We probably should work on expanding the heavy machinery plant, machine tooling will be VERY important if we want to make enough ammo to keep the WW1-esque army we're about to build supplied. Speaking of supplied, the ambitious military modernization goal is very focused on things that go BOOM, but question is how we're going to keep all that firepower supplied in the field, with our dirt roads and limited horses. We'll rely a lot on naval convoys I bet, here's hoping the war is staved off until our ironclads come on line.
Holy fuck. The mythical Double Natural 100. Our medicine is the best in the world! This brings much power and prestige. Can we crash our rivals' medical industries by flooding them with cheap high-quality goods or something?
Holy fuck. The mythical Double Natural 100. Our medicine is the best in the world! This brings much power and prestige. Can we crash our rivals' medical industries by flooding them with cheap high-quality goods or something?
comrade, not only did we gain the refugee medical professionals of troy and lesbos, but the ssd also enticed new washington's medical professionals, who brought with them (stolen) modern chemistry equipment like ir spectrometers!! we've already crashed the new washington medicinal industry!
The main meeting room for the Central Committee was a strange place to be at night. The coal gas lights made it light enough to see but they could only do so much, leaving parts of the room shrouded in darkness, various features casting long shadows across the table. Then there was quiet. The city didn't sleep at night anymore, not like it did before the revolution, but it was still so much quieter than Tucson had ever been.
Aitana Freixa may have liked Mycenae far more than the Old Pueblo, but even now, the quiet that nighttime brought unsettled her. Tonight, the quiet felt like the calm before a raging storm.
The Chairwoman had called an emergency meeting of the Central Committee, the specifics were unknown but it didn't take a mind reader to figure out it was about the Air Force. News about New Monthan's invasion of Wilusa had reached the popular Republic a couple of weeks prior. It had been a painful bit of news, the National Democratic Front weren't the most committed to a proper revolution, but they rid the world of the last major remnants of the USA's horrific police system, they were heroes for that if nothing else. New Monthan had ensured they would never get a proper chance to celebrate that win.
The room was relatively empty still, late night meetings, even emergency ones, weren't the easiest thing to arrange, particularly when parts of the Committee were out of town at the moment. Besides Aitana, there were five others in the room.
Sean Gordon sat across from her, his head propped up by one hand in an effort to fight his tiredness. Minister of Military Development, Sophie McDonald, sat next to him. She was far more awake, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, her hand occasionally reaching towards the fresh set of stitches across her head before forcing her hand back down.
Evan Manning, Minister of Finance, sat far away from any of the three, diligently cleaning her glasses before returning them to her face. Normally having the leader of the Maoists, Moderates and Intensificationists all in one room was asking for at least a few rounds of arguments but they were all too uneasy and too tired to do much more than occasionally glare at each other.
Orestes, son of Alektruon, and Commander Elaine Mathis were by the windows, Mathis pacing back and forth as Orestes watched the door stoically. Mathis technically was just an observer for the Central Committee but as Commander of the Home guard, Mathis generally made a point to attend when she could. Something which Freixa always found a bit annoying,
Commander Mathis was loyal, nearly a decade of service had proven that, but everyone knew Mathis was no revolutionary at heart. The moderates were bad enough but allowing a closested liberal to have a voice in the Committee, even a small one, was at best a slide back into the Barker years, at worst it was a betrayal of the revolution.
Tonight though, Freixa was quietly grateful for Mathis's presence. Whatever this meeting was about, it likely concerned the military, and if nothing else Mathis would provide a dissident voice against Gordon that the Chairwoman might listen to.
After a few minutes, Sophie Shaw stormed into the room, a bundle of folders in one hand and a large paper bag in the other. Minister Colin Wong followed shortly behind, along with a woman in a distinct blue suit, only a few frayed bits around the collar marked the otherwise intact outfit. A number of medals were attached to her chest.
The sight of the woman caught everyone's attention and made Freixa stand up, even in the low light it was obvious she was Air Force.
"Everyone please take a seat," Chairwoman Shaw said calmly, "I'll explain I'll guest in a moment."
Aitana and the others quickly took their seats, though Aitana's eyes remained fixed on the Air Force Officer. She was short, with sharp features and short black hair. She wasn't chained, and she didn't look nervous. She wasn't a prisoner, so why was she here?
"Is this it?" Shaw looked around, disappointment etched on her face.
"It's all we could muster on such short notice," Gordon explained.
"No matter," Shaw said dismissively, "I'll brief them when they arrive, not like I'm going to have much sleep tonight anyways."
"Less than two hours ago, Officer Marjorie Brown of USAF Western Command, stepped off of a Naxos trade vessel and into the office of Minister Wong, offering to defect" she explained.
That was certainly a big deal, Air Force defections were rare, indeed the last major one that Aitana had heard about nearly caused a war between Naxos, Crete and the Air Force. But that couldn't be the only reason Shaw called this meeting.
Aitana found herself growing more worried with each passing moment.
"Why would a Sky Warrior defect to us, to the Popular Republic?" Orestes asked cautiously.
"While I'm no socialist," Officer Brown spoke up, her voice full of surprising confidence, "but this republic seems like one of the few bastions of decency left in the world."
'Since when did the US Military ever care about decency?' Aitana wondered as she and the others looked on skeptically.
