Might want to adjust the FTL stuff. We actually already have an Ultracompact FTL Drive in the tech tree. It's prerequisite is the Mark II Suit. New Tech Tree
*Edit: Ninjaed.
Shepard Quest Mk V, Base of Operations (ME/MCU)
- Thread starter Esbilon
- Start date
Might want to adjust the FTL stuff. We actually already have an Ultracompact FTL Drive in the tech tree. It's prerequisite is the Mark II Suit. New Tech Tree
*Edit: Ninjaed.
- Location
- Dual citizen of SV&SB
Word of QM, and game balance.
One nitpick: torus is basically a ring, so "external rings" is very close to "spinning torus cores". Also, why increase in Endurance? I would have thought the results would be increased speed (by concentrating the fields) and maybe increased efficiency (less eezo for the same effect).
Van Ropen
Angry, angry about elves.
Ugh, hold on - it's in the SB thread. No search is a bitch.
It was a balance thing - it would be stupid if we could finish the tech tree long before canon started.
@Yog ...we can lay down as many factories as we want - I'm not saying our fleet is limited like that. Just that those ships will be in the Terminus. We only need defense ships in Alliance space, and that won't be a huge number since the number of planets we will be on is limited.
Van Ropen
Angry, angry about elves.
Every 9 months actually - we can start construction on the whole line at once and build concurrently.
- Location
- Dual citizen of SV&SB
Oho, really? Awesome!
I know. It's what I used as the base for this tech tree. Seemed a little odd to just have it sitting over there as a result of the Mk II.
I mean how is the Mk II connected to FTL drives research wise? I mean it makes sense in the "I want to put an FTL drive on the Mk II" but not in an actual tech tree sense.
The difference is the spinning torus core is basically the existing spherical core swapped out for a spinning torus while the external ring is well an external ring.
I imagine, and may very well be wrong, that there would be difference between the spinning ring at the core of the ship and a spinning ring surrounding the ship.
Well really you could argue for a lot of different things but I went with Endurance by saying that the alternate core design requires less electricity per unit mass reduction and hence would build up a charge slower.
Van Ropen
Angry, angry about elves.
I like it - I think I would increase the prices though.
Last edited:
I wasn't really sure on the prices. So I just used the Ultra-Compact FTL Drive's 1600 as a starting point and extrapolated from that.
Growing Strong
2173-Q2
Business Actions
Building Better Babies. Distribute your new procedures as widely as you can, making Humanity stronger, faster, smarter and prettier. Also pissing off the companies that are making a killing doing this for the rich and powerful.
-Provide free treatment to cure genetic disease in children.
--Work with those of alliance governments who have free medical care and mandatory inoculations to spread your advancements as far as possible (and for political capital)
---See if you can involve Sirta Foundation. This sort of thing is their specialty and it would be nice to have a working relationship.
Being the Hero of Mindoir (or anywhere else you guess, but you're only the Hero of Mindoir. So far.) has its perks. One of those perks being able to get the chairman of the board of a major corporation to fly out to meet you. Well, Sirta's a foundation, not a corporation, and they're mostly major in the sense that they're everywhere and everybody knows what they do. Compared to companies like HK or Rosenkov, they're small fries.
"Mr. Dallon, welcome to Mindoir," you greet the handsome, elderly gentleman who enters your office. The lines of a long life with plenty of struggles have said their tracks on his face, but they do not seem to have hampered his mobility or enthusiasm.
"Ms. Shepard," he replies giving your hand a firm shake, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've been following your work these past few years, as I'm sure every other remotely business savvy person in Alliance Space has, I'm impressed."
"Thank you," you respond with a smile, you've started getting used to praise like this, but it's still nice. Particularly from someone like this guy, he seems like a genuinely good guy. "Pardon me for being blunt," you say, "but are you in this business to make money, or to help people?"
He frowns slightly, but smiles again, "that is blunt, but I suppose that is one of the priviledges of youth. To be honest, I don't see any way to disconnect the two," he replies, "Sirta is a force for good in the galaxy, but we could not remain that if we did not also make a profit. It's a hard thing to balance, of course, but I think we're doing quite a good job."
"I agree," you reply, "which is why I asked you to come here. We have developed a new regimen of genetic treatment that surpasses, though not by much, the current top of the line products administered to the children of the rich and powerful. It would be a simple matter to enter into a competition with them, and take a cut of their profits in the regular fashion. However," you say, looking evenly at him, "I am in this business to help people. And frankly, I'm making more than enough money off the Arc Reactor and the Legionary power armor that I don't need to make money from genetic treatments for the 1%."
His frown deepens, "what are you suggesting, Ms. Shepard?"
"It is quite simple really. I would like to let Sirta license the treatment from us at largely nominal fee, making it available to the majority of the human population, with a special emphasis on the parts of it that deal with genetic diseases. Think about it. Billions of people who are smarter, stronger, healthier, better."
He nods, clearly thinking about it. "I see what you mean. But why do you need Sirta?"
You smile at him, "Sirta is an established name, if I were to extend this procedure on my own, it would get bogged down in bureaucracy and it would be easy for the current genetic improvement companies to kill it before it even got to clinical trials. You have the clout to actually get it to the people. And," you add, extending your hand to him, "I think you really are in this to help people."
He chuckles and shakes your hand. "I think so too."
File. Let them see what we can do, and let them then shut up and give us their money.
-But have your people go over any changes in Citadel patent law first. Hire a specialist if needs be.
Your legal team was good at getting all of your ducks lined up in a row, even the simplest laws that govern billions of people are full of loopholes and trapdoors, and patent laws are a far cry from the simplest. Hiring an expert at the cheap cost of one million credits (seriously, when did that become cheap?) let you brush out their feathers and teach them to dance.
OK, the duck analogy has probably broken down by now, but when you send off your patent application, everything goes remarkably smoothly and very soon, you receive word back from the Citadel that your patent has been approved, and that you are expected to produce no less than 200,000 Arc Reactors per year at a cost of no more than 250,000 credits each, and make them freely available on the galactic market. The numbers will be re-evaluated every year to ensure that you are making a serious effort to meet the demand.
You crack a smile and on 7 April 2171, Earth standard time, you send the following message directly to Cheron Armax and every other corporate head in Citadel space: "It is my very great pleasure to inform you that Paragon Industries will now be selling Arc Reactors to all Citadel Species."
