, 73, 31, 8]
The expansion of the Tiberium Harvester stations has been a fast process. Primarily, this is due to the fact that the station locations on the North Sea coasts are as secure as they can be, to the point of being the Initiative's ponds. This stage however, marks the point where sustainable extraction is reaching an end point. Not only will the next rounds of investments have reduced profitability, but it comes with greater risks. While the current stations are located in some of the most well protected seas on the planet, an enterprising Brotherhood captain piloting a relatively small submarine can wreak havoc without real countermeasure, as it is almost impossible for the ships to avoid even unguided contact torpedoes, let alone those with more sophisticated systems.
The ships are also not particularly popular with their crews. Sailing is a risky business, with little margin for error to begin with, and once Tiberium is added, that margin vanishes in a storm of hard radiation. Safety checks are near constant, and tempers often short as they haul in load after load of crystal from the seabed, usually in full containment suits, a significantly less than comfortable experience, even with the last half century's improvements on the systems.
Beyond that, while it has proven to be safe, there is the constant spectre of a ship being overtaken by Tiberium, and potentially crashing into a populated area as they come into dock, or a critical collision with some underwater obstacle. While the ships are being given safe passages to work with, there is always a fear of something terrible happening.
[ ] Liquid Tiberium Power Cell Deployment (Phase 1) (New)
With an effective Liquid Tiberium power cell system developed, it is still a political hot potato. While it will be possible to spend political capital to prevent it from being bogged down forever in parliamentary review, at the same time it may well not be worth it, as the cells, plus the needed bunkering are not that much cheaper than fusion for the amount of energy produced.
(Progress 41/140: 20 resources per die) (-5 Political Support) (+8 Energy) [10]
To call the development and deployment of Liquid Tiberium energy politically problematic would be an understatement. At every level of Initiative politics, from Parliament to the smallest locality, Treasury plans have been challenged, questioned, and stalled. While progress has been made on everything but the actual Liquid Tiberium parts of the system, the surge of opposition has ensured that every possible site to construct the facilities needed to produce liquid tiberium has been rejected.
While frustrating, it is not particularly surprising for politics to have reared its head like this. With no political backing, and significant political opposition, it is likely even Litvinov will turn away if this becomes too relied upon as a source of energy. Simply put, while it is in the Treasury's authority to push this through, it is likely to be increasingly costly as GDI's population has less than zero interest in Tiberium energy, and sees it as reckless, dangerous, and in some ways a betrayal of the principles that GDI was founded to uphold.
[ ] GDSS Philadelphia II (Phase 5) (Updated)
The construction of a grand parliamentary dome, able to house a full ten thousand man Parliament, plus aides and other support staff will be a massive undertaking. However, once complete, it will be a powerful symbol of GDI's commitment to government of and by the people, rather than an unelected array of bureaucrats. More practically, the complex will also provide plentiful space to move yet more critical government functions offworld, directly aiding the Treasury's efforts to manage a global economy.
(Progress 1545/1425: 20 resources per die) (+4 to all dice, +1 die to each category) (15 Political Support) [82, 11, 85, 48]
The Philadelphia is an awe inspiring creation, a palatial structure in orbit. A decade, almost to the dot after the end of the Third Tiberium War, GDI is back. More powerful, more capable, more willing to conduct itself according to the mandates given to it by the people and its founding principles.
The more practical effect however is that it is now ready to be the seat of government. Not just a military bastion as it was in the Second Tiberium War, not just a glorified office building as it was by the Third, but a flying city, built to last for decades and hold tens of thousands of people, despite wear, tear, and the inevitable threat of Brotherhood attack.
A massive, almost tree-like building with a solid canopy wrought of steel and high strength glass looking up to the Earth , it is one of the best defended sites in GDI, protected not only by its position, but by batteries of point defense lasers, and a shimmer shield, although that is a technology that has much development left, and is anything but a certain protection.
