- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Given the overwhelming lead, am calling the vote for
[X]Plan Lance The PSC
-[X]Operation Bandit Bingo
-[X]Operation Prime Performance
-[X]Operation Watery Icicle
-[X]Operation Sticky Bit
-[X]Operation Purple Brain
-[X]Pre-Assessments of Purchase Classes
-[X]Frontal Commander Assessments
-[X]Assess the Reserve System
-[X]Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries
Rolling
[X]Plan Lance The PSC
-[X]Operation Bandit Bingo
-[X]Operation Prime Performance
-[X]Operation Watery Icicle
-[X]Operation Sticky Bit
-[X]Operation Purple Brain
-[X]Pre-Assessments of Purchase Classes
-[X]Frontal Commander Assessments
-[X]Assess the Reserve System
-[X]Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries
Rolling
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CrabMonarchy
Allegedly Dutch
- Location
- the Netherlands, apparently
Mathpost:
Department 4:
- Operation Bandit Bingo: 90
- Operation Prime Performance: 31
Department 6:
- Operation Watery Icicle: 75
- Operation Sticky Bit: 54
- Operation Purple Brain: 20 + 15 [1] = 35
Procurement:
- Pre-Assessments of Purchase Classes: 58 + 15 = 73
Politics:
- Frontal Commander Assessments: 40 + 10 = 50
- Assess the Reserve System: 90 + 10 = 100 artificial crit?
- Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries: 25 + 10 + 15 [2] = 50
Political Parties:
- WP: 27
- PDL: 20
- PPM: 50
- GP: 18
- BFP: 51
- PPP: 79
- Ind: 17
- PSC: 65
[1] @Blackstar I'd like to put my omake bonus on Purple Brain.
[2] See below:
Department 4:
- Operation Bandit Bingo: 90
- Operation Prime Performance: 31
Department 6:
- Operation Watery Icicle: 75
- Operation Sticky Bit: 54
- Operation Purple Brain: 20 + 15 [1] = 35
Procurement:
- Pre-Assessments of Purchase Classes: 58 + 15 = 73
Politics:
- Frontal Commander Assessments: 40 + 10 = 50
- Assess the Reserve System: 90 + 10 = 100 artificial crit?
- Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries: 25 + 10 + 15 [2] = 50
Political Parties:
- WP: 27
- PDL: 20
- PPM: 50
- GP: 18
- BFP: 51
- PPP: 79
- Ind: 17
- PSC: 65
[1] @Blackstar I'd like to put my omake bonus on Purple Brain.
[2] See below:
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Cannon Omake: On the Red Fascist Threat from Beyond
- Location
- UTC+0
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They
On the Red Fascist Threat from Beyond
The war between imperialism and Kuriq sovereignty continues. Despite our trials against foreign invaders in this past century, a even greater threat has presented itself. Our comrades in Daanan have shown great feats of martial prowess against a vastly technically superior enemy. However, with peace has come knowledge of the ever looming threat of intervention from the "great powers" of the galaxy. The Xolotlan Sovereignty is a distant threat, and despite their bourgeois nature and lack of ability or will to discipline the corporate interests that run amook, have proven themselves willing and able to support our Seelie allies, out of naked self interest if anything.
Of worry however, is the so called "People's Republic of Liberty and Modernization". The weakest of these so called "great powers", it is nonetheless a enormous polity that dominates space travel, and is commited to encroach towards our territory. They may claim to act in the interest of the worker, but no flockmate would ever be fooled by the thin disguise with which they hide their true nature. Already, they brandish brazen threats towards our dear allies, and though we have managed to stay beneath their notice, their reckless expansionism puts us in the way of their "Westward Expansion".
This so called "People's Republic" has taken the vile playbook of imperialist tactics right off the Synod's playbook, perfecting them and backing it up with the vast resources of a interstellar empire by conquering "unenlightened worlds". Their workers toil in the name of a tyrannical government, with the value of their labor shamelessy taken away to fuel their war machine for the purpose of perpetuating a vicious cycle of violence and exploitation. What in hindsight was obviously a raid by their thuggish military in the first great trial our planet faced, may be but a prelude to what may happen to us in the future.
It is clear to any good thinking Owl that these are no true leftists, but red fascists wearing the feathers of one. As such, we must be ever vigilant, industrious and put our all into the fullfilment of the new seven year plan. Already, unprecedented cooperation in the face of the vastness and dangers of the galaxy has borne fruit in the development of our orbits, and unthinkable progress has been made in the fields of industrial production. Though we are cursed by lacking resources, the ingenuity of our technical and scientific establishments have proven up to the task of absorbing the sky-shattering revelations in the most varied of fields, and the unequaled industriousness of our workers has overcome every material limitation.
We might be but a speck compared to the vastness of the galaxy, but we have proven over and over again the resilience of spirit of the people's of Kuriq. Though the challenges presented to us in reaching the stars may seem insurmountable, so did the ones presented to the Council of Nations. With the help of ourselves and our Seelie allies, we will reach beyond the horizons and achieve those vaunted ideals expoused by our predecessors, Liberty or Death!
Long live Chairman Soun Sokhen, long live the Democratic Republic, and long live Kuriq!
- Location
- Northish
Until we can figure out the whole, post-scarcity mixed with late-stage capitalism trauma, thing it's probably for the best.
Cannon Omake: Behind the Scenes: LoreWars
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Behind the Scenes: LoreWars
LoreWars! The upcoming news and commentary show offering the clear-eyed outsider's look on what's really going on in the Xolotlan Sovereignty.
LoreWars! Where Cosantóir Fabhar Dé and Hootivar Kuuckri tell it like it really is, calling out the things the corporate-owned mainstream media doesn't want the average citizen to hear.
LoreWars! Courtesy of Danaan Interstellar Media, producers of hit thrillers Volnay Column, The Third Shooter, and the action RPG declared "Best Story of the Year" by Melauak Motlalojketl: Liberation/Mobilization.
The announcements and previews were splashed over the networks, fansites, and everywhere someone who might look forward to the show lurked. Indeed, the lurkers were most pleased by what they saw. Excitement and anticipation built.
But whatever soaring fantasies these minds may have constructed, the genesis of the show came about in much the same way as its predecessors, in the same place all such decisions - if able to penetrate the concealing layers of CLP paperwork and Seelie obfuscation - could be traced back to.
A small thoroughly bland bureaucratic office in a nondescript government building in Tir Na Nog, which bore the dubious privilege of belonging to the Media Outreach Working Group of Department 4. Or, as more highbrow colleagues jibed, the "DIM bulbs."
They did not mock too harshly, given the amount of foreign currency these bulbs already brought in, and thus how integral their work was to the Seelie Democratic Authority's freedom and survival. Even if it looked like a technologically-flipped version of the worst examples of early historical Mouran traders swindling the ignorant.
The MOWG had devised LoreWars, their prior works, and their overall on a few straightforward principles. An analyst with a bright future ahead of herself had worked out the implications the size of the interstellar powers had on the entertainment industry. Namely, given that the Xolotlan Sovereignty had a population approaching the trillion mark, just a few tenths of a percent paying attention to Seelie products still meant an audience of billions.
Therefore, for the Authority's purposes, the quality mattered was not breadth but dedication. The aim should be developing a loyal target segment who could be relied on to continually funnel a steadily increasing amount of XCUs per capita into the Ministry of Defense's pocket.
So, the MOWG operated accordingly. They kept the price of their products low - while using it to harp in advertisements that Danaan Interstellar Media wasn't like those megacorporate exploiters. They presented an accessible face with clear, straightforward language on social media when interacting with consumers. And now, with the groundwork laid, it now was time for the next phase: a media program that would have these ignorant Xolotlans paying a tiny yearly subscription for the privilege of having their biases avidly affirmed, performatively nurtured, and then hit with reinforced advertising for Seelie 'completely 100% natural, un-contaminated' supplements.
By now a strong working playbook existed for the writing, so all they really needed were the right faces to present this hogwash. It had been decided that it would be a Seelie-Lirrir duo, to emphasize a contrast to conventional channels the audience were already trained to distrust. It then became apparent that the first problem was the concept of insulting the Authority's friends on Kuriq, by asking if someone would participate in this farce.
Thankfully, a voice of reason pointed out that's what AI was for. But that led to the second problem. Testing had shown that productions with at least some portion of actual sentient acting rated higher than completely AI made counterparts. Even if it was just voiceovers. Some members guessed that it was just a certain something people could vaguely recognize, and responded to better.
But what Seelie had the presence, the acting ability, the… complete and utter lack of shame required to spit complete nonsense out on camera and seem utterly natural in doing so? As it turned out, Oscar Tadhg. A struggling actor from Allcaille, he'd responded to the invasion by, patriotically (the major suspected it was more likely about having a reliable paycheck) enlisting in the army.
And, as events would have it, doing absolutely fuck-all, as part of one of the under-trained, under-equipped reserve armies that sat out the war in Airgetlam Command. Tadhg would've been part of the demob horde if his prior occupation hadn't tripped the parameters of a MOWG program searching for in-house talent, and selected for Danaan Interstellar Media's new stable.
A man who, in his starting bit parts, showcased what made him perfect for the role of Fabhar Dé: a lack of professional pride or dignity so deeply bred by a lifetime of frustration and failure that Tadhg could become a shell for whatever the client wanted.
Anti-corporate, government, Volnay, and PRLM screeds untethered by obligation to reality, one fake lead and a complete shyster for the other one. Complete with product promotion for placebos and paraphernalia.
This is LoreWars.
LoreWars will release on Danaan Interstellar Media's new all-access site, which will be available for a yearly subscription cost of ONLY ONE XCU!
OOC: Image was originally posted on the Discord by LapsedNoddist (unsure if their SV name is the same), so all credit to them for it and thus inspiring me. I would like my omake bonus to go to Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries.
- Location
- A haze of forgetfulness
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The image has me in fucking tears. lmao
Selling Alpha BrainForce XTREME supplements and mining cryptocurrency so that we can buy warships and arms for our interstellar death squads is one of the best arcs of this quest so far
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The funny part is that the media we sell is both incredibly cheap and of reasonable quality, simply because everything else is shit.
Also that big corporate bashing is very relatable to all the alien stuck on corporate town planets stuck in debt slavery.
Turn 15 (48AE): Technological Singularity Results
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Turn 15 (48AE): Technological Singularity Results
Budget: 825B Or
Government Support: 55
Internal Politics:
Internal political developments have been messy, incomplete, and if anything a continuation of the trends of the last decades. The Workers Party has gone fully into the oppositional role, standing up for some of the protesters involved and committing to a full program to entirely transition away from the current currency system using the example of the Baslu. This has alienated practically everyone else outside of committed members from the party, but it has brought in a group of leadership that is willing to radically remake the economy instead of a focus on more mild-mannered reforms.
In a reaction to the more direct moves of the WP, the PDL has instead attempted a partial move to recapture the right wing if to a far lesser extent than the total rejection of the military social program. It instead argues for a reallocation of work programs towards improving education and the competitiveness of the economy over prioritizing simple labor. This is not that far of a deviation of the party's old policies and it represents something of a compromise solution between the two camps existing within the party but far too soft to capture those alienated from the WP. Predictably to anyone, the strategy has failed to attract new voters, moving a few of the non-committed centers left around but without major support.
