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

OriginalName said:

I mean considering how faithful this quest is to the genre that spawned there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Glory hadn't gotten her vote plot armor she would've been a goner. Tomino would absolutely be proud.

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Phant0m5 said:

Is... Is there literally any hope in this quest?

Sort of in the same boat here, which is why I haven't been voting. I want no part of whatever awfulness comes up for us next.

Since I first found this quest it's just been noble sacrifice after crippling strategic loss after pointless death. And I'm sort of tired of even keeping up in reading this thing because it's so damn depressing. And it just keeps on...

" here are some people you get to know. Here is the situation. Here are some options. Take some hits to the war effort or I will cut your fucking heart out".

Might have to un-follow soon. Sorry.

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We're actually almost done -- handful of updates left. But if what I'm writing makes your day worse or genuinely stresses you out, I'm not going to be like "no, keep reading". I'm sorry you're not enjoying it.

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

Whiskey Golf said:

Going for the battle of attrition is not the fast way. I'd go for a tactical gambit, for that decisive battle KANTAI KESSEN memes.

Killing the enemy leadership in a decapitation strike sounds tempting, esp if like me you've been pkaying Anchorhead Raid and periodically killing off the Erusean Navy's senior leadership as they try to flee, but the problem with decapitation strikes is thst the enemy has no leader tomcall things off and surrender.

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I don't really think that's an option, if I'm remembering correctly, the political officers burned their supplies so they can't retreat (Or alternately, they were only given enough supplies for a one way trip, and the only way back is to win and loot our own stuff), and they've done so much shit that they're quite convinced no surrender will be honored. (Rightly so to be honest, the sheer number of atrocities they've committed on this campaign beggars the mind, and by the time all the political officers are dead, there won't really be enough people left to surrender at all is my take on this.)

And, well, look at the admiral from the bit we got into his head for. He knows they're doing wrong but he's still doing it without hesitation because he knows at this point it's succeed or everyone dies, and he'd rather it be us paying the cost than his own people.

[x] The Divine Navy's Admiral, Lord Grangier, is killed in combat, sending the enemy into chaos again

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

[X] The battle of attrition reaches its ultimate outcome

I'm still sort of hoping that Amani doesn't survive. Well, hoping is the wrong word. Expecting? Interested in seeing her not survive? I like most of the characters in the story and every death is a painful if interesting read. It just feels like her not surviving would be the proper end to the journey. I don't really know why, but it does.. Quality tragedy, I guess or something.

Dammit, this is why I didn't want the rose to be damaged, because that only leads to the entire ship being destroyed or at least force an evacuation. Either way North can no longer contribute, which would've been more useful and interesting than any other option. Bah.

[X] The Divine Navy's Admiral, Lord Grangier, is killed in combat, sending the enemy into chaos again

The only way to prevent more invasions is to kill leaders, and scattering enemy forces would make fighting them much easier anyways. Much better to get an assured kill of a significant target than to simply kill more ships in general, which could lead to letting the enemy Admiral have the chance to regroup and do one final fanatical suicidal gambit to do something even more devastating in return.

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

I feel attrition is the worst option. Not only does it give greater chance for important people to die as the battle by definition goes on the longest, but it also puts the infrastructure of titan at the greatest risk. Long term the survival of the Empire depends on the fact that it takes tremendous resources to reach Saturn from Jupiter (this is basically a once a decade opportunity for an attack), but that we are leap frogging the Holy Empire in terms of tech.

Man this quest is brutal, and while I hate that Andre and J6 died I am somehow simultaneously glad they did (in the sense that it shows very effectively that the choices we make have real, significant, consequences.) In fact, in spite of how inevitably heartwrenching they are (or maybe because of it), the votes are probably my favorite part of this quest.

In my view, the attrition option may let us win this battle at low risk, but I feel like it kind of seals our fate when hostilities inevitably reopen with the Holy Empire. That disqualifies it for me.

