Across the Ice Wall
- Thread starter triyon33
- Start date
- Original
Maybe we aren't starting from scratch, but we have to adapt so many things to this new and extreme environment...
[X] Tianjin University - Despite their distance from the ice walls, China has been an eager supporter of the IIEW and this has extended to Tianjin University which is well-known for its world-class technical and engineering programs. They see the ice walls as a new field for testing the cutting-edge. (+10 Bonus Resources on Completion of Research Projects Involving Engineering)
[X] Tianjin University - Despite their distance from the ice walls, China has been an eager supporter of the IIEW and this has extended to Tianjin University which is well-known for its world-class technical and engineering programs. They see the ice walls as a new field for testing the cutting-edge. (+10 Bonus Resources on Completion of Research Projects Involving Engineering)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Royal University of Constantinople
[X] University of Tasmania
Earth Science seems to be our primary goal.
Earth Science seems to be our primary goal.
Voting Closed
TURN 2 | February, Year 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Winning Vote:
[X] Tianjin University - Despite their distance from the ice walls, China has been an eager supporter of the IIEW and this has extended to Tianjin University which is well-known for its world-class technical and engineering programs. They see the ice walls as a new field for testing the cutting-edge. (+10 Bonus Resources on Completion of Research Projects Involving Engineering)
Resources: 40 (+40 per Month)
Supplies: 15
Results: 0
"Yes, have a good night. Goodbye." Lara set the phone down in its receiver and adjusted her glasses. She had been finishing up a call with the Expedition's liaison in China who gave her the news that a deal with Tianjin University was reached involving an extensive partnership with the IIWE. The decision to reach out to Tianjin was a bit of a long shot; Lara didn't have any connections with the personnel there and engineering was not her discipline, although her father had impressed the importance of it upon her. But, despite some initial skepticism from the institution's representatives, things worked out in the end.
It was a nice piece of news to hear on a cold, cloudy morning in Ushuaia. The new headquarters was fortunately equipped with central heating and had no draft, unlike the provisional location. However, nothing could be done about the depressing gray light of the cloud-shrouded sun. Lara took a sip of her coffee which had gone tepid by this late in the morning. She opened a folder and glanced through the days agenda. Packed, as usual; she hardly had time for lunch.
Lara got up from her chair and walked towards one of the windows. She had a sliver of time before a meeting on the drift ice station project. She looked out beyond a vacant field and towards the ships of the Platinean Navy resting in their berths. She had overheard that they were in port to receive upgrades. New weapons, particularly. It was a shame that even in peace, so many were still narrowly focused on preparing for war and a disunited world. It reminded her of the deeper potential of the Expedition as not just a scientific endeavor but one to show the world the power of cooperation. Through the endless meetings and calls, it was that belief that invigorated her.
Exploration (2 Dice):
[ ] Complete "The High Jump" - Before the ice walls can be crossed, they must first be scaled. Standing 6,000 meters tall on average, the pilots that have undertaken overflights of the walls have taken to referring to it as "The High Jump". However, a human has yet to touch foot on the surface. This must change. Taking advantage of the leaps and bounds made in parachuting during the Great War, a six-person team will be paradropped with supplies atop the ice walls for a week-long survey and exploration mission. (5 Supplies + Exploration Die, DC30, +5 Bonus to Roll from Survival)
[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights - So far, all attempts to conduct aerial surveys of the ice walls have been small-scale and localized to certain areas of interest. Nevertheless, they have provided an abundance of data to work with, but this only further proves that more extensive and methodical aerial surveying is necessary. Such surveys will be crucial for developing the first maps of the walls and selecting a suitable location to set up a base camp. (5 Resources per Die, 35/50, +5 Bonus to Roll from Aviation)
[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station - Although not on the ice walls themselves, establishing a semipermanent camp on the drift ice around the walls could serve as an important stepping stone. A drift ice station will provide personnel with needed experience in remote subzero environments and can serve as a testbed for new construction techniques adapted to the hostile conditions. Furthermore, the development, interactions, and fate of drift ice is an important area of glaciology and a station is certain to benefit continued research. (10 Resources per Die, 49/100)
Development (2 Dice):
[ ] Search for Senior Staff - A glance at the current organization chart of the IIEW is likely to send shivers down any leader's spine; dozens of subordinates across many different fields report directly to Lara Stepanova herself without any intermediaries. The move to a new headquarters has only exacerbated this issue with Lara's schedule becoming increasingly packed. Hiring senior staff will reduce Lara's workload, improve coordination, and bring in additional expertise.