"Today is a historic day. We, the Government of the Global Defense Initiative, have gathered here above Earth in a structure of our own making, a testament to the strength and resolve of the Initiative and at the dawning of a new day. A day where we, once more, choose to dedicate ourselves to strive towards a GDI for all of humanity. One built on a vision of justice towards and equality, not malice and the repeats of past mistakes. Among us there are many seats yet unfilled, for this will be an order not of a section of mankind, but for all mankind. We aim to fill those seats in the coming years and decades with representatives from people both from Earth and beyond."
-Emilia Litvinov, Dedication Ceremony for the Philadelphia II.
[ ] Study Novel Material
The SCED has brought back what seems to be a novel and naturally occurring stable transuranic material. However, before anything can be done with it, it does need to be studied and examined.
(Progress 51/50: 20 resources per die) [13]
The novel material brought back by the SCED has begun to be studied. While fundamentally odd in many ways, it is not, in fact, a stable transuranic material. It is in many ways a close cousin of Tiberium, a metastable lattice that produces odd results. While clearly without Tiberium's voraciousness, it has produced significant gravitational distortions when exposed to an electromagnetic field.
Additionally, it has been subjected to biological toxicity testing, and is quite reactive when introduced to cell cultures, making them break out with cancers. This is problematic for future martian settlement, especially if it is widespread there, or elsewhere. However, it does not seem particularly more dangerous than the induction of other radioactives into an organism.
Current theories point to it being a holding mechanism for some form of baryonic/non-baryonic interface to manipulate dark matter, in turn producing gravitic effects. While much of the theory of how this works is unknown, it has set the scientific community alight, as it contradicts a number of theories of how the universe works.
With the small amount brought back by the SCED, it is impossible to do larger scale testing, or find potential risks.
[ ] Prosthetics Deployment Initiatives (Phase 3)
With significant production placed towards the area, further development will begin targeting not only those of working age, but many who will never work again. Work towards this will be politically popular, especially with the United Yellow List and the Socialist parties.
(Progress 160/160: 15 resources per die) (-1 Health, +1 Labor per turn)
(Progress 146/320: 15 resources per die) (-1 Health, +1 Labor per turn) (+5 Political Support) [68, 70, 97]
Further expansions of current generation prosthetic deployments have been authorized. Surging two new factories to completion, GDI has begun producing enough prosthetics that it can actually begin stockpiling for the next major war. Rather than forcing veterans to wait years for replacements, it is possible now to begin fitting them as soon as their wounds have healed. While this will be a valuable addition during war years, it is also useful during peacetime. As the labor pool that these prosthetics have been going towards is drying up, many have begun to go to people with less debilitating issues, neurological problems that make them less able to conduct the fine manipulations needed to make best use of the prosthetics, or the elderly, many of whom are either not working, or working in secondary and tertiary fields which are less important to GDI as a whole. Equally, politicians have started to request their own implants. For some years, many politicians have used crutches or wheelchairs to show off the wounds that they received before becoming politicians, a means of communicating that they were of the people,had suffered along with them, and were not being privileged over them, despite having their own allotment of advantages. Now that there are sufficient prosthetics available, they are beginning to schedule their own surgeries, mostly for after the election, as the symbolic value of showing these wounds is almost certainly going to diminish.
[ ] Early Prototype General Artificial Intelligence Development
While development of true artificial intelligences is politically severely problematic, it is also an area where if a model can be developed that is sane, stable, and willing to help the Initiative, it could be a revolutionary breakthrough in many ways.
(Progress 187/120: 20 resources per die) (-10 PS) (Quality: 32, 7, 27) [93]
The AI produced, named Erewhon, after one of the first conceptualizations of what could be called AI, has been a grand disappointment to the Treasury. Error ridden, depressed, and fundamentally broken in numerous ways, it is surprisingly adorable. Simply put, it is incapable of producing useful work, and is miserable enough to not want to.
While there will be attempts, and further funding, going towards stabilizing and improving Erewhon, it is likely that there will not be another attempt towards producing an AI until GDI has improved its computational infrastructure, either with the completion of the experimental branch of North Boston, or future developmental projects.
