Turn 64 (July 1st, 1959 - January 1st, 1960): New Decade, Same Issues Results
Rocketry
Hydrolox programs have been solidly mixed in results. While the program has yielded several higher-power prototypes of the current expander cycle prototype, the challenges of working with hydrogen have limited its efficient employment in many areas. Staged combustion as a program has yielded far better results across several prototypes running in kerylox schemes, with an actual demonstrator tested at a lower power setting than some larger engines, proving technical viability. Larger-scale prototypes have been started in the context of the broader RLA program, but they are not expected to be completed for some time. Combustion chamber testing has resulted in some successes with reasonable times and a tolerable degree of combustion instability, even if the program has gone fairly slowly. Already new systems capable of hitting 3MN of thrust in a single bell have been pioneered, if still under testing, and consolidated into larger-scale programs.
The RLA program itself has proceeded along the expected lines with only a moderate delay occurring with intense debates happening over the actual layout. The arguments for the standardized polyblock are strong; even if some have proposed a larger central tank as a capacity expansion, current engine technologies and economies of scale have driven towards the implementation of the polyblock layout. In theory, it might even be possible to recover the engine bells of the first stage via parachute, as the profile is over the countryside. Regenerative cooling, however is expected to be questionably viable given the fuel mixture and any capacity upgrade will only occur on further iterations on the system. Payload capacities will likely increase steadily as more capacity is squeezed out of the engines, but the actual program has been streamlined towards the goal of building a viable core-stage and orbital bus.
Work towards the modernization of the R7 system has so far continuously served as a disappointment to the ministry as Yangel has continued to overtake ministry development programs through severe technological compromises. Minor upgrades to the hypergolic engines have been disappointing, though capable of being pushed through quickly and implemented on a large scale. Alloying improvements have only gone to lightening core stage tank weights but have so far proven to be far lesser gains than could be expected from a more comprehensive program. The only thing the ministry-specific program has resulted in was the design of a high-energy upper stage with an expander cycle hydrolox engine prepared for the task.
Out of everything, Vostok has proven to progress at a surprising rate, with a re-entry capable capsule prepared using the experience of previous animal launches. The cosmonaut isn't expected to have much control over the flight due to the necessary limitations in visibility and information digestion, but such a system will be more then sufficient. The recovery is expected to occur with the capsule itself, with the pilot confined to their seats through the entire flight regime, limiting any chance of failure. Overall, the orbital flight will be a short orbit of a few circles before a rapid re-entry approach to minimize the exposure to cosmic radiation and reduce error probabilities. Using the R7U in an initial test flight without the high energy stage, the flight is expected to have a decent margin of payload capacity, enabling a number of smaller experiments to also be carried up.
The PKA program as a rocket-launched space plane has gone fairly well, with only a few issues occurring in its further development. The five-and-a-half-ton unit is expected to have a small propulsive stage for manual de-orbit capability while carrying up a single pilot to orbit. Several ambitious technicians have, however taken the funding and pushed towards a heavy air-launched concept closer to that of the original space plane program, just one that is orbital capable with a dropable propellant tank. To maintain the 1.5-stage theoretical capability of the vehicle, the expander cycle hydrolox engine has been selected, with the expendable tank expected to contain almost all of the fuel of the orbiter. The almost twenty-ton empty vehicle is expected to have two crew and a payload capability to orbit of almost five tons, in theory. The airforce has also started to contribute, with approval granted for Antonov to design a new super-heavy transport plane for both armored transport and for the orbital program. (Split Program into MAKS(~20RpT)/PKA(~5RpT))
Domestic
Rapid political developments have proceeded from the previous scandals, as one idiot releasing a large number of papers has almost brought the entire ministry structure down. Making a number of noises on socialist necessity and advising caution through the steady listing of contributions in bureau meetings has slowed the overall proceedings. As a number of interested politicians are more then willing to talk for hours on their own individual causes as a feature of the system, each investigation has gone slowly. For the majority of internal cases, at least after the first dozen were convicted and charged, a large number have taken their tragic health-induced retirements. Sure the actually corrupt officials were practically paid off, but their removal has enabled a number of younger, more educated, and correct officials to take their places. Across a number of industrial enterprises, the old guard has started to see the writing on the wall, retiring rather than hitting maximum ages in politics. Some might interpret this as cleaning house internally, but the importance of the ministry acting as a united block against gross party overreach cannot be understated.
The party bodies themselves have seen the largest changes as large-scale regional patrons have been directly challenged and attacked by Kosygin in a perplexing pattern. He has so far prioritized the making of examples out of the worst actors rather then prioritizing his political opponents along the lines of the Mikoyan-Malenkov approach. A number of those charged have happened to be his oponents, but compared to the old bodies sweeping out anyone that disagreed to much, the evidence necessary to secure convictions has been strengthened, letting a number of imbeciles too stupid to understand Lenin, much less take payments on the side go. Unlike the Malenkov investigations, actual corruption has even been fought, as now, instead of the secondary bureau striking at random targets and used as a political hatchet. This round has seen a dedicated effort at pitting governmental bodies against each other, with the party sweeping against the ministries while the Supreme Soviet continues to run itself into strange political pretzels.