Out of all the left-wing parties, for all that it could be called one, the PPM has become the proverbial star of the left wing with more consistent donation funding than the others and a multitude of youth candidates. The party has committed itself entirely to a doctrine of morphological freedom and social progress over anything. Economically the party is still at best discordant and uncharitably insane but the current rapid economic growth has made their policies palatable to an ever-increasing segment of the population especially as the Green Parties half hearted commitments have driven their voters away. The PPM calls for unrestricted geo-engineering and solving the climate crisis which so far the GP leadership has hesitated on for several reasons.
Of the current coalition the BFP has continued to take advantage of the strong economic growth, taking every opportunity to discuss the strength of the economy. The current boom has been something of a proof of concept for the radical economic policies implemented during the war and the party has been able to take advantage of the reputation. Internal organization campaigns have been slow to work as the BFP has never previously enjoyed this degree of prominence. For the PPP the departure of Ros has been overshadowed by the series of PSC scandals moving media attention away as the party itself practically had an internal coup. Two dozen Ros appointments in the highest posts have been demoted with more typical civil servants elevated to take charge of the party. The PPP is unlikely to gain seats in the next election but it has managed to re-centralize.
The PSC has seen the largest changes as the party itself has fragmented as a result of the party chair, the chair of the steering committee, and the second secretary all being severely implicated. Several internal factions have moved to capitalize on the weakness, gambling that the next election would reduce their faction in government significantly. The right-wing but more business-focused faction has moved to form a new National Unity Party focusing on reducing government economic intervention and reducing the extent of nationalist relitigation compared to the old PSC doctrinal line. Committed believers in the PSC with a focus on the racial character and the Mouran nation have moved to their alliance of patriots, doubling down on every issue that made the PSC practically oppose the Galchobarist system.
Operation Bandit Bingo: Preparing embedded agents that can be used for future assets to lead the way will be essential for the successful infiltration of the People's Republic. A few agents can transit in the guise of traders to some of the border worlds with looser enforcement, setting up bases in foreign territory. From there more specialized groups can begin infiltration operations from a solid base of support, compensating for the novel environment. Surveillance operations are expected but many cannot manage to achieve consistent tracking much less social prediction. (90)
Infiltration operations across the borderlands and neutral stations have been conducted as a front-line deployment of agents and capable surveillance assets. Using gray market traders and washed currency significant gains have been obtained with assets built up to provide continuous intelligence. Contact networks are expected to prove instrumental for any larger scale operations and having a finger on the pulse of deniable malcontents. These operations are considered the first stage to a broad slate of further capabilities and deeper infiltration as these networks are instrumental to People's Republic operations as it is believed a not insignificant number of pirates operate informally as their assets. Operations have opened broader agent access through the key 11 Leonis Minoris and 30 Mu Cassiopeiae stations, enabling far more capable agents to be carried forward into the PRLM with a "pre-washed" background.
Operation Prime Performance: Blinding the eyes of the People's Republic will be key for reducing the impact of their surveillance and current operations. Continuous erroneous information sent on longer networks and a further hardening of domestic networks can serve to create noise for extraplanetary signals. Agents that make it to the surface can still penetrate the information sphere but the extension of wartime controls along with AI-generated high volume false-signals on a blanket of jamming can significantly degrade SIGINT performance for off-world agents. (31)
Wartime bans on radio traffic and long-range radio transmissions have continued without much issue as digital alternatives through modern networking have taken up the demand. Jamming as a precautionary system for the cancellation of orbital transmissions has started alongside the process of reducing the throughput of information of the world. To avoid raising any suspicions a series of automatic systems have been provided with higher power transmitters with them placed around the orbit and broadcasting tighter beams to avoid significant jamming interference. Enemies are likely to be able to tell that there is a partial program of obfuscation but they are unlikely to guess that all external SIGINT is entirely generative and made to be misleading, implying a lower state of modernization and capability.
Operation Watery Icicle: Networking backdoors are going to be critical for any software that can connect to the Xolotlan internet. Their software is a century more optimized and more advanced and if the department is to keep parity then it must learn the latest techniques. Several members have been pre-allocated towards the educational mission to get a better idea of the techniques involved, but things need to go further. The wealth of computers and software purchased can be disassembled and deconstructed so that new programs can be remade without backdoors and to the same standards. (75)
Current assessments of foreign software have found that most programs have a minimal degree of direct compromise and back signaling, focusing primarily on data collection over actionable intelligence. Coding capabilities for foreign programming are more than that for domestic ones, but similar code structures and a generally sanitized open-source variation have been made with an acceptable number of parts to avoid licensing fees. Design application optimizations and several algorithmic optimizations are likely to flow back to civilian designs but little domestic gains have been made. In terms of achieving cross-compatibility with foreign systems, results have been mixed but promising as mixed-function operating environments have been designed and entered testing, though more as specialty tools than anything that can be used outside of specialized field agents.
Operation Sticky Bit: Committed work towards reducing the extent of PSC and PSC adjacent influence in politics can be conducted more on the local level with a few hundred sting operations deliberately positioned for those involved to get caught in. These would allow the previous intelligence gathering to be washed before the transfer, avoiding the agency's direct involvement being released. Further operations are likely to be needed from those unwilling to respond but striking at funding streams should significantly inhibit the party. (54)
Primary means for the conducting of sting operations have come through a mixture of direct offers through faked personal accounts along with several temporary operatives. These have resulted in a mixture of captures and criminal investigations at the lowest levels though within the first four months, the general surveilled networks quickly wised up to the practice, reducing unverified contact penetration deeper into PSC networks. The largest change has effectively come in the reduction of party funding as careful vetting has radically reduced low-involvement donations to the party. Separations between the donors, lay party members, and more organized professional political factions of the party have led to the effective fragmentation of the PSC causing current models to be disorganized but still viable for surveillance operations.
Operation Purple Brain: Continuing information gathering and using a series of organized leakers to provide it to the government can achieve significant gains without much involvement. Forming the cause as a series of files laundered through hackers in databases that are deliberately kept vulnerable a massive release of files can be organized without much news of organizational involvement. Something is likely to be figured out but the conclusions reached are likely to be sufficiently incorrect for internal operations. (35)
Mass releases of information have been conducted through deliberate information leaks through hacker groups. Unsecured databases accessible from the external internet were left as a target for bots with two hacker groups claiming responsibility for the hack and public release of information in only six days from first availability. Broad profiles for many of the significant donors, their exact donation amounts, and particular party members in the PSC have been the most significant news, dominating the cycle for two months as the government has moved on. Public calls for punishments for the new "oligarchs" have been partially excessive, but for those found guilty a general standard of one to two decades of hard labor for the C suite has been implemented. Divestment of funds from the PSC itself has come partially as parliamentary investigations have found significant portions lost to corruption and not spent on electoral matters limiting what could be retracted and confiscated.
Infantry Naval Assault System: The first domestic powered armor program has focused on applications for specialty troops to enable assaults from the continental shelf and a broader number of operations. Naval infantry cannot be discharged directly onto a beach without massive supremacy in firepower that may not be available because of planetary curvature. These advantages are inherently counteracted through an assault on the sea floor, bringing troops and armor into an effective range of low-placed laser batteries in a conventional assault profile. With the demands to replicate and build on the advancements of the Type 45B system the electronics suite is significantly expanded, allowing networking with any form of Lunos ATGM including remote control capacity. Battlefield awareness systems onboard have if anything been iteratively improved, allowing for the choice of minimum band tight beam links for low emission operations to full GB data links in an artillery-less battlefield. Mechanism issues are far larger as initial coverage for the system has proven challenging as replaceable HEC plating struggles to
cover the armor while polymer movement systems are still developmentally experimental. (62)
[]Keep with the Design: The heavier mobility systems for a terrestrial context pose significant technical challenges for domestic production. Pseudo-musculature is a mess of experimental approaches and one that is currently not built at any significant scale. Demands for the movement of joints and fine articulation are challenging in the laboratory much less in a practical combat suit. Current demands to make an example interface and work reliably are for more funding, more test examples, and an expanded prototyping budget as all enterprises are demanding preemptive funding to even attempt the program. (-50B Or)
[]Simplify Movement Systems: Reducing fine agility and relying on muscles in those instances can fix some of the issues involved in complicated musculature. Direct movement support for the legs can be rationalized along with reducing the ability to twist the torso as those groups of polymer movement systems are the most complicated. Due to combat requirements, the arm sections will have to be fully dexterous limiting cost savings but that is comparably cheaper for the total suit.
