It's also worth noting that with the ministry having made a semi-formal commitment to not being the ones expanding the plastic or petrochemical industries right now, in favor of going drill, drill, drill, our current CI minister is essentially focused on working with the SOEs instead of the wider ministry right now, with the deputy being the one with a focus on the work the ministry is actually prioritizing.
I wonder if we're better served replacing our HI head. While we do need more coal, with Hi taking a back seat this plan and our push for electronics it might be worthwhile to move the deputy up and find someone with a broader interest set than coal when we hit the back half of this plan/we get a handle on oilshock when it happens
I wonder if we're better served replacing our HI head. While we do need more coal, with Hi taking a back seat this plan and our push for electronics it might be worthwhile to move the deputy up and find someone with a broader interest set than coal when we hit the back half of this plan/we get a handle on oilshock when it happens
That sounds like a really unnecessary fight to pick. Denisov does a perfectly good job for just keeping the sector rolling and Karapetyan doesn't need to become the department head to pick up the slack in high-tech developments.
Vorotnikov is interesting, it seems Romanov elevated him to power as a hedge against a betrayal on Klim's side (which considering how the latter well, killed his patron's political carreer in 68 makes sense).
I wonder if we're better served replacing our HI head. While we do need more coal, with Hi taking a back seat this plan and our push for electronics it might be worthwhile to move the deputy up and find someone with a broader interest set than coal when we hit the back half of this plan/we get a handle on oilshock when it happens
We're not doing an HI focus anyway, and given Denisov terms out at the end of this plan anyway I do not think the disruption from forcing him out will be worth the hail mary of maybe getting our lithography to catch up without a focus. Plus our limited budget means affording more CNC plants would be hard, as much as we want them.
Well we DID just get a +10 to politics dice and ability to critwin on a 99... at the cost of critfails on 2 and 3. Sidegrade I guess? It's not until the 4th turn of this plan that this becomes a net increase to our critfail rate, with Balakirev's inexperience debuff still in play.
Well we DID just get a +10 to politics dice and ability to critwin on a 99... at the cost of critfails on 2 and 3. Sidegrade I guess? It's not until the 4th turn of this plan that this becomes a net increase to our critfail rate, with Balakirev's inexperience debuff still in play.
Turn 87 (January 1st, 1975 - January 1st, 1976): New System, New Plan, and the Same Problems
Resources per Turn(RpY): Base 11260 -115 Rocketry -4900 Plan Commitments +220 Commitments Cost Decrease= 6465 with 30 in storage
Internal Politics:
Starting plans for the consolidation of power and deliberate outreach toward several important delegates were essential given the ministry's unstable position. The political environment itself has developed to a point that conflict between party and state bodies was in practice inevitable if the exact occurrence of it was questionable. Semyonov was so far content to keep the party out of state affairs either out of inability or plotting but that would not last as the body only continued to be consolidated. The results of the election itself were something of a rallying cry as many of the delegates that Semyonov expected to support him on the state side were defeated due to a lack of preparation and a half-hearted organizational effort that failed at low-level outreach.
If anything the national result was a better performance than a local level one as many of the regional Soviets deputies aligned with Semyonov were defeated in favor of either left or right opposition. Vorotnikov himself was no Romanov but in practice secured much of the same infrastructure and capabilities, moving rapidly to stabilize the conservative wing instead of attempting to immediately consolidate personal power. This brought the man some control over several high-level ministries and in effect made him a lesser if still potent opposition figure to the likely-to-come unchecked movements of Semyonov through state organs. Tentative alliances were already made by the time the decision point was reached as the climate was too unstable, but the fundamental fact was that Semyonov still held absolute control of party organs that could in effect supersede state ones.
Comparatively, Ryzhkov entered into seemingly the weakest position with power starting and ending at the Supreme Soviet. The body was empowered by Mikoyan but incompletely and only informally taking legislative power over a party that did not want the burden in effect having few protections for it. This brought him in as the weakest player in the power struggle, having a moderately consolidated faction on the state side and the few crumbs of influence Podgorny was able to transfer over with his retirement. Both worked on the state side and made the most logical of allies against Semyonov as the regulation of the ministry and excessive deterioration of state worker power would only destroy several achievements of socialism while likely fatally destabilizing the ministry without much recourse.
Taking advantage of the important consultation role and using the assumptions brought in through the collaboration with Ryzkov it was comparatively simple to conduct a series of meetings with key power players in the Supreme Soviet. Those who were believed to be disloyal were carefully avoided while work continued, planning out the political compromises necessary. A tentative connection was made through two delegates acting as a backchannel to Vorotnikov to establish a meeting and discuss matters. Getting Ryzhkov involved was if anything simpler, as the man could be approached directly without raising much notice. Ensuring that the two showed up to a meeting for the negotiations of a new troika was if anything the most challenging part as backdoor negotiations proved challenging.
Giving Ryzhkov the deputy seat in exchange for several concessions on system negotiations was proposed to start the meeting but once it was facilitated the two moved to comprehensive discussions. Over the next four days, general organizational plans were laid out with a compromise on specific ministries, shifting the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior to neutral politicians while maintaining Vorotnikov's state power in the council of ministers. This was counterbalanced with a new constitutional reform, promising a reorganization of authority, moving the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet as the greatest amongst equals on the presidium while the General Secretary formally took the second chair. Officiation of the powers of each post was also discussed, but other affairs were more critical to coordinate before the plan could be put into effect.
Broad meetings and the establishment of close alliances with around thirty critical Central Asian politicians that strongly benefited from river reversal were conducted without much issue. It would be their duty to introduce a motion for an extraordinary session at an unplanned time, in effect securing a vast swath of power and consolidating the government if all went well under the guise of discussions on the economy. On February 6th the plan itself went into action, as the Supreme Soviet was called for an extraordinary session, primarily delegates loyal to Vorotnikov, Ryzhkov, and Zimyanin with several proposals made to discuss economic matters. Taking the stage to denounce Semyonov's methods and approaches as anti-soviet and contributing towards the sabotage of the workers' state alongside essential elements of economic organization was conducted with carefully coordinated moves by other involved parties.
The Central Asian section that was somewhat prepared for this immediately moved to take the stand, upholding the stance loudly and over the protest of the few Semyonov loyalists that did show up. Follow-on discussions by Ryzhkov followed by statements by Vorotnikov on the anti-soviet activities conducted by several important ministers led to a rapid series of somewhat planned proposals to coordinate state-centric power. The votes to eject the Ministers of Finance and the Minister of Interior were almost perfunctory alongside their deputies with broad consensus. Further initiatives to move out ministers were upheld except for the Minister of Justice as questions of mixed jurisdiction were raised and eventually bypassed. Enthusiasm in the body at this point was reaching a sufficient point for the planned introduction of a new organizational draft, starting the process of amending core documentation.
The party response would only come the next morning as Semyonov called for and received an emergency session of the central committee and politburo, moving his puppets to a near-unanimous vote to expel Vorotnkikov and Ryzhkov alongside several of their closest supporters. Movements in the state did similar with the start of a formal re-organization around party authority being conducted, starting the process for several laws to excise the already disloyal party with confirmation established from the ministries that anyone of significance was on the side. No formal orders were given to forces with the Supreme Soviet and Council of Ministers legislating practically unabated from the party with an increasingly radical series of proposals brought up to formally divest from the authority of the party completely.
Some of the initiative was a deliberate threat by Vorotnikov to coordinate his allies on the party side to recognize the situation as untenable and in effect call for a new extraordinary session to appoint a new general secretary. Semyonov continued to maintain opposition in the central committee but the vote was in effect a concession, with Vorotnikov arguing it from the perspective of saving party power in the eyes of a state that was looking increasingly insubordinate. In the first vote, the politburo of puppets was sacked from their positions, being replaced for Bonapartism and the seizure of power unjustly and against the Mikoyan constitution. After the initial clearing with several accusations of Stalinism mentioned but not considered core to the effort, Vorotnikov and Ryzhkov were both formally re-invited into the party with the former becoming the General Secretary.
In the chaos of the aftermath of the consolidation immediate measures were updated to the standards of the time and in effect a compromise between Vorotnikov and Ryzhkov came to the fore with the ministries remaining consistent. Compromise candidates were moved into the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Finance to avoid new political controversies while many of the minor ministries were handed over to Vorotnikov in exchange for support in the passage of a new constitution. The 1975 Constitution in effect was a document that built on the Mikoyan revisions to the 1936 Constitution to take them a step further to define the precise nature of the state, the measures needed for recall votes, and how the organization of the Council of Ministers is to be conducted.
Legislative authority was formally and completely cleaved from the Central Committee with the Supreme Soviet receiving predominant power for legislation. Appointments of Judges were still left with the party but the power to appoint the Minister of Justice was provided to the Supreme Soviet as a compromise position to prevent excessive power outside consensus. Formal succession orders have been made along with changing the wording of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, moving the primary chair of the collective executive to the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from the General Secretary. The change was also accompanied by a designated order of succession in case of radical disruption to leadership, and partially excused as such with the General Secretary second, the Minister of the National Economy third, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs fourth with several other ministers lower on the order.
Party organizations have still been left with the essential roles around the organization of elections and maintaining the essential ideological and socialist character of the Union, with a broad power given on how to administer elections. Every member of the government is still expected to be a party member when standing for election even if the loss of membership once in government is considered disqualifying for a further term. Further, the judicial system is in practice dominated by party bodies instead of state ones with the Minister of Justice already predicted to be contentious between the two once the current arrangements stop functioning. New constitutional updates now require a five-eighth majority on the Presidium of the Council of Ministers alongside a sixty percent majority of the Supreme Soviet, stabilizing the system and eliminating the means with which the current consolidation occurred.