In the background, housing construction has proceeded moderately ahead of the expected plans, with high-density apartments going up across the Union. Local Soviets have even started to contribute to the overall effort, with housing and urban development programs initiated at all levels in order to enhance the development of socialism. Housing has been primarily built in the intermediate weather scheme, as its specifications cover most of the densely populated areas of the Union. These have been mostly in ten to fifteen-story towers, containing denser apartments to provide for new families and ensure that they can reproduce at optimal rates. Worker housing has been more challenging, with larger rooms split semi-communally in order to improve density, but such newer units are still far more popular then traditional communal housing. With the addition of lower bodies to the efforts, it is expected that full-scale communal housing might be ended by the end of the plan, even if semi-communal arrangements will continue for some time after.
Infrastructure
Passenger Rail Network(Western SU): Electrification is a fundamental improvement in the transportation of personnel at high speeds, as diesel locomotives are not properly optimized to run at such a pace. Utilizing a number of innovations in rectification and localized drives for passenger units, it is possible to provide similar or better speeds across the HSR network. These new units will require a large-scale modernization and be limited to just serving passengers, but as there is already a network specializing in the task, this optimization is more a question of specialized production. Electrification of the track itself will be done according to a 25kV AC catenary scheme, allowing a reduction in power loss across the vastness of the Union. (75 Resources per Dice 1483/2250)
Modernization of the core Moscow-Leningrad and Moscow-Keiv routes has been completed, while the rest of the network has effectively been finalized for diesel traction. Electric locomotives have so far been a massive reduction in maintenance costs and fueling costs, with infrastructural maintenance forming only a small part of the overall cost. Construction and electrification is expected to form the majority of the program now, as electrification will be an involved and challenging process. A number of personnel in the ministry have advocated for the building out of the broader HSR network before electrification is implemented on more secondary routes, but they are clearly wrong. The new technology has far more promise than normal diesel traction and the full transition to the electrified rail system pioneered through the HSR program will massively improve overall transport efficiency.
Construction of the Paved Road Network(Stage 5): Roads are a critical component of practically all local travel and most broader regional initiatives. To help ongoing development and assist the broader infrastructural network of the Union, the drive towards the construction of paved two-lane regional roads can continue. These routes are not expected to be of particularly high speed or quality, but their mere presence will open millions to new products and practically enable an entire base of small industries and consumers. Their construction will also assist in the further integration of the countryside by improving the rate of inter-relations between it and urban centers. (60 Resources per Dice 722/800)
The buildout of the paved roads has been hailed as a major victory in both the development of socialism and the integration of the countryside with the urban centers. Current programs have steadily pushed the boundaries of the regional road system further and further east, with core urban centers now linked to their neighbors with paved roads. Further efforts towards a cross-union-interconnection are still underway, but even then, it is almost complete and ready to allow for the easy transport of civilian and military vehicles. Expansions are expected to follow the system, with a tentative system of higher throughput roads planned for core areas in Western areas. These are expected to be built as easy expansions to the current roads, with an additional set of lanes added in areas near saturation, with over-saturated areas expected to be expanded nearly threefold to enable easy freight shipping.
Telecommunications Infrastructure(Stage 3): Continued work toward improving phone integration across the Union has continuously yielded massive and beneficial results. Current funding initiatives are already set to bring a telephone into practically every enterprise. Following this, the integration of individuals and businesses can commence, bringing the entire economy into the future. This ease of communication will serve to improve the efficiency of planning, accelerate the feedback loop in both a market and a state-operated context, and maintain the smooth operation of the broader economy. (391/300 Stage 3 Complete) (91/250 Stage 4) (-8 CI2 Workforce) (+1 To All Dice)
Intensification of the broader social cybernetic system has resulted in a number of improvements in both communication efficiency and the proliferation of telephones. Bulk wire laying efforts have continued through the last few months, with urban connections rapidly increasing past expectations. Almost all major enterprises have at this point linked into the telephone network for its use in financial services and transactions. As of now, distribution has almost hit half of the citizens with the respective infrastructure for their deployment also built out to a similar extent. Further efforts will focus entirely on the development of further telecommunications infrastructure for smaller businesses and enterprises, with linkages made to the smallest towns in the Union. The people themselves have also taken up buying more phones themselves and installing them on their initiative, reducing end costs to state organs.
Heavy Industry
Dneprodzerzhinsk Metallurgical Combine Expansion: The old steel mill has seen several better days as current practices have failed to properly utilize the vast deposits of iron ore under it. Through the expansion of its old processing halls and the total integration of modern technology, a far cheaper opportunity for industrial development has presented itself. Steel production can be increased using mostly the same workforce, and a constant surplus of tooling can be sent in towards further increasing final metallurgical processing. This will ensure a massive increase in local steel output while saving state resources for other sectors, utilizing just a bare quantity more coal due to process improvements. (100 Resources per Dice 107/200)
The demolition of several older converters and the restructuring of iron mining has occurred as a essential first stage towards the development of more steel infrastructure. Due to the lacking profitability reports and the moderately discontented workers, it has been fairly simple to encourage a vote and further enable the consolidation of the old plant under younger and more correct men. The new leadership has come as a recommendation from several reasonable party members and they have immediately and decisively committed towards the modernization of the plant and workforce, as the university production of new graduates has only intensified, rendering a number of senior workers unnecessary and inefficient. Further consolidations in the middle management are expected as power is consolidated, but the plant should be safe from ambitious bright ideas for at least a few years as internal structures consolidate.
