Our industry is highly automated and doesn't actually need a whole lot of workers, so we can simultaneously have vast industrial output and vast unemployment. The things that people actually still do in non-industrial sectors are all rationed into nothingness because of total mobilization, and Partial Demobilization isn't even about job creation so much as things like "ok maybe the civilians can have a little electricity and some computer chips again" rather than trying to create busywork jobs for people to do. That's the work programs' objective instead.
- Location
- Midwest
It was 15% during the korean war and only dropped to 9.7% by 1968.
- Location
- UTC+0
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They
@Blackstar would like to apply my omake to heavy drones, thanks!
War for Dannan Turn 12, Month 9 45 AE
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
War for Dannan Turn 12, Month 9 45 AE
Government Support: UnlimitedBudget: 295 Total Mobilizational Capacity; 175 Available
-30 for 2 Months Superconductor Plants
-10 for 9 Months Nuclear Production
-25 for 4 Months Redundant Harbor Systems
-15 for 4 Months Homefront Logistical Stabilization
-20 for 3 Months Prepare Drone Production
-20 for 5 Months Continued Work Programs
Engagement Practices with Alien Armor
TPP by Major Ailis Meidhir
Contact made with alien armored companies as a battalion strength unit has involved several compromises on speed and capability as even the Mourvan is still fighting at a disadvantage compared to all forms of Sallie armor. Initial attacks at the main route of breakthrough were opposed only by the lighter CAT units, diverting some of the blow but unsuccessfully and with poor performance relative to other more advanced units. On the axis of breakthrough, the enemy prefers to mass its armor up to battalion-sized formations, using them as cudgels against any element of the line that is still resisting. In a conventional engagement, this concentration could be punished by more dispersed assets but in this war, the only thing capable of effectively stopping significant concentrations of enemy armor is friendly armor.
In a defensive engagement, the priority is to determine the axis of the thrust as conducted by the Alien Enemy. Their tactics are a simplistic means of concentration and driving when they must move quickly and a bounding overwatch of armor if moving slowly. For the former scenario once the primary axis is identified, it is not challenging to shift the operation to one of containment as their commanders have if anything been convinced of relative invulnerability. If close contact can be forced, induced, or enabled then the Alien Enemies advantage in technology can be neutralized. Other battalions have achieved significant victories in close contact, allowing weaker guns to work at shorter ranges, and taking advantage of current trends in digital control. If the latter style of attack is conducted, terrain remains the greatest advantage, as if either element can be separated two companies can be committed without hesitation, breaking up the attack.
True meeting engagements are uncertain due to the number of factors at play and the preference for the Alien Enemy towards maintaining greater armored concentrations than would be conventional. These concentrations will stay in a tight formation comparatively close to the front, moving in column on the attack instead of more conventional wisdom, relying on the comparative invulnerability of forward elements. Attacks conducted on the march disperse into pairs, as all armor on their end always operates in pairs at the lowest tactical level. Any pair can be destroyed through the commitment of a company-sized element, neutralizing the asset. If detection equipment can make the frontal spot after the Alien Enemy achieves dispersal and if the terrain allows for it, a defensive operation via the neutralization of overwatching assets can take away the ability for armor to maneuver.
On the offensive, the presence of Alien Armor can to an extent be dealt with in a better way than under any other condition. Low-commitment actions by mechanized units can start with the pinpointing of alien armor assets as the initial dispersed phase of the defense can be used to achieve significant frontal attrition. If an engagement of a single platoon with a company-sized force can be shaped, it should be taken immediately with a general expectation of rapid response from area forces. The partial and dispersed defense allows armor to defeat limited positions in poor terrain where the Type 45 can sneak into close range, allowing for shots directed at weak spots. In a long-range gun duel, the current tank is generally insufficient, necessitating the closing of range to achieve any accuracy on target.
More general recommendations are to respect the long-range potential of Alien Armor, their weaponry is effectively perfectly accurate and capable of achieving impacts at otherwise impossible ranges. Worse spotting in a general sense is not worse target acquisition in a frontal sense and the Alien Armor is more than capable of acquiring targets at more than five kilometers if terrain allows for it. Their acquisition speed is slower and engagements as formations are less coordinated but this in no way implies a lack of capability to do so if in a set piece engagement. The enemy is also more than capable of countering any large-scale attack and they should be avoided unless either desperate or in a core strategic sector that must hold.
All of these are significant and concrete disadvantages of the Type 45 and CAT but while taking those into account the advantages of the platform cannot be ignored. Better spotting and coordination are almost universally enjoyed by units with either system and new ones are supposedly better still. Target recognition and engagement up to the company level can be done in sections instead of independently, allowing for the balance of firepower to be immediately shifted into a local advantage. Technological supremacy is not everything and the LGG does work against Sallie armor, aiming for the turret ring with the automatic system is not reliable, but configuring the gun to know good velocities is a way of working around the limitations. The short engagements are where domestic armor is the strongest and the Sallies are the weakest.
Disrupted terrain can make significant strong points on the defense along with any terrain with short sight lines. Any opportunity to draw Sallie armor into close-range engagements must be pursued at all costs to destroy the concentration of their spearheads. If contact can be made first with infantry and tanks kept tactically camouflaged then more aggressive enemy commanders can close to an excessive degree, blundering away their advantages. Long-range engagements can be taken but are to the disadvantage of local units unless they are short engagements. Firing two shots and relocating to another position minimizes return fire from the rest of the unit, with the second shot of the spotting tank accompanied by any other tank that has reached an adequate fire position.
Company Attack On The Western Front (Credit to @Adronio)
AAR by Major Ardion Colla
With the false start of Plan Orange and the successes of Plan Coral, both a product of the immense rains and mud the last couple of months, A Company had time to absorb replacements, as well as replace the Type 36 with the Type 45. In addition, the bulky grenade launchers were replaced by the new 12mm battle rifles. This increase in capabilities was warmly welcomed despite the temperamental nature of the Type 45s, as A Company was chosen to be the vanguard of the 341st Brigade's offensive. By the time A Company was ready to start its attack, 3 IFVs and 2 Tanks had fallen out due to various mechanical issues, crew and infantry staying behind as riding descent was judged to not be possible given the high top speeds of the Type 45s. That left the Company Team at 10 IFVs and 2 Tanks total, as well as the accompanying dismounts.
The attack intended to secure a river crossing for the brigade, screen said brigade in the process, as well as to preserve the company for follow-up operations. A combat reconnaissance patrol managed to reveal two enemy platoon positions, one forward and one backward, as well as an IFV section on the backward platoon position, both in front of the river that the brigade intended to cross. I decided that the best course of action was to launch a hasty attack upon the enemy IFVs, bypassing the forward enemy position entirely. To support this attack an artillery strike was called in on the enemy positions, one battery tasked with hitting the forward position with cluster, and two batteries tasked with hitting the backward position with cluster and smoke.
This barrage was severely degraded by enemy SPLAA, with only a couple of smoke shells and some clusters making it through with limited effect. Despite this, the company moved forward at all speed, formed up in platoon columns with the tank section holding up the rear of the formation. The company spotted the enemy IFVs almost immediately, and a short, sharp firefight broke out, with the IFVs and Tanks firing ATGMs and darts respectively while keeping on the move and in columns. Enemy return fire was accurate but ineffective, and the two IFVs were rapidly destroyed with the characteristic large, blue flare-up following the cook-off of metallic hydrogen. The advance continued without any further incident for about 2km, as the company advanced through a depression.