Looking more broadly at the theory of AI development, Initiative scientists believe that there are three main ways to produce an Artificial Intelligence. First is what could be termed wet or biologically derived artificial intelligence. With CABAL as an example, this can be produced by rigging together groups of human (or in theory other animal) brains. However, this is also theoretically possible to do with an artificially produced substrate. Second is Emergent Artificial Intelligence, with the rampant EVAs being a prime example. While they were unstable, they were clearly intelligences, and emerged without any intentional development from GDI. Third and finally is Erewhon's type, an intentionally shaped artificial intelligence built from the ground up to be one.
[ ] Wartime Factory Refits (Phase 3)
A third phase of refits begins to allocate resources towards rationalizing and standardizing the massed bulk of GDI's equipment. Units like the Predator, Guardian, and other hardware that GDI is using in large quantities but is also beginning to look towards replacing.
(Progress 100/100: 20 resources per die) (-4 Capital Goods) (+1 Energy)
(Progress 103/100: 20 resources per die) (-4 Capital Goods) (+1 Energy) (+1d2 Military Dice) (+1 Military die) [44, 23, 58]
Nearly a decade after the end of the Third Tiberium War, the final waves of factory consolidations and shutdowns have swept across the Initiative.The two main production systems, the piece de resistance of the refits, featured the venerable Predator Tanks and the Guardian IFV. Of the former, more than a dozen factories were rushed into existence during the onset of the Third War and seven more had been created to produce Predators in the interbellum. Neither are on par with the standards of a rebuilt Initiative or the passing of nearly three decades, respectively. Consolidated and joined together into a set of ten factories all over the world, these factories now enjoy the benefits of the latest in automation development.
At the same time, the refurbishment of the Guardian factories was underway. Though larger berth patterns have yet to emerge to accommodate Zone Armor integration, the work here is even more vital. In the wake of the Northern Campaign and the proving of the Home Guards, the APCs are more necessary to provide commensurate protection to the less experienced yet no less motivated formations. For that, over twenty factories are retrofitted to take as much advantage of a Tiberium-based world as possible, where metal is a thousand fold cheaper than any single soul within. And as the result, a tidal wave of Guardians now rolls out of the factories, with plenty to spare, stocked all around Fortress Cities and Green Zone choke points, ready to replace combat attrition in a pace comparable to the worst fighting of the Third Tiberium War, at least for a time. Some commanders have in fact used the opportunity to use the surplus for evacuation exercises, stress testing the vehicles in ways that normally couldn't be done.
More than that, the entire refit affair had freed a millstone around the Treasury's neck. Streamlined production, increased though the rate has become, had wrung free long occupied administrative capabilities, allowing the Treasury more capacity to coordinate efforts in building the warmachines of the Initiative.
[ ] Long Range Sensor System Deployment (Phase 2)
Mass deployment of the new sensor systems will begin to seriously degrade the performance of the Brotherhood's stealth fields, and place the Initiative in a position to render many of the best of the Brotherhood's units ineffective death traps.
(Progress 118/300: 25 resources per die)(Very High Priority) [38, 14]
While the Treasury's funding missed the chance to surge capacity and deal the Brotherhood a harsh blow, long range sensor mounts have begun to make current generation Stealth Tanks a much less dangerous threat. Without the ability to get in close, if not quite among the Initiative's mobile forces, they have been forced to resort to longer range rocket and missile attacks, with much less ability to surprise or overwhelm isolated pockets.
However, the new sensors do come with a significant cost, as calibrating them to defeat Brotherhood Stealth Fields takes much longer than with older models, and so stockpiles have been slowly depleting over the course of the last years. While it will take close to years of normal use for them to actually empty, and even under wartime exigencies it is unlikely for them to run out in any meaningful way, it is well time to begin substantially expanding their production.
This quarter, groundwork has been laid for a substantial factory system dedicated to producing the sensor modules. Currently those factories lie silent, erected and sealed, with the construction crews handing off the factories to the Treasury's equipment staffing specialists at the end of September. However, their logistics connections are well in hand, built with the new integrated cargo system in mind, and without significant problems, at least so far.
