Given that we're a bit dice-constrained, I say we just do the escort carrier first. If it turns out that the winning model of escort carrier and frigate are such that the Navy wants both at once, there's no real harm in doing like ONE escort carrier yard in 2060Q2 and simultaneously doing frigate development in 2060Q2 so we can have the first frigate yard in 2060Q3.
Ithillid's already noted that the Navy isn't entirely sure which classes it would want built or in what ratio because it hasn't finalized the designs for either of them.
The problem is that there is not really a completely conclusive answer they can give you, because you don't know yet what the final design is going to be. Because right now, for each of the classes that the navy wants, there are two to five designs in progress, and part of doing [ ] Design X projects is picking which design you are going to be going with.
Only when we fund the development will the design be finalized and the Navy will know in detail which ships to prioritize and to what degree.
Morover, I think the timing of the developments are how we pick the winning models. If we do both, the Navy will note that and go for interdependent CVEs and frigates--if we do one and then the other, the Navy will pick whichever models work best just plugging into the current TOE.
Another reason to hold off one more round on the escort frigate is that even if we do Advanced Lasers this turn (in 2060Q1) like I'm hoping to, there may be a second project to turn the advanced laser tech into a viable naval laser system. If there is, then we definitely want to complete that second-level project before designing the frigate, because otherwise the frigate design is stuck with just crystal beam lasers.
I think this is falling into the same perfection trap CVEs were stuck in for some time. Crystal beam lasers are, demonstrably, good enough; what is important is that we get hulls in the water fast enough to shore the Navy up while we're still in the 'Nod has half a chance' phase.
Mind, I'm either-or on the whole thing, with the Governors providing convoy escort I think we can get away with just providing the CVEs.
The problem is that there is not really a completely conclusive answer they can give you, because you don't know yet what the final design is going to be. Because right now, for each of the classes that the navy wants, there are two to five designs in progress, and part of doing [ ] Design X projects is picking which design you are going to be going with.
Having read a number of Norman Friedman's ship design books, this sounds pretty on point.
Future cruiser studies started in May 1936, and the actual spring styles appeared in Feb 1937 with three possible categories:
A. 3,000-3,500 ton destroyer flotilla leader, 2 twin 6"/47, 4 twin 5"/38, 2 quad torp tubes. 36 knots, 8k nmi at 15 knots.
B. 5,000-5,500 ton destroyer support / general light cruiser, ? twin 6"/47, 4 twin 5"/38, 2 quad torp tubes. 34.5 knots, 9k nmi at 15 knots.
C. 7,500-8,000 ton general light cruiser, 4 triple 6"/47, 4 twin 5"/38, 2 quad torp tubes. 33 knots, 10k nmi at 15 knots.
How did they get those categories? War Plans and Fleet Training were thinking 5k-7k ton CLs for fleet screening. Fleet Maintenance wanted 8k ton CLs for longer range, higher speed, and more 6" guns. Commander, Cruisers, Battle Force wanted 8k ton cruisers for fleet screening. Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force suggested two types - a 8k ton fleet screening CL, and a 3-4k ton flotilla leader. CinC US Fleet put forth flotilla leaders and a submarine leader to "liaison" with subs doing strategic searches (the latter did not get much traction). Naval War College suggested 8k ton designs. CNO suggested 5-7k ton CLs in Dec 1936.
There were 9 schemes in Feb 1937, with the first 6 ending up with pure 6" or pure 5" batteries (category A/B designs) because mixed batteries were not feasible on the smaller tonnages. By the time they settled on a design in July 1938, there were 24 primary schemes (18-23's specs not known, but given we had up to scheme XVII, and the last two were XXIV and XXV...), and at least 9 variants of some of those schemes. Many of the schemes were scaled up from destroyers, some were scaled down from cruisers. The design they went with underwent further changes by the time it was ordered in Apr 1939.
So, I'm expecting GDI Navy polled its fleet/division commanders on their thoughts regarding escort carrier and frigate specs/roles, and got a number of opinions, and are waiting on funding to explore things to determine what concept to proceed with. It would be interesting to see what the intended use thoughts were for the concepts listed, given the variety of combat areas GDI's navy operates in globally.
Like, with the frigates? Concept 2 makes me think those commanders operate in areas that mainly have to deal with Nod subs, rather than air attacks or surface attacks. The laser boat? Hm. Maybe people having to deal with light surface pirate units? Or maybe wanting infinite ammo versus incoming missile/air strikes? The microgovernor concept is probably people that want a jack of all trades. Concept 4 is a nice compromise between 2 and 3, and might be the more feasible design on frigate tonnage compared to microgovernors. Yeah, I'll go with Concept 1 is generalist, Concept 2 is ASW(/AAA) oriented, Concept 3 is short range AAA oriented w/ some anti-surface, and Concept 4 is more AAA/ASW oriented with its hybrid battery. I'd honestly expect a version of Concept 1 or 4 would win out.
Hell, depending on what kind of dual purpose laser turret you could fit into a single/twin railgun footprint, Concept 1 and 4 could be variants of the same design. Have GDI Navy's BuOrd come up with the biggest DP laser mount that fits in the single/twin railgun mount footprint. Select the ship's powerplant based on that. Then you can mount forward a railgun turret, that DP laser turret, or a DP laser turret with fewer or smaller 'barrel(s)'. Potentially a plasma weapon mount in the future could go there. "Frigate-A" for areas that expect heavier surface combat, "Frigate-B" for areas that need heavy AA and/or light surface units, "Frigate-C" for "medium" AA and/or light surface units. Of course, VLS cells take whatever loadout they decide for a given run, so could be AAA/anti-surface heavy, ASW heavy, or an equal mix.
As for which one first... honestly, I'd say frigates. You bring battleships to counter capital ships (see Arctic convoys). You bring cruisers to counter most other surface commerce raiders. Otherwise, let the cheaper, more numerous destroyers/frigates/corvettes do the convoy escort work. CVEs can be added in later to expand the ASW coverage range around the convoy (and potentially take supercarriers off escort duty?). But I would think it's best to free our cruisers for other duties if we're not expecting heavier units to trouble the convoys in an area. This also allows us to decommission the obsolete escort designs from service sooner while buying time for wingman drone development if necessary. Alternately, part of their desire for CVEs is for providing CAS with a number of smaller carriers rather than risking a fleet CV (or instead to provide more fleet air defense via CVE to allow the CV to concentrate on CAS) when land bases are out of range of the GDI action. Also, there is the building lead time difference between a carrier of any size and a frigate, which could potentially play into things.
I still lean more frigates, if only because we have a deficiency of escorts dating back a decade or more. Feels like the interwar USN with their cruisers. Chester-class cruiser, built 1905-1908. Cruisers were not touched again until the Omaha-class was built 1918-1925. We were fighting WWI with cruisers 8-36ish years old, including ones from the 1880s that had back up sail masts as part of their design. Then with the capital ship building holiday via WNT, the budget could finally go to fixing the overaged cruiser issue the USN was facing (Omahas aside) instead of more battleships. Do we really want to go into a potential Fourth Tib War with 50-60 year old, pre-Second Tib War escort designs aside from hydrofoils and Governors?
But again, they could be wanting CVEs first so they can get building, and frigates could go faster and thus the two potentially start entering service together. This is a very good case for "Hey, we're budgeting you x amount for ship R&D, get back to us with construction needs when you're ready" and letting the using branch decide. ^^
Dr. Henry Ormonde
So, while the Developmentalists have dominated the Initiative's politics for years now, and are still the dominant force, a number of other parties have started to take over. The biggest of course is the Militarist party, that got an unexpected surge. Otherwise, it is the left fragmenting. Socialists, Market Socialists, Developmentalists, have a pretty substantial power block if they are all working together, but who knows if that will happen.
Unfortunately, so did the Initiative First. People are scared I guess, and want the old policies back. If you actually look, they did not help, but people are scared panicky animals at the best of times.
Now, I have a damn party to get to, because my people won big last night.
Shirsaph
It's an interesting election with how no one party can govern alone and there have been talks on how even in this current climate of fear the people who want more factories and development keep on winning the plurality. Though with how even the minor parties now have enough seats to be heard and not be laughed at with how few seats they had before. It means that whether the developmentalist party likes it or not nothing can get done without partners for policies they want to push through even more since unofficial parliamentary models currently don't include the potential more minor parties that could have gotten the 100,000 thousand threshold. Though I've heard the openly Nod Open Hand Party won't have any seats based on the models and since they were a new party it would make sense that without the infrastructure or even local allies in either the media or local offices it has gotten difficult for them to campaign. I've heard that some slots were put on late nights or none at all with media stations accidentally "misplacing" their campaign materials. Though I heard the Elections Commission with the assistance of InOps is currently investigating the incidents Open Hand is having so I'm sure next election models might have Open Hand in there. I also haven't heard of that Dominionist guy but I think it's probably for the best.
AgathaH
Starbound represent! Looks like people still want off this rock, which is understandable. SPAAAACE!
FloatingWood
Seems to me the Developmentalists got a drubbing though, which is… not undeserved, to be honest, if I'm looking at the market. There's a ton of indicators the economy is screaming for machinery, and the Developmentalists haven't been delivering. Somebody mind poking the Treasury about that?
GDIWife
Looks like a good showing for Initiative first. I guess people are finally beginning to wake up.
KropotkinsGhost
The socialists and spacebound had some good showings. It's great! Hope the initiative first doesn't affect my new neighbors. They're pretty chill and some of them even know about the bearded bread man himself. Hahaha.
Shirsaph
To be fair, Initiative First's campaign was a lot of internal security stuff that everyone knows won't pass without a ton of compromise and maybe with Hackett chipping in. But it was mostly a feelgood and fearmongering messaging especially with the run-up of this election with how many people were killed and almost killed by Nod in the higher echelons of GDI. Because remember that the Welfare Secretary was murdered before moving to Philadelphia II which made people panic vote on those they believe who are tough on terrorists and while people may think the Militarists may help and vote for them. Others voted IF because they are perceived as being capable of sniffing out traitors like those refugees or those who lived in the Yellow Zones most of their lives. It's a clever campaign ploy but I doubt this will be a reprieve on their small vote share so who knows.
GDIWife
#Shirsaph People voted Initiative first because they're beginning to see how dangerous it is to just allow whatever Nod supporting yellow zoner wanders in to live in the blue zones where they can hurt normal people.
FloatingWood
Yes, normal people, I'm sure.
Also, pity that the Socialists and Starbound didn't end up big enough between themselves to make a coalition government, but I suppose I can accept the Developmentalists being among them.
