Dude exodus is the one with a connection to Kite's nest.
If we get to Exodus we meet up with the batarians.
It also is improbable on the basis of population, we've got 3 systems suitable for all races and a fourth for Volus, one of which is a garden world and of course Ansilla which we are currently colonising.
Please keep thinking, but that one's a bit of a stretch me thinks.
We don't have extra population, we have a denuded economy with no. That is very different. If we had an otherwise healthy economy but still too many people, then you might have a point if we didn't also have at least three other worlds to colonize.
There's actually something really wrong with the map of Relays further up. Namely the Blue line that goes from Sentry Omega to Caleston Rift to Hawking Eta. Because that line doesn't actually follow the relays connections.
Sentry Omega only connects to Attican Beta. The 'connection' to Caleston Rift in blue on that map is actually the Sentry Omega -> Attican Beta and Nubian Expanse -> Caleston Rift relay connections crossing over.
On the other hand, this does make the Exodus Cluster and Sol System closer to us, at 3 and 4 Relays respectively. But Pangaea Expanse is 5 Relays connections away.
I mean, if we actually go looking for new Relay Connections, it might be much less. Hell, it might be less right now depending on if the Rachni have opened more Relay connections in their territory that we haven't learned of. And looking over the most recent map we have the relays, we actually see that for whatever reason the connection between Hawking Eta and Caleston Rift hasn't been opened yet...
So why make our borders even bigger and our supply lines even longer? We have a cluster jam packed with resources that isnt even fully explored. We also control several other neighboring clusters.
Not if it comes with protheans. Remember the fact that they were slavers, regularly used and abused other races, think our own main character is nothing more than a pleasure slave, etc. Pick one.
There's actually something really wrong with the map of Relays further up. Namely the Blue line that goes from Sentry Omega to Caleston Rift to Hawking Eta. Because that line doesn't actually follow the relays connections.
Sentry Omega only connects to Attican Beta. The 'connection' to Caleston Rift in blue on that map is actually the Sentry Omega -> Attican Beta and Nubian Expanse -> Caleston Rift relay connections crossing over.
On the other hand, this does make the Exodus Cluster and Sol System closer to us, at 3 and 4 Relays respectively. But Pangaea Expanse is 5 Relays connections away.
I mean, if we actually go looking for new Relay Connections, it might be much less. Hell, it might be less right now depending on if the Rachni have opened more Relay connections in their territory that we haven't learned of. And looking over the most recent map we have the relays, we actually see that for whatever reason the connection between Hawking Eta and Caleston Rift hasn't been opened yet...
So why make our borders even bigger and our supply lines even longer? We have a cluster jam packed with resources that isnt even fully explored. We also control several other neighboring clusters.
We're a state that wants to secede from a Galactic Federation, no, we do not have enough resources, plenty ? yeah. plenty enough to secede or maintain bigger fleets ? no
With the Mu relay I could see a cogent argument that opening for scientific purposes exists (to my knowledge its the only relay moved out of its position by a stellar event).
Not if it comes with protheans. Remember the fact that they were slavers, regularly used and abused other races, think our own main character is nothing more than a pleasure slave, etc. Pick one.
We're a state that wants to secede from a Galactic Federation, no, we do not have enough resources, plenty ? yeah. plenty enough to secede or maintain bigger fleets ? no
So? That doesn't answer his question, we've got an excessively resource rich cluster that needs development ASAP and can likely fund massive ship yards for millennia off Ansilla alone.
But, you argue we need to spread ourselves thinner and exploit fewer resources while leaving ourselves with longer supply lines open to Batarians, STG and more.
I'm only advocating for a quick advance to Ilos, the other advances I myself have given the slowest timeframe of 100 years. By 100 years we should be ready to expand. As I said, to be independent we need a big fleet, more resources than we have now, preferably more shinies, all of it over the course of the next century or more
I'm only advocating for a quick advance to Ilos, the other advances I myself have given the slowest timeframe of 100 years. By 100 years we should be ready to expand. As I said, to be independent we need a big fleet, more resources than we have now, preferably more shinies, all of it over the course of the next century or more
To our neighbouring clusters, not too Exodus two clusters over in the middle of what in 100 years will still be in a war and next door to the bleeding Batarians.