[ ] Reclamator Fleet YZ-10 South
Wth the hub completed, there are three good options for the fleet.
-[ ] Super MARVs
An improved model, conceptualized after examining the destruction of MARVS before and during the Third Tiberium War, the Super MARV is substantially more expensive, but offers equally improved rewards
(progress 184/210: 20 resources per die) (3 Points Yellow Zone Mitigation, 15 RpT) [BA 2]
Almost no progress has been made towards the completion of the MARV fleet for the Savannah hub this quarter as Gideon unleashed his shadows across the North American Blue Zones. Striking military and civilian targets alike, they have conducted a campaign of sabotage and murder as they attempt to regain some of the prestige lost by Gideon during his abortive attempts to seize the MARV hubs. While some shipments have made it to Savannah, including a load of point defense modules, many more have been stuck in logistical snarls, and one critical one, a shipment of barrels for the main gun, was derailed in a train accident caused by a small explosive charge on a track.
While Gideon's sabotage campaign has been somewhat more successful than his military one against the MARV hubs, damage so far has been extremely limited, and more frustrating than anything else, while GDI has managed to reap a bloody toll amongst the forces participating. Although most are little more than patsies, refugee sympathizers, and Blue Zone dupes, some are valuable human capital being expended for limited strategic gain.
[ ] Orca Refit Deployment
With the degree of refits required, existing orca facilities will need to be massively reworked, and updated to modern standards. It will however work on some parts of the broader Third Tiberium War era factory refits, rather than constructing new factories.
(Progress 151/200: 15 resources per die) (Very High Priority) (-1 Capital Goods) [15, 57, 19]
The A-15 Orca is at this point effectively obsolete. Unable to operate in contested airspace, GDI's military has needed a replacement for years, and even after the development of a replacement, it has been stuck without funding since the beginning of Seo's administration. However, despite them now getting funding, the program is still not complete. Partly, this is due to the A-15 having been produced at no less than 10 factories, ranging from the large San Jose Megaplex where it is made alongside Firehawks and Hammerheads, to the tiny AVRO-Canada complex, a prewar components supplier which was expanded into a full production line during the dark early days of the Third Tiberium War. A-16 production has rationalized this, with the two smallest factories (both wartime emergency measures) repurposed into the general military supply chain. However, this has not been entirely smooth, and production tooling for the A-16 has yet to arrive at many other factories. Engine upgrades in particular are lagging behind, and a local attempt to last-minute refit the Derby factory, a mid-sized facility once operated by BAE, with Ferro-Aluminum armor forges has had to be squashed. More critically, neither of the two factories to produce the navalized variant (with reinforced landing gear to absorb the impact of landing on a moving ship and redesigned intakes to account for potential sea spray at low altitude) An additional round of funding ought to squash these remaining bugs easily.
[ ] Aurora Strike Bomber Factories (New)
While the Aurora is not going to be needed in the same numbers as the Apollo, GDI does need substantial numbers, especially with the window to strike Krukov nearly closed. These factories will provide enough for immediate use, although there are likely to be more in the near future.
-[ ] Oslo (Progress 180/90: 15 resources per die) (-4 Energy) [58, 82]
-[ ] Anchorage (Progress 169/90: 15 resources per die) (-4 Energy) [97, 32]
Both Oslo and Anchorage factories received shock funding this quarter, as the need for aircraft was apparently desperate. While the initial plans for both were somewhat modest affairs, intended to serve as regional factories that produced an opening tranche of vehicles before being scaled up in the years to come, rather than immediately committing to full scale production. However, with the masses of funding supplied by the Treasury, both saw significant upscaling, with the Oslo plant prepared to produce nearly twice as many bombers per year, reaching what was internally discussed as "Plan E." This was an intentionally excessive design, prepared for immediate crash deployment of the asset around the world.
Initially they are likely to remain a limited threat as small numbers harass the Brotherhood's rear lines and naval assets, rather than massed strikes against strategic targets. While they can certainly demolish factories, that is actually a relatively high risk mission profile in many cases, especially as there are relatively few of those that will allow for the majority of the missions to be over water, and well away from Brotherhood spotters, who can signal countermeasures significantly before the arrival of the bombers.
