Export controls is more urgent than culture codex here. We leak the tech and our Build Tall megaproject civ starts losing our main advantage over all the Build Wide civs
Export controls is more urgent than culture codex here. We leak the tech and our Build Tall megaproject civ starts losing our main advantage over all the Build Wide civs
On the other hand, I doubt purchasers of our tech will be happy when they find out that we can shut this tech down, or use it to spy upon them, or even turn it against them any moment.
"It may cause severe recrimations if it's discovered", as the option itself said.
On the other hand, I doubt purchasers of our tech will be happy when they find out that we can shut this tech down, or use it to spy upon them, or even turn it against them any moment.
"It may cause severe recrimations if it's discovered", as the option itself said.
We'd have to finish the research and choose how to implement it first. We at the least, need good blackboxing.
Unhappy customers would be a sight smaller issue than having stuff we sold used against us.
We'd have to finish the research and choose how to implement it first. We at the least, need good blackboxing.
Unhappy customers would be a sight smaller issue than having stuff we sold used against us.
Only problem is the research specifically says it's about implementing the protocols, not researching what protocols are needed and how to implement them.
So I'd say the moment the research completes, it takes affect and we don't decide how they are implemented at all.
Only problem is the research specifically says it's about implementing the protocols, not researching what protocols are needed and how to implement them.
So I'd say the moment the research completes, it takes affect and we don't decide how they are implemented at all.
It's third sphere resesrch, so yeah this is a practical implementation of the technology. It also goes a bit beyond black boxing, as you're creating systems which not only confuse reverse engineering attempts, but will actively attempt to sabotage them.
Cycle 1010 - Ellasi Congruity Industrial Development
Interim Report
If there's one thing that was clear from the Grand Consensus, it is that the Congruity wanted to abandon it's long held focus on it's core systems, and instead focus on the periphery. Over the cycles following the Consensus, trade flows within the Congruity changed direction, rather than bringing enormous amounts of resources into the core to work on the Shell, instead resources and equipment flowed out to the Outer Sectors.
The massive gantries and enormous tugs that had held parts of the Shell in place during it's construction were taken apart piece by piece, and sent to be reused as the frames for waystations, beacons and defensive installations. Some production lines were being retasked, no longer spitting out massive computing modules, but much smaller cores that would be used in transmitting stations and Datasphere Hubs. Other production lines were carefully disassembled, and integrally shipped to the Outer system to form the core of new industrial stations.
However, this focus on the periphery was not universal. Great amounts of the Inner Sector population feared for the Congruities safety, and argued heavily to expand it's fleets. With most resources going to the periphery, the Alpha Stations, rendered obsolete by the construction of the Shell, were tapped for resources. Soon, the planetoid sized computing facilities were being dismantled, and the frames of new frigates, destroyers, battlecruisers and battleships rose in the shipyards.
Unfortunately, disaster struck. In order to reduce grid congestion and lower communication lag, the Peripherial mining operations had decided to run all their detailed analyses on the closest Alpha station instead of their dedicated processing space in the Shell. The salvaging teams, unaware of this development, commenced salvage of the station half a cycle later. To it's credit, the Alpha station continued functioning for a surprisingly long time as the reclamation equipment tore it apart, but that only meant that the amount of compromised data (and faulty construction based on that data) was greater.
The result was a catastrophic failure in local periphery exploitation. No deaths, but the entire timeline was set back numerous cycles, opening up an enormous resource gap. Between the exhaustion of the to be recycled infrastructure, and the uncertainty of foreign resources, the Congruity could face several cycles worth of delay.
Construction on all Projects fared well, and will be completed in 20 cycles barring future issues.
Disharmony has caused a resource crisis, as periphery exploitation is severely delayed.
Who is to blame :
[][Blame] Blame the mining teams, as they failed to take the initiative to secure the Alpha Station fully while utilizing it.
[][Blame] Blame the Naval constructions teams, as they dismanteled the alpha stations without agreement from the Grand Consensus
[][Blame] Blame the Grand Consensus, as it failed to properly oversee the operations and prevent this disharmony
How will we resolve this :
[][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[][Shortage] We shall utilize the strategic reserves
[][Shortage] We shall acquire more resources from foreign sources, and do it sooner
[][Shortage] We shall utilize the resources earmarked for new naval construction, cancelling the fleet that was not requested by the Grand Consensus
The Ellasi Congruity possess four fleets. The first fleet, which defends the core. It's made up of heavy vessels optimized for firepower and defenses, but lacks in range and endurance. It relies on a mixture of thought and metalforms, taking advantage of the strong local datasphere. The second and third fleet are equal in composition, made up of lighter vessels optimized to patrol the periphery. It utilizes primarily metalforms, avoiding the local datasphere issue. The reserve fleet is made up of all the remaining vessels. It's an eclectic mixture of old vessels awaiting decommissioning, new vessels undergoing training , vessels undergoing repairs or refits, and prototype vessels doing initial testing.