Taganrog Metallurgical Plant Expansion: Intensification of steelwork on the critical river estuary will serve to further increase the availability of domestic steel while offering an easy route toward the processing of imported Iron. New converters, harbor facilities, and a massive expansion in the plant will serve to save on the workforce and ensure a continued degree of development. A moderate number of infrastructural and extractive links will have to be constructed to ensure a steady flow of material at the necessary expanded capacity, but overall work is expected to be far easier than modernizing almost any other dedicated plants. (212/150) (Completed) (51 CI5 Steel -8 CI1 Coal -12 CI1 Electricity 3 CI2 Workforce) (+30 RpT)
The plant has finalized its total reconstruction of both the local mining infrastructure and transportation for the ore and steel. Old-style converters that were practically constructed before the revolution have been wholesale replaced with modern oxygen converters and new turbomachinery, with a massive intensification of ore mining more than expected to make up for demand. The plant itself isn't made to be experimental in any specific sense, but it still does serve as an adequate technological demonstrator and is more then capable of utilizing investment funds for further modernization. Reductions in workers are also set to reduce local habitation load, freeing more housing space for other workers and enabling the continued shuffling of skilled metallurgical workers between the core industrial enterprises.
Coal Power Plants: Plans for the production of additional power have necessitated an emergency construction of coal facilities despite their inherent inefficiency. Several planned plants are set to be built near industrial sites as a temporary measure to stabilize the grid for industrial modernizations and ensure that it is not unduly disrupted by anything. Practical standardized designs from the last lot of plants will be revived and modernized, ensuring that they are more than capable of producing the necessary electrical supply. Some losses in power efficiency will be inherent due to the poor efficiency of coal systems, but such inefficiencies are tragically inherent to the fuel. (269/200) (Completed) (-20RpT) (65C8 Electricity -20CI4 Coal -3CI1 Workforce)
The development of standardized coal power units in the model of the last generation has come as a logical development and a tragically necessary one due to the load on the grid. Further efforts will likely be unnecessary as the broader hydro-complex increases in development. Current models of thermal power plants for coal units are a conventional boiler into a staged turbine system, ensuring optimal harvesting of steam energy and a further linkage to secondary grids. As per the more modern standard of construction, the new plants are also located semi-distant from residential areas, reducing cogeneration efficiency but more than compensating for the cost of increased heat with the projected cost reductions across the health system.
Test Reactor Complex Construction: Now that much of the fundamental technology has been proven in the newly constructed VVER-50 core, a pair of new power stations are planned based on larger versions of the same technology. The current plan is for the construction of two complexes, each set to contain a series of two VVER-300 reactors based on the original design. Both will serve to improve the local power accessibility in Perm and Chita while also ensuring that coal heating there can be rotated out thanks to the utilization of the external cooling loop. Both plants are, however, expected to be considerably more expensive than any other power source, but their construction is expected to fund several development programs. The new plants are also expected to have a considerably higher capacity factor than conventional coal power ensuring a far steadier supply while minimizing grid load. (100 Resources per dice 153/180) (Finished 1963, If funded by 1961)
Continuous efforts towards building the new type of reactor have run into issues in both funding and development. Technologies that were promised as mature for implementation have continuously been delayed through a mixture of scientific and technical incompetence in construction. The design of the turbine complex itself was practically a loaner from the broader series of other electrical works, but the core loop and the construction of the cores themselves has proven challenging. Issues have been found in the pressure vessel linkages of Chita-1 as construction was underway, with a number of mechanisms in spec, but with far less than ideal safety margins. The three other cores have suffered more minor delays, and, while universally behind schedule, are at least being constructed without major issues. Unfortunately, large quantities of funding are required to replace the mechanisms, along with continuing the construction of the plants currently being delayed and the navy is unwilling to contribute the funding to fix their own reactor designs.