Also 100 years seems waaay too generous a time frame for that me thinks.
To our neighbouring clusters, not too Exodus two clusters over in the middle of what in 100 years will still be in a war and next door to the bleeding Batarians.
Also 100 years seems waaay too generous a time frame for that me thinks.
I'm only advocating for a quick advance to Ilos, the other advances I myself have given the slowest timeframe of 100 years. By 100 years we should be ready to expand. As I said, to be independent we need a big fleet, more resources than we have now, preferably more shinies, all of it over the course of the next century or more
Well, one of our finds in cluster is a fullmetal planet. 99+% metal. That planet alone can sustain milennias of fleet expansion, should you build shipyards - even on the scale where Kuat orbital shipyards from SW would look like a toy.
Resources are not a problem.
There are only two things that could mandate colonies outside of Sentry Omega in the next century or five.
1) Logistical hubs &/ military bases. Extending reach of our fleets.
2) Scientific outposts - nuff said.
Economically, we don't have a reason to go beyond SO relay.
Damn it, I'm going to need to push back the update. Sorry, folks; I thought I'd have more time today to write than I ended up actually having. Update definitely tomorrow, though; I have a nice four-hour time slot blocked off in the afternoon just for my various projects.
Economics is a game of confidence. Many people think of it as a game of money, or of trade. A game of supply and demand. And it is, in part, but only in the same way that warfare is a game of tactics. Warfare, before you get down to a soldier shooting at a rachni, is about strategy, and before that, logistics. A soldier can't fight if they aren't fed, and guns are worthless without bullets.
And thus, before a shopkeeper sells something to a customer, you have countries negotiating trade agreements, and prior to that, you have people who are basically willing to believe that parting with this one thing for this other thing will turn out well for them. Nations run on this conceit. Vast, intricate systems of trade and commerce run on the notion that, at the end of the day, this stuff works. If they don't believe that, then it doesn't matter how healthy your nation is -- nobody buys things, preferring instead to stockpile in anticipation of the bad times that they are absolutely sure are incoming, and the whole apparatus grinds to a halt. Sapient civilization is an edifice constructed atop a single point of failure.
Virmire is not a healthy nation. Its civilian economy has expanded by perhaps a knitting circle since the Rachni War started. Its population, meanwhile, has boomed over the last decade. Its military industry has expanded, and by quite a lot, but not nearly enough to employ even close to everybody. Yet despite that, it has continued to trundle along, sustained by a populace fanatically willing to sacrifice in the name of the state and believe it worthwhile.
You don't know who blinks first.
But by the time the news starts carrying stories of runs on banks and closing businesses, everybody has. The first attempt to default on a government contract comes hours later.
Happily, you saw this coming, and Lissa's people have been working overtime to prepare. Government contracts have a lot of fine print, after all, and while Virmire isn't nationalized by virtue of most businesses still being privately owned, the previous administration managed to get the civilian economy down to a sliver somehow. Companies that attempt to renege find the process rather more fraught than they could imagine, and for your government, at least, disaster is averted.
For now.
The rest of your nation is not so lucky. As confidence evaporates and people stop spending in anticipation of a crash, the belt tightens, strangling what little remains of Virmire's economy. The slice of your adult population out of work prepares to welcome a lot of company.
The economy has crashed. Due to forewarning, your government has not yet felt the hit, and can respond effectively and in good order. That said, unemployment is starting to climb as people stop spending and businesses fail.
Immediate -25% public approval hit. It would have been worse had your immediate response to the crash not made it clear that you had expected and prepared for this. It's still pretty bad.
* * *
Credit Reserves: 299,000 credits.
Yearly Income: 319,000 credits.
Martial: "Well, there are a lot of disappointed people today in my Ministry, ma'am. That offensive Intelligence had recommended isn't going to happen. It just isn't. In fact, the reality we're facing is that we're probably going to have to do the unthinkable, and cut production to reinvest elsewhere. Still, we have ongoing projects, and we've already put in the resources they'll take. No reason to stop now. Nothing to do, mind. Not this year. We have our hands full for now."