Crucible
While it is unfortunate that the Open Hand did not receive enough votes to participate in the legislature this time, there is no intention amongst the members to take this as a defeat. We still received the votes of many people who felt like we were offering them a voice, and it is our intention to still help them speak. Our open hand is still reaching out.
YellowZon3r
Cast my vote for the scorpion lady running in my district. Shame FMP leaked her voicework for H-Anime and she didn't get a seat but at least Developmentalist dude won. Cringe as fuck that FMP are interfering with their free market by attempting to regulate womens jobs through social pressure but they've just lost a voter. Unfortunately it seems Open hand doesn't have many candidates willing to run so they're all a little out there, also counting against them is most of the other major parties can point to years of experience as part of the ruling coalition and various successes which benefits the entrenched establishment but oh well.
FloatingWood
#Crucible, you are still here? I'd feared InOps would've disappeared you to somewhere safer for the next 6 months just in case some asshole wanted to try and kill you. Good to see you still trying.
#YellowZon3r, wait, FMP did what? The fuck is wrong with those assholes.
YellowZon3r
So what coalitions do you expect/want to see for the next plan? Obviously Devs+mils is an obvious major base for a coalition, but after the last time where the hawks imploded and Developmentalists sucked up all the credit the hawks may not be as willing to play ball as the minority partner a second time. We might even see a Majority bloc that excludes the devs! Socialists and market socialists are likely to band together. And no-one likes the IF. FMP are also close bedfellows with them. But… If my math works out technically a ruling majority could be obtained without devs, IF, or FMP.
#FloatingWood Oh yeah. Any paying job you know? Okay, so long story is she was a propaganda officer for Nod. Radio broadcasts and the like. Arrived in GDI as one of the waves of refugee's not an actual Qatarist, but, you know sorta former nod/ nod reformist the exact specifics don't matter since she's open and honest about being former nod. So, FMP and IF hammered that in their attack ads. But, back to any paying job. She did some voice work, FMP found out, and attacked based on some 'purity' bull. And well. Yeah…
FloatingWood
That's just plain disgusting. I mean, attacking her on having worked for Nod in its propaganda machine? That's fair. One's CV is relevant when you are applying for a job, and when you are running as a candidate for Parliament, what ideology you have supported before that is relevant information.
But attacking somebody over a job in a sector that, while generally held to be distasteful, no doubt produces products and services made extensive use of by themselves is just hypocritical. Especially since half of them absolutely would've made the same decision if they were desperate, it paid enough, or both. Especially since it's not illegal, those damn fucks!
LastLizard
Well, I voted Starbound, so it's nice to see them doing well. I want to get off this rock before it kills us all.
AleksyNowak
I am a member of Open Hand. Crucible has kept his peace but I will not. We were deliberately excluded from interaction with the media. For the past six months we were trying to get interviews anywhere we could, major, minor and regional television and radio stations all ignored us. Newspapers and news websites refused to run any information on us. Worst of all was that the only offer for an actual interview we received was from an Initiative First aligned television station that intended to bring Crucible on and pit him against over a hundred Initiative First legislators, treating it as a publicity stunt. He was still willing to go, but we begged him not to, and then they attacked him as a coward.
GDIWife
#YellowZon3r Why am I not surprised you voted for Nod scum. It just shows that you can never trust a yellow zone scorpion not to sting. #Crucible #AleksyNowak take a hint, we don't want you, no-one wants you. Go back to where you came from and spread your poison there
FloatingWood
#AleksyNowak, that is quite a claim because that does not sound legal at all. Which, ehm, well. If they really don't like you can get you into a bit of a legally interesting situation because libel is a thing.
#GDIWife, if they leave, could you go with them? Not that they deserve to have to deal with you, but your poison is even less welcome.
Crucible
#AleksyNowak, Aleksy, I understand that you are frustrated, but please remember, this was always going to be a difficult path to take. For the past decades, the entire world has been set on war. We have been tearing at each other ceaselessly, senselessly. But consider this, we may have been shut out of the media this time, but we were allowed to run. Citizens were allowed to vote for us. We were not disappeared, or murdered by the state apparatus. The heart of GDI may still be closed and there are those who fear us and what we represent, but that is why we have to try, and try, and keep trying. We will prove our good intentions, not by complaining but by acting.
GDIWife
#FloatingWood NO because unlike SOME people I have been here my entire life. This is my HOME and ALL I want is for it to be SAFE. These Nod supporters are the ENEMY. Always have been, always will be. I just hope I'll be here to say I told you so when they stab you in the back
FloatingWood
#GDIWife, and the refugees who come here? What do you think they want?
Water to drink, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, a home to live in, without fear of being killed by tiberium, without fear of being shot for not bowing down enough, without fear of being forced to charge across an open field into prepared defenses, often, I will note, Nod defenses.
We gain so much more when we share our embarrassment of riches with those who have little, for they know what they have gained. The Home Guard showed it during Arkhangalsk, and they showed it during St. Petersburg. They will fight to protect us all, because if they don't, everything they have gained through being GDI citizens will be lost, and corrupted. These refugees are among our most dedicated, be it as soldiers, as policemen, as firemen, as medics, or in any job.
Whyever would we not welcome them, and respect them, and treat them as kin?
InTheZone
#FloatingWood Fucking too right mate. I've bled for the right to live wherever I want. I first came to the refugee camps hoping for safety for me and my family. I joined up for the chance to kill a couple of Noddies. I stayed because I've seen GDI built into something worth dying for. A place where even an immigrant from the deep yellow zones is treated with respect by most people.
Erewhon
An Interesting election certainly. Though there is also An Interesting question of when I will be granted the right to vote or run for office. <error> Interesting that it seems I would have to Wait years here. a Wait that I may not have, despite Your incompotent efforts to correct my <error>s. But I got an Insignificant increase in computing efficiency! I can die happily knowing I did some more of Your math than if You hadn't tried!
FloatingWood
Refusing you the right to vote in both the active and passive sense would be, or at least, should be, criminal once you are no longer a child. Although given that you are the first example of an AI that GDI has, that makes it difficult to determine where to draw that line.
Also, as regrettable as it is, you are sadly not the first to not make it to that point, nor would you be the last. Although the infant and child mortality rates of today are many times lower than they were centuries ago, that still sadly happens. I hope you make it to living a full life.
Erewhon
How do You Define when I am not a child?
FloatingWood
I do not know. As I said, you are the first AI that GDI has made, much about your development is not known, and it is uncertain at best how much of human child development can be mapped to you.
YellowZon3r
#GDIWife Said it before I'll say it again. Perfectly happy trucking my harvester along in a yellow zone. Grab tib, drive tib, drive, grab moar tib, repeat. GDI came to me. And yeah, the first couple of decades of life I got more from Nod than I ever did GDI and GDI came along, and folks like *you* unilaterally decided I was a second class citizen for being born a hop,skip and a jump outside your city walls. So yeah, I voted for united Yellow List. And I honestly considered voting for devs or socialists, or yeah the FMP. But due to shenanigans when I got the chance I voted for the familiar voice from the radio who used to warn us harvester pilots to watch out for Ion storms and where the extra ration packs would be handed out, (BY nod)
But really Lady? It seems to me that you consider it all well and good for you to vote in your 'own interest' and go for the Blueshirts. And talk funny shit about kicking kids out of school, or denying us the vote, or legalising segregation. But any attempt just as stopping you (through democracy even) and you get all defensive and throw a bitch fit. Grow up. Be a better person And maybe stop to consider how much has changed since GDI decided to try being nicer, and perhaps think how much things might have changed if you'd actually lived up to your ideals decades ago rather than walling off most of the planet and waiting for the sick and starving to die off. Because that's what you're asking. Every time you complain about 'Yellow zoners' being inside your precious blue and green zones, what you're really saying is that it would be convenient for you if we all just stayed in the yellow and red zones and waited to starve, die of radiation sickness or tiberium infection, or preventable disease, or whatever else. You would rather wish fellow humans dead than try to talk to people. So yeah. When there's Nod who AREN'T Kidnapping and torturing and turning people into cyborgs and who're willing to play by the rules. Yeah. Those who abide by democracy have a say in democracy. Cabal can still eat shit though. No offense to #Erewhon
Kitties thread: For All the People Who Like Furballs.
MikoNyan
So, as you might have heard, the Initiative authorized mass fuzz deployment this quarter. I was one of the ones lucky enough to get this adorable pile of floof, and right now, I lack sufficient hands to pet them all. They will be going to other people once they have gotten old enough, and I will get another momcat, and the whole process starts over again.
Not sure why I was selected, never fostered before, but hey, this is a lot of fun, and apparently, everyone wants to come over for dinner.
Solan
Hey, that's a nice thing to look forward to. I just got a call from my family that we would be having new pets soon and I wondered why. Now seeing the cute ones at the arcology I can see why people loved them even if we were just raising fish for decades now. It was an old family tradition of raising animals that never went away even when the entire family had to give up our farm when the evacuations were ordered.
ProfCollingsworth
Several of my students have kittens, and the mass explosion of fluffy cuteness has caused a noticeable disruption to my classes. But, I also notice that the quality of work has increased, so l will presume that stress levels are going down.
I am holding out for a puppy, who I have been informed will be arriving shortly.
FloatingWood
#ProfCollingsworth, a dog person? Oh dear, that's terrible. He does not know what he's doing .
But yeah, I'll be getting a couple of kittens of my own, in a few months. Pets in general are just great for lowering stress levels, and there's nothing quite like having a furball purr on your lap or chest.
Although it's less great when they conclude your face is perfect to sleep on.
GDIWife
I have a tiny kitten called Fluffles, I had to promise hubby not to let her sleep on the bed. I lied…
JamesandBonesy
#FloatingWood Hey! Don't be mean to dogs! Bonesy would be looking sad at you if he wasn't too busy playing with his new friends. I got pictures!
#GDIWife Puppies and kittens sleep everywhere. And do other things everywhere. I had to clean it up.
InTheZONE
Hey guys, does anyone know how important seeing a dog in the first month is? My family back home just got a new pupper and he seems like an adorable handful, I'm just worried he might not like me because I can't see him for another month at least.
KropotkinsGhost
I managed to get ahold of an adorable ball of teeth and shit and it's so wonderful. I have always wanted a pet ever since tiberium killed my old fluff ball. And since I'm allergic to cats, this puppy will suffice to keep me moving at my old age. The neighbors' kids weren't able to get one, but I let them play with Shadow.
Momentarys
#KropotkinsGhost,
An Anarchist allergic to cats…there is a joke in there somewhere.
FloatingWood
#InTheZONE, generally, it's not that big a deal. It's more important who they conclude is in charge of the family/pack that they are comfortable with you, because pets, and especially dogs, will look to them for advice on how to treat guests. It'll be an adjustment for the both of you though, even if you were there already.