"More importantly,' the officer went on, "You're the only state in the region that has any chance of putting the information I have to any use."
"Officer Brown here claims to have been a member of Western Command's Intelligence division, and considering the info she's provided, I'm inclined to believe her," the Chairwoman noted as she thumbed through a folder.
"We now have a detailed overview of Western Command's little dictatorship and the myriad of factions and personal alliances that make up its command structure," she went on, "but more importantly, Marjorie here has confirmed our worst fears. Western Command's recent actions aren't just opportunistic scavenging, but signs of full blown alliance between them and the New Monthan regime."
Aitana felt her stomach clench at the Chairwoman's words. That was a Nightmare scenario, New Monthan on its own was one of the most powerful remnants of American Imperialism worth standing, allied with Western Command they'd be stronger than any one state in the entire world.
"That's impossible!" Gordon declared, "Western Command was the first to mutiny, there have been assassinations on both sides."
"And yet, High Command has agreed to put aside their differences with New Monthan's president," Officer Brown spat the word with contempt, "And participate in a joint operation to "restore order" in Western Anatolia."
"This is not just an invasion of Wilusa," Shaw added, "The Juntas are planning to invade Lesbos, the Federal Republic, New Pueblo, hell probably even the Vanguard Cultists and New Washington as well."
That would mean most of western Anatolia, and a bulk of the surviving American population, would fall under the control of a group of mass murdering religious zealots in uniforms. New Monthan would be the most powerful state on earth when the dust settled.
A question suddenly surged into Aitana's mind.
"What does Western Command get out of this?" she asked, "Are they rejoining the fold?"
Western Command was helping to make one of their biggest rivals into a major power. Either some sort of coup had brought a New Monthan puppet into power, or Western Command was getting something out of this.
"The details were still being worked out when I fled and a lot of it was being kept under wraps," Officer Brown explained, "but I believe it was a quid pro quo situation. Western Command helps with New Monthan's rivals, and in exchange New Monthan will help with Western Command's rivals."
"You mean us," Commander Mathis spoke up.
"Most likely, yes." the officer nodded, "Along with Naxos and Crete. I believe they want to divide the whole region between them."
'Well, shit,' Aitana thought.
Their war against New Arizona had proven the Popular Republic was a military force to be reckoned with, but a war against Western Command alone would not be an easy fight. Against both them and New Monthan? Well, Aitana didn't believe it was possible, followers of Mao Zedong Thought had beaten worse odds against imperialists before. But it would be a long and bloody struggle, one that would undo so much progress.
There was no shouting or cries of dismay but all around here, Aitana could hear her comrades muttering amongst themselves in worried tones. Though she noticed that Gordon and Orestes looked unconcerned.
"Are you certain they intend to target us?" Commander Mathis asked.
The officer shook her head.
"No," Brown admitted,"I was forced to flee before I could confirm anything but the sign seemed-"
"It would be my advice to operate under the assumption that we're next on the list once the invasion of Anatolia is finished," Shaw interrupted, "and you should all prepare accordingly."
Aitana began preparing mental lists.They'd have to pull resources away from light industry development, probably infrastructure and even agriculture. Military development was going to need more focus, so much more focus and energy. The goals of the Three Year Plan would have to be balanced against the military needs of the Popular Republic.
"It's not all bad news," Shaw said as she pulled her paper bag open, revealing a number of smaller round bags, tied closed with string. "I come bearing gifts as well. I was planning to save these for Gordon's birthday next week but I think we all need this right now."
Aitana stared at the bag in confusion before gently opening it, the smell was immediate and familiar. It had been years since she tasted the stuff but she had spent most of college living off the stuff.
"Coffee?" Manning questioned.
"Minister Barnett has been testing samples of the coffee trees the slavers left behind, to see if they're viable," Shaw explained, "I figured we could all use a pick me up right, we all have a long night ahead of us."
"Yes we could," Aitana agreed as she stared at the coffee grounds in front of.
Tonight would be a long night, the first of many, Aitana suspected. War lay on the horizon, not now, likely not for years, but war all the same, far bloodier and more dangerous than the wars they've already faced.
A couple cups of coffee would be nice, but it would only last her tonight. And she had a great many long nights ahead of her.
Coffee or not, Aitana would endure, she had to, the revolution demanded it.
Turn 15 (14AE Trimester 3): Worry Not, My Homeland Results
485+30+(100+10+20+70 Trade)+(25+20 Precious Metals)-40 Refugee Transport=720 Resources Per Turn, 0 In Storage
65+5-5+10+5=80 Political Support
Foreign Affairs
The conquests of the Air Force juntas have continued at a rapid pace, destroying most remaining organized resistance on the mainland and have launched a naval invasion of Lesbos. Much of the population had already evacuated, but a considerable number decided to remain and fight. While they did inflict somewhat significant casualties on the Air Force, they were still defeated in every decisive engagement and seemed to be on the verge of complete destruction until other events caused the Air Force to switch focus.