Five entire minutes pass before the first set orders pops up on your screen.
Hire on five new security teams.
-[X]Prioritize Marines but if we have to take on more LEOs or mercs to have them on time then so be it.
Less than 3% of Humanity's population volunteer for military service. While this is lower than in any other species, it still means that Humanity has almost half a billion men and women who have at some point in their lives been in the service. Naturally, a lot of these people only stay on for a few years before finding jobs elsewhere, and some of these have found their way to Mindoir, looking to be part of the best equipped private security force in the galaxy.
Your HR department is quite competent, and a lot of your current security people are more than happy to speak with their former brothers and sisters in arms about life in the private sector, so once you start looking for new recruits, they show up.
It's a varied crowd that enter your employ, you don't have time to interview them yourself, but you do take a listen to some of the transcripts.
"So, Mr. Wallis," one interviewer asked an applicant, "why do you want to work for Paragon Industries?"
"Honestly," the man, youngish by the sound of him, "only place in the private sector I get to fly around in power armor. Plus have you guys heard what the Extranet is saying about you? This is where it's at, and I'm not smart enough to help out with research. Keeping the bad guys out will have to do."
"So, Ms. Henriquez," the same interviewer asked another applicant, you have a feeling he is a bit bored with his job, "why do you want to work for Paragon Industries?"
"You guys seem to be fighting for Humanity," the woman replied, also sounding young, though also like she had gone through more than in her life than Wallis, "I want to do that too, but I just can't live my life on the move like I did with the Alliance. I... I need to form roots."
There's a lot of names on the final roster, you're no expert in the etymology of names, but they seem to be drawn from all sorts of backgrounds, a few names even have letters you've never seen before. Humanity's exodus from earth has melded its cultures into a more seamless whole, but on lists like this, its history as a myriad of fractioned countries connected only by sea-born trade and the occasional war is quite apparent.
Build Basic Research Lab II and III
-Hire Research Teams at our usual salary
"Ah! Rebecca," Hari Jain, the head of your basic research department greets you when you pause at the open door of his office. "Come in, come in," the tall Indian says as he rises and waves you forward. "Nice of you to come see how we're doing over here in the ivory tower," he continues with a warm smile. "It looks like they've finished the new factory building, exciting, I'm sure."
He has a bit of a rambling nature, but he's well respected, and a better administrator than most people in his business. "It is, we'll be able to increase our production capabilities with a factor of 10," you say, more than a little pride entering your voice as the good doctor smiles and nods, "but you don't really care about that, you say with a crooked smile.
He chuckles at your bluntness, "I do!" He insists, "but there is a reason I am working here, rather than with Rubbia, Kobayashi and the rest of the engineering department," other than their personalities he makes sure not to add. "Your arc reactor really is fascinating. It's such a privilege to be working on a really new branch of science." He chuckles, "I feel almost like a young Heisenberg or Bose. Don't give me that look, Rebecca," he says at your expression at the word 'young,' "I'm barely even 50, and with the things the biotech people mentioned after hours on Friday, I've got a good long while ahead of me yet."
"If you last long enough for it to matter," you say, making sure your smile is suitably joking, "I'm here to regretfully inform you that you will have even more administrative duties in the future."
"Oh?" he says, sounding not wary, but unamused.
"Yes. I'll adding a few metaphorical stories to your Ivory Tower, and sextupling your staff."
"Oh," he says, blinking, "oh my."
Research Actions
Advanced Fire Control VI (0/400)
60d10+120=429
--Finished!
You're not a bad shot. You've been to your shooting range (and the shooting city your people have built for testing purposes) with Mom enough times to know that. You can keep your breathing steady, aim in the right spot, and hit the bull's eye, or close enough, more times than not. But there is so much you can't do. You can't do the same while you're running at a full sprint, you can't hit it if a grenade or missile were flying towards you. Fortunately, you think as you hack away at your keyboard, you don't need to.
Why let yourself be limited by your soft, slow, squishy human body when you can have a VI draw, aim and fire your weapons in the time it takes you to merely register that there is a threat? You can actually adapt a lot of the work you did with your security VI, distinguishing friends from foes is a pretty essential part of a fire control VI after all, and with your improved intelligence algorithms, the speed with which your new friend can learn things is quite frankly staggering.
Tagging incoming threats is easy enough, setting up a filter to determine the appropriate response is also easy enough, and giving the VI control over the Legionary's motors to let it aim the Repulsors or Hastas in the appropriate direction is almost trivial. It is when you're working on this last bit that you realize that you can take things one step further. Why even put a soft, slow, squishy human in the suit when the VI can run the entire show. With a grin, you use your neutral interface to order the re-purposed Bozz Shepkoz to bring you coffee. He's really more of a Mad Dok now you idly reflect as you take the night's first sip of espresso.
"Miss," Cortana's voice pull you out of the fugue-like state that often follows an all-nighter.
"Huh, yeah Cortana," you reply, blinking at the suddenly intrusive sunlight and your empty coffee cup.
"Security just called to ask why their power armors are currently doing their best imitation of the Foxtrot."
Advanced Black boxing/FRM (439/800)
60d10+70=397
--Finished!
"How is the analysis coming along, Solus?"
"Finished. Report on table," the other Salarian replied, waving absentmindedly in the direction of a datapad and several vials of yellow and orange liquids.
"What is this then," the first asked, indicating whatever sample the second was so carefully analysing.
"Paragon Industries genetic treatment for human newborns. Mode of operation elegant. Efficient. Sample itself; muddled, obscure, full of junk DNA. True means of operation hidden, disguised."
"Paragon? Why is an energy company hiring geneticists?"
"Not energy. General technological advancement. Genetic treatment well within stated and demonstrated purview."
"Hm." The first Salarian regarded the other in silence for a while.
"Why are you studying it, surely our work is more important."
"Important, yes. Urgent, less so. As I said, already finished analysis. Cannot proceed without new orders from STG command. Too many ways to handle problem. Political and military concerns. Human technological advancement over recent years unprecedented. Could need Krogan as counterweight."
"What?" The first almost shouted, the first time any of them showed any outward sign of emotion.
"Hypothetical. Galaxy changing, must keep options open."