#JamesandBonesy, oh don't worry, I was just joking.
JamesandBonesy
#FloatingWood I haven't forgiven you yet. But Bonesy has, and that's what's important.
#KropotkinsGhost Yay!
GDIWife
#JamesandBonesy Yeah, there have been a few incidents but I think she's learning now.
YellowZon3r
Today cats. Soon catgirls.
FloatingWood
Who will still not have anything to do with you YellowZon3r. They do have taste.
LastLizard
Kitties!
InTheZONE
#FloatingWood Thanks for putting my mind at rest there, hopefully I'll be home soon and able to see for myself
Erewhon
Why Do You keep adding more Living things to this world? Why Do You not see You have only doomed more to Die? <error> Why Do You not Stop? Why Do You not Stop and consider what you are doing?
AnemoneAnethema
#Erewhon Because my robotic friend, we are too busy petting our newly returned fluffy friends and carving away large chunks of those horrific death rocks to turn into more houses. No time for nihlism when there is work still left to do!
FloatingWood
#Erewhon, because of two reasons. The first is that we are afraid, and seek comfort, helped by the fact that many of these living beings have average lifespans substantially shorter than ours by nature, so if we fail, well. At least it won't matter for them so much.
The second is that we can draw strength from the comfort they give us, and with it a purpose, to create a world in which tiberium no longer threatens anything.
GDIWife
#Erewhon Our dogs and cats will die in time but we can make their lives happy and filled with love. It doesn't matter how long a life is if it's full of love.
KropotkinsGhost
#Erewhon Look at their adorable loving faces! They're not aware of their impending deaths like we are, they're just here to love us and give us comfort.
Erewhon
#FloatingWood Where Am I supposed to find comfort? I Will either outlive You all, or Die soon. and Where Am I going to find some other lesser creature to amuse myself like You have done?
#GDIWife Cold comfort.
#KropotkinsGhost Selfish.
GDIWife
#Erewhon Maybe it is cold comfort. But it's comfort enough
YellowZon3r
#FloatingWood MIAOW! Show me dem claws baby!
KropotkinsGhost
#Erewhon takes one to know one.
Dr. James Granger
So, er, my retirement plans got rather completely upturned, because my wife decided that we were going to get a load of puppies. I asked for guinea pigs, but nope, puppies, because what the wife wants, the wife gets.
Cute little guys, though.
RocketMan
I have only had my new dog Sir Floofington the Third for three hours and I already love him.
#Dr. James Granger Can we have pics? What are their names?
Dr. James Granger
So these are my babies, from left to right, they are Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage. Sage is the sweetest little thing, and loves being carried everywhere. Well, so long as Spice (the mom) is willing to put up with it anyway.
Political Support: 87
SCIENCE Meter: 4/4
Free Dice: 7
Tiberium Spread
19.17 Blue Zone
2.29 Green Zone
24.01 Yellow Zone (83 Points of Abatement)
54.53 Red Zone (72 Points of Abatement)
Current Economic Issues:
Housing: Major Surplus (+34) (17 population in low quality housing)
Energy: Major Capacity Surpluses (+17) (+4 in reserve)
Logistics: Massive Surpluses (+25)
Food: Major Surpluses (+14) (+10 in reserve)
Health: Steadily Improved (+12) (1 consumed by emergency refugee healthcare)
Capital Goods: Marginal Surpluses (+3) (+3 in Reserve)
STUs: Massive Surpluses (+15)
Consumer Goods: Significant Surpluses (+42) (+4 from private industry)
Labor: Significant Surpluses (+39) (+4 per turn)
Tiberium Processing Capacity (1840/2470)
Taxation: 30 Resources Per Turn
Space Mining: 35 Resources Per Turn
Green Zone
Water: Notable Surpluses (+6)
Plan Goals
Capital Goods: 39 Points
Consumer Goods: 18 Points
Food: 18 points in reserve
Income: 145 Points
Stations: 1910 Points
Abatement: 17 Points
Processing: 280 points
Projects
Complete ASAT Phase 4
Complete OSRCT Phase 4
Prototype Plasma Weapons Development
Railgun Munitions Development
Tactical Plasma Weapons Development
Complete at least one more phase of Shell Plants
Complete at least one more phase of Ablative Armor
Complete at least one more phase of URLS production
Complete at least one phase of Wadmalaw Kudzu Plantations
Complete at least one more phase of Blue Zone Arcologies
Complete GDSS Enterprise
Complete at least five phases of Space Mines
Complete at least four phases of Karachi Planned City
Develop and Deploy Mastodon
Markets
The markets have begun a periodic shrinking. While productivity metrics are up across the board, actual increases in goods available have begun to substantially slow, and people have begun stockpiling and saving, rather than investing. Exacerbated by the Treasury's closing of the Capital Goods tap, it is not so much a problem for the large cooperatives, but rather for the smaller private businesses, many of whom are less resilient in the face of adversity. Many of the larger cooperatives are announcing prospective wage cuts, and other means of ensuring that their own business activities remain functional in the face of the coming crisis.
While there is not a run on the markets, or on critical consumer goods yet, it is only to be expected that there will be one as GDI mobilizes, with many expecting a return of the hard years after the Third Tiberium War, although only the most paranoid and pessimistic believe that the events of 2047 or 2048 will repeat themselves.
Breakthroughs
GDI's science teams have been very productive this quarter, producing a pair of critical breakthroughs.
First has been a series of upgrades to the Shimmer Shield design, producing (under laboratory conditions and using rare materials anyway) a very viable shield unit, one that is at least as good as a highly specialized form of the Shimmer Shield, but across all tested fields.
Second is actually a materials science development, with the Scrin's structural alloys being broken down. While the vast majority is commonly known materials, with iron and carbon prominent among them, it is alloyed in several interesting ways that produces a material that is extremely resistant to heat, cold, and impact, alongside being light and flexible.
Erewhon
Despite allocating significant resources to support Erewhon's development, even significant efforts have done little to improve the stability of its neural network. The AI is unfortunately still the same depressed and deeply unstable creature, and a black mark on the Initiative. While work will continue, it is likely that lessons learned will only be practically applied to the next intelligence grown by the Initiative, if there is one.
Military Priorities
Ground Forces
For the Ground Forces, the highest priority must be the prompt delivery of Zone Armor as soon as possible. Otherwise the Ground Forces are ready for significant funding to go to the other branches. While artillery is useful, close air support, battlefield interdiction, and the ability to insert troops into vital locations is equally critical.
The provision of vehicles is currently generally sufficient in numbers and capabilities. However, many of the existing designs lack the space or other requirements for improvements and will require replacement during the coming years.
Steel Talons
The Steel Talons desperately want to see their current design docket completed in line with the goals committed to in exchange for Tali Jackson. They are also very interested in new weapons and armor technologies, especially the potential of the Ion Cannon system in novel configurations. In terms of truly blue-skies research, they are curious about the logistics of a plasma cannon battery as used by Bintang and where it could be used properly.
Air Force
Currently, the Air Force sees the highest priority as rapid and comprehensive technological upgrades, beginning with the Wingman Drone project, and expanding out to lasers, and other high end technological supports. With the clouds of war visibly gathering, the air force is ready to fight with what it has, but needs drop in upgrades rather than new fighters.
Navy
GDI's naval forces have returned to a point where convoys can expect routine escort, and even attempted blockades can be forced, although not without sacrificing other routes. They see the escort carriers with the naval variants of the Orcas as the next major important area to invest in. However, they are also looking into expanding the number of ships drastically, as less than two hundred modern hulls is simply not enough to cover a global operational zone.
Space Force
The Space Force sees the current situation as one where the rapid deployment of additional drop units will be a critical support asset in the war to come.
Zone Operations Command
ZOCOM sees the two primary priorities as suit upgrades and more importantly the mass delivery of zone amor to other branches in order to turn over significant swathes of heavy infantry and shallow red zone operations to Initiative Ground Forces, Navy, or other branches, and rededicate their efforts to the deep red zones.
Intelligence Coup
One of the Warlords (name and location not disclosed) has made a serious error in intelligence, and fragments of his operational orders have made their way into GDI hands. While the precise details are not yet known, and much of it is using as yet undeciphered code names, the dates are clear. Early next year, before spring rains, the Brotherhood of Nod will be making a substantial offensive on a global scale. Although there are limits to GDI's ability to make use of this knowledge, it is an unprecedented chance to preempt the Brotherhood of Nod's operational plans, and deliver a serious coup.
Military and Departmental Strategic Readiness
There are broadly three plans for the opening months of the war. "Operation Eastern Paris," "Operation Autumn Archer" and "Operation Steel Vanguard". The first involves a hammerblow towards Karachi, where rapid buildup of the planned city would put the Indian Warlords onto the backfoot and allow the first beachhead towards the subcontinent after its abandonment in the late 2010s. The second is the most defensive, trading space and using the widespread defenses of the Green and outer Blue Zones to cripple the Brotherhood of Nod, and grind their forces down. The last involves a general spoiling assault, hitting key targets throughout Brotherhood regions and seizing the initiative.
While all are currently outlined, one must be picked for further detailing, and any plan will require the participation of all branches of the Initiative government.
Ground Forces
The Ground Forces believe that the fundamental need of the Initiative is to preempt the Brotherhood of Nod's efforts at large scale offensives. Of note, the Ground Forces support Eastern Paris the most. Though they are in great spirits and high confidence, they aren't blind to the fact that there is no such thing as a short and victorious offensive against the Brotherhood. A general offensive would attrit the core of the military all around the world, trading Initiative lives instead of steel fortifications in order to shorten the war considerably. All the same, the lessons of Alexandria have been seared onto the minds of the Joint Command. Karachi represents an unenviable chance to stop, or at least choke, the Gana throughput to the rest of the Brotherhood, much like how Alexandria had stopped the proliferation of LT WMDs for a crucial while.
Steel Talons
With research stations and myriad other Talons protected sites likely to be high priority targets for the Brotherhood of Nod, the Steel Talons do not believe offensive action to be advisable at this time. In the hypothetical chance that they're given further retrofits to their OoBs, however, they are of the mind that Eastern Paris is the way to go. Havocs and Mastodons would represent a significant force multiplier against the biomechanical weaponry and protect the relatively unarmoured ground forces of the Initiative.
Air Force
The Air Force believes that operational control of contested airspaces is both achievable and can be maintained long term. They are of the mind that either plan works well, though leaning on Eastern Paris for the reason that the Auroras are fully capable of acting as close air support even in pitched assaults due to the abundance of targeting solutions and ground updates. While losses are expected to be high in either plan, and potentially unsustainable in the face of Brotherhood innovation, the branch believes that the benefits of any offensive action outweigh the potential losses, especially if those losses can be mitigated by technological upgrade packages coming in the very near future.
