Ok wow. That IS bad! That they'd only be an even fight against the Yavuz shows they're very bad indeed. Man, that is some ABYSMAL fire control design. Thank y'all for the OOC summary.
So then, the important question: Will TTL's Soviet fanboys in alt-World Of Warships be more or less insufferable with this out in the open?
Ok wow. That IS bad! That they'd only be an even fight against the Yavuz shows they're very bad indeed. Man, that is some ABYSMAL fire control design. Thank y'all for the OOC summary.
So then, the important question: Will TTL's Soviet fanboys in alt-World Of Warships be more or less insufferable with this out in the open?
Nah it wouldn't be an *even* fight, it'd just take way too long to resolve the battle. Ultimately the Soyuzes are faster than the Yavuz and have immunity from her 11 inch guns at all ranges while hitting back with 16 inch guns (admittedly not very good 16 inch guns, but still). As per Blackstar, the Soyuzes would be considered an "unsinkable fast super-dreadnought" by WW1 standards, so they'd definitely be able to dominate the Yavuz once they closed to knife fighting distances, and the last two Soyuzes might even be able to engage at a reasonable ranges for a 30s battleship!
Ok wow. That IS bad! That they'd only be an even fight against the Yavuz shows they're very bad indeed. Man, that is some ABYSMAL fire control design. Thank y'all for the OOC summary.
So then, the important question: Will TTL's Soviet fanboys in alt-World Of Warships be more or less insufferable with this out in the open?
Can only imagine it would be a meme ship,and that it gets its own yearly special mode were one team is just fishing boats and the other team is just a singular Soyuz.
Turn 83 (January 1st, 1972 - January 1st, 1973): All Quiet on Energy
Resources per Turn(RpY): Base 11020 -90 Rocketry -3920 Plan Commitments -70 Commitments Cost Increase = 6940 with 0 in storage
Internal Politics
With the effective conclusion of the Algerian war outside of partisan actions, the question of who was to blame immediately became the predominant question on the minds of everyone in the Supreme Soviet. Podgorny, who has tirelessly advocated for a position of limiting intervention has to an extent been caught out because of this, effectively taking the blame. His position on the matter has been that the intervention has only increased the number of arms in the region, committed to destabilization, and outside wartime impacts are unlikely to wear down the French. Ignoring the sheer error of that position, this has put him well outside the norm for the Supreme Soviet even if he has become far more responsible for being willing to take the floor as an outspoken pacifist.
Podgorny's actual influence on the conflict or the policies around it is practically negligible but this has not stopped his prolonged interrogation and attack by several members of the Supreme Soviet. The televised nature of matters did not help, as Podgorny has been seen as something of an outspoken pacifist who wished to surrender to literal colonialism rather than a more accurate or nuanced view. He is still in the Supreme Soviet and is expected to finish out his term, but the man or his supporters are unlikely to recover from the blow of being labeled as pro-French by several papers and even televised shows. This has upset the balance slightly with debates on the prosecution of the war where even Seymonov came out on the side of increased arms despite his more private tepid view on the conflicts.
For the average Soviet citizen though, the last few years have been one of the largest increases in living standards and wages, with the perception of the Voznesensky economic growth trickling down. The effective shortfall of labor has resulted in a strong increase in prices more than any accompanying economic policy, but the average citizen has seen a larger increase in wages than ever before. The effect has only been compounded by the comparative maturity of the consumer goods industries as after twenty years of production standards have increased to a point that while behind the best in the West, are still more than adequate to be competitive. Culturally the Youths have still gone towards strange trends, but the immediate pressures of the late sixties seem to have dissipated, allowing development to take the forefront.
Balakirev was insistent that the original wording was critical for the Supreme Soviet to pick up the report, but after a few hours of yelling was able to see some sense. Rewording it to focus on programs for the future along with offering a choice of several paths out of the crisis instead of presenting it as an insurmountable option has seen several see sense. The fact that many of the industries involved in building a way out of the energy crisis are politically connected has helped significantly, as more high-paid technical work and funding are expected to take the forefront of growth in the following years. Some of those on the outside have still called the report economic defeatism but a far wider degree of maneuvering has been allowed to accelerate the transition towards new energy sources.
Rocketry:
The light launcher program has been completed with few issues, effectively forming the Cyclone, a cheap rocket system that can be used to launch orbital payloads anywhere. Further, it has provisions for launch from railways allowing it an unparalleled degree of mobility for the launch of emergency orbital payloads. In practice the rocket has effectively allowed the continuation of the use of obsolete R16 hardware with an updated engine and avionics package, providing the capacity for low-weight specialty launches to orbits that are inconvenient for RLA's. The communication satellite program has also been transferred over to its use, as modern electronics have reduced weights enough to allow it while the specialty orbits needed for bulk communications limit the use of a monolithic bus.
Expanded launches of meteorological payloads have steadily shifted the focus of the program away from the original intent. The observation of temperatures across the entire column over the Atlantic and Pacific has steadily developed with only a few launches left to construct the full constellation required. Weather forecasting to a week out has significantly improved in accuracy as accurate pictures of storms and cloud formations have been made available across the entire Union and CMEA. Much of the information has further been shared with international partners, providing a unified grid of weather prediction and forecasting for more than a dozen nations.
With new spacewalks testing the modern Krechet suit has been conducted from the FGB-VA with an external operations airlock installed. The limitations of pre-breathing limit the advantages of the rear-entry design but assuming astronauts are pre-prepared for lower-pressure oxygen it still offers several advantages in sealing and joint durability compared to other programs. So far three spacewalks have been conducted based on a tether from the PKA-VA craft, externally surveying it and creating a notable photograph from inside the craft of a cosmonaut tapping on the window. Further missions are expected to use the capacity in a limited sense as the moon program the suit was originally developed for does not exist.
Restructuring of the outer planets program has seen radical changes made to the hardware to improve reliability and space launch capacity. The total overhaul has had several degrees of redundant systems enter development along with a more reliable power system capable of operating away from any contact for much of a decade. The Galileo program has further been chosen as the first test case for the new outer planetary unified bus as several of the systems need to be evaluated before being launched for an even longer mission. This will rush the development of some of the specific sensors and programs but the core of the craft and essential systems will be redundant and more than capable of the task.
With the funding of several viable nuclear systems, conventional straight fuel rods have been mostly dismissed from contention as the fabrication of new fuel elements will be required anyway. The funding has instead been allocated towards broader evaluations of more capable designs and what can be done with them. The most conventional design is by far a twisted ribbon design, improving propellent contact 2.5 fold compared to a conventional core. On the other end, there is significant promise from a pulsed design that allows propellant temperatures well above fuel element temperatures. A further issue has come up in that a minimum thrust of around 50kN will be required for enough flow for criticality at high efficiency along with ensuring that reflector mass does not excessively balloon.