[]Abandon Chita-1: One of the cores has failed on the fundamental level, and it makes little sense not to abandon it, finishing the rest of the planned facilities. This would save the cost of practically an entirely new core, and ensure that the industry can remain efficient. (-40R) (¼ reduction in gains/costs) (Immediate action finish) (Built in 1964)
[]Cancel the Chita Facility: Canceling both cores would be the most economical move, as it's not like the navy is contributing anything to the plant and over-runs have already occurred at several other phases. With some time and more careful planning, a more capable project can be attempted as efforts are focused on other areas. (1/2 reduction in gains/costs) (Immediate action finish) (Built in 1964)
[]Fund the Project Entirely: The replacement of a whole core is, unfortunately, necessary for the continuation of the nuclear industry, but several in the ministry have cautioned that allowing it to over-run so extremely will only embolden enterprise directors. Still, continuing funding towards replacing the whole reactor while building out the rest without any cutbacks is technically an option, if expensive. (-120R) (Immediate action finish) (Built in 1964)
Development of the ZIL Automotive Plant: The recently renamed Likhachov plant has long served to produce vehicles for the party, and it is time to expand it further. The pressing market for higher-end automobiles for both domestic consumption and export has so far been underutilized, and it is time for it to be properly established. By producing a sports car along with a number of sportier modernizations of conventional products, a high markup good can be made for domestic and foreign utilization. A number of models will also go towards a recreational workers' racing league, with a severe limitation on budgets and personnel, eliminating the bourgeois character of the sport. (80 Resources per Dice 181/200)
Luxury cars are a significant demand segment and a number of models have already been designed for both foreign markets and for the domestic sector. Current designers have settled on a compact steel 2.5L V6 engine as the basis for each model, with a novel four-valve cam system to keep costs low while improving power. The typical ladder chassis has been abandoned to further minimize weight on all production units, allowing for the next generation of cars to be far lighter at the cost of some rigidity. Further improvements are expected across all of the models, with light sports and heavy luxury chassis expected to be pushed into full production over the next two years. The plant itself is almost ready for full-scale production, with just the body design and discrete electronics production segments not yet completed.
"Standardized Racing Leages are expected to be organized through Komsomol branches, with street cars expected to be modified according to a budget, while local bodies organizing tracks and races. Motorsport may be bourgeois in its Western conception, but even that can easily be overcome through dedicated effort and the ingenuity of the workers. Drivers are expected to modify their cars according to a strict budget allotment and on their own, so that both their driving ability and mechanical skills are demonstrated! "
-Pravda, 1960
Bus Plants(Riga): Demand for buses across urban transportation is as dire as ever, as every size is needed to ensure that workers can be transported to their jobs and towards commercial zones. The proposed plant is expected to fill the demand for light buses and several models of lighter service vehicles. Still, as it and its previously constructed sister plant accelerate production, it should be more than possible to catch up with the current shortfalls. (70 Resources per Dice 99/225)
Despite the delays in the other plant, the initial construction of the Riga facility has gone approximately to schedule. The demand for both medium and heavy buses has so far been fulfilled by everything ranging from truck conversions to a few thousand old ZIS-6's that have yet failed to break down. To fix this, several lines for the production of high-capacity buses, along with a further emphasis on a mid-capacity standard model, have been made, with expected issuances across the Union and CMEA in the next decade. The plant itself will not yield significant production due to the current lack of trained crews and the necessity of pushing through new manufacturing techniques, but the massive demand for public transport will at least eventually be fixed.
Rocketry
RLA Expansion: The prospect of a truly universal carrier will ensure that the future of space exploration can be secured for a comparatively low cost. Initial investments are expected to be fairly large as entire new tank systems must be developed and brought into production, but the drive should be more than enough to ensure at least some form of the prototype can be made. Efforts are expected to focus on expanded test models with semi-cryogenic fuels, and updating construction methodologies to compensate for the issues inherent to liquid oxygen storage. (Expected Project Cost 5RpT) (Reduces Delay Chance) (85)
More funding and more technical personnel allocated towards the RLA has already seen several gains. Engine prototypes have finally managed to bridge the gap toward high-capability units. Engine prototyping efforts have finally succeeded in the creation of a higher-pressure integrated bell and work on in-line turbopumps has proceeded well. Based on the developments from other engine programs, a tentative prototype of the pumping system has been worked out with testing underway on the development of an oxidizer-rich kerosine preburner. The fuel-rich side of the pre-burner chain has continued to provide some issues, but work towards very high fuel: oxidizer ratios has proceeded well, enhancing yields and minimizing cooking. Throttle response is expected to be near non-existent, but for a first and second-stage engine, this is entirely acceptable.
Development of the Stalingrad Plant(Stage 2): Further expansions of the productive machinery of the plant in preparation for a number of dedicated engine products should further reduce operational cost distributions per unit. These production increases will also integrate a number of novel metallurgical practices developed in other industrial areas through the cooperation of the ministry, continually improving the overall technical potential of the rocketry program. The plant itself is more of an increase in production than anything else, ensuring that future mass launches of R7 derivative platforms can occur at an acceptable tempo. (156/150 Stage 2 Completed) (6/200 Stage 3) (-8 CI2 Steel -12 CI1 Aluminum -12 CI2 Electricity -8 CI1 Workforce) (Cost Reductions)
The core of the Stalingrad installation for the production of rockets has received several new orders of high-precision tooling from the Gorky complex, driving forward development. Engine production has expanded towards meeting the demand for the expected further expansion of the sputnik program, all while massive prototyping workshops have tightened coordination with OKBs in order to accelerate the development of new engines for both the R-7U system and the RLA project. Across the board, a far more expansive degree of rocket projects has been made available now that the general program has its own manufacturing complex primarily independent of the military if portions of the electronic supply chain still depend on army capacity.