The choice between gambit vs. killing Grangier is a tougher one though. Taking out Grangier means the enemy fleet becomes a disordered mess who are more likely than not led by religious fanatics. The gambit option (hopefully) means we make a decisive strike which cripples the enemy's fighting ability. Both of these seem likely to push the enemy into performing a suicide charge to deal as much damage as possible, with the first being more likely but less damaging than the second if it turns out poorly for us.

Ultimately, based on my reading of Grangier's character, I don't think he'd order a suicide charge to damage civilian infrastructure even if all seems lost. The guy isn't a religious fanatic, in fact, I think that if it wasn't for the fact that his beloved wife was one of the principle traitors responsible for making the Divine Emperor's coup succeed, he'd likely have defected. Even now, his main motivation in pressing this assault is because his wife told him to 'Please our Emperor. Do not disgrace me.' He's pretty sure he has already failed, and really doesn't think he even deserves to return home anymore. Based off of his temperament, the fact that he doesn't really have any motivation to keep trying, and the fact that he really doesn't like killing civilians (even if he's willing to do it), I think Grangier is more likely than the average Divine Navy officer to surrender, or at least not to go on a suicidal last stand, if defeat seems inevitable.

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

Inserted tally

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

Noooo....I hate that Gloriana lives just so J6 dies!!

[X] The Divine Navy's Admiral, Lord Grangier, is killed in combat, sending the enemy into chaos again.

Time for some more chaos.

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

The enemy burned their boats here, metaphorically. they took the ships who where supposed to be securing their logistical tail and send them in for more warm bodies. They have no line of supply, no way to even escape, and after this mauling will lack the forces to threaten major targets. So they have no hope of victory, at best they could die to a man to ensure that we bleed heavily.

Here's the thing, the enemy commander? he's sane, a monster, but a sane one and not a fanatic. What would a sane commander, who is aware he only serves a cause he disdains due to keeping himself alive do when in the above situation? I honestly think he would surrender. Any other choice would get him and his men killed to the last, and I don't think he's the sort to murder his comand on the off chance they can tack a few million civilians with him. We scatter that fleet, and we have hordes of genocidal pirates roaming orbit in warships with literally nothing to lose and a holy duty to murder as many civilians as possible. We savage the fleet but leave a sane man in charge, and they might just surrender.

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

Zaealix said:

Hyuuu~...Yanno something?
Now, part of this could just be I've a bias towards elitism. Maybe even a bit of tribal pride, or maybe just the effects of the different player input structures... but I've long thought SV...Is not nearly as good at strategy and tactics as TGchan is. Oh sure, you guys know how to min-max your growth, but this Quest I feel like has basically shown in very certain terms our weaknesses.
We've so long taken hits in the present to make for a better future, but it rather seems like many of the trade-offs we hoped for didn't come to pass, instead...Well, I've said it before, and I'll vote with it.
ARTEMIS! SHOOT FOR VICTORY!
[X] The Divine Navy's Admiral, Lord Grangier, is killed in combat, sending the enemy into chaos again

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if your basing this on the fact that we've lost people, that's just the kind of story this is. We had a battle where we hit every side objective, cashed in victory choices from a ways back, and we still had to select a negative. We did not lose people because we are bad at tactics, we lost people because that's the kind of story this is. I'm not saying we made the perfect choice every time, but I can reallly only think of one instance where we obliviously made a bad strategic call.

This is simply one of those things, that is best (to me) to read AFTER its completed :X So the usual trauma of reading war stories happen for a briefer period.

it still hurts tho, why why why

[X] The battle of attrition reaches its ultimate outcome

Because its the only narrative theme I feel at this point.

[X] A tactical gambit by the United Empire forces manages to strike a devastating blow to the Divine Navy's forces

The tactical gambit seems so obviously the best choice that I find myself distrusting it.