[]Twisted Ribbon Design: The development of a 50kN rocket system capable of using twisted ribbon fuel elements will be prioritized as it is the most technically viable of the proposals. Keeping core-to-reflector weight ratios as efficient as possible will provide a drive capable of performing a planned hour-long burn for most orbital maneuvers on a conventional rocket platform without excessive compromise. Operational temperature limits will cap the system to 3100K wall temperature but that alone is expected to produce an efficiency above 900 seconds. (Keeps cost the same)
[]Hexogonal-Fin Design: Using large-scale fuel elements along with hexagonal drums surrounded by reflectors would inherently produce a less efficient design. One notable advantage of the more advanced arrangement would be a massive gain in thrust compared to any other nuclear rocket project. With a low-size core, a thrust of 150kN is expected for the smallest possible core that can be designed out of seven fuel elements and a copious amount of reflectors. Where the advantage of the design lies in that a strong amplification effect is expected to be possible with further weight advantages on the core, allowing the development of a theoretical 4000kN engine with a TWR over 20 in a hydrogen regime with 169 fuel elements providing a viable modification to the RLA base platform that can launch over 200 tons to orbit. (+5 RpT)
[]Pulsed Designs: Normal fissioning fuel elements have a yield primarily in thermal energy rather than neutrons but changing conditions can alter that. Focusing on heating fuel with prompt neutrons instead of direct heating will reduce the efficiency of the uranium fuel while massively improving propellant efficiency. Short propulsive pulses will allow a theoretical impulse of over two thousand seconds while degrading thrust. As an added advantage the flat fuel elements required can be used conventionally, forming a high thrust low-efficiency option comparable to a conventional nuclear rocket. (+5 RpT)
Free dice to allocate 4 Dice.
Infrastructure: (10) 3 Dice
[]Western Passenger Rail Expansion: Proposals for improving passenger rail access towards Sevastopol and several Northern cities were made in the original project, but were later dismissed. This program would be split into the construction of a loop originating from Leningrad and going to Moscow through a Volkhov-Cherpovets-Volgoda direction with a small diversion to Gorky. In the South, a route from Dneiprovetsk to Sevastopol can be made with the line itself continuing to Krasnodar to provide further interlinks. Both projects are far smaller-scale constructions than the system as is but will expand services and ensure that experience in the construction of new rail is maintained. (160 Resources per dice 0/150)
[]Far Eastern High Capacity Corridor: Extending the construction of a high-capacity road corridor out to the Far East has been proposed and now can finally come into being. As the population in the region is primarily located along a single corridor work can be done for effective regional interlinks in a single project. The road itself will be an expansion on past programs with a standard two lines on each side extended to Vladivostok. A diversion towards Komsomolsk will, of course, be constructed to ensure that this project represents the logical conclusion to the initial road program. (125 Resources per Dice 0/175)
[]Western Local Roads(Stage 1/2): With the completion of the primary road network the modernization of the rest of the Union's transportation can start at a large scale. The current system of local roads is adequate for primary areas with most traffic on paved roads and a few smaller and more rural areas depending on gravel. By committing to a large-scale program now the local road system can be overhauled and modernized, greatly increasing paved kilometers of road and enhancing travel in the most densely populated areas of the Union. The first stage of the program will ensure that all urban roads are modernized for all but the smallest towns with further funding reaching out to more remote areas of the countryside. (125 Resources per Dice 0/350)
[]Water Distribution Systems(Stage 8/10): With the provision of clean water to all but the smallest towns a far more involved further stage of the program must be undertaken. The question of sewage development has been delayed over and over for the better part of a decade as a secondary initiative compared to the provision of clean drinking water. Now that there is the funding and available political initiative to develop the sewage system, funding can be allocated to bring the Union to standards above that of the West. (160 Resources per Dice 16/400) (-18 CI1 Electricity)
[]Civilian Airports(Stage 3/5): Work on an enlarged system of airports has proven to be problematic as the immense promises of the HSR system have only applied West of the Urals. Building up more airports for remote destinations and areas outside the grid is immensely necessary to ensure the regularity of passenger flights and continue the general development of the Union. Many are willing to take the slow line across the entire nation to travel, but vacation days are limited. Business integration severely benefits from a developed air-transportation system allowing for faster meetings and significant improvements in organization. Mail delivery can also be sped up considerably as the air service is expanded, bringing far faster delivery times to every corner of the Union. (120 Resources per Dice 30/125)
[]ESA: Improving ministry capacity has always been politically challenging, but with the incorporation of several of the latest machines a narrowing of personnel is possible. The full digitization of records remains impossible but several aspects can be improved. Calculating power will be made universally available through the procurement of a massive number of desktop units, automating significant amounts of labor. Further work towards improving the ministry will involve the purchase of almost ten thousand facsimile machines. These will primarily take over from the old system of sending letters, enabling every branch of the ministry to work more efficiently. (200 Resources per Dice 78/250) (Gain of Dice)
Heavy Industry (16) 10 Dice
[]Kursk Steel Mills(Stage 2/2): The maximalization of the KMA represents the last high-yield easy iron ore that can be domestically brought into exploitation and extraction. There are lower-grade deposits scattered all over the Union but soon enough further expansions to the steel industry will take imports of ore. The current mills are expected to form an expanded metallurgical complex on the site, increasing the production of steel and supplying the rapidly growing Western automotive industry. Shipbuilding is expected to further increase demand for steel as the Union grows, with more production necessary to keep domestic prices stable. (200 Resources per Dice 86/200) (-32 CI6 Electricity -9 Steel +2 Coal +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Donets Coal Basin Mechanization: Planned developments of the Donets basin have been modernized and rationalized to enable a massive increase in coal yields through the incorporation of specialized machinery. More trained personnel can be moved into the industry allowing for a general increase in development and allowing for the far more optimal exploitation of narrow deep seams. There isn't much more potential the basin itself can yield, but it can be made to serve to at least carry the Union over for a few years until cheaper coal is available. (175 Resources per Dice 61/125) (-17 CI2 Electricity -8 Coal -1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Kuzbas Deposit Exploitation(Stage 4/5): The challenges of mining coal in narrower seams and at greater depths are ones that many of the personnel working on the current projects are familiar with. Previous experiences in the Donbas mines have gone both deeper and for narrower seams and current operations are considerably easier. The limitations of underground coal extraction are still significant as the labor demand is far higher than other methods. Production can still be significantly expanded with a healthy reserve but limits of economic extraction are still approaching. (120 Resources per Dice 8/200) (-48 CI6 Electricity -12 Coal +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Kansk-Achinsk Basin Exploitation(Stage 3/5): Semicoke production is at this point a mature technology for the processing of sub-anthracitic coals and can be implemented without significant issues. The heaviest hardware will have to be deployed to further increase production but that is also a mostly solved problem for the extraction of coal. Much of the yields are too poor for direct metallurgical use but the simple production of tar-bound briquettes through a unified process eliminates most of the issues inherent to coal production. Gasification experiments are expected to start for further use in the chemical industry, but those are expected to be of secondary priority. (150 Resources per Dice 19/150) (-54 CI3 Electricity -12 Coal +1 General Labor)