Light and Chemical Industry
Pre-Caspian Petroleum Basin Exploitation(Stage 1): With the recent development of rail infrastructure around the Guryev rail hub, the development of the local oil basin is only rational. This basin is capable of both gas and oil production and is relatively local to the proposed refinery complex, offering lighter oil fractions instead of the fairly heavy crude of the northern basins. Efforts here already have the infrastructure to support them and would enable a considerable increase in the production of relevant fuel fractions with minimal cracking. (196/100 Stage 1 Completed) (96/150 Stage 2) (-4 CI1 Electricity -4 CI1 Workforce) (+20 RpT Oil)
The start of mass extraction of oil and gas products across the massive pre-Caspian basin has gone well. The ease of deposit access along with the already developed population and infrastructure, has ensured a degree of good yields and a local supply for the energy needs of the region. Further work is still needed in order to actually entirely exploit the discovered deposits in the field, but work is ongoing at a rapid pace in order to supply new enterprises with modern machinery and tooling. Several pipelines still need to be constructed in order to link the broader field entirely into the refining network, but even those are expected to be finished in the course of the next year, raising domestic fuel production enough to keep up with consumption.
Oil Cracking Plants: Modernizations to the industrial infrastructure for the petrochemical industry initiated under Malenkov have had several beneficial results in the quality of proposals. Instead of practically repeating the old systems that were constructed during the war, new fluid catalytic cracking units can be built, driving efficiency to previously unheard-of levels. This unit will enable a far more complete recovery of the current petrochemical production while also ensuring that a steady improvement in the overall quality of fuel can occur. While not a true removal of lead from utilization in automobile fuel, the favorable composition of gasoline enhanced with cracking products will increase base octane, cutting down lead use significantly. (461/400) (Completed) (-41 CI4 Electricity -10 CI1 Workforce) (+50RpT Oil Export Value, slower decline) (1 Gas Projects)
The cracking of oil with new moving catalytic beds has finally been entirely built out, guaranteeing that a large portion of less useful oil can be rendered usable. High energy cracking units installed at a number of refineries are expected to greatly raise yields of gasoline and diesel, lowering civilian prices and ensuring that further exports can be enabled. While not at the point that heavy oil is being imported for refining in order for it to be exported, a number of trade routes across CMEA are expected to be set up in order to provide an optimal spread of petrochemical products to the people. Oil demand is only expected to increase as vehicle production is ramped up, and it makes perfect sense for every fraction of refined material to be used instead of being inefficiently flared off.
Plastic Production(Stage 4): Plastics represent a critical component of the necessary system of feedstock production for the broader consumer goods industry. The further increase in the output of novel polymers and modernization of the older plants towards new and cheaper compositions of plastic will ensure that far more can be produced and provided to other plants, yielding a consistent degree of growth. While the more recently built plants are more than capable of modernizing themselves, the oldest ones that need restructuring according to the profitability cutoffs will be modernized as a part of this project, ensuring a continuation of high economic yields. (55 Resources per Dice 267/310)
Plastic is one of the materials in the highest demand and one of the major priorities for increasing production. It is a universal good that can be used for practically every consumer application and needs to be intensified at a far greater pace then-current policy. Expansions by incentive funds have helped a number of already established plants, but even this is not enough to keep up with consumer demand. Polyethylene production is set to almost double, with more advanced polymers expected to enter mass production for a number of fields. Export production is further expected to be an excellent mechanism for the utilization of hard-to-process petrochemical products, ensuring that every last drop can be optimally enhanced in value.
Pesticide Production Plants(Stage 4/5): Now that more reliable and safer to utilize organophosphate and sulfonylurea pesticides are available and technologically proven, it is time to modernize the industry and start the move away from DDT. The next generation of chemical compounds is expected to serve a massively expanded number of roles, minimize the biological accumulation of chemicals in food, and further improve yields through a greater degree of control over the growing environment. The current stage has effectively been expanded into an industry-wide modernization campaign, ensuring a plentiful supply of next-generation agents for all current and near-future agricultural works. (65 Resources per Dice 238/475)
New pesticide compounds focusing on organophosphates have started to reach end consumers as factories have rapidly ramped up. Anti-mosquito efforts in the far east are still expected to use DDT for a time, but more modern compounds are expected to make farming safer and more productive. With the building of over two dozen discrete plants for their production, a sufficient degree of chemicalization should eventually be hit, eliminating the threat of insects from any properly run agricultural system and allowing for further intensification. Demand is still far greater than supply, even of conventional compounds, but by the end of the plan, this is expected to invert, with a notable export of pesticides expected to improve agriculture all across CMEA.