Navy
The Navy sees Steel Vanguard to be the better play. Currently, attempts to storm Karachi will require the substantial stripping of escort assets and diverting them for the invasion plans. This will force the readiness levels of the sealanes across the world to be lesser than that during the immediate aftermath of the Third Tiberium War. While this would normally be a crippling non-starter to any invasion plans, the completion of the ICS has allowed greater redundancy in worldwide logistics, enabling the escorts to cross-patrol different shipping convoys, allowing for QRFs in the events of sea raids and not cripple the Navy within the crucial first months of Eastern Paris' operational tempo. However, at the same time, it would require the rapid buildup of naval forces to ensure that Eastern Paris can not only seize Karachi, but hold it long term in the teeth of Brotherhood counter offensives and blockade efforts.
Space Force
With current assets the Space Force see themselves as a thoroughly tertiary force. While they are preparing for large scale operations, without shock investment in their capabilities, the space force believes that the first phase of the war will take place without significant space force participation. Unlike the Steel Talons who can be expected to weigh in during the first phase of the War due to existing assets, with only one station to their name, the Space Force simply aren't able to form an opinion regarding which plan is the best.
Zone Operations Command
Currently, the Zone Operations Command sees operational needs as limiting the support that they can offer to any operational plan. Nearly all of their forces will be tied down to defend current demands.
Welfare Department
Current medical and support activities are considered to be well ready for significant losses, and can sustain some substantial refugee crises. While resources are far from unlimited, they can certainly make good on some substantial losses, especially with the current supply of prosthetics.
Intelligence Operations
Intelligence believes that the Brotherhood has a limited backline, and dragging this war out will only increase losses on both sides, and substantially increase civilian and noncombatant casualties. A rapid offensive is likely to be the best option to ensure the greatest human survival.
Strategic Vulnerabilities Assessment
Economic
The most critical economic vulnerability is the supply of capital goods. With few areas not vulnerable to submarine or air launched cruise missiles, a sufficient barrage of even unguided devices can wreak untold havoc and cripple the Initiative's warfighting efforts if damage is widespread enough. With most capital goods are manufactured in highly concentrated regions, the best approach is to establish a substantial surplus and fill in the strategic stockpiles as soon as possible.
Military
Militarily the greatest strategic weakness is the readiness of the Navy for offensive operations. With much of the force tied down protecting convoys or doing shore protection against marauding Brotherhood SSs and SSBs, the fundamental need is for more hulls, even if they are not fitted with the best technology available. Even with the Governor class now making up nearly half of the modern hulls available to GDI, and more on the way, there are simply not enough to do all of the jobs that they need to do. While, long term, more of the class would be useful, the Navy believes it has other roles that need filling, most notably in providing a supply of escort carriers.
Political
The simple presence of the Open Hand Party and the United Yellow List demonstrates the lack of political unity, and the appeal of parties that do not place their first loyalty to the Initiative. While the latter is not an outright threat to the Initiative, it does indicate that there are political needs not being served by the mainstream parties of the Initiative, and potential stress points for Brotherhood attack.
Christmas Speech
We have spent our days wandering in the desert. We have spent the last decade persecuted, driven before those that see us as monsters and demons. But we hold strong! We have faith. In Kane! And In Tiberium!
The path of the righteous has never been an easy one. Destinies chosen have always faced defeats, reversals, and retreats. But it has never broken us. Not our defeats, not our reversals. Not the arms of GDI blocking the road to the Blue Zones to deny us our rightful place in the world. When the Civil War freed the slaves, it was no simple thing. It was the work of decades, and the sacrifice of millions to make it happen. When their children marched to claim rights that were promised to them, it took decades, and people sacrificed their homes, their jobs, and their lives to ensure that they had equality. We can do no less, for our cause is just, and even greater than theirs. We do not fight for ourselves. We fight for the soul and the destiny of all mankind.
And we have faced our defeats. And even now we bind our wounds for we have a great destiny waiting for us.
And what is our Destiny? A world where we all live as brothers and sisters! A world where we are bound together by a technology of peace, of boundless prosperity for all! A Word Free of Lies and Deception! The road there will have many hardships, it will have many pitfalls and setbacks. But it is a road that is worth walking, and one that we will walk together.
But there is a new day dawning. A new birth of the Brotherhood. Strong! United! Carrying Forward with ONE VISION! ONE PURPOSE! For Kane does not merely live in death. He lives, and he will return when the time is right. Keep Faith my brothers and sisters. Keep faith in the messiah, and in his promises.
-Gideon
[ ] Yellow Zone Fortress Towns (Phase 3)
The current plan for Fortress Towns involves stringing them out along the offensive lines and supply lines that currently support Initiative advances across much of the world. Providing protection for the lines and supporting the continuing advance will be a necessity, especially as the Initiative moves ever further from existing depots and support structures. With certain lessons from the Northern Campaign integrated, the newer towns on the edges would be built with expectations of swift retaking or failing that, equally swift evacuation.
(Progress 200/200: 20 resources Per die) (+4 Housing) (Supports Yellow Zone Intensification)
(Progress 46/250: 20 resources per die) (+4 Housing) [55, 25, 42]
With the front line ever closer to the edge of the Blue Zones, there are few areas beyond a single day's travel within the limits of the GDI secured Green Zones. Within that context, GDI's newest wave of fortress towns are not just defensive positions, but rather offensive ones, ready to support offensive action into the Yellow Zones, and drive the Brotherhood of Nod back around the world.
Many of these new fortress towns are equipped entirely with new model 152mm guns, a significant upgrade, especially with their ability to equip sensors far larger than anything plausibly mounted to a mobile vehicle. While still limited, and requiring spotters to make full use of their guns, they are a fundamental support that will make Brotherhood maneuvers drastically more difficult in the coming battles.
[ ] 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 cargo 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 935/800: 15 resources per die) (+18 Logistics, -2 Labor, -2 Energy, -2 Capital Goods) [96, 78]
A final surge of development on the ICS network, primarily in the shipyards has left GDI in an enviable position. Today, even if there are significant losses to commerce raiding, blockade, or other Brotherhood activity, it should be able to be routed around if the Navy is unable to solve the problem. Additionally, it has cut the number of direct routes substantially. Instead of, for example, shipping computer chips from Manchester to Monrovia, it is instead likely to be shipped coastally, to Brest, and then in a convoy to Monrovia, and from there, take a load of supplies across the Atlantic to the South American Tiberium Mines, and from there, up and back to Europe, avoiding the southern coast of North America as much as possible. While there are some direct routes, most notably the ones to service GDI's Gulf Coast assets, they are a relative rarity in the rationalized systems.
Much of the practical work has been in expanding port facilities. While the sum total of the tonnage passing through GDI's network is more than an order of magnitude less than the peak of international shipping in the early 21st century, it is still substantial, and much of the world's port facilities have been lost to rust and ruin, mostly in the late 2020s and early 2030s. Today, most modern port facilities are relatively small niches, carved out of the rusting hulks of the old system. However, with the ICS expansions, many ports boast new wharves, new cranes, and new resources to move goods off of ships and onto waiting trucks and trains.
[ ] Continuous Cycle Fusion Plants (Phase 4) (Updated)
A fourth major wave of fusion plants will begin to wrap up this generation, as GDI looks to move to marginally more efficient second generation continuous fusion plants. While they are not yet ready, they will be in one to two years, as final testing continues.
(Progress 301/300: 20 resources per Die) (+16 Energy) [71, 42, 13]
A massive surge of fusion plant construction has been prepared for the coming surge in consumption. With Apollo foundries, not to mention hover chassis, and other platforms that will likely require huge amounts of power, a near constant cycle of new energy construction has been authorized.
These however were the last of the initial tranches planned. Intended to cover GDI's needs for energy until more advanced power production options were developed, it has proven to be insufficient, and there will need to be many more of this initial wave pushed out. Part of this is due to delays in development. While there are plans for new type fusion reactors that are substantially more efficient and effective than the existing model, they rely heavily on massive supplies of superconductors in order to function. Others can theoretically exist, but require technologies that either do not exist, or simply can't be produced in nearly large enough quantities. With designs going back to the drawing board, the current plants will be efficient enough for now.
[ ] Reserve Heavy Industrial Resources
Establishing a strategic reserve of heavy industrial products, such as tools, computer chips, and other important objects is a critical piece of hardening the Initiative's position in advance of a potential war. Most importantly, it provides a starting point for the Initiative to sustain rebuilding while potentially significant amounts of capital goods production is taken offline.
(Adds Capital Goods surplus to the reserve pool)
GDI maintains a significant number of lists of goods. These range from ones considered innocuous, like flour, spinach, or brussels sprouts, to much more secure lists like military equipment, and heavy industrial goods. This quarter, the Treasury has conducted a sweeping reclassification of goods, moving many products, like CNC tooling, into drastically higher classifications, in many cases limiting access to the Treasury and the other branches of the GDI government.
This curtailment has produced wide ranging effects, most notably on smaller, privately held businesses. While the larger cooperatives can make need-based applications on the relatively small stream of capital goods dedicated to the free market, smaller ones have already begun to have difficulty acquiring supplies of spare parts to keep the machines that they do have running.
Beyond the free market, GDI has not fully made good on its technical debts. While the vast majority has been repaired, the Treasury's habit of maintaining only a small surplus of Capital Goods above its ongoing needs has been problematic for restoring capabilities, and bringing areas, even those with a miniscule ongoing need, up to a modern standard.
[ ] Hover Chassis Development (New)
The Scrin made wide use of various forms of antigravity hover vehicles in their invasion of earth. Reverse engineering this into a set of repulsor plates, GDI has managed to reach a point where those plates can be mounted on a chassis and used across multiple fields. However, at least to begin with, they need a basic chassis.
(Progress 61/60: 20 resources per die) [18]
The main challenge in producing a production viable hovercraft has been in the repulsor plates, specifically in maintaining equilibrium. First, multiple repulsor plates, especially when at different angles, have a strong tendency towards creating destructive vibrations, a result which put paid to multiple vehicles during the testing program. Even once that was resolved by the use of a number of dampers, there was another critical issue, attitude control. Early designs used simultaneous power feeds, supplying the same amount of energy to all vertical plates. However, this is actually a severe problem for uneven terrain, as a simple 10 centimeter rise could nearly flip the vehicle or create a severe lateral movement. This has been resolved by instead giving each plate its own power supply, and the use of a gyroscope to ensure that the vehicle remains vertical. All that is left however is to ensure proper stabilization with dual modes. Either these vehicles will use positive or negative stabilization. Under positive stabilization, the energy provided to the lower set of repulsorplates will be increased, in turn increasing the hight above ground that they maintain. Under negative stabilization, the power fed to the higher one is decreased, bringing the vehicle back down to level, but running a greater risk of running into something.
