[X]Plan High Flying
-[X]UNISA:
-[X]Listen to Lunos:
-[X]Insist on Full Delivery:
-[X]Two Engine Universal:
-[X]Second Generation Mining Ships:
-[X]Lobby Politicians:
-[X]Organize Legal Teams:
I'd like to make a case for the Two Engine Universal plane rather than the Light Transport. While the Light Transport with it's planned lower power engines is good for building up experience, especially if we would need to rebuild jet turbine design institutional experience from the the ground up, with how well we did on setting up our own turbine production I think we salvaged enough engine design history for a starting position that we can take a step further.
With a 94 on a d100, and a description of us reconnecting around a dozen of the old engine design teams I think that the higher power more efficient designs to enable a more capable transport aircraft is within our reach. While the army is all talking about the Universal being able to carry an entire tank over long distances rather than just an IFV, in practice for us and our disaster response duties we will be able to carry that many more supplies and personnel per aircraft compared to the Light Transport to rapidly to assist wherever they're needed.
And unlike the 4 engine behemoth, the Universal doesn't write off rough landing completely either. It will be trickier to work in like the description says, and probably won't be as good as what the Light Transport could achieve, but it will still be capable of doing it. After asking on the Discord the QM has said that we will be able to pick which specs we want to be exceptional on the plane, so we can always choose to just priorities rough landing capabilities as the expense of some others, while still getting experience with the better high-bypass engine designs for later aircraft projects.
It is 100B Or more expensive, but we're lobbying for more money next turn plus starting the mining ships that increase our budget already anyway.
The issue is, what are we going to carry with the heavier variant? The tanks we don't have? Right now the biggest capability a aircraft can give us is making our disaster relief airmobile imo, but going for a heavier engine means the capability to do rough landings would probably come as a sacrifice to power. So I really think ideally we go for the lighter one, letting us mount them on planes dedicated to moving around firefighting, disaster relief, scouting duties and such more easily while greasing up the engines of our nascent aviation industry so when we go for a heavier variant we have something to work off on, which will help us avoid cost overruns and give us a more competent system. We can probably license the smaller engine as well so we get actual airliners in the civilian industry.
The issue is, what are we going to carry with the heavier variant? The tanks we don't have? Right now the biggest capability a aircraft can give us is making our disaster relief airmobile imo, but going for a heavier engine means the capability to do rough landings would probably come as a sacrifice to power. So I really think ideally we go for the lighter one, letting us mount them on planes dedicated to moving around firefighting, disaster relief, scouting duties and such more easily while greasing up the engines of our nascent aviation industry so when we go for a heavier variant we have something to work off on, which will help us avoid cost overruns and give us a more competent system. We can probably license the smaller engine as well so we get actual airliners in the civilian industry.
As I said, more disaster relief supplies per plane. And that is a useful thing to have IMO. Even if we take a pessimistic assumption that we sacrifice so much payload for acceptable rough landing capabilities that the Universal can only carry 1.5x as much mass as the Light Transport (and I don't think it's going to be that low), just 2 planes instead of 3 would certainly take up less groundside infrastructure and manpower, such as refueling trucks to top them off so they can fly back to pick up another load of supplies. Scale it up further to the whole disaster relief operation, and 2 planes carrying the supplies of 3 means that we can get the same amount of supplies in while only having the manage the coordinating 2/3s as many planes compared to if we were using the Light Transport. Or if there is enough capability to easily coordinate all those individual Light Transport planes, and handle their refueling and other individual needs on the ground we could fill that capacity with the Universal planes, and for the same number of total transport planes move 50% more supplies in.
And that's before considering that one of the benefits called out in the Universal description is the ability to carry these heavy cargo payloads over long distances, so we would have more airbases and planes in range to easily send supplies to whatever disaster happened. Or the benefits we gain from getting more experience with high-power high-bypass jet turbines.
More cargo capacity doesn't mean much if you need to sacrifice rough landing capabilities. Like, that is the sacrifice potentially being made here, having to land in already built up infrastructure and then moving things by truck to affected areas. I don't think its a good ideia to risk not being able to deliver aid when bungling disaster response can have severe political consequences for us. I personally, am not going to risk that.
[X]Plan Legal Scramble
I was going for light trucks, but apparently mining ships increase our income, so getting that started would be v v nice.
More cargo capacity doesn't mean much if you need to sacrifice rough landing capabilities. Like, that is the sacrifice potentially being made here, having to land in already built up infrastructure and then moving things by truck to affected areas. I don't think its a good ideia to risk not being able to deliver aid when bungling disaster response can have severe political consequences for us. I personally, am not going to risk that.
And the Universal plane can still be able to conduct rough landings, it just is trickier to fit that capability in. It says that right there in the description for it.
And neither of these options are going to be getting away without using trucks or some level of built infrastructure. They are fixed with transport aircraft, not VTOLs that can just put themselves down in any large enough open space to unload right next to the problem. Rough Landing Capability in this context is going to be something like the ability to use a hastily constructed dirt runway within a few km of wherever, where the ground was relatively flat for long enough it could be easily smoothed and there weren't that many trees or bushes needing to be cleared. You're still going to need to roll out the trucks with some palletized cargo in the back for that last leg of the journey, at least until you have enough trucks you can afford to send some back to the airstrip to pick up from the unloading plane directly.
It's very optimistic to think that a newly assembled team no matter there experience is not going to have issues figuring out what everyone in it actually knows, because it doesn't specify they come from all the same place so they are all likely from different places that were under a variety of different corporations that had different ideas on how stuff should be done.
It's very optimistic to think that a newly assembled team no matter there experience is not going to have issues figuring out what everyone in it actually knows, because it doesn't specify they come from all the same place so they are all likely from different places that were under a variety of different corporations that had different ideas on how stuff should be done.
The update very clearly says we're bringing teams "back together" from all the other projects they had shifted too, not anything about newly assembled teams? The fact that we managed to roll a 94 on setting up our own turbine development/production enterprise and salvaged all those existing design teams is why I'm considering the benefits of the Universal plane at all.
If we had rolled mediocre or gotten something like new teams with relevant experience but no history of turbine design, I wouldn't be considering much other than the Light Transport since there'd be a fair chance the others flop with problems trying to create the more powerful turbines. But that's not what happened with our internal turbine production choice, we've instead put pre-existing design teams back together for this project.
The massive import of machinery and technical specialists for the development of a new series of turbine aircraft is a major technical leap forward. The program itself has brought almost a dozen discrete teams back together and salvaged them from most of the old projects. The organization of the factories has immediately been split into programs aiming at the refinement and development of a new high bypass engine and a diversion for the production of a new jet engine. The entire business is effectively considered a core defensive concern in the same way as plutonium refining, leaving a legal basis as to why it would be entirely controlled by military authorities. The largest question remaining in the development of the plane though is its layout as that remains a mostly open question of capability. (150B Or Spent) (Negligible Political Costs) (94)
They are all working together under one just made organization with other teams they have likey never worked with before at all so it's likely a lot of new stuff for them, so trying to be not ambitious to let them figure that out seems good and that a light aircraft is going to be the most simple to build and we need something in good numbers.