[ ] Expand Local Cooperation - It is important to remember that the IIWE is not Ushuaia's sole reason for existence. Tens of thousands live and work here and many of the city's denizens are skeptical of the legions of outsiders who have suddenly appeared. Their concerns are understandable, but by cooperating and coordinating with local authorities and businesses regarding operations in Ushuaia, this can be ameliorated while improving connections. (5 Resources per Die, 0/75)
[ ] Establish Local Training Area - Currently, field training has been largely conducted at preexisting sites far away from Ushuaia and the Expedition's headquarters. Due to this, time that could be spent honing skills is instead spent travelling and organizing training is often difficult. Opening a site nearer to Ushuaia, even one with minimal facilities, would minimize these issues and several tracts of land have already been earmarked for possible development. (10 Resources per Die, 0/100)
[ ] Improve Air Strip - Ushuaia's airstrip is well-equipped to handle the standard arrivals and departures of tourists and cargo that come to the city. But the beginning of the Expedition will push the single-runway strip to its limits and at some point it may become a limiting factor on support and survey operations. Although adding another runway is currently out of the question, adding more plane stands and extending the existing runway would make a prudent investment. (10 Resources per Die, 0/150)
[ ] Overhaul the Aegis - The Aegis was formerly a minesweeper donated by the United States of Australasia and now acts as the flagship of the IIEW's maritime research and support vessels. It has already been significantly modified for this role, trading weapons emplacements for more deck space and trading mine sensing equipment for more scientific sensors. Still, the Aegis' is lacking in some aspects with its main shortcoming being its fragile hull (an extra liability in these icy waters) and its underpowered radio equipment. An overhaul is necessary to make these modifications. (10 Resources per Die, 0/150)
[ ] Integrate Logistics Connections - The roads and railways that link Ushuaia to the rest of the Platinean Confederation are as important to the IIWE as they are to the city itself. As of now, these logistical links are relatively loose and uncoordinated, which ought to be expected given the Expedition's recent arrival. A significant investment will be required to integrate into these logistics networks, but will ultimately provide better access to the resources of the mainland. (10 Resources per Die, 0/200)
Research (3 Dice):
[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Conditions - As their temperature changes, substances also change. Some of these changes are macroscopic, such as water freezing into ice, but many are much more subtle but can still critically effect a substances properties. Analyzing the effects of frigid temperatures on commonly used substances and materials will give insight into how they will fair in similar conditions on the ice walls. (5 Resources per Die, 0/50, Engineering)
[ ] Research Prefab Construction - Although the Great War largely led to innovations in the realm of destruction, it also gave rise to a novel method of construction: prefabrication. Manufacturing construction components or even entire small buildings at a dedicated factory and then assembling them on-site presents several benefits, including faster overall construction. It is likely that prefab construction will also be useful in future construction on the ice walls itself, albeit with some adaptation. (10 Resources per Die, 0/75, Engineering)
[ ] Determine Ice Wall Vehicle Feasibility - Vehicles would be a great boon to any operation on the ice walls, whether it be establishing a base on them or crossing them. The utility and versatility that vehicles offer cannot be understated. However, any vehicle that is planned to operate there must be rigorously tested and possibly modified so it can cope with the extreme environment. Although it will likely be necessary to develop a vehicle tailored to the ice walls, the Expedition wants to for now focus on finding an existing vehicle that can feasibly operate there. (5 Resources per Die, 0/100, Engineering)
[ ] Improve Rations - Backing nations have granted the IIWE a significant stock of rations with most of it being military surplus from the Great War. These rations are perfectly serviceable for feeding our expeditions in their current state, but it is obvious there is room for improvement considering that they were designed for war-fighting rather than exploration. By tweaking portions and modifying packaging, a ration that is more fit for our needs can be created. (5 Resources per Die, 0/125)
[ ] Study Altitude Effects - At the ice walls elevation, air pressure is only around 50% of what it is at sea level. This has significant physiological effects including the possibility of altitude sickness and further life threatening complications. Collecting existing research into the biological effects of altitude and conducting our own studies will allow us to develop ways to rapidly identify and treat altitude sickness even in extreme environments. (10 Resources per Die, 18/150)