State of the Plan and Economy:
Ministry Bonuses(Does not affect Bureaucracy):
MNKh Experience Bonus: +10 Bonus (+4 per Plan at Current Education Rate(Max at 10))
Economics Education: +10 (+3 per Plan at Current Education Rate(Max at 10))
Statistical Planning: +5 Bonus, Cannot Fabricate Numbers
Telecommunications Integration: +5 Bonus Minister Effects:
Inexperienced Politician (-4 to Bureaucracy Dice, +2 per Year)
Excellent Administrator (+10 to all non-Bureaucracy Dice)
Chemical Engineer (+10 to rolls in the Chemical Industry)
Decisive Politician (+10 to Bureaucracy Dice, Crit Range 1-3/99-100)
Supreme Soviet Updated 1975 (Listed by Delegates, Unity, and Degree of Support) (None<Poor<Decent<Acceptable<Good<Excellent)
Ashimov's Faction: Around 100 ???, ???
Zimyanin's Faction: Around 150 ???, ???
Vorotnikov's Faction: 400 ???, ???
Semyonov's Faction Remnant: Around 170, ???, ???
Ryzhkov's Faction: Around 500 ???, ???
Dzhussoev's Faction: Around 100 ???, ???
Gulyam's Faction: Around 120 ???, ???
State of the Tenth Five-Year Plan:
30% Increase in MFPG Production Value:
20% Increase in Capital Goods Production Value:
35% Increase in Consumer Goods Production Value:
10% Increase in Agricultural Sector Production Value:
60% Increase in Service Sector Production Value:
MNKh Minister: Vladimir Fedorovich Balakirev(1973): Surviving the political consolidations in 1975 has brought Balakirev and the ministry a significant increase in power alongside several major gains in allies. The current political system is the best it has ever been to a politician with a primarily stateside base and there is little reason to change it further now that a new constitution is likely to be signed. With a career in the technologies sector with a softer line compared to previous technocrats, the man is not a technocrat in the old sense but with considerable sympathies. Politically the situation is mixed with the ministry being something of a wildcard between Vorotnikov and Ryzhkov.
Young (8 Bureaucracy Dice)
Decisive Politician: (+10 to Bureaucracy Dice, Crit Range 1-3/99-100)
Inexperienced Politician (-4 to Bureaucracy Dice, +2 per Year)
Excellent Administrator (+10 to all non-Bureaucracy Dice)
Research Scientist
Chemical Engineer (+10 to rolls in the Chemical Industry)
Deputy: None
Departments under the MNKh:
Department of Infrastructural Development
Head: Viktor Yakovlevich Gerasimov(1965): A Saratov party member who took charge of the development of roads and most notably a housing program that did not create massive displacements or further issues. He is one of the ardent believers that the main purpose of the infrastructural sector is to accelerate economic development as a primary goal, making him uncontroversial if bland. Something of a consistent fixture of the ministry at this point as the man has avoided every crisis comprehensively if out of a desire to not get involved in anything. Conservative by modern standards and unwilling to change much, some have argued that it may be time to replace the man, but he hasn't done anything to warrant it.
Conservative
Growth Focused
Road Focused
Politically Stagnant
Acceptable Organizer
Deputy: Nikolay Ivanovich Pauzin(1965): Graduate in mechanical engineering from the Gorky Institute that went to work on the development of the Central Asian republics transport systems. Pauzin has proven that he can function under a rigid budget and has moved up by consistently accepting the harshest work. Practically unexceptional otherwise as a mechanical engineer and one convinced that the union's infrastructure problem can be solved through additional finesse. His over-emphasis on optimization has so far produced little but a massive number of studies mostly confirming current methods and not radical ones even if actual costs have been low.
Department of Heavy Industry
Head: Georgy Mikhailovich Denisov(1965): A reliable worker from the Kuzbas deposits who took charge of construction in remote areas, rising rapidly after an army career. He represents someone who is at least capable of following directions and a transportation engineer without strange conceptions of development or excessive production. His experience in the development of new coals will be critical to meeting the Union's power needs. Capable of stimulating production through direct involvement in several technical projects, Denisov is a capable department head and one who has revolutionized the domestic industry. Expanded access to coal has been the only reason the economy has not ground to a halt and his guidance has ensured that the department remains stable and capable.
Mechanical Engineer
Struggle for Energy
Conservative
Disciplinarian
Ministry Loyalist
Deputy: Grigor Sergeevich Karapetyan(1969): One of the technical pioneers of the Sevastopol plant's integrated process with further experience in the electronics industry, a further focus on modernization is almost certain to involve increased computerization. An electrical engineer rather than a directly applicable profession, a wealth of experience working with early NC machinery along with more refined systems with Elbrus units predisposes him well to a focus on general modernization. Partially responsible for higher-end production that Denisov has not understood, Karapetyan has in effect headed most of the machine tooling program. This has brought him experience, but his isolation from core industrial sectors has made the man practically incompatible with becoming the formal head of the department.
Department of Light Industry
Head: Ilya Pavlovich Shulyakov(1969): An industrial engineer who has taken charge of the consumer industry across South Moscow and is both boring and unexceptional. Shulyakov has delivered acceptable and consistent performance along with having a nonexistent history of labor abuses. Starting as a politically influenced seat on the regional development committee of Moscow, recent politics have brought him a massive degree of independence with the removal of Abramov. With the separation of the ministries, the less important light industrial sector has been transferred over to Shulyakov formally rather than the informal split in the ministry. This has further allowed a larger pivot towards worker-focused policies, judging that through the industrial mobilization of the proletariat, the poorer republics can be rapidly developed.
Centrist
Moscow Party Base
Process Engineer
Excellent Organizer
Mass Production Focused
Deputy: Yuri Filippovich Solovyov(1969): Moving into the party thanks to a mixture of a wartime career and the Mikoyan reforms Solovyov has decisively taken charge of the development of infrastructure across the northern RSFSR. To this end, the road program has led to his promotion as it strongly enhanced consumer goods production. As one of the men spearheading the program along with its primary goal to develop consumer goods production, its success has pushed him further in the party. In his belief the primary role of the state is the direct support of the consumer goods sector, developing the infrastructure and funding necessary for success towards increasing production.
Department of Chemical Industry
Head: Alexey Sergeevich Biryukov(1965): Head of chemical development that has come to prominence with the further expansion of the Saratov complex and the subsequent oil fields. He is conventional and focused on the struggle with increasing fuel and energy demands across several sectors with a graduate degree in chemical engineering. Incorrect assumptions on the current high-priority chemical projects, advocating chemicalization over the development of new oils. He is technically educated but this has not prevented him from making technical mistakes with his work siloed into the plastics program to prevent any damage to more important efforts.
Conservative
Petrochemical Focus
Chemical Engineer
Polymer Program Proponent
Good Organizer
Deputy: Zuleikha Gabibovna Seidmamedova(1971): Coming into the ministry after proving herself during the war through front-line aviation work, Seimamedova is a geological engineer who while unconventional, has worked to pioneer the extraction of several deposits. Writing several works on slant drilling and more comprehensive techniques she is a technical pioneer for new methods with more of an academic-enterprise background than a direct ministry one. Improved drilling and recovery is expected to be necessary for some of the newly found deposits and work is only expected to get harder as easier oil deposits are depleted.
Departmentof Agriculture
Head: Igor Alexandrovich Skachkov(1969): An advocate for the massive intensification of agriculture through updated practices and increasing chemicalization, Skachkov is conventional and typical of much of the agronomy sector. A strong advocate for the intensification of agriculture to take advantage of limited water reserves alongside the expansion of water reserves he is charged with major development programs. Increased meat production has come as an aftereffect of focusing on value-added production as meat can be developed in regions with better water access instead of inherently tied to the soil. Continued agriculture programs will soon tame nature, bringing forward more capable chemicals and increasing water access to improve production.
Good Organizer
Conventional Agrochemist
Chemicalization Advocate
Strong Meat Program Supporter
Professor of Agronomy
Reformist
Deputy: Nikolai Fedorovich Vasiliev(1969): One of the core drivers of radical projects towards fixing severe water issues that are present and providing a degree of protection against floods. The driver of the Reversal of the Northern Rivers and one of the men responsible for the implementation of the plan to achieve it. Even if he will only see the tail end of development the program represents the current zenith of domestic agricultural and civil engineering. Vasilev believes that the key to agriculture is the direct management of the hydrosphere and its rationalization, with several successes to his name.
Departmentof Services
Head: Lydia Vasilievna Sokhan(1968): Sokhan has outlasted both Voznesensky and Klimenko, with her promotion to the full ministerial post. One of the largest allies in the education program of the Eighth Plan and one that has not gone politically strange over the investigations, she is reliable and capable of making harsh decisions. This has effectively provided Sokhan with a recommendation for good work even if educationally not exactly qualified for the program as she is more focused on the provision of talent instead of its utilization. A movement in focus towards profit-centric services has raised some mild protests but she is willing to implement the current change in focus.
Conservative
Decisive
Education Focused
Politically Unconnected
Sociologist
Deputy: Nikolay Fedorovich Tatarchuk(1968): Moving up from the agricultural program and to a wider extent the food program Tatarchuk has an unconventional basis for the post, but an adequate one given the problems of serving the countryside. Conventional approaches have worked adequately for centralized areas but movement into the countryside has persistently been limited both by political limitations and a lack of applicable experience. This development of the countryside has proved critical for the good of the Soviet people and continued funding programs are expected to be expected to implement the targets of the plan.
Government of the Soviet Union/Presidium of the Council of Ministers
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov(1974): Podgorny's client and one of the strongest proponents for state dominance over party organs alongside the development of a government that clarifies the Mikoyanist system. His career started at the Ural Polytechnic Institute, rapidly rising through the management of Uralmash followed by the city commission propelling him into a political career that was rapidly capitalized on with his reformist attitudes appealing to Podgorny. Currently, he plans to prepare the Union for large-scale economic confrontation over confrontation with the capitalist powers, modernizing the economy and starting reforms to party structures.
State Basis of Power
Opponent of Party Orthodoxy
Systems Focused Politics
Capable Administrator
Demand Side Economics
Reformer
General Secretary: Vitaly Ivanovich Vorotnikov(1975): Building a career somewhat in the shadow of Romanov after getting into Leningrad politics after graduating as a Mechanical Engineer. Rapidly climbing through work managing military and technical production around Leningrad, he partially got into politics as a major coordinating force working with Romanov as a hedge against ministry betrayals. His arrival into power came with the current consolidation with an emergency plenum called to hold a vote to first remove Semyonov and then elect Vorotnikov as the new general secretary alongside several important allies. Currently, he is focused on ensuring that the economy does not radically change while increasing the global strength of Soviet Influence.