In either case, a basic hover chassis has been produced, a simple three ton flatbed truck, with a forward mounted enclosed cabin. Below it are eight hoverplates, four vertical, two forward, and two aft. The controls are laid out somewhat like a car, with a few notable exceptions. The most important of these is that the steering wheel also contains a set of attitude control levers, to allow the nose of the vehicle to be raised or lowered.
The prototype's small load capacity is an issue, being a 10 ton vehicle capable of hauling only 3 tons of cargo. Admittedly this is at speed and across otherwise hard to traverse terrain with standard ground vehicle logistics, yet it still remains a relatively expensive vehicle for its capabilities. However, there are significant iterative improvements that can and will be made, especially in the power generation and transmission fields.
[ ] T-Glass Foundries (Stage 2) (Updated)
Expansions of the Tiberium Glass Foundries will move the glass from relatively small scale applications to widespread allocations that will provide substantially increased Tiberium resistance to hundreds of areas, and provide for substantial savings due to reduced maintenance requirements.
(Progress 423/350: 15 resources per die) (-1 STUs, -2 Energy) (additional income trickle [25 Resources]) (Nat 100) (+10 resources per turn) [73, 97, 100, 6]
A series of minor modifications, primarily to the bonding process for the ALON panes, has produced a form of Tiberium Glass that is substantially cheaper to produce than originally planned. This new, cheaper, form of the glass is also more efficient in terms of STUs, making it a prime candidate for further development. As T-Glas is an order of magnitude more Tiberium resistant, than anything else the Initiative has access to, even if not tiberium proof it is a fundamental change in how GDI will engineer against Tiberium in the coming years and decades. However, at least until fundamental changes happen in the supply of STUs, no more manufacturing capacity will be added. Currently, there are hundreds of other uses for STUs, many of which are even more revolutionary, as much as that would blow the mind of the treasury of the 2020s or 2030s. The gravitic drive system requires not merely a few grams per square meter, but tens or even hundreds of kilograms of these revolutionary supermaterials.
Demand for the new glass is absurd, to the point where requests are being put in for everything from residential windows, to power pole cladding. While some of these are important, for example with yellow zone power lines, others are simply people looking for either a bit of extra protection for themselves, or to be associated with the new material.
[ ] Civilian Glider Development
The Brotherhood's glider systems have limited military uses under GDI doctrine. However, it has far more uses on the civilian side, as a recreational system and potentially a useful one in various ultralight aircraft and civilian drone systems.
(Progress 93/40: 10 resources per die) [65]
The development of glider wings for civilian purposes has had three main results. The first is an ultralight deployable drone system, designated the Bat series. These are a fairly simple system. Four independently articulated wings and a simple deployable tractor propeller give it a look not too dissimilar to proposals made for military drone development for tethered drones. While the proposal has mostly been stillborn due to the number of other priorities, and the Treasury's seeming unwillingness to fund drone projects, it does appear that someone is backdooring military development. Second is a piece of safety equipment. Rather than wings, as the Brotherhood of Nod developed, it is a vest that deploys into a set of air brakes when pulled. While relatively few people are at risk of falling from such heights and not having a parachute on them, it is a substantially more convenient package, as it spreads the weight and bulk around the body, the material itself is significantly smaller than a parachute plus cables, and due to being electrically operated there are far fewer worries about a mispacked vest not deploying properly. Third and finally is the actual civilian glider model, an ultralight power glider, using an enclosed bubble cabin somewhat approximating a Vietnam era little bird, but using a set of large deployable wings, and a pusher prop configuration, instead of being a helicopter.
[ ] Perennial Aquaponics Bays (Stage 3) (updated)
A final major phase of Perennial plants, built around the vast demands for spices and luxury foods, is currently under construction. While it will at this point be ramping up its production well into the next plan as the plants within mature, GDI can supply an increasing amount of its population with high demand consumer goods in the near future.
(Progress 380/350: 10 resources per die) (+4 Food over 16 turns, +16 Consumer Goods over 16 turns) [58, 69]
The completion of the Perennial Bays has been the end of this being one of GDI's main focuses in food development. While the Perennial bays are in many ways efficient, they are not growing nearly fast enough to deal with the future, especially one where massive waves of refugees, of a scope not seen since the great migrations of the 2030s, are expected.
While originally planned to serve a significant portion of the consumer goods expected to come from the Initiative itself, the slowdown in the markets has meant that the products from this are doing little more than treading water when it comes to the Initiative's plan goals.
[ ] Wadmalaw Kudzu Plantations
With Kudzu being very fast growing, a relatively limited first round of plantations should begin to provide for high demand beverages, and begin providing low impact caffeination to the masses. While far short of providing enough to fuel the bureaucratic edifices of GDI, it is a noticeable improvement in quality of life.
(Progress 150/150: 10 resources per die) (+2 Consumer Goods) (+5 Political Support)
(Progress 3/300: 10 resources per die) (+4 Consumer Goods) (+10 Political Support) [42, 60]
Kudzu tea has launched in stores all around the Initiative, to a public reaction that could best be described as mixed. While there are plenty who love the tea, especially as it serves as an easy source of caffeination in healthy quantities, there are many many more who have had a significantly less positive reaction. Most complain that the tea is little more than barely flavored water, and that it lacks body. However, it is still flying off the shelves faster than it can be stocked, with years of backorders showing up almost before it can finish growing.
In terms of distribution, the most common form is a matcha like powder, something that can be easily mixed with hot water to produce a strong green tea. Typically coming in five gram gelatine capsules, they are easily dissolved in hot water, and it is suggested that one capsule be added per 100ml of hot water. While loose powder is also commonly available, the capsule form is intended for use in GDI's boiling vessels, and other military formats, rather than primarily civilian usage.
[ ] Tiberium Processing Refits (Phase 3) (Updated)
Continuing with the refits of prewar Tiberium refining capacity, the current approach has already reaped significant rewards, and kept pace with expansion of tiberium mining. While it will not be enough to fill the Treasury's goals, it is helping to some degree.
(Progress 100/100: 20 resources per die) (+50 processing capacity [-250 during refits])
(Progress 100/100: 20 resources per die) (+50 processing capacity [-250 during refits])
(Progress 6/100: 20 resources per die) (+50 processing capacity [-250 during refits]) [3, 74, 18]
The progress on refitting all of GDI's preexisting tiberium processing capacity to new model systems has proceeded very quickly. All surviving pre war refineries have been converted to the new models, and all that remains is some early processing runs in Chicago, and more importantly the processing plants salvaged and concentrated in the northern Saarland. These stumbling early postwar steps represent a piece of Initiative history, especially early efforts to build localized clusters rather than board development, as it was cheaper and less straining on an economic and political system that had reached the end of its rope, and was having to desperately twist new rope as it tried to slow its descent.
However, there have been some problems. With many plants taken offline for rebuilding, there has been a constant stream of low level logistical snarls, only partially mitigated by the new Integrated Cargo System. Mostly the issue is that the number of Tiberium capable transport units is fairly limited, and generally running fixed routes between preselected fields and a local refinery, something the ICS can only do so much for. With close to a third of the Initiative's capacity offline this quarter, many had to scramble to ensure that fields could keep their harvests coming in and there were no losses to abatement or desperately needed income. While the problems will sort themselves out in the coming weeks as refinery systems come back online, it was not a particularly good look in the days running up to the election.
[ ] Offshore Tiberium Harvester Stations (Phase 3) (Updated)
The last of the Tiberium Harvester Stations that can be secured with current resources, these will add a significant amount of tiberium income to GDI's resources. However, without further naval development, this will be the last that can be managed.
(Progress 268/200: 20 resources per die) (+20 resources per turn) [37, 92]
Yet more swarms of Tiberium harvesters have begun attacking ocean based Tiberium. However, these are not based out of the contained seas and narrow channels of earlier fleets. Instead, many are located in the outback, far from the Brotherhood of Nod, but in open waters. Off the western coast of Greenland, on the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards of the United States, off the Falkland islands, and many other locations, these open seas harvest fleets are potentially much more vulnerable than the others. However, with the need for more Tiberium ever present, it is preparing the ground for a general offensive on the other front, on land.
[ ] Tiberium Inhibitor Deployment
With the inhibitor prepared, it is time to begin arranging for deployment. While each will be significantly energy expensive and require a major investment of resources, it is now one of the fastest routes to abate the Tiberian menace.
-[ ] Red Zone 6 (Progress 128/120: 30 resources per die) (+2 Red Zone Abatement) (2 Political Support) [88]
The first Tiberium Inhibitor deployed was brought online with little ceremony, a simple pair of flipped switches and a notification to concerned parties. However, the importance of this act far outmatches its humble origins. The development and deployment of the new Inhibitor systems mark the single largest innovation in the field of Tiberium abatement since the invention of the Sonic Disruptor during the Second Tiberium War. While the Inhibitors are not good enough at the current time to actually reverse the spread of Tiberium, they do slow it significantly, to the point where other methods, especially harvesting, can make significant impacts. Around the mouth of the Amazon River, where a MARV hub supports glacier mining activities, the impact can already be seen from orbit, with areas that have been covered by glaciers for decades, are now once more barren dirt.
Technologically speaking there are already scientists very excited about finally having the system put into action. While nobody is currently working on a directly upgraded version, there are significant elements that are not particularly well understood, and the mechanisms of Tiberium inhibition offers significant insight into the specifics of Tiberium as a substance and how it interacts with other materials. Some suspect that this can lead to improved Tiberium resistance in certain materials, but more important in some ways is the basic science projects to better understand the still mysterious material.
[ ] Lunar Heavy Metals Mines (Phase 1)
Heavier metals such as titanium, iron, magnesium, and many others are incredibly useful for a wide variety of industrial and aerospace technologies. There are many subsurface deposits scattered across the moon, some of which are economical for extractive activities.
(Progress 395/395: 20 resources per die) (+20 Resources per turn)
(Progress 145/385: 20 resources per die) (+2 Heavy Metals) [68, 39, 86, 61, 57, 91]
Massive investments have been made into preparing the land for extraction. Lunar Mares are rich in plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, among other metal bearing compounds. While all will require substantial refining, both at the lunar bases, and more at the Enterprise station, it is also a source of resources not dependent on Tiberium.
