Lord of the Stars II Quest
- Thread starter Trent01
- Start date
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- Tags
- original science fantasy
Fallenblades643
Seeker of the Divine Taste
Zeitgeist said:
Trent01
A Fountain of Quest Ideas
Can't have uber-competency every turn.Jexx said:Zeit's is only one voted for, so looks like it wins. Even if it is a bad plan.
Trent01
A Fountain of Quest Ideas
Could be worse. Good news, you got a bunch of good dicerolls to make up for it.Zeitgeist said:
By the way, what are you broadcasting this turn? The Ministry of Truth was left ambiguous.
Ginger Maniac
Subject to Gravity
- Location
- Old Blighty
[x] Gremlin Top Gear - three gremlins dossing around with interesting and advanced hardware.
Trent01
A Fountain of Quest Ideas
With two votes, this seems to have won. Okay then.Kerfitd said:
mkire
Lee-ko is adorable, as always
Trent, is it too late to insert a revision? I just saw something worrying in the plan: Chekov's reactor is being used when we're going to crack open its innards and mess with it.
my revision is a simple one- don't use the reactor for anything, shut it down while we rework it into hot fusion.
my revision is a simple one- don't use the reactor for anything, shut it down while we rework it into hot fusion.
Ginger Maniac
Subject to Gravity
- Location
- Old Blighty
I'll back it.
Trent01
A Fountain of Quest Ideas
A Cycle passes...
Star-Power
[x] [x] Use Zeal - Upgrade The Factory of Faith: The time of tribulation is at hand. Now, Gremlinkind looks upon it's first true enemy, and it is thgself. In this toublesome era, all true followers of the star lord must redouble there efforts and dedication. Only then, with the blessing of the starlord, may we hold against the coming storm.
(97+94= 191, major success)
A great industrial-religious zeal rises among the people, and the priests of the faith struggle to contain such raw zeal and fury as its channeled into the factories and industry of the nation, causing a massive boom in productivity, work ethic, and workforce size. Using this as a base, future Zeal actions also become slightly easier to pull off with visible proof of what belief in the Starlord can do.
Factory of Faith
* Industrial Worship 1 -> +2 action slots
* Work Ethic -> Zealous Industry: +30 to one industry-related action per turn.
(New) * Industrial-faith complex +10 to one zeal power-action per turn.
R&D
[x] Energon analysis: "Take a deeper look at this liquid energy."
---Apologize to Sokov for the delay and explain that, while his Energon powerplants are better than HF reactors, we can not green light it without knowing what potential side-effects there could be.
(69, success)
Energon is a incredibly dense form of liquid energy. By itself, its harmless. Give it various forms of stimuli or combustion however, and it can release a ton of power if harnessed right. The Baron has already devised several means to exploit this energy, from giant power plants to vehicle-sized energon engines. The Baron notes that his designs are much more stable than Hot Fusion cores, even if they don't have the same power output and need a constant supply of fuel.
However, the designs are already locked in for Hot Fusion cores to be used, and it will take nation-wide efforts to convert vehicles from Hot Fusion to energon or vice versa. On a side note, some lab techs from Chekov think they can safely weaponize some energon warheads to improve Heavy Munition yield, or try creating commercial-scale energon engines for civilian private sector use.
[New R&D Project: Energon Explosives] "Energon-tipped Heavy Munitions"
[New R&D Project: Civilian Energon Engines] "If the military is using Hot Fusion, then perhaps civilians could make use of Energon?"
[x] Baron Industrial DEA: "Dominant Economic Activity zoning will be crucial to my large-scale industrial planning for equally large projects."- Baron
(88, success)
The Baron is....audacious to say the least when it comes to scale. This is a city-sized industrial complex. Primitive perhaps compared to some examples of Creator tech, but quantity has a habit of doing just as well as quality. Using energon-powered furnaces, large-scale assembly lines, modular 3D printer chains, and plenty of on-site ore processing and worker housing. Its labor-intensive, a lot of grunt work, but it could very well be a industrial complex even greater than the Grand Arsenal. In fact, the Baron and the ministers of economics and industry are thinking about folding other divisions of industry into the DEA for greater organizational efficiency.
On another note, some of the lab assistants are noting how the Baron left some divisions of the DEA open. Evidently he has other plans for expansion.