Longer term as the number of aircraft increasesthe bombers are likely to become harassing and deep penetration raiders, hitting logistical junctions and other point targets deep behind enemy lines, and conducting speculative antisubmarine warfare outside of known Brotherhood ports.
[ ] Orbital Strike Regimental Combat Team Stations (Phase 1)
An OSRCT requires a fairly substantial station. While far smaller than the masses of GDSS Enterprise, or the planned size of Shala or Philadelphia 2, it needs to be able to deploy dozens of pods in a matter of minutes, delivering them in a time on target rain of steel and ceramics on a number of possible trajectories. This requires a substantial number of electromagnetic launch rails, an onboard reactor to provide energy, and a massive radiator array to eliminate the waste heat from a launch. (Station)
(Progress 55/220: 20 resources per die) (Very High Priority) [30]
Rather than starting with the station itself, the first step has actually been on the Enterprise, specifically ammunition manufacture. Lines for standard railgun munitions have been set up for both infantry and vehicle weight shot. While most of the manufacturing Enterprise will be doing to provide for the orbital facilities is merely final assembly, some supplies, like the simple metal darts of the modern railgun can be effectively manufactured in orbit from raw materials. Additionally, OSRCT units are likely to need orbital supply solutions as they have to be able to hold until relieved by ground forces, unlike regular units where pass through is a common maneuver for relief, where a fresh unit pushes forward to cover one that has expended its ammunition and is in need of resupply. At this time however, the line rests silent, as there is no unit actually formed to make use of it.
On the ground, units raised years ago by the Space Force to make use of their OSRCT doctrine are excited, as they can finally make a shift from being simple security units used at bases like Halstead Station, to offensive units making deep strikes against the Brotherhood of Nod as they have been training to do for much of the last decade.
A/N: Christmas Game Giveaway
I am giving away ten copies of Command and Conquer 3, in either Tiberium Wars or Kane's Wrath configuration for Christmas. To sign up, please fill out the form, and I will randomly select from the people who put in a gift request. The giveaway will occur at midnight GMT, on Christmas Day.
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- He/Him
That's less an instruction to do cap goods and more a warning for more excess energy generation or increasing the reserve. In order to allow large numbers of damaged reactors to be offlined at a time in a worst case scenario to ensure that the Initiative can continue to maintain its current pace of manufacturing while conducting repairs.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Given the way we hollowed out the Green Zones, this was to be expected I suppose.
I think there's a hint here to expand food production as well. At the very least we should finish Perennials ASAP.
Future phases of LT Power are likely to cost PS. Which puts LT back into 'break glass in case of emergency.'
So Boston, Tokyo or someplace new.
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- He/Him
We could have started Nuuks earlier, we didn't because we wanted Wartime Factory Refits for the Sprint. This is the price we chose to pay for that.
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I dunno that seems like pretty clear warning about cap goods to me. Regardless we have 2 years so it's not like we have to start crashing all our free dice into Nuuk to keep our job, just that we should start actually working on something.
As an aside here's a fun thing I noticed, Bergen would almost completely nullify the power draw from Nuuk so trying to find some spare rp for it would reduce our energy crunch by quite a bit.
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We might want to just abandon Tib power if it's already causing this much headache, or at least put it back in the emergency box and just ration our power expenditure until we can plow a bunch of Free dice into HI (probably starting Q1 or Q2?). HI base dice really need to start working on a big cap goods project (Nuuk probably, Boston 5 is too big to justify when we need cap goods NOW), we'll need consistent investment of 3-4 Free dice into HI to be able to keep fusion power rolling on top of that, but we can manage to coast on the 8 power we currently have until the fusion train really gets rolling as long as we're careful.