6 Hour Moratorium. Vote-by-Plan.
[X] Tianjin University - Despite their distance from the ice walls, China has been an eager supporter of the IIEW and this has extended to Tianjin University which is well-known for its world-class technical and engineering programs. They see the ice walls as a new field for testing the cutting-edge. (+10 Bonus Resources on Completion of Research Projects Involving Engineering)
February, Year 1
Resources: 40 (+40 per Month)
Supplies: 15
Results: 0
"Yes, have a good night. Goodbye." Lara set the phone down in its receiver and adjusted her glasses. She had been finishing up a call with the Expedition's liaison in China who gave her the news that a deal with Tianjin University was reached involving an extensive partnership with the IIWE. The decision to reach out to Tianjin was a bit of a long shot; Lara didn't have any connections with the personnel there and engineering was not her discipline, although her father had impressed the importance of it upon her. But, despite some initial skepticism from the institution's representatives, things worked out in the end.
It was a nice piece of news to hear on a cold, cloudy morning in Ushuaia. The new headquarters was fortunately equipped with central heating and had no draft, unlike the provisional location. However, nothing could be done about the depressing gray light of the cloud-shrouded sun. Lara took a sip of her coffee which had gone tepid by this late in the morning. She opened a folder and glanced through the days agenda. Packed, as usual; she hardly had time for lunch.
Lara got up from her chair and walked towards one of the windows. She had a sliver of time before a meeting on the drift ice station project. She looked out beyond a vacant field and towards the ships of the Platinean Navy resting in their berths. She had overheard that they were in port to receive upgrades. New weapons, particularly. It was a shame that even in peace, so many were still narrowly focused on preparing for war and a disunited world. It reminded her of the deeper potential of the Expedition as not just a scientific endeavor but one to show the world the power of cooperation. Through the endless meetings and calls, it was that belief that invigorated her.
Exploration (2 Dice):
[ ] Complete "The High Jump" - Before the ice walls can be crossed, they must first be scaled. Standing 6,000 meters tall on average, the pilots that have undertaken overflights of the walls have taken to referring to it as "The High Jump". However, a human has yet to touch foot on the surface. This must change. Taking advantage of the leaps and bounds made in parachuting during the Great War, a six-person team will be paradropped with supplies atop the ice walls for a week-long survey and exploration mission. (5 Supplies + Exploration Die, DC30, +5 Bonus to Roll from Survival)
[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights - So far, all attempts to conduct aerial surveys of the ice walls have been small-scale and localized to certain areas of interest. Nevertheless, they have provided an abundance of data to work with, but this only further proves that more extensive and methodical aerial surveying is necessary. Such surveys will be crucial for developing the first maps of the walls and selecting a suitable location to set up a base camp. (5 Resources per Die, 35/50, +5 Bonus to Roll from Aviation)
[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station - Although not on the ice walls themselves, establishing a semipermanent camp on the drift ice around the walls could serve as an important stepping stone. A drift ice station will provide personnel with needed experience in remote subzero environments and can serve as a testbed for new construction techniques adapted to the hostile conditions. Furthermore, the development, interactions, and fate of drift ice is an important area of glaciology and a station is certain to benefit continued research. (10 Resources per Die, 49/100)
Development (2 Dice):
[ ] Search for Senior Staff - A glance at the current organization chart of the IIEW is likely to send shivers down any leader's spine; dozens of subordinates across many different fields report directly to Lara Stepanova herself without any intermediaries. The move to a new headquarters has only exacerbated this issue with Lara's schedule becoming increasingly packed. Hiring senior staff will reduce Lara's workload, improve coordination, and bring in additional expertise.