[]Atomash(Stage 1/3): The development of a dedicated center of reactor manufacturing has been theorized through much of the past plan with little concrete work done on development. Now that the nation has mobilized massive industrial and technical resources the project itself can be made into a reality. The plant itself is meant for the series assembly line production of VVER-1000 cores along with several facilities for the production of associated turbines and machinery. The project represents one of the largest economic investments and is going to be definitive for the economy of Rostov. Initial production lots will take at least two years to improve production to scale from completion with current plans calling for the capacity to produce four nuclear cores per year. (300 Resources per Dice 82/300) (-104 CI10 Electricity +2 Steel +1 Non-Ferrous +2 Educated Labor)
[]Kiev Machine Building Plant: With the collapse of Gorky and the distribution of equipment across the enterprises the nation still faces a partial crisis in the form of tooling production. Domestic production for the lower end is more than sufficient but machinery for heavier industrial lines along with supporting production is still inadequate. Moving considerable funding towards expanding local production and ensuring that general-purpose heavy tooling is made at scale will be essential for further expansions of heavy industry. The steel and coal industry are not slowing down any time soon and a continued production of new equipment will be essential to keep both modern and expanding. (300 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-52 CI8 Electricity +2 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Cost Changes)
[]Saratov Machine Building Plant: Petrochemical extraction has only gotten more complex in the last decade with simpler drilling rigs becoming both outdated and inefficient. Rather than resorting to an increase in secondary recovery techniques, deals can be made with the Americans to import both expertise and technologies for increasing oil extraction. The industry itself is considered to be secondary to direct defense applications and the current relations offer a window where some technical exchanges can be conducted. The item most of interest is the production of new generation slant drilling equipment along with expertise in its operation, as domestic production will be able to learn important lessons and develop its innovative industry in the field. (300 Resources per Dice 99/150) (-46 CI5 Electricity +2 Steel +1 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Cost Changes)
[]Tupolev Factory Expansion: With the rapid development of the aviation sector the question of actually producing enough new airframes has been raised several times. Previous airframes have derived from older bomber airframes eliminating several sources of issues but a new mass complex for the production of aircraft is needed. Tupolev currently is the most likely to push both new models of the plane into mass production, ensuring that any provided financial support is rapidly returned. Domestic lines will be rapidly scaled and iterated to provide enough airframes to start replacing il-16 derivatives in the current service and relegate the plane to mail service and secondary military roles. (250 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-62 CI4 Electricity +3 Non-Ferrous +2 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Baltic Sea Shipyards: With the critical importance of the Northern trade corridor the Union must keep up with the West on the development of heavier modular container ships. Current yards have been constructing vessels capable of matching the performance of some smaller ships while building experience but far larger and more capable ships are needed. The restrictions of the Panama Canal cannot yet be overtaken and likely should not, but heavier shipping can be built. A new standardized design for ships of up to thirty thousand tons deadweight and the capacity to carry three thousand standardized containers. Production is expected to start in short order, ensuring that the Union can stay independent on shipping tonnage. (200 Resources per Dice 0/250) (-46 CI4 Electricity +4 Steel +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Black Sea Shipyards: The more developed black sea shipbuilding complex has historically formed a core of production for the riverine network and several lighter vessels. Adapting the local labor there for the production of several heavier craft along with a new generation of diesel barges is expected to reduce costs and expand domestic productive capacity. The local yards are mostly adequate and contain some of the largest concentrations of trained workers for the production of new vessels. Current plans call for a near-doubling of production for riverboat tonnage along with a focus on producing bulk haulers capable of carrying non-containerized exports overseas. (240 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-54 CI4 Electricity +4 Steel +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Volga Automotive Plant Modernization: New technologies promise to utterly revolutionize car manufacturing to a never-before-seen scale. A unified moving line with the semi-autonomous addition of components alone promises to greatly improve throughput with tooling continuously improved to keep costs as low as possible. Local labor is now sufficiently experienced for massive expansions allowing skilled workers to take the lead on new developments. Large-scale industrial robotics has already been pioneered in the West making current programs essential to close the gap. (250 Resources per Dice 0/175) (-74 CI3 Electricity +5 Steel +1 Petrochemicals +2 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Gorky Automotive Plant Modernization: With a specialization in the production of different models of cars and providing direct competition to VAZ, the modernization of the Gorky plant is also essential. Industrial automation is expected to significantly improve production with a new generation of cars already developed incorporating several major improvements. A strong increase in automotive manufacturing in Gorky is expected to help local employment, providing tens of thousands of high-paying jobs with new automated lines. (250 Resources per Dice 145/175) (-79 CI5 Electricity +5 Steel +1 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]ZIL Automotive Plant Modernization: The luxury car mix of the Union has always been more of a light sports car than a true luxury car, but neither production nor demand has slackened. Massively expanding the factories around Moscow and introducing new industrial automation promises to greatly increase throughput and allow the adoption of new advanced construction techniques. The plant itself is technically smaller than either of the two major plants but the vehicles produced are expected to have far greater returns. (250 Resources per Dice 0/160) (-68 CI5 Electricity +3 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +1 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
Rocketry (4) 3 Dice (Cannot Use Free Dice)
[]Cancel Project (5<Projects<10, -1 Dice) (90/125 R/y Funding Cap)
-Mars Program (-10 RpY) Constant Program, Rover Focused
-Communication Satellites (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-Atmospheric Data Satellite Program (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-FGB-VA Crewed Exploration (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-2nd Gen Luna Program (-20 RpY) Constant Program
-Outer Planets Program (-15 RpY) Active Phase finished 1979
-Galileo Program (-5 RpY) Active Phase finished 1973
-Mercury Program (-5 RpY)
-Nuclear Drive Program (-10 RpY) ??