[New Improvement Project: Industrial DEA, 400 points. ++++ industry]
Action
[x] Raise Mecha Battalion (-30; pilot shortage) (+50; Religious Frenzy) (+30; Surplus Military Hardware) (+20; Mecha bay)
(41-30+50+30+20= 111, 111 of 200)
Assembly of Juggernaut and Valiant mechs goes apace, while two platoons of Grenadiers are already assembled in almost no time flat. The Master at Arms is seriously reconsidering production ratios now, especially since the hot fusion cores made most of the power plant issues go away with ease. Its currently at about a 1:2:5 ratio between Juggernauts, Valiants, and Grenadiers on average at this rate, but the crew shortages mean that the unit is suffering from a lack of drivers for the mechs and engineers to maintain them. While the facilities of the Grand Arsenal are available to them right now, in the field this might be a problem.
[x] Strategic Planning Focus "Whats the bigger picture here? Where do we want to specialize?"
The military board is at a loggerheads. Different doctrinal theories are being passed around, dismissed, argued, and debated all over again. All of them relating to logistics and specializations.
Plain truth of the matter is that despite the Raider's assistance, our logistics are poor to say the least and we're almost hitting unit cap. We can maintain about seven military units. We already have four, plus the tank and mech units still in training, so six. If we go beyond the seven unit limit, its going to start overstretching our ability to maintain them. Thankfully, the Baron has already come up with a "Just-in-time supplies" system for extended deployments for consideration.
Meanwhile, the assembled leaders are also working on doctrinal battleplans for extended campaigns. Up until now, battles were merely isolated skirmishes. Not here, not with Tricorp on the horizon and possibly with large-scale armies and infrastructure behind them.
In a campaign, the war will be divided into specific critical sectors usually centered around critical infrastructure or strategic points. Units must be assigned to sectors and fight off enemy units. They do note this will be different than battles before, and that losses will be much higher as fronts are contested for extended periods of time. Logistics, industry, and medical support will matter just as much as soldiers in the field.
Another issue is brought up: doctrine. Do we specialize? Do we generalize? Different leaders and commanders have different opinions on the matter and are at a standstill trying to decide.
(Chose a Doctrine)
[ ] Generalist Doctrine: No pros, no cons. No class of military is better than the rest, and all must be equally supported.
[ ] Infantry Doctrine: The rough and ready rifleman is the basis of the army and always will be. All other divisions serve to support the rifleman.
[ ] Mech Doctrine: Mechs are the units of the future. While expensive initially, if we establish production in-bulk for them their costs will go down significantly.
[ ] Air Doctrine: Helidynes are the future! Convert our shuttles into gunships, build air superiority craft, and pound the enemy from the air with bombs, missiles, and paratroopers!
[ ] Write-in. A radical and new theory of warfare.
[New Infrastructure Project: Baron's Just-in-time-supplies, 200 points] "Field more units with Baron's rapid-response smuggling crews ready for resupply."
[x] Continue to reorganize, rearm, replenish and cyberaugment 2nd and 3rd Armsmen Battalion
-Include the standarization of a Support Weapons Brigade within our ranks
(55, neutral)
The Third Battalion is successfully reorgnized and up to battalion strength, as well as receiving a Support Weapons Brigade. However none accept offers of cyberaugmentation, as the Hardtroopers in 1st battalion are.....strange. Getting new cyberaugment volunteers will be difficult now for some reason nobody can discern.
[3rd Armsmen Battalion, strength 17]
* Support Weapons Brigade: +3 combat strength, medium
* Light
[x] Massive scale foundry (0 of 80)
(74, 74 of 80)
This foundary is above and beyond what came before in the area of high-yield smelting, and may even hold the key for Gremlins to refine their own form of engine-metal from base materials.
[x] Coffee Factory (0 of 100 points) (+20; Racial) (+10; Factor of faith)
(18+20+10= 48, 48 of 100)
Coffee is exceptionally hard to grow on a metal planet, not helped by the fact that the Gremlins arn't entirely sure what conditions coffee grows under and need to do a lot of testing to get it right. Even then, its going to take a lot of effort to grow coffee in amounts needed for science work.
[x] [x] Vehicle Field Academy (0 of 250 points)
(32+59= 91 of 250)
The academy begins to go online and begin teaching its first class of vehicle crews while half of the academy is still under construction, but the classes must begin now due to the amount of material these cadets need to learn in order to effectively drive, maintain, and use mechs and tanks. But once the first class graduates, then the teachers should be able to crank out more than enough crews to meet military needs. If the cadets don't burn down the academy first.
[x] Chekov's Reactor: Fission to Hot Fusion ( 0 of 150)
-Use findings from the fusion research team if possible
(47, 47 of 150)
Conversion begins carefully, while Gremlins try to figure out where to put all the nuclear waste material. They just use the depleted stuff as Heavy Munitions material while trash-binning the useless stuff.
The Hot Fusion Reactor begins to be built slowly and carefully. This is a very delicate operation.