Technocrat Successor
Mikoyanist System Proponent
Cybernetics Proponent
Political Hawk
Socially Conservative
Conservative
Minister of the National Economy: You
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Igor Vasilyevich Babkov(1964): A new appointment from the Uzbek SSR and a notable political figure pushing for a far greater engagement with the Middle East and northern Africa as the "fronts" of the anti-imperialist struggle. A radical change from the previous minister, if educated in a conventional political fashion for a diplomat and nowhere near as radical as Masherov would have liked. His current policy proposals are expected to focus on the construction of socialist states abroad and the preparation for general confrontation instead of an inherent focus on the rollback of American influence. Shifted out of one of the lower departments of the old MFA and an outspoken critic he nonetheless cannot be easily disregarded by any political alignment.
Hawkish
Ideologically Flexible
Internationalist
Moderately Interventionist
Militarization Advocate
Diplomat
Current Major Programs:
-Restructuring Soviet Commitments
-Implementing the Euro
-CMEA Disease Eradication Programs
Minister of Defense: Pyotr Alekseevich Belik(1969): With the retirement of Kosygin the retirement of Vatutin was almost expected as politics have moved on from the last generation of party members. Replacing the minister of defense has forced harsh compromises between Romanov and Semyonov leading to the appointment of an acceptable officer from the Western Forces. His command experience stemmed from an accelerated course in the academy and rapid promotion to commanding a reconstituted armored brigade fighting on the Minsk-Smolensk axis. During the counter-offensive he rapidly advanced to the leadership of a full tank army, taking charge in the 2nd Ukrainian front combined encirclement and destruction of Army Group South. From his wartime performance, a promotion to the command of forces in Germany was a logical next step, leading to sufficient experience in exercises for further promotion.
Technologies Proponent
Veterans of Lower Commands
Central Military District
Tank Commander
Conventional Warfare Centric
Current Major Programs:
-Construction of the Electronic Army
-Unification of Warsaw Pact Commands
-Establishment of Flexible Exercises
Minister of Finance: Ivan Yakovlevich Naumenko(1975): Moved into the Ministry of Finance as a compromise between Vorotnikov and Ryzhkov on the budgets of the economy. Technically one of the proteges of Masherov is several steps removed Naumenko is a doctor of mathematical economics who has managed the Vitebsk regional office of Gosbank for several years before advancing into a conventional party career. His economic line is primarily conventional with several papers on the optimal direction of the economic system alongside the management of cybernetic effects in both directed and market systems. The Ministry is currently at its weakest point, its influence is unlikely to be felt in the short term barring a major economic crisis.
Politically Neutral
Market Cyberneticist
Euro Proponent
Conservative Economist
Mathematical Economist
Academician
Current Major Programs:
-Rationalizing state budgets
-Starting moderate scale economic test cases
-Monitoring the rapid expansion of Gosbank
Minister of State Security(MGB): Lev Sergeyevich Tolokinnikov(1973): Moving a replacement from military intelligence has been an unconventional choice but one that works with the current increase in confrontation and one that provides distance from the previous actions of the military. Tolokinnikov is a conventional intelligence expert who has served well on the primary axis of confrontation with the West rather than the colonial front, reducing the chance of a further flare-up. His loss from direct intelligence work will be felt but he is expected to moderately increase confrontation and focus more on infiltration work over blatant military-diplomatic work.
Conservative
Head of Infiltration Programs
Block Preservation Focused
Ex-GRU
Exceptional Organizer
Anti-American
Current Major Programs:
-Starting South American Missions
-SEA internal defense and national stabilization
-Containment of French Imperialism
Minister of the Interior(MVD): Vladimir Grigoriavich Lomonosov(1975): Rising in a career that originally began with work in Moscow metallurgical plants but has steadily climbed to positions of greater importance. He took on responsibilities as part of the MVD in the post-Mikoyan re-organization, heading a softening of internal policy while not compromising the essential elements of state policy. Conservative but ardently against expanding the repression, prioritizing the increase to security forces for the sake of peace and the reduction in criminality. Lomonosov is likely to be focused on further reforms against criminality and comprehensive work to strengthen the defense of the state against criminal elements.
Politically Neutral
Work Focused Obsessive
Anti-Criminal
Idealistic
Disciplinarian
Mechanical Engineer
Current Major Programs:
-Expanding Internal Policing Forces
-Expanding Court Throughput
-Reforming the Justice System
Free dice to allocate 6 Dice.
Infrastructure: (12) 3 Dice
[]Expanded Metro Systems: Metro areas built out by Malenkov and Voznesensky have served hundreds of Millions of workers but further expansions are warranted in cities experiencing rapid growth. Additional routes need to be added in rapidly growing cities in Central Asia and Ukraine, expanding capacity and destinations significantly. More moderate work in several new cities that are expected to connect to the HSR system will be done to provide direct linkages, improving the transfer of passengers. Transportation efficiency improvements will be minor but notable as an increasing number of workers can avoid driving to work. (-1 Petroleum Fuels) (175 Resources per Dice 0/200)
[]Western Local Roads(Stage 1/2): Even the worst organized commission can determine that the roads in smaller towns and towards enterprises are inadequate for any form of large-scale industrial development. Personal assessments are not much better with the commissions' report if anything deeply optimistic. Mud has been a consistent issue when attempting to travel by car significant distances and the quality of roads away from anything of political importance rapidly degrades. Plans to fix the issue will start with the unification of the road system on a two-lane inter-town standard with primary routes built around factories to link local production resources into the general grid. Such a plan will delay primary population-focused roads, but it is expected to improve overall industrial conditions. (150 Resources per Dice 0/275)
[]Western Deepwater System Updates: Bringing large elements of the Western deepwater system to the standards of the River-Reversal program is a major comprehensive dredging effort. Increasing barge depths and sizes, especially around the coal industry have led to several delays and technical problems in transporting coal cheaply and efficiently. Expanding and upgrading the system can prevent loss of water and allow for even larger vessels to traverse the Union. Stable supplies of coal are unfortunately critical and little can be done outside of logistical simplification. (150 Resources per Dice 0/300)
[]Urban Sewage Systems: Sewage transportation by truck is the predominant form of sewage management for much of the Union's land mass. Urban systems exist but capacity limitations have posed significant development concerns outside of Moscow with severe limits placed on what can be done. Current programs focus on the urban issue as trucks, while inefficient, are not a direct health hazard that current management practices are. An expanded and modified program can be undertaken for large-scale urban renewal, integrating processing systems and greatly expanding capacities. This will take time and balloon the program above old standards but it will provide room for the economic centers of the Union to grow. (200 Resources per Dice 16/450) (-34 CI4 Electricity)
[]Water Processing Plants: Water quality in areas of industrial breakthrough has moderately degraded with standards for heavy metals only partially implemented on the industrial end. To ensure that drinking water remains potable an increased number of facilities can be established for the purification of drinking water and improvement of quality of life in industrial zones. This is most notable on the Volga, but secondary water purification facilities for home use water will be required in several key areas. Funding will keep levels to those compatible with long-term health, in effect offering some savings on net medical expenses. (200 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-26 CI3 Electricity)
[]Moscow Renovation Program: Compared to the original reconstruction of Moscow a far more focused program can be undertaken, taking advantage of areas of accelerated development. Both enterprise districts are in desperate need of expansion, a new stadium must be constructed for the Olympics and several novel elements of the skyline can be funded. A modern city requires a modern appearance and focused programs towards continuing modernization and facade programs can provide rapid improvements to local conditions. This will be paired with a significant increase in Metro throughput and non-express HSR stations, ensuring that Moscow is a modern integrated, and accessible city. (150 Resources per Dice 0/250)
[]Modernization of Heating Infrastructure: Working to improve the thermal efficiency of structures and re-coating heat pipes is a major infrastructural effort but one that needs to be undertaken to reduce waste. Current practices for grid heating are efficient but still lose a significant amount of heat in transportation and from the localization of thermal plants away from urban areas. Part of this will continue the localization of heating units to building natural gas systems in lower-density areas but most of the upgrades will be in the form of improved piping and insulation. (150 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-2 Petroleum Fuels, +1 Petroleum Gas)
[]HVDC Grid Islands: High-power thyristors have made direct current electrical transmission somewhat viable if limited in implementation. To improve the economic factors of large-scale hydroelectric facilities along with concentrated peat and lignite-burning thermal stations significant investments can be placed into the field. The long-distance transmission of power for between five hundred and a thousand kilometers can reduce losses and provide a significant improvement in area grids if not local ones. (175 Resources per Dice 0/200) (+45 Electricity)
[]Grid Stabilization and Expansion: The electrical grid has increased in scale rapidly and to an extent never predicted in the old expansion programs. Current efforts to move around the majority of the power have succeeded but insufficiently and capacity for long-range transmission is still inadequate to say less of local grids. Work to improve the electrical grid is going to be necessary from an efficiency perspective and consolidating the wiring to more efficient unified standards is required to move to a truly modern distribution system. This will encounter several cost increases as local grids are ancient, overlapping, and a consistent fire hazard but modernizations have to proceed. (175 Resources per Dice 0/350) (+30 Electricity)
Heavy Industry (10) 4 Dice
[]Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk Metallurgical Complexes(Stage 1/3): Lower-grade local ores in combination with the exploitation of new deposits and improved railway access are expected to significantly improve domestic steel production. The area has practical free electricity from the massive available hydro potential making it uniquely suited to large-scale steel processing and recycling. The proximity of natural gas sources of reduction has favored the area as one of the largest test cases for the primary DRI-EAF method with expectations for significant gains to local work and productivity. Much of the steel produced would go West, lowering local prices and further improving domestic productivity. (220 Resources per Dice 0/225) (-10 Steel -1 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Hydroelectric Powered)
[]Secondary Metallurgical Complexes: Secondary steel can be salvaged to a large extent from the current steel economy. Despite strong export pressures, the domestic sector for steel utilization is strong and produces an excess of scrap steel. To meet domestic steel demand and minimize the need for reducing agents in production an expanded program for recycling steel can be started. Effective waste filtering has already been established and combustion processing inherently involves the separation of metal products. This will also yield some limited aluminum and copper, but those are secondary and far harder to filter from garbage streams. (240 Resources per Dice 0/125) (-61 CI8 Electricity -6 Steel -1 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor)