Everyone vote already include Organize Legal Teams, so there's not really much of a point to this, but I would like to note that legal team is not just for dealing with lawsuit, but can also be later expanded to "improve justice in the force and provide a parallel command and then internal structures to reduce discipline errors." Having some form of law enforcement for military sound like a good idea to prevent war crime, and any thing that could reduce corruption in military procurement process is going to be crucial.
..Although the parallel command sound a little bit concerning, but it should be mostly fine, hopefully.
[X] Plan: Harsh Requirements
-[X] Milta Automotive Works
-[X] Push the Generals Advice
-[X] Insist on Full Delivery
-[X] Two Engine Universal
-[X] Second Generation Mining Ships
-[X] Organize Legal Teams
-[X] Improve Force Morale
Nobody's built a jet engine in 60+ human years, yeah elves are biologically immortal and we found a bunch of the old documentation but it's probably still best to start small.
And I think the "parallel command" mentioned in the legal options is just a JAG type thing, creating an official bureaucratic structure for the military lawyers instead of stuffing them under our office staff so they can add more ribbons to their uniform and not get bullied about being fake soldiers so much.
Turn 3.5 (35AE): Green Allocation
The Expected Military Budget(35-40AE): 2010B Or
3T Or (Government Contribution)
150B Or (Industrial Revenue)
50B Or (Mining Revenues)
160B Or (Leftovers Banked, will not be next time)
-600B Or = 400k x 1.5M Or (Personnel Costs)
-750B Or = 1500B x 0.5 Or (Peacetime Military) (Operational Costs)
Political Support (this is 60 with an unknown digit): 6?
Civilian Government Planning(30-35AE Plan):
Expanding desalination infrastructure has been one of the largest priorities of the government over the course of this plan with a drive towards improving local water conditions. A general reduction in rainwater collection has followed with most islands steadily transitioning towards a loose degree of water rationing. Personal and hygiene use is now not rationed outside of a few remote locations even if agricultural and aesthetic water use is tightly regulated. Continued programs have coincided with hardening as water management measures to redirect flood and rain waters have been built up at scale. Programs to address the demand of the people to avoid flooding post natural disasters were the primary driver causing some protests as significant amounts of water were not collected and instead directed to grasses.
The reality of remote work setups and the necessity for further improvements in construction scaling have effectively started a new housing program. The goal of the program is the universal meeting of demand for new housing as the population grows and avoiding the overcrowding of cities with limitations in transport infrastructure. Developments have gone in with a priority towards new generation fiber optic networking, improving the conditions for all living there and making some of the houses desirable to the point that rooms have been entirely bought out. As automation in the factory increases and jobs are more localized towards remote areas it is expected that there will be a wave of de-urbanization, or a reduction in urban density as the massive concentrations of service workers are no longer needed.
Unlike the expectations of the PPM and the ideas that the Greens would be immensely conservative on ecological programs, two massive new genetic programs have been pushed at scale. The collection of samples from wildlife that was partially preserved along with ensuring that the databases of species were entirely intact was accompanied by a start to large-scale environmental reforms. The starch may have saved society at its darkest moments but it has become a massive hindrance towards any ecological policy. A more replaceable and importantly edible bacteria producing similar proteins has been developed and pushed into production with the old organism effectively killed through an engineered viral package. As oceanic conditions are restored it is expected that the genetic programs can move into a further stage to allow the return of species extinct outside of genetic databases.
Automation drives have accompanied continuous improvements in computing hardware as the battle for reducing gate widths has only gotten more intense. Current feature sizes of a few silicon atoms across with gates that are only ten times longer represent a massive technical investment and one that is hard to move past. Conventional computing can only go so far leading to a significant amount of speculative investment into alternative computational techniques. From this improvements in quantum computing have been brought into production with little practical effect. Distributed currencies and some encryption techniques have proven vulnerable to it, but that has had zero practical effect outside of some minor career changes.
The largest government industrial priority has been the total electrification of industry, transportation, and the increase in the production of electricity. These have all combined with a near quadrupling of production for MgS battery units and a constant drive towards replacing most older transportation production with battery electric systems. Everything from battery power trains to cars is steadily shifting towards majority production in their sectors with only long-range naval shipping left conventional. By the end of the decade, it is expected that all production will be entirely replaced with new methods as they are simply cheaper and more reliable than combustion systems. The industry itself remains a more open question as carbon feedstocks remain necessary across several specialty industries.
Automation of industry has only accelerated despite the Green government taking power. Algorithmic inventory control has become a core part of the general system of allocation and logistics has effectively been centralized under governmental control. The market still exists for most transactional bases but orders can be conducted preemptively and with a degree of prediction that has improved efficiency relative to more conventional systems. The market system itself is unlikely to be entirely replaced but the government has taken a single step towards separating transportation from it. Further improvements are only expected with a steady change away from direct transactions and towards direct transportation.
Army funding for the next planning phase has been increased through a direct lobbying push from several of the general staff, with agitation based on the clear and present threat of the Lirrir. Parliament has proven to be hesitant to fund the army sufficiently for a large-scale procurement program, leaving open the question of how to fund the rest of the army while under immense pressure for some arbitrary standard of cost efficiency. The government itself is willing to provide more, but this is an effective stagnation as economic growth has easily outgrown the amount of funding provided. Still, more money is being shuffled over to improve planetary defenses but it is an open question if it will be enough.