The second Salarian looked up, huge black eyes looking into the other's. "Paragon Industries special. Rapid advancement across varied fields. Revolutionary new technology, entirely unlike Prothean relics. Demands more detailed investigation." He drew a breath. "Volunteer."
Peak Human (0/400)
20d10+70=180
180+29/2+36/2 = 212
--Halfway there!
Personal Actions
Have your own advanced implant (Magi) installed.
-Ask if Rahna would be willing to be hired as your tutor for you
"Are you sure about this, Shepard?" Rahna asks you when you approach her about your plans to have the Magi implant installed. Most people think of the word as meaning 'magician' or 'sorceror,' and to a certain extent it does, which is why you picked it for the Biotic implant, because let's face it Biotics is pretty much space magic. However, the word originally refers to followers of the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, which also gave name to Nietzsche's famous Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Not that that's at all relevant, but the mind wanders.
"Yes, I am. It's part of the reason I developed it. I'm a biotic, I should learn how to control it, but I didn't want to suffer the trauma of being an L2, or making do with the reduced effectiveness of an L3."
Rahna looks at you with obvious skepticism. "I don't think you know what you're talking about, Shepard, this isn't something you should do lightly or 'because you can,' it's a serious, life-altering decision. The Magi implant may have done away with the side-effects of the L2, but using Biotics is still a tremendous strain on your brain. And having that kind of power at your finger tips..." She trails off, "it can go wrong, Shepard, so very wrong." There's a story there, you'll bet, but now is not the time to push for it.
"I know that, Rahna, "you say more somberly, "I really do. I've been making weapons for years now, I know everything about being responsible with them. Some of the stuff I have, could kill thousands," millions, billions maybe you are very careful not to think too loudly. "I know what that kind of power is. I know how to use it responsibly, to protect the people who matter to me."
She nods, but does not seem entirely convinced. "It's different with biotics. A weapon you need to pick up in order to hurt anyone with it. Biotics you need to constantly put down to not hurt anyone with them."
"Then why do you do it?" You ask, turning the tables on Rahna. She is clearly surprised by this turn of the conversation, and stutters.
"I... I guess I feel a sense of duty. I have this power, I should use it. Control it. Not for myself, but for every other human out there."
You smile, "do you think my sense of duty is any less?"
"I... I guess not," she says with a small sigh, and then smiles. "Alright, I'll help you. But you should really think of getting a proper teacher. There's a reason they got a Turian to teach at Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training. Aliens just have so much more experience with Biotics than any of us do. Maybe that Asari... friend of yours," she says, seemingly uncertain about what exactly Liara is. Apparently there are some rumors going around.
Spend time with family and Brian.
-Hellish as it was fighting to beat Mum's challenges with Brian was fun, maybe you can do some more of that
--Bring some of what you've learned to the Security Teams training
Counting coppers
The contract with the Citadel specifies that you should produce 200,000 Arc reactors per year (well, only 150,000 this year since you started late), but you could probably sell quite a few more if you wanted to. Of course, the more Arc Reactors you sell on the Citadel market, the less resources Lindsey has to sell to the Alliance Military.
[ ] Letter of the law. Produce 50,000 Arc Reactors for the Citadel market. Let Lindsey handle the rest of your available production capabilities.
[ ] All out. Produce every last arc reactor you can. Everyone wants them, everyone is willing to pay a premium, and it's not like the Alliance can't buy them on the open market if they want to keep ahead. Plus, you'll fulfil your quota ahead of time this way.
[ ] Write-in.
Does it come in black?
You're off to Earth again, and this time you're a far cry from the underdog who swept everyone away with the Legionairy. You don't honestly think you can make quite the same impression this time around, but that's only because they know some of what you can do, your IFV is still going to blow theirs out of the land, air, space and water.
You have several design floating around. Which one do you actually bring?
[ ] IFV - UberJJK
[ ] IFV - Madfish
[ ] Write-in.
The Man They Called Brian
The end of high school is fast approaching. While this means little to you, since you've tested out long ago, it means that Brian's time on Mindoir is coming to a close for now. You had a talk about this on one of your first dates, but that was then and this is now. He's become very much a part of your life, and while you're not at all sure you'd want him around forever (yes, you plan to live forever dammit!), you will certainly miss him when he is gone.
How do you approach the end (or is it?) of your first relationship.
[ ] Long distance. Itnever always works in the movies!
[ ] Clean break. Continue as if nothing has changed until he actually ships out.
[ ] To 11. Try out-doing yourself in the last time you have together, making it extra special and trying things you'd otherwise be reluctant to.
[ ] Write-in.
Spare time (pick two)
[ ] Train with Mom
[ ] Practice piloting (Aircar)
[ ] Work on a College degree via the extranet.
-[ ] Specify subject.
[ ] Explore Landing.
[ ] Headhunt a research hero (this will not necessarily come into fruition immediately).
-[ ] Specify area of expertise.
[ ] Look into starting a Private Military Company.
[ ] Spend time with family
[ ] Write-in
Research!
Revy: 4(+4*10-4*10)
Lab 0+I+II: 3(+3*10)
6 Research Teams: 6(+6*10+6*5)
Conrad: 1(+10)
Basic Research: 0(+30)
Total: 140d10 + 160, average: 930
[ ] Frigates (400): Naively, you'd think that building frigates is just like building very large fighters. Sadly, the need for a crew, a command station, independent Mass Relay jumps and ordinary human waste, makes building frigates rather more complicated.
[ ] Medium Armor (400): The early tanks were nothing more than cars with a lot of steel plating stuck to them, the modern armor is a more refined beast, and a beast that would benefit more than a little from your careful touch and keen intellect.
[ ] 5 Meter Mech (400): You have an old, washed-out shirt that used to belong to your father with the inscription "Giant robots. Because life isn't dangerous enough." Now, you will have them.
[ ] Superalloys (800): Your new ceramic armor plating was developed to be the best possible without emptying your R&D budget and beggaring your clients. However, as your company grows, the former ceases to be a concern and you can let your mind play wild with all the elements known to Sentience.
[ ] Mk II Suit (500): Building your armor in easily replaceable components made from your advanced materials lets you make it so much stronger than the MK 1.5 could ever be. It also lets Cortana suit you up, which looks awesome. Adding repulsors in the hands and feet gives you hitherto unimagined manoeuvrability. (I. Am. Iron. Man! [Well, ceramic man, but the other thing sounds better!])