[]Inflatable Section Experiments: Launching an FGB-VA with the VA vehicle carrying an inflatable habitable section on its adaptor can prove the concept for future orbital work. The effective section itself will be a balloon designed to provide expansive living space for a theoretical crew with the conditions inside measured and monitored. If the test system works it can form a basis for the development of more advanced habitats, saving launch weight for a station program and enabling the construction of far larger experimental setups. Further, if the concept proves viable larger structures along the lines of centrifuges can be built to allow for more permanent orbital habitation in a decade. (-5 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Station Program: The development of long habitation stations is something that the Union is significantly behind in compared to the Americans. The current expanded RLA-PKA system has functioned for performing experiments of up to a month in duration but the module itself is comparatively cramped and cannot perform the full functions expected of a longer duration station. Designing a single rendezvous capable module launched by the RLA-3 and with significant internal volume will provide a massive expansion to capability and open the door to hundreds of new experiments. (-20 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]RLA Block Modernization: The RLA has served well in its role as the primary launch vehicle for the space program but it can still be refined. Continued technical work on the single core configuration along with the lengthening of engines can allow it to carry more weight into orbit on the same production machinery. Further, a modernization of avionics promises to both improve reliability and enhance the precision of orbital launches. The largest of the improvements is the provision for an expanded six-meter fairing, allowing previously impossibly sized payloads to be carried to orbit. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Superheavy RLA: With the strong demands placed on the station program and the possibility of resuming manned expeditions to the moon in the next decade a new generation of heavy rockets is necessary. Starting design work will involve the development of a new rocket core capable of prolonged payload launches while using RLA modules effectively as booster stages. Proposals for the new craft range from nuclear core stages to high-power hydrogen engines, but design work must start now if we wish to launch a lunar expedition anywhere near the end of the decade. (-15 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Hydrogen Engine Program: Closed-cycle hydrogen engines have been developed as a part of the RLA program but the inherent limitations of the expander cycle severely limit how much thrust they can yield. Starting a specialized program for the development of a true closed-cycle high-power hydrogen engine capable of delivering at least four MN of thrust is the current design goal. This would allow its use on the first stage of several proposed new-generation launches and utterly revolutionize the launch of payloads to orbit and beyond. (-5 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Orbital Telescope Program: With the capacity of the RLA for heavier launches a larger orbital telescope system can be launched to upstage the Americans. The plan calls for the development and launch of a heavy UV band telescope system able to observe space with far greater precision than American attempts. The primary goal of the program will be the discovery and analysis of new stars, as the field has so far been limited to either light orbital telescopes or terrestrial systems. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Reusable Launchers: The initial MKAS program following the PKA was dismissed by Glushko as an impossible engineering nightmare but it can still be resumed for the sake of providing a lighter launch vehicle. Using long-burning hydrogen engines along with a reusable launcher attached to a drop tank will improve launch capacity and especially if paired with a carrier aircraft reduce costs. The technologies for the project itself are available today with the only issue being the degree of complicated engineering work. It is believed to be possible that some form of the MKAS concept could be launched in the decade allowing space to be opened to low-cost space launch. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Bulk Launch Methods: The rocket has historically been the only way that payloads and humans have gotten into space, but several other concepts deserve exploration. Everything from structural and design elevations on orbital cable elevators to rocket sleds must be considered. This program itself is only expected to be theoretical and focused on making designs for the possibility along with several small-scale models for scientific viability. Some plans have already been dismissed but investing in the future potential of orbit and easy delivery to space has always been a cornerstone of the program. (-5 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
Light Industry (6) 6 Dice
[]Air Conditioner Plants(Stage 6/8): Further expansions to the conditioner program are expected to prove instrumental in increasing production and ensuring that older housing can be modernized with new equipment. Current rates of homebuilding are only accelerating through the state program and almost all new conditioning production is going to the current program. Continuing a wave of aggressive expansions will normalize demand in the non-state sector and ensure a steady modernization of much of the old housing stock. Even an obsolete apartment can be made comfortable with renovation and temperature control, providing an acute improvement to people's quality of life. (140 Resources per Dice 6/225) (-60 CI6 Electricity +2 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor)
[]Light Home Appliance Plants: Electrical vacuum cleaners and a new generation of heavy appliances are needed to meet the expanding boom in apartments and the demand for more advanced goods. Production of further items has steadily increased in the last few years but by providing seed capital for more new companies an increase in availability and internal competition can induce a general drive towards product improvements. Founding almost a dozen smaller plants to produce specialty equipment and house tools necessary for daily tasks can serve to make the market more competitive and bring more engineers into the system. (150 Resources per Dice 0/125) (-30 CI5 Electricity +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Mixed Textile Industries(Stage 1/3): Expanding the production of mixed textile fabrics with incorporations of both synthetic and natural fibers is essential for raising domestic standards. The current clothing production is adequate to meet the needs of Soviet consumers but far larger plants are required to keep up with demand. Current inventories of clothing are limited in design and type with only a few dozen enterprises dominating much of the market segment. By developing several new specialized enterprises for the production of a new generation of clothing products the demand for synthetic fibers can be increased while improving domestic clothing inventories. (150 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-38 CI5 Electricity +3 Petrochemicals +3 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Expanded Paper Industries: Demand for paper goods has been mostly adequately met in the last decade as incentive funds have strongly improved production. Further funding efforts are still necessary to maintain low prices and stocks of all types of paper goods both for semi-permanent and immediate consumption. Increasing the scope of production will effectively copy over several luxury products that have remained the focus of the private sector and incorporate them into state circulation. Further, increasing the number of paper mills themselves will likely reduce commodity prices and allow for further development. (160 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-24 CI3 Electricity +1 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Engineered Wood Production: Developing more advanced processing methodologies for wood products has been instrumental in improving furniture production. Composite and reinforced wood have solved several issues involving insect attacks and offer a stronger and more consistent construction material. Increased logging programs will accompany an expansion of chemical industry feedstocks to provide for the new industry. Initial production lots are expected to be used only in specialty production but the technology will likely spread to the furniture industry well before the end of the plan. (120 Resources per Dice 0/175) (-32 CI4 Electricity +2 Petrochemicals +2 General Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Color Television Modernization: Cheap and economical color television systems have entered production around the world with a fairly rapid changeover from black and white sets. Current industry standards call for mixed production with the domestic market currently split but modernization can be undertaken to standardize production towards more advanced models. Broadcasting standards have long been updated now only needing a few production modernizations to decisively leave black-and-white television in the past. (180 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-52 CI6 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Second Generation Calculators: As chips have rapidly modernized and previous assumptions on the density of circuits have proven entirely erroneous further modernizations have been demanded for the calculator industry. A true pocket calculator can be made with few issues as high power batteries and sufficiently efficient circuits can be produced. The processing unit for the new calculators is effectively expected to be in the form of a single integrated circuit eliminating size, power use, and consolidating thousands of transistors to a single chip. (200 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-22 CI2 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Chemical Industry (12) 11 Dice