This changed as we reached the position of the destroyed IFVs. Upon crossing the ridge, one of the IFVs was shot through by a pulse laser from an unspotted enemy tank positioned on a hill on the other side of the river but remained functional. A platoon of enemy infantry was caught out in the open, attempting to move into its forward position, a mere 100m from the company. The company deployed into line, popped smoke, and pushed forward through the smokescreen using the AR system to shoot at the retreating enemy infantry through the smoke. Meanwhile, the tanks made the spot on one of the enemy tanks on the far hill and started maneuvering to engage using berm drills and smoke to stay under as much cover and concealment.
With the majority of the enemy infantry platoon retreating into their secondary trench system in disarray, the decision was to dismount our infantry on top of the enemy trenches and push the AFVs forward into defilade positions, covered by the enemy tank section. This worked well, with a mix of smoke dischargers as well as smoke shells from our tanks targeting the enemy tanks keeping the company safe during this maneuver. The infantry meanwhile cleared out the enemy trenches without much problem, taking 1 fatality and 4 wounded in the process in return for the destruction of the rest of the enemy platoon, as well as successfully capturing the platoon leader.
It was at this point that an enemy IFV section was spotted moving at all haste towards our position, presumably acting as a QRF force. Our tanks and IFVs engaged, destroying both the enemy IFVs in short order. Our tank section then continued to engage the enemy tank section, losing one IFV destroyed but successfully managed to destroy one of the enemy tanks despite engaging from the frontal aspect, causing it to detonate in a massive explosion.
However, it was now that we spotted an enemy-heavy company team, consisting of 9 tanks and 4 IFVs, which was advancing rapidly towards our position from the other side of the river. After being ordered to hold to relieve, I ordered the IFVs and tanks to engage the enemy company team and the infantry to prepare to receive an armored attack as well as calling in an artillery strike including 2 nuclear shells. Both nuclear shells were intercepted, and the handful of cluster shells that broke through did not affect the enemy. IFVs shooting the ATGMs in NLOS mode as well as the tanks doing berm drills managed to destroy all 4 of the enemy IFVs, although the remaining overwatching enemy tank managed to hit one of our tanks, shooting through it with no significant damage inflicted. Negligible damage was inflicted on the enemy tank company, however after the engagement a rod from one of the ATGMs was found stuck in the turret ring of one of the enemy tanks, causing a firepower kill.
As the enemy closed rapidly, and support from the rest of the battalion was still minutes away, I decided to pull the IFVs and tanks out from their overextended position, and instead position them behind the infantry. Taking advantage of the enemy crossing the river, the whole company team reversed in line, engaging the last remaining overwatching tank in the process, and achieving another kill. At the same time, I called in a dangerous close nuclear barrage on the enemy tanks crossing the river. This time both the nuclear shells managed to break through the enemy SPLAA, detonating over the underwater tank company and inflicting 4 wounded on our dismounts, despite the trenches they were occupying. The enemy tanks were spotted at the bottom of the river, but their turrets were still tracking targets, indicating the existence of an auto-tracking system.
The decision was made to send out an infantry patrol to check on the stationary tanks, and a small four-soldier team was sent forward. They arrived unharmed, diving into the river and starting to inspect the tanks, spotting bubbles from them, indicating seal failures. At that point, 7 of the 9 tanks became mobile once more, moving laterally away from us, following the riverbed. The engagement ended at this point. The 2 last tanks remained immobile, one of them being the tank with the rod stuck in the turret ring. Post-battle recovery showed that the crew had suffocated to death. In total, A Company lost 4 dead and 8 wounded, as well as 1 destroyed IFV. The enemy lost an estimated 67 dead, as well as 1 captured. 31 of the dead were from the enemy infantry platoon, and an estimated 36 dead crewmen from the 8 destroyed IFVs and 2 destroyed and 2 recovered tanks.
Broader Strategic Picture:
Initial alien operations were conducted with a large-scale attack towards Athluas with a significant penetration achieved against the 74th armored. The unit was all but destroyed in the attack with the manpower pulled back towards Athluas to be reformed along with reinforcements and new Type 45 tanks. The drive towards the city was arguably a secondary theater, as the movement of remaining tank destroyer units to the area managed to stall the advance of alien armor. A low presence of armor has been found and partially defeated through the use of armored companies as response forces to attacks in pairs, neutralizing armor presence through favorable engagements.
The converse has been determined in the presence of IFV attacks as previously nearly unstoppable enemy armor has been stopped and destroyed time and time again. The Alien Enemy has been proven to be mortal with their infantry components blunted, leaving the armor to engage slowly and from long range to avoid casualties and the commitment of infantry. On the offensive, the Alien Enemy has been able to concentrate their armor but with defensive operations, their advantages in concentration disappear. Simultaneous engagements strongly favor current armored units with sufficient concentrations to reverse positions and secure favorable engagements. The 8th and 42nd CAA have managed to stall the attack further, degrading the offensive potential enough that the vector was blunted off.
Main operations by the Alien Enemy were concentrated on separating the two positions on the island, sprinting for essential logistical infrastructure south of Athlaus. Operations were caught partially ahead of time as battalion-scale armored attacks began in the morning of the sixth day of the month as much of the ground dried. The 3rd, 5th, and 65th CAA were able to maneuver into the main vector of the attack, delaying it through a commitment to layered defensive positions that forced the slow cut-in of defensive lines instead of a direct attack.
The four-day desperate defensive operations came at a significant cost of men and material but managed to slow the attack sufficiently for its flanks to be pressured by the sprinting 38th and 58th armored. Commitments to the spearhead were insufficient to fully stop it in the immediate aftermath of penetration but it was still slowed with the advance conducted on a narrow axis due to the committed pressure by CAA units on the flank. The threat to the theater was recognized with the 32nd and 56th armored cores transferred to follow-on operations from Plan White to stop the major operational threat. Widening the beachhead still proceeded, if at a slower rate than the Alien Enemy expected as forces were steadily re-allocated, allowing the 38th and 58th corps to get into position to close the breach and destroy the armored assets.
Initial attacks conducted by the 38th and 58th core as a means to narrow the breach in the front met with immediate success as the lighter units on the flank were destroyed and over-run in the process. The response to the attack was practically immediate as the advance itself stopped to consolidate positions on the axis of breakthrough with at least two armored brigades shifting back toward the vector of attack. Meeting engagements at the brigade scale did not go to plan with the Type 45 showing itself well, if still inadequate to stop attacks. Large-scale engagements of armor against the Alien Enemy have shown that when meeting armor concentrated on the battalion scale combat is problematic no matter the relative concentration of force. Combat through the following two weeks was conducted at long ranges had the units driven back to positions away from the breakthrough, returning them to their original posts but at a massive cost in armor.
Reorganized units in the form of the 32nd and 56th armored cores have taken up the positions in the South of the breakthrough to avoid the division of the front. Initial estimates for the engagements in the region have seen the loss of approximately 1500 tanks for the destruction of approximately sixty to eighty tanks of the Alien Enemy. The most important reversal has come in the destruction of a significant number of the accompanying IFVs and infantry, degrading the capacity for offensive action. The presence of significant amounts of armor still precludes any significant offensive operations due to the nearly insurmountable influence of Alien tanks. Current recommendations involve a focus on the IFV element, destroying it to allow for the reliable use of nuclear anti-tank munitions.