[ ] AI Licensing Preparation (800): The Galaxy has not had a particularly pleasant history of interactions with AIs, most notably the story of the Geth is perhaps one of the most ominous tales told in Council Space. Learning how to shut down computers is an essential step to take before any AI research can be started. (Develop EMP and electronic warfare suites.)
[ ] Adrenal Implant (400): Almost everyone has an anecdote about a mother lifting a car to get to their child, or a man pulling a tree out of the ground to bash in an assailant's head. Adrenaline's power to make people stronger and faster is well documented, and many people have wished it were possible to stimulate adrenalin production safely. Well, now it is. (The implant makes the user faster and stronger for a limited time. Overuse is bad for your health.)
[ ] CASIE Implant (400): You were never the most adroit social butterfly, and many times, you wished that you could just ask a computer what the right ting to say in this instance was, or what that guy really meant with that comment. Well, now you can. (This implant gives savvy advise in social situations.)
[ ] Advanced Neural Interface (400): With your neural interface, you are limited only the speed of your thoughts. But really, limits are for lesser people, you should not have such limits, even if your thoughts are swifter than anyone else's. (This interface lets you process information faster than you would otherwise be able to, and make computer-assisted decisions in the blink of an eye.)
[ ] Miniaturized Energy Weapons (400): A lot of things go into making a laser, but people have been making them for literally centuries, so there are few great mysteries left. The major problem in making smaller lasers is containing the energy. Fortunately, you have some knowledge in designing new materials, and now you'll be making cavities and resonators that will make your competitors weep. (What it says on the tin.)
[ ] Gigawatt Range Lasers (400): Frankly, you're a little worried about increasing the power output of your laser weaponry by several orders of magnitude. And it's certainly not something you should put on a ground-based vehicle, atmospheres are flammable after all, but as a wise man said: "Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?". (Also what it says on the tin.)
[ ] Peak Human (212/400): The Alliance military gives their soldiers an advanced genetic modification program to make sure its people are the best they can be. But really, they're not. But if you take a look at the problem, they can be. The limits of human competence are far from the norm, and very few have both the brawns and the brains to be truly termed 'peak.' (Extensive modification program that over a year increases all of the recipient's natural aptitudes.)
[ ] Biotic Armor (1600): Biotic powers are built upon a foundation of natural aptitude, but they need an Implant and an Amp to truly come into their right. By expanding on the principles you have learned when designing your own Implant and Amps, you are certain you can create an armor that will be to the common amp what a skyscraper is to a tribal hut. (Armor that enhances and utilizes biotic abilities.)
[ ] Improved Warhead (150): While the unassuming Pilum missile is a revolution in anti-tank weapons, it is still vulnerable to point defense and can only do so much about particularly heavy targets. By coating it in an outer layer of Eezo, you can enable it to outrun point defense weapons after they have hit. And a little fullerened anti-matter sounds like just the thing to beef up the explosive power without sacrificing its compact size. (Negates kinetic barriers, most armor, point defense and delivers a massive punch. What's not to love?)
Now available
[ ] Flawless black boxing/FRM (3200): By riddling your technology with superfluous wiring and casing, adding minute self-destructive devises, and shielding it all from all known forms of non-intrusive tomography, you have been able to keep your rivals (and most governments) guessing as to how it is your devices work. Now, you start getting serious about secrecy. (Makes reverse engineering your technology practically impossible to any of the Citadel species.)
Conrad's Special Projects
[ ] The invisible man (400): The stealth system that was installed in the prototype the Berkeley students presented at the power armor conference was not good enough to fool Alliance security, but then it was Conrad piloting the thing. While working on your advanced ceramic, you've had some ideas of your own on how to incorporate digital camouflage at a fundamental level. (Make near-invisible versions of your vehicles. Sound, thermal and radar detection will still be issues, but issues exist to be solved!)
[ ] The black fucking gun (400): Conrad knows pretty much how the "Black Hole Gun, but not really" that they entered into the competition works. It does, however, have more than a few safety issues, and you really don't want a gun that will make General Alexander call you and ask what the hell happened to his entire right flank. The core idea is good, but the problem is that Conrad, smart though he is, is very bad at adapting his designs to the constraints posed by reality. (Build the M-490 Blackstorm, though you get to pick a new name for it if you'd like.)
[ ] Time is an illusion (XXX): Have Conrad and his team continue the work he started in his dissertation. Time manipulation of any kind would be pretty awesome, but this is as bleeding edge as research gets, and you have no idea what's on the other side, or how far away it is. (This may or may not give you limited control over time. It may or may not have other prerequisite techs.)
-----
A/N: You now have all the techs that were available in Auks's last update, everything from here on is (almost) entirely me
Also thanks to Kelenas for beta'ing the Salarian bit.
Revy's messages to the corporate heads of the citadel is a reference. To what, I wonder? There are also a few Worm references spread around, but these should not be taken seriously.
2173-Q2
Business Actions
Building Better Babies. Distribute your new procedures as widely as you can, making Humanity stronger, faster, smarter and prettier. Also pissing off the companies that are making a killing doing this for the rich and powerful.
-Provide free treatment to cure genetic disease in children.
--Work with those of alliance governments who have free medical care and mandatory inoculations to spread your advancements as far as possible (and for political capital)
---See if you can involve Sirta Foundation. This sort of thing is their specialty and it would be nice to have a working relationship.
Being the Hero of Mindoir (or anywhere else you guess, but you're only the Hero of Mindoir. So far.) has its perks. One of those perks being able to get the chairman of the board of a major corporation to fly out to meet you. Well, Sirta's a foundation, not a corporation, and they're mostly major in the sense that they're everywhere and everybody knows what they do. Compared to companies like HK or Rosenkov, they're small fries.
"Mr. Dallon, welcome to Mindoir," you greet the handsome, elderly gentleman who enters your office. The lines of a long life with plenty of struggles have said their tracks on his face, but they do not seem to have hampered his mobility or enthusiasm.
"Ms. Shepard," he replies giving your hand a firm shake, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've been following your work these past few years, as I'm sure every other remotely business savvy person in Alliance Space has, I'm impressed."