The Federal Republic of America, expecting that they were next on the chopping block, decided to launch a preemptive attack on the territories seized by New Monthan, with the thought of at least catching them by surprise even if the battle would be very unfavorable. They succeeded in making significant gains, advancing several dozen kilometers westwards along the coast and seizing several settlements. This was aided by a coup attempt on the European side of the Bosporus and several mutinies by mercenaries, which absorbed much of the central government's attention around the same time. However, once a significant amount of New Monthan's army was diverted from Lesbos, they were able to mount a decisive counterattack, destroying much of the forwards portions of the army and capturing several high-ranking officers. While New Monthan has not advanced all that much into the FRA's prewar territory, it is clear that they will soon. The distraction has allowed for the evacuation of personnel from Lesbos to continue, as it is clear that resistance there is futile in the near term.
The New Pueblo Revolutionary Army has unfortunately suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the Northern Command, with years worth of territorial gains rolled back in just a few months. While they are continuing to resist for the time being, plans are being drawn up for evacuation to another location along the Black Sea if the situation continues to become more unfavorable. The fascist pirates of Rhodes have continued raiding various settlements, with Naxos hit especially hard. A raid on Tiryns has also taken place, although local artillery was able to force them to flee before they could do much damage.
The Vanguardists have finally signed a ceasefire with New Washington, due to the threat posed by the Air Force to both states. While the ceasefire negotiations were underway, New Washington conducted one final offensive, managing to gain back some territory but not enough to deny the Vanguardists a coastline or access to Tucson. A dividing line has been placed through the city in the ceasefire, with both sides expected to occupy their parts of the city in order to gain more control over scavenging operations in there.
The Intensificationists seem to have regained much of their lost face via ceasing to waffle on the subject of overseas bases yet further, with them fortunately coming around to the correct position. While this is good for the Republic as a whole, it means that any opportunity to unseat their control of the government has passed for now.
Infrastructure (7 Dice):
Lock Systems (Stage 3): While the area does not have any large cities or mines, the northern coast of the Peloponnese does contain many villages which are the source of much of the Republic's food, textiles, wood, and other important raw materials. The streams in the area are too small for much useful traffic, but relatively cheap lock systems can be built to allow for small barges to bring goods to and from the coast. (5 resources per dice (71+235=306/225) (Complete, Stage 4 locked, +5 Political Support) (Makes many other projects cheaper, +5 Political Support on completion) (Stage 4 locked behind Dams Stage 4)
Work on the lock systems in the Peloponnese has restarted after a decent length of inactivity, although the gap was short enough that no significant deterioration of what has already been built. This has significantly increased the number of villages that have access to navigable waterways, at least if you count those navigable by barges carrying only a few tons. Still, as most of these villages are not exactly major industrial centers, this is good enough to integrate them into the broader economy. Work is planned to expand the lock systems in the Liberated Territories, but this requires more dams to be built there first to secure a more reliable water supply.
Port Facilities (Stage 4): Building docks and shipyards in the Liberated Territories will enable them to be integrated into the rest of the Republic's economy, increasing the standard of living for our citizens there and increasing overall output. (10 Resources per dice (102+85=187/375))
Expansion and modernization of ports from Kayldon to Lefkandi has continued, with dredging and the construction of new docks, breakwaters, and piers well underway. Shipyards are also being built at Lefkandi and Kalydon, and although they will not be nearly as large as those in Mycenae it will allow us to do at least some maintnence and repair on vessels without having to come all the way back to the capital, as well as increase our shipbuilding capacities in general. Still, all of this will take considerably more work to bear fruit.
Peloponnese City Modernization (Stage 2): Further expansion of the new housing developments and utility grids in the cities of the Peloponnese will enable several thousand more citizens to experience the benefits of modernity, as well as increase domestic labor efficiency in various aspects. (10 Resources per dice (37+117=156/175))
Work has continued on building more apartment complexes and finishing up the expansions to various utility grids, although it is not quite finished yet. Still, some of the new buildings have finished construction, and many workers are already living much more tolerable lives because of it.
Paved Road Construction (Stage 1): While they may not be nearly as good at transporting mass quantities of freight as canals or railroads, simple paved roads are much cheaper and can make do for smaller settlements. The availability of large amounts of coal tar will enable the cheap construction of acceptably long-lasting roads, enabling transportation networks to be improved yet further. (5 Resources per dice (0+56/125))
Networks of paved roads between our major cities have begun construction, although most are not yet complete. Once they are, land transport throughout the Republic will be considerably improved.
Heavy Industry
Thríambos Ironworks (Stage 4): With the liberation of New Arizona set to increase our population by nearly two hundred percent, it is only natural for steel production to be increased by a similar amount to serve their needs. Half a dozen Bessemer converters will spill out over a hundred tons of molten steel every day, serving to feed the ever growing needs of the Revolution. (15 Resources per dice (267+186=453/525)) (+5 Political Support on completion)
Work on the ironworking complex has continued at a rapid pace. Two of the planned six Bessemer converters and some of the associated metalworking equipment have been completed and are producing a significant amount of steel, or at least enough to ward off actual shortages for the time being. Construction of the planned open hearth furnace has also started, and has gone reasonably well. Still, much more work is needed before the expansion reaches its planned capacity.