Implementation of Plan White in the form of dedicated attacks on the alien positions has gone more successfully than any previous offensive action. Initial attacks by the 8th, 16th, and 29th guards armored corps were met with stiff resistance that was still overcome in time with deeper penetration achieved by elements of the 8th and 29th. Follow-on offensives into the Alien depth have been continued with the 7th and 50th CAA rapidly widening the breach and destroying much of the alien rear as there has been little containment for the attack. Meeting engagements by the armored corps with the Alien Enemies mechanized brigade were bloody but successful with the IFVs and Armored assets effectively worn down and partially destroyed even if the unit itself could not be annihilated.
Operations slowed for the majority of the battles, preventing the sector from collapsing due to the thin lines of the Alien Enemy. Penetration into their rear has achieved several objectives with two discrete FOBs captured on the attack, securing production facilities and several other objects during the operation. The capture has brought several manuals into our control along with several means of producing the metallic hydrogen fuel that was originally dropped off. The units themselves were caught on the ground due to the speed of the attack and the likely aggressive maneuvers of the formations involved. Doing anything with the captured fusor or production mechanism remains a massive technical challenge with the unit expected to be hauled home across the next month.
Communication interceptions have continued as normal with a few novel factors picked up. Personnel transfer from the moon has continued with two additional militia divisions dropped on Duillech in safe positions with corporate only told about the maneuver last minute, not allowing the adequate positioning of nuclear submarines to make the intercept. By the end of the month, the corporate leadership greatly increased the frequency of transmission in response to an alarming call from what is believed to be one of their contacts. Due to the investigator visiting and using codes similar to CDL ones, there is a belief that their government has compromised their communications, leading to a new code packet being sent out over the radio and immediately intercepted.
Modernized Equipment Systems:
Wartime modernization of equipment has continued with the demands placed on the industry along with the significant technical aspects of several systems that are suboptimal or redundant. Ongoing projects towards the SPAA system have practically been entirely reformatted to improve performance using a new unified standard superconducting energy system and feed systems. Further improvements to both the Type 45 Tank and IFV have proceeded from frontline reports, creating a second-generation package to improve standards along with reliability. Variations on the Type 41 have also been created to incorporate the heavy ATGM systems, allowing the vehicle to serve as an improvised anti-tank system if one struggles to deal with armor.
Movement to the new 12mm CT GPMG has started on new production hulls to provide ammo commonality with RWS systems and coax weapons replaced with an enhanced cooling variation on all new production vehicles. The old production 15mm guns are likely to remain in service until the end of the war but new weapons should provide ammunition commonality to squads along with reliable backups in case of significant attack by enemy infantry. Improvements in networked optics have been minor compared to everything else, but as the electronic industry has been able to supply systems, improved battlefield awareness has become standard for the next generation of IFVs with relative maps to improve command performance in local zones. Emissions by troops have increased due to it but the enemy only seems to have a crude application of ECM with a lack of indirect fires that would otherwise punish such approaches.
Increasing signal bandwidth and to an extent using more emissive high bandwidth radio systems on newer units has come as standard even if it is likely to be replaced by the end of the war. The high visibility battlefield has steadily shifted the advantage towards engaging first and coordinated engagements over the disguise of relative positions once already engaged, as a combination of interlinked and AI analysis systems have started to come into their own. Infantry equipment has more primitive processors and to an extent has to network of the larger systems onboard new generation vehicles, but a clear view of the battlefield along with sensor fusion down to the rifleman is possible on all units. Efforts to increase the production of specific electronics and updates for software have only started to trickle into the field now as pre-war assumptions of alien fires have limited the capacity of digital systems out of concern for emission.
Total networking of everything with everything else is impossible due to limitations in electronics and bandwidth but using the infantry to provide a frontal battlefield picture along with image analysis has been achieved. New sets have brought significant computing infrastructure onto the Type 45B, with the variants designated for improved analysis systems using otherwise under-utilized space in the troop compartment. This has made the machines moderately less comfortable for the infantry, but the systems onboard can ensure that each squad can maintain a high-band video connection along with onboard spotting and analysis assistance. Drone coordination systems have come as an afterthought, allowing swarms to offload some targeting and acquisition systems to vehicles at high bandwidth, providing an accurate battlefield picture in three dimensions while pressing on attacks.
Type 45B Combined Equipment Set: Continuing the general modernizations made in the Type 45 equipment set and incorporating lessons learned from previous combat, improved networking capabilities have come on the infantry level. Standardized 360-degree visuals with triple redundancy across the 120-degree arc along with 180-degree thermal capacity have been pushed as standard with improvements in detection systems enabled by onboarding them to an accompanying 45B or 36D. Standard rifles have been consolidated onto the 12mm platform with newer units incorporating the capacity for automatic fire, to be used in heavy urban engagements only. Each squad has been improved with the inclusion of a designated bipod carrying an automatic rifle, allowing the suppressive fire to once again become a major factor. Armor for the infantry has been improved with major joints reinforced and tourniquet straps built over the anti-fragmentation and chemical armor to allow for rapid triage of casualties.
Type 45B "Morvran" Tank: Bringing the complaints of frontline units to the fore, several modifications have been made to the Morvran, reducing reliability issues and improving accuracy. The tank has gained a further two tons of weight with the systems integrated onboard, but this has come with radical improvements to the drive train and several new electronic systems. The front drive has been extensively reinforced to deal with hostile terrain while the tracks have been expanded to provide a better ground pressure profile for the vehicle. Improvements to the 152mm L75 LGG have come in the form of a barrel velocity sensor and dedicated dehumidifiers and desiccants to keep the gas system dry. The sensor allows the next shot to be based on the velocity of the previous one with re-calculation done on the fly, allowing for improved accuracy out to four kilometers, if still worse accuracy than conventional systems. Optic modernization has involved the increase of magnification of the primary block sight, and passive range finding using a coincidence system with a laser backup. Backup gunner optics and a rudimentary analyzed automatic-rotating optic for infantry detection have been made standard, improving spotting ability.
Type 45B "Nuadu" IFV: To address the significant issues present in the Nuadu several internal relocations along with rationalizations have been prioritized. The turret ammunition storage has been placed lower in a linear rack to reduce the frontal area to laser engagements. Further work towards improving the vehicle has entirely focused on the improvement of its power and mobility systems, with the same expanded tracks and hardened frontal drive wheels carried over from the tank program. Rear passenger compartments have been integrated with several analytical computers and supporting software with some ECCM systems incorporated onto command vehicles. Spotting systems have been augmented with the primary rangefinding optic replaced with a passive coincidence system, using the laser as a backup. Gunner optics are the same 120-degree wide view block but with a mounted three-dimensional map-tablet synchronized to the ATGM for enhanced NLOS shots. Automatic view systems with a simple rotating thermal imager have come as standard along with the analytic software to use it as a spotting and engagement system for the 12mm RWS.
Type 45B "Duban" SPLAAG: The forty original production models of the Duban have been rendered obsolete before production can be raised to any significant numbers. New superconducting energy cells and rail-gun guides have massively improved the performance of the platform while the chassis has effectively been redesigned to be built around two 3MW generation systems with motors borrowed from Milta armored platforms and a common drive system. Limited numbers of superconductors have been used to form a massive fifteen-ton energy cell under the main turret, providing battery power to onboard systems along with onboard weapon systems. Constant power use by the massive chillers to keep the system drowned in ethane has proven necessary to maintain superconductivity in and around the ten-ton CNT contained SMES. This all serves to power the newest designed weapon system, supplying one and a half TW to the main weapon system for one millisecond bursts to fire a six-kilogram armature at twelve kilometers a second. Secondary weapon systems are four pulse lasers, capable of achieving 50MJ pulse trains with 40cm lenses, sufficient to penetrate if not kill current VTOL systems.