Star-Power
[x] [x] Use Zeal - Upgrade The Factory of Faith: The time of tribulation is at hand. Now, Gremlinkind looks upon it's first true enemy, and it is thgself. In this toublesome era, all true followers of the star lord must redouble there efforts and dedication. Only then, with the blessing of the starlord, may we hold against the coming storm.
(97+94= 191, major success)
A great industrial-religious zeal rises among the people, and the priests of the faith struggle to contain such raw zeal and fury as its channeled into the factories and industry of the nation, causing a massive boom in productivity, work ethic, and workforce size. Using this as a base, future Zeal actions also become slightly easier to pull off with visible proof of what belief in the Starlord can do.
Factory of Faith
* Industrial Worship 1 -> +2 action slots
* Work Ethic -> Zealous Industry: +30 to one industry-related action per turn.
(New) * Industrial-faith complex +10 to one zeal power-action per turn.
R&D
[x] Energon analysis: "Take a deeper look at this liquid energy."
---Apologize to Sokov for the delay and explain that, while his Energon powerplants are better than HF reactors, we can not green light it without knowing what potential side-effects there could be.
(69, success)
Energon is a incredibly dense form of liquid energy. By itself, its harmless. Give it various forms of stimuli or combustion however, and it can release a ton of power if harnessed right. The Baron has already devised several means to exploit this energy, from giant power plants to vehicle-sized energon engines. The Baron notes that his designs are much more stable than Hot Fusion cores, even if they don't have the same power output and need a constant supply of fuel.
However, the designs are already locked in for Hot Fusion cores to be used, and it will take nation-wide efforts to convert vehicles from Hot Fusion to energon or vice versa. On a side note, some lab techs from Chekov think they can safely weaponize some energon warheads to improve Heavy Munition yield, or try creating commercial-scale energon engines for civilian private sector use.
[New R&D Project: Energon Explosives] "Energon-tipped Heavy Munitions"
[New R&D Project: Civilian Energon Engines] "If the military is using Hot Fusion, then perhaps civilians could make use of Energon?"
[x] Baron Industrial DEA: "Dominant Economic Activity zoning will be crucial to my large-scale industrial planning for equally large projects."- Baron
(88, success)
The Baron is....audacious to say the least when it comes to scale. This is a city-sized industrial complex. Primitive perhaps compared to some examples of Creator tech, but quantity has a habit of doing just as well as quality. Using energon-powered furnaces, large-scale assembly lines, modular 3D printer chains, and plenty of on-site ore processing and worker housing. Its labor-intensive, a lot of grunt work, but it could very well be a industrial complex even greater than the Grand Arsenal. In fact, the Baron and the ministers of economics and industry are thinking about folding other divisions of industry into the DEA for greater organizational efficiency.
On another note, some of the lab assistants are noting how the Baron left some divisions of the DEA open. Evidently he has other plans for expansion.
[New Improvement Project: Industrial DEA, 400 points. ++++ industry]
Action
[x] Raise Mecha Battalion (-30; pilot shortage) (+50; Religious Frenzy) (+30; Surplus Military Hardware) (+20; Mecha bay)
(41-30+50+30+20= 111, 111 of 200)
Assembly of Juggernaut and Valiant mechs goes apace, while two platoons of Grenadiers are already assembled in almost no time flat. The Master at Arms is seriously reconsidering production ratios now, especially since the hot fusion cores made most of the power plant issues go away with ease. Its currently at about a 1:2:5 ratio between Juggernauts, Valiants, and Grenadiers on average at this rate, but the crew shortages mean that the unit is suffering from a lack of drivers for the mechs and engineers to maintain them. While the facilities of the Grand Arsenal are available to them right now, in the field this might be a problem.
[x] Strategic Planning Focus "Whats the bigger picture here? Where do we want to specialize?"
The military board is at a loggerheads. Different doctrinal theories are being passed around, dismissed, argued, and debated all over again. All of them relating to logistics and specializations.
Plain truth of the matter is that despite the Raider's assistance, our logistics are poor to say the least and we're almost hitting unit cap. We can maintain about seven military units. We already have four, plus the tank and mech units still in training, so six. If we go beyond the seven unit limit, its going to start overstretching our ability to maintain them. Thankfully, the Baron has already come up with a "Just-in-time supplies" system for extended deployments for consideration.
Meanwhile, the assembled leaders are also working on doctrinal battleplans for extended campaigns. Up until now, battles were merely isolated skirmishes. Not here, not with Tricorp on the horizon and possibly with large-scale armies and infrastructure behind them.
In a campaign, the war will be divided into specific critical sectors usually centered around critical infrastructure or strategic points. Units must be assigned to sectors and fight off enemy units. They do note this will be different than battles before, and that losses will be much higher as fronts are contested for extended periods of time. Logistics, industry, and medical support will matter just as much as soldiers in the field.