[]Amur Electrolysis Plants: Mass production of aluminum from imported Indonesian Bauxite can start in the Far East to form a key industry and a basis for further development. Plentiful coal and easy logistics on the Amur leave the site optimal for the construction of a major electrolytic complex and the environment is well suited to the import of materials. Intensive development can directly supply the local industry and form a viable component of a complete domestic aluminum-production system as funding and technological sophistication improve. (240 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-76 CI8 Electricity -8 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor)
[]Kuzbas Deposit Exploitation(Stage 5/5): Expanded technical work to increase the recovery of coals and secure further energy resources can be undertaken to finalize the utilization of easily available mines. The effort will focus on increasing underground mining of black coals to the exclusion of other local resources to increase energy access. Slower gains in coal demand across the rest of the Union are likely to prevent the need for any radical increase in coal extraction but it remains a critical sector of the energy industry. (120 Resources per Dice 168/250) (-40 CI3 Electricity -10 Coal +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Kansk-Achinsk Basin Exploitation(Stage 5/5): The future of coal power in the Union rests squarely on the shoulders of brown surface-level coals. Current deposits in Kansk-Achinsk represent almost thirty years of extraction capacity to power the whole Union, much less the current rate of extraction. Surface mining of lower-grade coals is dirtier than other coal industries, but energy demands are unlikely to slow, and if the oil crisis is to be navigated then coal must be decisively increased. (180 Resources per Dice 1/175) (-46 CI4 Electricity -10 Coal +1 General Labor)
[]Atomash(Stage 4/4): Continued expansions of the Atmomash production complex have been deemed important to achieve energy independence. Additional metallurgical facilities alongside a second full oven capable of sintering wholesale cores will be essential alongside the infrastructure required for the turbines to be constructed. At the current rate of development, it is expected that a stable energy system can be achieved by 1990 with new reactor designs accompanied by a rapid increase in production throughput. Replacement of non-grid resources will take longer alongside general modernization but current prospects for atomic energy offer a way out of the current energy crisis. (300 Resources per Dice 125/250) (-80 CI8 Electricity +2 Steel +1 Non-Ferrous +1 Educated Labor)
[]CNC Machine Building Plants: Domestic direct microcomputer-controlled machinery has been somewhat in shortage due to the limitations on production but now that common lithographic machinery is available that trend can be reversed. Standard model NC machinery can be modified and modernized to bring it to true computational control to improve precision and production speed on common parts. Every industry is expected to be revolutionized but only so many chips can be made so quickly as the fabrication machinery is in high demand across every sector. (300 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-45 CI3 Electricity +1 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Domestic Petroleum Industries: Expanding funding allocations to petroleum industries pushing the latest techniques in extraction and refining will be key to increasing oil production. Tertiary recovery methods need to become common for current wells rather than a specialty technique if oil output is to be maintained at an appreciable quantity. New drill heads and pumps will improve general industry efficiency and enable the recovery of oils that were previously considered nearly irrecoverable using older methods. More importantly, domestic modern equipment can be distributed to Nigeria and Romania improving yield rates. (280 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-42 CI5 Electricity +3 Steel +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Vladivostok Shipyards: The naval yards in the Far East have some of the cheapest labor and a significant market for merchant shipping between all CMEA members. Expanding the construction of large hulled container and tanker ships domestically will be essential to keep up with current American standards. If the Soviet merchant fleet is to be modernized it needs to be funded now and expanded now to compensate for deficiencies in block-wide production. An entirely new generation of ships will have to be built to break with old standards and the dogged obsolescence that has remained a major part of naval construction. (240 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-54 CI4 Electricity +5 Steel +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Rocketry (4) 2 Dice (Cannot Use Free Dice)
[]Cancel Project (10<Projects<15, -2 Dice) (115/160 R/y Funding Cap)
-Communication Satellites (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-Atmospheric Data Satellite Program (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-Positioning System Programs (-10 RpY)
-Orbital Telescope Program (-10 RpY)
-FGB-VA Crewed Exploration (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-2nd Gen Luna Program (-20 RpY) Constant Program
-Mars Program (-10 RpY) Constant Program, Rover Focused
-Mercury Program (-5 RpY)
-Outer Planets Program (-15 RpY) Active Phase finished 1979
-Nuclear Drive Program (-15 RpY)
[]Reusable Launchers: The initial MAKS 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 MAKS concept could be launched in the decade allowing space to be opened to low-cost space launch. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Open a New Moon Program: A theoretical program to upstage American achievements in orbit of the moon can be undertaken for comparatively little cost. Launching an FGB-VA is a matter of attaching a stage to it and performing an orbit as the duration of travel is expected to be unexceptional the same as the mass involved. This would encourage expensive domestic spending programs on the American end, especially as a landing is still believed to be technically infeasible in any configuration of proposed launchers available. (-5 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Superheavy Launcher: The current use cases for the RLA have been limited by engineering constraints and aerodynamic instability but a larger launcher can be designed. Increasing the size of the core stage to eight meters and using the basic RLA as a booster with re-designed engines and partial recoverability can make a craft more capable than any previously conceived. This would demand high-power disposable hydrogen engines but those are well within technical capabilities. Reusability requirements for the RLA boosters have already been partially proposed and in a very heavy launch configuration may even be possible through a parachute-aided terminally powered profile. (-30 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Next Generation RLA Systems: Using all new hardware the original vision for the RLA can be designed for, entirely replacing the second stage with a new high-energy cryogenic one. This would involve a significant lengthening of the craft and the design of a new cheap hydrogen engine but that is technically possible, especially for an upper stage. Replacing the second stage with an entire hydrogen system will improve mass to orbit without radical redesigns of the first stage of the rocket. This is something of the economical solution to modernize the RLA, with only moderate gains in mass to orbit expected. (-15 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Long-Term Orbital Nuclear Power: Current generations of space-based reactors have focused on a short service life for the power of a military satellite but more capable longer-term systems can offer further improvements on the concept. A station powered by a reactor capable of generating up to 100kW can undertake scientific experiments previously unheard of for solar-powered systems. Further, long-duration missions to the moon will require the development of power systems more capable than solar and if a permanent base is to be established a reactor program will be instrumental in supplying it with energy. Military demands for high-energy radar satellites cannot be discounted as the capacity to maintain operations in a unified reactor unit can enable constant oceanic overflight and scanning. (-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 (12) 12 Dice
[]Air Conditioner Plants(Stage 7/7): Continued developments in the air conditioning sector are required to maintain the development of comfortable domestic housing. Smaller homes and older apartments are being modernized but at an inadequate pace with the acceleration of conventional construction. Further programs to increase the throughput of cooling systems can ensure that the oldest housing stock is modernized and brought into a comfortable state of living over the next decade. Once sufficient production capacity is established efficiency improvements are expected to provide a sufficient demand impetus to maintain profitability, solving the standard of living crisis compared to the Americans. (140 Resources per Dice 133/250) (-74 CI6 Electricity +2 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor)
[]Microcomputer Plants(Stage 1/4): With the integration of new fabrication machinery and the rapid increase in productive capacity for new compact microcomputers the industry has reached a question of implementation. Several smaller private and enterprise-focused chip plans exist but nothing on a state-relevant centralized scale. Through investments, six new large-scale fabrication plants will be made, with two specializing in memory and four producing microprocessors. Capacity in two years is expected to more than quadruple with further gains expected through strong funding. Initial integration efforts will be followed by programs for new electronic devices, replacing lower-end Erbrus units with more compact systems. (275 Resources per Dice 0/175) (-64 CI3 Electricity +3 Non-Ferrous +2 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Expansive Discrete Transistor Production: Retirement of vacuum tubes from all but most specialty applications has not entirely been completed due to shortfalls in final device manufacturing. Large-scale investment efforts for the production of discrete transistor units that are capable of providing enough basic electronics in conventional applications can make the domestic sector significantly more competitive. Funding will go towards a series of nine plants to greatly expand domestic production and continue growing the basic elements of the electronic industry. Production gains are expected to be massive as electronics can be built on a modern basis. (250 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-59 CI4 Electricity +2 Non-Ferrous +2 Educated Labor) (Extremely High Profitability)
[]Consumer Electronics Plants(Stage 1/3): Integration of the electronics industry and the rapid incrementation of its production scale will be key to increasing population prosperity and demand. The initial project will focus on the production of a massive number of new model CRT televisions with integrated cassette player functionality to provide at-home entertainment. These will be accompanied by funding for the development of new audio and music systems that are expected to be released to Soviet workers in the next few years. (200 Resources per Dice 0/250) (-58 CI8 Electricity +2 Non-Ferrous +3 Petrochemicals +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Extremely High Profitability)