"Thank you," you respond with a smile, you've started getting used to praise like this, but it's still nice. Particularly from someone like this guy, he seems like a genuinely good guy. "Pardon me for being blunt," you say, "but are you in this business to make money, or to help people?"
He frowns slightly, but smiles again, "that is blunt, but I suppose that is one of the priviledges of youth. To be honest, I don't see any way to disconnect the two," he replies, "Sirta is a force for good in the galaxy, but we could not remain that if we did not also make a profit. It's a hard thing to balance, of course, but I think we're doing quite a good job."
"I agree," you reply, "which is why I asked you to come here. We have developed a new regimen of genetic treatment that surpasses, though not by much, the current top of the line products administered to the children of the rich and powerful. It would be a simple matter to enter into a competition with them, and take a cut of their profits in the regular fashion. However," you say, looking evenly at him, "I am in this business to help people. And frankly, I'm making more than enough money off the Arc Reactor and the Legionary power armor that I don't need to make money from genetic treatments for the 1%."
His frown deepens, "what are you suggesting, Ms. Shepard?"
"It is quite simple really. I would like to let Sirta license the treatment from us at largely nominal fee, making it available to the majority of the human population, with a special emphasis on the parts of it that deal with genetic diseases. Think about it. Billions of people who are smarter, stronger, healthier, better."
He nods, clearly thinking about it. "I see what you mean. But why do you need Sirta?"
You smile at him, "Sirta is an established name, if I were to extend this procedure on my own, it would get bogged down in bureaucracy and it would be easy for the current genetic improvement companies to kill it before it even got to clinical trials. You have the clout to actually get it to the people. And," you add, extending your hand to him, "I think you really are in this to help people."
He chuckles and shakes your hand. "I think so too."
File. Let them see what we can do, and let them then shut up and give us their money.
-But have your people go over any changes in Citadel patent law first. Hire a specialist if needs be.
Your legal team was good at getting all of your ducks lined up in a row, even the simplest laws that govern billions of people are full of loopholes and trapdoors, and patent laws are a far cry from the simplest. Hiring an expert at the cheap cost of one million credits (seriously, when did that become cheap?) let you brush out their feathers and teach them to dance.
OK, the duck analogy has probably broken down by now, but when you send off your patent application, everything goes remarkably smoothly and very soon, you receive word back from the Citadel that your patent has been approved, and that you are expected to produce no less than 200,000 Arc Reactors per year at a cost of no more than 250,000 credits each, and make them freely available on the galactic market. The numbers will be re-evaluated every year to ensure that you are making a serious effort to meet the demand.
You crack a smile and on 7 April 2171, Earth standard time, you send the following message directly to Cheron Armax and every other corporate head in Citadel space: "It is my very great pleasure to inform you that Paragon Industries will now be selling Arc Reactors to all Citadel Species."
Five entire minutes pass before the first set orders pops up on your screen.
Hire on five new security teams.
-[X]Prioritize Marines but if we have to take on more LEOs or mercs to have them on time then so be it.
Less than 3% of Humanity's population volunteer for military service. While this is lower than in any other species, it still means that Humanity has almost half a billion men and women who have at some point in their lives been in the service. Naturally, a lot of these people only stay on for a few years before finding jobs elsewhere, and some of these have found their way to Mindoir, looking to be part of the best equipped private security force in the galaxy.
Your HR department is quite competent, and a lot of your current security people are more than happy to speak with their former brothers and sisters in arms about life in the private sector, so once you start looking for new recruits, they show up.
It's a varied crowd that enter your employ, you don't have time to interview them yourself, but you do take a listen to some of the transcripts.
"So, Mr. Wallis," one interviewer asked an applicant, "why do you want to work for Paragon Industries?"
"Honestly," the man, youngish by the sound of him, "only place in the private sector I get to fly around in power armor. Plus have you guys heard what the Extranet is saying about you? This is where it's at, and I'm not smart enough to help out with research. Keeping the bad guys out will have to do."
"So, Ms. Henriquez," the same interviewer asked another applicant, you have a feeling he is a bit bored with his job, "why do you want to work for Paragon Industries?"
"You guys seem to be fighting for Humanity," the woman replied, also sounding young, though also like she had gone through more than in her life than Wallis, "I want to do that too, but I just can't live my life on the move like I did with the Alliance. I... I need to form roots."
There's a lot of names on the final roster, you're no expert in the etymology of names, but they seem to be drawn from all sorts of backgrounds, a few names even have letters you've never seen before. Humanity's exodus from earth has melded its cultures into a more seamless whole, but on lists like this, its history as a myriad of fractioned countries connected only by sea-born trade and the occasional war is quite apparent.
Build Basic Research Lab II and III
-Hire Research Teams at our usual salary
"Ah! Rebecca," Hari Jain, the head of your basic research department greets you when you pause at the open door of his office. "Come in, come in," the tall Indian says as he rises and waves you forward. "Nice of you to come see how we're doing over here in the ivory tower," he continues with a warm smile. "It looks like they've finished the new factory building, exciting, I'm sure."
He has a bit of a rambling nature, but he's well respected, and a better administrator than most people in his business. "It is, we'll be able to increase our production capabilities with a factor of 10," you say, more than a little pride entering your voice as the good doctor smiles and nods, "but you don't really care about that, you say with a crooked smile.
He chuckles at your bluntness, "I do!" He insists, "but there is a reason I am working here, rather than with Rubbia, Kobayashi and the rest of the engineering department," other than their personalities he makes sure not to add. "Your arc reactor really is fascinating. It's such a privilege to be working on a really new branch of science." He chuckles, "I feel almost like a young Heisenberg or Bose. Don't give me that look, Rebecca," he says at your expression at the word 'young,' "I'm barely even 50, and with the things the biotech people mentioned after hours on Friday, I've got a good long while ahead of me yet."
"If you last long enough for it to matter," you say, making sure your smile is suitably joking, "I'm here to regretfully inform you that you will have even more administrative duties in the future."
"Oh?" he says, sounding not wary, but unamused.
"Yes. I'll adding a few metaphorical stories to your Ivory Tower, and sextupling your staff."
"Oh," he says, blinking, "oh my."
Research Actions
Advanced Fire Control VI (0/400)
60d10+120=429
--Finished!