[]Gas Infrastructure: The massive Eastern gas fields are stuck with an inadequate connection towards the west with a new pipeline essential for keeping up with the demand. Construction needs to start in the short term as future production increases will be necessary to keep pace with the demands of the power industry. The line itself will focus on the primary route with fields built up and attached later as they are developed. Current pipelines will effectively be built around a high-diameter new system spanning from East to West to supply an increasing gas fraction across the Volga region and Moscow. (120 Resources per Dice 0/150)
[]West Siberian Petroleum Fields(Stage 2/6): Now that initial settlement has established several northern communities further extraction of oil can continue. The Union's demand for petroleum has at the current moment been fulfilled but it is expected to strongly increase over the current plan. Expanded drilling programs are going to be needed to keep the Union supplied with enough fuel to continue economic growth as energy markets make up an essential part of any economic increase. Current drilling programs call for a general increase in the number of wells drilled, providing gains to production at a comparatively mild cost increase as the technology is long-proven. (120 Resources per Dice 75/125) (-29 CI6 Electricity -8 Petroleum Fuels +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Volga-Ural Petroleum Modernization: Gains in the Volga-Ural deposits are expected to increasingly become more complex as easier oils have already been drilled with hydroflooding encouraged to increase yields. Providing more funding for the development of deeper wells along with increasing the recovery fraction of oils that lack conventional gas caps will be expensive and an inherently technical endeavor but it can be done. The Volga-Ural fields still have significant deposits available for extraction and while not the most economical it will still likely operate at a bare profit in current conditions. (180 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-40 CI6 Electricity -6 Petroleum Fuels +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Plastic Industries(Stage 3/5): The demand for conventional and harder plastic fibers has strongly increased in the last year with the industry fully coming into its own. Current decisive production increases are to focus on the production of more conventional chlorinated plastics for use in several applications. The improved chemical and physical durability of PVC has rendered it a preferred composition for several components and the current balance of PE and PP are technically in excess. More production will still be needed in a year or two, but there is some time for that. (200 Resources per Dice 126/250) (-60 CI5 Electricity +2 Petroleum Fuels -6 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Pharmaceutical Industry Modernization: The development of large quantities of new medications along with consistent breakthroughs in medical practice brought on through both licensing and expanded training have demanded a modernization of industry. Domestic production is still sufficient for now but far more production is needed to compensate for their expanding use to avoid imports. Domestic stocks of specialty medications have always been questionable but with current initiatives that can be addressed. Several licenses will have to be purchased and will be dependent on the diplomatic situation, leaving the industry in a questionable state depending on American positions. (240 Resources per Dice 0/175) (-42 CI6 Electricity -1 Petrochemicals +2 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Stabilization of Agrochemicals(Stage 1/2): Third-generation pesticides have made agriculture safer and cleaner than it has ever historically been. Precision destruction of insect hormonal systems allows for a near elimination of toxicity for farmers along with improved consumer safety. Improved targeting with highly specific auxin growth regulators promises to improve the precision of herbicidal agents along with several compounds specifically made to target broadleaf weeds. Increasing production of both will be a significant process but it can be done and will be essential to ensure that the agricultural sector can move away from more dangerous and less effective compounds. (180 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-49 CI5 Electricity +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Alternative Reactor Programs(Stage 1/2): The blunt reality is that the current nuclear industry is not able to supply enough reactors quickly enough for any large-scale construction plan. Even in an ideal world conventional water reactors have an involved manufacturing process that needs massive quantities of specialized equipment. Instead of focusing on more complex cores, effective light industries for the production of a channel-type reactor can be developed. The army has considerable experience with their operation, allowing the rapid increase in production and utilization. This would effectively use standard components from other power applications along with high-pressure piping, allowing it to be made in comparatively low-cost facilities. (200 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-35 CI2 Electricity +2 Steel +1 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Synthetic Rubber Plants(Stage 4/4): The production of synthetic rubber has increased massively in just a year with many of the plants still being established and likely to be established through the course of the current plan. Providing more funding will ensure that the industry can continue to expand rapidly but it is unlikely to provide many immediate effects in the course of this plan. The program itself would contribute more towards the rapid expansion of existing enterprises, raising rubber production and funding several more experimental programs for newer blends of rubber. (180 Resources per Dice 2/150) (-32 CI3 Electricity -4 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Agriculture (6) 4 Dice
[]Domestic Meat Programs(Stage 4/10): Increasing the density of chicken production while animal stocks are steadily increased for further efforts. Continued improvements in sourcing and efficiency of feeds along with the steady gains in weight per hen are expected to steadily improve the efficiency of the entire meat sector. Funding is still necessary to ensure that the average Soviet worker can eat chicken every day, but with every step of the program that approaches ever closer. Drives towards improved feeds for improving the rate of bird survival and more advanced veterinary sciences have already improved yields. By expanding the general industry and standardizing them, further gains can be made. (120Resources per Dice 12/200) (-26 CI1 Electricity +2 General Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Payments for Land Diversion: If control over planting is going to be delegated out to the farms, mechanisms to still produce desired outcomes can be implemented through the market system. Effectively paying farmers to keep a portion of fields fallow and rotated out while avoiding massive intensification of chemical products can provide some easy returns. This will cost the state money and be a further handout to the enterprises but at least land management outcomes can be improved. (140 Resources per Dice 0/125)
[]Intensification of Central Asian Agriculture: With the immense water resources available to the Kyzylorda region, further increases in its agricultural potential can be undertaken. Conventional vegetable agriculture can be moved there along with several more thermally delicate crops that would be grown elsewhere. The increasing use of water is expected to be supplied by the newly controlled river system, effectively providing infinite hydrological resources. Increasing local production can be done based on cheap labor, saving state funds and allowing them to be focused on domestic luxury production. (120 Resources per Dice 0/150) (High Profitability)
[]Development of the Middle Volga: Irrigation in the great bend of the Volga has historically been inconsistent and problematic but with the additional flow of water south significant improvements can be made. Direct control of water levels up north is expected to stabilize agricultural yields and eliminate any dry years in the basin improving Soviet agriculture. Current efforts will focus on the increasing allocation of water and the use of more intensive irrigation allowing a final decisive separation from the climate issues that have historically plagued local agriculture. (120 Resources per Dice 0/200) (High Profitability)
[]Development of the Southern Volga: The parched steppe to the South of Stalingrad has historically been marginally developed despite the favorable climate leaving useless wetlands in the far south along with a narrow green band. Diverting local water resources to local terrain would open new prime agricultural land, taking advantage of more consistent river flows to improve the production of several specialty goods. Regional development of water resources is expected to start the transformation of the region, allowing a strong increase in local production along with a general increase in fruit production. (120 Resources per Dice 0/150) (High Profitability)
[]Water Management Programs: Officially admitting that water resources are limited and that no radical programs are coming to solve the problem is a monumental step. Limiting water itself is an open question and is almost certainly politically impossible but simple hardening and ensuring that catchment basins can be preserved can slow down the losses. An assessment of current irrigation works can be started to pioneer methods of reducing evaporation and increasing retention. Water savings are unlikely to reach even a fifth of required standards but buying more time for more effective measures is still worthwhile. (120 Resources per Dice 120/300)
Services (10) 3 Dice
[]Transportation Enterprises(Stage 3/5): Continuing the large-scale drive towards improving the transportation industry will be essential for continuing economic development. Previous programs have considerably improved transportation, reducing overall prices and stimulating the private sector. Increasing the scope of the program and integrating it with a general stores program can provide further improvements of transportation capacity all at the cost of founding some small enterprises. Continued truck imports are going to be needed to keep pace, but the funding exists to more than complete the program. (180 Resources per Dice 7/200) (+3 Petroleum Fuels +3 General Labor) (Stage 3 Max until Central Asian high capacity roads completed) (Very High Profitability)