[]Housing Renovation Components: Production of new side paneling and several more modern interior products can continue to improve standards for most homes. After purchase modification is common and increasing the production of specialty goods for maintenance and modernization can somewhat divest the state of primary expenses for modernization. New furniture, flooring, and renovation products will be coupled with the development of light personal use tools that can be used by both private sector workers and individuals. (150 Resources per Dice 0/125) (-24 CI2 Electricity +1 Steel +2 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Third Generation Food Programs(Stage 1/3): The chemical industry has delivered the Union several major victories in the production of shelf-stable enhanced foods that have practically broken from old traditions. These are capable of long-term storage on shelves and can in effect reduce food wastage and contamination significantly through a mixture of new chemical compositions and plastic packaging. Production expectations will be major as several new types of drinks, meals, and even fast-consumption products will be brought to every soviet grocer. Current efforts are expected to modernize the soft drink industry along with sectors of the confectionary industry, contributing capital to bring manufacturing to new standards. (160 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-41 CI3 Electricity +4 Petrochemicals +3 General Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Durable Goods Program: Durable goods have traditionally been manufactured at low costs for as high of yields as possible but higher grade more durable products can also be made. Upper-end sectors have been comparatively under-invested in due to the requirements for increasing production being more essential than the sector-specific targeting. A comprehensive program to produce several specialty high-grade brands with capable engineers and a highly independently assessed technical standard can secure the segment and provide for domestic independence. Consumer utilization is expected to start slowly but higher standards are expected to slowly spread to other enterprises bringing up the general standards of production. (180 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-32 CI4 Electricity +2 Steel +2 Petrochemicals +2 General Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Secondary Plastics Industries: Plastics are objectively superior to any contemporary product produced in the Soviet Union and current shortages of non-ferrous metals can be somewhat compensated for through the rapid adoption of plastics. Increased production of containers and several other thermoplastic products for use in general use of durable goods will be key to lowering the demand for metals and conserving them for more important sectors. In practice, the reduction in metal use will be minimal if only due to the likely rapidly rising demand for new goods overtaking any savings. (180 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-36 CI3 Electricity -2 Non-Ferrous +6 Petrochemicals +2 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Mixed Textile Industries(Stage 2/3): The greatest asset available to the Union has been its wealth of carbon resources but we cannot continue in that mode of production. Strengthening the further development of industrial chains towards finished products will improve domestic returns and strengthen local economies. Hundreds of smaller cities in the Union have a demand for low-skill manufacturing labor that has yet to be adequately met. Increasing the production of directly chemically derived fabrics and clothes from them will improve domestic self-reliance along with strongly increasing local turnover. (150 Resources per Dice 151/200) (-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 44/100) (-24 CI3 Electricity +1 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Chemical Industry (6) 4 Dice
[]Barents-Kara Exploration Drilling: Northern reserves in the Arctic have if anything been passed over through a mixture of technological and investment difficulty. Now that oil demand is sufficient to justify exploration and exploitation, initial efforts must start towards locating reserves and performing test drills of the region. The techniques involved are all sufficiently mature for initial deployments and the industry is ready to meet the significant technical challenge of going towards virgin oil reserves. Yields from initial drills are expected to be minor but proving the techniques and platforms themselves will form a fundamental basis for future oil production. (240 Resources per Dice 0/75) (-13 CI6 Electricity -2 Petroleum Fuels)
[]Continued Exploitation of Volga-Ural: The tapping of massive reserves at an accelerated pace can provide for a cheap and fast increase in petroleum production to compensate for depletion in other areas. The massive formations are steadily decreasing in productivity as exploitation continues to deplete reserves despite improved recovery methods and the continuous development of new methodologies. These initiatives would in practice accelerate the depletion of deposits in the region, yielding plentiful cheap oil from the massive formations but causing a faster loss of total production as oil becomes uneconomical. (120 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-23 CI5 Electricity -8 Petroleum Fuels -2 Petroleum Gas +1 General Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]West Siberian Petroleum Fields(Stage 6/6): Finalization of exploitation programs on the Western Siberian fields can provide a continued increased stream of gas and petroleum products to domestic industries. Improvements in extraction infrastructure are already underway through strong incentive funds and several previously utilized wells have been able to yield more oil products. Current initiatives will finalize the current plans for the located deposits from the last decade with a new stage expected to be initiated to tap newly discovered reserves. (150 Resources per Dice 101/200) (-40 CI6 Electricity -5 Petroleum Fuels -5 Petroleum Gas +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]West Siberian Gas Wells(Stage 1/10): Vast gas reserves exist in the West Siberian petroleum formations and outside of efforts for capture from primary wells the development of dedicated local gas infrastructure has not yet begun at scale. Technical programs to tap new gas wells and significantly increase production capacity represent the best means for reducing oil use across the Union. Initial programs will focus on tapping newly discovered reserves and proving the techniques involved more than direct extraction but far larger and more productive efforts are sure to follow. (180 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-32 CI8 Electricity -6 Petroleum Gas +1 General Labor+1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Central Asian Gas Fields(Stage 1/3): Dedicated extraction programs to tap into local gas reserves can stabilize the local economy and provide a cheap energy source outside of the coal transportation system. Any gas that is utilized can be used to displace hard coals that are more valuable in other areas of the Union along with offering thousands of high-paying jobs to local workers. Reserves in the area are if anything more optimal for extraction than the West Siberian ones, ensuring a rapid increase in production. (160 Resources per Dice 0/125) (-27 CI8 Electricity -6 Petroleum Gas +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Heavy Oil Experiments: There are approximately six million tons of recoverable heavy oil and bitumen that are somewhat economically and technically recoverable. Current upgrading facilities have proven that it can be refined into usable oil products but not at significant rates and not without costs. Accepting that the technologies developed for refinement will not be mature for this plan, some funding can be transferred over to improve the production of new oil products and open the processing of energy reserves previously considered unusable. (200 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-43 CI5 Electricity -2 Petroleum Fuels -4 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Intensive Cracking Infrastructure(Stage 2/2): Direct upgrading infrastructure can be constructed to take advantage of the current surpluses of heavier oils. Instead of direct combustion or the production of more valuable synthetic lubricants, production can go somewhat to direct upgrading. New compounds will inherently be produced from cracking to maintain a high-value production chain but some of it can easily be allocated towards fuels instead of a true multi-stage processing approach. Improved refinery infrastructure past this point can provide some minor technical gains but that is miniscule compared to improved extraction. (240 Resources per Dice 3/175) (-56 CI3 Electricity -4 Petroleum Fuels -4 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Agriculture (6) 4 Dice
[]Domestic Meat Programs(Stage 6/10): Continued meat programs to increase the efficiency and scale of integrated processing and production infrastructure will be key to establishing domestic supplies of several meat products. Chickens remain the most efficient and viable protein for mass production with innovations to continue efficiency and thermal improvements essential for producing enough meat. Current plans call for a few hundred new partially modular agricultural units with feed processing integrated to save on costs and enable significant gains in re-use efficiency. (120 Resources per Dice 62/200) (-28 CI1 Electricity +2 General Labor) (Very 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)
Services (16) 11 Dice
[]Transportation Enterprises(Stage 5/5): Further increases to local truck stocks will increase the demand in the rapidly growing automotive industry but for once it can mostly need the demand. Production of cabover vehicles has increased nearly twenty-fold in the last decade with further gains expected as large and small transportation enterprises are expanded. Work towards improving throughput and efficiency can still be done in collaboration with further road construction to bring the Union into the modern era of internal transportation. (180 Resources per Dice 79/250) (+5 Petroleum Fuels +4 General Labor) (Locked Until Western Local Roads is Completed) (Very High Profitability)
[]Computerization of Finance: Copying Western developments and enhancing bank transactions and their responsiveness will be key to the foundation of a modern banking system. Automatic machines for the retrieval of deposits can be combined with updated inventory systems for Gosbank branches to reduce the reliance on standard tellers and reduce errors in banking. The largest efficiency gains if anything will come from the partial networking of banks together and the use of standard formats and payment codes to simplify overall financial instruments and provide a CMEA reliable and somewhat impartial transaction system. (180 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-14 CI2 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Telephone Use Programs: The telephone and facsimile machines are key for larger enterprises to coordinate and send information to each other. Continued work towards improving networks and providing them for mid and small-sized enterprises will be essential for increasing economic activity. The provisions for good networking are comparatively minimal as the old networks are still adequate for current demand, leading to the need to produce and purchase hundreds of thousands of machines. Organizing something of a subsidy program can then improve the efficiency and integration of the economy through the adoption of new technologies. (160 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-16 CI2 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Basic Programing Training Programs: Outside of some engineering specialists and graduates who are particularly invested in computers, few are capable of operating them to any degree of skill. Incorporating basic training courses into the curriculum for all electrical engineers alongside creating a new two-year specialty program can produce a steady supply of personnel that can work around computers. Practical effects of the program are unlikely to be felt in the current plan but an established training and qualification system will enable enterprises to judge candidates and select those capable of performing basic computational work. (120 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-12 CI2 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Unification of Computing Standards: Voznesesnky era standardization on a bastardized version of ALGOL was adequate for a time. Still, domestic computation has more than moved to a new era with new languages and operating structures developed to aid in expanding the sector. Some concepts have been borrowed from Western developments but standard operational systems, peripherals, and programming bases can be insisted on for the new generation of solid-state systems. Costs to port things over to a new standard will be significant but the savings over the next decade are expected to be far greater even if computing does not significantly expand. (200 Resources per Dice 0/100)
[]Expansion of Domestic Media Production(Stage 1/2): Current film and animation enterprises have significantly expanded into the vast demand for cultural production but more funding can be transferred over to further increase them. A series of films from the state sector can be commissioned on several important topics alongside the adaptation of several literary works into the film format. This will be accompanied by improving the facilities for art schools and providing a series of scholarships for young authors willing to study the craft further and continue developing high throughput cultural production. (150 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-18 CI2 Electricity +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) ( High Profitability)