Another issue is brought up: doctrine. Do we specialize? Do we generalize? Different leaders and commanders have different opinions on the matter and are at a standstill trying to decide.
(Chose a Doctrine)
[ ] Generalist Doctrine: No pros, no cons. No class of military is better than the rest, and all must be equally supported.
[ ] Infantry Doctrine: The rough and ready rifleman is the basis of the army and always will be. All other divisions serve to support the rifleman.
[ ] Mech Doctrine: Mechs are the units of the future. While expensive initially, if we establish production in-bulk for them their costs will go down significantly.
[ ] Air Doctrine: Helidynes are the future! Convert our shuttles into gunships, build air superiority craft, and pound the enemy from the air with bombs, missiles, and paratroopers!
[ ] Write-in. A radical and new theory of warfare.
[New Infrastructure Project: Baron's Just-in-time-supplies, 200 points] "Field more units with Baron's rapid-response smuggling crews ready for resupply."
[x] Continue to reorganize, rearm, replenish and cyberaugment 2nd and 3rd Armsmen Battalion
-Include the standarization of a Support Weapons Brigade within our ranks
(55, neutral)
The Third Battalion is successfully reorgnized and up to battalion strength, as well as receiving a Support Weapons Brigade. However none accept offers of cyberaugmentation, as the Hardtroopers in 1st battalion are.....strange. Getting new cyberaugment volunteers will be difficult now for some reason nobody can discern.
[3rd Armsmen Battalion, strength 17]
* Support Weapons Brigade: +3 combat strength, medium
* Light
[x] Massive scale foundry (0 of 80)
(74, 74 of 80)
This foundary is above and beyond what came before in the area of high-yield smelting, and may even hold the key for Gremlins to refine their own form of engine-metal from base materials.
[x] Coffee Factory (0 of 100 points) (+20; Racial) (+10; Factor of faith)
(18+20+10= 48, 48 of 100)
Coffee is exceptionally hard to grow on a metal planet, not helped by the fact that the Gremlins arn't entirely sure what conditions coffee grows under and need to do a lot of testing to get it right. Even then, its going to take a lot of effort to grow coffee in amounts needed for science work.
[x] [x] Vehicle Field Academy (0 of 250 points)
(32+59= 91 of 250)
The academy begins to go online and begin teaching its first class of vehicle crews while half of the academy is still under construction, but the classes must begin now due to the amount of material these cadets need to learn in order to effectively drive, maintain, and use mechs and tanks. But once the first class graduates, then the teachers should be able to crank out more than enough crews to meet military needs. If the cadets don't burn down the academy first.
[x] Chekov's Reactor: Fission to Hot Fusion ( 0 of 150)
-Use findings from the fusion research team if possible
(47, 47 of 150)
Conversion begins carefully, while Gremlins try to figure out where to put all the nuclear waste material. They just use the depleted stuff as Heavy Munitions material while trash-binning the useless stuff.
The Hot Fusion Reactor begins to be built slowly and carefully. This is a very delicate operation.
Fallenblades643
Seeker of the Divine Taste
Mkire raises a valid point. We should turn off the radioactive reactor when were fucking with it.
GM NINJA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111
GM NINJA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111
Trent01
A Fountain of Quest Ideas
Second list
R&D - Creator (Creator Lab) (+10; -2 creator curios) (+10; Lab Tech Abundance)
[x] Project R-3 "Some type of wireless controller"
(60+10+10= 80, success)
At last, the mechanism behind this high-powered wireless controller is cracked, and the Ironclaw mercs show their gratefulness by taking back the equipment and copies of the data. At least long-range secure comlinks are now available.
However, one of the military technicians thinks that with these new comms, military logistics and coordination during extended campaigns can be improved with new command systems. He requests funding and labspace to work on a "Command, Control, Communicate-squared" command system.
[New R&D Project: C-3 squared] "Improve command and control ability for strategic operations."
R&D - Engineering (Engineering Lab) (Allow study of sole remaining cold fusion cell)
[x] Refine fusion power, to try to make it safer and more efficent. Give the engineerign team access to the cold fusion cell
(55, neutral)
The engineering techs can't make heads or tails of how to miniturize cold fusion this small. While Gremlins do understand cold fusion, they can only really build giant hulking powerplants instead of anything remotely portable. They're just banging their heads against this problem all cycle long to no major success.
R&D - X-1 (X-1 research lab) (+15; Chekov)
[x] X-1: Investigate the G-Vortex
(60+15= 75, success)
"Chekov research log X1-45-B. Subject: The vortex
Breakthrough. Vortex is kept in highly warped circular pattern. No visible mechanisms, no outside emissions. Stability comes from the vortex itself, interesting.