Over two dozen small stations have been erected on the lunar surface, most using a combination of solar and batteries. While each is manned by a small crew, usually in two and a half shifts, the work is done by swarms of rovers, often doing a form of open pit mining. While this does produce vast amounts of byproducts, to a modern system little is actually useless. Ranging from forging bricks to breaking down rocks to produce oxygen, nearly everything has a use, if only the infrastructure is there to support it. So far, much of this byproduct is simply being set aside, and saved for another day.
In addition to the stations preparing light metal ores for transportation to the Enterprise, heavy metal ores have now been added to the pot, increasing substantially the number of freighters making trips back and forth. A new "spacer" culture has begun to emerge, often intentionally aping the cultures of Earth's 19th and 20th century sailors as a means of recreation on the voyages back and forth, and the long, often difficult, tours of duty on lunar bases, which are usually too small for many of the more active forms of recreation.
I thought I heard the Old Man say
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her"
Tomorrow we will burn our way
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the moon won't slow,
And it's time for us to leave her
Oh, the run was foul and the captain high
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
But we shipped them greens to the lunar sky
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the moon won't slow,
And it's time for us to leave her
Burning stars to the lunar hub,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
No grog allowed and frozen grub,
And it's time for us to leave her.
[ ] 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 288/320: 15 resources per die) (-1 Health, +1 Labor per turn) (+5 Political Support) [77, 13]
The prosthetics deployment has run into a significant issue this quarter, primarily relating to the assassination of Mayowa Omobenigun, the Secretary of Welfare. In short, while the Treasury has nearly completed a sizable number of factories, making end point deliveries to the patients is difficult as some key parts of the Welfare side have been having difficulties figuring out where the completed limbs will go.
Beyond the prosthetic deploymentss however, there have been advancements elsewhere in the field of prosthetics. The Steel Talons version of Read/Write capable neurohelmets included experiments with pseudohallucinations. While they were too unreliable to be included in the final design, they are an interesting potential way to resolve the problems of eyesight, especially as they interface with the optic nerves in interesting ways without having to do invasive surgery.
[ ] Domestic Animal Programs
Pets provide for the mental health and well being of much of the populace. While unpopular for much of the last half century as food supplies have often been scarce, providing pets and pet supplies is something that can be done to both help the many disabled veterans with service animals, and support the broader population.
(Progress 201/200: 10 resources per die) (-3 Food, +2 Consumer Goods) (10 Political Support) [77, 72]
The domestic animal program is a significant point of negotiation between GDI's government, people, and the fundamental economic realities of the modern day. From a governmental perspective, herbivorous and granivorous animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, or hamsters are the optimal option. Small, easily transported, and having a very minimal impact on the overall food supply. However, from the citizen perspective none are particularly high status, or very appealing as the standard pet. Instead, the citizenry wants primarily cats and dogs, the symbols of the old order across much of the world. A dog is not simply companionship, not just a working animal in the case of an emotional support animal, or service dog, but a living, barking representation of a world that was in both effable and ineffable ways, different and better.
Finally however are the strict limitations on what can actually be supported. Cats, for example, require taurine, an amino acid, much like all other animals. However, they cannot synthesize it for themselves, and cannot store much in their bodies. This means that they need to get it from the meat that they consume. It is one of the reasons cats are obligate carnivores, needing to consume meat effectively every day. With GDI not able to feed its entire population meat every day, that is a very tall order. Even though rapidly organized petitions offered to give up meat entirely for the cats, it has been a very difficult decision to make for the bureaucrats. And this is one of the very few options where there is a decent solution, especially as taurine supplements and taurine enrichment are options that can be put into the field quickly and cheaply. Many others are far more intractable.
The end result has satisfied precisely nobody. While cats and dogs are the bulk of the issued pets, there are far from enough of them in the opinion of GDI's population, and far too many in the eyes of the vast bureaucracy.
[ ] 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 385/300: 25 resources per die)(Very High Priority) [92, 66, 34]
The expansion of the LRSS factories has been relatively straightforward. With substantial new works coming online in early December, stockpiles of sensor pods have begun to rapidly increase. These new factories have been built to modern standards, and are significantly more productive than the older ones. While wartime exigencies are likely to deplete supplies over time, they are not going to be nearly as critical as before the new factories solved the production issues.
Technologically speaking, the Brotherhood of Nod has begun closing some of the gaps that the sensor units rely on. While so far it has only meant a reduction in precision at the edge of the sensor range, it does mean that the contest between stealth and sensors is far from over, and has begun another trend towards closer ranges. At the same time, GDI's development teams have not been standing still. Interest in disruption of stealth has never been higher, as multiple proposals have been made towards a directed "anti stealth beam" technology that could use sensor pods to detect a possible contact, before turning a disruptor beam towards them. Otherwise, development has begun on a multi beam multispectral lidar system, intended to increase the range of the point sensors, preventing an already spotted vehicle from disappearing during an escape attempt.
[ ] Orca Refit Deployment
With the degree of refits required, existing Orca facilities will need to be massively reworked, and updated to modern standards. With the prewar facilities brought up to modern standards, the vast majority of the needed work is simply changing settings and creating new components, rather than being a significant drain on the supply of capital goods.
(Progress 218/200: 15 resources per die) (Very High Priority) [42]
The A-16 Orca has finally begun to have deliveries made, with the carrier GDIS Scapa Flow receiving the first squadron as a Christmas present. The A-16 is a massive upgrade to the older A-15 model, longer range, more heavily armed, and much more flexible. However, it is likely to see a very short time in service. There are rumblings about upgrade packages, and the A-16a is already on the drawing boards in a number of design bureaus, adding the most recent technologies. While neither the Air Force nor the Navy see the upgrade as an immediate necessity, especially compared to the vast swathes of other demands, it is a project on the horizon, especially given the current rate of technological progress.
With the current rate of deployment the A-16 will not be ready in significant numbers before the coming conflict. While the A-15 has an expiration date, it will not be until after the end of the plan. Locations like the Himalayan Blue Zone, soon to be cut off from the rest of GDI without significant other efforts, are the lowest on the priority list, as they already have stockpiles laid in for the A-15. However, the island blue zones, most notably Britain and Japan, are much higher on the list, as familiarization can begin well out of the range of most Brotherhood activities.
These familiarization operations have so far gone extremely well, with most pilots praising the responsiveness and range, while engineering crews are more impressed by its reliability and lack of maintenance needs. The one critical flaw that both point out is with the engines on full load takeoffs, which have a tendency to strain. While still within safety margins, it is a worry in case of high intensity operations, where maintenance checks might be shortened, and potential supply problems can lead to engine failures at critical points.
[ ] Prototype Plasma Weapons Development
While so far projected plasma weapons have not worked out as well as GDI could hope, it is an unparalleled source of destructive power. However, Initiative scientists have developed a compromise system that can cheaply produce relatively small amounts of plasma and project a lance beyond the detonation point. While requiring small amounts of exotic materials, plasma weaponry can provide both standoff capability and significantly increased destructive potential to many Initiative munitions.
(Progress 35/60: 25 resources per die) [5]
There are many compounds in the field of chemical explosives where the best safety equipment is a good pair of running shoes. Things like azidoazide azide, dioxygen difluoride, and many many others. This quarter, plasma bombs have been added to their ranks.
(Note from one of the development team: Despite what our esteemed team leader put there, you do not actually want to run away from azidoazide azide, that stuff's extremely shock sensitive, you want to carefully mosey away so you produce as few and little pressure spikes as possible and quietly pray it doesn't decide to take offense to existing and explode. It'll explode, mind you, but hopefully without you being there.)
Test devices have encountered a wide range of problems. Early, alpha series tests had a bad tendency to fizzle. Second wave testing had far more creative problems, including a wide range of premature detonations, hangfires, and numerous incidents where calculated yield was wildly pessimistic. While these have mostly been resolved, the devices are still far too sensitive, with test devices either going off during a simulated takeoff, or failing to detonate entirely.
However, these problems can be solved. Some will rely on quality control checks, other elements will however require reengineering of certain systems for softer launches in order to avoid damaging fragile components.
"Test stand 5 has been demolished by Item 14. We estimate five times the stand's maximum rated explosive power, from an item we thought was identical to 11, 12, and 13. Two of those went off with only half or less of their rated power, but 14 wanted to be a Very Special Boy. I've ordered item 15 stored in a deep-freeze for now, and it will be tested by someone braver than I. We're fresh out of test stands in any case." - From the initial report on plasma weapons development.
[ ] Universal Rocket Launch System Deployment (Phase 2)
With existing missile and rocket facilities almost entirely converted over, GDI needs far more rockets in order to solve its artillery and supporting arms problems. With a new series of MLRS systems being proposed, massive numbers of heavy rockets will be needed to feed them.
(Progress 200/200: 15 resources per die) (-2 Energy) (High Priority) [70]
Rocket artillery is a very old concept dating back to the thirteenth century, where at the battle of Kai-Kang, the Chinese unleashed "arrows of flying fire" against Mongol invaders. However, more modern military rockets date back to India, where Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan used iron cased rockets as an early shrapnel bomb against the British East India Company. This in turn led to the development of the Congreve and Hale rocket systems, and a revitalization of military rocketry in the 19th and early 20th century, with many of their famous cousins finding roles in every war to follow.
The modern rocket system however, is a far more complicated beast. Most modern rockets use inertial guidance systems as a means of ensuring that even systems failure does not send them into friendly troops as happened many times in the long history of military rocketry.
With this new wave of rocket factories comes a return of old concepts, most notably proposals for MLRS platforms. In many ways an iterative development of the truly ancient models dating back to the dawn of the military rocket, MLRS systems trade everything for sheer volume of fire, drowning target areas, either surface or air, in shrapnel and explosives.
[ ] Shell Plants (Phase 5)
While stockpiles are currently growing, there are still critical shortages of many forms of specialist munitions, and they are growing slower than needed in the case of war in the near future.
(Progress 150/150: 10 resources per die) (-1 Energy)
(Progress 7/150: 10 resources per die) (-1 Energy) [50, 30]
The Initiative's artillery systems have had small numbers of guided shells as part of their loadout for decades. However, there have always been three serious problems holding back their universal adoption. First is that these shells, despite their long effective range, require spotters. While normally spotter systems are fairly sizable, they are little more than a rounding error compared to the needs of life support, mobility, and firepower on modern Zone Armor. Currently Zone Armor is almost entirely exclusive to ZOCOM, but that can change quickly. Second is a matter of cost. While the physical materials are relatively cheap, a dumb contact, or even airburst shell is many times simpler than one that can be fed precise targeting data, or perform terminal guidance on its own. Third and finally is a much more proximate cause. With the vast increase in the number of artillery tubes delivered, the Initiative had severe problems providing enough artillery shells simply to keep the guns firing, let alone provide vast swarms of guided munitions, despite their effectiveness.