New Technologies:
Third Generation MHD Generators: Through combined improvements in harvesting methodologies for power along with better systemic thermal isolation significant gains have been made in thermodynamic efficiencies of power production. These mostly involve a more refined MHD cycle with some secondary thermal harvesting, bringing waste heat output down to a far more manageable twenty percent of the generative process. This in no way gets rid of radiators and further efficiency improvements will be a massive technical challenge but they can still be undertaken. The far greater scale of new unit generation systems will make refits challenging but new vessels can be built to far improved margins of thermal control. (New 35AE)
Non-Propulsive Dusty Plasma Reactor: Continued drives towards gaining efficiency and the modification of thrust systems have demonstrated significant further improvements to efficiency. By taking an ultra-light fissioning uranium plasma and confining it in a pinch between a dual-end MHD harvester an efficient method of power generation can be designed with few downsides. The power system will explicitly not be suitable for off-drive harvesting like previous generation gas-core MHD couplings but the gains from the new method will be massive. Thermal efficiencies in the order of eighty-five percent can be achieved with a hotter operating cycle, only limited by internal chamber materials, leading to more efficient radiative hot loops. (New 35AE)
Optimal Band DT: Further improvements on the conventional fusion fuel cycle and a sustained temperature of 80 KeV can now be attained and maintained without a significant technical burden for reactors of the old scale. This effectively optimizes interaction cross-sections of the fuel, raising the reaction rate while maintaining a similar degree of plasma density. Improvements in the magnets involved have trickled down to smaller-scale reactors with the expectation that a positive 1 GWe reactor could be constructed. The largest improvements however come in the larger cores as once the optimal plasma temperatures are reached the reaction rate increases by almost five fold making the largest cores economical for truly mass power-production applications. (New 35AE)
Technical Generative AI: Continued improvement in machine learning along with engineering-specific developments have continued to enhance the automation of industries. Previous generations of generative AI have been limited to non-technical low-risk applications but it has steadily gone towards a capability to act as an immediate reference and design optimization tool. Training datasets are still limited and the machines are nowhere near perfect but as a first-line tool for rapid prototyping and a second-line tool for assessing projects it is invaluable. Automation can now replace most positions that produce novel intellectual labor for conventional design work, with just a few needed to check the AI and ensure consistency in training datasets. (New 35AE)
Total Line Automation: Previous efforts at predictive logistics and advanced ordering programs have only developed further with improvements made to the autonomous operation of entire facilities. Current algorithms are insufficient to replace all staff but something as simple as balancing and troubleshooting basic parameter deviation has already been demonstrated with further gains expected on the direct testing level. There is little need for first-line employees when logistics can be conducted in an automated manner with a further simplification of most industries that require sterile standards. Continuous improvements are only expected to continue as more advanced algorithms can further reduce necessary labor. (New 35AE)
FTL Jump Point Theory: The discrete detection of pockets of so-called jump-optimal space has proceeded logically from previous theories with the refit of a daring class destroyer to assessing pods. Initial guesses that the points would exist outside the orbit of the fifth planet and limitations of gravity have been confirmed though there is a curious phenomenon involved with most jump points in that some are significantly "deeper" dimensionally than others. It is believed that a jump conducted from a deeper point would both be easier and less intensive, leaving other areas of the system as more secondary. Confirmation of further points in the outer system will take time, but current mathematical understandings of jump space do indicate that there should be a few around the gas giant. (New 35AE)
Basic Cybernetics: Continued advancements in both genetics and neural interfacing have brought forward a practical new era of implantation and dual-way linkages between neurons and computers. Using basic genetic modification to designate several metals as non-invasive to prevent an immune response along with advanced coatings, safe implants can be produced with few issues of rejection and minimal follow-on treatment. Direct neural control along with the direct splicing of nerves represents a further improvement in old techniques allowing theoretical direct control of larger machinery from a direct linkage. (New 35AE)
CNT Production: Improvements have been made in non-biological processes for the production of long-chain carbon nano-tubes effectively making biological methods obsolete. Large-scale macro-catalytics have developed significantly on older techniques with scalable production of new materials. The changeover has forced the rapid adoption of new methods along with the increase of the chemical industry as simpler methods are steadily pushed aside. After some reconfiguration, it is expected that CNT incorporation can become a common factor for several industrial applications. (New 35AE)
Biological-Epoxies: Complete production chains for biosynthetic epoxies and resins have been developed with only some requirements remaining for molding. The material is not as cheap as conventional regenerative cement construction but it is better insulating and far more portable for logistically challenging areas. Molding is still necessary making the process not truly automated but some proponents of prefabricated resin paneling made in a factory as a light alternative to prefabricated panels especially for external insulation applications. (New 35AE)
Combined Programs(PR to get more funding): By selling the civilian government a combined program to change wide aspects of the military, significant amounts of funding can be obtained for a negligible amount of political costs. Previous commitments involved a focus on the AFV program with it initiated at scale but with the further development of new techniques and the demand for significant technical development. The Green coalition itself is more neutral on military matters but the situation could be significantly worse. (Optionally Select One)
[]Space Industry Prioritization: Promising an expanded class of mining ships along with the further industrialization of orbit will get some additional budget for already planned programs. The current expansion of populations in the low Danan orbit is going to significantly contribute to improving specialized industries. Further development of the belt itself will be involved with the construction of mass drivers to launch refined material to Dannan and LDO. This will be accompanied by the development of ships capable of exploring the gas giant's moons in full, setting up bases and stations for testing colonization concepts. (Must Start Mining Ships, Long Burn Space-Ships, and Build Belt Mass Drivers by 40AE) (+900B Or)
[]Modernization of the Orbital Fleet: The River class is obsolete and the Daring class even worse. Both are built based on obsolete civilian designs that have hastily been militarized even after the post-war refits and the effective replacement of every module on the frame hull. Commissioning new orbital warships is going to be critical now that extraterrestrial life has been discovered. The program further calls for the first series of faster-than-light explorers to be laid down to enhance the capability to explore. None of the programs are expected to be cheap but at least some savings are expected through unifying electronic, radar, and power systems. (Must Start Orbital Frigate, Orbital Destroyer, and FTL Test Beds by 40AE) (+1000B Or)
[]Next Generation Infantry: Selling the government on a comprehensive modernization of the infantry is going to be the most challenging program to pursue if one that will significantly improve combat capability. A new generation of powered equipment for everyday soldiers can be developed alongside a massive improvement on orbital power packs and standardized uniforms. Combined technical developments will work towards improving everyday spacesuits for many of the orbital personnel along with a technical program to experiment with radical modifications and DNI-enabled units. Transportation for lighter infantry units will further have to be developed, especially as power supply units with local generation will be needed to support the infantry. (Must Start Second Generation Infantry, Standardization of Orbital Troops, Light Vehicles, and Heavy Infantry Experiments) (+400B Or)
[]Wet Navy Programs: Building out a new modern fleet combatant is going to significantly reduce the operational cost of most platforms and cut down on the continued operating cost of keeping the fleet operational. Combined programs with defensive submarines are going to be necessary for defending the planet ensuring that modernization can continue. Unification of fleet roles is going to come as well combining littoral combat ships and conventional fleet combatants. (Must Start Anti-Orbital SSBN and Next Generation Fleet Combatant) (+600B Or)
Recruitment Levels: Over the last recruitment period it has been confirmed that approximately three hundred and forty thousand volunteers were recruited. The increase was far weaker than expected from significantly intensifying publications and increasing recruitment, practically requiring far more significant options. Still, the current level of volunteers is sufficient to keep much of the force in operation with conscripts set to fill in basic infantry and production roles despite a tiny degree of callups. As the professional core improves in number far more personnel are going to be available to manage an increased number of conscripts, opening the way to a general expansion of the armed services. (Pick One)
[] Professionalized Units: The army units can be professionalized rather than shunting conscripts directly into the general structure. Conscription itself can be confined to use in more secondary roles with almost all of the combat services personnel coming from volunteers. This would be a radical step and not a popular one as stopping conscription for even a moment would undermine the entire drive toward maintaining it. It can theoretically be forced through but at cost and the demands for maintaining personnel are only likely to rise. (Keeps to 400k in the field) (Severe Political Cost)
[]Continue Current Policies: Keeping the conscription drives confined to filling out roles where mistakes will not be made is going to be the best path forward as the army can still undergo a limited expansion. Six new divisions will be raised along with the construction of an expanded simulator training camp to provide for experienced crews for warships. The expansion here is practically the least ambitious and has already been criticized as undermining the moral readiness of the youth. (100B Or Equipment Cost) (Increases to 500k in the field) (Makes Army Procurement More Expensive)