Laurion Mines (Stage 1): Now that some mining activity has resumed, the intensification of production beyond the levels being achieved under the New Arizonian government can begin. The introduction of explosives and the construction of more furnaces will achieve that, increasing the availability of more non-ferrous metals by a large degree without needing much more additional labor. (10 Resources per dice (105+20=125/125)) (Complete, +20 resources per turn from precious metals exports) (Stage 2 0/175) (Liberated Territories dice can be used)
The planned expansions to the mining and processing facilities have been completed. Already, increased amounts of silver, copper, lead, and zinc are being used both internally and for export, increasing our ability to produce various niche goods by a significant amount. Still, we are nowhere near the limits of its expansion, and further work has already been planned to grow it yet further.
Attica Coal Mines (Stage 1): The current undersized mines near Thebes and Lefkandi can be modernized and expanded, increasing the access to coal for the whole of Attica and Euboea for residental and industrial use. (10 Resources per dice (23+0/125)) (Liberated Territories dice can be used)
Work on expanding the mines in the eastern parts of the Republic has begun, even if progress is less than what might be hoped for. The miners here are even more poorly trained than those in the Peloponnese, and safety concerns have caused some delays due to the decision to try and educate them on the most critical measures for increasing yield per casualty.
Cement Facilities Expansion: With the increased availability of chemicals due to mass coking efforts, napthalene polysulfonate superplasticizers can be produced on a fairly large scale, significantly boosting the properties of concrete with even small additions to the mix. When combined with building more cement plants in the Liberated Territories, the construction sector can be advanced significantly. (10 Resources per dice (72+0/125)) (Cost reduction to projects involving construction)
The construction of more vertical shaft kilns in the Liberated Territories has begun, in order to provide those areas with a local supply of cement. Work on a plant for producing naphthalene polysulfonates has also started. However, both have ran into significant issues with sourcing personnel and machinery, causing significant delays.
Light Industry
Consumer Goods Production Mechanization (Stage 3): While new factories for goods like various musical instruments and art supplies can be built, expanding already existing factories for things such as cardboard, paper, ceramics, and furniture is just as high of a priority. Attacking this challenge on all possible fronts will grow our economy and increase standard of living in many areas. (10 Resources per dice (87+194=281/225)) (Complete, quality dice 61, +10 Resources per turn from trade) (Stage 4 56/275)
Expanding the production of wood pulp products has significantly increased the amount of various packaging materials available to the Republic. Many small enterprises for the production of various items of furniture and musical instruments have also opened up throughout the Republic, with many being located in smaller towns in order to take advantage of labor far away from larger, centralized plants. Work has also begun on the mass production of more advanced appliances, from pendulum clocks and toilets to gas-fired stoves, ovens, and water heaters for use in urban areas.
Export Weapon Production (Stage 1): Giving downtimer states the ability to fight back against American imperialism can only be a good thing, even if some misguided members of the Central Committee might look down on it due to increasing the amount of inter-Downtimer fighting as well. It becomes an even better thing once you factor in the fact that most Downtimers will be willing to trade substantial amounts of various luxury and exotic goods for even a steel axe or pike, let alone a simple musket. (10 Resources per dice (0+146/100)) (Complete, quality dice 13, +20 resources per turn from trade, -5 Political Support) (Stage 2 46/150)(-5 Political Support when complete) (Large boost in trade income and soft power abroad, changes in relationships with various states)
Export deals for mass produced pikes and helmets have already been signed with Egypt and Quanta, with the latter being extremely desperate to accept anything they can possibly use to defend themselves against Rome. Several thousand have also been given to various tribes in southern Italy opposed to Crete and Rhodes, hopefully at least somewhat increasing the difficulties they face there. Work has also begun on the mass production of pipe guns for export, although this has ran into resistance from certain members of the government.
Chemical Industry
Synthetic Flavorings and Scents: While not as vital as medications, synthetic compounds can be used to add new flavors and smells to daily life. While we may not be able to get actual vanilla or cinnamon anytime soon, vanillin and cinnamaldehyde accomplish the same goals and are relatively easy to produce in the necessary quantities. (20 Resources per dice (0+19/50))
At long last, a significant investment has been made in producing substitutes for the spices and fragrances we have missed for over a decade now. Progress has been less rapid than hoped, due to the complete incompetency of most of the recruited staff, as almost everyone with even a hint of actually relevant experience has been assigned to more critical tasks. Still, many of the chemical reactors have been made, and personnel are being trained on the operation of the necessary equipment.
"Are you completely sure there's no way for you to make synthetic chocolate flavor?" - Sophie Shaw
Zakinthos Oil Extraction: While the oil seeps on Zakinthos may not be very large and coking is generally a better source of chemical feedstocks than petroleum with our current industrial base, drilling a few shallow wells near current seeps to recover kerosene and tar will not be very expensive and will yield substantial benefits in various areas. (10 Resources per dice (0+14/75)
Work on exploiting what meager oil deposits we have has begun, with drilling rigs set up near visible oil seeps. However, there have been substantial issues with actually finding where the subterranean oil deposits feeding said seeps are, and many wells are completely dry. Furthermore, although nothing as complex as an Uptime refinery is going to be built, even the planned simple distillation apparatus for separating out different fractions of the oil has ran into substantial difficulties due to the remote location of the oil deposits.