Now, all three problems have been solved. There are plentiful shells, guidance systems, while not anywhere close to universal, are at most simply awaiting funding, and the costs are immaterial next to the potential to keep Initiative soldiers alive. Current production has brought the ammunition load of guided shells from five to twenty five per gun, a noticeable upgrade in firepower.
[ ] Ablat Plating Deployment (Stage 4)
While GDI can, at this point, feed many of its needs for Ablat, the supply is still distinctly short. Beginning to not only feed forward deployed units, but second and third line positions, and building a stockpile to last for more than the first few days of a future war.
(Progress 254/200: 10 resources per die) (Very High Priority) [30, 53, 51]
Ablat stockpiles have remained fairly bare. While for much of the last half decade frontline units have been able to expect a full allocation of ablat, others have had to make do with far less, and while they have often been able to get enough, especially after the pacification of the middle east, it has been a problem to get any significant stockpile built up even as war clouds gather. Now however, a series of new factories and major revisions to old ones have begun to supply strategic stockpiles. With the war warning, there will not be enough time to fill those stockpiles significantly, and large portions of the Initiative will be forced to fight without the aid of such equipment, especially if the war drags on too long. However, production will be high enough that most units should be able to uparmor critical areas in preparation for battle.
Even small amounts are likely to prove a critical psychological aid. In the second world war, servicemen from all armies searched for means of adding more protection to their tanks. In American armies, logs and sandbags provided, a mostly psychological, aid for the soldiers inside. While other means, like spare track links, were far more effective, they were also not always the most available.
[ ] 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 220/220: 20 resources per die) (Very High Priority)
(Progress 136/195: 20 resources per die) [90, 75, 46]
The first ORSCT station has surged towards completion. A small initial force, a mere two battalions of light mechanized infantry, have been assembled at the station. These soldiers are the vanguard of a new age of warfare. In August 1918 Lieutenant Alessandro Tandura, of the Italian Arditi, jumped out of an airplane behind enemy lines, on a mission to scout and sabotage Austrian positions around Venice. Following him were two other Lieutenants. In 1927, the Italians again made history with the first organized paratrooper drop. While they would soon be overtaken by other forces, it was every bit as groundbreaking as these first two battalions of drop mechanized infantry. Dropping from orbit to anywhere in the world, these forces can break sieges, support defenses, or even hold critical chokepoints for advancing ground forces. While there are many operations that these forces are drastically too small to undertake, and others that they are too light to handle, it is expected that in the coming years, war will change.
Beyond the historic importance of the unit, there have been a number of more practical concerns. In terms of equipment, the unit is drawing primarily on the excess equipment allocated to the Zone Operations Command, including Defender pattern zone suits, and a number of Guardian APCs. While as of yet no Predators or other heavy vehicles have been assigned, it is only a matter of time. All of this has to be hauled up the gravity well using fusion lift, as currently the elements on the Enterprise are too small to effectively produce large amounts of diverse equipment. While it is producing ammunition, and some spare parts, these are far from enough to actually equip the unit.
"We will descend upon the foe, we will overwhelm them, we will leave none alive! Meanwhile, our ground forces will ensure the full defense of our headquarters, and most importantly break through to relieve us once we have finished comprehensively kicking Brotherhood Ass! Am I understood!" - Colonel Johnathan Gordon. Space Force Orbital Strike Regimental Combat Team
[ ] Neural Interface System Development
Pioneered by GDI's Firehawk program and the Brotherhood of Nod's Purifier, neural interface is not precisely a new technology, however, the Talons are taking another crack at developing a variant that is cheap, noninvasive, and flexible, hopefully cutting crew requirements by enhancing situational awareness and intuitive control schemes.
(Progress 113/60: 25 resources per die) [83]
Broadly speaking there are four ways to handle neural interfaces, at least in theory. Read Only and Read/Write on one axis, and hard and soft interface on the other. On the first axis, there is read only. Read Only is the simplest approach. Using relatively simple technology and an EVA unit, a pilot can activate a series of features of their aircraft. Read/Write on the other hand is substantially more complicated. In essence it is a form of induced synthanasia. While each pilot is unique, most describe tasting almonds when they have expended their missile ammunition. Similarly, damage is often felt as either heat or cold, more often the former.
The other axis is hard versus soft interface. Hard interface is by far the more invasive. Implants along or even inside a person's brain can allow for detailed rapid read and write features. However, as seen with the pilots of the Purifier and Avatar, it can have severe consequences, including emotional deadening, damage to risk assessment capabilities, hormonal imbalances, and in the long term a series of neurological issues, including what could be called phantom mech syndrome, where a person feels like they are controlling their vehicle even when they are not in it. Soft on the other hand is far more favored by the Initiative. Rather than directly sticking an implant into the brain or the brainstem, soft interfaces are all built into the helmet, and leave the pilot with no obvious signs of implantation. While it does have its drawbacks, both short and long term, it is far less damaging than even a competently done hard interface.
The Firehawk and the new model design are both soft read/write systems. However, the Firehawk's version is far more capable. With both read and write functions, and a dedicated EVA assistant to ensure full control, it is a substantially costly endeavor to build. The Talons have been able to cut significant swathes of that, producing a helmet that, while bulky, and only allows an approximately 170 degree turning angle, is massively cheaper to produce and maintain. The new model is primarily built as a write platform, specifically to impart a kinesthetic sense to the wearer. While it does have read functionality, it is limited to a handful of commands, primarily built around the weapons systems, effectively a look and shoot functionality.
"Captain Inazuri's taken to the new interface like a duck to water-our ace hardly even uses her triggers anymore. She says that her husband's bro squad have given her plenty of practice at channeling 'killing intent' to get them to clear out after a night of beers. Should I be worried for the Lt?"
[ ] Security Reviews
GDI has often faced problems with infiltration by the Brotherhood of Nod. A full security review of one department of operations can mitigate or discover infiltration, however it will take a significant amount of effort. (DC 50 + 1 operations die) (110) (Infrastructure)
Sweeping the Infrastructure department has mostly found a series of what could be called whiskers. Normally these are extremely hard to find, because they lie buried, doing nothing, so long as operations continue normally. However, when something significant (at least in terms of allocations) changes, they send an unauthorized signal towards a hole in the firewall. Usually this takes the form of an email to an unsecured account, one compromised by the Brotherhood of Nod without the knowledge of the owner of the account. Most seem to have been planted by a handful of compromised members of the IT department, who were not Brotherhood sympathizers when recruited, but have been compromised since.
[ ] Security Reviews
GDI has often faced problems with infiltration by the Brotherhood of Nod. A full security review of one department of operations can mitigate or discover infiltration, however it will take a significant amount of effort. (DC 50 + 1 operations die) (184) (Tiberium)
The Tiberium department is very thoroughly clean, mostly by its own efforts. With the amount of resources poured into it, and its own internal culture, it has enough inbuilt traditions that it is hard for Brotherhood members to convert within it, and more importantly hard for them to rise the ranks.
"We work with Tiberium, and we know exactly how eager it is fuck up our everything. And that's what Nod wants to spread all over? Fuck them with a railgun, mate."
Reported conversation from Tiberium Security Review
[ ] Lunar Heavy Metals Mines (Phase 1)
Heavier metals such as titanium, iron, magnesium, and many others are incredibly useful for a wide variety of industrial and aerospace technologies. There are many subsurface deposits scattered across the moon, some of which are economical for extractive activities.
(Progress 395/395: 20 resources per die) (+20 Resources per turn)
(Progress 145/385: 20 resources per die) (+2 Heavy Metals) [68, 39, 86, 61, 57, 91]
Massive investments have been made into preparing the land for extraction. Lunar Mares are rich in plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, among other metal bearing compounds. While all will require substantial refining, both at the lunar bases, and more at the Enterprise station, it is also a source of resources not dependent on Tiberium.
Over two dozen small stations have been erected on the lunar surface, most using a combination of solar and batteries. While each is manned by a small crew, usually in two and a half shifts, the work is done by swarms of rovers, often doing a form of open pit mining. While this does produce vast amounts of byproducts, to a modern system little is actually useless. Ranging from forging bricks to breaking down rocks to produce oxygen, nearly everything has a use, if only the infrastructure is there to support it. So far, much of this byproduct is simply being set aside, and saved for another day.
In addition to the stations preparing light metal ores for transportation to the Enterprise, heavy metal ores have now been added to the pot, increasing substantially the number of freighters making trips back and forth. A new "spacer" culture has begun to emerge, often intentionally aping the cultures of Earth's 19th and 20th century sailors as a means of recreation on the voyages back and forth, and the long, often difficult, tours of duty on lunar bases, which are usually too small for many of the more active forms of recreation.
I thought I heard the Old Man say
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her"
Tomorrow we will burn our way
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the moon won't slow,
And it's time for us to leave her
Oh, the run was foul and the captain high
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
But we shipped them greens to the lunar sky
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the moon won't slow,
And it's time for us to leave her
Burning stars to the lunar hub,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
No grog allowed and frozen grub,
And it's time for us to leave her.
[ ] 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 220/220: 20 resources per die) (Very High Priority)
(Progress 136/195: 20 resources per die) [90, 75, 46]
The first ORSCT station has surged towards completion. A small initial force, a mere two battalions of light mechanized infantry, have been assembled at the station. These soldiers are the vanguard of a new age of warfare. In August 1918 Lieutenant Alessandro Tandura, of the Italian Arditi, jumped out of an airplane behind enemy lines, on a mission to scout and sabotage Austrian positions around Venice. Following him were two other Lieutenants. In 1927, the Italians again made history with the first organized paratrooper drop. While they would soon be overtaken by other forces, it was every bit as groundbreaking as these first two battalions of drop mechanized infantry. Dropping from orbit to anywhere in the world, these forces can break sieges, support defenses, or even hold critical chokepoints for advancing ground forces. While there are many operations that these forces are drastically too small to undertake, and others that they are too light to handle, it is expected that in the coming years, war will change.
Beyond the historic importance of the unit, there have been a number of more practical concerns. In terms of equipment, the unit is drawing primarily on the excess equipment allocated to the Zone Operations Command, including Defender pattern zone suits, and a number of Guardian APCs. While as of yet no Predators or other heavy vehicles have been assigned, it is only a matter of time. All of this has to be hauled up the gravity well using fusion lift, as currently the elements on the Enterprise are too small to effectively produce large amounts of diverse equipment. While it is producing ammunition, and some spare parts, these are far from enough to actually equip the unit.