You're not a bad shot. You've been to your shooting range (and the shooting city your people have built for testing purposes) with Mom enough times to know that. You can keep your breathing steady, aim in the right spot, and hit the bull's eye, or close enough, more times than not. But there is so much you can't do. You can't do the same while you're running at a full sprint, you can't hit it if a grenade or missile were flying towards you. Fortunately, you think as you hack away at your keyboard, you don't need to.
Why let yourself be limited by your soft, slow, squishy human body when you can have a VI draw, aim and fire your weapons in the time it takes you to merely register that there is a threat? You can actually adapt a lot of the work you did with your security VI, distinguishing friends from foes is a pretty essential part of a fire control VI after all, and with your improved intelligence algorithms, the speed with which your new friend can learn things is quite frankly staggering.
Tagging incoming threats is easy enough, setting up a filter to determine the appropriate response is also easy enough, and giving the VI control over the Legionary's motors to let it aim the Repulsors or Hastas in the appropriate direction is almost trivial. It is when you're working on this last bit that you realize that you can take things one step further. Why even put a soft, slow, squishy human in the suit when the VI can run the entire show. With a grin, you use your neutral interface to order the re-purposed Bozz Shepkoz to bring you coffee. He's really more of a Mad Dok now you idly reflect as you take the night's first sip of espresso.
"Miss," Cortana's voice pull you out of the fugue-like state that often follows an all-nighter.
"Huh, yeah Cortana," you reply, blinking at the suddenly intrusive sunlight and your empty coffee cup.
"Security just called to ask why their power armors are currently doing their best imitation of the Foxtrot."
Advanced Black boxing/FRM (439/800)
60d10+70=397
--Finished!
"How is the analysis coming along, Solus?"
"Finished. Report on table," the other Salarian replied, waving absentmindedly in the direction of a datapad and several vials of yellow and orange liquids.
"What is this then," the first asked, indicating whatever sample the second was so carefully analysing.
"Paragon Industries genetic treatment for human newborns. Mode of operation elegant. Efficient. Sample itself; muddled, obscure, full of junk DNA. True means of operation hidden, disguised."
"Paragon? Why is an energy company hiring geneticists?"
"Not energy. General technological advancement. Genetic treatment well within stated and demonstrated purview."
"Hm." The first Salarian regarded the other in silence for a while.
"Why are you studying it, surely our work is more important."
"Important, yes. Urgent, less so. As I said, already finished analysis. Cannot proceed without new orders from STG command. Too many ways to handle problem. Political and military concerns. Human technological advancement over recent years unprecedented. Could need Krogan as counterweight."
"What?" The first almost shouted, the first time any of them showed any outward sign of emotion.
"Hypothetical. Galaxy changing, must keep options open."
The second Salarian looked up, huge black eyes looking into the other's. "Paragon Industries special. Rapid advancement across varied fields. Revolutionary new technology, entirely unlike Prothean relics. Demands more detailed investigation." He drew a breath. "Volunteer."
Peak Human (0/400)
20d10+70=180
180+29/2+36/2 = 212
--Halfway there!
Personal Actions
Have your own advanced implant (Magi) installed.
-Ask if Rahna would be willing to be hired as your tutor for you
"Are you sure about this, Shepard?" Rahna asks you when you approach her about your plans to have the Magi implant installed. Most people think of the word as meaning 'magician' or 'sorceror,' and to a certain extent it does, which is why you picked it for the Biotic implant, because let's face it Biotics is pretty much space magic. However, the word originally refers to followers of the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, which also gave name to Nietzsche's famous Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Not that that's at all relevant, but the mind wanders.
"Yes, I am. It's part of the reason I developed it. I'm a biotic, I should learn how to control it, but I didn't want to suffer the trauma of being an L2, or making do with the reduced effectiveness of an L3."
Rahna looks at you with obvious skepticism. "I don't think you know what you're talking about, Shepard, this isn't something you should do lightly or 'because you can,' it's a serious, life-altering decision. The Magi implant may have done away with the side-effects of the L2, but using Biotics is still a tremendous strain on your brain. And having that kind of power at your finger tips..." She trails off, "it can go wrong, Shepard, so very wrong." There's a story there, you'll bet, but now is not the time to push for it.
"I know that, Rahna, "you say more somberly, "I really do. I've been making weapons for years now, I know everything about being responsible with them. Some of the stuff I have, could kill thousands," millions, billions maybe you are very careful not to think too loudly. "I know what that kind of power is. I know how to use it responsibly, to protect the people who matter to me."
She nods, but does not seem entirely convinced. "It's different with biotics. A weapon you need to pick up in order to hurt anyone with it. Biotics you need to constantly put down to not hurt anyone with them."
"Then why do you do it?" You ask, turning the tables on Rahna. She is clearly surprised by this turn of the conversation, and stutters.
"I... I guess I feel a sense of duty. I have this power, I should use it. Control it. Not for myself, but for every other human out there."
You smile, "do you think my sense of duty is any less?"
"I... I guess not," she says with a small sigh, and then smiles. "Alright, I'll help you. But you should really think of getting a proper teacher. There's a reason they got a Turian to teach at Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training. Aliens just have so much more experience with Biotics than any of us do. Maybe that Asari... friend of yours," she says, seemingly uncertain about what exactly Liara is. Apparently there are some rumors going around.
Spend time with family and Brian.
-Hellish as it was fighting to beat Mum's challenges with Brian was fun, maybe you can do some more of that
--Bring some of what you've learned to the Security Teams training
Counting coppers
The contract with the Citadel specifies that you should produce 200,000 Arc reactors per year (well, only 150,000 this year since you started late), but you could probably sell quite a few more if you wanted to. Of course, the more Arc Reactors you sell on the Citadel market, the less resources Lindsey has to sell to the Alliance Military.
[ ] Letter of the law. Produce 50,000 Arc Reactors for the Citadel market. Let Lindsey handle the rest of your available production capabilities.
[ ] All out. Produce every last arc reactor you can. Everyone wants them, everyone is willing to pay a premium, and it's not like the Alliance can't buy them on the open market if they want to keep ahead. Plus, you'll fulfil your quota ahead of time this way.
[ ] Write-in.
Does it come in black?