[]Expanding Preparation Schools: Those going into university from a suboptimal educational background or general tracks have only steadily expanded in recent years. With the pressure to improve education, the question of sufficient preparation for entrance exams is pertinent and essential for improving student achievement. Taking over partially from the private sector several programs in mathematics and sciences can be started to allow more motivated students to improve their educations and compensate for poor previous performance in placements. The majority of institutions will run on the weekends and during the summer, providing opportunities and reducing scheduling conflicts. (100 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-8 CI2 Electricity +2 Educated Labor)
[]Development of Population Services: The rural workers have considerably been under-served by developments in population services and that to an extent can be reversed. Funding for the location of minor legal offices and several more bureaucratic services can be provided to enable the coverage of small towns. Local transportation capability is still severely limited restricting the efficiency of both construction and coverage but it must be done to provide basic services. Transportation and telephone integration is expected to somewhat compensate for lower density but that has left the program expensive and arguably inefficient. (120 Resources per Dice 0/250) (-12 CI2 Electricity +3 Educated Labor)
[]Town-Market Construction: Building up specialized stores for services towards the smallest towns represents a previously unconsidered logistical challenge. Local forms of production are still significant with the movement of goods limited by the lack of roads and density. Continued funding work can start towards increasing access to goods through subsidizing small retailers in a state-run model. Most will sell gasoline, diesel, and a few basic goods but that in itself will significantly improve commerce. Increased accessibility will allow money to be spent locally, boosting development. (115 Resources per Dice 0/125) (+2 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Localized Transport Services: The development of localized bus networks has been deprioritized due to the state of roads but that can be more than fixed. Committing a massive quantity of funding towards establishing regional and local bus lines to enable low-density commuting is an essential priority. Effective transportation to and from most remote villages will be the priority along with some expansions in local transit. For smaller locations, just a single looping route will be established but for those approaching the size of a city, a fully interconnected system can be made. The actual buses will only cover the fares cost with some loss expected but economically stimulating effects will more than compensate. (140 Resources per Dice 139/200) (+2 Petroleum Fuels +2 General Labor)
Bureaucracy (8) 3 Dice (Supsov Selections marked by (Supreme Soviet))
Pension Modernization: Updating the pension system has always been an inherently political and challenging matter with the current changes to the Supreme Soviet it has been made something of a priority. Current pensions have been stagnant for a prolonged period, limiting the spending of pensioners and providing little benefits. Current plans call for the integration of pensioners into basic allowances for food, ensuring that spending directly enhances domestic production and provides a universally stimulating effect on the economy. (1 Dice) (Supreme Soviet)
Restructuring of the Passport System: Programs for internal movement have been formally deregulated for the last twenty years with only local services in the largest cities limited. Instead of focusing on the access to services requiring a complex system of internal passports a far simpler unified system has been proposed. A single card with a database of numbers for ease of identification is to be steadily made compulsory for all citizens with address information for ease of access. This is expected to provide easy identification and would fully reform the internal ID system away from the use of more cumbersome passports. (1 Dice) (Supreme Soviet)
Dedicate Focus Towards a Project(Pharmaceutical Industry Modernization): (1 Dice) (+15 per dice) (Balakirev) (Unrolled)
[]Dedicate Focus Towards a Project(): (1 Bureau Dice for +5 per dice on a project, +15 in services) (Unrolled)
[]Labor Cost Adjustments: Labor cost increases are only expected to increase as the Union continues its drive towards modernization leaving several sectors of the economy growing more expensive. Measures to control costs will have to be taken to provide for low-cost construction labor if development is to continue at the same pace. A full currency revaluation is beyond the scope of ability either politically or economically but several softer measures can be implemented. Reducing same-job cost increase maximums can allow current growth in labor costs to be slowed and improve the dynamism of labor by encouraging varied employment. (1 Dice)
[]Encourage Domestic Currency Reform: The current dual currency system with an effective external Euro is to be implemented in the immediate near future, but the domestic side needs reform as well. As a unified external exchange currency is forming for the entirety of European CMEA, domestic currency consolidation can be undertaken. Working with the Ministry of Finance a plan for the unification of the domestic and foreign Ruble can be undertaken to simplify finance and lower level exchange. The program itself will take negotiation to pass but it will ensure that the Union is prepared for the implementation of a more international external currency. (1 Dice)
[]Fuel Oil Reduction Plans: Eliminating the use of high-viscosity fuel oils in power production will take time, but as a measure, it can reduce the impact on the petrochemical industry. The heaviest of oils effectively require heavy refining to be made into use-able fractions but they still can be at affordable rates. Current coal power stations that are running on fuel oils will be presented with a plan for use reduction to eliminate its use by 1980. Accompanying programs for its cracking and refinement will be put underway to finalize the transition away from wasteful uses of limited oil. (1 Dice) (+2 Coal Use until 1980, Two -6 Petroleum Fuel Projects Available)
[]Housing Sector Reform: Current housing allocations are effectively subsidized but with the demand for housing increasing strongly there are few options for citizens to obtain a specific apartment or housing style. Organizing a special commission for housing and allowing citizens to directly fund future housing by being placed on the waiting list will be established. Those participating will be committed to a five-year contract that would effectively pay for the cost of construction, allowing those on the wait-list to effectively fund their housing without needing to gather capital resources. (1 Dice)
[]Minimal Ecological Standards: Most industries have effectively followed the loosest ecological standard leaving several limitations. The river fisheries have shown a strong decline across the Eastern basins, pushing the industry into a decline. Catfish populations have done well, but they are some of the few that have done well. Further, increased construction of hydrological cascades has limited local production, concentrating runoff to unsafe levels in some reservoirs. Working to update these standards and eliminate toxic runoff will be politically challenging, but can be enforced as a bare minimum. (1 Dice)
[]Educational Attainment Reforms: Current problems in education have shown themselves with almost an eighth of Soviet Students unable to progress adequately in a standard program despite their best attempts. Most of these students are trying their best but need special instruction unavailable in conventional tracks. By establishing the guidelines for a secondary track and encouraging several schools to offer it, some of the problems can be addressed. This is only an initial reform and one that is to be done without much additional funding, but if it works the model can be applied at a far larger scale. (1 Dice)
[]Restructuring Bonus Allocations: The allocation of bonuses for worker performance has always been done at the managerial level but further efforts to improve allocations can be undertaken. Recentralizing the control of allocation towards lower level management for individual workers along with enforcing performance rating schemes can provide for a more dynamic and efficient environment. This will effectively decentralize the scheme along with implementing a formal rating system for most state enterprises ensuring that the most productive workers are compensated for their work. Bonus pay will further be publicized to ensure that rewards are fair and transparent, improving the worker's view of the system and eliminating any criticism of its allocation. (1 Dice)
[]Enterprise Benefits: Allowing enterprises to offer expanded benefits can be a means of reducing direct labor price raises while continuing to expand services. An enterprise partnering with state services at a larger scale can allow some savings to be provided along with ensuring that job offers are not a direct competition of funding. The largest factor of these is likely to be canteen costs being deferred along with partnerships with local businesses to provide services to workers for free. Little reductions are expected from a full passage but even a tiny reduction in labor costs is an improvement to economic efficiency. (1 Dice)
Current Economic Prices(Domestic/CMEA/International): (How this will work is that every action above except for electricity modifies the internal price of the commodities below. They also vary on their own and are sorted into abstracted 1-100 ranges. Modifiers from the rest of your economy are displayed below with each category of goods. When you shift between 20-sized ranges, there can be significant modifiers to the general economy that come from changing prices of core commodities. CMEA prices determine the price in CMEA, though transportation of goods will be a problem with international prices representative of the West.)