[]Expand Call-Ups: Conscription is necessary to keep the force at a high state of readiness and essential for building up a depth of reserves. Rather than accepting the current state of the army, call-ups can be expanded to such a point that the bulk of the operational force can be conscripted manpower. The officers and NCO roles will remain entirely in the hands of the professional soldiers but the general men in the field can be replaced with a new cadre of citizen soldiers. (200B Or Equipment Cost) (Increases to 650k in the field) (Makes Army Procurement More Expensive)
Wage Structures: Paying the men serving has been essential for building strong persistent volunteers and tangential for conscripts who have little choice in the matter anyway. Continuing current policies has left the army with a significant portion of the general funding with little going to waste or excessive programs but there have been several advocates pushing for specific political goals. On one side moving more towards a conscripted force can significantly reduce spending, especially on advanced technical positions saving the army a massive amount of funding competing with civilian interests. However, the reverse has been advocated by some, believing that high wages rather than patriotic service are a core factor for volunteerism. (Pick One)
[]Cut Wages: By replacing several long-standing roles with conscripts who need a negligible wage significant cost savings can be maintained. An individual rifleman does not inherently need to be provided with a mass of benefits when hundreds of thousands are graduating every year knowing little and with an uncertain career path. Some technical roles that cannot be easily filled with conscripts along with officer roles will have to stay professionalized but the general body of the army can be rotated out saving a considerable amount of funding. (0.75M Or Cost per Soldier)
[]Conscript Technical Roles: The most expensive element of the army is the technical roles as they require significant amounts of pay to take from the civilian sector. Even with improved pay they have time and time again failed to attract those most qualified, with the private sector generally paying more for equivalent education. Conscripting students as they graduate can be politically explained as them repaying the state's investment in each of them, ensuring that most reasonable politicians will be more than willing to go along with the program. (1M Or Cost per Soldier)
[]Maintain the Current Standard: The awkward middle point of paying significantly less for technical roles than the private sector but offering a competitive if unexceptional balance of pay and benefits for lower-ranked volunteers. Continued waves of volunteers to a similar extent are expected but as the army grows costs are only further expected to increase, undermining the rest of the budget through spending. The conscripts will be called up to fill out units with negligible pay, but they are expected to form a comparatively small factor of the general force. (1.5M Or Cost per Soldier) (Current Policy)
[]Improve Benefits: The cheapest way of so to say improving benefits and ensuring that the army has access to several long-term-minded professionals is to improve the benefits package. Funding for a few dedicated army schools and improving the prioritization of those who have served in the last fifty years is a small step but can save on costs compared to a general wage increase. Temporary post-service pensions and signup bonuses can also be utilized to further improve recruitment at a lesser cost than paying competitive technical wages, increasing recruitment and retention. (2M Or Cost per Soldier)
[]Improve Wages: Making the wages for professionals competitive with those in the enterprises or private sector is going to come at a massive cost especially when accounting for the issues in securing talent. Improving wages along with improving the benefits will increase recruitment massively allowing a degree of selectivity for professional soldiers, but one that will come at a massive cost. As long as recruitment is enough there is little reason to pay this much for soldiers that still need to be entirely trained. (3M Or Cost per Soldier) (Significant Political Cost)
Space Infrastructure(Pick as many as desired):
[]Belt Mass Drivers: Developing the belt further to increase mining production is going to be key to further industrialization of space. The central facility will be built into a massive carbonaceous rock with habitation infrastructure developed for a few thousand miners and the provisions for developing more. Previous generation mining ships will have to use on-site refining but once a new generation of mining ships is constructed they will more than be able to do primary refining on site. (300B Or)
[]Expanded Orbital Shipyards: Developing another two small craft inflatable shipyards for the zero gravity construction of warships in a pressurized environment will be essential for building single units near monolithic hulls. Section building techniques with modules can substitute for the need for yard space but larger systems are going to need to be built under pressure. Further, the improved safety and handling of tools when operating in a pressurized environment cannot be understated as the vacuum is still incredibly hostile to work in. With more small-sized yards this will also provide an increased capacity for section fabrication, allowing the faster construction of larger craft. (200B Or) (Will have 6 slips, 4 small and 2 medium)
[]Orbital Circuit Production: Shifting the dopant step to a low Danan orbit will further improve weight savings on the processing of silicon. Current processes are focused on the production of ultrapure materials but that can be taken a step further. On-site consolidation of the semiconductor supply chain can significantly help with wafer production and the far more controlled conditions helping to reduce failure rates. Minimization of launch payloads is expected to improve returns significantly by providing semi-completed electronics. (400B Or) (Expected return of ~100B Or/5 years)
[]Ultrapure Crystal Growth: Testing out new applications for high-quality crystal production will start with dedicated facilities for the production of small amounts of diamondoids. The specialized materials are going to be in limited supplies no matter the facilities established but some small amounts can easily be used in any number of applications. Improving the protection of warships along with minimizing the weight of radiators are just some of the applications of materials with a significant overlap of thermal properties and mechanical characteristics. (300B Or) (Diamondoid Options)
Groundside Infrastructure(Pick as many as desired):
[]Army Fusion Facility: Committing funding towards large-scale experimentation with fusion is prudent as the civilian government has consistently proven hesitant to fund it. Developing several modernized reactors along with further drive applications will be the priority of the program with a logical end product of a combined fusion drive for spacecraft. The promise of moving away from tritium alone is immense as it would simplify fuel logistics and allow colonies to be built around cleaner fusion reactors, limiting the use of fissiles. (200B Or) (Widens Tech Roll for Fusion, allows Drives to be Rolled)
[]Simulator-Training Systems: Constructing a massive series of planetside training facilities for full simulation crew training will save a considerable amount of funding from on-site training and allow for a significant expansion of the orbital fleet. Current training facilities are sufficient to keep up with the crews on already built ships but if an expansion of the fleet is planned several simulators are going to be needed. Effectively three facilities will be constructed and staffed with full simulation bridges, allowing crews to directly be trained on damage control and several simulated war games. (300B Or) (Improvement to Crew Quality)
[]Army Scholarships: Students going through university are still limited by slots and majors with an excessive focus placed on those going outside the conventional professions. Committing funding to push students who have struggled to test in but barely through university on the condition of a ten-year service period can secure a massive amount of volunteers for comparatively little money. Some will criticize pricing out slots from other students but the army needs trained professionals more than any random civilian enterprise. (200B Or)
[]Advanced Projects Agency: Creating a dedicated developmental command working on the most advanced technologies is essential for orbital weapons and drives. The agencies for development are going to be expensive and will have to attract top talent instead of working with what can be recruited conventionally. Still, dedicated facilities for the development of weapons can provide massive returns and ensure a steady expansion of capability. Taking control of development outside of private companies will also allow for more ambitious speculative projects, improving sophistication. (500B Or, 200B Or Maintainance) (Additional Tech Roll) (Changes Tech Odds)
[]Expand the Intelligence Corps: With the possibility of interstellar travel the question of who to send remains open and hard to answer. Despite the civilian government's insistence that explorers should come in peace, the necessities of the universe have indicated that at least some personnel associated with military intelligence are going to be necessary. Organizing the current military intelligence service into an organized and formal unit capable of responding to new threats and providing pertinent analysis is going to be critical. Even something as simple as ensuring that someone on board has diplomatic training can be a major step in preventing conflicts and improving reports back. (200B Or, 50B Or Maintainance)
[]Dedicated Disaster Response Units: For the propaganda value and improvement in recruiting alone, organizing a few units that are only raised to respond to disasters can significantly help public perceptions. If a larger number of people volunteer for them, then screening can be undertaken to sort them into limited positions, improving overall quality and avoiding getting the rest of the army involved in the response. Further, a few specialized brigades will be cheap relative to everything else and act as a more formal consolidation rather than a true new command structure. (100B Or, 50B Or Maintainance)
Infantry-Equipment Set:
Type 23 Combined Equipment: Working with wartime lessons learned and an anemic budget allocation that was expected to go towards all troops, a rationalized system of infantry equipment was developed. Any concept of semi-powered systems or technical sophistication was abandoned in favor of a more conventional system of a plate carrier and uniform combination with a degree of weather resistance. Chemical and biological protection has been limited to a simple respirator rather than the enclosed wartime suits, providing some resistance in the unlikely event of a chemical attack. The old electronically integrated rifles have been brought under a unified 6.5x52mm round along the lines of an R-45 system with effective mountings for optics. Anti-tank firepower has also been consolidated into a series of high-velocity kinetic systems favoring light systems capable of being fired at volume to overwhelm currently non-existent protection systems.