- [ ] Hire an Expedition Coordinator - An Expedition Coordinator will be responsible for managing the fine details of the IIWE's exploration efforts, including determining efficient routes and setting up provisions. (10 Resources per Die, 0/50)
- [ ] Hire a Facilities Manager - A Facilities Manager will not only be in charge of the IIWE's existing facilities, but also coordinate the design and construction of new ones. (10 Resources per Die, 0/50)
- [ ] Hire a Chief Researcher - The Chief Researcher's role will be the coordination of scientific efforts, both those focused on studying the ice wall itself and also those focused on improving the Expedition's overall capabilities. (5 Resources per Die, 0/50)
[ ] Expand Local Cooperation - It is important to remember that the IIWE is not Ushuaia's sole reason for existence. Tens of thousands live and work here and many of the city's denizens are skeptical of the legions of outsiders who have suddenly appeared. Their concerns are understandable, but by cooperating and coordinating with local authorities and businesses regarding operations in Ushuaia, this can be ameliorated while improving connections. (5 Resources per Die, 0/75)
[ ] Establish Local Training Area - Currently, field training has been largely conducted at preexisting sites far away from Ushuaia and the Expedition's headquarters. Due to this, time that could be spent honing skills is instead spent travelling and organizing training is often difficult. Opening a site nearer to Ushuaia, even one with minimal facilities, would minimize these issues and several tracts of land have already been earmarked for possible development. (10 Resources per Die, 0/100)
[ ] Improve Air Strip - Ushuaia's airstrip is well-equipped to handle the standard arrivals and departures of tourists and cargo that come to the city. But the beginning of the Expedition will push the single-runway strip to its limits and at some point it may become a limiting factor on support and survey operations. Although adding another runway is currently out of the question, adding more plane stands and extending the existing runway would make a prudent investment. (10 Resources per Die, 0/150)
[ ] Overhaul the Aegis - The Aegis was formerly a minesweeper donated by the United States of Australasia and now acts as the flagship of the IIEW's maritime research and support vessels. It has already been significantly modified for this role, trading weapons emplacements for more deck space and trading mine sensing equipment for more scientific sensors. Still, the Aegis' is lacking in some aspects with its main shortcoming being its fragile hull (an extra liability in these icy waters) and its underpowered radio equipment. An overhaul is necessary to make these modifications. (10 Resources per Die, 0/150)
[ ] Integrate Logistics Connections - The roads and railways that link Ushuaia to the rest of the Platinean Confederation are as important to the IIWE as they are to the city itself. As of now, these logistical links are relatively loose and uncoordinated, which ought to be expected given the Expedition's recent arrival. A significant investment will be required to integrate into these logistics networks, but will ultimately provide better access to the resources of the mainland. (10 Resources per Die, 0/200)
Research (3 Dice):
[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Conditions - As their temperature changes, substances also change. Some of these changes are macroscopic, such as water freezing into ice, but many are much more subtle but can still critically effect a substances properties. Analyzing the effects of frigid temperatures on commonly used substances and materials will give insight into how they will fair in similar conditions on the ice walls. (5 Resources per Die, 0/50, Engineering)
[ ] Research Prefab Construction - Although the Great War largely led to innovations in the realm of destruction, it also gave rise to a novel method of construction: prefabrication. Manufacturing construction components or even entire small buildings at a dedicated factory and then assembling them on-site presents several benefits, including faster overall construction. It is likely that prefab construction will also be useful in future construction on the ice walls itself, albeit with some adaptation. (10 Resources per Die, 0/75, Engineering)
[ ] Determine Ice Wall Vehicle Feasibility - Vehicles would be a great boon to any operation on the ice walls, whether it be establishing a base on them or crossing them. The utility and versatility that vehicles offer cannot be understated. However, any vehicle that is planned to operate there must be rigorously tested and possibly modified so it can cope with the extreme environment. Although it will likely be necessary to develop a vehicle tailored to the ice walls, the Expedition wants to for now focus on finding an existing vehicle that can feasibly operate there. (5 Resources per Die, 0/100, Engineering)
[ ] Improve Rations - Backing nations have granted the IIWE a significant stock of rations with most of it being military surplus from the Great War. These rations are perfectly serviceable for feeding our expeditions in their current state, but it is obvious there is room for improvement considering that they were designed for war-fighting rather than exploration. By tweaking portions and modifying packaging, a ration that is more fit for our needs can be created. (5 Resources per Die, 0/125)
[ ] Study Altitude Effects - At the ice walls elevation, air pressure is only around 50% of what it is at sea level. This has significant physiological effects including the possibility of altitude sickness and further life threatening complications. Collecting existing research into the biological effects of altitude and conducting our own studies will allow us to develop ways to rapidly identify and treat altitude sickness even in extreme environments. (10 Resources per Die, 18/150)
6 Hour Moratorium. Vote-by-Plan.
Nervos Belli
Don't think this means you've won!
- Location
- Murica
Tentative plan that continues the work we started last time, gets a facilities manager because we have a lot of expensive building ahead of us and I hope a good manager can make that easier, and also has a chance of getting us some extra resources from engineering.