[]Bring in Foreign Expertise: Effectively selling an increased quantity of rare earths to hire several alien experts along with expanding prototyping can help to cement the technologies involved. Basic production of powered armor has been done in several states and bringing in skilled development teams can help to compensate for domestic deficiencies. These would come at a massive cost due to the effective exchange rate but it can still be done to effectively implement limited industrial tech transfer. (-250B Or) (Chance of a Tech Roll)
General Space Suit System: Due to reduced requirements and the total specialization of a lighter system for space-based applications, the new general crew system has been far simpler to bring to procurement. The suit itself is a basic semi-powered improvement over the Type 43 orbital equipment set with a greatly extended life support duration, options for minimum armor, and a solid base chassis. Design goals for the new suits are less ambitious than the surface suit as orbital requirements are a direct iterative improvement on previous designs. Heat management systems are a similar water-based system as with the Type 43 suits, with several prototypes already designed for operational use. The requirement to integrate shielding on the primary bones of the body has created a few derisive names for the prototypes but they are unlikely to pose significant morale issues. (42)
[]UNISA Bid: UNISA's prototype is if anything a perfunctory achievement of the requirements with few additional features focused primarily on fulfilling the anti-radiation requirement. Core layer shielding over the hips and thigh bones is reinforced significantly with radiation-absorbent boron plating embedded to reduce neutron irradiation. On the outside layers, this forms something of a skirt around the waist, reducing incident exposure from a flexible angle as a two-layered defensive system. Onboard software and breathing systems are directly derived from the Type 43, using a base layer MCP suit with a mixture of frontal and side-on life support systems to increase operational duration outside of crew stations. (20B Or)
[]Avalon Industrial Trust Bid: Avalon has moved their prototype towards the use of most of the Type 43's internal and life support systems with a greater degree of redundancy and weight support. Anti-radiation shielding is condensed to a single layer of dense boron plating around the primary bones increasing the thickness of the suit. Most of the plating is directly based on the armor from the marine suit project with a few minor modifications leaving much of it easy to print. The suit itself is considered to be the least comfortable but it can be pushed into production now with minimal necessary training. (10B Or)
[]General Aerospace Bid: General Aerospace offers something of a radical re-engineering of the suit to be able to fit through standard Salamander bulkheads. Their increased width due to their less efficient body plan and lack of ability to launch through hatches shows some demand for a suit that would minimize warship refits. This goal is accomplished through the movement of life support machinery to a conformal pack around the front and back, creating a rounder suit. Radiation production is accomplished through a two-layer system with power assistance limited to primary directions of movement to minimize engineering complexity. (40B Or)
[]Unified Aviation Enterprises Bid: Incorporating several features from more advanced armor along with a new format of onboard processing, UAE is partially expanding the bid. The suit itself is derived from hardware developed for the Type 43 with only a few modifications to increase life support duration. The largest feature is the use of onboard networking from the suit, enabling it to be used as a mixed reality control system for most common stations even remotely. Improved visibility and cross-station capability are expected to be mostly a software problem with few issues expected. (30B Or)
Light Laser Rifle: Development work on the laser rifle has immediately hit a massive number of technical challenges due to the prompt energy requirements of the design, questionable foreign orders of lenses, and cooling systems. The capacitor banks involved are technically challenging in the extreme as massive domestic improvements in technology have not been translated into a fieldable, much less practical system. Organizing the purchase of the lenses with foreign capital is expected to be expensive as domestic manufacturing is not expected to be sufficient for years to provide enough diamondoid lenses for a normal batch of rifle procurement. A system with approximately similar performance can be made using a domestic lens but with a significant weight increase. The platform itself is an immense technical challenge as a mess of newly developed technologies in a novel system. (36)
[]Hire Foreign Expertise: Domestic industry can theoretically produce every component with few exceptions. The matter is one of scaling production to an adequate extent. Bringing in foreign experts and specialty industrial plants for the production of local lenses while spending money on breaking through several technical challenges can produce something approximating a viable rifle. The domestic power system will pose some limitations on the design but current scientific working groups believe that issues can be solved without major weight additions as long as no one expects the rifle to be used in a vacuum. (300B Or) (Domestic Diamondoid Production) (Chance of up to Two Tech Rolls)
[]Hybrid Component Sourcing: Buying the lenses and focusing on producible domestic components can make a rifle that gains some weight but still mostly matches current requirements. Working through the CLP standardized lenses can be ordered especially for larger batch sizes leaving an upscaled but functional locally-made power system to deliver the lasting power. This would still add up to two kilograms to the design if no radical technical innovations were developed. Political issues are expected from being dependent on foreign component imports but that is to be expected when working with radical new technology. (20B Or) (Army Modernization will cost XCU) (Moderate Political Cost)
[]Domestic Component Use: The all domestic rifle will focus on the development of adequate lensing along with some secondary aspects using only domestic technologies. These would pose several issues without technological miracles but ones that can be overcome in time. The production of a fully domestic rifle system can start the long path towards retiring other infantry weapons and consolidating the military into modern capable systems that can perform most front-line duties without issue. Increased cooling requirements and reduced system efficiency are expected to add two to four kilograms to the design but the original technical specification can still be met. (40B Or)
Power Armor Rifle: Work on heavier systems has allowed for more room for lensing along with a generally lower power density per cm2 going through the far larger lensing array and reducing the burden on current materials. The full optimism of being able to match the efficiency of alien laser systems for the production of a coherent pulse train was optimistic, but weight additions are expected to be better tolerated especially as the armor expecting to be using the system can localize some of the fifteen-kilogram battery pack. Ammunition reserves in the gun will be limited to two hundred shots at a one-per-second cyclic rate without a connection but suit-based capacity can be scaled significantly better. Overall non-armor mounted system weight is expected to remain at the same level as originally designed accounting for the movement of equipment around the block-unit and the addition of enhanced cooling systems. (47)
Extraplanetary Light Vehicle: With a clear winner in the form of a Milta design with a printed HEA unibody incorporating printed HEC segments has achieved significant improvements in performance, anti-laser armoring, and the ability to replace plating in a modular fashion. The body of the vehicle itself is derived from wartime experience with the Type 41, expanding the internal volume to carry troops and offer an expanded capability for operations. Pressurization of the vehicle is available with adequate seals to conduct one semi-open cycle pressurization until an airlock can be reached in the case of casualty triage. The drive train itself achieves much of its performance through the use of enlarged metal wheels with a more spread chassis, bringing significant gains in stability and improving the design. The largest advantage of the current system is that auxiliary variants in rear line areas can be made modular, removing the armor in favor of paneling and cargo to maintain ground pressure. Immediate procurement has been authorized of the model as it meets all requirements and is ready for procurement with few issues. (107) (50B Or) (Finishes Procurement)
Type 48 VATV: The Type 48 vacuum-capable all-terrain vehicle is a significant improvement over any Type 41 variation and can significantly improve the capability for locomotion on all colonies. The design itself is a printed frame with printed paneling allowing for localized manufacturing of the frame to minimize unique logistical burdens and enable garrison forces to produce most spare parts. The drive train consists of a simple system with an electric drive motor on each wheel alongside a cooled battery pack capable of diverting some heat towards all metal wheels to transfer it to anybody's surface. High-efficiency electronics and thermal conductors are to be mounted when operating without an atmosphere allowing for continued operation with few technical issues. Carrying capacity for five crew in power armor is available along with reconfiguration options for auxiliary or tank destroyer service.
Pre-Assessments of Purchase Classes: Pre-emptive assessments of purchase classes have involved the formation of a cross-disciplinary team including a naval officer from the military mission. Most of the warships on offer have been older systems from the 17th generation of Xolotlan military systems with some much more expensive classes on offer as their fleet has steadily retired 18th-generation ships in favor of new builds of the 20th generation. The largest questions have come in the purchase of ships with weaponry or without as domestic programs can likely make competitive if technologically simpler systems to arm most classes of warships outside the largest. Purchases are going to also require refits, allowing some older classes to be bought with new construction 19th generation drives bringing them to something of hybrid capability. (73) (Pick up to Four for Further Assessment) (Expect approximately 250B XCU without major superconductor sales)
[]Zeltzin Class Courier: An 18th generation hull that was built as a follow-on to the Itzcuih class with several improvements and as a far heavier ship. The class comprises thirty ships in total with a defining feature of a large, arguably oversized magnetic fusion drive that runs beyond the length of the primary hull. A lower fuel fraction is countered by significantly improved efficiency in propulsion compared to the Itzcuih with a full quarter of the 4kt ship taken up by her drive assembly. The hull itself is going to be sold without weapons as she has already been stripped of armament but an add-on array can be added to give it a purpose as a fleet scout and escort. (-12B XCU per Vessel)
[]Itzlan Class Corvette: Conventional, light at 8kt, cheap, and typically used as a mixture between a frigate and a corvette due to copious internal volume onboard behind the primary prow shield. In her pre-refit configuration, a standard ship of the Itzlan class has almost all of her internal volume dedicated to missiles with some left for crew spaces and drive fuel. Armor on the Itzlan is thin even compared to other corvettes of the 17th generation but several of the three hundred strong class's ships have been converted to marine carriers and orbital patrol craft with some of the spare builds serving out as fast passenger liners. Purchase considerations will center on the amount of ordinance to buy, or if to even buy them with the ordinance as the metallic hydrogen missiles make up the majority of the price. (-4B to -16B XCU per Vessel)
[]Oltl Class Frigate: Obsolescent in every way that matters as an early 17th generation ship but a very common class produced in the immediate aftermath of the War of the Baslu Liberation in vast numbers with many vessels kept in service across many navies. Over two and a half thousand 11kt ships were produced over the two decades after the war with conversions existing of the class towards either light destroyers or very heavy high-capability corvettes. Already existing modernization packages with improved drives exist and variations with and without modern particle beams are a regular item that can be purchased. The class's call to fame is an armor scheme that functions against the close defense systems of contemporary corvettes and with a drive modernization, they represent an older ship that remains partially competitive. More importantly than that, they are cheap in the extreme with many surplus sellers. (-2B to -10B XCU per Vessel)
[]Nelli Class Frigate: A later built in the 17th generation and arguably a transitional design that was modernized to a 19th generation standard due to generally unreliable drives. Original unmodified variations do not exist raising the price on the ship with the Neli class having thin armor for a frigate but coming in at only 9kt of mass. The primary armament is an extended particle accelerator with a vast secondary laser bank made to negate many of the advantages of planetary environments through a vast power system onboard. Purchasing up to thirty of them can be arranged as it has found some use as a mixed-purpose fast escort for newer ships but the vast majority of the class is likely to remain in naval service. (-8B to -15B XCU per Vessel)
[]Metztli Class Destroyer: A comparatively new 18th generation destroyer that was built as a transitory stage and for the deliberate hunting of cruiser-sized vessels on a light 16kt package. Her particle beams are not the most advanced neutral systems but the heavy ion systems on board are adequate for destroying up to the most modern of cruisers. Where the class suffers is in the drive and specifically in their unreliability and light armor even for a destroyer class. Most of the particle beam is nearly exposed to space in the extended hull behind the wedge and the ship is closer to a long dart than a more well-rounded warship. Similar classes are heavily in service in both the Baslu and PRLM militaries but the Xolotlans consider the all forward "narrow" destroyer to be a partial dead end. The issue with the sale is that all hulls have been stripped of their particle beams, leaving a mediocre hull that could slot a massive system. (-12B XCU per Vessel)
[]Ixhuatlan Class Destroyer: Part of a balanced destroyer concept that is arguably a light cruiser built without many of the accommodations or long-duration provisions rather than a conventional destroyer. She is shaped in a similar way to the Metztli but even longer, forming one direction on an armored lance that can resist fire from anything lighter than a light cruiser. Weaponry is a normal mixed-mode beam that runs her length with the capability to threaten even the heavier end of cruisers at closer ranges and high closing speeds. As a part of the 18th generation and coming in at 18kt she is a light cruiser in all respects if over-gunned and under-armored. Around twenty hulls are available for sale with all components integrated leaving the class as a prime opportunity for purchase if it wasn't for the comparatively high price. (-30B XCU per Vessel)
[]Acalan Class Destroyer Raider: As with many ships of the 17th generation the Acalan is built around her engine with a 16kt vessel capable of deployments for up to two years with luxurious accommodations that can be rationalized with starch beds. Her oversized drive put her efficiency and acceleration profiles on par with modern frigates and above any other warship short of a courier. The sensor arrays onboard are not being sold with the ship but this is considered acceptable as domestic systems are not that significantly worse than imported ones. The main claim to fame for the class is a full frigate-sized particle accelerator and the armor to fight a single frigate directly in an emergency. The class is aging right now but that makes it cheap, especially as the Xolotlan military is moving to scrap all forty ships, repurposing a few to peaceful SIGINT craft. (-14B XCU per Vessel)
[]Teuila Class Light Cruiser: An early 19th generation ship with a neutral particle beam and several innovations in propulsion bus and internals. One of the flagships for the 19th generation her main issues have come in the form of a 26kt hull capable of patrols of up to a year's length and engaging any ship that is of a similar weight size. The class has exited production due to technical issues with the drives and a larger-than-expected maintenance requirement eliminating the class from the originally designed raiding role. As a defensive warship though she is fast and heavily armored compared to ships of her mass. The largest downsize comes in the under-sized particle accelerator as the original class promised to match the power of more advanced designs with a compact twinned neutral charge accelerator that could not be entirely delivered on. (-95B XCU per Vessel)
[]Teinoch Class Cruiser: A heavy cruiser built to incorporate the lessons learned in the war of the Baslu Secession and practically the example of mid-17th generation heavy cruisers. The hull itself has served with the military since then receiving several class-wide standardized refits with the current examples getting pushed towards mothball and now on sale. As a 38kt ship, she is less mobile than any of her modern contemporaries but is armored competitively with an extended wedge design more appropriate to 18th-generation battleships. This all serves to fit a massive mixed-mode particle beam capable of matching the engagement ranges of warships far more advanced than the original class. Standard refit packages have not yet been developed for the ship but for orders in significant volume, it will almost certainly be possible to insist on alternative drives or weaponry onboard, or even for the purchase of stripped hulls. (-18B to -60B XCU per Vessel)
[]Xopin Class Deep Space Cruiser: Conceived of as a mid-18th generation hunter of capital ships the Xopin is practically a capital ship in her own right. Weighing in at 47kt and with drives directly cloned off a capital ship she is fast for her class, matching the acceleration of contemporary light cruisers. In armament the massive kilometer and a half-long hull mounts a single linear particle accelerator behind a heavily back-sloped armor prow, enabling firepower on the level of contemporary battleships. The class's main failing comes in the form of armor as protection across the front aspect is also comparable to contemporary light cruisers just with better geometry. Expensive and with a massive dual-mode particle accelerator the Xopin poses a direct threat to any ship currently in service but it serves more as a specialty weapon than a general-purpose tool. (-175B XCU per Vessel)
Frontal Commander Assessments: Comprehensive assessments of wartime performance have already been done but continuing them on the lower ranks can enable a far wider re-organization. Less talented but otherwise trained staff officers can be reallocated towards the organization of mobilization units while more talented ones are prioritized for mainline commands. Gathering the officers necessary for OFAC billets and more general space-combat ones will take time but can be started now. (50)
Many of the current high command have been tested by the war but many have proven either too cautious or too resistant to new ideas. Moving personnel up to commands has seen several army and armored core commanders moved up to staff rank as senior personnel have been offered a temporary retirement. The military needs aggressive and capable commanders who are willing to implement new strategies to combat alien forces as previous generations of tactics have proven inadequate. New promotions have prioritized those willing to experiment and detail their evaluations of doctrine over conventional thinking as a comprehensive military theory has yet to be developed.