ATGM:
Type 43(Wartime) Anti-Tank System: A hyper-accelerated kinetic penetrator with a rocket motor built around it to aid in the penetration of heavy armor systems and their defenses. The wartime system represents a machine capable of penetrating all but the front aspect of the heaviest tanks while suffering an acceptable rate of attrition from defensive systems. The combined launcher and reload is a movable thirty-five kilograms, much of it taken up by the missile complex. Further, the penetration of heavy defenses is still inadequate and requires the simultaneous launch of two missiles to guarantee a kill. Spare parts for the system are not available and there are maybe a thousand missiles and a thousand launchers in inventory, with most not existing at the same bases simultaneously.
Wheeled Vehicles:
Light Utility Vehicles: Repurposed vehicles ranging from civilian trucks to modified sedans that have formed several key fire elements. Design standardization has been implemented to the point that several models have a standard set of plating and mounting hardware, but these are effectively pressed into service civilian vehicles. Most mount some variety of medium or heavy machine guns but heavier variants do exist with anti-tank missile systems and recoilless rifles. A light vehicle replacement is considered a priority as the current mass of systems is both unwieldy and impossible to maintain.
Type 14G 6x4: Adapted from effectively a logging truck design from before the war and pushed into production as a dual-use vehicle to call the Type 14 inadequate is a failure in description. Initial models have been built with an all-analog system of controls to save on electronics with a suspension that is generally considered unreliable and the truck itself having negligible protection. Further variations have fixed some of the problems by installing some armor plating around the cab to protect against small arms fire, a roof-mounted machine gun, and all electronic control systems. The truck itself is still deeply inadequate and a death sentence for anything but moving infantry to fights, but it has been the ready replacement for most infantry units' mechanized elements.
APC:
Type 36(Pre-War) APC: An 8x8 mixed drive amphibious 1PC mounting one of the early refined diesel-electric drive systems to distribute power and provide improved throttle response in adverse conditions. Increased electrical power supplies have allowed the fitting of automatic laser blinders on all aspects with smart shot detection enabling automatic response fire by the mounted 24mm cannon. Further improvements in protection provide immunity of the craft from its gun on all but the rear aspect, with an active protection system integrated and containing eight front-focused heavy charges to deter missile attacks. Lighter chargers are further braced in the turret to allow smaller ordinances to also be engaged and deterred at a more reasonable mass cost, providing further improvements in protection. Troop capacity was cut down to only eight men in wartime, but that was judged as acceptable to extend missile capacity to eight launches of Type 43 missiles. Numbers in the current inventory are barely sufficient to equip a single division much less the entire force.
IFV:
Type 38(Pre-War) IFV: Taking design inspirations from the Type 38 tank and directly cloning over its drive system has allowed the standard IFV of the war to maintain a significant rate of advance despite weighing fifty-five tons. The machine is equipped with a primary 57mm cannon with several smart munitions along with significant reinforcement to a lengthened crew section for the complete transportation of an entire infantry section. Frontal composite screens are designed to be adequate against all but the longest rod 152mm munitions with significant resistance to penetration enabled by the engine-power system. Turret integration with the 57mm cannon has twelve heavy and twenty light APS charges along with a hex-emitter laser blinder system. The capacity for seven men exists only due to the automatic missile loader in the turret, limiting the system to firing off staggered shots from dual-missile cassettes in most cases. Less than two hundred functional examples exist due to the sheer age of the system, with most hulls entirely stripped for spare parts.
Tank:
Type 38(Pre War) Tank: The other component of the heavy armored system built around a 1500kW diesel engine combined with an electric drive. The tank is practically built around its central 152mm cannon and autoloader, feeding shells into the system at an acceptable rate with long rod penetrators of up to 1.6 meters capable of being loaded in two parts from hull-based cassettes. APS systems have been pioneered onto the tank with sixteen heavy charges and twelve light charges focused around the frontal aspect to degrade ordinance. Armor protection is not technically sufficient to resist an integrated penetrator from its gun, but that has been judged as sufficient. Automatic gun systems based on the Type 36 APC have been integrated with smart return fire capacity built-in with the 24mm Canon. Despite the existence of only a hundred operational vehicles the chassis has been used for everything from mobile laser anti-aircraft systems to IFVs in greater numbers.
Fixed Wing Aircraft:
None-Operational
Medium Drones:
None-Operational
Light Drones:
Improvised Surveillance Drones: A massive number of diverse quadcopters and basic fixed-wing drones have been produced at a massive number of workshops as systems for surveillance. These have mostly been built with simple radio systems and radio control systems built around applications on civilians and some specialized tablets. Some variants have been modified with basic tandem charge warheads for suicide attacks. The lack of standardization has limited their use of improvised munitions making the commissioning of new systems a high priority.
Naval Combat Ships:
19xType 37 LCS(Pre War): The older generation of lighter littoral combat ships utilizing gas turbines instead of more complex nuclear power plants. Most were built primarily for patrol and anti-piracy duties rather than complex operational requirements in wartime leaving most of them intact in the aftermath. The hulls themselves are equipped with a universal VLS system containing one hundred and twenty tubes rated for anti-shipping missiles along with a series of radar systems and a dual electrochemical canon setup for closer range support duties. Radar integration is considered acceptable even if anti-stealth tracking leaves much to be desired as a platform. Carrying capacities of marines and personnel are the primary purpose of the ship, with the current remaining stocks of the class effectively serving as oversized police cutters.