[ ] Plan Slow and Steady
-[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights 5 Resources
-[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station 10 Resources
-[ ] Hire a Facilities Manager 10 Resources
-[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Conditions 5 Resources
-[ ] Study Altitude Effects 10 Resources
Uses up all our resources, and hopefully puts us in a positon to do the initial survey next turn.
[ ] Plan Slow and Steady
-[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights 5 Resources
-[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station 10 Resources
-[ ] Hire a Facilities Manager 10 Resources
-[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Conditions 5 Resources
-[ ] Study Altitude Effects 10 Resources
Uses up all our resources, and hopefully puts us in a positon to do the initial survey next turn.
Doubloon
Quelle horreur!
We could prioritize logistics expansion to grow our resource income through something like...
[ ] Plan OpenTTD (40R)
-[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights (5R | 1D - Exploration)
-[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station (10R | 1D - Exploration)
-[ ] Improve Air Strip (10R | 1D - Development)
-[ ] Integrate Logistics Connections (10R | 1D - Development)
-[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Condition (5R | 1D - Research)
The problem is, of course, the lack of Research dice utilization.
[ ] Plan OpenTTD (40R)
-[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights (5R | 1D - Exploration)
-[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station (10R | 1D - Exploration)
-[ ] Improve Air Strip (10R | 1D - Development)
-[ ] Integrate Logistics Connections (10R | 1D - Development)
-[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Condition (5R | 1D - Research)
The problem is, of course, the lack of Research dice utilization.
Can we take the 'Search For Senior Staff' action multiple times? Can actions, in general, be taken multiple times?
Attempting the High Jump is somewhat tempting, with a 75% chance of success at minimum. It can be delayed till next turn, when we'll... probably have a an 80-85% chance? Of course, it also doesn't consume resources, which we're pretty harshly limited by at the moment.
Our priority should probably be increasing that, to which Integrate Logistics Connections and Expand Local Cooperation are the most likely candidates. Hiring a facilities manager will probably also... improve our ability to improve facilities, and thus give may give a bonus on those? Local Cooperation is cheaper and easier, so... maybe the bet?
The other hires aren't bad either. Researcher is cheaper, and research seems like it will be our main source of bonuses, while Expedition is of course ultimately critical, though I might suggest saving it for when we're actually doing expeditions.
In research, we've already started on altitude effects, which is going to be pretty important if we want to actually do things up there, to say nothing of what happens when we get further out. The air might also get thinner further away from the... center? axis? It'll probably help with High Jump but isn't like, crucial.
Prefabs will help us to establish camps, once we're ready to stay. Probably not much impact on High Jump. Vehicles and Rations will be very important - later, and Materials will most likely be beneficial to both vehicles and prefabs, not to mention. Basically everything. It's a cheap, easy, and crucial task, so honestly Materials is almost an auto-include.
In terms of Exploration dice finishing Initial Survey Flights seems obvious - it's mostly done, it's near guaranteed, and it will probably benefit High Jump and will definitely benefit a future basecamp.
Which makes the choice between 'leave a die on the table', Drift Ice, or High Jump.
Leaving a die on the table is... I don't *like* it, but fine.
Drift Ice we've already started, and it's not a bad option, though many of its benefits will be better served by a basecamp on the wall. Oceanography is good, though, and... it could have a long term use, maybe.
We could also just do High Jump? It costs supplies, not resources, and we have a 75% chance of completion right now, which is likely to be improved by the completion of one or more advances in the same turn. I'm not sure how that works out. Completing High Jump will no doubt start to show our future goals and will also provide some progress on the overall project, which may translate to additional support.
On the other hand failing High Jump could be disastrous, so... understandable. But we're going to have to do it eventually and I'm not sure gauranteed success is feasible.
Suggestions:
[] Plan Small Jump
-[] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[]Complete "The High Jump"
-[]Hire A Facilities Manager
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Test Materials in Frigid Conditions
-[]Study Altitude Effects
-[]Improve Rations
Attempts the High Jump. Ideally, chances will be improved by survey flights finding a relatively safe landing site. We hire a facilities manager and establish links with the local government. Materials might go off, might not, it probably won't help immediately. Neither of the other two are likely to succeed but their eventual completion will help with longer-term projects.
