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Petals of Titanium -- My Life as a Mecha Setting Bridge Bunny Quest

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[X] The enemy fleet is larger than expected

"You see, I was already expecting them to have a galactic empire fleet that outnumbered us ten to one, so this being true doesn't change my calculus!"

I guess the flaw we're going to suffer here then is "Actually there is damage to your scanning system and it's going to mean you'll miss something that you might have caught if you were playing whack a mole with the error messages".

So we've exchanged "Being effective in general" for "The enemy identifies your weak spot with their plot powers and gets a free shot in that lets you choose three important things to lose" I guess.

why does this quest hurt me so much T_T

Anyway.

Let's not dump the civilian casualties, because that means even if we win this battle, we fail to recover in time for the next, larger, stronger fleet to come in about five or ten years down the line. We already took a lot in the previous engagement.
 
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[X] The enemy fleet is larger than expected

First two options basically amount to the same thing - the order of battle is tipped against us. That's certainly not good, but I think it's preferable to having a bunch of extra atrocities. Things are grim enough as is.

And besides, if the fleet here is bigger, that means the fleet back at earth must be smaller. Clearly, this means defeating the bigger assault here will make our counterattack easier! /naive optimism
 
[X] Civilian casualties are already worse than you'd feared

Well, uh, look at the bright side? More war crimes to pin on the Glorious Emperor!
 
Auks said:
[X] The enemy fleet is larger than expected

First two options basically amount to the same thing - the order of battle is tipped against us. That's certainly not good, but I think it's preferable to having a bunch of extra atrocities. Things are grim enough as is.

And besides, if the fleet here is bigger, that means the fleet back at earth must be smaller. Clearly, this means defeating the bigger assault here will make our counterattack easier! /naive optimism
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Honestly, the impression I've got is that their numbers and capacity to wage war is "As needed or required to achieve our goals", and we're only alive now because we're so low threat to them that they can take their time and just throw an armada of zealots at us once or twice a generation to keep us that way while uniting their populace in terror of a mutual opponent.

Trying to solve the fascist paradox by actively fostering and creating an enemy who is simultaneously all powerful and all threatening and yet utterly incapable of opposing their united malice.


taovkool said:
[X] Civilian casualties are already worse than you'd feared

Well, uh, look at the bright side? More war crimes to pin on the Glorious Emperor!
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Only peers have the right to punish war crimes. By all indications, we're a rump state taking on a hyperpower. Combining with the mauling we took in the last engagement, this likely extinguishes us as a polity even if we win.

And as much as this quest brings out the depths of my rage and hate against the inhumanity of humanity, I don't want the villains to win okay?

Even if they hold all the cards and it requires our utmost sacrifice just to stop a relatively casual thrust.
 
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[X] The enemy fleet is larger than expected

Gazetteer said:
"I feel like shit now," Anja admits, face twisted into an unhappy frown from her end of the call. "For being happy that I didn't have to talk to mom face to face about Hiro. I wish I could have told her... something, now."

"We'll get there in time," you tell her, hoping to everything you aren't lying. "We won't let them die."

Anja snorts, but doesn't seem to be able to muster the resentment she seems to feel is warranted. "Don't go making bullshit promises like that, North. It might come back to bite you."

"I'm sorry."
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Folks, lets not kill the civilians
 
[X] The enemy fleet is larger than expected

For now, it's a bigger challenge. When they lose, it'll be a bigger loss overall.
 
Alectai said:
Honestly, the impression I've got is that their numbers and capacity to wage war is "As needed or required to achieve our goals", and we're only alive now because we're so low threat to them that they can take their time and just throw an armada of zealots at us once or twice a generation to keep us that way while uniting their populace in terror of a mutual opponent.

Trying to solve the fascist paradox by actively fostering and creating an enemy who is simultaneously all powerful and all threatening and yet utterly incapable of opposing their united malice.





Only peers have the right to punish war crimes. By all indications, we're a rump state taking on a hyperpower. Combining with the mauling we took in the last engagement, this likely extinguishes us as a polity even if we win.