35xType 33 Frigate(Pre War): The lightest of the classes of ship in service in the thirties modernization program and one destined to act as a low profile low in the water universal combatant specialized in anti-aircraft work. A combined battery of sixty-four cells along with a light electrochemical gun makes up their primary armament. The main purpose of the vessels was the tracking and interception of anti-fleet missile systems while on a cheaper-to-build non-nuclear hull. More complex radar systems were pioneered on the class that would later go on every 30's era ship, allowing an unparalleled simultaneous over-the-horizon intercept capacity against sixteen targets in coordination with further data-linking radars along with data-link enabled lobs followed by terminal boost phase.
Submarines:
None-Operational
Orbital Frigates:
16xRiver-Class(Pre-War Type-35): Closer to a modified police ship than a true naval warship, the River class was originally designed as a vehicle to transport a platoon-sized element of marines between habitats. This was complemented by a limited degree of self-defense capability to police the orbitals along with enabling further orbital work. Drives were built around open cycle gas core reactors supplemented with MPDs for long-range maneuvers, giving each ship a healthy 50 km/s of delta V. With tensions increasing and ever-increasing conflicts with the northern colonial administration the 39 refit radically changed the role of the ships. A series of octagonal twelve-tube missile launches were incorporated into the frame by lengthening the ship along with an 8 MW pulsed laser system with a staggered series of lenses capable of engaging with three at any proper targeting angle. None of those helped in the retreat from lower orbit as guns ravaged the ships, but the few remaining examples have served as venerable shuttles after a total overhaul in 9AE. Reactor cores were replaced with new power ones and the crew section was further compressed to extend their capacities as troop ships, more than capable of supporting the transfer of three hundred men in an LDO-Lunar flight profile.
Orbital Destroyers:
6xDaring Class(Pre-War Type-32): More designed as a pleasure liner for important personnel in orbit along with a defended shuttle for crew transfers outward each Daring's practically the hallmark of a long gone age. Pioneering gas core systems in orbit along with massive travel drives the ships were meant to reach further than ever before in a state of unmatched luxury as tuned MPDs and massive power cores provided them with a usable delta-v of almost 180 km/s. In the 38 refit program, the previously peaceful ships were given a similar missile section to the Type-35 incorporating defensive systems and using the massive power system to mount massive high-temperature 12 MW lasers in a triplex configuration. Each ship can defend itself from anything short of a heavy missile attack, allowing unparalleled operational capacity while maintaining some luxuries. The 12AE refits only compounded on the class with the rationalization of quarters into a hot bunking system incorporating sectioned belonging storage and external mounts for additional crew or cargo. This has enabled a massive five hundred-man capacity along with tons of cargo, though life support resources are strained on such voyages.
Spaceborne Civilian Ships:
Debris Skiffs: The massive series of different classes of light skiffs that patrolled the orbits looking for debris and salvage have no unified class or performance envelope. The most universal factor for them has been the lack of a nuclear drive and a simple long-burning hydrogen engine for propulsion. Most were effectively a printed airlock, a radar, and a series of propellant tanks, capable of assessing larger debris and preparing them for deorbiting work. Lacking any defensive weaponry or nuclear systems a number of these have even been operated by practically civilian concerns from stations, offering tours and overviews. Standardization of small skiffs for moving around the orbital system is still deeply in demand but it remains a niche application now that debris has mostly stopped being a major threat.
8xType-22 Barge: Effectively an oversized gas core reactor attached to tanks of water and a system for mass on-site refining from carbonate asteroids the Type-22 miner is more of a tug than a true mining ship. Operations are conducted through the processing of several rocks until a reserve of water is built up, afterwards the ship approaches a metalloid rock or chunk, and its crew drills into it. Using highly efficient MPDs that are downgraded the ship steadily pushes the rock and itself into a slow intercept maneuver of Dannan, allowing the rock to then be mined in lower orbit. The two-year missions each Type-22 conducts are long and with a poor crew retention rate as the conditions on board are considered poor even compared to more rationalized ships, if only due to the length of missions. Iterations on the miners are already planned, even if they have not yet been implemented.
Automation:
Improved AI Market Models: Beating out a capable Seelie at modeling in the stock market has already been done but current ML models can take behaviors a step further. By optimizing direct data streams and using a model of learned behavior and information analysis, correct market decisions can be made well in advance by the general public and most investment agents. The actual deployment of the technology has been limited to financial firms focused on optimizing the market with significant gains expected for the early adopters. At this point, people have mostly been removed from market activity with high data algorithms trained off interpreting behavior taking precedence.
Ballistics
Economics
Social Sciences
Computing
X-Ray Lithography Techniques: Next-generation lithography was judged as necessary to make the jump to 3nm gate widths, but even that has proven insufficient. New machines with X-ray light have been demonstrated on a laboratory scale, capable of making feature sizes smaller than previously considered possible with a lower number of errors from simplifications in the beam source. Effectively new machinery is now capable of making circuits on a previously thought-to-be impossible scale, eliminating lithographic challenges. The limitations of electron probability distributions are still notable, but they too can eventually be overcome.
Basic Quantum Computing: Further achievements in computing have not come from shortening gate lengths or improving the density of conventional circuits but through the creation of dedicated quantum computing units. These processors can hold almost ten thousand qbits with some capacity for calculation, even if they are not relevant for most tasks that are better suited for conventional computing. Most of the units are useless outside of discrete applications in small data problems and low-level particle modeling, but the application alone is sufficient to drive investment in the field and push for improved models.
Cybernetics/DNI
Elementary Direct Neural Interfacing: Continuing on the developments of wartime that were primarily intended for the queuing of simple commands through an interface, further capabilities of trained signals have been able to accurately be mapped and utilized. Noninvasive up-band interfaces have only gotten better as multidirectional control at a thought has been combined with eye tracking and behavioral interpretation algorithms. In most use cases there is little reason to use a condensed setup compared to a conventional organization system, but the technology itself does hold a significant degree of promise for the control of complex machinery.
Dual-Band NI: Downband neural interfacing has always been considered a massive challenge for control systems and is not practical as a system. Basic sensation feedback can now be delivered with a neural splice avoiding any invasive procedures, and even with a significant learning period basic interfaces can be developed. Further, the technology offers the chance to directly train a single nerve to operate a multi-faceted machine through learning simulations comparable to physical therapy. Some sterile implant programs have started for first adopters with an exclusive up-band-only mounting but the technology once matured can apply to any number of military applications.
Transmission
Terahertz Networking: Taking advantage of previously untapped bands of electromagnetic propagation has defined the last generations of networking but it can be taken a step even further. Consolidating work and increasing transmitter power can only go so far in improving penetration, but for most environments, a simple receiver can be used. Propagation of signals in the range can allow for the transmission of data in gigabytes per second over the air, simplifying significant areas of infrastructure. Signal doublers and lesser bands are still needed for the penetration of obstacles, but the improvements from moving into higher ranges hold immense promise.
Energy Storage
MgLiS Batteries: A new revolution in the development of battery power has come from fundamental work on the development of next-generation battery chemistry. Combining the density of single-use aluminum-air cells with the rechargeability of lithium batteries, new magnesium-sulfur batteries with some lithium additives have been brought to commercial production. Voltage limitations and the need for finer electronics to take advantage of the lower voltage plateau have limited most implementations outside storage use to only 1000Wh/kg, but even that represents a massive improvement over previous chemistries. Current production costs are slightly greater than equivalent lithium ions, but as mass production takes off a cheap rechargeable battery capable of a massive number of cycles can be brought to every electronic device.