Choose 0. 2 Locked.
[-] Marine Expansion: You have committed to an expansion of the role of your marines to allow them to conduct voidborne operations and key roles in planetary assaults. Time to send Tannuvael his funding and let him at the problem. After the disaster that occurred during the Attican Beta offensive, this has become something of a bigger project, as you're dealing with the loss of institutional veterancy as well and taking lessons learned on board. Time: 2 years. Cost: 30,000 credits. Chance of Success: 70%. Effect: Authorize the agreed-upon expansion of your marine forces into a force capable of offensive operations; marines expand. Replace losses and integrate lessons learned in doctrine and equipment.
[X] Integrating Reforms: You have researched your new naval reforms, you have purchased the equipment it will take to build the fleet you want, you have improved your logistics network to support all of this (barely), and you will probably be fixing your marines at some point. All that now remains is to comb through your entire navy to apply this comprehensive re-working of your entire void military. Time: 2 of 3 years complete. Cost: -50,000 yearly income (permanently, and applied from start of option). Chance of Success: 60% Effect: Beyond restructuring your fleets, actually go through and ensure that your navy is up to date on the new tactics and that your naval academy is teaching it as required. Gain the benefits of Beshkarian doctrine.
[X] Logistics II: There is never enough. Time: 1 of 3 years complete; EXPEDITED. Cost: 57,000 credits. Chance of Success: 80%. Effect: Integrating the various lessons you've learned at varying points of your logistics development, improve your logistics network once more so that you can reliably sustain and supply a multi-cluster offensive.
Diplomacy: "Just as well that we addressed the Lystheni and quarians last year. We more immediate concerns now. People are terrified, and this disruption has badly shaken confidence in your administration. We're going to be working full-time on this crisis for now. For what I...dearly hope to be obvious reasons, I recommend tabling the issue of independence for the moment.
"Besides that, we have other problems. Sugoma Erovel may have tabled his Ministerial candidacy in favor of working with us, but that only pushed the issue back. Somebody else will step forward to snap up all of the voters we've lost. Get ready for a challenger, Mira."
Choose 2.
[ ] Special Addresses: Obviously the government has released a statement, but times like these call for special measures. Make arrangements to regularly appear in front of the Assembly to explain government agendas and priorities, both to them and to the public. Time: 1 year. Cost: 30,000 credits. Chance of Success: 70%. Effect: Arrange to regularly address the Assembly in highly-publicized speeches in order to promote the appearance of a united government, somewhat increasing public approval. The formal setting also boosts any public relations campaigns you may choose to run this year.
[ ] Public Spending Campaigns: You need -- absolutely need -- to get people spending money again. The civilian economy doesn't work if nobody patronizes it. This collapse is spreading fast, but if you react quickly, you can try to get ahead of it in time and have the public help you to stabilize this while you find a better patch. Time: 1 year. Cost: 35,000 credits. Chance of Success: 20%. Effect: Reinvigorate public confidence enough that people are willing to actually spend money, at least stalling the crash currently going on. This is not something very likely to fix things -- the crash has happened and your economy actually is a shit heap, so it's not like this is solely a matter of public confidence -- but it can give you more time to work. This option is only available because of your greater critical success on identifying the crash last year. It will be removed next year -- the damage will be far too widespread for this to have any prayer of doing anything by then.
[ ] Destroy Racial Governments: At the insistence of the various nations which contributed to Virmire's colonization, there are various, race-based councils on Virmire at least nominally responsible for taxation and law enforcement of local populations, as a check on the planetary government. In reality, they were the first thing your predecessor demolished, and by the time you came around, their actual authority had been removed in favor of ceremonial functions. Their insistence on Council loyalism hasn't helped them. In the wake of the crash, they're making noises about clawing back their power. This is a distraction you can ill afford. It's time for them to go. Time: 1 year. Cost: 25,000 credits; +5,000 yearly income from no longer having to indulge them with ceremonial power structures. Chance of Success: 80%. Effect: Do not have to worry about a rival government using the crisis to empower itself, purge Council loyalists, some public opinion hit from, "a blatant power grab to shore up a failing administration."