Export Medication Production (Stage 1): While our production of simple antibiotics and painkillers is sufficient for our population, most of the Downtimers in the Mediterranean have no access to it. This is especially true for Egypt, with its large population as well as fairly easy access to trade compared to more disorganized communities throughout Europe. They would be more than happy to give us grain, textiles, and various other goods in exchange for tiny amounts of substances that cost us a pittance to produce. (15 Resources per dice (0+191/75)) (Complete, Nat 100, quality dice 100, +30 resources per turn) (Stage 2 116+overflow/125, Complete, quality dice 92, +40 resources per turn) (Stage 3 0/150) (Export Pesticide Production (Stage 1) unlocked) (+10 Political Support)
Several massive victories in this area have taken place in the past few months. Much of the chemical industry and associated staff from Lesbos and Troy has been evacuated to Mycenae and quickly reactivated for the mass production of sulfanilamide, DDT, aspirin, and other easily made but lifesaving drugs. An extremely favorable trade deal has been struck with the Egyptian government for the mass importation of our pharmaceuticals in exchange for massive amounts of grain, unprocessed linen and cotton, and finished textiles, which will help us almost as much as it will them. The SSD has also somehow managed to get in contact with the head of a major pharmaceutical team in New Washington, including multiple people with actual experience in the Uptimer pharmaceutical industry. Many were so upset with the actions of the New Washingtonian government that, at least after the appropriate bribes were given, they decided to defect to us. The assistance of local SSD personnel enabled them to come over with not only themselves, but also several irreplaceable pieces of analytical equipment taken from the University of Arizona in the weeks following the Event, including multiple IR spectrometers, spectrophotometers, and many personal computers. While this is being hidden from public view in order to not jeopardize relations with New Washington, it will still be extremely useful in the long term.
"Please ensure Citizen Wedaneus knows the Central Committee has the utmost praise for his work. He might have just given the Republic the greatest pharmaceutical industry in the world." - Christina Grey
Agriculture
Self-Modernization Programs: While it may not directly benefit the economy much, giving rural citizens improved access to basic construction materials, instructions on their use, and limited technical assistance will enable them to build more modern structures in rural areas, significantly increasing quality of life. (5 Resources per dice (0+122/100)) (Complete, +5 Political Support, quality dice 82)
Traders and village cadres have been notified of the construction of several warehouses where peasants can trade in grain, textiles, livestock, or other goods for cinderblocks and cement, with the village cadres also being given instructional pamphlets for the use of the new materials. This is expected to slightly increase state revenues and significantly increase rural quality of life in the long term, even if it does not directly contribute to production.
"Lighter, stronger, and whiter than stone, while being easier to work with than wood, concrete is truly the material of the future. Mail 300 October Boulevard in Dyme for more information on how you can be the first person in your village to live in a home as good as those in Tucson." - Public service announcement in the Western Farmer's Almanac
Greenhouse Construction: While they may be far too expensive for most crops, a few coffee plants are currently growing in crude greenhouses captured from the slavers in the war against New Arizona, and expanding them with new plate glass will enable us to begin growing it on a far larger scale, as well as opening the door for other exotic plants in the future. (15 Resources per dice (0+75/75)) (Complete, quality dice 50) (+10 Resources per turn from trade for now)
Greenhouses have been massively expanded, and already faster-growing herbs are beginning to be sold. However, the biggest expected crop is coffee, which will not bear fruit for three additional years.
"They have enough glass to buy a kingdom, and they use it to grow shrubs?" - Pharaoh Khyan I
Basic Foodstuff Fortification: The addition of iodine to salt and niacin to flour will significantly reduce the frequency of goiter and pellagra, increasing the productivity and quality of life of our citizens. It will also lay the groundwork for fortification with additional nutrients in the future. (15 Resources per dice (0+197/75)) (Complete, quality dice 74) (Overflow finishes Stage 2 of Export Medications)
Central granaries have been given machinery to add niacin to various staple foodstuffs, and the salterns at Dyme now add small amounts of potassium iodide for salt headed to non-industrial uses. While this will take up a considerable amount of educated personnel, the elimination of goiter and pellagra among our population will give far larger benefits.
Services
Liberated Territories Primary Schools (Stage 3): While there is now an extant school system in the major towns and cities of the Liberated Territorries, this is not enough to educate even a fifth of the total population there. The push towards educating the countryside will be long, expensive, and difficult, but it is necessary for pulling the Republic into modernity. (5 Resources per dice (400+39=439/400)) (Complete, +9k primary student slots) (Stage 4 39/600) (Liberated Territories dice can be used) (+9k primary student slots)
A massive shock effort has brought over five hundred teachers to villages all across the Liberated Territories, with classes starting after harvest, if sometimes behind by a month or two. Nearly ten thousand more students are now enrolled in education, and while the payoff may take some time it will still be enormous.
Liberated Territories
City Reconstruction and Modernization (Stage 2): While people may no longer be freezing to death in the streets of Athens and Thebes, most of the population still lives in deeply subpar dwellings that need to be modernized in order to reduce disease, increase productivity, and win over the population. (10 Resources per dice (38+75=113/300))
More work has been done on erecting water towers and gas plants in Athens, Thebes, Lefkandi, and Kalydon, and significant progress has been made on this front. However, construction of actual buildings for habitation has been slower than expected.