Medical Sector Modernization: Developments of novel medications, further medical testing along with a number of production improvements have all been introduced in a number of plants but not across the broader industry. In order to ensure that the workers of the Union are optimally healthy and have a better output ratio, further improvements are necessary to the plants producing medications. A number of small new factories will be established through licensing from several external sources to ensure a broad degree of availability, simultaneously domestic developments will be brought into full production, ensuring a steady improvement in the overall industry. (290/300) (nat 100) (completed) (+30 RpT Net Export) (-6 CI2 Workforce -16 CI3 Electricity)
Investments in several theoretical pharmaceutical and consumptive fields have yielded massive gains across several medications and novel compounds. Several new antibiotic agents have been pioneered and pushed into mass production, along with novel neuroleptics and some other medications. Mutual licensing with Western firms has also served to further enhance domestic availability as the purchasing of patents and sale of our own ones has served to benefit internal medicine massively, all while netting significant financial gains. Several large-scale testing OKBs have also been formed around the industry, pushing forward the development of yet more novel medications for the general public. Large-scale polio vaccinations have also started domestically, ensuring that soon enough, the disease can be eliminated in its entirety. Exports across CMEA have also increased, taking advantage of the practical exclusivity of domestic production.
Agriculture
Expansion of the Park Systems: The parks have surprisingly proven themselves as a low-cost way to utilize subpar land without significant mechanization. By appealing to a common calling of people wishing to appreciate large tracts of nature with a bit of local infrastructure, food item sales and a number of conveniences can be distributed while increasing overall contentedness. Continuing these designation efforts to a number of further locations of localized wildlife in each of the republics and enabling guided tours to them, even lower cost nature-vacations can be provided to the average worker at an acceptable price point and a useful time frame. (163/150) (Completed) (-6 CI1 Workforce)
As parks have proven to be one of the lowest-cost installations for tourism and activities, their further expansion has come as a simple policy conclusion. Over twelve new parks in Northern regions have been established as mix touring and research facilities, with a number of more southern ones maintained for similar purposes. For the employment of a small number of workers, a wealth of internal destinations have been made for tourists, ensuring that they can easily appreciate nature in a controlled fashion. Financial gains are not expected to be massive, but as the system matures, the number of visitors is only expected to increase.
Agricultural Infrastructural Development: Fundamentally, settlement follows infrastructure, and to that end, a series of discrete infrastructural efforts must be undertaken. The development of a double-tracked line South of the Trans-Siberian railroad, followed by a line from Kuzbass to Omsk. These linkages will ensure a steady increase in goods transported, all while providing thousands with access to cheaper goods from the factories in the West. (317/250) (Completed) (Increases Agricultural Profitability)
Further development of rail integration across the Altai Crai has been completed with additional funding, with fruit production expected to increase considerably. Coal extraction costs have also managed to decrease slightly thanks to the further integration of the Kuzbass deposit into the broader railway system. Furthermore, the bypass of the conventional trans-Siberian route has opened up far more exchange across the nation, enabling an intensification of mining and coal projects in the far east to ensure sufficient supplies in the Western Union. Agricultural development in the region has also accelerated with the larger presence of freezer cars, ensuring that goods can easily move to consumers, steadily lowering the prices of perishables.
Agricultural Institutes: Old-style institutes focusing on the cross-breeding of plant species and agronomy have their place in the overall system, but a far more intensive effort is necessary to keep up with American strains of novel crops. Mutagenic modification of conventional crops should enable the gap to be closed, and over-taken as unique varieties are produced to be more compatible with local conditions. A number of respectable academicians from the army's nuclear project are now available to ensure that a consistent radioactive source can be used to further enhance the development of novel cultivars. Through the construction of over ten discrete irradiation institutes, new crops that are resistant and capable of dealing with any conditions can be introduced. (90+10 Omake/100) (Completed) (-2 CI1 Electricity -6 CI1 Workforce)
Further pioneering genetic irradiation work has picked up at a number of agricultural institutes, pushing new varieties of crops more resistant to cold and with higher yields. Actual gains aren't expected to occur at any fast pace, but with the discovery of genetic material years ago, progress and science has continued its rapid advance. Already standard strains of several crops have been bred under irradiation, providing a massive degree of variety and novel features. Outside of new crops, irradiation has also entered testing for the preservation of food items, minimizing bacterial loads and greatly extending the shelf life of a number of products.
Housing Expansions: The previous proposal for the development of new cities has some merit, but its approach is suboptimal in the extreme. Instead of completely rebuilding areas so as to bring them into modernity, the core services can be constructed in town centers along with a series of medium-density residences. These will subsequently ensure that the population will slowly be pulled towards them due to the greater efficiency of services, enabling all forms of enterprise to further utilize these workers, ensuring a steady degree of economic growth. (45 Resources per Dice 235/285)
Standard blocks of multi-story homes and town center utilities have exhibited a curious effect on population dynamics. While the farmers themselves have so far proven reluctant to move away from their immediate homes, the associated labor that is hired for farms has rapidly shifted towards them. Taking this labor has started to reduce overall countryside crowding while improving general services for large portions of the population. Semi-urban developments in such a scheme have also served to improve clinic and educational integration for rural areas, providing families with a reliable way to reach services if living outside farms, and minimizing travel and transit dependency. Further building programs are still needed to consolidate populations at all planned sites, but regional cost savings are already being observed in a number of areas.