Type 41 AT: Conversions of the basic Type 41 chassis to an anti-tank missile carrier have been conducted as a field practical way of improving the firepower of reconnaissance units. This has been officially picked up by all manufacturers, with a dedicated variant removing much of the rear to fit two pre-loaded ATGM tubes, a loader, and a gunner with the driver left alone in the front of the vehicle. The limited ammunition supply, poor balance of weight, and technically exposed crew have not left it as a popular option, but as one of the only light anti-tank assets available, it is still necessary. Issuances of them to light motorized units will continue through the war, providing on-point anti-tank firepower without the involvement of heavier assets.
Type 36D APC: Further improvements to the general platform have come with the integration of electronic systems to enhance troop support capacity and improve the durability of the APC to enemy fire. Consolidation of the missile armament to the floor of the vehicle with computing power mounted into the newly freed eight-seat has allowed for vulnerability areas to be narrowed. In case of penetration by heavy fire, only the lower part of the vehicle remains vulnerable with any difficulty in reloading considered acceptable to reduce explosion risk. Onboard electronic systems have included a proper 12mm RWS on the turret to provide fire support independent of the 30mm. Further, automatic spotting systems have been moved over from heavier systems, providing each APC with the ability to automatically track and engage infantry targets. Battlefield sensor fusion will require new infantry armor and the next generation of equipment to get to wide issue, but that is likely to arrive in a relatively short time frame.
Type 36DT: Modernization programs for the CAT have proceeded along the same guidelines as previous designs with a focus on improving the reliability and accuracy of the 152mm L75 LGG. The gun itself has been given a velocity sensor along with a new targeting system, allowing velocity and trajectory to be independently calculated to improve the precision of fire. Gas systems themselves have received dehumidification and desiccant to keep moisture in the compartment manageable and avoid the buildup of condensation on the pressurized tanks. The largest improvements have if anything come in the form of visibility systems as the last generation of armored combat systems have started to be mounted on otherwise secondary tank destroyer systems. Full battlefield visibility along with an improved constant sweep continuous analysis system have been mounted as standard. A 12mm RWS has also been added to provide some defense against close-in infantry, to augment direct fire capability, and reduced pressure firing modes for smoke and explosive shells are integrated, bringing them back for specialized tactical use.
Operations of the Investigator:
SAS Investigator, Captain's Log, Stardate 450712: Castoff from Kiriuq has been something of a celebration with the Lirrir Unity station serving as the berth and loading yard for the boat. She took on several otherwise luxurious provisions with her tanks filled with hydrogen and an additional load of nuclear fuel for the journey ahead. Local government officials who were launched into space had a ceremony for casting off, giving the crew medals for their service, and preparing matters for the expedition. A new flight of VLS cell reloads was sent up along with several hundred tons of processed lanthanides for use in trade.
SAS Investigator, Captain's Log, Stardate 450834: Travel out of the system was its normal slog, moving to the jump point was a slow and ponderous affair as the drives needed an overhaul before the war, much less in the current circumstances. Fuel reserves and the efficiency of propulsion held with only mild reactor noise remain as a small technical issue on the way out of the system. The crew has also taken to having a small celebration onboard, breaking out some of the gifted drinks provided by the owls to celebrate, with few having a particular taste for fermented grains. Initial jump plans have a route containing six jumps to a station on the border of the Xolotlan Sovereignty, docking there and cornering four corporate contacts. With the drive charging, all procedures have been followed and the Investigator is expected to make good time.
SAS Investigator, Captain's Log, Stardate 450923: Jump termination syndrome has been kept at a manageable level through the prescribed use of sedatives with only one hard jump forcing a full reactor scram. Continued routes into space have not seen any number of contacts, though what is believed to be a settled uncivilized world has been discovered. There are images of developed structures visible from space but negligible indicators of industrialization. The GJ 1119 system has been marked for its presence, but little information has been gathered due to the importance of the mission. Continued exploration towards 11 Leonis Minoris has been the priority, with the next and second to last jump expected to move into yet another uninhabited dead system without significant life-bearing planets.
SAS Investigator, Captain's Log, Stardate 450937: Trade negotiations with the station proceed in an altogether unexpected way, upon entry into the system a significant weight of merchant traffic was noticed at the jump point with a nearby station set up to receive visitors. Hails were answered in Sallie dialects to ensure the operation remained stealthy, posing as a transport ship from an entirely fictitious company name, but one that could be believed. The station itself on the frontier was something of a hub for illicit activities, but the promise of sorting out the docking fee as recommended from CLP training videos was sufficient to organize a soft dock. With images of the adapter, a simplified inflatable coupling receiver had to be printed using the onboard printers and feedstock, but a hard dock with the station was still achieved after pontificating for the seven hours it took for the crew to print and engineer an adapter.
SAS Investigator, Captain's Log, Stardate 450938: Keeping the crew partially armored up without visible weapons was appropriate to the style of the station and recommended in CLP documents on how to approach such matters. The harbor master received a gift of a fermented drink along with a small case of fifty kilograms of purified neodymium as an opening bribe for allowing the docking. A diplomatic team was able to secure a basic communicator in exchange for some currency secured from the sale of metal, using it to contact all four corporate contacts to arrange for exchanges of information, technology, and equipment. Payments in Lanthanides have been standard for the operation of the station with few of the contacts batting an eye with the organization of handovers and dead drops for the docking bay. Initial meetings were organized with an AI-generated Sallie once a camera splice was achieved on the second laptop evaluated, ensuring that no new suspicions were raised.
Four tons of gadolinium was traded for a complete computerized station database of what could be pulled in short order. Another received a contract for two dozen laser rifles and some light personal equipment to be organized as a deaddrop to avoid increasing any suspicion. The initial trade was done in a dead drop with the contact being willing to "lose" the weapons in a hanger in exchange for similarly lost material. Pickups of the database were achieved without issue, communicating the code phrase with the diplomatic team making it a point to be armed with the previously acquired weapons to avoid any notice as out of place. Further purchases proceed through the last two uncontacted agents, tasking them with as much of the scientific database as could be gathered, specifying it as a targeted push to secure all scientific projects in a semi-open network of the two in-system universities.
SAS Investigator, Captain's Log, Stardate 450939: Before the welcome could be worn out, teams were sent out with closed visors, going to many of the stores on the main deck to pick up electronic items and anything targeted for easy acquisition. Corporate contacts managed to achieve their tasks with respectable efficiency, ordering the download and dropping of six server racks with a verification of the content made. A few of the younger members of the meeting team asked a few questions but were gruffly dismissed by the head diplomat acting as an acquisitions officer. After the exchange, the remainder of the limited lanthanides onboard were traded for currency. Through this anyone with any ability to judge technical acquisitions was provided a nearly unlimited budget for the purchase of trinkets, expensive consumer electronics, and significant numbers of bootleg software copies. Little of immediate importance was attained, with the Investigator remaining unaccosted as she undocked and made her way back to the jump point, ignoring the CLP guidelines on adequate crew leave to disrupt any coherent impression.