Assess the Reserve System: The broad failure of the reserve system has been instrumental in the vulnerability of the ground army in the first months of the war. Formalizing the reserves and maintaining their training will involve a comparatively minimal allocation of funding compared to the standing army. This would provide a trained pool of soldiers that is expected to be double the size of the standing military and ensure that in case of another invasion trained armies can be mobilized. (100) (-50B Or) (Significant Political Cost)
Immediate assessments of the reserve system have found several pressing issues in the acquisition of personnel and their training. Recruits have come in generally demoralized with issues in discipline benign pervasive in the force along with consistent hazing issues. Reforms to address this have started with the implementation of a series of punishments for hazing and anti-retaliation measures to enable higher commands to eliminate the practice. Training standards for extended deployments have been improved to allow conscripts to serve in roles outside lower echelon soldiers. Many of these changes have been opposed by some officers but bringing the state of the reserves into a functional and effective system will be key for another defensive war for Dannan.
Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries: Committing to directly clamp down on paramilitary activity outside Curach will involve the transfer of reinforcements to policing forces. Army personnel can be equipped with equipment for managing crowds to moderate down significant clashes outside of intelligence operations and stabilize significant areas of the homefront. Politically managing it can be done easily while the government is unstable but deals will have to be made once the situation is stabilized. (-25B Or) (50)
Moving army units to prevent the loss of control from urban police forces has brought mixed political results as initial programs for separation have been used as examples of why not to do it. Breaking up major protests has if anything proved to be easier to conduct as army formations have been organized and capable of peacefully containing and bringing them to an end when excessively damaging. Interventions have been able to restore control of the streets in major cities back to the government with light punishments outside of some scuffles encouraging the violence to stop. Crime in itself has not been effectively fought but by the end of the year, the majority of actively violent protest action has been contained and is on the decline.
12-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan
Budget: 825B Or
Government Support: 55
Internal Politics:
Internal political developments have been messy, incomplete, and if anything a continuation of the trends of the last decades. The Workers Party has gone fully into the oppositional role, standing up for some of the protesters involved and committing to a full program to entirely transition away from the current currency system using the example of the Baslu. This has alienated practically everyone else outside of committed members from the party, but it has brought in a group of leadership that is willing to radically remake the economy instead of a focus on more mild-mannered reforms.
In a reaction to the more direct moves of the WP, the PDL has instead attempted a partial move to recapture the right wing if to a far lesser extent than the total rejection of the military social program. It instead argues for a reallocation of work programs towards improving education and the competitiveness of the economy over prioritizing simple labor. This is not that far of a deviation of the party's old policies and it represents something of a compromise solution between the two camps existing within the party but far too soft to capture those alienated from the WP. Predictably to anyone, the strategy has failed to attract new voters, moving a few of the non-committed centers left around but without major support.
Out of all the left-wing parties, for all that it could be called one, the PPM has become the proverbial star of the left wing with more consistent donation funding than the others and a multitude of youth candidates. The party has committed itself entirely to a doctrine of morphological freedom and social progress over anything. Economically the party is still at best discordant and uncharitably insane but the current rapid economic growth has made their policies palatable to an ever-increasing segment of the population especially as the Green Parties half hearted commitments have driven their voters away. The PPM calls for unrestricted geo-engineering and solving the climate crisis which so far the GP leadership has hesitated on for several reasons.
Of the current coalition the BFP has continued to take advantage of the strong economic growth, taking every opportunity to discuss the strength of the economy. The current boom has been something of a proof of concept for the radical economic policies implemented during the war and the party has been able to take advantage of the reputation. Internal organization campaigns have been slow to work as the BFP has never previously enjoyed this degree of prominence. For the PPP the departure of Ros has been overshadowed by the series of PSC scandals moving media attention away as the party itself practically had an internal coup. Two dozen Ros appointments in the highest posts have been demoted with more typical civil servants elevated to take charge of the party. The PPP is unlikely to gain seats in the next election but it has managed to re-centralize.
The PSC has seen the largest changes as the party itself has fragmented as a result of the party chair, the chair of the steering committee, and the second secretary all being severely implicated. Several internal factions have moved to capitalize on the weakness, gambling that the next election would reduce their faction in government significantly. The right-wing but more business-focused faction has moved to form a new National Unity Party focusing on reducing government economic intervention and reducing the extent of nationalist relitigation compared to the old PSC doctrinal line. Committed believers in the PSC with a focus on the racial character and the Mouran nation have moved to their alliance of patriots, doubling down on every issue that made the PSC practically oppose the Galchobarist system.
Department Four:
Operation Bandit Bingo: Preparing embedded agents that can be used for future assets to lead the way will be essential for the successful infiltration of the People's Republic. A few agents can transit in the guise of traders to some of the border worlds with looser enforcement, setting up bases in foreign territory. From there more specialized groups can begin infiltration operations from a solid base of support, compensating for the novel environment. Surveillance operations are expected but many cannot manage to achieve consistent tracking much less social prediction. (90)
Infiltration operations across the borderlands and neutral stations have been conducted as a front-line deployment of agents and capable surveillance assets. Using gray market traders and washed currency significant gains have been obtained with assets built up to provide continuous intelligence. Contact networks are expected to prove instrumental for any larger scale operations and having a finger on the pulse of deniable malcontents. These operations are considered the first stage to a broad slate of further capabilities and deeper infiltration as these networks are instrumental to People's Republic operations as it is believed a not insignificant number of pirates operate informally as their assets. Operations have opened broader agent access through the key 11 Leonis Minoris and 30 Mu Cassiopeiae stations, enabling far more capable agents to be carried forward into the PRLM with a "pre-washed" background.
Operation Prime Performance: Blinding the eyes of the People's Republic will be key for reducing the impact of their surveillance and current operations. Continuous erroneous information sent on longer networks and a further hardening of domestic networks can serve to create noise for extraplanetary signals. Agents that make it to the surface can still penetrate the information sphere but the extension of wartime controls along with AI-generated high volume false-signals on a blanket of jamming can significantly degrade SIGINT performance for off-world agents. (31)
Wartime bans on radio traffic and long-range radio transmissions have continued without much issue as digital alternatives through modern networking have taken up the demand. Jamming as a precautionary system for the cancellation of orbital transmissions has started alongside the process of reducing the throughput of information of the world. To avoid raising any suspicions a series of automatic systems have been provided with higher power transmitters with them placed around the orbit and broadcasting tighter beams to avoid significant jamming interference. Enemies are likely to be able to tell that there is a partial program of obfuscation but they are unlikely to guess that all external SIGINT is entirely generative and made to be misleading, implying a lower state of modernization and capability.
Department Six:
Operation Watery Icicle: Networking backdoors are going to be critical for any software that can connect to the Xolotlan internet. Their software is a century more optimized and more advanced and if the department is to keep parity then it must learn the latest techniques. Several members have been pre-allocated towards the educational mission to get a better idea of the techniques involved, but things need to go further. The wealth of computers and software purchased can be disassembled and deconstructed so that new programs can be remade without backdoors and to the same standards. (75)
Current assessments of foreign software have found that most programs have a minimal degree of direct compromise and back signaling, focusing primarily on data collection over actionable intelligence. Coding capabilities for foreign programming are more than that for domestic ones, but similar code structures and a generally sanitized open-source variation have been made with an acceptable number of parts to avoid licensing fees. Design application optimizations and several algorithmic optimizations are likely to flow back to civilian designs but little domestic gains have been made. In terms of achieving cross-compatibility with foreign systems, results have been mixed but promising as mixed-function operating environments have been designed and entered testing, though more as specialty tools than anything that can be used outside of specialized field agents.
Operation Sticky Bit: Committed work towards reducing the extent of PSC and PSC adjacent influence in politics can be conducted more on the local level with a few hundred sting operations deliberately positioned for those involved to get caught in. These would allow the previous intelligence gathering to be washed before the transfer, avoiding the agency's direct involvement being released. Further operations are likely to be needed from those unwilling to respond but striking at funding streams should significantly inhibit the party. (54)
Primary means for the conducting of sting operations have come through a mixture of direct offers through faked personal accounts along with several temporary operatives. These have resulted in a mixture of captures and criminal investigations at the lowest levels though within the first four months, the general surveilled networks quickly wised up to the practice, reducing unverified contact penetration deeper into PSC networks. The largest change has effectively come in the reduction of party funding as careful vetting has radically reduced low-involvement donations to the party. Separations between the donors, lay party members, and more organized professional political factions of the party have led to the effective fragmentation of the PSC causing current models to be disorganized but still viable for surveillance operations.
Operation Purple Brain: Continuing information gathering and using a series of organized leakers to provide it to the government can achieve significant gains without much involvement. Forming the cause as a series of files laundered through hackers in databases that are deliberately kept vulnerable a massive release of files can be organized without much news of organizational involvement. Something is likely to be figured out but the conclusions reached are likely to be sufficiently incorrect for internal operations. (35)
Mass releases of information have been conducted through deliberate information leaks through hacker groups. Unsecured databases accessible from the external internet were left as a target for bots with two hacker groups claiming responsibility for the hack and public release of information in only six days from first availability. Broad profiles for many of the significant donors, their exact donation amounts, and particular party members in the PSC have been the most significant news, dominating the cycle for two months as the government has moved on. Public calls for punishments for the new "oligarchs" have been partially excessive, but for those found guilty a general standard of one to two decades of hard labor for the C suite has been implemented. Divestment of funds from the PSC itself has come partially as parliamentary investigations have found significant portions lost to corruption and not spent on electoral matters limiting what could be retracted and confiscated.