Don't know why. Don't know how. But this totem.....I cannot tell where the boundary between magic and science lies. Magic.....
Ahem. Practical outcomes, practical outcomes...... I can copy the pattern and reproduce it in isolation, creating.....well isolation shielding for high-risk projects. Yes, yes, no......Not thinking big enough. This is the first step towards practical energy shielding! First....step. By the stars, how much power could this take? Mrr. Hot fusion, lots of it. Will need time to overhaul my reactor and time to use it. I am on the precipice of a revolutionary discovery here! The military will love this!
On bad note, the vortex is growing. About 5%. Where is it getting the energy? The mass? And for that matter what are these little flakes I am seeing.....end log."
[New R&D Project: X-1 Energy Barriers] (Need large amounts of power) "At last, energy shielding. Or beginnings thereof."- Chekov.
[New R&D Project: X-1 Flakes] "What are these flakes at the edge of the vortex?"
R&D - Military (Military Testing Ground)(+10; X-com)
[x] Give the Master at Arms this research budget for this slot again. Tell him what we've learned about the Tricorp States production and military capacit, such as it's production of munitions, microchips for missiles, and mecha. Ask him for something to give us a edge against them or protect the nation.
(91, major success)
Upon careful analysis of the data given and consultation with his crew of elite engineers and technicians, The Master at Arms decides to build bigger mechs. He declares that the nation requires mech-hunter mech-suits as well as siege mechs to deal with Tricorp's mech corps and possible military capabilities.
To that end, he built a heavy mech suit based on the Juggernaut, then crammed a twin hot fusion core into it, overhauled the legs and shoulder mountings with heavy hardpoints, and stuck a artillery cannon on both shoulders. He calls it a Behemoth. With two crewmembers, one piloting and using the rocket-launcher armed fists of the mech, while the other directs the artillery. Its a mobile heavy artillery platform. Bad news, its even harder to build than Juggernauts due to the twin-core powerplant needed to handle the extra power needed for the leg servos and artillery guns.
On another, the Master at Arms also builds a new light chassis. Calling them Hunter-type, they are equipped with light autocannon and explosive-tipped armor-piercing lance, as well as a expanded communications and targeting suite and leg upgrades. They are meant to scout ahead of the main force, provide spotting for artillery, and attack enemy mechs with a big lance with a directed explosive charge (Extremely effective. Even a Heavy Mech will feel it). They are rather hard to produce in comparison to Grenadiers or Valiants, but the Master at Arms thinks that by pairing Behemoths and Hunters together, you have more than enough heavy mobile artillery and anti-mech forces to tackle a problem.
But these are specialist units with a pricetag to match, and the Master at Arms reports that these designs are currently not mass producible until someone can figure out a way to improve the producibility of Hot Fusion Cores by a factor of ten and improve servomech systems just as drastically. Thats way beyond the capabilities of Gremlin science and engineering right now.
[New Unit Add-on: Behemoth-Hunter mech platoon, cost 100 points] (-20 to build rolls due to complexity)
* Behemoth: +5 combat strength, x3 against fortifications.
* Hunters: +5 combat strength, x3 against mechs
On a side note, the Master at Arms also places a request for some time taken for the Grand Armor to give a hand at trying to make High-tech Munitions such as missiles and microchip-using shells before he tries making countermeasures. It will be pricey, just like Heavy Munitions, but he'd like to have a go at it.
[New Action Project: Make High-tech munitions. Cost: 50 points each]
Action - Build
[x] Raider R&D Lab (0 of 100 points)
(100, 100 of 100)
The labspace goes up, and the Raider is very grateful for the labspace for her mercenary company.
In appreciation, she hands over a few methods to simplify Heavy Munitions production before flinging her hired scientists at some secret project.
[New Action Project: Produce Heavy Munitions. Cost 30 points -> 25 points each]
Action - Exploration
[x] Investigate the Orbital Hab Complex (+10; Creator Software key)
-Use one creator shuttle
-Ask for help from the Rangers and The Scout in exploring the Orbital Hab Complex. Cite the possibility of immenent hostilities with Tricorp State for the neccesity to cooperate.
(1d10= 3, Scout is not available right now. Where is he? He is missing lately)
(21+10= 31, failure)
Where did the shuttle go? Shortly after launching it fell off the radar, and no transmissions came back.
Everyone has a bad feeling about this.
Action - Economic
[x] Baron's Borehole (115 of 200) (+10: industrial exploitation) (+5; industrial sector)
(21+10+5= 36, 151 of 200)
Progress continues apace and the borehole complexes will come online soon. And just as well, there is now a severe demand for the high-quality engine-metals to replace the poor copies Gremlins make of the material.