Current Programs for Mobilization:
Expand Mainline Yards: The large naval yards currently building and modifying ships by their hundreds need further expansion and funding to keep up with the intensifying demand for the movement of metal and war material. Immediate programs will focus on already existing yards, adding several slipways for conventional naval production along with expanding them to produce more vessels in general. The war has demanded far more of the merchant marine, especially with the growth of heavy industries above any original expectation. These expansions will be slow to start, but supplies of mainline transport ships might be stabilized by the end of next year. (101) (Artificial Crit)
Development of the massive yards necessary to supply the merchant marine and growing industrial capacity have started being constructed at several industrial locations. Cheap stamping and section building have predominated the industry with mild improvements made to enhance durability and implement previously made standards in full. Modular diesel engines have become the standard for all new ships built to allow for their fast replacement in case of laser damage. Reinforcement and significant positive flooding-proof flotation have come as standard with only moderate costs in crew comfort compensated for by the use of pods instead of cabin space. Production of new hulls is expected to expand in rapid order with over forty laid down in the next two months and made available by the summer of next year. Military yards have been secondary but some for the production of Kelpies have been made available, increasing the next batch to thirty-two new hulls.
Attritional Drones: The fundamental dominance of SPLAA is a consistent problem for every form of attack but it can partially be worked around. As there are no satellite communications and a general state of moderate jamming, this leaves few comfortable options for the utilization of hunter-killer drones. Current proposals from Milta, General Aerospace, and Lunos are an entirely autonomous self-contained system. Produced by the millions and capable of independently locating and intercepting infantry in a set region, it will ensure an adequate suppressive effect. Direct contact with a light cumulative charge will be challenging, reducing casualty-causing effect but the less the Alien Enemy can rest the greater the effect of all other forces. (78)
The simplest to design drone has been conversely one built around a cheap printed jet engine as it serves to minimize radar returns from the ground while improving flight speed. This has brought the design to a simple sept unitary wing body with a frontal targeting and acquisition system to allow for generalized sweeping of terrain. Primary employment of the system is to be conducted in swarms of at least forty if utilizing automated strike regimes and single units if directly piloted in for all aspects but final attack runs. The range of the system in a directly controlled mode is limited due to the lack of satellites, but more than adequate in autonomous strike profiles. Mass frontline employment will take a few more months of development and production but will allow for the steady attrition of enemy infantry.
Type 45 Strike Drone: Designed around a small entirely printed duration HEA-Y turbine and an airframe that is sheet plastic placed on a basic HEA frame the Type 45 is an entirely disposable mass production capable system. It can deliver a 3kg explosive charge to a range of eighty kilometers in a compact platform capable of independently finding targets. Independent launch from a ramp can be achieved through the use of a minimal mechanical booster or the use of a field for takeoff. During operational deployment the drones will form basic swarms of up to a few thousand units, focusing on low-altitude penetration to a designated area of operations before commencing independent hunting operations. Attacks by the system will be conducted continuously with a focus on ensuring that similar heat signatures are not oversaturated to improve field efficiency.
Heavy Drone Systems: Dealing with enemy armor with a large cumulative warhead has been dismissed after prolonged testing against dense carbon weave but that does not mean there isn't an ordinance capable of achieving effective kills. The use of large ClF3 charges on heavier turbine-powered drones used in large thermal tracking swarms can impede vehicle traversal and due to the few styles of barak and portable living quarters used in the lines, utilize terrain following for enhanced penetration. These would have to be fully autonomous systems due to the inherent limitations in guidance and heavy jamming at frontal positions, but similar swarm systems have already been demonstrated. All that is left is for design efforts to go ahead and production to sufficiently increase. (40)
The heavy drone system has been targeted as a hybrid system between heavier MLRS and tube artillery to offer a mobile compact platform capable of low-altitude strike missions. Enhanced guidance-seeking packages have been designed for the system along with more generalized relative guidance packages to be used at a low cost with the aid of laser-designation systems. The ability to carry forty kilograms is sufficient for the mounting of standard Type 13 1 kt warheads and newer Type 45 2.4 kt tactical warheads. Standard armament will be a forty-kilogram incendiary or high explosive warhead for the majority of drones. The system itself will be built on a flying wing design using a higher performance short burn HEA-Y turbine to maintain constant strike packages. Delivering the drone itself remains a problem as there are insufficient materials and high-fidelity electronics to make the system work. Current plans are first to release a more inertially guided system as advanced deep penetration variants are made available sometime next year.
Prepare Drone Production: The initial caveats of drone warfare still exist no matter how advanced the enemies' anti-drone systems are. Increasing the production of simple parts for drones and the full-scale printing of HEA-Y turbines can start now along with introducing off-the-shelf programmable electronic parts for guidance systems. Swarm intelligence will be sufficient to avoid excessive target saturation with several new complexes planned to ensure that by the time the third wave has made its landing drone systems are available in the tens of millions. Saturation of the skies in automatic systems conducting independent penetration will improve overall recon pictures, and penetration of defensive systems, and save costs relative to more expensive artillery systems and their logistical throughputs. (75)
Mass production of standard drone components has been one part of a program of component rationalization and one part rationalization of electronic systems. The former has involved the primary use of cheaper aluminum panels without advanced aerospace alloys in components that would be exposed to significant air resistance with a primarily plastic skin on each of the drones. The electronic systems onboard are effectively a rationalized processing board originally meant for civilian multipurpose applications that have been found easy to scale and program for drone production. Sensor units have been the primary focus of the program as they are comparatively hard to source for even the simplest drone units. Initial production batches will be available by next month but actual quantities will take at least two more months.
VTOL Modification: The Type 45 is insufficient as a manned general-purpose platform due to the sheer density of weapon systems available at the front and the steady increase in laser density. Working to amend the issue by converting every four of five planes to loyal wingmen with the manned airframe confined to rear line work and the direction of the rest of the wing. Modified power generation systems along with superconducting capacitors can be fitted onto the airframe with recharge capacity replacing VTOL capacity. Primary weapons then would shift to a frontally mounted pulse laser capable of inflicting lethal wounds onto VTOLs but with a negligible capacity to endure return fire. (95)
Technical programs for the modernization of the Type 45 have advanced at a greater pace than originally expected as simple conversions have been prioritized. The wholesale replacement of the lift fan was originally intended to create a variant with a larger internal bay, but by extending the main shaft forward a powerful generator system has been mounted onboard. Initial examples of SMES systems are not available outside laboratory examples, but that is expected to change in the next three months with more coming. The cockpit pod itself has been removed and replaced with a computing system for all automated versions, maintaining some of the same connections but improving the craft's general capacity for easy modernization. Any semblance of a missile bay has been removed along with the hinges involved to increase the availability of capacitor systems to allow a bottom-mounted laser to run the length of the plane.
Type 46 Interceptor: Wholesale modernization of the entire Type 46 system has been advanced instead of an entirely new aircraft. The plane uses the same turbofan and general airframe as a standard Type 45 but makes several major changes. The entire lower frontal bay is replaced with an air-cooled heavy pulse laser mounted on the belly to allow for the accurate engagement of enemy VTOLs. This is accompanied by the replacement of the vertical lift fan with a generator complex and one of three SMES cells to power the laser system with enough power for continuous fire. Superconducting lines run the external length and are submerged in a bath of ethane to minimize internal thermal stress. Delivery of fifty pulse train short bolts of 100 MJ can be achieved by the system with a 50cm lens and targeting array allowing for flexible engagement of targets. Automated systems for their use as drones have been co-developed with the majority of airframes little more than simple engagement platforms directed into combat by pilots.