Coal Price (54/39/63) Strong Import (41-60 No Effect)
+9 CPSC Power Plants
+2 Western Deposit Depletion
-1 Nuclear Power (1970-1974)
-0 Net Civilian Spending
Steel: (28/38/60) Massive Export (21-40 -20 RpD Infrastructure, Increased HI Growth)
+1 Construction Industry Expansions
+2 Net Civilian Spending
Non-Ferrous: (51/57/50) (41-60 No Effect)
-3 Hydroelectric Cascades(Until 1974)
+2 Net Civilian Spending
Petroleum Fuels: (27/35/36) (Sole Exporter/Modifying CMEA Prices) (21-40 Strong Increase in Economic Growth, Fuel Use, and Chemical Development)
+7 Net Civilian Spending
+3 Fields Depletion
-1 Field Modernization
Petrochemicals: (32/42/39) Moderate Export (21-40 Massive Demand Increase, LI Growth Increase, Mild CI Growth Increase, and Strong Plastic Use Increase)
+6 Net Civilian Spending
General Labor: (43/25/71) (41-50 Slight Increase to Domestic Demand +10 RpD Universal)
+5 Net Civilian Spending
-17 New Graduates
-1 Rural Transfers
-2 Immigration
Educated Labor: (52/37/77) Moderate Imports (51-60 Slight Increase to Domestic Demand, Mild Reduction to Domestic Competitiveness, Project Cost Increases)
+3 Net Civilian Spending
-8 New Graduates
-2 Immigration
Electricity: 286 CI 18
+631 Plan Programs
-290 CI20 Net Civilian Spending(Expected to Rapidly Increase)
Housing Construction Efforts: Expanding the pace of the housing program to ensure that the new generation can receive up-to-date housing along with improving the general state of housing is considered something of a priority. A full-scale decisive program is not required in that as an investment housing can be comparatively deprioritized compared to economic gains, but it can still be made better. Continued financial efforts will allow for the acceleration of construction to meet the demands of the rising population with a strong increase in per-family rooms along with a reduction in the age of construction. (-5 Infra Dice -480 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (Reduction in Communal and Barracks Housing Forms to 8% of the adult non-student population by 1970) (Stage 5 Air Conditioning required by 1973)
Rail Electrification: Massive savings in the operation of electric locomotives have already shown themselves as grid stability has improved but the technology is still new and untested at scale. Focusing programs towards the electrification of cargo rails along the trans-siberian and working on ensuring that the primary corridors for bulk freight are electrified will provide the largest returns for the least investment. The current plan effectively calls for main cargo lines to the east to be electrified with a line from Moscow to Leningrad and Rostov joining the campaign to ease the transport of goods. (-1 Infra Dice 140 RpY) (Estimated 60 RpY Return)
Amu Darya and Syr Danya Hydroelectric Cascades: Politically contentious with the local people though pushed for hydrological stabilization by engineers and politicians at all levels, authorizing development is expected to significantly increase water accessibility and local energy generation. The program towards constructing new dams and enhancing the industrial development of the Central Asian republics is expected to fix water availability issues and provide a cheap basis for hydroelectricity that has been ignored by past administrations. Relocations will involve several sizable towns being moved to allow for the path of the dams and a minor cutback in the scale of the project. Despite that though, the developing water situation is only expected to worsen in the next few years, requiring redirection and ensuring that nature is finally directed towards humanist ends. (+60 Electricity -3 Non-Ferrous per Year until 1974)
Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk Hydroelectric Zone: With lagging iron mining and the lack of development across the Union, building a new high-potential electrical and industrial zone to augment the general plan can be a major asset. The Bakchar deposit represents some of the largest reserves of iron ore available to the Union and its development will enable a further increase in conventional industry and steel production. The zone itself is mostly swampy and poorly inhabited, limiting the costs of relocating people and ensuring that development can proceed without issue. Some local aluminum plants in both Omsk and Irkutsk are expected to be founded, ensuring that power supplies are available and ensuring that the Union can keep up with the West in the production of Aluminum. (-3 Infra Dice -300 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (+45 Electricity -1 Non-Ferrous per Year 1974-1979) (Three -10 Steel Steel mills available 1974) 300 TWh, do math
Power Plant Construction(Nuclear VVER-500): With the finalization of the construction program for the initial VVER-500 cores over twenty reactors have been constructed or are in construction. These have steadily taken on the role of grid heating along with providing significant amounts of urban power, rapidly solving energy issues. Fuel production for the cores has been developed near sites of intensive uranium production allowing a constant influx of power. The modernization of more general heating systems along with the number of cores has each of the sites serving as an effective training area for the reactor operators of the future. (-1 HI Dice -300 RpY) (36 Electricity -1 Coal per Year until 1974)
Power Plant Construction(Nuclear Systems): Expanding the throughput of conventional cores to a massive point with supporting infrastructure prepared in advance for next-generation reactors will take a massive amount of funding. The primary program will focus on the development of twenty VVER-500 crores to replace old-style combined cycle heating and generate further power in remote areas to minimize coal haulage. Two new liquid metal-cooled fast reactors will be constructed along with a set of four experimental VVER-1000 cores. Further centralized facilities for the processing of nuclear fuel and the storage of waste will be developed to minimize the burden on current temporary systems of storage. (-2 HI Dice -640 RpY) (64 Electricity -2 Coal per Year 1975-1979)
Power Plant Construction(CPSC): Coal represents one of the largest energy resources that are available to the Union and one that needs to be tapped at a large scale. Work towards implementing new techniques and new coal fields will be accompanied by improved logistics to procure increased quantities of coal in the West. The current programs will accompany an aggressive expansion of mining and the technical development of Siberia significantly increasing the scale of electricity programs. Current ideas for coal alone cannot provide the power demand for the Union but expanding capacity now will provide a stable basis for the future. (-3 HI Dice -860 RpY) (360 Electricity +9 Coal per Year)
Power Plant Construction(CCGT): Expanding work on the turbine program with a new series of plants taking advantage of improved techniques along with continued development of larger combined processes can yield significant improvements. The gas program that will accompany the development of new oil fields is expected to be massive and rather than wasting any of that gas it can instead be sent directly to more productive ends. The current initiative focuses on improving production as much as it focuses on expanding the program, ensuring that the next generation of turbines can optimally use the power available. (-1 HI and CI Dice -600 RpY) (175 Electricity per Year) (-7 of Petroleum Fuels in Projects over the Plan Still Required)
Healthcare Expansion: There is a moderate-scale problem in the medical sector that doctors' and nurses' wages have been stagnant and failing to keep up with the times. This has discouraged the graduation of new doctors and significantly weakened the competitiveness of the sector. In addition to massive programs for improving the production of equipment the first of a series of healthcare wage increases can be undertaken to improve conditions in the field. The program will also be accompanied by the hiring of several experts for teaching positions, transferring expertise from already successful testing and scanning programs along forming a basis for the utilization of new techniques. (-3 Services Dice -500 RpY) (Completes Urban Hospital Modernization, Medical Laboratory System, Rural Hospital Modernization, and Skilled Doctor Programs)
Education Expansion: Accompanying a massive expansion of the University system programs can be started towards directly improving education. Universities can continue to expand both social and materials science departments with an allocation of government funding. Further to ensure that students who are performing well in education stay in it an expanded system of stipends can be implemented. While almost certainly insufficient for luxurious living, life in communal housing and access to a reasonable quantity of food will be guaranteed along with ensuring that any educational materials are provided and modern. Several new experimental schools will also be established to test the implementation of a longer primary school curriculum and several alternative structures of education. (-4 Services Dice -400 RpY) (Completes Stage 9 Polytechnic, Stage 8 Sociological, Experimental Schools, Expanding University Stipends, and Student Living Improvements) (Cuts Workforce Expansion by ~1/6)
Pension Modernization: Updating the pension system has always been an inherently political and challenging matter with the current changes to the Supreme Soviet it has been made something of a priority. Current pensions have been stagnant for a prolonged period, limiting the spending of pensioners and providing little benefits. Current plans call for the integration of pensioners into basic allowances for food, ensuring that spending directly enhances domestic production and provides a universally stimulating effect on the economy. (1 Dice) (Supreme Soviet)
1: The whole point of a pension system is to help people who can't rely on families.