You're off to Earth again, and this time you're a far cry from the underdog who swept everyone away with the Legionairy. You don't honestly think you can make quite the same impression this time around, but that's only because they know some of what you can do, your IFV is still going to blow theirs out of the land, air, space and water.
You have several design floating around. Which one do you actually bring?
[ ] IFV - UberJJK
[ ] IFV - Madfish
[ ] Write-in.
The Man They Called Brian
The end of high school is fast approaching. While this means little to you, since you've tested out long ago, it means that Brian's time on Mindoir is coming to a close for now. You had a talk about this on one of your first dates, but that was then and this is now. He's become very much a part of your life, and while you're not at all sure you'd want him around forever (yes, you plan to live forever dammit!), you will certainly miss him when he is gone.
How do you approach the end (or is it?) of your first relationship.
[ ] Long distance. It
[ ] Clean break. Continue as if nothing has changed until he actually ships out.
[ ] To 11. Try out-doing yourself in the last time you have together, making it extra special and trying things you'd otherwise be reluctant to.
[ ] Write-in.
Spare time (pick two)
[ ] Train with Mom
[ ] Practice piloting (Aircar)
[ ] Work on a College degree via the extranet.
-[ ] Specify subject.
[ ] Explore Landing.
[ ] Headhunt a research hero (this will not necessarily come into fruition immediately).
-[ ] Specify area of expertise.
[ ] Look into starting a Private Military Company.
[ ] Spend time with family
[ ] Write-in
Research!
Revy: 4(+4*10-4*10)
Lab 0+I+II: 3(+3*10)
6 Research Teams: 6(+6*10+6*5)
Conrad: 1(+10)
Basic Research: 0(+30)
Total: 140d10 + 160, average: 930
[ ] Frigates (400): Naively, you'd think that building frigates is just like building very large fighters. Sadly, the need for a crew, a command station, independent Mass Relay jumps and ordinary human waste, makes building frigates rather more complicated.
[ ] Medium Armor (400): The early tanks were nothing more than cars with a lot of steel plating stuck to them, the modern armor is a more refined beast, and a beast that would benefit more than a little from your careful touch and keen intellect.
[ ] 5 Meter Mech (400): You have an old, washed-out shirt that used to belong to your father with the inscription "Giant robots. Because life isn't dangerous enough." Now, you will have them.
[ ] Superalloys (800): Your new ceramic armor plating was developed to be the best possible without emptying your R&D budget and beggaring your clients. However, as your company grows, the former ceases to be a concern and you can let your mind play wild with all the elements known to Sentience.
[ ] Mk II Suit (500): Building your armor in easily replaceable components made from your advanced materials lets you make it so much stronger than the MK 1.5 could ever be. It also lets Cortana suit you up, which looks awesome. Adding repulsors in the hands and feet gives you hitherto unimagined manoeuvrability. (I. Am. Iron. Man! [Well, ceramic man, but the other thing sounds better!])
[ ] AI Licensing Preparation (800): The Galaxy has not had a particularly pleasant history of interactions with AIs, most notably the story of the Geth is perhaps one of the most ominous tales told in Council Space. Learning how to shut down computers is an essential step to take before any AI research can be started. (Develop EMP and electronic warfare suites.)
[ ] Adrenal Implant (400): Almost everyone has an anecdote about a mother lifting a car to get to their child, or a man pulling a tree out of the ground to bash in an assailant's head. Adrenaline's power to make people stronger and faster is well documented, and many people have wished it were possible to stimulate adrenalin production safely. Well, now it is. (The implant makes the user faster and stronger for a limited time. Overuse is bad for your health.)
[ ] CASIE Implant (400): You were never the most adroit social butterfly, and many times, you wished that you could just ask a computer what the right ting to say in this instance was, or what that guy really meant with that comment. Well, now you can. (This implant gives savvy advise in social situations.)
[ ] Advanced Neural Interface (400): With your neural interface, you are limited only the speed of your thoughts. But really, limits are for lesser people, you should not have such limits, even if your thoughts are swifter than anyone else's. (This interface lets you process information faster than you would otherwise be able to, and make computer-assisted decisions in the blink of an eye.)
[ ] Miniaturized Energy Weapons (400): A lot of things go into making a laser, but people have been making them for literally centuries, so there are few great mysteries left. The major problem in making smaller lasers is containing the energy. Fortunately, you have some knowledge in designing new materials, and now you'll be making cavities and resonators that will make your competitors weep. (What it says on the tin.)
[ ] Gigawatt Range Lasers (400): Frankly, you're a little worried about increasing the power output of your laser weaponry by several orders of magnitude. And it's certainly not something you should put on a ground-based vehicle, atmospheres are flammable after all, but as a wise man said: "Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?". (Also what it says on the tin.)
[ ] Peak Human (212/400): The Alliance military gives their soldiers an advanced genetic modification program to make sure its people are the best they can be. But really, they're not. But if you take a look at the problem, they can be. The limits of human competence are far from the norm, and very few have both the brawns and the brains to be truly termed 'peak.' (Extensive modification program that over a year increases all of the recipient's natural aptitudes.)
[ ] Biotic Armor (1600): Biotic powers are built upon a foundation of natural aptitude, but they need an Implant and an Amp to truly come into their right. By expanding on the principles you have learned when designing your own Implant and Amps, you are certain you can create an armor that will be to the common amp what a skyscraper is to a tribal hut. (Armor that enhances and utilizes biotic abilities.)
[ ] Improved Warhead (150): While the unassuming Pilum missile is a revolution in anti-tank weapons, it is still vulnerable to point defense and can only do so much about particularly heavy targets. By coating it in an outer layer of Eezo, you can enable it to outrun point defense weapons after they have hit. And a little fullerened anti-matter sounds like just the thing to beef up the explosive power without sacrificing its compact size. (Negates kinetic barriers, most armor, point defense and delivers a massive punch. What's not to love?)
Now available
[ ] Flawless black boxing/FRM (3200): By riddling your technology with superfluous wiring and casing, adding minute self-destructive devises, and shielding it all from all known forms of non-intrusive tomography, you have been able to keep your rivals (and most governments) guessing as to how it is your devices work. Now, you start getting serious about secrecy. (Makes reverse engineering your technology practically impossible to any of the Citadel species.)