Continued Work Programs: Keeping a massive number of youths working and being productive has already improved morale on the homefront significantly but hour-sharing programs can be extended further. New housing construction and the operation of civilian economic services have not reduced in demand since the start of the war with both only increasing. To keep the under-served demand met and provide some chances for civilian growth grant funding can be organized through the civilian government to improve local business and provide for those who want to start fresh in the aftermath of relocations. (68)
Work programs have effectively been continued as a series of basic construction projects to free more heavy equipment for higher priority use. The building of new housing has been a particular focus along with the development of urban areas to make them more tolerable for long-term habitation, providing small wages for simple part-time work to keep hands busy. Significant war impact is not expected with the programs with most spun off to local administrations to manage and ensure that the homefront is not doing anything too adventurous. Some economic returns in the increase of freed-up heavy equipment are expected but a one-time injection into the war economy is unlikely to solve any specific issues.
Available Mobilization Programs:
[]Establishment of New Electronics Plants: More mature designs for a combined sixty-four core conventional chipset interlinked with a lower node bridging circuit and two 90nm optical cores will more than quadruple general computing power. The non-monolithic design alone has moved electronics down another node with the optical cores providing rapid calculation capacity that would otherwise not be available. Applications for neural network modeling alone promise to be immense and if funded now could achieve initial technical yields in twelve months, revolutionizing military equipment and the economy. (-40 Mobilization Capacity for 3 Months)
[]Reallocation of Artillery Production: Producing more shells and barrels is tangentially useful to winning the war with much of the capacity better allocated towards the production of more drones. Penetration of enemy defenses with small drones flying at the treetop has performed better than any more complex system. Allocating the production of explosives to swarms of smaller drones along with shell-equivalent payload heavier ones will involve the retirement of a massive amount of industry, but it is practically useless anyway. The focus will be on replacing most older systems with an MDLS, mounting heavy drones to the back of a truck in overlapping racks for long-range strikes. (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Decentralization of Energy System Production: Solar and battery production has not previously been considered a high-priority industry to be of military necessity but now that the war is moving to a new stage, it still needs to be hardened. Battery production plants will be broken up and steadily moved into better camouflage areas with photovoltaic plants rapidly following behind them. Solar systems offer an unparalleled advantage in durability and portability compared to any other source of power generation and can provide some resilience to the general grid. Emergency generators are of course being built already but having more options for electricity is unlikely to damage anything. (-15 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
[]Expand Housing Allocations: Building larger housing along the central Mouran chain will likely be taken as a bad sign but if massive numbers of refugees are inbound cities need to be prepared to house them. The program will mostly focus on the construction of expedient standardized housing as was done in the immediate post-exchange era. Little originality and flourish will be available, but for the next few months over fifty million apartments of adequate quality can be built. This will continue to expand the urban centers, and theoretically, if more jobs open up can even start some economic growth. (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 4 Months)
[]Seabed Mining and Refining Programs: High-quality HEA-Y production inherently depends on Yttrium with few exceptions. Nodule mining of the seafloor has been attempted several times with results slowing after the mass use of asteroid mining. Resuming those programs with an eye toward rare earths will be essential for increasing supplies. Enough of it will not be available to stick it on every application where it would offer an advantage, but most vehicles can have a few reinforced parts that will reduce wear. Refining industries are going to be massively power-hungry and polluting, but that in itself is a problem after the war. (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 2 Months)
[]Mobile Mine Swarms: Terrestrial mines have been challenging to implement on such a low frontal density, but there are plenty of light autonomous systems that can form effective hunting mines. These would be built on a light chassis with a simple automated electronic guidance package and the ability to traverse areas toward pre-programmed locations utilizing a few guides incorporating astral navigation. Each unit will only have a moderately sized conventional warhead, but those will prove sufficient to degrade infantry along with several dedicated protocols for the infiltration of buildings designed and implemented. The small creatures they are based on should reduce the suspicion of attacks and provide accompanying swarms for infantry to deal with that are largely immune to laser fire. (-30 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Type 36 Automatization: There is currently a significant stockpile of older Type 36 A's and tens of thousands of obsolete BGs. Converting them all to autonomous systems with internal capability to designate and attack targets with minimal prompting will make them viable guns again and reduce the impact of inevitable heavy casualties. The electronic control systems on both vehicles are well suited for the conversion and neither offers a significant improvement in capability over either a Type 41 or more advanced Type 36 models that are rapidly entering ever-increasing production. These would mostly be incorporated into units as explicit attritional components, holding down significant sectors for a negligible cost in manpower. (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Transport Helicopters: To move casualties away from frontline positions and provide some prospects for medevac a new generation of helicopters has been proven necessary. Improvements in technology have made the gunship obsolete but the other roles of the helicopter can still be useful. Cargo transportation to frontline bases and the movement of wounded back to rear-line positions will improve divisional casualty ratios and ensure that positions can be evacuated. The laser defenses of the Alien Enemy will prevent most conventional operations but a system to move troops around in the rear is still necessary at the current time. Further, cheap HEA-Y components and composites can reduce the price of the airframe and engines, accelerating the design to rapid mass production in a few months. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Accelerate Submarine Construction: There are not enough submarine dockyards to significantly raise production, but some measures can still be taken to accelerate production. Section building machinery can be expanded to produce more equipment for new submarines while missile production can be increased to compensate for any deficiencies. The new boats are going to have more issues than previous examples and the reactor cores will be built to a lower standard but any mobile anti-orbital strength cannot be under-estimated. (-40 Mobilization Capacity)
[]LCS Development: The old LCS is capable of theoretically threatening an alien force, but it is obsolete in the extreme and poorly suited for any form of operation. As a part of the general modernization program, any new systems will be bridged onto the craft, but its modernization will be secondary to a new generation of surface warships. Mounting a nuclear reactor and heavy SMES cells, the ships will be capable of continuous heavy laser fire unmatched by all but the Alien's orbital assets along with railguns in turrets to provide direct fire support at a considerable range. Any semblance of helicopter capacity will be rationalized to the form of a dedicated drone support bridge. To support immediate landing operations, a VLS capable brace of eighty hypersonics is planned, ensuring adequate nuclear fires for landing operations. If all goes well, initial hulls can reach the water before the end of the next year, offering a massive capability increase. (-40 Mobilization Capacity) (Naval Project)
[]Landing Ship Preparations: Designing standardized landing ships that can endure a modicum of VTOL and heavier fire while delivering troops to landing areas poses a significant challenge. Positive buoyancy craft have already been tested along with the amphibious capability of the Type 36 but larger systems will be needed to bring enough heavier vehicles to the point of landing. The main goal of the program will be to make two systems. The primary one will be an effectively low-reusability landing ship to deposit armor onto a beachhead while the secondary one will focus on the construction of mobile harbors capable of independent operation and protection from impactors. (-30 Mobilization Capacity) (Naval Project)
[]OFAC Preparations: The construction of fast attack craft is going to be a major technical and industrial undertaking as the technologies involved are complicated to manufacture at best. Initial work will involve the construction of eight dedicated yards for the ships along with facilities for the testing and development of the z-pinch nuclear drive. The expenses involved are going to be massive as an entire new industry will have to be established to support the systems onboard with further industrial development likely to come from the program. Starting this as early as possible will reduce the chance of critical delays, ensuring that Type 46's will be available by midway through next year. (-45 Mobilization Capacity for 3 Months)