Liberated Territories Address Assignment and Postal Integration (Stage 1): While the postal system in the Peloponnese is acceptable, it is essentially nonexistent in the Liberated Territories. Assigning addresses to every building in the cities and setting up at least an embryonic postal service will significantly increase administrative capacity in the region, as well as provide an additional incentive to people to learn how to read. (5 Resources per dice (31+57/75)) (Complete, Stage 2 13/100)
Addresses have been given to all significant buildings in the cities of the Liberated Territories, and efforts on spreading those benefits to the countryside have begun. Still, there is a lot of work to do.
Military
Cannon Production (Stage 5): While our nitrogen supplies may be limited, the use of poor quality but low-nitrogen Cheddite compositions for high explosive and white phosphorus for incendiary shells means that large amounts of shells more effective than solid shot can begin. Mass production of smaller mortars to take advantage of these shells can also begin, increasing our military capabilities yet further. (15 Resources per dice (234+19/200)) (Complete, Nat 1, quality dice 59) (Stage 6 0/250) (+30 60mm mortars per turn)
The mass production of 60mm mortars, as well as the various types of shells that they are set to use, has begun, and relevant personnel are beginning to be trained in their operation. Work has also begun on a plant for the production of larger artillery pieces and ammunition, but an explosion unfortunately took place during the early parts of construction, killing several workers and injuring the Minister of Military Production.
"If these crude mortars can do so much damage in our hands, then the Sky Warriors must be a terrifying foe indeed." - Hektor son of Hektor, officer
Bolt Action Rifle Production (Stage 2): Now that production of bolt-action rifles has begun at some quantity, the next task must be to expand it further so that they can be supplied to a significant portion of the People's Army before we all die of old age. (25 Resources per dice (17+113=130/125)) (Complete, Quality Dice 37, +200 bolt-action/turn) (Stage 3 5/150)
The workshops for assembling the new bolt-action rifles have been considerably expanded, now producing nearly a dozen a day. Still, expansion must be continued if we are to equip a large portion of the People's Army with them in the foreseeable future.
Monitor Construction Campaign: The presence of a completed and operational Cretan ironclad and the continues threat of raids from Rhodes shows that we need the ability to defend the Republic on the high seas. While they are not expected to be very reliable or capable of traveling long distances, the construction of three Monitor-like vessels will enable us to destroy nearly any currently built ship with ease... as long as they don't sink before the battle. (20 Resources per dice (67+87/150)) (Finishes in approximately two years from start of construction, assuming steady funding) (Complete, Quality Dice 64) (Ships operational starting turn 17)
Construction on the three planned ships, set to be named Mycenae, Athens, and Thebes, has largely completed, with only a few weeks of work left until sea trials can begin. Training of the crews has also intensified, in order to hopefully make them less totally unprepared for actually operating the ships. At the current rate of progress, all three should hopefully be operational by next campaign season, making us a bit more prepared for naval combat.
Liberated Territories Military District Organization: Organizing military infrastructure and conscription rolls in the Liberated Territories will enable a significant increase in the size of the People's Army in the event of war, even if it will dilute our supply of officers yet further. (10 Resources per dice (38+109=147/100)) (Complete, Quality Dice 26)
The surveys for determining conscript able manpower throughout the Republic has been completed, and lists for training have been drawn up, even if we don't yet have the ability to train mass quantities of troops with modern weapons and tactics yet.
Universal Military Training (Stage 1): Setting up a more formalized system of conscription and training of all citizens when they turn 16 will ensure a large pool of at least somewhat trained manpower for the People's Army in the event of an armed conflict. While it will take some effort to fully implement, it is imperative if we are to actually use the weapons we are producing. (10 Resources per dice (0+9/100)
Significant resources have been dedicated towards the construction of training and conscription centers throughout the Republic. However, with the massive buildup of training facilities in Mycenae, little has been left over for the rest of the country, at least for now.
Formalized Officer Education (Stage 1): With a large amount of refugees from Troy and Lesbos having both Uptime and Downtime military experience, we can use their successes and losses to reduce the amount of mistakes we have in the future. While reassigning our best officers to education may hurt our capabilities in the short term, it is critical in the long term. (15 Resources per dice (0+286/100)) (Complete, quality dice 87) (Stage 2 168/150, Complete, Quality Dice 13) (+125 officers/turn in 1 turn, +1000 retrained troops per turn)
While a tragedy for them, the mass immigration of American refugees from Troy and Lesbos, many with both current and Uptime military experience, has been a massive boon for our state. Nowhere is this more apparent than the massively expanded Academy of Mycenae, where several hundred Americans are now training huge amounts of troops and officers alike on the new weapons and tactics. This should ensure a more modernized officer corp and serve a trained conscription base in the city of Mycenae, but for training conscripts in other areas of the Republic investment in a wider training network is necessary.
Bureaucracy
Cretan Protection: In order to reduce the risk from pirates on refugee convoys, we do have the option of paying Crete to protect our ships while they are in transit. This will not be free, however. (-20 Resources to take) (Must be done this turn) (29)
Crete has accepted our payment in exchange for protection of refugee columns heading to our shores, and while the forces allocated to us were relatively meager they did prevent the worst depredations from the Rhodian pirates, with the worst incident being a small naval battle resulting in the sinking of one pirate vessel and one of our smaller merchant ships. While most of the politically and militarily active personnel from both states have evacuated to us, a significant part of the population has instead decided to travel to Rome, Crete, or Egypt due to either reactionary personal tendencies or simply wanting to get further away from the juntas.