Programs
Infantry Naval Assault System: The first domestic powered armor program has focused on applications for specialty troops to enable assaults from the continental shelf and a broader number of operations. Naval infantry cannot be discharged directly onto a beach without massive supremacy in firepower that may not be available because of planetary curvature. These advantages are inherently counteracted through an assault on the sea floor, bringing troops and armor into an effective range of low-placed laser batteries in a conventional assault profile. With the demands to replicate and build on the advancements of the Type 45B system the electronics suite is significantly expanded, allowing networking with any form of Lunos ATGM including remote control capacity. Battlefield awareness systems onboard have if anything been iteratively improved, allowing for the choice of minimum band tight beam links for low emission operations to full GB data links in an artillery-less battlefield. Mechanism issues are far larger as initial coverage for the system has proven challenging as replaceable HEC plating struggles to
cover the armor while polymer movement systems are still developmentally experimental. (62)
[]Keep with the Design: The heavier mobility systems for a terrestrial context pose significant technical challenges for domestic production. Pseudo-musculature is a mess of experimental approaches and one that is currently not built at any significant scale. Demands for the movement of joints and fine articulation are challenging in the laboratory much less in a practical combat suit. Current demands to make an example interface and work reliably are for more funding, more test examples, and an expanded prototyping budget as all enterprises are demanding preemptive funding to even attempt the program. (-50B Or)
[]Simplify Movement Systems: Reducing fine agility and relying on muscles in those instances can fix some of the issues involved in complicated musculature. Direct movement support for the legs can be rationalized along with reducing the ability to twist the torso as those groups of polymer movement systems are the most complicated. Due to combat requirements, the arm sections will have to be fully dexterous limiting cost savings but that is comparably cheaper for the total suit.
[]Bring in Foreign Expertise: Effectively selling an increased quantity of rare earths to hire several alien experts along with expanding prototyping can help to cement the technologies involved. Basic production of powered armor has been done in several states and bringing in skilled development teams can help to compensate for domestic deficiencies. These would come at a massive cost due to the effective exchange rate but it can still be done to effectively implement limited industrial tech transfer. (-250B Or) (Chance of a Tech Roll)
General Space Suit System: Due to reduced requirements and the total specialization of a lighter system for space-based applications, the new general crew system has been far simpler to bring to procurement. The suit itself is a basic semi-powered improvement over the Type 43 orbital equipment set with a greatly extended life support duration, options for minimum armor, and a solid base chassis. Design goals for the new suits are less ambitious than the surface suit as orbital requirements are a direct iterative improvement on previous designs. Heat management systems are a similar water-based system as with the Type 43 suits, with several prototypes already designed for operational use. The requirement to integrate shielding on the primary bones of the body has created a few derisive names for the prototypes but they are unlikely to pose significant morale issues. (42)
[]UNISA Bid: UNISA's prototype is if anything a perfunctory achievement of the requirements with few additional features focused primarily on fulfilling the anti-radiation requirement. Core layer shielding over the hips and thigh bones is reinforced significantly with radiation-absorbent boron plating embedded to reduce neutron irradiation. On the outside layers, this forms something of a skirt around the waist, reducing incident exposure from a flexible angle as a two-layered defensive system. Onboard software and breathing systems are directly derived from the Type 43, using a base layer MCP suit with a mixture of frontal and side-on life support systems to increase operational duration outside of crew stations. (20B Or)
[]Avalon Industrial Trust Bid: Avalon has moved their prototype towards the use of most of the Type 43's internal and life support systems with a greater degree of redundancy and weight support. Anti-radiation shielding is condensed to a single layer of dense boron plating around the primary bones increasing the thickness of the suit. Most of the plating is directly based on the armor from the marine suit project with a few minor modifications leaving much of it easy to print. The suit itself is considered to be the least comfortable but it can be pushed into production now with minimal necessary training. (10B Or)
[]General Aerospace Bid: General Aerospace offers something of a radical re-engineering of the suit to be able to fit through standard Salamander bulkheads. Their increased width due to their less efficient body plan and lack of ability to launch through hatches shows some demand for a suit that would minimize warship refits. This goal is accomplished through the movement of life support machinery to a conformal pack around the front and back, creating a rounder suit. Radiation production is accomplished through a two-layer system with power assistance limited to primary directions of movement to minimize engineering complexity. (40B Or)
[]Unified Aviation Enterprises Bid: Incorporating several features from more advanced armor along with a new format of onboard processing, UAE is partially expanding the bid. The suit itself is derived from hardware developed for the Type 43 with only a few modifications to increase life support duration. The largest feature is the use of onboard networking from the suit, enabling it to be used as a mixed reality control system for most common stations even remotely. Improved visibility and cross-station capability are expected to be mostly a software problem with few issues expected. (30B Or)
Light Laser Rifle: Development work on the laser rifle has immediately hit a massive number of technical challenges due to the prompt energy requirements of the design, questionable foreign orders of lenses, and cooling systems. The capacitor banks involved are technically challenging in the extreme as massive domestic improvements in technology have not been translated into a fieldable, much less practical system. Organizing the purchase of the lenses with foreign capital is expected to be expensive as domestic manufacturing is not expected to be sufficient for years to provide enough diamondoid lenses for a normal batch of rifle procurement. A system with approximately similar performance can be made using a domestic lens but with a significant weight increase. The platform itself is an immense technical challenge as a mess of newly developed technologies in a novel system. (36)
[]Hire Foreign Expertise: Domestic industry can theoretically produce every component with few exceptions. The matter is one of scaling production to an adequate extent. Bringing in foreign experts and specialty industrial plants for the production of local lenses while spending money on breaking through several technical challenges can produce something approximating a viable rifle. The domestic power system will pose some limitations on the design but current scientific working groups believe that issues can be solved without major weight additions as long as no one expects the rifle to be used in a vacuum. (300B Or) (Domestic Diamondoid Production) (Chance of up to Two Tech Rolls)
[]Hybrid Component Sourcing: Buying the lenses and focusing on producible domestic components can make a rifle that gains some weight but still mostly matches current requirements. Working through the CLP standardized lenses can be ordered especially for larger batch sizes leaving an upscaled but functional locally-made power system to deliver the lasting power. This would still add up to two kilograms to the design if no radical technical innovations were developed. Political issues are expected from being dependent on foreign component imports but that is to be expected when working with radical new technology. (20B Or) (Army Modernization will cost XCU) (Moderate Political Cost)
[]Domestic Component Use: The all domestic rifle will focus on the development of adequate lensing along with some secondary aspects using only domestic technologies. These would pose several issues without technological miracles but ones that can be overcome in time. The production of a fully domestic rifle system can start the long path towards retiring other infantry weapons and consolidating the military into modern capable systems that can perform most front-line duties without issue. Increased cooling requirements and reduced system efficiency are expected to add two to four kilograms to the design but the original technical specification can still be met. (40B Or)
Power Armor Rifle: Work on heavier systems has allowed for more room for lensing along with a generally lower power density per cm2 going through the far larger lensing array and reducing the burden on current materials. The full optimism of being able to match the efficiency of alien laser systems for the production of a coherent pulse train was optimistic, but weight additions are expected to be better tolerated especially as the armor expecting to be using the system can localize some of the fifteen-kilogram battery pack. Ammunition reserves in the gun will be limited to two hundred shots at a one-per-second cyclic rate without a connection but suit-based capacity can be scaled significantly better. Overall non-armor mounted system weight is expected to remain at the same level as originally designed accounting for the movement of equipment around the block-unit and the addition of enhanced cooling systems. (47)
Extraplanetary Light Vehicle: With a clear winner in the form of a Milta design with a printed HEA unibody incorporating printed HEC segments has achieved significant improvements in performance, anti-laser armoring, and the ability to replace plating in a modular fashion. The body of the vehicle itself is derived from wartime experience with the Type 41, expanding the internal volume to carry troops and offer an expanded capability for operations. Pressurization of the vehicle is available with adequate seals to conduct one semi-open cycle pressurization until an airlock can be reached in the case of casualty triage. The drive train itself achieves much of its performance through the use of enlarged metal wheels with a more spread chassis, bringing significant gains in stability and improving the design. The largest advantage of the current system is that auxiliary variants in rear line areas can be made modular, removing the armor in favor of paneling and cargo to maintain ground pressure. Immediate procurement has been authorized of the model as it meets all requirements and is ready for procurement with few issues. (107) (50B Or) (Finishes Procurement)
Type 48 VATV: The Type 48 vacuum-capable all-terrain vehicle is a significant improvement over any Type 41 variation and can significantly improve the capability for locomotion on all colonies. The design itself is a printed frame with printed paneling allowing for localized manufacturing of the frame to minimize unique logistical burdens and enable garrison forces to produce most spare parts. The drive train consists of a simple system with an electric drive motor on each wheel alongside a cooled battery pack capable of diverting some heat towards all metal wheels to transfer it to anybody's surface. High-efficiency electronics and thermal conductors are to be mounted when operating without an atmosphere allowing for continued operation with few technical issues. Carrying capacity for five crew in power armor is available along with reconfiguration options for auxiliary or tank destroyer service.
Pre-Assessments of Purchase Classes: Pre-emptive assessments of purchase classes have involved the formation of a cross-disciplinary team including a naval officer from the military mission. Most of the warships on offer have been older systems from the 17th generation of Xolotlan military systems with some much more expensive classes on offer as their fleet has steadily retired 18th-generation ships in favor of new builds of the 20th generation. The largest questions have come in the purchase of ships with weaponry or without as domestic programs can likely make competitive if technologically simpler systems to arm most classes of warships outside the largest. Purchases are going to also require refits, allowing some older classes to be bought with new construction 19th generation drives bringing them to something of hybrid capability. (73) (Pick up to Four for Further Assessment) (Expect approximately 250B XCU without major superconductor sales)
(As a quick explanation for classes of ship in a general sense/your redesignations of you putting alien ships in your own boxes)
Courier(HST): Small ships(<5kt) with high mass ratios and oversized drives that are meant for fast burns to and from jump points to carry important personnel or high-density information storage. Most are generally constructed around a high efficiency high power drive more meant for a destroyer with a significant capacity for combat acceleration unmatched by any other class. Armament tends towards either missiles in a close-in ambush role to light laser point defense as it is assumed that couriers can outrun any ship while being uniquely vulnerable around lower orbits.
Fast Attack Craft(FAC): Small ships(<5 kt) built for operations in and around atmospheres with the capability to re-enter into most habitable worlds. These are used universally in lower orbital defense with a standard armament of either a particle beam in a frontal configuration or missile systems for more industrial worlds. Deployed in large numbers and using the atmosphere for cover the FAC is a means of keeping a force away from lower orbits and providing close support in the case of a landing. Several ships exist to bring them to a hostile planet for mutual engagements but the role is primarily taken up by lighter vehicles without heavy high-power fusion reactors. Endurance is generally negligible with few fuel reserves or crew comforts allowing the compact ships to be atmospheric capable.
Corvette(FS): Technically the same size as frigates(5-15 kt) but exclusively designed for operations around a gravity well. Short endurance is typical of most designs with a few capable of long-duration burns as a part of an assault task force. Generally equipped with FTL systems for the sake of ease of relocation but with a negligible capability to travel significant distances without support onboard with some exceptions. Universally armed with a lighter particle beam mainly for deterrence along with deep missile racks for close-in combat operations. Point defense capacity is less than for frigates but not significantly so as the close orbital operating environment is expected to be hostile. Arguably a specialized frigate more than a discrete class, the separation is mostly one on armament and doctrinal role.