At the moment, construction is underway on the fourth fleet, whose purpose and composition are as of yet undefined. Debate rages over whether or not to construct another core or periphery fleet, create a mixed balance between the two, or go for something other. Even upon these grand plans there are suggestions for minor modifications. Inclusion of extra repair and production ships, of large datasphere vessels, of landing craft or cargo vessels. The choice is far from clear, but it must be made while the hulls are being laid down.
Fleet - Write in. Describe (in short) the primary composition of your fleet, with 2 possible attachments.
-[Fleet] Write in
- Exploration Fleet
- Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
- Diplomatic vessels
- Science Vessels
- Raiding Fleet
- Primarily composed of medium sized ships optimized for combat and speed
- Ground Troop Landers
- Rapid Logistic Support
- Longe Range Combat Group
- Primarily composed of heavy ships utilizing extensive thoughtform capacities
- Datasphere Hubships
- Fleet Auxilaries Manufacturing vessels
Cycle 1010 - Ellasi Congruity Research
Interim Report
There's little to mention about the Entropic Studies. As always, the research progresses visibly, but there's no sign of how far there's to go, and go long it will take till a solution is found. The thoughtforms in charge can mention a near infinite number of leads they've investigated and rejected, but there's still an infinity more to go.
Work on nanotechnology appears to progress much faster. The scientists involve believe they've found a viable technological solution, and request permission to proceed with a full scale test of the technology. This is a vote that has to go before the Consensus, as it's highly experimental technology and the resource consumption is not inconsiderable. Several scientists warn that the breakthrough comes from the bleeding edge. Extensive research hasn't yet been done, but if the experiment is succesfull we should be able to acquire sufficient data from it to finish the research within cycles.
Likewise, the Export Safety Protocol research is proceeding rapidly. Initial implementation of the protocols was a simple auto-scrubbing cycle, replacing all technical details manual and help files with inscrutable and meaningless phrases. Further implementation include anti-tamper protocols and inerting systems that will fuse all important technological components into a molten glob of metal if intrusion is detected. Lastly, secondary gestalts were installed in all AI powered control systems. These weak AI systems are programmed to prevent themselves from being analyzed, and are equipped with downgraded E-war equipment and warprotocols if needed. Override controls allow us to trigger and disable all this remotely, or just take over the systems entirely, if we so desire.
Nanotech -
[][Experiment] Authorize the experiment. No innovation without risk.
[][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
Cycle 1010 - Ellasi Congruity Foreign Relations
Consensus forming session
The Consensus has assumed that it can gather a significant chunk of resources from it's interstellar neighbors. Based on the latest datafiles, we have identified the following nations as immediately bordering our space, and being potential trading partners. Our information is scant, and further negotiation and research will be done as the ships arrive.
We are aware of 5 hyperlanes leaving our borders. Three of those border a starfaring nations, a fourth borders an unclaimed system inhabited by a non-spacefaring nation, and the fifth leads directly to a system composed of two merging black holes. The oscillating gravity waves and the radiation from the relativistic jets make navigating the system a dangerous affair. Even our own ships can survive only for a limited, and without knowing the system, this may not be sufficient to find a hyperlane entry point.
The first of the three inhabited systems is inhabited by our brothers in flesh, if not in spirit. The Star Concordat is a loose alliance of Ellasi colonies and dissidents who rejected the integration all those cycles ago. Relations with them have been strained ever since that point, as large parts of their population are made up of people who morally objected to the ascension process, and those who refused and were eventually left behind by society as the Datasphere became more and more essential to everyday life. Their technology is generally inferior to ours in all aspects, though still quite advanced.
The second system is claimed by the Free Confederacy, who we know only through the message beacon they threw through the hyperlane a few dozen cycles ago. The Free Confederace appears to be a contradiction in terms, as our social modelling suggests (based on the tone of the message and additional information we found on a ship hidden inside the probe) that they're actually an authoritarian stratocracy. The message from the beacon was not particularly interesting, merely a guideline on how to approach them (single ship, no weapons, prepare a suitable atmosphere from them to board to engage in negotiations). The claims of the chip are more interesting, claiming various atrocities, enslavement and brutal torture, though we can not ascertain that these files have not been manipulated.