Thermal Storage: Paired high-temperature molten storage with a high efficiency high differential thermocouple offers a novel if mostly redundant cheap storage method. The effective price of the system is only dependent on its throughput in the thermocouple with the salts themselves forming a very cheap factor. Efficiency is poor and the actual capacity is mostly superseded by MgS battery compositions, but for several low-cost applications, it can be used. Some new batteries have been designed as a peaker system as massive volumes of salts are heated up to provide energy outside of the productive bands of renewable energy plants as entire lakes of salt are far cheaper than even the cheapest batteries.
Fission
Gas Core Reactors: In terrestrial applications, the maximum efficiency for a nuclear core operating in a conventional cycle has always been constrained by the Carnot equation. Working instead with a gaseous core and a partial system of harvesting using an MHD both thermodynamic efficiency and energy conversion efficiency can be nearly doubled. Electrical conversion efficiencies of nearly seventy percent have been achieved in theoretical test cases bringing orbital reactor core performance to larger-scale ground-side cores.
FTL
FTL Tachyons: Combining a specialized method of particle physics, the interaction of W bosons in a strong magnetic and electrostatic field has managed to reliably produce several tachyons. These particles have managed to do a previously impossible interaction in conventional models of physics and effectively send a signal out instantaneously. Receiver infrastructure has only been built in another lab, but a basic signal was transmitted along with a narrow band data stream through a Morse-like system. Theoretically, larger and more capable systems have already been commissioned, but they are not expected to be smaller than dedicated buildings and will almost certainly be limited in data transmission. (An unscientific carve-out of relativity in the sense of a privileged special frame that is nonetheless for writing what I want to instead of the more speculative science approach I am taking with everything else.)
FTL-Jump Drive(Theoretical): Through the prompt generation of exotic materials something of a temporary cross-dimensional linkage can be generated. Previous experiments with tachyons have significantly expanded the understanding of particle physics allowing for some glimpses into a possible even space where far larger objects can be sent in a theoretically faster-than-light trajectory. Current ideas of particle generation arrays are unstable at best and experience intense interference from gravitons effectively limiting techniques to areas of the system under less than 1e-4 m/s^2 of acceleration with even less preferred. Actual points where a transition can be induced are even fewer with four calculated to exist in the Dannan system but outside of testing with small objects, it is impossible to know if the model is applicable. Targeting is also assumed to be a major challenge with few known solutions outside of directing the field at the point of initiation, necessitating a massive amount of further testing. (More unscientific carve outs from relativity)
Fusion
Gain positive DT: The creation of massive tokamaks was to an extent perfected pre-war with reactors capable of 10GWe designed theoretically and affordable relative to other power sources. Miniaturization is an open and significantly challenging question without an active reactor for technical development, leaving the technology at a theoretical and underfunded dead end. Plasma temperatures generated can theoretically be sufficient for other fuel cycles but due to the increased issues in generating sufficient conditions even larger cores would be required.
Biosciences
Genome Engineering: Taking a second look at the genome outside of the initial clumsy attempts by the old regime has yielded massive and rapid gains as transgenic applications have only grown in extent. Work towards tailoring physiological processes along with the specific location of genes responsible for appearance has effectively allowed an unlimited degree of modification. The forefront of the current breakthrough is a co-opting of internal systems of self-correction, allowing a specialized viral payload to infect large parts of the body along with the systems themselves with any remaining cells fixed to the new genetic package. Modifications ranging from more than tripling muscle mass set points to effective morphological control can be conducted, but most depend significantly on the degree of laws passed around them.
Self Healing Concrete: Targeted genetic engineering work on previous programs has come to the fore with the integration of organisms in conventional concrete pours. These engineered organisms are built to produce calcite to fill any hole left in the concrete from micro-fractures or thermal stress. While the material itself will still steadily get weaker due to the limitations of biological systems, the ability to fix most micro-fractures will massively extend all lifespans. Further, as the integration of organisms is practically a cheap step of end-state processing, it can be done for almost nothing, allowing all modern grades of concrete to have limited self-repair for no real loss in initial durability.
Biological CNT: The elongation of CNT with specialized depositing cells built around organisms that build natural structures in an ordered matter has been accomplished through the creation of new catalytic proteins. Production of the nanotubes can effectively happen in liquid under some gravitational tension from the heavier tubes with few errors made by the biological system. Effectively the only feedstock required for the process is a massive amount of carbon dioxide in the nutrient slush along with clear walls incapable of deposition and good amounts of light. The ability to make nanotubes of arbitrary lengths is a massive gain, but one that remains expensive due to limitations in the width of any reasonable growing array.
Hibernation Systems: Induction of a hibernation adjacent sleep-like state for long-duration orbital journeys has always been desirable but limitations in life support equipment have rendered it problematic. Rather than a total freezing of biological processes a sorta long duration low-calorie use sleep can be induced on a crew for long journeys performed by automated systems. Some degradation and risk are still expected from the process as it is refined but such sleepers can be kept at a minimal life support burden. Retrofits of the system onto ships have been delayed by the lack of automated systems capable of managing complex reactor parameters but several proposals have already been made for dual-setup craft.
Materials Science
High Entropy Alloys(Early): Developmental work on computational models of more complex crystalline structures has produced results practically as soon as sufficient computing power is applied. Breaking away from conventional understandings of bi-component alloys or base metals with mix-ins, the use of a massive number of mixed metals has allowed conventional material science to be revolutionized. Significant gains in basic structural alloys can be conducted in specialized smelting environments at a reasonable cost, even if many of the highest-performance materials capable of entering the realm of super-hard ceramics are limited by supplies of scandium and tantalum. Corresponding breakthroughs in additive manufacturing techniques have only improved performance, producing parts cheaply and with qualities well above conventional material science.
Engineering Plastics: Work in the biological sciences on easy-to-produce materials has rapidly enabled the creation of biological systems capable of making short-chain polymers. Limitations in internal chemistries and the needs of organisms to process feedstock from the atmosphere have made the process inefficient compared to the energy committed, but for low-quality biologically derived plastics, this is a revolution. Incredible cheap plastic can be brought into bulk construction roles as fillers, improving structural design and further lowering costs for low-quality biodegradable material.
Synthetic Diamondoids(low yield): Nothing prevents the production and shaping of a large block of diamondoid materials through innovative semi-conventional production methods along with improvements in deposition techniques. The only remaining question is if the expense of a diamondoid is useful in any good or product as the ultra-hardness can be almost replicated by more conventional and cheaper ultra-hard ceramics. Theoretical requirements involving only carbon are a positive factor but even those do not make the technology viable.