Frigate(FF): Small warships(10-15 kt) that are ostensibly capable of independent operation but with a primary role as a fast-burning screen for heavier fleet assets. Generally, most constructed frigates have a shorter operational time than any truly independently operating warship but a significantly more capable drive and fuel fraction. A frigate is practically an engine and fuel mated to a particle beam running the length of the ship and several laser defense systems. In a patrol(PF) role many replace the beam and portions of the nose armor with sensor arrays but there are only a few ships built as such. Doctrinally used as a flexible asset that is either independently operating as a patrol ship or in a fleet to ensure that enemy assets maintain separation, avoiding fire into the far more vulnerable off-wedge facing of armor with their particle beams through screening action.
Destroyer(DD): Larger warships(10-20 kt) that focus on the mounting of as large as possible particle beams with several extending behind the primary armor wedge. These are used as wolfpacks for striking at outsized warships with a focus on matching some aspects of light cruisers and cruisers in interplanetary combat as a specialized ship. Several navies have heavily invested in them as adequate for most purposes general fleet combatants to reduce costs but the general trend has seen them aged out in new construction. Point defense capability tends to be deficient with all internal volume dedicated to drives, fuel reserves, and support for the particle beam.
Destroyer Raider(DDR): Effectively converted to be a lighter if specialized version of a light cruiser with enhanced sensors, more tuned FTL systems, and a far longer endurance. Dedicated raiders have drives capable of achieving sustained accelerations and burn similar to frigates if for lesser durations, enabling escape from hostile systems. Onboard particle beams are more comparable to those of frigates but generally with a mixed armament of lasers and missiles for multi-mission capabilities. These ships are in effect tiny cruisers that take up half the tonnage but are incapable of engaging contemporary fleet assets heavier than frigates. Some are converted to dedicated SIGINT and reconnaissance ships with heavier sensor packages but these are treated as the same class of "rear line operational ships" by the Xolotlan Sovereignty.
Light Cruiser(CL): The first class of medium warships (20-30 kt) with no fundamental compromises in functionality with a general focus on long operational times. Light cruisers mount particle beams that run their length and a drive sufficient to out-accelerate destroyers. Close-in weapons are mounted on some classes to provide a limited jousting and orbital armament but this is nowhere near universal. The largest defining feature of a cruiser is independent operability for a long time, as fleet or resupply assets need not be nearby. Distinctions between light and heavy cruisers are arguably questions of acceleration, armor, and weaponry with the Xolotlans treating both as variants of a single class even if heavy cruisers tend to be larger.
Cruiser(CA): Another generalist medium-sized (25-40 kt) warship that tends to have a reduced acceleration profile.in exchange for better armor and weaponry. Most cruisers are heavily optimized for fighting in deep space as the ships are judged as too expensive to risk in fights from orbit outside of use as long-range fire support platforms. Frontal wedge armor is generally sufficient to take hits from light cruiser-sized particle accelerators with heavier internal accelerators outranging any smaller class of ship. Most fleets consider the cruiser as the principal fleet combatant as they are a compromise between heavier ships and higher agility. Compared to other variations a cruiser as designated has a prolonged time of operation, enabling independent fleet action, and are the smallest ships with flag officers.
Bombardment Cruiser(CS): Generally the only ships with significant reserves of nuclear weapons built on a cruiser hull. These are meant to provide direct support onto the surface of a world through a mixture of high-speed nuclear delivery and the use of two-stage relativistic fusion-capable plasma weapons. Ships in this class are turreted to provide a continuous bandage of 20-50 kt impacts on the planetary surface to support a ground force and disperse defenders. Usability is limited in heavier atmospheres but lighter ones are overcome through dual-phase fire, using laser fire to clear a confinement corridor for the relativistic plasma. Dispersal for the weapon makes it unsuited in space combat, forming an effective consistent bombardment phase to precisely disable defensive networks on a planetary assault.
Deep Space Cruiser(DSC): A heavier(30-40 kt) than typical cruiser that is specialized entirely for deep space combat with a long-range particle beam and armor sufficient to resist attacks from all but capital ships. To accomplish this in a cruiser hull most deep space cruisers omit dedicated flag facilities and many of the sensors and independent operability most cruiser classes incorporate. These are something of the destroyer-like of cruisers with oversized weaponry and armor achieving a viable combatant to screen against capital ships or to destroy them through the use of wolfpacks. The defining class feature is the use of an extended particle beam that matches the capability of all but the heaviest capital ships, enabling favorable two-on-one engagements.
Laser Cruiser(LSC): Highly specialized ships that have been doctrinally re-developed every other generation as an area denial and support asset for extreme range engagements. These 30-50 kt ships are built on a standard cruiser chassis as a general rule with internal volume dedicated to a mixture of heavy laser systems and massive radiators for the laser systems. Drive capability on the twenty ships constructed as a part of the 18th generation test batch is on par with lighter capital shipping, making the vessels significantly less maneuverable and massive thermal flares. For that cost laser cruisers can engage fleet assets at extreme ranges beyond any particle beam capacity, striking at fleet assets and possibly killing capital ships through continuous engagement.
Landing Support Ship(LSS(C)): More a generalized category of militarized warships with tonnages ranging from 50-150 kt these are dedicated landing platforms for the organization and deployment of first elements to land. Technically capital ships in size if not remotely in capability either fulfill the role of bulk carriers for shuttle, fighter, and FAC craft to protect them through FTL transitions or massive armed troops ships. These are differentiated from militarized liners in that the re-entry shells are protected from external fire on the front aspect and there is some capability to protect from ground fire. PRLM versions are constructed from merchant parts due to a lack of available heavy warship yards, favoring modular construction but designs for the class are varied. Several older classes in Xolotlan service also effectively use merchant hulls but this is expected to be entirely retired by the 20th generation shipbuilding plan.
Battleship(BB): Capital ships that concentrate their capability on bringing sufficient armor and weaponry to out-range any cruiser squadron and to be protected at effective combat ranges, forcing closing engagements. The oldest operational ships with some compromises start at 50 kt with modern examples weighing in at 120 kt, only limited by material sciences and the lack of utility of concentration. Thermal efficiency and drive plumes reduce the effectiveness of systems and the extreme back slope, while protective, makes the vessels vulnerable to flanking fire. Generally dealt with through fast jousting trajectories it has been argued by several experts that the battleship is obsolete in favor of lighter vessels but both the Xolotlan and Volnay navies are still laying down new hulls. What makes a battleship is also indeterminate outside of long operational requirements and a flag bridge with designs varying wildly between powers and naval generations.
Courier(HST): Small ships(<5kt) with high mass ratios and oversized drives that are meant for fast burns to and from jump points to carry important personnel or high-density information storage. Most are generally constructed around a high efficiency high power drive more meant for a destroyer with a significant capacity for combat acceleration unmatched by any other class. Armament tends towards either missiles in a close-in ambush role to light laser point defense as it is assumed that couriers can outrun any ship while being uniquely vulnerable around lower orbits.
Fast Attack Craft(FAC): Small ships(<5 kt) built for operations in and around atmospheres with the capability to re-enter into most habitable worlds. These are used universally in lower orbital defense with a standard armament of either a particle beam in a frontal configuration or missile systems for more industrial worlds. Deployed in large numbers and using the atmosphere for cover the FAC is a means of keeping a force away from lower orbits and providing close support in the case of a landing. Several ships exist to bring them to a hostile planet for mutual engagements but the role is primarily taken up by lighter vehicles without heavy high-power fusion reactors. Endurance is generally negligible with few fuel reserves or crew comforts allowing the compact ships to be atmospheric capable.
Corvette(FS): Technically the same size as frigates(5-15 kt) but exclusively designed for operations around a gravity well. Short endurance is typical of most designs with a few capable of long-duration burns as a part of an assault task force. Generally equipped with FTL systems for the sake of ease of relocation but with a negligible capability to travel significant distances without support onboard with some exceptions. Universally armed with a lighter particle beam mainly for deterrence along with deep missile racks for close-in combat operations. Point defense capacity is less than for frigates but not significantly so as the close orbital operating environment is expected to be hostile. Arguably a specialized frigate more than a discrete class, the separation is mostly one on armament and doctrinal role.
Frigate(FF): Small warships(10-15 kt) that are ostensibly capable of independent operation but with a primary role as a fast-burning screen for heavier fleet assets. Generally, most constructed frigates have a shorter operational time than any truly independently operating warship but a significantly more capable drive and fuel fraction. A frigate is practically an engine and fuel mated to a particle beam running the length of the ship and several laser defense systems. In a patrol(PF) role many replace the beam and portions of the nose armor with sensor arrays but there are only a few ships built as such. Doctrinally used as a flexible asset that is either independently operating as a patrol ship or in a fleet to ensure that enemy assets maintain separation, avoiding fire into the far more vulnerable off-wedge facing of armor with their particle beams through screening action.
Destroyer(DD): Larger warships(10-20 kt) that focus on the mounting of as large as possible particle beams with several extending behind the primary armor wedge. These are used as wolfpacks for striking at outsized warships with a focus on matching some aspects of light cruisers and cruisers in interplanetary combat as a specialized ship. Several navies have heavily invested in them as adequate for most purposes general fleet combatants to reduce costs but the general trend has seen them aged out in new construction. Point defense capability tends to be deficient with all internal volume dedicated to drives, fuel reserves, and support for the particle beam.
Destroyer Raider(DDR): Effectively converted to be a lighter if specialized version of a light cruiser with enhanced sensors, more tuned FTL systems, and a far longer endurance. Dedicated raiders have drives capable of achieving sustained accelerations and burn similar to frigates if for lesser durations, enabling escape from hostile systems. Onboard particle beams are more comparable to those of frigates but generally with a mixed armament of lasers and missiles for multi-mission capabilities. These ships are in effect tiny cruisers that take up half the tonnage but are incapable of engaging contemporary fleet assets heavier than frigates. Some are converted to dedicated SIGINT and reconnaissance ships with heavier sensor packages but these are treated as the same class of "rear line operational ships" by the Xolotlan Sovereignty.
Light Cruiser(CL): The first class of medium warships (20-30 kt) with no fundamental compromises in functionality with a general focus on long operational times. Light cruisers mount particle beams that run their length and a drive sufficient to out-accelerate destroyers. Close-in weapons are mounted on some classes to provide a limited jousting and orbital armament but this is nowhere near universal. The largest defining feature of a cruiser is independent operability for a long time, as fleet or resupply assets need not be nearby. Distinctions between light and heavy cruisers are arguably questions of acceleration, armor, and weaponry with the Xolotlans treating both as variants of a single class even if heavy cruisers tend to be larger.
Cruiser(CA): Another generalist medium-sized (25-40 kt) warship that tends to have a reduced acceleration profile.in exchange for better armor and weaponry. Most cruisers are heavily optimized for fighting in deep space as the ships are judged as too expensive to risk in fights from orbit outside of use as long-range fire support platforms. Frontal wedge armor is generally sufficient to take hits from light cruiser-sized particle accelerators with heavier internal accelerators outranging any smaller class of ship. Most fleets consider the cruiser as the principal fleet combatant as they are a compromise between heavier ships and higher agility. Compared to other variations a cruiser as designated has a prolonged time of operation, enabling independent fleet action, and are the smallest ships with flag officers.