[ ] Hard Times, Hard Decisions: This is going to be a rough few years. You need to impress on the people that things will get worse before they get better, but that they will get better...if they're willing to endure the worse. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 55%. Cost: 20,000 credits. Effect: Bolster the public's willingness to endure harsh government measures towards fixing this crisis, lessening the impact of any unpopular decisions you make over the next few years.
[ ] Start My Own: You disapproved of the Bill of Declaration for many reasons, and chief among them was the lack of official input you would have had regarding the final product. You are not opposed to independence; just to independence on the terms as presented. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: Variable depending on sub-options chosen. Cost: 23,000 credits. Effect: Introduce to the Assembly your version of a Declaration of Independence, and in a sub-vote, determine what that version shall be. For everybody who really wanted to write in, "Pass, but only if-" for the Bill, this is your chance. WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE OPTIONS LIST FOR THE DURATION OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IF NOT CHOSEN THIS YEAR.
Stewardship: "Do not spend. Invest. Do not spend. Invest. Do not spend. INVEST. For the next few years, we let go of not a single credit unless it promises hard, economic returns. I know why you green-lit the probe network, Mira, but no more of that shit. Until this stabilizes, at the very least, we all work full-time on the economy, and whatever nebulous returns we get from spying on the Lystheni aren't that. I need your word on that, or you need a new Minister."
Lissa S'Voi will resign from her post if the government prioritizes matters other than the economy for the duration of the crisis. Accordingly, she has simply slashed any options she feels to be a waste of resources, in light of the crisis.
Choose 2.
[ ] Colony Launch: Your problem is a collapsing civilian industry born out of mass unemployment, and you have one hundred million people just sitting around waiting to go, with equipment to match. Assilia Prime -- or whatever you'll name it -- won't be the solution to your problems, but Athame willing, it'll help. At the very least it'll get this equipment productive. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 85%. Cost: 47,000 credits. Effect: Colonize and name Assilia Prime, employing a hundred million people now and hopefully establishing a profitable colony for more to join later.
[ ] New Cities: Virmire's population has been expanding swiftly. This was your hope, in anticipation of a massive wave of future Army recruitment, but it has backfired horrendously. The cities are becoming crowded. With the war crippling the civilian economy, construction is having difficulty keeping pace. Authorize some new city sites to relieve the pressure, and get the crews to work. Projects on this scale will also serve to employ vast segments of the population, for the time being, at least. Time: 4 years. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: -40,000 yearly income until option concludes. Effect: Send crews to identify municipalities that could be easily and productively turned into cities, relieving your mounting population pressure and substantially reducing your unemployment for the duration of the projects.
[ ] Mass Stimulus: Companies are folding left and right, and that needs to stop. The damage if they fail en masse could be incalculable. Hell, as anemic as your civilian economy is, practically every company is precious. Leave the details to Lissa, but authorize a mass release of subsidies, resources, and tax breaks to crucial industries. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 65%. Cost: 100,000 credits now, -20,000 yearly income. Effect: Prop up failing companies, lessening the magnitude of the collapse. Particularly advisable if you intend to tell people to spend more this year, so that there are places at which to spend money in the first place. Not actually a solution, but it'll slow things down. Also Irune Foreign Development is on the verge of collapse with Republican Mineral Enterprises eyeing the soon-to-be corpse, so if you'd like to prevent a near-monopoly over your mining industry now is the time.
[ ] Public Works Projects: The government, holding so much of the economy in its grip as it does, is in a prime position to organize labor to the benefit of the people. Historically, doing it this way is never even remotely as efficient as private sector work in the same fields, but the private sector is having a bit of a seizure at the moment. You have the means to fix this collapse in your hands, if you're willing to pay the price. It's just that that price will be...building industry and infrastructure for the civilian economy. With an amateur workforce that, by design, will reduce in size the more it builds as it goes to staff what it builds. And you then not taking it all to make warships. Which you...really quite badly need. Sigh. Time: Continuous until canceled, locked for duration. Chance of Success: 70%, rolled every year. Cost: -45,000 yearly income for duration of option. Effect: Press unemployed workers into service building and then staffing new infrastructural and industrial improvements to the civilian sector. Improve civilian economy's health over time. Susceptible to cost overruns.