Doctrine
Autonomous Drone Warfare: New theories of automation have not failed to reach the battlefield with concepts around a general increase in semi-automatic and automatic combat platforms favored. ECCM has only improved over time with many asking why it is necessary to risk Seelie lives in warfare when a single soldier can manage a dozen autonomous platforms. Development of doctrinal and technical concepts will involve committed testing of new platforms and new procurement goals limiting what can be done, but several visionary manuals have been written on the topic. (New)
Missiles/Small Craft
Fission Drive Miniaturization: Technical work towards miniaturizing a liquid core fission drive has been possible if consistently problematic. Ensuring that effectively spinning fission fuel can have enough room for operation and adequate separation from the propellant is still a major technical challenge. Theoretical work towards slightly lowering temperatures and increasing mass flow while accepting emissions has been pushed forward but even that is theoretical. Effective launch profiles for rockets less than fifty tons can be made even if current costs make it prohibitive for anything disposable.
Orbital Industry
Early Spaceship ISRU: Procedures for the in-space refinement of metals have rapidly been developed to further exportation and increase yields. Next-generation mining techniques in the form of total asteroid capture followed by pulverization and liquefaction under mild centrifugal forces have yielded significant gains in refinement and on-site processing. The next generation of mining ships is expected to entirely incorporate new methods, effectively breaking off chunks of asteroids before capturing them and refining them internally. Water off-gas can be directly utilized for propulsion and life support while more solid elements are left for further refinement, allowing lighter nuclear drives to easily provide sufficient transit reserve.
Particle Sciences
MPD Improvements: With the start of construction for new ships, previously experimental techniques in the construction of magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters have effectively gone mainstream. Increasing the charge of the surface and allowing for a tentative protective coat in the flow has massively improved thruster durability for longer burns all while supplying more power. The already fairly efficient drives have been further thermally improved with the integration of superconducting materials on all non-contact components, reducing heat burdens and further power to weight.
Bomb Pumped X-ray Lasers: Utilizing the fission fragments of a warhead to pump a laser has historically been attempted to consistent yet mediocre results, but with the integration of better lensing material and a slightly more coherent media far better results have been produced. The lasers are still hard to focus and carry forward a minuscule amount of power even compared to a shaped nuclear charge, but they have a far longer range and exist outside of conventional atmospheric limitations. Fissile material use for each laser-specialized warhead is expected to be heavy due to the negligible impact a second stage has on device design, limiting any approach to use a dirty single stage.
Particle Beam Theories: Nothing prevents the mass scaling of the particle accelerator into a viable orbital weapon system capable of breaking the previous expectations of warship design. Massive linear accelerator designs can be made to accelerate a mass of particles to near relativistic speeds allowing for a massive impulse of radiation to be delivered to any target irregardless of previous armoring attempts. The scattering will effectively limit the ranges and the massive capacitor banks required for the generation of the beam have made the system at its lightest a thousand-ton intensely magnetic tube, but it can be developed to a sufficient point to cram into a warship.
Production Methods
Advanced Additive Manufacturing: The largest gains in additive manufacturing techniques have not come from the methodologies themselves but from the materials fed into them and their integration into general industries. The manufacturing of specific specialty parts and the ability to rapidly prototype has remained from previous generations of manufacturing, what has changed however has been improvements in feedstock and deposition methods. Utilization of mixed powders has been a near-universal factor with finer grinding and materials that maintain hardness with a minimum degree of hardening prioritized. Using mixed powder high entropy alloy parts can be made to a higher standard than possible with other methods, integrating techniques as mainstream manufacturing methods on a previously unheard-of scale.
12-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan(Next turn is the previously voted on one)
[] Plan The Rockeye Confusion
-[]Space Industry Prioritization: (Must Start Mining Ships, Long Burn Space-Ships, and Build Belt Mass Drivers by 40AE) (+900B Or)
-[]Continue Current Policies: (100B Or Equipment Cost) (Increases to 500k in the field) (Makes Army Procurement More Expensive)
-[]Maintain the Current Standard (1.5M Or Cost per Soldier) (1.5 x 500 = 750 Billion Or increase from 600 Billion Or = 150B increase in expenses)
--[] 3000B (Gov) + 150B (Orbit industry) + 50B (Mining) + 160B (Banked) - 750B (Pay) - 750B (Base load) - 100B (Equipment) = 1760B remaining
[]Space Industry Prioritization + 900B = 2660B
Shinies to take:
[]Belt Mass Drivers: (300B Or)
[]Expanded Orbital Shipyards: (200B Or) (Will have 6 slips, 4 small and 2 medium)
[]Orbital Circuit Production: (400B Or) (Expected return of ~100B Or/5 years)
[]Dedicated Disaster Response Units: (100B Or, 50B Or Maintainance)
=1610B remaining
Expected procurements we will definitely have to take: (Assuming ~50% overrun on everything given our luck so far, also 'army procurement more expensive')
-[]Second Generation Infantry Equipment (10B Or Expected) (assuming this is 50 instead)
-[]Second Generation Mining Ships: (250B Or Expected across several funding phases)
-[]Long Burn Space-Ships: (???B Or Expected across several funding phases) (Assuming 500B)
=900B spent, 710B remain
Nice to haves Tier 1 for Rockeye:
-[]Anti-Orbital SSBN: 300B
-[]FTL Test Bed: (???B Or Expected across several funding phases) (Assume 500B)
Plus we might have to do Trucks again at another ~150B.
=950B cost pessimistically, -390B remain, LOL, so maybe drop the FTL test bed and leaving 110B unaccounted...
Other cheap projects we can spend down so we're not wasting budget if my assumptions are too pessimistic:
[]Standardization of Orbital Troops: (20B Or Expected)
[]Light Vehicles: (50B Or Expected)
[]Space Capable Buggies: (50B Or Expected)
[]Surveillance Drones: (40B Or Expected)
[]Loitering Munitions: (40B Or Expected)
Overall focus is a hehe budget go brrrr plan, with a lot of further developments delayed. On the one hand, I want to get the FTL test out ASAP. On the other hand, I don't want to do serious FTL exploring while we still have 'Early Space Age' tier space warships (in Stellaris terms). Blackstar noted (if I did not misunderstand) that developing the FTL test bed and the new space fleet combatants at the same time would save some money. So the idea is to do FTL testbed and one or both space combatants next cycle, which means anti-orbital SSBN (as I want to give the Navy SOMEthing) and maybe some relatively inexpensive Army projects in addition to the space stuff and finishing out the cargo plane.
I think we'll need to be very deliberate in what we pick here. God, it sucks real bad that the mining ships first roll flopped lmao. And that long burn ships are a big fat ???.
[]Plan Legal Scramble
-[]UNISA 93+10=103
-[]Listen to Lunos 87+10=97
-[]Insist on Full Delivery 26+10=36
-[]Two-Engine Light Transport 25+10=35
-[]Second Generation Mining Ships 7+10=17
-[]Lobby Politicians 32+10=42
-[]Organize Legal Teams 73+10=83
Results from the actions we picked, big oof on the mining ships. We are probably getting beeg lawsuit from the truck bid, so its nice we got a good roll on lawyering up lol. Lobbying politicians went meh, could have gone a lot worse, I guess that's why the update notes the Greens as a bit disinterested in giving us money. Our aircraft program is not doing so hot, but at least we picked the cheapest and least demanding bid. Thankfully our ATGM and IFV's are doing great. The Army is gonna be pleased.