Espionage Action
[x] Operation: Bourne/Bond Recruit Espionage hero
(29, 29 of 200)
Psst, wanna learn a secret? BAM! Your dead!
You meet the guy your looking for as he trolls half the secret agents in the force with his antics. He's a master thief and industrial saboteur, but not the most famous. Just as well for him. He's been watching you assemble your little shadow network, and he is rather disappointed at its quality. Its going to take some extended negotiations to get him on your side, or just proof you can pull off a decent shadow job, before he will join you as a member.
(You can either use actions to gradually earn his favor, or write-in some espionage action to prove your agents can do their jobs)
Media Action:
[X] Scrapheap Challenge aka Junkyard Wars.
(18, failure)
Between poor directors, bad acting, some transmission issues, and misplaced scriptwriting, the Ministry of Truth must report that this broadcast has had an adverse effect by the end of the season as most of the junkworkers and scouts feel insulted by the program.
[Broadcast Failure: -20 to one exploration or scavenging action next turn]
Random Actions
[X] The Raider: Berserker Mech design
(68+20 Raider= 88, success)
The Raider takes advantage of her new labspace and resources, and builds a heavy mech design of her own. A fast, brutal, in-your-face mech meant to close in with giant axes and mounted grenade launchers whilst being extremely mobile. She's already built several and attaching them to her personal unit. While they are notably more unstable by demanding so much from the HFC, she doesn't seem to care and is pressing them into production.
[X] The Director: Laborjack design
(67+20 Director= 87, success)
The Director dislikes how the first thought about Hot Fusion + Mechs is just to make bigger war machines. He grabs some mech-shops and resources and Hot Fusion cores and promptly assembles a series of laborjack, meant for industrial or agriculture or building work, with every laborjack worth a dozen conventional workers, able to do the same job in less time and effort and at ease for the jack pilot.
He promptly copyrights the design and withholds it from public use, keeping the laborjacks to himself as he doesn't trust the militant government or the greedy Baron to use them right, and instead uses laborjacks to build more laborjacks until the Director can clear resources and time to work on a new project. For the most part, the general public and government think he's in the right to have private ownership of these mechs for now. They trust him to use them a lot better than they can.
* * * * * * *
HOTSPOT EVENT
The scout expedition sent runners back to friendly lines. Out of 15, only four make it.
Tricorp has a massive spaceport, and building a launch complex for dozens of shuttles. They also have multiple medium-scale industrial complexes, churning out microchips, Heavy and High-tech Munitions, and mechs. Heavy and light chassis types have been spotted but no hard data yet. Besides mechs, they have large infantry corps of unknown quality but great numbers, and a number of light vehicles meant for infantry support.
Their overall technology level is lower than ours (Thank Chekov for the advantage), as their mechs evidently depend upon energon engines. Poor quality ones at that considering the size of the refining complexes the scouts spotted. They must be gas-guzzlers, and probably arn't as mobile as our mechs. What they do have however, are a ton of them. They've been building this army for a long time and probably have some experienced pilots.
Some of the population centers were also spotted. High-density, very high population base, evidently lower quality of living than us (Thank the Baron and Myco rations), but the scouts note that theres a lot of commercial goods around, and the population seems to be pacified through a mixture of drugs and public holotheaters. Consumerist addiction in short.
The scouts press deeper inward into Tricorp territory, trying to find out what is at the center of this large empire, and what their name Tricorp means.
In addition, Tricorp has hero figures. The Kommador, The Trench Dog, 09, and The CEO. Scouts and spies are working to establish profiles on them based on the limited data available, but they must be considered as powerful as our own heroic figures.
More data will be available as it comes.
R&D - Creator (Creator Lab) (+10; -2 creator curios) (+10; Lab Tech Abundance)
[x] Project R-3 "Some type of wireless controller"
(60+10+10= 80, success)
At last, the mechanism behind this high-powered wireless controller is cracked, and the Ironclaw mercs show their gratefulness by taking back the equipment and copies of the data. At least long-range secure comlinks are now available.
However, one of the military technicians thinks that with these new comms, military logistics and coordination during extended campaigns can be improved with new command systems. He requests funding and labspace to work on a "Command, Control, Communicate-squared" command system.
[New R&D Project: C-3 squared] "Improve command and control ability for strategic operations."
R&D - Engineering (Engineering Lab) (Allow study of sole remaining cold fusion cell)
[x] Refine fusion power, to try to make it safer and more efficent. Give the engineerign team access to the cold fusion cell
(55, neutral)
The engineering techs can't make heads or tails of how to miniturize cold fusion this small. While Gremlins do understand cold fusion, they can only really build giant hulking powerplants instead of anything remotely portable. They're just banging their heads against this problem all cycle long to no major success.