[] Plan Double Jump
-[] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[]Complete "The High Jump"
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Test Materials in Frigid Conditions
-[] Research Prefab Construction
-[] Research Prefab Construction
In the event that we can, in fact, double up on actions I might suggest this. With two dice on Cooperation and Prefabs there's a decent chance of completing both, which will potentially give bonuses to development or even resources. Prefabs, if completed, might further improve our odds with the High Jump.
[] Plan All The Dice
-[] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[] Establish Ice Drift Station
-[]Hire A Chief Researcher
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Test Materials in Frigid Conditions
-[]Determine Ice Wall Vehicle Viability
-[]Improve Rations
What if we spent all of our dice. Wouldn't that be neat? I think that would be neat.
Okay, so it's definitely... distorted, I'm not super happy with starting on vehicles and rations at the moment, and a Chief Researcher feels a bit early, but hey, improvement to our research dice does sound nice. Going heavy on research could definitely give us a lot of pluses, I think, but relatively few Resources. There's also a lot we can study at the borders of the Ice Wall before going deep out onto it, which could possibly yield dividends not just to us but also to the... disk? community...
Alternative suggestion, a modification Doubloon's plan...
[] Plan Railroad Tycoon
-[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station
-[ ] Expand Local Cooperation
-[ ] Integrate Logistics Connections
-[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Condition
This plan has a good selection, with the crucial expeditionary prep and perhaps the best bang-for-buck research wise, but I don't like Improve Air Strip. This task might give us a better supply ratio or allow larger expeditions so it's definitely On The List but at this stage it's just not the bottleneck, so I've swapped it for Expand Local Cooperation which might improve our ability to get resources in, and which is also cheaper.
That leaves us with 5 resources. We could just... bank them? Another option is to swap out materials for Study Altitude Effects, but at this point even a 100 won't complete it, so it's not super likely to help for a High Jump next turn.
Oh yeah. It just occurred to me. It's February, which means we're presumably moving into local autumn*, and as such I feel the window of opportunity for expeditions is closing. I would like to check off at least our initial footsteps this year, and if we're to do more then we'll really have to rush to completion.
*The sun 'orbits' closest to the ice wall during december-january-february and moves towards the central axis in june-july-august. At least that's how the genuine flerfers describe it? But anyways. We're in local summer now.
Attempting the High Jump is somewhat tempting, with a 75% chance of success at minimum. It can be delayed till next turn, when we'll... probably have a an 80-85% chance? Of course, it also doesn't consume resources, which we're pretty harshly limited by at the moment.
Our priority should probably be increasing that, to which Integrate Logistics Connections and Expand Local Cooperation are the most likely candidates. Hiring a facilities manager will probably also... improve our ability to improve facilities, and thus give may give a bonus on those? Local Cooperation is cheaper and easier, so... maybe the bet?
The other hires aren't bad either. Researcher is cheaper, and research seems like it will be our main source of bonuses, while Expedition is of course ultimately critical, though I might suggest saving it for when we're actually doing expeditions.
In research, we've already started on altitude effects, which is going to be pretty important if we want to actually do things up there, to say nothing of what happens when we get further out. The air might also get thinner further away from the... center? axis? It'll probably help with High Jump but isn't like, crucial.
Prefabs will help us to establish camps, once we're ready to stay. Probably not much impact on High Jump. Vehicles and Rations will be very important - later, and Materials will most likely be beneficial to both vehicles and prefabs, not to mention. Basically everything. It's a cheap, easy, and crucial task, so honestly Materials is almost an auto-include.
In terms of Exploration dice finishing Initial Survey Flights seems obvious - it's mostly done, it's near guaranteed, and it will probably benefit High Jump and will definitely benefit a future basecamp.
Which makes the choice between 'leave a die on the table', Drift Ice, or High Jump.
Leaving a die on the table is... I don't *like* it, but fine.
Drift Ice we've already started, and it's not a bad option, though many of its benefits will be better served by a basecamp on the wall. Oceanography is good, though, and... it could have a long term use, maybe.
We could also just do High Jump? It costs supplies, not resources, and we have a 75% chance of completion right now, which is likely to be improved by the completion of one or more advances in the same turn. I'm not sure how that works out. Completing High Jump will no doubt start to show our future goals and will also provide some progress on the overall project, which may translate to additional support.