The third system is claimed by the Borrathi Corporate Authority. We know relatively little about them, despite the fact that they've intruded on our space on numerous occasions. We've received several sale catalogs (mostly outdated and incompatible technology) and have permanently stationed a corvette at the jump point to discourage the small fleet of observation vessels which constantly makes the trip back and forth the hyperlane.
Lastly, we have some limited scan data available for the unclaimed system. It's a boring but relatively resource rich system, the only interesting feature being a steam age civilization living on an artic world. Our scientists request some detailed scans of the planet, as according to the limited available data it should actually be much colder than it is right now, and they're curious why it's not. Otherwise, nothing to note.
Expedition Vote
- Vote by Block: Each expedition is a block. If you send two, that'll be two blocks, seperatly voted for
- Each Expedition possess the following
- A target (one of the hyperlanes)
- A fleet (pick one of the four fleets)
- An intent (trade, diplomacy, reconnaissance, combat/raiding)
- Crew composition (fleshform, metalform, thoughtform) - A bonus can be acquired if you write in a captain/diplomat/whatever
[X][Blame] Blame the mining teams, as they failed to take the initiative to secure the Alpha Station fully while utilizing it.
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
[X][Expedition] Expedition New Frontiers
-[X] Target: Unclaimed system
-[X] Fleet: Exploration Fleet
-[X] Intent: Reconnaissance
-[X] Crew: Metalform
Reasoning:
-Mining teams acting on their own is more efficient, but using resources without earmarking them is problematic accounting.
-The mining expansion is not super time critical. We can afford delays.
-Fleet wise, nothing to fight yet, so its most useful to have them act as explorators and first contact teams.
-Nanotech should be approached with caution. We don't need it so urgently that unleashing a potential rampant nanoswarm is worth it
[X][Blame] Blame the mining teams, as they failed to take the initiative to secure the Alpha Station fully while utilizing it.
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
[X][Blame] Blame the Naval constructions teams, as they dismanteled the alpha stations without agreement from the Grand Consensus
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
[X][Expedition] Expedition New Frontiers
-[X] Target: Unclaimed system
-[X] Fleet: Exploration Fleet
-[X] Intent: Reconnaissance
-[X] Crew: Metalform
Agree with everything except blaming the miners. The Alpha stations weren't marked for demolition. The Naval constructions teams acted without permission.
[X][Blame] Blame the Naval constructions teams, as they dismanteled the alpha stations without agreement from the Grand Consensus
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
[][Blame] Blame the QM, as this was obviously their fault all along.
In all seriousness, however, the mechanics very much reward that everyone votes for the same things. As such, I am going to vote for the same thing as everyone else. It is the logical choice.
[X][Blame] Blame the Naval constructions teams, as they dismanteled the alpha stations without agreement from the Grand Consensus
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
In all seriousness, however, the mechanics very much reward that everyone votes for the same things. As such, I am going to vote for the same thing as everyone else. It is the logical choice.
[X][Blame] Blame the Naval constructions teams, as they dismanteled the alpha stations without agreement from the Grand Consensus
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Run the numbers first. Late is better than never
[X][Blame] Blame the mining teams, as they failed to take the initiative to secure the Alpha Station fully while utilizing it.
[X][Shortage] We shall rework our construction timelines, working around the delays and shortages
[X][Fleet] Exploration Fleet
-[X] Primarily composed of lighter vessels equipped for long range travel
-[X] Diplomatic vessels
-[X] Science Vessels
[X][Experiment] Authorize the experiment. No innovation without risk.
[X][Expedition] Expedition New Frontiers
-[X] Target: Unclaimed system
-[X] Fleet: Exploration Fleet
-[X] Intent: Reconnaissance
-[X] Crew: Metalform
Might be a bit meta in my reasoning on the nanotech, but we're sort of on the clock as the fall of our civilization begins. As such, I'm inclined to grab what goodies we can while we can. Sort of like one of those levels where they start you off with a bunch of goodies before nuking them and forcing you to start fresh.
Might be a bit meta in my reasoning on the nanotech, but we're sort of on the clock as the fall of our civilization begins. As such, I'm inclined to grab what goodies we can while we can. Sort of like one of those levels where they start you off with a bunch of goodies before nuking them and forcing you to start fresh.
"Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm... shadow and flame."
][Blame] Blame the QM, as this was obviously their fault all along.