R&D - X-1 (X-1 research lab) (+15; Chekov)
[x] X-1: Investigate the G-Vortex
(60+15= 75, success)
"Chekov research log X1-45-B. Subject: The vortex
Breakthrough. Vortex is kept in highly warped circular pattern. No visible mechanisms, no outside emissions. Stability comes from the vortex itself, interesting.
Don't know why. Don't know how. But this totem.....I cannot tell where the boundary between magic and science lies. Magic.....
Ahem. Practical outcomes, practical outcomes...... I can copy the pattern and reproduce it in isolation, creating.....well isolation shielding for high-risk projects. Yes, yes, no......Not thinking big enough. This is the first step towards practical energy shielding! First....step. By the stars, how much power could this take? Mrr. Hot fusion, lots of it. Will need time to overhaul my reactor and time to use it. I am on the precipice of a revolutionary discovery here! The military will love this!
On bad note, the vortex is growing. About 5%. Where is it getting the energy? The mass? And for that matter what are these little flakes I am seeing.....end log."
[New R&D Project: X-1 Energy Barriers] (Need large amounts of power) "At last, energy shielding. Or beginnings thereof."- Chekov.
[New R&D Project: X-1 Flakes] "What are these flakes at the edge of the vortex?"
R&D - Military (Military Testing Ground)
[x] Give the Master at Arms this research budget for this slot again. Tell him what we've learned about the Tricorp States production and military capacit, such as it's production of munitions, microchips for missiles, and mecha. Ask him for something to give us a edge against them or protect the nation.
(91, major success)
Upon careful analysis of the data given and consultation with his crew of elite engineers and technicians, The Master at Arms decides to build bigger mechs. He declares that the nation requires mech-hunter mech-suits as well as siege mechs to deal with Tricorp's mech corps and possible military capabilities.
To that end, he built a heavy mech suit based on the Juggernaut, then crammed a twin hot fusion core into it, overhauled the legs and shoulder mountings with heavy hardpoints, and stuck a artillery cannon on both shoulders. He calls it a Behemoth. With two crewmembers, one piloting and using the rocket-launcher armed fists of the mech, while the other directs the artillery. Its a mobile heavy artillery platform. Bad news, its even harder to build than Juggernauts due to the twin-core powerplant needed to handle the extra power needed for the leg servos and artillery guns.
On another, the Master at Arms also builds a new light chassis. Calling them Hunter-type, they are equipped with light autocannon and explosive-tipped armor-piercing lance, as well as a expanded communications and targeting suite and leg upgrades. They are meant to scout ahead of the main force, provide spotting for artillery, and attack enemy mechs with a big lance with a directed explosive charge (Extremely effective. Even a Heavy Mech will feel it). They are rather hard to produce in comparison to Grenadiers or Valiants, but the Master at Arms thinks that by pairing Behemoths and Hunters together, you have more than enough heavy mobile artillery and anti-mech forces to tackle a problem.
But these are specialist units with a pricetag to match, and the Master at Arms reports that these designs are currently not mass producible until someone can figure out a way to improve the producibility of Hot Fusion Cores by a factor of ten and improve servomech systems just as drastically. Thats way beyond the capabilities of Gremlin science and engineering right now.
[New Unit Add-on: Behemoth-Hunter mech platoon, cost 100 points] (-20 to build rolls due to complexity)
* Behemoth: +5 combat strength, x3 against fortifications.
* Hunters: +5 combat strength, x3 against mechs
On a side note, the Master at Arms also places a request for some time taken for the Grand Armor to give a hand at trying to make High-tech Munitions such as missiles and microchip-using shells before he tries making countermeasures. It will be pricey, just like Heavy Munitions, but he'd like to have a go at it.
[New Action Project: Make High-tech munitions. Cost: 50 points each]
Action - Build
[x] Raider R&D Lab (0 of 100 points)
(100, 100 of 100)
The labspace goes up, and the Raider is very grateful for the labspace for her mercenary company.
In appreciation, she hands over a few methods to simplify Heavy Munitions production before flinging her hired scientists at some secret project.
[New Action Project: Produce Heavy Munitions. Cost 30 points -> 25 points each]
Action - Exploration
[x] Investigate the Orbital Hab Complex (+10; Creator Software key)
-Use one creator shuttle
-Ask for help from the Rangers and The Scout in exploring the Orbital Hab Complex. Cite the possibility of immenent hostilities with Tricorp State for the neccesity to cooperate.
(1d10= 3, Scout is not available right now. Where is he? He is missing lately)
(21+10= 31, failure)
Where did the shuttle go? Shortly after launching it fell off the radar, and no transmissions came back.