Anti-Junta Diplomacy: We are not the only state threatened by the Air Force, and while some may view it as a betrayal of our principles to ally with non-socialist states, it is necessary for the survival of the Republic. (88) (Possible Political Support gain/loss)
Essentially every state is threatened by the juntas, and while our general unpreparedness means that immediately joining the war on the side of Lesbos, the FRA, and the NPRA is unlikely to result in decisive victory, we have agreed a self-defense pact with the Emergency Government of New America at the absolute minimum, and have gotten offers of conditional alliances from Crete and New Washington. However, both come with some conditions, mainly a demand from Crete that we join them in a war on Rhodes next year from Crete and recognize their claims of most of Anatolia for New Washington.
[]Agree to Both: We need as many allies as we can to defeat the Air Force on land and ensure control of the seas. Giving a few islands to Crete and nice words to New Washington is well worth having tens of thousands of more troops on our side in a war where defeat means the complete destruction of the Revolution. (-15 Political Support)
[]Agree to Cretan terms: While some may view joining a war on the side of Crete to defeat the fascists with terms have our troops take most of the casualties but gain only some of the land, the fact is that defeating the fascist, obtaining a presence across the Adriatic, and providing our military with experience against more modern targets is critical for the long-term survival of the Revolution. (-10 Political Support) (War with Rhodes Turn 18)
[]Agree to New Washingtonian terms: Agreeing with their claims over all of Anatolia in the event of the NPRA falling is controversial, but in the end it does not really matter as we can simply change our views later. (-5 Political Support)
[]Agree to Neither: We do not need the assistance of a barely functional collection of warlords or a LARPing archeology student to defeat the Air Force or the Nazis, and we should not send our citizens to die for their gains. (0 Political Support)
Official Narcotics Policy: With the planned expansion of pharmaceutical production for export, several people have brought up the fact that many substances can be sold at a high profit margin for non-theraputic uses. We should decide what our official policy on recreational drug use, both at home and abroad is, in order to decide which path is the best to follow. (100) (Possible Political Support gain/loss)
We have undertaken a gloriously successful campaign in the Central Committee, getting a widespread coalition together to develop the truly dialectical position on drug policy from all wings of the political system. The question is, which campaign was that?
[]Anti-Narcotics Action: The widespread use of narcotics is a sign of a society in decay, and cannot be allowed to infect the Revolution. Besides medicinal uses and the weak wines and other alcoholic drinks already present in the area, all drugs will be outlawed. (+5 Poltiical Support)
[]Limited Legalization: While the uptime War on Drugs was undoubtably a mistake and some fairly harmless substances should be legalized, it's still not a good idea to let any Downtimer decide to buy meth when someone pushes it on them. Especially undesirable would be someone getting those in other countries addicted to drugs in exchange for cheap goods, like some dark version of Victorian Britian. (+15 Political Support)
[]Moderate Export: While we obviously don't want to get the entire population of Egypt addicted to meth or anything, it's not like we should ban export of DMT or something to them if the local government is okay with it. The mass production of modafanil as a moderate preformace-increasing replacement for caffeine will also be pursued, both at home and abroad. (+15 Political Support)
[]Extensive Exports: Due to possible negative effects on productivity and mortality if we were to export massive amounts of certain drugs, we will not pursue those in particular, but there is no reason not to export some substances on the harder end, such as 2C-X derivatives, MDMA, and methaqualone. (+10 Political Support)
[]Unrestricted Exports: If the Egyptian nobility is foolish enough to work their peasants to the bone in order to buy more fentanyl, why not let their goods flow to us instead of Rhodes or New Tucson? Plus, our more advanced technical base will allow us to make more specialty goods for any customer's desires at a substantially higher margin. (+5 Political Support)
[]Differential Controls: While getting everyone we can outside of our country addicted to hard drugs while forbidding our citizens may seem unethical or unfair, but anything is justified if it makes the survival of the Revolution more likely. It will be illegal to sell amphetamines or opiods for non-medical use to our citizens, but it will be perfectly fine for us to export it abroad. (+5 Political Support)
Current Economic Issues:
Transportation: Sufficient,
Fuel: Sufficient
Steel: Surplus, demand rapidly increasing
Copper: Sufficient
Wood: Sufficient
Construction Materials: Sufficient
Electricity: Sufficient
Food: Sufficient
Cloth: Sufficient production
Rural labor (varies by season): Mostly free after September
Urban labor: Slight deficit in the Peloponnese, large surplus in the Liberated Territories
Literate workers: Sufficient
American educated workers: Surplus
total student slots: 18k+16k primary, 5k secondary, 0k tertiary
Consumer Goods: Sufficient
Ammonia: Surplus
agree to both, because the airforce massively out-qualities us, so we got to drown them in conscripts. new washington brings an experienced army while crete brings the actual navy and allows us to get apulia.
extensive exports because psychedelics and exctasy isn't that horrible, though mdma can be addictive, it isn't so morally reprehensible as to not wack the grain/cattle pinata that is egypt
we can make back the -5 ps disparity very easily with one project, too
I know this is a unfair take, but I find it hilarious that if the Popular Republic takes an official stance of deliberately trying to cause a drug epidemic in the Mediterranean, it actually makes the government more popular. More seriously, since most of the Narcotics Policy choices focus on exports, shouldn't they also have a +income effect?