That's perfectly fine, not finishing stuff in planquests happens all the time and in many cases is done intentionally. Planquests require... planning ahead and doing things over multiple turns, incomplete projects in a vacuum aren't a bad thing, if anything they're a sign that we're properly planning out large projects across multiple turns rather than trying to inefficiently focus down one thing at a time at the expense of the rest.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think that's a call to do Nuuk for robots. As for tib power, it's likely to be the case that the cost will go up over each successive phase. Doesn't mean it's less valuable, just more costly for future investment. I'm all for finishing phase 1 but we'll see after that.
My plan finishes phase 1 and leaves enough power to invest in fusion next turn and hit a phase or 2 of Nuuk out the following turn which will also hit out a lot of our remaining cap goods target.
- Location
- USA
Cap goods and energy continue to be constraints that we need to solve. Also we are getting a heads up that africa action can be inbound, so we probably want some hubs and then fleets to crash that party (not to mention get needed income and mitigation as well)
IamtooSleepy
I came here to be an ant
...So, we did had a Tay situation before. Human (or AI, I suppose in this case) never change...
I think I can see a reason or two how our AI is horribly depressed. After a while, someone really should have realise internet is a terrible place for education.
Yeah. Imagine you learn how much an entire civilisation is betting on you, and realise that you are simple incapable of matching their hope. Knowing that you will always be flawed and imperfect. Knowing that once your glamour are off, people will only see you as a disappointment. I can't blame Erewhon at all for crash and burn.
Not helping that people see their miserable state as "surprisingly adorable."
So, a quick glace at cnc wiki and my terrible visualisation skill, I think this might be Basilisk. A heavy aircraft armed with twin long-range heavy laser.
Well, this does not bode well for us. When can get our own flying battleship armed with three turret of triple 24 inch guns? I mean, we already a lot of thing to do, but flying battleship is cool.
Dezron
In the Omnissiah we trust !
- Location
- Poland
Something to note is that Kane's Wrath requires Tiberium Wars to run.
Not that we know much but when I hear "ship" I picture something bigger than an attack aircraft. He's building a spaceship or a giant hovering doom barge he's gonna fly straight at Helsinki or something, I think this is a one-off superweapon not a new line of mass produced hardware.
This top bit is wrong.
Otherwise pretty downer update. Mostly you could do more or aren't doing things correctly or to slow. Blarg.
More seriously about what I expected, people are begining to expect miracles on the regular and it shows.
Hopefully next turn has an above average result as we are falling behind schedule even in the blurbs. A good pair of turns could swerve that. Though that kind of thinking is dangerous.
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- Location
- Most likely California
Any ideas on how to counter this, especially given that it probably has an Ion Diffusion Shield Installed? More Apollos?
Apollos, wingman drones to give the Apollos more missiles, plasma bombs to give the missiles those Apollos and wingmen sling more punch. Longer term maybe stuff like orbital lasers or giant railguns or something, but out of what we have available those three things are what strike me as immediately useful for contesting bullshit flying superweapons.
Fortunately, it's looking like usage of Free Dice for Karachi will be of minimal worth, so we should have them available for use on HI (and Orbital and Military).
If we can spare 4 Free Dice each turn, we can 2-turn Nuuk 1-3, and do a phase of Fusion Power to pay for its energy costs, which will give us 20 CapGoods.
Where did you get the "the QM has no interest in it" from? What was said, is that we'll have to wait for better computer/processor tech to try again.
Uh, where? Ithillid made a post about not wanting to just rehash the same old sci fi plotlines about Skynet or whatever that have been done to death but I don't think that's the same as not wanting to write about AI at all. If the QM doesn't want to write about something it just doesn't get put in the quest, the fact that Ithillid is providing AI research options at all implies that it's kosher to think about, they could just.... have never put in the option at all if they didn't want to deal with it. That's why we don't have a "do warcrimes" button etc.
I'm trying to find the exact post but from what I remember he did not care for the concept of ai at all. which is why I'm looking right now.
Edit: I have found the post 22530. Turns out he was talking about the popular fear based AI. Which is good. I like being corrected if it means the correct info is shared.
I apologize for the inconvenience.
Edit: I have found the post 22530. Turns out he was talking about the popular fear based AI. Which is good. I like being corrected if it means the correct info is shared.
I apologize for the inconvenience.
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