Bombardment Cruiser(CS): Generally the only ships with significant reserves of nuclear weapons built on a cruiser hull. These are meant to provide direct support onto the surface of a world through a mixture of high-speed nuclear delivery and the use of two-stage relativistic fusion-capable plasma weapons. Ships in this class are turreted to provide a continuous bandage of 20-50 kt impacts on the planetary surface to support a ground force and disperse defenders. Usability is limited in heavier atmospheres but lighter ones are overcome through dual-phase fire, using laser fire to clear a confinement corridor for the relativistic plasma. Dispersal for the weapon makes it unsuited in space combat, forming an effective consistent bombardment phase to precisely disable defensive networks on a planetary assault.
Deep Space Cruiser(DSC): A heavier(30-40 kt) than typical cruiser that is specialized entirely for deep space combat with a long-range particle beam and armor sufficient to resist attacks from all but capital ships. To accomplish this in a cruiser hull most deep space cruisers omit dedicated flag facilities and many of the sensors and independent operability most cruiser classes incorporate. These are something of the destroyer-like of cruisers with oversized weaponry and armor achieving a viable combatant to screen against capital ships or to destroy them through the use of wolfpacks. The defining class feature is the use of an extended particle beam that matches the capability of all but the heaviest capital ships, enabling favorable two-on-one engagements.
Laser Cruiser(LSC): Highly specialized ships that have been doctrinally re-developed every other generation as an area denial and support asset for extreme range engagements. These 30-50 kt ships are built on a standard cruiser chassis as a general rule with internal volume dedicated to a mixture of heavy laser systems and massive radiators for the laser systems. Drive capability on the twenty ships constructed as a part of the 18th generation test batch is on par with lighter capital shipping, making the vessels significantly less maneuverable and massive thermal flares. For that cost laser cruisers can engage fleet assets at extreme ranges beyond any particle beam capacity, striking at fleet assets and possibly killing capital ships through continuous engagement.
Landing Support Ship(LSS(C)): More a generalized category of militarized warships with tonnages ranging from 50-150 kt these are dedicated landing platforms for the organization and deployment of first elements to land. Technically capital ships in size if not remotely in capability either fulfill the role of bulk carriers for shuttle, fighter, and FAC craft to protect them through FTL transitions or massive armed troops ships. These are differentiated from militarized liners in that the re-entry shells are protected from external fire on the front aspect and there is some capability to protect from ground fire. PRLM versions are constructed from merchant parts due to a lack of available heavy warship yards, favoring modular construction but designs for the class are varied. Several older classes in Xolotlan service also effectively use merchant hulls but this is expected to be entirely retired by the 20th generation shipbuilding plan.
Battleship(BB): Capital ships that concentrate their capability on bringing sufficient armor and weaponry to out-range any cruiser squadron and to be protected at effective combat ranges, forcing closing engagements. The oldest operational ships with some compromises start at 50 kt with modern examples weighing in at 120 kt, only limited by material sciences and the lack of utility of concentration. Thermal efficiency and drive plumes reduce the effectiveness of systems and the extreme back slope, while protective, makes the vessels vulnerable to flanking fire. Generally dealt with through fast jousting trajectories it has been argued by several experts that the battleship is obsolete in favor of lighter vessels but both the Xolotlan and Volnay navies are still laying down new hulls. What makes a battleship is also indeterminate outside of long operational requirements and a flag bridge with designs varying wildly between powers and naval generations.
[]Zeltzin Class Courier: An 18th generation hull that was built as a follow-on to the Itzcuih class with several improvements and as a far heavier ship. The class comprises thirty ships in total with a defining feature of a large, arguably oversized magnetic fusion drive that runs beyond the length of the primary hull. A lower fuel fraction is countered by significantly improved efficiency in propulsion compared to the Itzcuih with a full quarter of the 4kt ship taken up by her drive assembly. The hull itself is going to be sold without weapons as she has already been stripped of armament but an add-on array can be added to give it a purpose as a fleet scout and escort. (-12B XCU per Vessel)
[]Itzlan Class Corvette: Conventional, light at 8kt, cheap, and typically used as a mixture between a frigate and a corvette due to copious internal volume onboard behind the primary prow shield. In her pre-refit configuration, a standard ship of the Itzlan class has almost all of her internal volume dedicated to missiles with some left for crew spaces and drive fuel. Armor on the Itzlan is thin even compared to other corvettes of the 17th generation but several of the three hundred strong class's ships have been converted to marine carriers and orbital patrol craft with some of the spare builds serving out as fast passenger liners. Purchase considerations will center on the amount of ordinance to buy, or if to even buy them with the ordinance as the metallic hydrogen missiles make up the majority of the price. (-4B to -16B XCU per Vessel)
[]Oltl Class Frigate: Obsolescent in every way that matters as an early 17th generation ship but a very common class produced in the immediate aftermath of the War of the Baslu Liberation in vast numbers with many vessels kept in service across many navies. Over two and a half thousand 11kt ships were produced over the two decades after the war with conversions existing of the class towards either light destroyers or very heavy high-capability corvettes. Already existing modernization packages with improved drives exist and variations with and without modern particle beams are a regular item that can be purchased. The class's call to fame is an armor scheme that functions against the close defense systems of contemporary corvettes and with a drive modernization, they represent an older ship that remains partially competitive. More importantly than that, they are cheap in the extreme with many surplus sellers. (-2B to -10B XCU per Vessel)
[]Nelli Class Frigate: A later built in the 17th generation and arguably a transitional design that was modernized to a 19th generation standard due to generally unreliable drives. Original unmodified variations do not exist raising the price on the ship with the Neli class having thin armor for a frigate but coming in at only 9kt of mass. The primary armament is an extended particle accelerator with a vast secondary laser bank made to negate many of the advantages of planetary environments through a vast power system onboard. Purchasing up to thirty of them can be arranged as it has found some use as a mixed-purpose fast escort for newer ships but the vast majority of the class is likely to remain in naval service. (-8B to -15B XCU per Vessel)
[]Metztli Class Destroyer: A comparatively new 18th generation destroyer that was built as a transitory stage and for the deliberate hunting of cruiser-sized vessels on a light 16kt package. Her particle beams are not the most advanced neutral systems but the heavy ion systems on board are adequate for destroying up to the most modern of cruisers. Where the class suffers is in the drive and specifically in their unreliability and light armor even for a destroyer class. Most of the particle beam is nearly exposed to space in the extended hull behind the wedge and the ship is closer to a long dart than a more well-rounded warship. Similar classes are heavily in service in both the Baslu and PRLM militaries but the Xolotlans consider the all forward "narrow" destroyer to be a partial dead end. The issue with the sale is that all hulls have been stripped of their particle beams, leaving a mediocre hull that could slot a massive system. (-12B XCU per Vessel)
[]Ixhuatlan Class Destroyer: Part of a balanced destroyer concept that is arguably a light cruiser built without many of the accommodations or long-duration provisions rather than a conventional destroyer. She is shaped in a similar way to the Metztli but even longer, forming one direction on an armored lance that can resist fire from anything lighter than a light cruiser. Weaponry is a normal mixed-mode beam that runs her length with the capability to threaten even the heavier end of cruisers at closer ranges and high closing speeds. As a part of the 18th generation and coming in at 18kt she is a light cruiser in all respects if over-gunned and under-armored. Around twenty hulls are available for sale with all components integrated leaving the class as a prime opportunity for purchase if it wasn't for the comparatively high price. (-30B XCU per Vessel)
[]Acalan Class Destroyer Raider: As with many ships of the 17th generation the Acalan is built around her engine with a 16kt vessel capable of deployments for up to two years with luxurious accommodations that can be rationalized with starch beds. Her oversized drive put her efficiency and acceleration profiles on par with modern frigates and above any other warship short of a courier. The sensor arrays onboard are not being sold with the ship but this is considered acceptable as domestic systems are not that significantly worse than imported ones. The main claim to fame for the class is a full frigate-sized particle accelerator and the armor to fight a single frigate directly in an emergency. The class is aging right now but that makes it cheap, especially as the Xolotlan military is moving to scrap all forty ships, repurposing a few to peaceful SIGINT craft. (-14B XCU per Vessel)
[]Teuila Class Light Cruiser: An early 19th generation ship with a neutral particle beam and several innovations in propulsion bus and internals. One of the flagships for the 19th generation her main issues have come in the form of a 26kt hull capable of patrols of up to a year's length and engaging any ship that is of a similar weight size. The class has exited production due to technical issues with the drives and a larger-than-expected maintenance requirement eliminating the class from the originally designed raiding role. As a defensive warship though she is fast and heavily armored compared to ships of her mass. The largest downsize comes in the under-sized particle accelerator as the original class promised to match the power of more advanced designs with a compact twinned neutral charge accelerator that could not be entirely delivered on. (-95B XCU per Vessel)
[]Teinoch Class Cruiser: A heavy cruiser built to incorporate the lessons learned in the war of the Baslu Secession and practically the example of mid-17th generation heavy cruisers. The hull itself has served with the military since then receiving several class-wide standardized refits with the current examples getting pushed towards mothball and now on sale. As a 38kt ship, she is less mobile than any of her modern contemporaries but is armored competitively with an extended wedge design more appropriate to 18th-generation battleships. This all serves to fit a massive mixed-mode particle beam capable of matching the engagement ranges of warships far more advanced than the original class. Standard refit packages have not yet been developed for the ship but for orders in significant volume, it will almost certainly be possible to insist on alternative drives or weaponry onboard, or even for the purchase of stripped hulls. (-18B to -60B XCU per Vessel)
[]Xopin Class Deep Space Cruiser: Conceived of as a mid-18th generation hunter of capital ships the Xopin is practically a capital ship in her own right. Weighing in at 47kt and with drives directly cloned off a capital ship she is fast for her class, matching the acceleration of contemporary light cruisers. In armament the massive kilometer and a half-long hull mounts a single linear particle accelerator behind a heavily back-sloped armor prow, enabling firepower on the level of contemporary battleships. The class's main failing comes in the form of armor as protection across the front aspect is also comparable to contemporary light cruisers just with better geometry. Expensive and with a massive dual-mode particle accelerator the Xopin poses a direct threat to any ship currently in service but it serves more as a specialty weapon than a general-purpose tool. (-175B XCU per Vessel)
Politics:
Frontal Commander Assessments: Comprehensive assessments of wartime performance have already been done but continuing them on the lower ranks can enable a far wider re-organization. Less talented but otherwise trained staff officers can be reallocated towards the organization of mobilization units while more talented ones are prioritized for mainline commands. Gathering the officers necessary for OFAC billets and more general space-combat ones will take time but can be started now. (50)
Many of the current high command have been tested by the war but many have proven either too cautious or too resistant to new ideas. Moving personnel up to commands has seen several army and armored core commanders moved up to staff rank as senior personnel have been offered a temporary retirement. The military needs aggressive and capable commanders who are willing to implement new strategies to combat alien forces as previous generations of tactics have proven inadequate. New promotions have prioritized those willing to experiment and detail their evaluations of doctrine over conventional thinking as a comprehensive military theory has yet to be developed.
Assess the Reserve System: The broad failure of the reserve system has been instrumental in the vulnerability of the ground army in the first months of the war. Formalizing the reserves and maintaining their training will involve a comparatively minimal allocation of funding compared to the standing army. This would provide a trained pool of soldiers that is expected to be double the size of the standing military and ensure that in case of another invasion trained armies can be mobilized. (100) (-50B Or) (Significant Political Cost)
Immediate assessments of the reserve system have found several pressing issues in the acquisition of personnel and their training. Recruits have come in generally demoralized with issues in discipline benign pervasive in the force along with consistent hazing issues. Reforms to address this have started with the implementation of a series of punishments for hazing and anti-retaliation measures to enable higher commands to eliminate the practice. Training standards for extended deployments have been improved to allow conscripts to serve in roles outside lower echelon soldiers. Many of these changes have been opposed by some officers but bringing the state of the reserves into a functional and effective system will be key for another defensive war for Dannan.