On the other hand failing High Jump could be disastrous, so... understandable. But we're going to have to do it eventually and I'm not sure gauranteed success is feasible.
Suggestions:
[] Plan Small Jump
-[] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[]Complete "The High Jump"
-[]Hire A Facilities Manager
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Test Materials in Frigid Conditions
-[]Study Altitude Effects
-[]Improve Rations
Attempts the High Jump. Ideally, chances will be improved by survey flights finding a relatively safe landing site. We hire a facilities manager and establish links with the local government. Materials might go off, might not, it probably won't help immediately. Neither of the other two are likely to succeed but their eventual completion will help with longer-term projects.
[] Plan Double Jump
-[] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[]Complete "The High Jump"
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Test Materials in Frigid Conditions
-[] Research Prefab Construction
-[] Research Prefab Construction
In the event that we can, in fact, double up on actions I might suggest this. With two dice on Cooperation and Prefabs there's a decent chance of completing both, which will potentially give bonuses to development or even resources. Prefabs, if completed, might further improve our odds with the High Jump.
[] Plan All The Dice
-[] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[] Establish Ice Drift Station
-[]Hire A Chief Researcher
-[]Expand Local Cooperation
-[]Test Materials in Frigid Conditions
-[]Determine Ice Wall Vehicle Viability
-[]Improve Rations
What if we spent all of our dice. Wouldn't that be neat? I think that would be neat.
Okay, so it's definitely... distorted, I'm not super happy with starting on vehicles and rations at the moment, and a Chief Researcher feels a bit early, but hey, improvement to our research dice does sound nice. Going heavy on research could definitely give us a lot of pluses, I think, but relatively few Resources. There's also a lot we can study at the borders of the Ice Wall before going deep out onto it, which could possibly yield dividends not just to us but also to the... disk? community...
Alternative suggestion, a modification Doubloon's plan...
[] Plan Railroad Tycoon
-[ ] Begin Initial Survey Flights
-[ ] Establish Drift Ice Station
-[ ] Expand Local Cooperation
-[ ] Integrate Logistics Connections
-[ ] Test Materials in Frigid Condition
This plan has a good selection, with the crucial expeditionary prep and perhaps the best bang-for-buck research wise, but I don't like Improve Air Strip. This task might give us a better supply ratio or allow larger expeditions so it's definitely On The List but at this stage it's just not the bottleneck, so I've swapped it for Expand Local Cooperation which might improve our ability to get resources in, and which is also cheaper.
That leaves us with 5 resources. We could just... bank them? Another option is to swap out materials for Study Altitude Effects, but at this point even a 100 won't complete it, so it's not super likely to help for a High Jump next turn.
Oh yeah. It just occurred to me. It's February, which means we're presumably moving into local autumn*, and as such I feel the window of opportunity for expeditions is closing. I would like to check off at least our initial footsteps this year, and if we're to do more then we'll really have to rush to completion.
*The sun 'orbits' closest to the ice wall during december-january-february and moves towards the central axis in june-july-august. At least that's how the genuine flerfers describe it? But anyways. We're in local summer now.
- Location
- Canada
[X] Plan Slow and Steady
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Plan Slow and Steady
Doubloon
Quelle horreur!
Is that true, @triyon33? If that is a concern, I'd probable vote for Double Jump; we totally can invest multiple dice per item in this genre of game.
Also, in hindsight my original plan is probably worse off for prioritizing resources (which do carry over between turns) over dice (which do not.)
Nervos Belli
Don't think this means you've won!
- Location
- Murica
[X] Plan Slow and Steady
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Indeed, "autumn" will begin next month, although since operations are currently limited to the edges of the wall the night is fortunately not months long. Due to this, penalties for these initial operations will only begin in May, so you have this month and the next the complete the Jump.
Voting Closed
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Rolling 5 Dice: 69 (+5), 34, 68, 31, 8
Begin Initial Survey Flights (109/50)
Establish Ice Drift Station (83/100)
Hire a Facilities Manager (68/50)
Test Materials in Frigid Conditions (31/50)
Study Altitude Effects (26/150)
Well, at least finishing out the survey flights will be helpful.
Begin Initial Survey Flights (109/50)
Establish Ice Drift Station (83/100)
Hire a Facilities Manager (68/50)
Test Materials in Frigid Conditions (31/50)
Study Altitude Effects (26/150)
Well, at least finishing out the survey flights will be helpful.