I'm for agreeing to Both and Moderate Exports personally. The neutral effect on ps is nice but personally I just feel like exporting stuff like Molly isn't worth it.
I know this is a unfair take, but I find it hilarious that if the Popular Republic takes an official stance of deliberately trying to cause a drug epidemic in the Mediterranean, it actually makes the government more popular. More seriously, since most of the Narcotics Policy choices focus on exports, shouldn't they also have a +income effect?
less 'more popular' and more 'the council likes the idea'. and the policy won't give +income, it'll modify the income we get from the next stage of exports (as we start producing more drugs)
Limited Legalization is fine. In the short term there won't be enough of any of it for anyone to do real damage to society, and we are well set up to educate people on the risks at the harder end of the spectrum as well as cutting someone off if needed.
Also MDMA has some pretty extensive therapeutic uses which are actually easy to implement. With us having at least two major wars on the horizon, some returning veterans will really benefit from that, as will a bunch of the civilian populace.
As for Exports, I'm leaning towards Moderate but could be convinced for Extensive. With Coffee three years out in any real quantity, a new mild to moderate stimulant is helpful and will add to our trade income, as well as economic and military ability.
In the short term it will be very difficult for our ultimately limited export quantities to cause extensive harms anyway. Consuming recreational drugs on a daily or semi daily basis is the realm of the Bourgeoisie anyway, so do we really care if they spend more time high as a kite?
EDIT: As for Diplomacy, my real concern with Crete's demand is that they are asking us to go to war without putting in their own industry. By turn 18 we are going to be able to deploy a WW1ish Expeditionary Force at least 5000 strong with good supply lines since it's all Native made. And backed up by one or two Monitors on the naval side. In exchange we get some real allies sure, especially on the Naval side of operations, but Crete isn't bringing anything as substantial as we are. At least that I can see, unless I am grossly underestimating them.
If we got them into a tighter alliance and some policy changes I would be happier with it, but this smacks of them using us as shock troops. That could be ok in the long term, but in the long term we have some of, if not the outright best native industry in the world. Do we really need that if the cost is attacking before we can fully leverage those advantages and giving up a lot of the territory and population gains?
I'd be interested in hearing any arguments *not* to agree to both, for that vote. We were planning on fighting Rhodes anyway and we're interested in the Balkans (glorious glorious Bulgarian Anthracite) much more than Anatolia.
EDIT: As for Diplomacy, my real concern with Crete's demand is that they are asking us to go to war without putting in their own industry. By turn 18 we are going to be able to deploy a WW1ish Expeditionary Force at least 5000 strong with good supply lines since it's all Native made. And backed up by one or two Monitors on the naval side. In exchange we get some real allies sure, especially on the Naval side of operations, but Crete isn't bringing anything as substantial as we are. At least that I can see, unless I am grossly underestimating them.
If we got them into a tighter alliance and some policy changes I would be happier with it, but this smacks of them using us as shock troops. That could be ok in the long term, but in the long term we have some of, if not the outright best native industry in the world. Do we really need that if the cost is attacking before we can fully leverage those advantages and giving up a lot of the territory and population gains?
I mean Crete has a similar population to us and a decent sized army, but most of their focus is in the navy. They have the bigger Ironclad and a large navy, probably the biggest navy around. They're the ones going to be fighting the naval war against Rhodes, while we handle the Land side of things. Which I think reflects how things are divided up. We get the Zeroth Reich while Crete gets the islands.
Edit: And Long term, Crete's Navy should come in handy against the Air Force.
I'd be interested in hearing any arguments *not* to agree to both, for that vote. We were planning on fighting Rhodes anyway and we're interested in the Balkans (glorious glorious Bulgarian Anthracite) much more than Anatolia.
I am a bit cautious about recognizing New Washington's terms given that it means we recognize most of Anatolia as rightfully theirs. Even though we don't have any direct interest or claims on territory there, it may limit our ability for diplomacy with whatever groups or nations emerge after the chaos ends, since it might mean that we can't acknowledge them as independent states if they exist within New Washington's territorial claims.
I am a bit cautious about recognizing New Washington's terms given that it we recognize most of Anatolia as rightfully theirs. Even though we don't have any direct interest or claims on territory there, it may limit our ability for diplomacy with whatever groups or nations emerge after the chaos ends, since it might mean that we can't acknowledge them as independent states if they exist within New Washington's territorial claims.
Yeah, if we successfully beat the Air Force factions and the pirates on Rhodes? Then give us a few years and we could very well steamroll New Washington at our leisure.
I think it's less that they will never see it coming and more that they can't afford to refuse us at this point. They need all the help they can get. We are some of the only people with actual infrastructure and if we decide to send anything real their way they are basically screwed. But securing at least a nominal promise of mutual aid and some trade relations will help them stabilize themselves.
I mean, I said "a bit cautious". Given their current state of barely holding on the land they do actually control at the moment, I'm not that worried about them actually trying to start something, even post-war with the Vanguardists. I doubt they would actually kick up a fuss beyond a strongly worded letter as long as whatever statelet we're talking with isn't directly bordering them.