Publicly Fight the Paramilitaries: Committing to directly clamp down on paramilitary activity outside Curach will involve the transfer of reinforcements to policing forces. Army personnel can be equipped with equipment for managing crowds to moderate down significant clashes outside of intelligence operations and stabilize significant areas of the homefront. Politically managing it can be done easily while the government is unstable but deals will have to be made once the situation is stabilized. (-25B Or) (50)
Moving army units to prevent the loss of control from urban police forces has brought mixed political results as initial programs for separation have been used as examples of why not to do it. Breaking up major protests has if anything proved to be easier to conduct as army formations have been organized and capable of peacefully containing and bringing them to an end when excessively damaging. Interventions have been able to restore control of the streets in major cities back to the government with light punishments outside of some scuffles encouraging the violence to stop. Crime in itself has not been effectively fought but by the end of the year, the majority of actively violent protest action has been contained and is on the decline.
12-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan
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- Seattle, Washington
I think a mix of these two ships would be good for our space navy. We could buy a few of the cruiser, and a bunch of the frigates, and use domestic particle beams on the frigates to gain build experience
- Location
- Canada
Extremely Common Elf W 🗿
The
- Location
- UTC+0
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They
I think that for the pre-assessments, we should definitely do the Light Cruiser and Ixhuatlan destroyer, those are quality ships we want to pay special care to and acquire a couple of examples of. As for the other options, definitely the cheapo 2B Or frigate, it would be foolish not to, and I am thinking the Heavy Cruiser. The latter is kinda shitty for its weight class, but it is cheap, and a heavy cruiser is a heavy cruiser. Its a pretty potent deterrent, and our blorbo friends that are in the way of the PRLMs expansionist drive unfortunately has no such thing unlike us. I'd like to buy 2-3 of them, refit them, sign a mutual defense pact, and station them in their system to make sure the PRLM doesn't try anything funny with mercs or pirates.
- Pronouns
- He
They're aiming to secure the furry vote, huh?
Really?
With 4 options for further assessment, right now I'm thinking the Zeltzin courier, the Oltl frigate, the Teinoch heavy cruiser, and one more.
The courier to supplement out current spare-parts-hungry prototype SAS Itzcuih so that we can send out ships without needing to send away one of our warships, as well as being able to be pressed into service if needed as a very fast scout.
The heavy cruiser and cheapass frigates for escorts and nearby patrols are a good option to form the bulk of our defense fleet IMO, mostly the latter obviously with say 2-3 of the former?
That leaves one slot open for which I am thinking either the Metztli DD, the Acalan DDR, or the Teuila CL.
The Metztli is one of the best picks to try our first gen likely pretty crap domestic particle beams on, since that massive space for the particle system means we should be able to compensate for deficiencies by adding bulk to the accelerators pretty easily.
The Acalan DDR is something that we'd use to go after enemy shipping and supply lines. It's been described as kind of like a ww2 submarine, but since you can't hide it space it's meant to be able to outrun from other warships instead. The Acalan is supposed to be able to fight a frigate if nessecary, but we likely can't count on it to reliably pull off multiple times what it's only meant to do in an emergency.
The Teuila is more us throwing near 100B XCU at the wall to buy a bunch of tech dice rolls than buying ships for our fleet, we're likely not going to get more than one of these and it will cut significantly into the rest of the budget we have to purchase ships with. (The thing is half again the cost of the most expensive heavy cruisers we can buy.) But well, it's a modern ship we can get our hands on.
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Edit: Okay, given it a few hours thought, and this is what I've got for a plan right now. One thing to note is that I think our budget's a bit off, it counted the -25B Or from fighting the paramilitaries, but not the -50B from looking at the reserves and finishing the moon buggy procurement. So we should be at 725B Or.
300B Or on a single choice is painful with that much remaining, but it gets us up to two tech rolls plus domestic production of modern diamondoids, which is the big benefit IMO. With that in mind I went for the cheap PA and cheap-but-not-Avalon space suit options. This leaves 405B Or in the budget, and we already know the Pre-Assessments will cost 50B total minimum but are "highly variable". So if we give ourselves a safety buffer of 200B Or total cost there, that should leave 205B Or for the rest of the budget cycle. It could be kind of tight depending on how the PA and lasers go and won't let us procure much more, but it should be doable, especially if the Pre-Assessments don't end up using all that
[]Plan: Tightening the Belt
-[]Simplify Movement Systems: (-0B Or)
-[]UNISA Bid: (-20B Or)
-[]Hire Foreign Expertise: (-300B Or)
-[]Zeltzin Class Courier:
-[]Oltl Class Frigate:
-[]Acalan Class Destroyer Raider:
-[]Teinoch Class Cruiser:
My thoughts on which ships we should be thinking about purchasing are still the same as above: Make the core of our fleet out of the heavy cruisers and cheap frigates, a couple of the former and bulk purchases of the latter. Then pick up some dual use couriers so that all our civilian diplomacy isn't relying on a single ship that chews through spare parts, that can also be requisitioned for military service to either carry agents or act as a fast scout if needed.
For the last slot I think I'm leaning towards the Acalan right now. We're isolated right in the middle of what's called the Dead Zone, so anyone trying to reach us is going to need a long supply corridor stretching through pretty empty space with no guaretee of anyone being close enough to help. And that sounds like a good enviroment for some Acalans to hunt supply ships and maybe an anti-raiding frigate if it can't avoid it. I could still be convinced on one of the other two though.
The courier to supplement out current spare-parts-hungry prototype SAS Itzcuih so that we can send out ships without needing to send away one of our warships, as well as being able to be pressed into service if needed as a very fast scout.
The heavy cruiser and cheapass frigates for escorts and nearby patrols are a good option to form the bulk of our defense fleet IMO, mostly the latter obviously with say 2-3 of the former?
That leaves one slot open for which I am thinking either the Metztli DD, the Acalan DDR, or the Teuila CL.
The Metztli is one of the best picks to try our first gen likely pretty crap domestic particle beams on, since that massive space for the particle system means we should be able to compensate for deficiencies by adding bulk to the accelerators pretty easily.
The Acalan DDR is something that we'd use to go after enemy shipping and supply lines. It's been described as kind of like a ww2 submarine, but since you can't hide it space it's meant to be able to outrun from other warships instead. The Acalan is supposed to be able to fight a frigate if nessecary, but we likely can't count on it to reliably pull off multiple times what it's only meant to do in an emergency.
The Teuila is more us throwing near 100B XCU at the wall to buy a bunch of tech dice rolls than buying ships for our fleet, we're likely not going to get more than one of these and it will cut significantly into the rest of the budget we have to purchase ships with. (The thing is half again the cost of the most expensive heavy cruisers we can buy.) But well, it's a modern ship we can get our hands on.
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Edit: Okay, given it a few hours thought, and this is what I've got for a plan right now. One thing to note is that I think our budget's a bit off, it counted the -25B Or from fighting the paramilitaries, but not the -50B from looking at the reserves and finishing the moon buggy procurement. So we should be at 725B Or.
300B Or on a single choice is painful with that much remaining, but it gets us up to two tech rolls plus domestic production of modern diamondoids, which is the big benefit IMO. With that in mind I went for the cheap PA and cheap-but-not-Avalon space suit options. This leaves 405B Or in the budget, and we already know the Pre-Assessments will cost 50B total minimum but are "highly variable". So if we give ourselves a safety buffer of 200B Or total cost there, that should leave 205B Or for the rest of the budget cycle. It could be kind of tight depending on how the PA and lasers go and won't let us procure much more, but it should be doable, especially if the Pre-Assessments don't end up using all that
[]Plan: Tightening the Belt
-[]Simplify Movement Systems: (-0B Or)
-[]UNISA Bid: (-20B Or)
-[]Hire Foreign Expertise: (-300B Or)
-[]Zeltzin Class Courier:
-[]Oltl Class Frigate:
-[]Acalan Class Destroyer Raider:
-[]Teinoch Class Cruiser:
My thoughts on which ships we should be thinking about purchasing are still the same as above: Make the core of our fleet out of the heavy cruisers and cheap frigates, a couple of the former and bulk purchases of the latter. Then pick up some dual use couriers so that all our civilian diplomacy isn't relying on a single ship that chews through spare parts, that can also be requisitioned for military service to either carry agents or act as a fast scout if needed.
For the last slot I think I'm leaning towards the Acalan right now. We're isolated right in the middle of what's called the Dead Zone, so anyone trying to reach us is going to need a long supply corridor stretching through pretty empty space with no guaretee of anyone being close enough to help. And that sounds like a good enviroment for some Acalans to hunt supply ships and maybe an anti-raiding frigate if it can't avoid it. I could still be convinced on one of the other two though.
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So to sum it up, WP is making a left turn, PDL is making a right turn and the PPM is blooming as a result. The BFP is vibing, the PPP managed to recover and the PSC ate shit and split up. Pretty good political turn on account of that last bit, with the threat of fascism curbed significantly.
Our actions went well, we're ready for continued operations against the PRLM
The PSC got fucked up, but they're starting to scramble in response. I think its time to ease up and start focusing on alien infiltrators now, since we're going to hit diminishing returns on our anti-psc actions.
The marine suit is problematic due to being a medium sized suit, but all the software stuff is good. My suggestion here is to fund our own prototyping- if we dont give a technical development budget we're not gonna push technical developments.
The light laser rifle is super problematic, however we can fix it. Importing experts and a factory actually seems like a really good idea, since the lensing will be used for more than just this one laser rifle.
It works mostly fine. Nothing special noted.
This came in underbudget and ahead of schedule. Great design, love that its finished with so little fluff. This should serve us well for a pretty long time
Bringing in arguably less capable but more innovative officers. Not a bad trade for mid-long term considerations.
Reserve and training system assessed, and problems fixed. Anti-hazing will be good.
This did what it needed to do. Hopefully things should be fairly calm by the time the next election happens.
I'll look atthe ship classes later
Definitely should bring in the experts for the laser rifle not only because of the technology, but because it's going to be the gun we are going to have to stick with for a while because we likely won't have the budget to make a upgrade or replacement because we have so much else to catch up on still, like our current tanks can only somewhat combat officially obsolescent tanks that we can buy a whole factory of a upgraded version of it from the open market.
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I think these are the standouts of the ships. The Oltl is so cheap on the low end it'd be a shame not to buy a handful of them as testbeds for domestic systems, while at the high end we can probably use them as OK escorts/system defense ships and match likely pirate threats in groups. Meanwhile the Ixhuatlan is probably the most cost-effective option for fighting cruisers.
The Acalan will be handy to have a set of as a general utility ship. In peacetime, they'll be valuable as multirole couriers and patrol ships for barely more money than a dedicated courier, while in wartime it'll be good to have them acting like the Investigator did, starting to assert some control over nearby systems and force escorts on any enemy groups.
So a good force might be a squadron of Ixhuatlans as a core, at least twice that many Oltls for escorts and system control - some of them modernized - and another squadron of Acalans for longer-range use. Exact numbers would depend on how much we want to spend on ships vs other things.
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