[]Enterprise Support Services(Stage 1/3): The multitude of consulting offices, bureaucratic structures, and general communications infrastructure necessary to develop a modern economy is massive. Developing several enterprises focused on the direct improvement of consulting services alongside business-focused outreach and communications will equalize the environment and provide further opportunities for growth. Even basic financial management services are in demand for smaller enterprises and current efforts will be something of an expansion and standardization of financial and general consulting programs to provide economic access for all enterprises. (120 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-21 CI2 Electricity +1 General Labor +2 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Second Wave Hotel Programs(Stage 1/3): Current business supporting infrastructure is deeply lacking compared to the West as there are in practice two centralized hotel-focused enterprises of mediocre quality. Developing a further three hotel enterprises with one targeting the high-end sector and two aiming to be as inexpensive as possible will improve support for travelers and significantly aid local incomes. Business infrastructure will readily apply to general tourism such that improving both will provide local areas with more access alongside gains in general economic efficiency. (150 Resources per Dice 0/125) (-16 CI2 Electricity +1 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Expanding Roadside Logistics(Stage 1/2): Current infrastructure aimed to deal with the increasing utilization of cars and roads in general has been under-invested. Now that the road network is being used, limited points for the distribution of fuel and regular goods to drivers have been lacking and so far primarily conducted through the private sector. Funding programs in the area can provide a more stable supply of fuel to drivers and provide a degree of stability for internal commerce alongside direct improvements to the quality of life in small towns. Developments in the area will be cheap, with most costs coming from the increased use of labor. (120 Resources per Dice 0/125) (-12 CI2 Electricity +2 Petroleum Fuels +3 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Expansion of the Postage System: Higher speed postage has imposed several requirements on the postage system and ones that can only be partially met. Increased commercial activity has accompanied a significantly increased demand for the postage system, especially for accelerated delivery. Working to address the matter requires a multi-faceted approach with some conversions of HSR trains to mail transporters during the low utilization periods proposed. This will accompany a major expansion of postal services, increasing population access to the service and ensuring that high-speed mail can be sent both faster and cheaper. (140 Resources per Dice 0/225) (-26 CI2 Electricity +1 Petroleum Fuels +2 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Storage-Distribution Networks(Stage 1/2): Initial catalog programs have proven popular, especially for more remote areas but they can be further expanded to provide standardized goods of moderate quality as a delivery system. Initial developments will see the rapid expansion of the storage and inventory infrastructure of four participating enterprises with programs put into place to enable a mail-in and phone-in catalog service. Gains in distribution are mostly expected to occur around apartment buildings with the expanded retail opportunities likely to generate some additional demand. (100 Resources per Dice 0/175) (-18 CI2 Electricity +2 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Distribution of Professional Services: Expansions of the professional service sector need to be conducted to the point that standardized legal and general consultations are available to the average worker. The development of the program will be key in stabilizing the environment for smaller enterprises to be competitive and receive adequate guidance on the navigation of the system. Comprehensive developments would in effect prioritize providing more junior graduates as something of a training program, ensuring that professions outside of direct state control are adequately trained. (120 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-16 CI2 Electricity +2 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Population Distribution Programs(Stage 1/5): Direct-to-consumer supply programs were attempted in the last plan but fell short of funding and bureaucratic allocations. Continuing the program and merging it into a more comprehensive overhaul of the services sector, significant gains can be achieved through the rapid development of primary distribution infrastructure. Basic grocers remain the primary priority to provide the average soviet worker with a considerable variety and supply of agricultural products. Specialty distribution stores for everything from tools to furniture can be constructed afterward, ensuring a balanced supply of goods to most citizens. (120 Resources per Dice 189/200) (-15 CI2 Electricity +3 General Labor) (High Profitability)
Bureaucracy 8 Dice(4 Already Selected)
[]Dedicate Focus Towards a Project(): (1 Bureau Dice for +5 per dice on a project, +15 in Chemical Industry) (Unrolled)
[X]Select a Deputy: Now that the political situation has stabilized, the time has come to work closely with Ryzhkov to select a deputy and pass the change in administration. This will involve the prolonged interview of several of the candidates, with each coming from an economic-administrative background over a scientific one. Still, the candidates are competent and educated in mathematical economics leaving few questions on their qualifications. (1 Dice)
[X]Modify Patent Laws: Opening domestic regulations for foreign patents and providing increased benefits for patents that are in active complete utilization are both expected to increase domestic technical innovation. Forming a plan for doing so will take some time as there are several criticisms of the action from the left, who advocate for reducing the rewards for innovation. Instead of such a course comprehensive reform can modernize the domestic technologies industry and provide enterprises with a profit-motive to develop new technologies and techniques. (1 Dice)
[X]Japanese Technologies Access: Negotiations with major Japanese enterprises on the establishment of manufacturing and formal agreements for combined efforts in the Far East are critical for development. The Soviet market remains a massive driver of technical demand and progress, letting in a few enterprises can provide significant gains. Developing high-technology industries near Vladivostok is expected to improve local trade balances and form a critical area for technical development. (1 Dice)
[X]Discuss Terms with Zimyanin: The Stalinist is competent enough and willing to talk, unlike Ashimov who had several conniptions over natural political change and absolute exclusion from any reasonable governance. Terms discussed are primarily going to be in the form of bilateral aid alongside a close working relationship to further improve productive standards in the USSR. Zimyanin has managed to successfully attack Vorotnikov's left flank and that is only likely to continue as the latter pivots closer to unionism. (1 Dice)
[]Open Oil Imports: The fundamental and easily comprehensible truth that local reserves cannot meet energy demands is clear to anyone with a functional brain. Supreme Soviet delegates are not burdened by such a condition, considering the energy demand a matter of increased extraction rather than one of comprehensible physical limitations. Arguing for a line for the preservation of domestic energy resources and taking advantage of low international prices while developing parallel drilling capacity can guide several to correct votes, authorizing the large-scale purchase of energy from Iran, Iraq, and Arab Emirates. (1 Dice)
[]Agitate for a Politburo Position: The nearly powerless Politburo is still an important center of party power and with the likely upcoming next party election, efforts can be undertaken to get onto it. Party bodies have been practically cleaned out by Vorotnikov but many holes can easily be fit into, especially for influential politicians in the state. As long as promises are made to Vorotnikov to assist in further cleaning of party organs then a position should be easily achievable. (1 Dice)
[]Restart a Labor Commission: Verifying the developments of Voznesensky and expanding the assessments of labor can help to continue to provide a scientific basis for improved productivity. Current work hours are optimized for a mixed productive-demand state but can likely be shifted to optimize other aspects essential to economic activity especially now that labor demand has rapidly increased. Maintaining a balanced demand state will be key for stable economic growth especially now that the baby boom is slackening and newly graduating students are available in lesser quantities. (1 Dice)
[]CMEA Energy Coordination: Providing formal aid to CMEA to increase local energy production now can be considered a key project for increasing energy independence. Rapid incrementation in coal production along with policies aimed at purchasing small quantities of heavy oil products for domestic refining can provide a basis for interconversion and European energy independence. Massive reserves of brown coal are available for energy and ensuring that Europe can develop its vast energy reserves will secure the current growth from fluctuations in petrochemical prices. (1 Dice)
[]Finalize and Implement the Euro: Accelerating past the opinions of several politicians, the implementation of the Euro can be started now while everything is stable. Current proposals are mostly ready with the unification of international currency already done for the most part. Shifting the external currency and forcing the weak Ministry of Finance to act may ruffle some feathers but completing the whole project will provide far more political support than a measured implementation. Control of the implementation can also ensure that domestic politics have a greater degree of influence, stabilizing matters and expanding ministry control. (1 Dice)
[]Adopt a Unionist Line: Semyonov was one of the strongest advocates for increasing the influence of workers outside state union bodies and several platitudes to the same effect can be made. Vorotnikov is already moving to secure several members of the Supreme Soviet before they can have novel bright ideas of political independence and it would be good for the ministry to make a similar move. If the ministry can secure the exact tone of discussion when it comes to the reform of the state union then it can be optimized to ensure good relations between the workers and appointed management. (1 Dice)
[]Economic Academnet: Continuing the Vorotnikov line of improving economic planning through expanded data access, the start of an economic network can be authorized and funded. The comparative complexity of the system is expected to be significant as even current implementations are only solving technical challenges as quickly as discovering new ones. Current goals will consist of networked communications between regions of intensive economic activity, providing basic price and commodity indicators across several major cities with the ability to cross-reference information. (1 Dice)
[]Start CNG Programs: The Union has vast reserves of gas that are only now being significantly utilized as previous efforts have lacked in technology and sophistication to take advantage of it. Programs to start the conversion of several primary transportation methods to CNG fuel along with some limited LNG testing can be undertaken and subsidized, encouraging commercial transportation fleets to convert. Fuel costs domestically only mildly favor CNG but that is unlikely to continue and if oil imports begin at scale then the political justifications for energy independence can be somewhat utilized. (1 Dice)
[]Housing Sector Reform: Current housing programs are working to maintain housing stocks but the massive risk of the Mikoyan era housing decaying has remained a national concern. The homes themselves have held up better than expected but they need to be replaced at an accelerated time frame. Improved apartment models have already been sufficiently developed to reduce costs per unit with current plans simply needing modification. This will commit the Union to the largest housing program in history but in a decade the communal housing form and wartime emergency housing can be left in the past. (1 Dice)
[]Discredit Ecological Programs: Those who talk of greening and slowing the engineering of nature until it bends to the workers' whim only want to go backward towards primitive capitalist accumulation. Current green energy efforts are being continuously propagandized as an utter failure in the development of a technique utterly incompatible with maintaining industrial efforts but the program can be taken a step further. Ecological programs can be directly undermined at every step with studies pushed to counter any narrative of devastation and undermine the delusional approach towards nature honoring the untouched wild for no other reason than boredom with urban life. (1 Dice)