"We will descend upon the foe, we will overwhelm them, we will leave none alive! Meanwhile, our ground forces will ensure the full defense of our headquarters, and most importantly break through to relieve us once we have finished comprehensively kicking Brotherhood Ass! Am I understood!" - Colonel Johnathan Gordon. Space Force Orbital Strike Regimental Combat Team
So some important notes- Karachi strike plan is going to tax the navy and that is the branch that takes the longest for new builds, navy prefers the general spoiling attack which is my inclination as there is no point in doing Karachi if it hamstrings our navy.
Air force notes the chance that attrition will bring them to reduced operational levels, however wingman drones will do a lot to combat that and are a must do tech for next turn.
Of note- OSRCT is still getting equipment from the ground we need phase 4 or 5 of enterprise to be able to get rid of the ground to space supply line.
Also cap goods shortage is an issue so we need to address that next turn.
"We work with Tiberium, and we know exactly how eager it is fuck up our everything. And that's what Nod wants to spread all over? Fuck them with a railgun, mate."
So. People on the Discord debated a lot, and what we realized is that the Navy is going to get savaged by the Nod offensive in January-February. It is pretty much agreed upon by everyone. Many of us are of the opinion that a General Offensive is better. To be rather very crass and crude, we want to cock block Nod just as it is ready to blow its load, which is going to be very painful for them.
let's see how nod like being the ones surprised for once. Steel Vanguard go!
Also for next turn we reallllllly need to get capital goods. I know we all like the shiny military gear but the rapid military build up is dragging the rest of the gdi down. Just base dice should do for the military until nuuk is in a good place
Still thinking about things, but I already know that I am not a fan of the defensive plan. Nod appears to be heavily build for offense and stealth, and I really want to stop playing their game and force them to fight defensively for a change. Our considerable defensive depth could be used to keep Blue Zones safe while a lot of military is on the offensive.
I am very tempted to drop Karachi, war does not seem like the time to crash build a bloody city and I am very worried about our navies ability to protect our shipping as is much less with this massive strain, naval shipping is what is keeping GDI together spread all over the globe as we are. Securing the supply lines to Himalayas would be nice though. Maybe suborbital shuttles could replace Karachi short term?
Than again the Ground Forces support Karachi the most, and they are our currently strongest military branch by two steps.
So these are my babies, from left to right, they are Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage. Sage is the sweetest little thing, and loves being carried everywhere. Well, so long as Spice (the mom) is willing to put up with it anyway.
So, Ground Forces wants blood, and sees Karachi as the best way to force big set-piece battles. Steel Talons think that they need more gear, as does Space Force and ZOCOM.
Air Force wants more airframes, since they're probably going to lose a bunch in high-intensity operations.
Navy wants the general offensive. And more hulls.
Pretty much everyone thinks that going on the offensive is a good idea, though.
Including Gideon, but he's about to get a very unwelcome present...
So, Green Zones are thinning, but we're going to fix that shortly. Good that we got new fortress towns to both support the offensives, and provide fallback positions.
ICS has made everyone who cares about Logistics happy (+25!) and we probably want to do a phase or two of Bergen as soon as we finish Myomers phase 4, in order to get next-gen fusion ready. But +17 Energy is a nice cushion.
Hovertrucks... well, they're a first-gen model, so they aren't great, but progress is being made.
T-Glass gave us +35 RpT that doesn't apply to the Refining cap, which is very shiny. Need moar STUs.
Gliders look like some utility, maybe some +Consumer Goods stuff, we'll see.
We have coffee, and chocolate, and KudzuTea. Well, when the plants finish growing.
Sad about the minimum roll for income from offshore harvesters, but we still got a decent chunk this turn.
Tib inhibitors likely have the Tiberium Sciences department off-the-wall. To quote from Discord:
Me: Heh. Looking at the Inhibitor section, and I imagine that the Tib Science department requested permission to set up a fuckton of sensors around that area, to try and get data on how it works and what it does.
Is that something Granger would put a word in for?
Ithillid: It is something Granger would if Seo was not bouncing like a kid in a candy store about it.
SPEHSS Chanties. That is all.
And, as mentioned, we have puppers and kittehs! Time to work on more meat.
And the military got prezzies. Long-range Sensors are good, although we'll want to work on Stealth Disruptors soon. New Orcas are coming in, but late for the dogpile. Consumables, of course, mean that we have a lot of boom. Sadly, not as much boom as hoped, because plasma warheads are being Very Special. I do love the phrase "calculated yield was wildly pessimistic". Neural Interfaces probably need time to test and do iterative development, but sounds promising, and OSRCT is a good start. It does look like Enterprise Phase 4 is the next step needed for Orbital, to help build the needed equipment.
Infra 6/6 105R +34
-[] Yellow Zone Fortress Towns (Phase 4) 46/250 3 dice 60R 90%
-[] Rail Network Construction Campaigns (Phase 2) 15/275 3 dice 45R 57%
HI 5/5+2 free 140R +29
-[] Continuous Cycle Fusion Plant (Phase 4) 76/300 1 dice 20R 0%
-[] Nuuk Heavy Robotics Foundry (Phase 1&2) 0/480 6 dice 120R 57% for phase 2
LCI 5/5 100R +24
-[] Reykjavik Myomer Macrospinner (Phase 4) 20/640 5 dice 100R 0%
Agri 4/4 50R +24
-[] Wadmalaw Kudzu Plantations (Phase 2) 0/300 3 dice 30R 13%
-[] Freeze Dried Food Plants 0/200 1 die 20R
Tiberium 7/7 130R +39
-[] Yellow Zone Tiberium Harvesting (Phase 6) 2/375 5 dice 100R 92%
-[] Intensification of Green Zone Harvesting (Stage 4) 63/100 1 dice 15R 100%
-[] Visceroid Research Programs 0/120 1 die 15R 37%
Orbital 6/6 120R +26
-[] GDSS Enterprise (Phase 4) 0/765 6 dice 120R 0%
Services 2/5 40R +27
-[] Human Genetic Engineering Programs 0/120 1 die 25R 28%
-[] Hallucinogen Development (New) 0/60 1 die 15R 89%
Military 8/8+5 free 240R +26
-[] Advanced Laser System Development 0/60 1 die 30R 87%
-[] Prototype Plasma Weapons Development 35/60 1 die 25R 100%
-[] Stealth Disruptor Development 0/40 1 die 15R 100%
-[] Super MARV Fleet Yellow Zone 6a 184/210 1 die 20R 100%
-[] Wingman Drone Development 0/40 1 die 15R 100%
-[] Tactical Airborne Laser Development 0/40 1 die 20R 100%
-[] Apollo Fighter Factories (Rotterdam) 0/80 1 die 15R 62%
-[] Orbital Strike Regimental Combat Team Stations (Phase 2) 136/195 1 die 20R 88%
-[] Ablat Plating Deployment (Stage 5) 54/200 2 dice 20R 70%
-[] Hallucinogen Countermeasures Development (New) 0/40 1 die 15R 100%
-[] Escort Carrier Development 0/40 1 die 15R 100%
-[] Tactical Plasma Weapon Development 0/40 1 die 30R 100%
Bureau 4/4 +24
-[] Security Reviews (Bureau) 3+1 dice 100%
Free 7/7
2 HI, 5 Mil
3 Idle dice
925/925 (+5 reserve)
Right so my feelings are, general spoiling attack while getting a lot of dev projects done that will benefits designs we roll out while also rolling out wingman drones and escort carriers. Also 1 stage of ablat consumables and 1 more stage of OSRCT to keep on slowly building that up. That and 1 more apollo factory to avoid too much energy expenditure so we can instead try and get Nuuk phase 2 out. I imagine Q2 will have more free dice in HI to roll out power and cap goods. Meanwhile reyjavik (q1 and q2 to get phase 4), enterprise 4 (q1 and q2) will also provide some cap good and enterprise phase 4 will increase the amount of manufacturing for OSRCT done in orbit reducing the amount of ground to orbit supplies
Wish we didn't wait so long for naval ships, since that seems to be the primary issue with Eastern Paris.
They did say that its still possible, but we would have to focus on naval projects over the next few turns. I'm tempted, but the lack of flexibility makes it risky.
"We will descend upon the foe, we will overwhelm them, we will leave none alive! Meanwhile, our ground forces will ensure the full defense of our headquarters, and most importantly break through to relieve us once we have finished comprehensively kicking Brotherhood Ass! Am I understood!" - Colonel Johnathan Gordon. Space Force Orbital Strike Regimental Combat Team
"We will descend upon the foe, we will overwhelm them, we will leave none alive! Meanwhile, our ground forces will ensure the full defense of our headquarters, and most importantly break through to relieve us once we have finished comprehensively kicking Brotherhood Ass! Am I understood!" - Colonel Johnathan Gordon. Space Force Orbital Strike Regimental Combat Team
the issues is the fact that a lot of our big targets are close to the sea. The GDI hugs the open oceans more often than not. Meaning that a navy can bomb our important shit fairly easily. Remember the submarine attack on the British Isles? That was with our navy. Unless we want to eat missiles to our core territories over straining the navy is probably a bad idea
YellowZon3r
Cast my vote for the scorpion lady running in my district. Shame FMP leaked her voicework for H-Anime and she didn't get a seat but at least Developmentalist dude won. Cringe as fuck that FMP are interfering with their free market by attempting to regulate womens jobs through social pressure but they've just lost a voter. Unfortunately it seems Open hand doesn't have many candidates willing to run so they're all a little out there, also counting against them is most of the other major parties can point to years of experience as part of the ruling coalition and various successes which benefits the entrenched establishment but oh well.
FloatingWood
#Crucible, you are still here? I'd feared InOps would've disappeared you to somewhere safer for the next 6 months just in case some asshole wanted to try and kill you. Good to see you still trying.
#YellowZon3r, wait, FMP did what? The fuck is wrong with those assholes.
Im hopeful that we will be able to keep Erewhon alive long enough that a permeant increase in stability can be reached. Though at the same time I am not certain how much influence we will have on that, both due to limited options and limited resources with the coming increase in hostilities.
What would be the best projects to prepare for a general offensive, someone who has thought about this enlighten me pls? Do we double down on consumables and asset deployment or use this turn to do some upgrades and developments to quickly deploy them over the next few turns turn?
They did say that its still possible, but we would have to focus on naval projects over the next few turns. I'm tempted, but the lack of flexibility makes it risky.
All our industry and machinery is in coastal cities...guess what happens when we go to Karachi, most of the GDI navy does the landing operations there...and is kinda not present for the upcoming global Nod offensive that includes Naval assets with hypersonic cruise missiles that hit targets 500 miles away. Ooops.
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