[ ] Nationalize Everything: Welp, so much for capitalism. Efficiency can go hang, we're going full planned economy and manually stopping this ride. Time: 2 years. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: -100,000 yearly income. Effect: Cut your losses with this whole mess while you're ahead. Nationalize everything and transition to a full planned economy. Economic collapse freezes in place and you get some time to reorder things. Massive public approval loss. Completely unsustainable in the long term; your government is not set up to manually manage your entire economy and you absolutely cannot fathom the work it would take to make that happen. This is the panic button. Do you want to hit the panic button?
[ ] Partial Nationalization: Rather than taking a big leap forward blindly and trying to control all of Virmire's economy, focus on acquiring the most necessary industries and the most vulnerable companies through mostly legal means to ensure the most basic necessities still reach the market and other industries don't grind to a halt. Time: 2 years. Chance of Success: 70%. Cost: -40,000 yearly income. Effect: Set up an office with the responsibility of responding swiftly to companies under threat of failure and acquiring them with government funds in order to stabilize the bleeding. Due to the nature of this option, this is not a perfect fix; every year I'll roll to see how on-the-ball this office is. If the roll is low, they might miss something or act too slowly.
[ ] Unemployment Benefits: The problem you face is a lack of consumer goods for the population you have. Providing benefits to the inevitable unemployed won't do anything about that, but it'll at least make sure that everybody can get their hands on food -- of which you do have enough. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: -39,000 yearly income for duration of crisis. Nobody will starve in unemployment.
Intrigue: "Hungry, angry, and desperate people are the stuff of which coups are made, Prime Minister. Our own people may be-" gshk "-our worst enemies in the coming years. I recommend a renewed and full focus on domestic intelligence efforts."
Choose 2.
[ ] Formalize Ministerial Security: Presently, you and your Ministers are protected by carefully-selected Army units. These units do good work, particularly for a Prime Minister so popular that opposition to her office is nearly unthinkable. It is no longer unthinkable. In fact, some people are pretty angry. It may be time to propose a more formal security solution. Time: 2 years. Cost: -32,000 yearly income. Chance of Success: 75%. Effect: Authorize the creation of a formal group of bodyguards for top government officials. Reduce the efficacy of assassination attempts on top government officials, including yourself.
[ ] Looking for Sponsors: It's impossible to build a state without like-minded individuals, and Virmirean politicians have been producing a lot of noise in debates within the Assembly of late. While the Secessionists are your first political party, there will be others, and somebody will be the motive force behind them. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 61%. Cost: 33,000 credits. Effect: Find out who's orchestrating what in your government.
[ ] Piercing the Veil: The MoI, to be frank, is completely obscure to you. It came with the job, as a condition of the job, and you get the impression that Shurna was never much more open with Kerak than she is with you. That said, you think you've earned her respect, and a modicum of loyalty. Certainly, the two of you have a good working relationship. Maybe if you ask real nice, she'll open up to you about how her Ministry actually works. Honestly, she'd better, because you have no idea how you'd go about circumventing that were she disinclined to tell you. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success ? (Rolled with Mira's Intrigue score alone, no hero or minister bonuses applicable). Cost: Free. Effect: Ask Shurna to pretty please tell you how your intelligence ministry works.
[ ] Sabotage Racial Governments: The vestigial racial governments are making renewed plays for prominence. This is not the time. You do not have the luxury of people who will use this crisis to enrich themselves. Order Intelligence Division to get to work in ensuring that prominent figures' more legally-actionable indiscretions have a habit of coming to light, and otherwise ruining their careers. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 35,000 credits. Effect: Use your Ministry of Intelligence to sabotage your political opponents in the racial governments. Very illegal. Consequences on a regular failure or worse.