[]Assess the Supreme Soviet: With the rapid reorganizations and the practical collapse of Semyonov, some picture of politics is going to be critical to obtain. Closed-door negotiations before the start of the plan have given some perspective but little relevance with the rapid re-alignments that have hit across the entire system. Factional blocks themselves are known to an extent but precise positions and the lines taken by each of the members are a practical and effective unknown. A minister going around may arouse some suspicions but a reputation for tireless service to the Union has its advantages. (1-2 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.) (New Plan Effects: Coal -4 Steel -4 General Labor Price -4 )
Coal Price (52/38/61) Massive Import (41-60 No Effect)
+4 CPSC Power Plants
+2 Fuel Oil Conversions (Finished 1979)
+3 Western Deposit Depletion
-2 Nuclear Power (1975-1979)
-0 Net Civilian Spending
Steel Price: (32/37/60) Moderate Export (21-40 -20 RpD Infrastructure, Increased HI Growth)
+1 Construction Industry Expansions
+2 Net Civilian Spending
-10 Decoupling of American Trade(Decreases by two a turn)
Non-Ferrous Price: (56/56/44) (41-60 No Effect)
-3 Hydroelectric Cascades(Until 1979)
+2 Net Civilian Spending
Petroleum Fuels Price: (32/36/37) (Mixed CMEA Imports) (21-40 Strong Increase in Economic Growth, Fuel Use, and Chemical Development)
+10 Net Civilian Spending
+4 Fields Depletion
-3 Field Modernization
Petroleum Gas Price: (37/NaN/NaN) (Significant Movement Impossible) (21-40 Prefered Domestic Heating Fuel, Expansion of Use)
+5 Net Civilian Spending
+5 CCGT Power Plants
-5 Field Modernization
Petrochemicals Price: (29/36/40) Massive Export (21-40 Massive Demand Increase, LI Growth Increase, Mild CI Growth Increase, and Strong Plastic Use Increase)
+2 Net Civilian Spending
General Labor Price: (40/29/74) (31-40 Slight Decrease to Domestic Demand)
+2 Net Civilian Spending
-15 New Graduates
-2 Immigration
Educated Labor: (58/40/83) Moderate Imports (51-60 Slight Increase to Domestic Demand, Mild Reduction to Domestic Competitiveness, Project Cost Increases)
+3 Net Civilian Spending
-9 New Graduates
-1 Immigration
Electricity: 164 CI 18
+634 Plan Programs
-246 CI16 Net Civilian Spending
Housing Construction Efforts: Admitting that the housing issue is developing into a problem would involve several degrees of political discomfort. Instead, work can be made to start augmenting the housing stock with new buildings constructed to the latest styles along with renovations and lifespan extensions for any viable older structure. The share of the population living in cooperative housing can be reduced in half by the end of the plan as the construction program increases in scale along with mechanization. Lacking prison labor will suit more advanced designs better, with the latest in composite housing focused in areas of increased density and high economic activity. (-5 Infrastructure Dice) (-850 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (Reduction in Communal and Barracks Housing Forms to 5% of the adult non-student population by 1980)
Passenger Rail Network(Ural Region): To move the network further East developing a Northern and Southern high-speed corridor with interlinks down into the Caucuses and a unified line for further development into the Far East. This would link Siberia tightly to the Western economic regions and provide a wealth of movement in the region. Long transitory routes are never expected to be popular but an increase in local commuting will provide something of an economically stimulating effect. Reductions in prices for transport will also reduce aviation demand, saving some funding through fewer terminal expansions. (-2 Infrastructure Dice) (-350 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (Slightly Slows Petroleum Fuels Demand Increases 1980-1990)
Rail Electrification: Continuing low-scale electrification with a direct focus on the most profitable lines for conversion will limit implementation but continue the effort at the previous pace. New equipment will not be needed and the accelerated retirement of older traction will not be necessary. Current plans for modernization will focus on primary freight corridors, enabling the majority of travel to be conducted on electric traction before final processing by switcher engines. (-1 Infra Dice) (-140 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (Estimated 50 RpY Return)
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. (+60 Electricity -3 Non-Ferrous per Year 1974-1979) (Three -10 Steel Steel mills available)
Modified River Reversal: The expanded program faces several risks in the form of environmental pollutants from the majority of the Ural industrial belt, funding the program in its entirety is less of an issue than the useability of the water. Implementing stricter standards across the Ob can be done in the first two years through the allocation of funding to clean up the water as it is washed out to the ocean. These measures would be treated as starting preparatory ones and come at a significant cost but one that can be met by current industries. As the plan is being implemented the infrastructure can be built up to adequate amounts with the damming of the Ob used to stabilize local access to freshwater sources. The redirection of pollutants to the upstream Ob will involve some additional funding but it would offer an effective compromise between the ecologically misguided and the radical expansion of the project. (-3 Infrastructure dice across the 10th and 11th Plan) (-500 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (+240 Electricity -6 Non-Ferrous in 1980) (+2 Petroleum fuels per Year 1979-1983)
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 processing nuclear fuel and storing waste will be developed to minimize the burden on current temporary storage systems. (64 Electricity -2 Coal per Year 1975-1979)
Power Plant Construction(Nuclear VVER-1000): A maximum technical pace of reactor construction can be undertaken to entirely use the constructed capacity. Some delays and overruns are expected as the plant continues full-scale construction with the planned criticality of sixty nuclear cores in the 11th five-year plan. Unconventional designs will inherently be deprioritized due to the acute energy demands as current LEU prices do not necessitate any efforts for conservation outside efficient core design. (-3 Heavy Industry Dice) (-920 RpY) (270 Electricity -1 Coal per Year) (Completion across 1980-1984) (Estimated 90 Rpy Return)
Power Plant Construction(CPSC): Maintaining the development of coal energy at a slightly reduced pace will avoid significant industrial shocks, take away demand from more technologically intensive gas deposits, and synergize well with improvements in logistics. The avoidance of significant disruption in reducing the extent will still reduce the demand for new coal fields and provide a model for a stable transition into the next decade. (-2 Heavy Industry Dice) (-620 RpY) (240 Electricity +4 Coal per Year)
Power Plant Construction(CCGT): A committed program to use all the turbine building capacity available for industrial production is prudent and sensible. Current efforts have matured the industry and some surge capacity has been built up that can be taken advantage of. The plan would be to continue the development of new facilities at a moderate pace, ensuring that demand stays stable and providing the cause for a moderate expansion of domestic gas extraction. (-2 Chemical Industry Dice) (-660 RpY) (240 Electricity +5 Petroleum Gas per Year)
Power Plant Construction(GEP): A few experimental programs for the construction of wind and solar condenser power can be undertaken to take advantage of the uneconomic resources available in remote locations. This is likely to produce nothing of value but the technology to viably produce large quantities of energy from the environment without significant further costs is too attractive of a proposition to ignore in case it works. A poor result will at least develop the technology and provide an excuse for the ecologists on why the entire effort can be disposed of. (-1 Heavy Industry Dice) (-200 RpY) (30 Electricity per Year)
Healthcare Expansion: Imported testing and diagnostic techniques are likely to form the basis of improving the treatment and detection of chronic diseases. Moving funding away from the creation of small clinics and towards the development of expanded biochemical laboratories will be essential to improve care. It is currently theorized that an increase in diagnostic capabilities will save overall money across the entire health system. Clinic capacity is unlikely to be expanded but at the current state, the health system has some spare capacity relative to population demand. (-2 Services Dice) (-360 RpY) (Completes Expanded Diagnostic Services, Rural Testing Systems, Rural Primary Care Expansion, and National Screening Programs)
Education Expansion: Instead of radical programs to strengthen the education system the easiest unrealized gains are likely to be achieved through the salvaging of underachieving students. Almost a tenth of students are unable to make it in standardized educational tracks, even the simplest ones. By moving them towards intensive programs more focused on mastery of basic materials sufficient to complete a secondary education something economically useful can be salvaged. Some mild expansions of the mainline education system will be conducted but only as a secondary initiative to maintain throughput capacity. (-3 Services Dice) (-300 RpY) (Completes Stage 10 Polytechnic, Stage 1-5 Remedial Education, Equalization of Tier 3 Schooling, and Universal Secondary Schooling) (Cuts Workforce Expansion by ~1/6)
12 Hour Moratorium(Rocketry Results will be on the Results Turn because this one was a lot)
Praise be the 30 CA delegates of Bala! Their loyalty and earnestness shall be rewarded with the finest meatpacking plants and VCR factories for their districts! RR already paying off
Also, its just hilarious how we accused Semy and his cronies of Bonapartism, peak irony, anyway, this turned out pretty well for us.
The fundamental and easily comprehensible truth that local reserves cannot meet energy demands is clear to anyone with a functional brain. Supreme Soviet delegates are not burdened by such a condition
[]Discredit Ecological Programs: Those who talk of greening and slowing the engineering of nature until it bends to the workers' whim only want to go backward towards primitive capitalist accumulation. Current green energy efforts are being continuously propagandized as an utter failure in the development of a technique utterly incompatible with maintaining industrial efforts but the program can be taken a step further. Ecological programs can be directly undermined at every step with studies pushed to counter any narrative of devastation and undermine the delusional approach towards nature honoring the untouched wild for no other reason than boredom with urban life. (1 Dice)
[]Expanded Metro Systems: Metro areas built out by Malenkov and Voznesensky have served hundreds of Millions of workers but further expansions are warranted in cities experiencing rapid growth. Additional routes need to be added in rapidly growing cities in Central Asia and Ukraine, expanding capacity and destinations significantly. More moderate work in several new cities that are expected to connect to the HSR system will be done to provide direct linkages, improving the transfer of passengers. Transportation efficiency improvements will be minor but notable as an increasing number of workers can avoid driving to work. (-1 Petroleum Fuels) (175 Resources per Dice 0/200)
[]Western Deepwater System Updates: Bringing large elements of the Western deepwater system to the standards of the River-Reversal program is a major comprehensive dredging effort. Increasing barge depths and sizes, especially around the coal industry have led to several delays and technical problems in transporting coal cheaply and efficiently. Expanding and upgrading the system can prevent loss of water and allow for even larger vessels to traverse the Union. Stable supplies of coal are unfortunately critical and little can be done outside of logistical simplification. (150 Resources per Dice 0/300)
River Reversal finding ways to eat even more of our infra dice I see? Given the delays in transporting coal, this is NOT just the river reversal gang grifting but at least it's not near the top of our priority piles.
[]Water Processing Plants: Water quality in areas of industrial breakthrough has moderately degraded with standards for heavy metals only partially implemented on the industrial end. To ensure that drinking water remains potable an increased number of facilities can be established for the purification of drinking water and improvement of quality of life in industrial zones. This is most notable on the Volga, but secondary water purification facilities for home use water will be required in several key areas. Funding will keep levels to those compatible with long-term health, in effect offering some savings on net medical expenses. (200 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-26 CI3 Electricity)
The chickens of Modernism are coming home to roost, and we've reached the point where industrial pollution in some areas is outright hazardous to our drinking water unless we pay up. This one IS high priority.