[]Launch and Recovery Facilities: Hardened runways and storage bunkers for two thousand-ton craft are going to involve a large amount of digging and camouflage operations. Each facility is expected to house up to four separate Type 46s and ensure that they can launch in short order. The strong neutron radiation released by their drives leaves them challenging to provide takeoff support for, but with the need for high energies, it is entirely necessary. The program itself is thankfully mechanically simple, only necessitating the development of large facilities and ensuring that they cannot easily be detected or seen from orbit. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Strategic Fuel Reserves: Diesel and fuel oil reserves were not expected to be depleted due to the significant buildup and general cross capacity along with the surge in refining capacity. Current programs are enough to keep the front going but not enough for further expansions or the sustained use of heavy maneuvers by armored elements. Fuel consumption has universally only increased and a strong increase in refinery capacity is going to be needed to maintain the pace. This will come with the construction of several new refining units and the re-opening of oil fields to ensure that enough fuel can be made available for the war effort. (-35 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Found the Technical Section: Throwing together thousands of academics in formal development systems and tasking them directly with work on new weapon systems has already partially been done but a more centralized effort can improve progress. This would involve the organization of almost fifty thousand scientists and a further fifty thousand assistants on near-term viable defense projects. The main focus will fall towards the development of new weapons with programs focused on improving every aspect of the military. Results are unlikely to be seen in anything approaching a near term but new technologies will be needed to drive off the Alien Enemy. Additionally, with the likely bounty of information from the investigator, skilled scientist-translators will be necessary to make it commonly digestible. (-50 Mobilization Capacity) (Immediate 3 Tech Rolls)
[]Partial Demobilization: The economy has done remarkably well at a war footing but its mildly shrinking outside military-related production is not the best victory to parade around. Focusing on reducing the direct control of the economy along with the re-introduction of monetary relations in some dual-purpose industries to allow for some growth. This reduction in military control will improve some of the control mechanisms for the economy as overwork in central coordination can be reduced. The civilian side of the economy can also stop being directed into maximum wartime production, providing some room for new machinery to be built and new technologies developed outside of military auspices. (-60 Total Mobilization Capacity) (Reduces Power Issues)
[]Government Wire-Taps: Monitoring core communications of the members of the civilian government to keep any collaborationist temptations down will be an important first step. If the legislators wanted to have privacy they should not be actively working as a part of the wartime government. Any corruption uncovered in the process will be forwarded to relevant authorities but likely ignored until after the war if it is not massively degrading military production to keep operational security. Most of the monitoring will come with the installation of backdoors and direct division four analysis of them to ensure that morale is staying high and the other aspects of society are not actively burning down. (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Refound the Ecology Department: The presence of alien bodies has allowed for a revolution in new developments of technologies. The bodies of the Alien Enemy are badly optimized and replete with vulnerabilities for viable attack vectors. Immune recognition is slow without much of a redundant automatic mechanism. Further, lacking capabilities in signaling cascades in essential oxygen exchange organs speaks to a species that is poorly adapted for existence much less combat operations. Immediate vectors for deployment will focus on targeting these systems, aiming to reduce oxygen uptake and re-direct metabolic processes. Standardized fifth-generation systems will be adapted for the task of colonizing filters and breathing media for the constant production of new vectors. Viable agents can be made and released within two months, degrading enemy capacity until they can deploy adequate retroviral vectors to eliminate likely vulnerability routes. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
Unit Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15vJzNSLBJIkUcT8QyD3a6plubEtg5UHRb67_sKP-DO0/edit?gid=0#gid=0
6-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
[ ] Plan Houses and Helicopters
-[ ] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[ ] Expand Housing Allocations (-20 MC x4)
-[ ] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[ ] Transport Helicopters (-25 MC)
-[ ] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[ ] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
Okay, this plan we're starting up Seabed Mining and Refining Programs. We're starting to roll out an increasingly large amount of stuff that relies on plentiful supplies of Yttrium to roll out, so we need to make sure that extraction and refinement keep up with demand. Even in places where Yttrium isn't required, making use of HEA-Y in construction will notably improve performance. It's not great for the environment, but we're already damaging it far more through the whole nuclear winter, and we're starting to run into Yttrium shortages.
Partial Demobilization is needed for economy, while Transport Helicopters helps with evacuating wounded and so helping preserve our veterans. Arty Production Reallocation can help with the switch to drones and is making use of existing factories, so might be done fast enough to roll them out in time to matter for the 3rd Wave. Housing because that's been pushed back time and time again and the crisis is only going to get worse when the 3rd Wave hits, given that the Mouran Islands are probably going to be a primary target. Strategic Fuel Reserves is done because that's an urgent project to keep our armored corps able to operate at full capacity.
[ ] Plan OFAC Focus
-[ ] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[ ] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[ ] OFAC Preparations (-45 MC x3)
-[ ] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[ ] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
This plan meanwhile, trades out Housing and Transport Copters (which hurts me) in favor of OFAC Preparations. Honestly, I'd rather delay OFACs by a turn (but no longer) in favor of starting up housing in preparation for invasion of Moura and thus more refugees and transport copters to keep preserving our veterans (important given that we keep rolling garbage on training.) Still, OFACs are important enough that I feel I should propose the plan still.
-[ ] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[ ] Expand Housing Allocations (-20 MC x4)
-[ ] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[ ] Transport Helicopters (-25 MC)
-[ ] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[ ] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
Okay, this plan we're starting up Seabed Mining and Refining Programs. We're starting to roll out an increasingly large amount of stuff that relies on plentiful supplies of Yttrium to roll out, so we need to make sure that extraction and refinement keep up with demand. Even in places where Yttrium isn't required, making use of HEA-Y in construction will notably improve performance. It's not great for the environment, but we're already damaging it far more through the whole nuclear winter, and we're starting to run into Yttrium shortages.
Partial Demobilization is needed for economy, while Transport Helicopters helps with evacuating wounded and so helping preserve our veterans. Arty Production Reallocation can help with the switch to drones and is making use of existing factories, so might be done fast enough to roll them out in time to matter for the 3rd Wave. Housing because that's been pushed back time and time again and the crisis is only going to get worse when the 3rd Wave hits, given that the Mouran Islands are probably going to be a primary target. Strategic Fuel Reserves is done because that's an urgent project to keep our armored corps able to operate at full capacity.
[ ] Plan OFAC Focus
-[ ] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[ ] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[ ] OFAC Preparations (-45 MC x3)
-[ ] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[ ] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
This plan meanwhile, trades out Housing and Transport Copters (which hurts me) in favor of OFAC Preparations. Honestly, I'd rather delay OFACs by a turn (but no longer) in favor of starting up housing in preparation for invasion of Moura and thus more refugees and transport copters to keep preserving our veterans (important given that we keep rolling garbage on training.) Still, OFACs are important enough that I feel I should propose the plan still.
- Location
- UTC+0
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They
I want this badly, ASAP since this will help out with figuring out the bounty of the investigator.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Looking at the numbers, we can probably push it out next turn.