[] Intrigue: Spies, Analyze Thyself: A well-rounded espionage apparatus will be capable of assessing and analyzing the economies of foreign powers, gathering information on major players and finding weak points. While Virmire lacks many good examples on which to practice these skills -- the Lystheni do not and never will count, most likely -- we have ourselves. We know our problems, but paying special focus to observing the problem in real time will not only provide valuable experience for later, but will give us more information on upcoming failures. Setting up the infrastructure for truly extensive and regularized domestic operations will take some doing -- so says Shurna, anyway -- but it'll be worth it. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: -25,000 yearly income. Effects: Establish an office of Counterintelligence Division specifically meant to monitor the economic status of Virmire, both to help with the crash and garner valuable experience for Intelligence Division once we make contact with other proper nations. More information on problem areas or individuals, in the short term.
Learning: "Well, this could have come at worse times. I suppose that's something for which to be grateful. My people will do their part, as always. We might reconsider sending out the Explorer Corps on a search for a secondary relay route -- reconnecting to Citadel markets now could only help us.
"Tessavar seems to be getting bored of their lack of results, if they have the time to complain this much about the new reporting standards.
"Amalinya reports that they have completely cleared the surface level of the ruins. The forces stationed there are pushing on, which the research team has begun to sort through the artifacts recovered from the first level. They are considering expanding their team; there are more artifacts than originally anticipated.
"The Sikel stations are now fully staffed, and our local teams have begun the process of inventorying the artifacts. With proper safety precautions, naturally. Furthermore, the team studying the...problematic...artifact has decided to begin their research with a rigorous peer review of the prior Lystheni work on the artifact. It is...heh. Scathing stuff. Our team has decided to name the artifact the Anarchy Sphere, for now."
Choose 1. 1 Locked.
[ ] Barrier Miniaturization: One of the Tessavar Outpost's research team had a...breakthrough, let's say...investigating eezo principles. Upshot is, she thinks she can make personal kinetic barriers. Throw funding at this mad scientist. Time: (Repeats until the combined results of all rolls taken towards this option equal or exceed 100.) Chance of Success: (As before; nat-1's cost the amount rolled instead of gaining it as something Goes Horribly WrongTM.) Cost: -35,000 yearly income until option completes. Effect: Develop practical infantry-scale kinetic barriers.
[X] Quarian Tech Adoption: You have sliced a huge amount of data from the 3rd's databanks. Now it's time to go through it and see what's there. Figuring out how to use it without making it blatantly obvious that you stole from the Republic is another matter, but let's...just...leave that for when you actually have all of these lessons learned, shall we? Time: 2 of 3 years complete. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 35,000 credits. Effect: Run through the mass of data you acquired and sort out what you already know, what you can use, and what's out of your reach, and how you'd go about applying all three.
[ ] The Road Less Traveled: The Explorer Corps's mission statement is to boldly go into the unknown and peel back the darkness. Sentry Omega's secondary relay is as-yet inactive. If you open it up, there's a possibility that it could lead to another relay, to another relay, to another, and another, and so on...until you find yourself dropping out into the Phoenix Massing, in Terminus-held space. It would be a careful and dangerous mission, filled with potential hazards -- if nothing else, this war has taught you of the risk of opening relays blind. But if the mission succeeds, it will see you back, finally, into regular contact with the wider galaxy, if somewhat circuitous contact. Time: ?, but locked only for 1 year. Cost: 15,000 up-front, ? when/if dedicated vessels return. Chance of Success: ? Effect: On success, open a secure route to Terminus Space, and thereby the rest of the galaxy. On failure...who knows? CANNOT BE EXPEDITED.
[ ] Crash Courses: The state of Virmirean education does not really bear mentioning. In fact, as far as your government is concerned, it is not to be mentioned at all -- no department has formal responsibility for it. It's...a sore point. But the MotS is the obvious choice for the job, and you have a lot of unskilled and unemployed citizens. Long-term, they need to acquire marketable skills if you want the economy to recover from this crash. Order Durrahe to organize a series of crash courses in various trade skills so that your unfortunately massive market of the unemployed and unemployable can become eligible for at least the lower end of skilled fields. You do not have time for anything more comprehensive. Time 3 years. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: -30,000 yearly income for duration of option. Effect: Train segments of your unemployed population to some minimal level of employable skill.