[]Moscow Renovation Program: Compared to the original reconstruction of Moscow a far more focused program can be undertaken, taking advantage of areas of accelerated development. Both enterprise districts are in desperate need of expansion, a new stadium must be constructed for the Olympics and several novel elements of the skyline can be funded. A modern city requires a modern appearance and focused programs towards continuing modernization and facade programs can provide rapid improvements to local conditions. This will be paired with a significant increase in Metro throughput and non-express HSR stations, ensuring that Moscow is a modern integrated, and accessible city. (150 Resources per Dice 0/250)
[]HVDC Grid Islands: High-power thyristors have made direct current electrical transmission somewhat viable if limited in implementation. To improve the economic factors of large-scale hydroelectric facilities along with concentrated peat and lignite-burning thermal stations significant investments can be placed into the field. The long-distance transmission of power for between five hundred and a thousand kilometers can reduce losses and provide a significant improvement in area grids if not local ones. (175 Resources per Dice 0/200) (+45 Electricity)
[]Grid Stabilization and Expansion: The electrical grid has increased in scale rapidly and to an extent never predicted in the old expansion programs. Current efforts to move around the majority of the power have succeeded but insufficiently and capacity for long-range transmission is still inadequate to say less of local grids. Work to improve the electrical grid is going to be necessary from an efficiency perspective and consolidating the wiring to more efficient unified standards is required to move to a truly modern distribution system. This will encounter several cost increases as local grids are ancient, overlapping, and a consistent fire hazard but modernizations have to proceed. (175 Resources per Dice 0/350) (+30 Electricity)
About time the power grid comes knocking for dice. The grid expansion definitely goes to top priority. I don't know enough about power transmission to know how ground-breaking HVDC is or what a "grid island" is but it sounds like it will save a lot of transmission losses.
The mechanical bonus is the great degree of political goodwill we gained last turn by promising to do this. Therefore, it should certainly be high on the priority list for our sadly badly squeezed Infrastructure spending.
Nah, we should totally take it, roll a 2, crit fail and get a empowered EPA!
Anyway, here are some actions I think are mandatory:
Mandatory:
[]Moscow Renovation Program - We promised this, not delivering would be a v, v bad ideia. Put two dice here for good progress.
[]Grid Stabilization and Expansion - Our electricity production is raising by an insane rate, brownouts would be very bad politically and economically
[]Domestic Petroleum Industries - This is essential to staving off depletion rates and improving new production. It also helps our CMEA allies in Indonesia, Romania and Nigeria to bolster their own, domestic, oil industries to the benefit of the general block.
[]Expansive Discrete Transistor Production: - This is the basis upon which our electronics focused consumer plan rests upon. Essential, especially considering the Military will hog transistors. Also, extremely profitable.
[]Microcomputer Plants(Stage 1/4): - Same with the above, the first stage for this is constructing fabs and will benefit all other electronic projects, we want this done ASAP.
There is probably more stuff, but this is what came to mind.
River Reversal finding ways to eat even more of our infra dice I see? Given the delays in transporting coal, this is NOT just the river reversal gang grifting but at least it's not near the top of our priority piles.
I mean, it kinda is, when oil shock happens, we will have a massive increase in demand for coals as we move off from fuel oils for power production in like, something we were planning to do over 5 years, in 3 weeks. I'd say its one of the more important infra projects. I'd say this is like the 3rd, or 4th priority project in the sector.
River Reversal finding ways to eat even more of our infra dice I see? Given the delays in transporting coal, this is NOT just the river reversal gang grifting but at least it's not near the top of our priority piles.
Nah, it's actually very important. We need it to prepare our waterways for the movement of mass amount of coal we're mining, which is a critical part of oil shock preparations.
Glory to balakirev and his war against the greatest obstacle to communism, the communist party!
Anyway this plan is gonna be fun. With getting our electronics sector off the ground, filling out services, fulfilling our infra promises and keeping our energy sector going we have a lot of conflicting interests. We should start CMEA wide energy coordination, we shouldnt handle this by ourselves and just hope everyone else does what's convenient for us. Weve spend decades building this trade networks, we should really make use of it.
[]Discredit Ecological Programs: Those who talk of greening and slowing the engineering of nature until it bends to the workers' whim only want to go backward towards primitive capitalist accumulation. Current green energy efforts are being continuously propagandized as an utter failure in the development of a technique utterly incompatible with maintaining industrial efforts but the program can be taken a step further. Ecological programs can be directly undermined at every step with studies pushed to counter any narrative of devastation and undermine the delusional approach towards nature honoring the untouched wild for no other reason than boredom with urban life. (1 Dice)
[]Adopt a Unionist Line: Semyonov was one of the strongest advocates for increasing the influence of workers outside state union bodies and several platitudes to the same effect can be made. Vorotnikov is already moving to secure several members of the Supreme Soviet before they can have novel bright ideas of political independence and it would be good for the ministry to make a similar move. If the ministry can secure the exact tone of discussion when it comes to the reform of the state union then it can be optimized to ensure good relations between the workers and appointed management. (1 Dice)
Now this I know people will be tempted by, but consider that Unionism is already gaining a very potent advocate: the General Secretary that isn't a lame duck like the previous one.
This action is a poison pill for us and the movement, for us because it would make parts of the Ministry riotous and completely destroy any relation we have with the state owned enterprise's leadership. They would from now one consider us as a enemy, straight up. And having the Trade Unions on our side will not exactly help us when oil shock happens. Let Vorotnikov take care of it, if anything compromising from a outside position is probably better anyway. We get to paint us as shielding the enterprises from the "excesses" of the General Secretary while still allowing for some decent reform. As for it being a poison pill for the Unions, Balakirev isn't enough of a competent poltical operator to benefit them, and we'd be a poor advocate since we'd be a lot less earnest, have more conflicts of interest compared to someone else and will have a lot of things to juggle.
[]Assess the Supreme Soviet: With the rapid reorganizations and the practical collapse of Semyonov, some picture of politics is going to be critical to obtain. Closed-door negotiations before the start of the plan have given some perspective but little relevance with the rapid re-alignments that have hit across the entire system. Factional blocks themselves are known to an extent but precise positions and the lines taken by each of the members are a practical and effective unknown. A minister going around may arouse some suspicions but a reputation for tireless service to the Union has its advantages. (1-2 Dice)
[]Agitate for a Politburo Position: The nearly powerless Politburo is still an important center of party power and with the likely upcoming next party election, efforts can be undertaken to get onto it. Party bodies have been practically cleaned out by Vorotnikov but many holes can easily be fit into, especially for influential politicians in the state. As long as promises are made to Vorotnikov to assist in further cleaning of party organs then a position should be easily achievable. (1 Dice)
We don't want to look too greedy after literally spearheading a coup. Maybe if we do Economic Akademset to fully align ourselves to the General Secretary, but even then.
Anyway, there are some other options that have their risks, I think they mostly are outweighed by benefits and are not that bad.
Depletion is also ramping WAY up here too, on top of civvie spending growing. +11 passive fuel price per turn, even without the oil crisis that's a lot to catch up with! Best do []Barents-Kara Exploration Drilling early, we'll need the fields.
[]Open a New Moon Program: A theoretical program to upstage American achievements in orbit of the moon can be undertaken for comparatively little cost. Launching an FGB-VA is a matter of attaching a stage to it and performing an orbit as the duration of travel is expected to be unexceptional the same as the mass involved. This would encourage expensive domestic spending programs on the American end, especially as a landing is still believed to be technically infeasible in any configuration of proposed launchers available. (-5 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
I cannot comprehend the 3D chess part of provoking the Americans, but given this is only a theoretical project it seems safe. If the committee proposes something impractical, we can just delay it again.
[]Long-Term Orbital Nuclear Power: Current generations of space-based reactors have focused on a short service life for the power of a military satellite but more capable longer-term systems can offer further improvements on the concept. A station powered by a reactor capable of generating up to 100kW can undertake scientific experiments previously unheard of for solar-powered systems. Further, long-duration missions to the moon will require the development of power systems more capable than solar and if a permanent base is to be established a reactor program will be instrumental in supplying it with energy. Military demands for high-energy radar satellites cannot be discounted as the capacity to maintain operations in a unified reactor unit can enable constant oceanic overflight and scanning. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
With our space station program in infancy right now, this is is a total boondoggle. What sort of high-power "experiments" wold this unlock exactly? As for the military's demand for high-power radar satellites, fuck off. We separated the military and civilian programs for a reason, the can make their own if they're desperate.
[]Restart a Labor Commission: Verifying the developments of Voznesensky and expanding the assessments of labor can help to continue to provide a scientific basis for improved productivity. Current work hours are optimized for a mixed productive-demand state but can likely be shifted to optimize other aspects essential to economic activity especially now that labor demand has rapidly increased. Maintaining a balanced demand state will be key for stable economic growth especially now that the baby boom is slackening and newly graduating students are available in lesser quantities. (1 Dice)
Now that we're technocrat-adjacent again, we get stuff like this. Is this likely to result in more humane work hours, or just have people tell us 10 hour workdays will keep labor costs down?
[]Finalize and Implement the Euro: Accelerating past the opinions of several politicians, the implementation of the Euro can be started now while everything is stable. Current proposals are mostly ready with the unification of international currency already done for the most part. Shifting the external currency and forcing the weak Ministry of Finance to act may ruffle some feathers but completing the whole project will provide far more political support than a measured implementation. Control of the implementation can also ensure that domestic politics have a greater degree of influence, stabilizing matters and expanding ministry control. (1 Dice)
looking at the new minister of finance it says he is a euro proponent plus the description of the option makes me believe this is just Bala wanting to take credit to get more political goodwill.
This is Balakirev taking advantage of the Minister of Finances' political weakness to influence its implementation, take credit and do it early. Its slated to be completed in 1977, we are in 1975 so that's rushing ahead by two years.
I just noticed we lost the option to complete the Volga car factory. Was it that outdated? Dang it, we could use that steel demand!
At least we have Domestic Petroleum Industries to start. Later on we should do Vladivostok Shipyards, both for the steel and to facilitate the expanding trade with the east.
EDIT: We lost []Urban Beautification Programs too in the rush to make Services Line Go Up. That's a rather sad loss, even if not horrible for us mechanically. Gold glint got in your eye, eh Balakirev?