2: The whole point of this option is that their pension money is quite insufficient.
3: I'm somewhat shocked that the immediate plan to raise pensions is "food assistance". That's... Ominous.
It's not too difficult for a pension system to break down like that, especially when static. Even a responsible person's bills tend to become overwhelming over time in old age, and not everyone is responsible. This is the case even in the best pension systems, and ours isn't the best.
Yeah, there probably are people starving or otherwise dying because of this.
Basic plan outline I'm thinking through
Infra - (going from feast to famine in my plans) 1 dice on ESA to keep that ball rolling, 2 dice on airports to finally get them started
HI - Unsure here. We can just barely manage 1 dice on Kursk. If we don't get the steel mill (likely), we'll be at exactly 40, still saving our steel bonus. 1 dice on Donets to hopefully finish that up. 2 dice on Kansk because we need more coal, especially with my plan trading coal for oil. 4 dice on Atomash because I believe according to the discord we've already been locked out of some electricity due to us slow rolling it. It's not horrific afaik, but I want to get it done. 1 dice to finish up Saratov, 1 dice to finish Gorky.
Rocketry - No clue
LI - 3 dice on mixed textiles, it's multi-staged, highly profitable, and most importantly pleases Balakirev's manager friends. Which is something he'll need next plan. I also put 3 dice on engineered wood because it's very highly profitable.
CI - 2 dice on gas infrastructure because we're going to need it to expand gas power/production next plan. 1 dice to finish the oil fields, 2 to hopefully finish modernization, 2 on plastics because we need to keep going through them or our consumer economy is going to cry, and 2 on agrochemical stabilization because we're relying on CI to boost agriculture plan targets.
Ag - 1 dice to start domestic meat, because we've been putting that off too long. 3 on water management to please save some water.
Services - Not sure here, we're behind in terms of turnover, because daycares don't really help. 2 dice on transport to hopefully get that, 1 dice on buses to finish them. I'm wary of trying to shock transport because of rises in petro fuels prices.
Bureau - Fuel oil reduction to try and trade coal for oil. Minimal ecological standards isn't exactly going to help us, like at all, but is something we should pursue for later. Edu reforms to start trying to fix the problem of our education failing 1/8th of students.
[]Educational Attainment Reforms: Current problems in education have shown themselves with almost an eighth of Soviet Students unable to progress adequately in a standard program despite their best attempts. Most of these students are trying their best but need special instruction unavailable in conventional tracks. By establishing the guidelines for a secondary track and encouraging several schools to offer it, some of the problems can be addressed. This is only an initial reform and one that is to be done without much additional funding, but if it works the model can be applied at a far larger scale. (1 Dice)
I don't see any good reason not to march water systems all the way to Stage 10 from this turn onwards. It's such a fundamental thing, and it has sat neglected for long enough. Besides, this stage gave "better than the West" language and that's downright narcotic when we've got three stages remaining. Even if we don't get anything crunch-wise for collecting our Eclipsed America badges, I want them so goddamn bad.
Same goes for meat to a lesser degree, at least until the prion plague is discovered.
Alright, here's my plan. The biggest thing here is 4 dice with focus on Transportation Enterprises to hopefully knock two stages out and decisively reach our plan goal in service sector valuation. Another important thing is trying to get enough General Labour to keep us within the 40-50 bracket and maintain the growth in prosperity our citizens are experiencing. In bureaucracy, I leave aside the Fuel Oil for one turn, because I believe we still have enough oil we can drill for a moment to start projects like education reform and ecological standards.
I understand people got demoralized from the nat 1 that created this option and don't like that it subsidizes the enterprises (I don't either) but if we're talking about minimal ecological standards and preventing run-off it is a good option to pay agribusiness to not dump huge amounts of fertilizers and herbicides onto crops/the soil
[]Payments for Land Diversion: If control over planting is going to be delegated out to the farms, mechanisms to still produce desired outcomes can be implemented through the market system. Effectively paying farmers to keep a portion of fields fallow and rotated out while avoiding massive intensification of chemical products can provide some easy returns. This will cost the state money and be a further handout to the enterprises but at least land management outcomes can be improved. (140 Resources per Dice 0/125)
It might be too much an ask with the current resource set up, but Baltic Sea Shipyards now sounds like a really smart move to me.
"With the critical importance of the Northern trade corridor the Union must keep up with the West on the development of heavier modular container ships. Current yards have been constructing vessels capable of matching the performance of some smaller ships while building experience but far larger and more capable ships are needed."
We're an industrial economy with a ton of exports, and it sounds like we're building up to the 1970s oil shock. We really need to be able to build modern container ships quickly and cheaply when that happens.
Ok I didn't have any resources left to use the free dice, but this is practically reasonable, I think (It's not even spending 1/3 of the budget!). Unfortunately 8 dice is just a bridge too far considering we have to do something with Pharma, however this should still get us into stage 3 I hope.
The light launcher program has been completed with few issues, effectively forming the Cyclone, a cheap rocket system that can be used to launch orbital payloads anywhere. Further, it has provisions for launch from railways allowing it an unparalleled degree of mobility for the launch of emergency orbital payloads.
assuming astronauts are pre-prepared for lower-pressure oxygen it still offers several advantages in sealing and joint durability compared to other programs.
So far three spacewalks have been conducted based on a tether from the PKA-VA craft, externally surveying it and creating a notable photograph from inside the craft of a cosmonaut tapping on the window.
1: The whole point of a pension system is to help people who can't rely on families.
2: The whole point of this option is that their pension money is quite insufficient.
3: I'm somewhat shocked that the immediate plan to raise pensions is "food assistance". That's... Ominous.
It's not too difficult for a pension system to break down like that, especially when static. Even a responsible person's bills tend to become overwhelming over time in old age, and not everyone is responsible. This is the case even in the best pension systems, and ours isn't the best.
Yeah, there probably are people starving or otherwise dying because of this.
If the pensions didn't include financial mechanisms to lock their value to inflation, much like any other social assistance vis-a-vi COLA, then that's a very distinct possibility. That's why the update specifically mentioned that we're looking at the largest price increases in the Union's history. The problem is, labor shortages have meant the companies are competing over workers, which is keeping wages ahead of those prices. But if you're not currently working, all you see if stuff becoming unaffordable. Like food. And water. And shelter.
The Soviet Union has discovered things like learning disabilities, autism spectrum, and other things like that exist. The school teachers and psychologists are the ones documenting it and giving the recommendation "Help them, these kids clearly aren't stupid or unmotivated, they just need something different."