Personal: "This is going to e a stressful few years, Madame Prime Minister. I will do what I can to ease the load on you."
Choose 3.
[ ] Personal Attention: Sometimes, a project needs all hands on deck, including yours. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: Automatic. Cost: Free. Effect: Oversee one of your chosen actions personally, adding your full stat in the relevant category (i.e., Martial for Martial actions) to the success roll. You may not apply this to a given action more than once.
[ ] Speak To the People: You have the support of the people, and should never take it for granted. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 50%. Cost: 1,000 credits. Effect: Run a series of public broadcasts. Raise popularity with the populace by justifying administration decisions and being a visible and accessible public presence. A happier populace allows a deeper recruiting pool, for when you need it, as well as being just generally better. It would be advisable to spend some time on this or a similar option whenever re-election is near.
[ ] Take a Break: You've been years at this job. It's not easy to find time off, but you know the value of it. If you clear your schedule, you can get a week set aside. Ilena's been after you about this place that does elcor food. Apparently it's pretty good, even if no elcor's ever been anywhere near it. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 50%. Cost: Free. Effect: Take a step back from work, clear your schedule, and take a Goddess-damned vacation. Possible stat or trait gain; possible relationship gain with advisers or people of importance. You will not. Ilena will understand. You will endure.
[ ] Commit Hero Unit (Name, Option): Heroes are potent, but somewhat unreliable. By ordering a Minister to get the best people you have on deck, you can nail them down and ensure that they'll commit to a project, if at the cost of preventing them from affecting any others. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: Automatic. Cost: Free. Effect: Commit the selected hero unit to the option of your choice rather than risk the luck of the dice, as long as it's within their specialty. Their characteristic bonus will be added to your roll for that option, but the hero unit will not be able to affect any other options for the year. May only be chosen once per hero unit. Write in hero name and applied option in their respective fields.
APPROVAL VOTING. MANUAL MORATORIUM.
We begin.
Now, I'm sure there will be write-in proposals, particularly as relates to the ongoing collapse. I will be moderating heavily, as I want to make especially sure to keep the level of abstraction high on this one.
Thanks to your prior warning, you felt no bite this year, but expect to feel it in future years. This is a really bad crash. Your civilian base is collapsing out from under you. That said, this year is a crucial year. You have the ability to react swiftly to the crash, and that may make all the difference.
Just don't expect to get through this painlessly. There's a reason the, "panic button," option imposes huge public opinion hits and an immediate -100,000 credit hit to your yearly income, just to trigger the option. If you're not careful, this'll hurt.
That said, I hope everybody has fun engaging with this. I know I'm having fun writing it.
And hey, there is some good news. The 1st Raiding Fleet just hit full strength!
[ ] Mass Stimulus: Companies are folding left and right, and that needs to stop. The damage if they fail en masse could be incalculable. Hell, as anemic as your civilian economy is, practically every company is precious. Leave the details to Lissa, but authorize a mass release of subsidies, resources, and tax breaks to crucial industries. Time: 1 year. Chance of Success: 65%. Cost: 100,000 credits now, -20,000 yearly income. Effect: Prop up failing companies, lessening the magnitude of the collapse. Particularly advisable if you intend to tell people to spend more this year, so that there are places at which to spend money in the first place. Not actually a solution, but it'll slow things down. Also Irune Foreign Development is on the verge of collapse with Republican Mineral Enterprises eyeing the soon-to-be corpse, so if you'd like to prevent a near-monopoly over your mining industry now is the time.
[ ] Public Works Projects: The government, holding so much of the economy in its grip as it does, is in a prime position to organize labor to the benefit of the people. Historically, doing it this way is never even remotely as efficient as private sector work in the same fields, but the private sector is having a bit of a seizure at the moment. You have the means to fix this collapse in your hands, if you're willing to pay the price. It's just that that price will be...building industry and infrastructure for the civilian economy. With an amateur workforce that, by design, will reduce in size the more it builds as it goes to staff what it builds. And you then not taking it all to make warships. Which you...really quite badly need. Sigh. Time: Continuous until canceled, locked for duration. Chance of Success: 70%, rolled every year. Cost: -45,000 yearly income for duration of option. Effect: Press unemployed workers into service building and then staffing new infrastructural and industrial improvements to the civilian sector. Improve civilian economy's health over time. Susceptible to cost overruns.