Conrad's Special Projects
[ ] The invisible man (400): The stealth system that was installed in the prototype the Berkeley students presented at the power armor conference was not good enough to fool Alliance security, but then it was Conrad piloting the thing. While working on your advanced ceramic, you've had some ideas of your own on how to incorporate digital camouflage at a fundamental level. (Make near-invisible versions of your vehicles. Sound, thermal and radar detection will still be issues, but issues exist to be solved!)
[ ] The black fucking gun (400): Conrad knows pretty much how the "Black Hole Gun, but not really" that they entered into the competition works. It does, however, have more than a few safety issues, and you really don't want a gun that will make General Alexander call you and ask what the hell happened to his entire right flank. The core idea is good, but the problem is that Conrad, smart though he is, is very bad at adapting his designs to the constraints posed by reality. (Build the M-490 Blackstorm, though you get to pick a new name for it if you'd like.)
[ ] Time is an illusion (XXX): Have Conrad and his team continue the work he started in his dissertation. Time manipulation of any kind would be pretty awesome, but this is as bleeding edge as research gets, and you have no idea what's on the other side, or how far away it is. (This may or may not give you limited control over time. It may or may not have other prerequisite techs.)
-----
A/N: You now have all the techs that were available in Auks's last update, everything from here on is (almost) entirely me
Also thanks to Kelenas for beta'ing the Salarian bit.Revy's messages to the corporate heads of the citadel is a reference. To what, I wonder? There are also a few Worm references spread around, but these should not be taken seriously.
Last edited:
Forgothrax
Not Going Gently
- Pronouns
- He/Him
... Well, well, well...
Ohi Mordin.
Ohi Mordin.
Any reason this got cut/missed?
Yeah. It's pretty much what we've done every time for the last 5 updates, and I couldn't come up with anything new and fun.
[X} sell 50% of the quota
[X} Mad fish
[X} Try for a gentle spin down on the relationship. enjoy the time before he leaves and end it with a friendly break up leaving the two of you as friends when he departs for basic.
[X] learn to fly an aircar from mom and dad.
[X] Look into starting a Private Military Company.
[X} Mad fish
[X} Try for a gentle spin down on the relationship. enjoy the time before he leaves and end it with a friendly break up leaving the two of you as friends when he departs for basic.
[X] learn to fly an aircar from mom and dad.
[X] Look into starting a Private Military Company.
Last edited:
Forgothrax
Not Going Gently
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think Auks maybe answered this back in the day. But if not, same as a factory III.
Durabys
Miaow! Break the Chains!
- Location
- the land of the Boii
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think it will get the Salarian STG and the Asari Athame Council a brain aneurysm once they try to understand it or they start collectively chanting "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" once they look at the results of their scans of it.
Noted.
We have an issue. A serious issue here.
Total production remaining for the year:
30,030+25,530+25,530 = 81,090
300,000 Arc Reactors at 0.3 production = 90,000
So to avoid been forced to License we have to upgrade our Factory II to Factory III this month which should give us:
27,030 + 22,530 + 52530 = 102,090
Well... I know which one I'm going to vote for...
But to try and convince everyone else; I'm not really sure I like Madfish's design. It seems to try and do too much with all the various sub designs and most of them seem to stray pretty far from the idea of an IFV. The Alliance is after a replacement for the Mako not replacements for half the vehicles they use.
But that's just my, rather biased, opinion.
Really not sure what to do here.
You know we might actually get to recruit Mordin now. Sure he'd be a spy but he'd be a great aid for our genetics research.
Research
Not really sure for now but we should finish Peak Human at the very least and start setting aside whatever dice end up left over for Flawless Black Boxing. I mean we could go right for it, and there are advantages to getting it ASAP, but the slow and steady approach also works.
I don't think we have a construction time but he did say it costs 5 billion. I'll edit the link in soon.
Last edited:
Well, for our relationship and personal actions, I'd say;
How do you approach the end (or is it?) of your first relationship.
[ ] Clean break. Continue as if nothing has changed until he actually ships out.
- [ ] But keep in touch and try to stay friends. You're honestly looking forward to hearing stories about his experiences in bootcamp.
Spare time (pick two)
[ ] Headhunt a research hero (this will not necessarily come into fruition immediately).
[ ] Look into starting a Private Military Company.
These two come to mind. The sooner we form our PMC, the better, and finding another R&D Hero should help us a lot, and might even net us Mordin (unlikely though it might be; not to mention the complications from him being a spy).
Dropping training for a turn shouldn't really hurt.
Also, I just noted that with our finances, we can completely max out our groundside production capabilities, *AND* still have money left over to build a shipyard, *AND* begin expanding onto another planet.
This means we should finish Frigate research this turn, so we can start selling (small) freighters with Arc Reactors and Repulsors, to begin revolutionizing transportation.
Edit: To clarify; we have 11.000.000.000 Credits available to us this quarter. In words; Eleven. Billions.
How do you approach the end (or is it?) of your first relationship.
[ ] Clean break. Continue as if nothing has changed until he actually ships out.
- [ ] But keep in touch and try to stay friends. You're honestly looking forward to hearing stories about his experiences in bootcamp.
Spare time (pick two)
[ ] Headhunt a research hero (this will not necessarily come into fruition immediately).
[ ] Look into starting a Private Military Company.
These two come to mind. The sooner we form our PMC, the better, and finding another R&D Hero should help us a lot, and might even net us Mordin (unlikely though it might be; not to mention the complications from him being a spy).
Dropping training for a turn shouldn't really hurt.
Also, I just noted that with our finances, we can completely max out our groundside production capabilities, *AND* still have money left over to build a shipyard, *AND* begin expanding onto another planet.
This means we should finish Frigate research this turn, so we can start selling (small) freighters with Arc Reactors and Repulsors, to begin revolutionizing transportation.
Edit: To clarify; we have 11.000.000.000 Credits available to us this quarter. In words; Eleven. Billions.
Last edited:
Derp. I messed up with a factor of 2. The council only wants you to build 150,000.
Durabys
Miaow! Break the Chains!
- Location
- the land of the Boii
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"Flawless Black Boxing" means that even the fucking Geth, the Reapers, the Catalyst and its still surviving Leviathan makers will have MAJOR problems in reverse-engineering Revy's tech. And by ME-verse standards, these guys are the local version of First Ones.