Services
Film Studio Formation (Stage 3): Despite Malenkov's best efforts, the simple transfer of personnel to the film industry hasn't produced a significant quantity of quality work. To amend this, and to fix the already constructed studios, adequately trained personnel with popular productions can be brought onboard any junior studio as senior consulting staff. As the industry is expanded further, eventually, this personnel will stop being necessary. Still, for now, the sheer inexperience and rapid expansion have led to a general lack of directing talent but a plentiful degree of mechanical talent. As the final stage of expansions is completed, the industry is expected to only improve and possibly even be competitive outside of the Union. (60 Resources per Dice 132/150)
Continued recruitment of further film students along with the steady maturation of the industry have finally seen concrete results produced domestically. Instead of the repeats of films and the massive quantity of wartime works. New animated ones have started popping up by the hundreds with a further diversification of what cultural output the state is willing to fund. Over a hundred small scale studio-teams have been formed out of ambitious students and provided partial carte-blanche to create their own media. Hundreds of films are expected to be made over the next year, with further numbers of discrete episode productions for television also expected to be released in mass. Further funding will allow for a larger number of small teams to try their hands at film production, improving cultural output and providing a solid cadre of workers for more formal film production.
Professional Service Development: It has been noted that there is a significant lack of professional services under state control, and this must be fixed. As there is a massive supply of new accountants, lawyers, architects, and various other occupations; it only makes sense for some of them to work for a state arm as contractors rather than forming their own private interests. The organization will function almost along similar lines of the state union system, with a set fee paid by each professional to remain employed with the state for the distribution of work towards them and a minimal salary to fix any inconsistencies in demand. Practically, much of the construction cost for such structures will focus on the bureaucratic foundation for them rather than new construction, as there practically doesn't exist a structure for them to utilize. (40 Resources per Dice 76/100)
Private practices have so far dominated the legal sector, but through their acquisition and the focus on contracting freshly graduated students, systems of default representation have started being constructed. Contractor teams have also been offered employment in a number of state positions, with enterprises set to take a cut of their gains while providing equipment and training for initial stages. This separation of structures for small scale work has curiously received a good bit of interest, especially amongst the younger graduates, as a guarantee of work without any real debt along with offered instruction has proved popular. Training organizations haven't yet been created, but over the next few years an entire cadre of state employed trained contractors will be available for enterprises and businesses to hire in mass, securing additional funding and providing a baseline for service quality.
Pilot Rapid Food Systems: High speed distribution of cooked products has been demonstrated as viable through a number of private initiatives, and it is time for it to be replicated by state enterprises. By consolidating a cuisine into a few standard dishes of acceptable quality and standardizing supply systems, far cheaper products can be sold to the proletariat, improving turnover and popular convenience. These foods will inherently be fairly heavy street foods sampled from over the Union, but with a number of flavor enhancers they should be more than sufficient for almost any pallet. Major cities are expected to be the first point of implementation to verify that the enterprise can function in the expected model, but further spread is almost assured if consumptive statistics are correct. (90+10 Omake/100) (Completed) (-9 CI2 Workforce)
Four separate cross Union enterprises have been founded in order to supply the workers with a variety of catered food for low costs. A standardized enterprise making a number of sandwiches has been founded along with one set to make various shashliks, one specializing in fried foods, and a dedicated state-owned ice cream stand. All of the above have entered pilot programs at local levels across the major cities of the Union and near core metro stations, almost immediately enjoying a breadth of popularity. Favorable positioning based on walking patterns has also started to be analyzed, ensuring that an optimal number of workers can partake in quick and tasty food items without problem.
State Retail Renovation: The development of a series of smaller stores and larger state retail enterprises is set to help the economy by providing a parallel to the multitude of private counterparts. Small restaurants will be constructed with a number of standardized enterprises, along with a number of small-scale specialty distributors specializing in certain goods. These will not be the most profitable of investments that can be made, but given the lack of state sector penetration into low-level commercial activity, these are investments that must be maintained to ensure a minimal degree of capability loss. (30 Resources per Dice 126/500) (Nat 1)
Predictably for the service sector, state attempts at retail have resulted in a large quantity of managerial noise and little progress. Several prominent retirements from warehouse stores along with continuous worker votes against their managers for "gross overreach" have so far prevented anything functional happening outside of the production of pensioners. Growth in the sector is slow and commercial spaces built in the standard scheme have hit a plateau of popularity as most citizens prefer to shop at more varied private sector stores than standard state stores. Staple purchases are still maintained at a high level, but staple produce doesn't make viable commercial models. There are a number of methods to fix this without impacting the broader economy, but it must be first admitted that attempting to pack in the same products in high density doesn't create an appealing consumptive scheme.