AstralFists
Fan of most things Sci-Fi, probable warcriminal
- Location
- London, Great Imperium of Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Houses and Helicopters
Cannon Omake: Interacting with Frontier Station Communities, Part 1 - A CLP Training Video:
CrabMonarchy
Allegedly Dutch
- Location
- the Netherlands, apparently
Interacting with Frontier Station Communities, Part 1 - A CLP Training Video:
Hello everyone. Today, we will be learning about how to interact with station communities at the frontiers of Xolotlan Sovereignty Space. For a variety of reasons, these communities are often critical partners in our efforts to uplift and integrate less-fortunate peoples into the galactic community, as they can provide vital supplies and temporary basing for CLP humanitarian, environmental remediation, and quality-of-life enhancement expeditions. However, the peoples of these stations have unique cultures with their own expectations and norms for proper behavior, and failure to follow the rules for interacting with them can lead to higher prices, denial of service, and in extreme cases outbreaks of violence, all of which can jeopardize our efforts in the outer frontier. To ensure the safety of our employees and the success of our expeditions, we have created a series of videos to educate you on proper conduct when working with these vibrant communities, of which this is the first. In this video, you will learn about how to properly make contact with these stations, as well as the typically accepted types of gifts and payments.
Frontier station communities typically retain a strong degree of independence from Sovereignty institutions, instead maintaining their own internal practices for establishing trust when doing business. While we encourage a culture of integrity and honesty within the CLP, it is equally important to meet these communities on their terms to avoid giving offense. Notably, station cultures maintain a custom of gift-giving when making requests for service, as a way to demonstrate respect and friendship. Many interactions will require accompanying gifts, but the most common and important example is when requesting docking rights. Station masters are major leading figures among station communities, and will expect a commensurate gift in return for allowing CLP expeditions access to their station. In general, such gifts will be referred to by euphemisms such as "docking fees", although you should consult your expedition's Senior External Liaison Officer for specific details once you have decided upon your destination. Prior to docking, you should make suitably euphemistic assurances that you will provide a gift of sufficient value, and after docking be sure to make a prompt delivery in person, to ensure good relations with the station master. Guidelines for meetings will vary by station, but in general avoiding visible armaments is a safe posture to take to prevent appearing threatening or hostile. Take care not to overspend, however, as expeditionary budgets are regularly audited! Your expedition's Finance Director can advise you on the standard guidelines for acceptable gift values. Once you have delivered the gift and received the station master's approval, you will be free to conduct business with the other entities on the station.
When making transactions with frontier station communities, please take care to ensure that gifts and payments are correctly formatted. At the edges of Sovereignty space, these communities often find traditional currencies to be less trustworthy and useful than hard goods, resulting in major markups if one attempts to pay with state currencies. As such, making exchanges using locally accepted currency substitutes can result in massive savings for expedition budgets. Refined rare earth elements are the most common currency substitute due to their universal utility, although key manufactured goods necessary for station maintenance as heavy-duty bolts and screws (typically exchanged in bulk) or large-scale life-support systems are also good choices when trading with frontier stations. If attempting to make purchases using the latter option, however, please note that the exact parts required will vary by region, so make sure to consult with your expedition's Purchasing and Inventory Manager prior to departure to ensure adequate stocks of barter goods are available. For gifts specifically, cultural goods such as luxury food and drink are also in high demand, although the acceptability of a specific gift may vary depending on the recipient, so generally such gifts should also be accompanied by other hard goods with more universal value.
After this video, you should have learned the basics of how to properly greet and interact with Frontier Station Communities. In the following videos, you will learn about proper security practices for ships and crew while docked to these stations, emergency procedures in event of conflict between a CLP expedition and a frontier station, and specific station customs by region. Thank you for your contribution to the success of our expeditions and the creation of A Future for All of Us!
Last edited:
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
There's a moratorium still up for another 5+ hours before voting starts.
[] Plan: Tochailt Isteach
-[]Decentralization of Energy System Production: (-15 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
-[]Expand Housing Allocations: (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 4 Months)
-[]Partial Demobilization: (-60 Total Mobilization Capacity) (Reduces Power Issues)
-[]Transport Helicopters: (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
-[]Launch and Recovery Facilities: (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
-[]Reallocation of Artillery Production: (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
-[]Type 36 Automatization: (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
With so much new equipment coming off the lines, the need for logistical reinforcement takes priority. Whatever outcome this battle will have won't be changed much by anything except supply. Thus, this plan.
I mean, that's it really. This stuff needs a reallocation turn to address at minimum, and there's probably no better time than the demobilization.
-[]Decentralization of Energy System Production: (-15 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
-[]Expand Housing Allocations: (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 4 Months)
-[]Partial Demobilization: (-60 Total Mobilization Capacity) (Reduces Power Issues)
-[]Transport Helicopters: (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
-[]Launch and Recovery Facilities: (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
-[]Reallocation of Artillery Production: (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
-[]Type 36 Automatization: (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
With so much new equipment coming off the lines, the need for logistical reinforcement takes priority. Whatever outcome this battle will have won't be changed much by anything except supply. Thus, this plan.
I mean, that's it really. This stuff needs a reallocation turn to address at minimum, and there's probably no better time than the demobilization.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
I wonder if the military side of the Sallie leadership is suspecting that we cracked their codes, or was this just chance.
- Pronouns
- He
What, elves don't like roller coasters?
Hm. The military starting to suspect that we're reading corporate mail, so so delaying necessary updates until it's too late to do anything about it, for the execs or us?
Hot butts from processors being installed in the seating?
And nothing about the insurgents we stopped supporting last turn. Gone quiet without funding or just no longer hearing anything from occupied territories?
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
I imagine they suspect it given that the corporate leadership sends its codes out via radio with a degree of security best described as "nonexistent." Our own analysts noted that corporate informational security was awful compared to the military.
- Location
- Northish
The military is probably sick of screaming at their paymasters the basics of communication security and doing the next best thing by moving faster then the leaks can reach us. With any luck some middle manager will grossly overreach and make things worse.
cryptoam
building an 1980s encrypted protocol
- Location
- in lockdown waiting and bored...
Chance. They think it's the government and not the primitives they are invading. Not that it matters though since they changed the cryptomaterial and frequency allocations by sending the data over the already compromised network. We intercepted and decrypted that data, giving us the same level of access that we had previously.
Only notable thing to do here is be a bit more discrete with the codes that Investigator uses to ID themselves and maybe look into how to spoof said codes to avoid triggering this again.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
That's it for the Moratorium, so...
[X] Plan Houses and Helicopters
-[X] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[X] Expand Housing Allocations (-20 MC x4)
-[X] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[X] Transport Helicopters (-25 MC)
-[X] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[X] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
[X] Plan OFAC Focus
-[X] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[X] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[X] OFAC Preparations (-45 MC x3)
-[X] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[X] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
It's Housing + Helicopters vs OFACs for these two plans. Everything else is the same.
[X] Plan Preparing for Winter and the Orbits
[X] Plan Houses and Helicopters
-[X] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[X] Expand Housing Allocations (-20 MC x4)
-[X] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[X] Transport Helicopters (-25 MC)
-[X] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[X] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
[X] Plan OFAC Focus
-[X] Reallocation of Artillery Production (-15 MC)
-[X] Seabed Mining and Refining Programs (-20 MC x2)
-[X] OFAC Preparations (-45 MC x3)
-[X] Strategic Fuel Reserves (-35 MC)
-[X] Partial Demobilization (-60 Total MC)
MC Used: 175/175 MC
It's Housing + Helicopters vs OFACs for these two plans. Everything else is the same.
[X] Plan Preparing for Winter and the Orbits
Last edited:
MordredRaal
Agitating
- Pronouns
- She/They
[X] Plan OFAC Focus
[X] Plan Houses and Helicopters
[X] Plan Houses and Helicopters
Last edited:
Stellarengine676
To eternity we shall ride
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Plan Houses and Helicopters