And as much as this quest brings out the depths of my rage and hate against the inhumanity of humanity, I don't want the villains to win okay?

Even if they hold all the cards and it requires our utmost sacrifice just to stop a relatively casual thrust.
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You sure do say a lot of things Alectai, but frankly I think most of it comes from inside your head rather than the story per se. I'd hate to think anyone else takes it too seriously.

Hyperpower my ass.
 
Briefvoice said:
You sure do say a lot of things Alectai, but frankly I think most of it comes from inside your head rather than the story per se. I'd hate to think anyone else takes it too seriously.

Hyperpower my ass.
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It sure as heck feels that way

I'm not claiming to be objective about it though, this quest just hurts so much to read even as much as I jump at every update the moment I read it. The big thing being that it doesn't feel like the enemy had to particularly strain themselves to throw this fleet at us that's an existential risk to everything we know, and how they've suffered little to no compunctions against little things like suicide missions, or honest to god genocide.

And we've seen little from their side suggesting that their society is anything more than a gigantic fascist state that everyone still alive buys into, and has somehow avoided the normal problems of a fascist state by way of having destroyed all meaningful competition while still having a good external enemy to point at, while they indoctrinate their population to think what they need to think.

It's coming out of general despair as opposed to rational logic or anything, but hell when I look at the actual numbers I just sort of sit back and weep for a while.
 
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Donn said:
Folks, lets not kill the civilians
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At least a good half is that I think it honestly makes the most sense for the story. There's no reason that files stolen directly from an admiral wouldn't have accurate information for "how many ships does our other fleet have". I suppose I could see an argument for the defenders having already been damaged worse than expected, but the Imperials suddenly pulling a bunch of extra ships probably makes the least sense of the three options.
 
Briefvoice said:
At least a good half is that I think it honestly makes the most sense for the story. There's no reason that files stolen directly from an admiral wouldn't have accurate information for "how many ships does our other fleet have". I suppose I could see an argument for the defenders having already been damaged worse than expected, but the Imperials suddenly pulling a bunch of extra ships probably makes the least sense of the three options.
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It's pretty easy to justify it though?

"Actually, we had reserves that we didn't deploy until now, as our current forces were more than adequate to destroy you, but now that we know what your actual strength is we can safely commit our reserves to breaking your back because we know you have no miracles left"

And I really hope they're wrong about that, because we could use one at this point.
 
Alectai said:
So we've exchanged "Being effective in general" for "The enemy identifies your weak spot with their plot powers and gets a free shot in that lets you choose three important things to lose" I guess.

why does this quest hurt me so much T_T

Anyway.
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This probably happened because we repeatedly chose to let them get away rather than get a decisive victory.
 
[x] The defenders have taken heavier losses than you'd hoped

Aw, poor little option. Someone should vote for you.
 
[X] The enemy fleet is larger than expected

As Sun Tzu once said, "you better pick the right house, fool." The homeowner is unlikely to chill, after all.

In other words, the attacker almost always must possess the numerical advantage over the defender to overcome their preparations for battle and fortifications. Regardless of their numbers, we're gonna burn 'em good if we can hit 'em from another direction while they're grinding themselves down on the enemy's fortifications.
 
[X] Civilian casualties are already worse than you'd feared

Strategically AND tactically speaking, this is the best choice. Unlike any normal last-stand battles where heroes are expected to die gloriously to save as many as possible with no consideration for the day after, this time the consequences of one battle will last for the rest of the entire empire's future.

Either of the first options will only reduce the chances of victory, and even if the battle is somehow won the enemy can simply come back with another fleet in time with massive industrial bases to rely upon, while the defensive fleet can't be replenished nearly as easily. Thus for the sake of long-term survival, the enemy fleet has to be decisively beaten at the best odds possible to secure the most remaining allied fleet assets, or else the enemy wouldn't even have to wait that long to try again since they don't need to build up as much for the next round to win.

Thus, at the cost of some civilians now, the future of all other civilians would be saved. Or else while they could be saved now, there would be no future left for them at all when the enemy comes back with no defenders to protect against them, and that time it would be someone else actually willing to carry out the orders to massacre everyone.
 
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