[X] The Divine Navy's Admiral, Lord Grangier, is killed in combat, sending the enemy into chaos again

I do wonder, even if they win, what happens, for instance, with the proud Aristocratic Traditions (which is to say, the elitism and the discounting of most of the population) now that one of the most notable symbols of challenging it, Andre, is... maybe dead? Did I read that right? It'd be really easy for them, especially if this winds up being a victory that gives them room to stop with the desperation experiment of... *checks notes* allowing non-nobles to rise according to their competence, to just, like, walk things back? In a weird way, a lot of the more admirable things about the Exile Empire come from them being desperate enough to try it, so who knows what victory would bring.

Certainly, not anything as bad as the literal mass-murderous Solar Empire, but you have to kinda wonder what even victory will bring in a setting where a ruling aristocracy that controls everything is just a fact of life.

(Unlike our IRL free and fair system in which everyone may advance regardless of birth *nervous laughter.*)

*****

Maybe I'm being too melancholy? I also should honestly go back through the updates, because I never quite got a good grasp on how aristocrats and non-aristocrats even interacted with each other outside of the military. The viewpoint character's an aristocrat, and so are... a pretty decent chunk of the main characters, so it's hard to tell. And basically everyone important is in the military, so that's kinda their focus of 'caring.'

The Laurent said:

I do wonder, even if they win, what happens, for instance, with the proud Aristocratic Traditions (which is to say, the elitism and the discounting of most of the population) now that one of the most notable symbols of challenging it, Andre, is... maybe dead? Did I read that right? It'd be really easy for them, especially if this winds up being a victory that gives them room to stop with the desperation experiment of... *checks notes* allowing non-nobles to rise according to their competence, to just, like, walk things back? In a weird way, a lot of the more admirable things about the Exile Empire come from them being desperate enough to try it, so who knows what victory would bring.

Certainly, not anything as bad as the literal mass-murderous Solar Empire, but you have to kinda wonder what even victory will bring in a setting where a ruling aristocracy that controls everything is just a fact of life.

(Unlike our IRL free and fair system in which everyone may advance regardless of birth *nervous laughter.*)

*****

Maybe I'm being too melancholy? I also should honestly go back through the updates, because I never quite got a good grasp on how aristocrats and non-aristocrats even interacted with each other outside of the military. The viewpoint character's an aristocrat, and so are... a pretty decent chunk of the main characters, so it's hard to tell. And basically everyone important is in the military, so that's kinda their focus of 'caring.'

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You probably are. If anything, that lets Andre now be a martyr whose vision we have to respect, so we push further in that direction.

The Laurent said:

I do wonder, even if they win, what happens, for instance, with the proud Aristocratic Traditions (which is to say, the elitism and the discounting of most of the population) now that one of the most notable symbols of challenging it, Andre, is... maybe dead? Did I read that right? It'd be really easy for them, especially if this winds up being a victory that gives them room to stop with the desperation experiment of... *checks notes* allowing non-nobles to rise according to their competence, to just, like, walk things back? In a weird way, a lot of the more admirable things about the Exile Empire come from them being desperate enough to try it, so who knows what victory would bring.

Certainly, not anything as bad as the literal mass-murderous Solar Empire, but you have to kinda wonder what even victory will bring in a setting where a ruling aristocracy that controls everything is just a fact of life.

(Unlike our IRL free and fair system in which everyone may advance regardless of birth *nervous laughter.*)

*****

Maybe I'm being too melancholy? I also should honestly go back through the updates, because I never quite got a good grasp on how aristocrats and non-aristocrats even interacted with each other outside of the military. The viewpoint character's an aristocrat, and so are... a pretty decent chunk of the main characters, so it's hard to tell. And basically everyone important is in the military, so that's kinda their focus of 'caring.'

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Ehhh, I think your worries may be unfounded. Even if we win this battle, there is still the specter of the rest of the entire Divine Empire looming over us, so it's not like we've really even won (although not dying is definitely a good first step in the right direction). On top of that, Princess Daystar has been noted to be quite progressive, so it seems likely to me that the Exiled Empire is going to be going into a progressive phase as they rebuild and prepare for further hostility with the Divine Empire rather than the opposite.