[]Renovation and Restoration: Committing to a full scientific restructuring of state commerce and providing each citizen with a selection of varied food by cuisine would be expensive but doable. Taking republic-specific local menus from the private sector through partial nationalizations and distributing them in discrete structures will do the most to satiate the peculiar tastes of the workers, taking up the burden from a number of specialized food stores and improving culinary homogeneity. (Cost to 40 RpD, Progress /600, Pork Project)
[]Break Up Major Centers: Standardization is an asset, but having it go too far isn't necessarily positive. By regionalizing a number of larger commercial enterprises and giving them latitude to spread and modify their own produce selection, things can in theory be made to work. The system might be a bit less efficient, but workers will at least have a degree of variety and selection in both sectors. (Cost to 40 RpD)
[]Give Up: The state doesn't need to provide a standardized small variety of products to the citizens. The advantage of the state sector is at large scale supply rather than anything small scale and specialized. Refocusing efforts on the development of supply loops a stage higher and improving them will serve far more citizens than a constant battle for food shacks. If the private sector wants to serve 50 unnecessary varieties of bread to some inefficient imbecile with too much money, why not let it. (Cancels Project)
Bureaucracy
Restructure Enterprise Tax-Structures: Enterprise tax systems involve a considerable degree of bureaucratic assessment and stagnation from outside the conventional structures of management. By instead shifting the practice towards the quarterly reports provided and taking a fraction of both their profit in a conventional scheme and a cash based invoice method of direct output taxation. This would fundamentally provide the same degree of money to an enterprise operating at an average level of profitability, but ensure that the price burden can be ameliorated and simplified through the overall apparatus. (42) (Supreme Soviet Reform)
In the current chaos of the Supreme Soviet, a minor tax system change has gone through without too much issue. End consumer prices are expected to increase moderately as turnover taxation on a simple account scheme has been implemented, but financial yields are expected to increase. Practical enterprise financial independence has been ensured while maintaining similar income ratios. Profitability feedback has also been significantly intensified, as by charging at the level of turnover rather than profit, the enterprises securing more capital turnover have far more direct spending assets relative to those who are running at very low margins, improving cybernetic mechanisms of income control. Taxation at financial levels has also been further simplified to use turnover indicators, minimizing inherent waste, and prioritizing efficiency in utilization.
Streamline Financial Organs: The fundamental problem with the current scheme of quarterly reports is that the ministry isn't suited towards actually processing them for evaluation. Local level enterprises can generally manage the data provided in an inherent economic cybernetic mechanism, but more can be done to improve initiative and feedback systems. By moving financial balances into a universal indicator of enterprise viability that is published broadly across the ministry and economy, a social-cybernetic system can be constructed utilizing the politically informed workers properly. Not only will the people provide an economic control on the accounts of the enterprises, but the social pressure to act should enable an easy synergistic source of political capital for a number of initiatives. (artificial 100) (Internal Reform)
Inherent limitations in cybernetic worker-feedback systems have continued to limit the development of the economy and party. As the bureaucratic agents have proven themselves useless to much of the development of the economy and actively disorderly at the best of times, a simplified reform to break away from state-union bodies and ministry bureaucratic bodies has proven necessary. Enterprise budgetary systems have been reformed to include a partial participation of the broader working mass as part of a combined system. To accomplish this, members in our ministry have raised a number of novel proposals. As an added benefit, any movement here will be an effective strike at trade-union power structures and managerial ones, weakening both groups while keeping to a pro-worker line.
[]Mass Votes: If the workers can theoretically remove the management, they may as well be able to verify financial plans as a control on managerial excess. Forcing constant votes for every quarterly financial plan will ensure that the workers have a degree of control over approved plans and form a microcosm of the current managerial cybernetic system preventing extreme abuses under the same scheme as conventional managerial-replacement structures.
[]Budgetary Parallel-Structures: Forming enterprise-level workers soviets would be a moderate revision to general policy, but by balancing their power with managerial groups they can pose a significant element in minimizing absolute overreach. The prevalence of more popular and educated workers in these groups should serve to further enhance their capabilities, allowing for a continuation of the development of communism without dangerous experimentation.
[]Administrative Board Integration: By combining worker representation along the same lines as conventional administration, a unified command structure can be formed. Neither side is expected to be able to easily out-vote each other, but its integration will allow for both to discuss and coordinate enterprise administration. By splitting power in such a way, it is expected that managers will be forced to struggle with workers internally, splitting their power bases and providing an internal structure to force through change.
Ministry Reorganizations: A number of personnel in the ministry are so obviously guilty of taking too much on the side, that their retirements would only be logical. Sure they are spread amongst every group, but offering them a chance to retire in exchange for closing out their files can be easily spun as maintenance of Socialist Integrity. A few criminals will get to keep their pensions, but paying them is a minimal cost compared to the cost of re-establishing their networks of control. (89) (Internal Reform)
Striking at the guilty has gone well; it's obvious that a large part of personnel has partaken in corruption from their wealth if nothing else. Offering them a simple agreement to resign without further investigation has brought a degree of popularity. It's clear that the overall effort to cover for their excesses can only go for a few months, but promises to not investigate them further if they are out of politics are easy. Mass resignations have so far followed, especially of the older cadres. It's expected that every single one of the bastards will retire wealthy, comfortable, and with a good reputation, but even such is far cheaper than a thorough investigation and further corruption. Practically a third of internal party school administrators have decided to retire, a significant part of the oil industry, and a massive number of old Stalin era cadres have noticed the direction of the wind. Internal house cleaning itself will be fairly mild for most, but the few holdouts that have decided to stay in power and not take the chance to leave are expected to be made examples of. Almost no prison sentences will be handed out, but massive fines, expulsion from the party, and a total cutoff from pension funds should serve well enough to discourage further behavior.
24 Hour Moratorium