These seem like immediate musts. We can expand our cities in the future, but for now we really need this!
Given that our ability to replace losses just took a massive hit we also need to come up with some clever plan about discouraging the rachni from actually making an attack on us idealy by making us seem much stronger than we actually are.
Now where is that racial government removal bill again.
Oh there it is!
[ ] Destroy Racial Governments: At the insistence of the various nations which contributed to Virmire's colonization, there are various, race-based councils on Virmire at least nominally responsible for taxation and law enforcement of local populations, as a check on the planetary government. In reality, they were the first thing your predecessor demolished, and by the time you came around, their actual authority had been removed in favor of ceremonial functions. Their insistence on Council loyalism hasn't helped them. In the wake of the crash, they're making noises about clawing back their power. This is a distraction you can ill afford. It's time for them to go. Time: 1 year. Cost: 25,000 credits; +5,000 yearly income from no longer having to indulge them with ceremonial power structures. Chance of Success: 80%. Effect: Do not have to worry about a rival government using the crisis to empower itself, purge Council loyalists, some public opinion hit from, "a blatant power grab to shore up a failing administration."
We really need to destroy their power to save ourselves.
[ ] Public Spending Campaigns: You need -- absolutely need -- to get people spending money again. The civilian economy doesn't work if nobody patronizes it. This collapse is spreading fast, but if you react quickly, you can try to get ahead of it in time and have the public help you to stabilize this while you find a better patch. Time: 1 year. Cost: 35,000 credits. Chance of Success: 20%. Effect: Reinvigorate public confidence enough that people are willing to actually spend money, at least stalling the crash currently going on. This is not something very likely to fix things -- the crash has happened and your economy actually is a shit heap, so it's not like this is solely a matter of public confidence -- but it can give you more time to work. This option is only available because of your greater critical success on identifying the crash last year. It will be removed next year -- the damage will be far too widespread for this to have any prayer of doing anything by then.
Also maybe worth taking a flyer on this, though it'd need focused resources because the chance of success is low.
[ ] Public Spending Campaigns: You need -- absolutely need -- to get people spending money again. The civilian economy doesn't work if nobody patronizes it. This collapse is spreading fast, but if you react quickly, you can try to get ahead of it in time and have the public help you to stabilize this while you find a better patch. Time: 1 year. Cost: 35,000 credits. Chance of Success: 20%. Effect: Reinvigorate public confidence enough that people are willing to actually spend money, at least stalling the crash currently going on. This is not something very likely to fix things -- the crash has happened and your economy actually is a shit heap, so it's not like this is solely a matter of public confidence -- but it can give you more time to work. This option is only available because of your greater critical success on identifying the crash last year. It will be removed next year -- the damage will be far too widespread for this to have any prayer of doing anything by then.
Economics is a game of confidence. Many people think of it as a game of money, or of trade. A game of supply and demand. And it is, in part, but only in the same way that warfare is a game of tactics. Warfare, before you get down to a soldier shooting at a rachni, is about strategy, and before that, logistics. A soldier can't fight if they aren't fed, and guns are worthless without bullets.
And thus, before a shopkeeper sells something to a customer, you have countries negotiating trade agreements, and prior to that, you have people who are basically willing to believe that parting with this one thing for this other thing will turn out well for them. Nations run on this conceit. Vast, intricate systems of trade and commerce run on the notion that, at the end of the day, this stuff works. If they don't believe that, then it doesn't matter how healthy your nation is -- nobody buys things, preferring instead to stockpile in anticipation of the bad times that they are absolutely sure are incoming, and the whole apparatus grinds to a halt. Sapient civilization is an edifice constructed atop a single point of failure.
If we really want to try to push it, we can also commit Kurik to it, which will give us an extra +11 in addition to our own +16. If we DD on it, I think that gives us a total of 67% chance of success?