Everyone has a bad feeling about this.
Action - Economic
[x] Baron's Borehole (115 of 200) (+10: industrial exploitation) (+5; industrial sector)
(21+10+5= 36, 151 of 200)
Progress continues apace and the borehole complexes will come online soon. And just as well, there is now a severe demand for the high-quality engine-metals to replace the poor copies Gremlins make of the material.
Espionage Action
[x] Operation: Bourne/Bond Recruit Espionage hero
(29, 29 of 200)
Psst, wanna learn a secret? BAM! Your dead!
You meet the guy your looking for as he trolls half the secret agents in the force with his antics. He's a master thief and industrial saboteur, but not the most famous. Just as well for him. He's been watching you assemble your little shadow network, and he is rather disappointed at its quality. Its going to take some extended negotiations to get him on your side, or just proof you can pull off a decent shadow job, before he will join you as a member.
(You can either use actions to gradually earn his favor, or write-in some espionage action to prove your agents can do their jobs)
Media Action:
[X] Scrapheap Challenge aka Junkyard Wars.
(18, failure)
Between poor directors, bad acting, some transmission issues, and misplaced scriptwriting, the Ministry of Truth must report that this broadcast has had an adverse effect by the end of the season as most of the junkworkers and scouts feel insulted by the program.
[Broadcast Failure: -20 to one exploration or scavenging action next turn]
Random Actions
[X] The Raider: Berserker Mech design
(68+20 Raider= 88, success)
The Raider takes advantage of her new labspace and resources, and builds a heavy mech design of her own. A fast, brutal, in-your-face mech meant to close in with giant axes and mounted grenade launchers whilst being extremely mobile. She's already built several and attaching them to her personal unit. While they are notably more unstable by demanding so much from the HFC, she doesn't seem to care and is pressing them into production.
[X] The Director: Laborjack design
(67+20 Director= 87, success)
The Director dislikes how the first thought about Hot Fusion + Mechs is just to make bigger war machines. He grabs some mech-shops and resources and Hot Fusion cores and promptly assembles a series of laborjack, meant for industrial or agriculture or building work, with every laborjack worth a dozen conventional workers, able to do the same job in less time and effort and at ease for the jack pilot.
He promptly copyrights the design and withholds it from public use, keeping the laborjacks to himself as he doesn't trust the militant government or the greedy Baron to use them right, and instead uses laborjacks to build more laborjacks until the Director can clear resources and time to work on a new project. For the most part, the general public and government think he's in the right to have private ownership of these mechs for now. They trust him to use them a lot better than they can.
* * * * * * *
HOTSPOT EVENT
The scout expedition sent runners back to friendly lines. Out of 15, only four make it.
Tricorp has a massive spaceport, and building a launch complex for dozens of shuttles. They also have multiple medium-scale industrial complexes, churning out microchips, Heavy and High-tech Munitions, and mechs. Heavy and light chassis types have been spotted but no hard data yet. Besides mechs, they have large infantry corps of unknown quality but great numbers, and a number of light vehicles meant for infantry support.
Their overall technology level is lower than ours (Thank Chekov for the advantage), as their mechs evidently depend upon energon engines. Poor quality ones at that considering the size of the refining complexes the scouts spotted. They must be gas-guzzlers, and probably arn't as mobile as our mechs. What they do have however, are a ton of them. They've been building this army for a long time and probably have some experienced pilots.
Some of the population centers were also spotted. High-density, very high population base, evidently lower quality of living than us (Thank the Baron and Myco rations), but the scouts note that theres a lot of commercial goods around, and the population seems to be pacified through a mixture of drugs and public holotheaters. Consumerist addiction in short.
The scouts press deeper inward into Tricorp territory, trying to find out what is at the center of this large empire, and what their name Tricorp means.
In addition, Tricorp has hero figures. The Kommador, The Trench Dog, 09, and The CEO. Scouts and spies are working to establish profiles on them based on the limited data available, but they must be considered as powerful as our own heroic figures.
More data will be available as it comes.
Fallenblades643
Seeker of the Divine Taste
I feel like we should dump a hot reactor onto there space port, who's with me?
Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
So in short, we are smaller but with higher quality forces, while Tricorp has lower quality inefficient stuff, but they have so many forces they outnumber us.
I am getting a Nazi Germany vs Soviet Union feel here.
I am getting a Nazi Germany vs Soviet Union feel here.
Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
I also vote Mech doctrine.
What does the Starlord have to say about this?Trent01 said:
Ginger Maniac
Subject to Gravity
- Location
- Old Blighty
Would a successful 'Supply Line Sabotage' espionage action work for convincing the Espionage Hero of our competence?