Attempting to Subvert the Plan: Dominion Edition
- Thread starter Etranger
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- starcraft plan quest
- Pronouns
- Viewer
[X] Edward Fitzsimmons
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
I'll give the vote another ten hours or so.
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Edward Fitzsimmons
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Victoria Archibald III
- Pronouns
- He/his/him
[X] Edward Fitzsimmons
Vote closed
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
Turn 2 (Q4 2506) Results
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
Turn 2 Results (Q4 2506)
Resources: 445 - 325 = 120
Paranoia: 30 + 10 - 20 = 20
Infrastructure
Korhal: Capital City Augustgrad (Phase 1) [MANDATORY]
The Emperor's vision for the throne world begins with its capital: Augustgrad. Named after Mengsk's illustrious grandfather, Augustgrad is intended to be a planned metropolis that will become the beating heart of the entire Terran Dominion. Projected to include an enormous Imperial Palace, vast housing and commercial districts, and multiple rings of defensive walls and emplacements, it will far exceed anything Old Tarsonis had to offer... someday.
(Progress 93/300, -10R per die, -10 Paranoia) [34] [+34 Progress due to overflow]
"They have us living in these moveable pop-up barracks down here and I don't think I've ever been more depressed. The hole's so deep you can only see the sun when it's directly overhead, for maybe an hour a day, and then it's like you're an insect under a magnifying glass. It's better than the camps on Tyrador... but not by much."
- Dominion Labor Corps volunteer, later found deceased due to heatstroke
With the completion of the windbreaks around the Palace site, work begins in earnest on laying the foundations. As the Imperial Palace is intended to rise up several hundred stories into the air, the ceramacrete and neosteel pillars supporting it must be equally enormous, while also capable of undergoing maintenance or even replacement without bringing the whole monumental structure down. The shafts for the pillars extend deep into the earth, and the need for partial excavation of the entire base to support digging operations leads to a revision of the plans. Now, twenty subterranean levels will make up an expanded sub-basement, each one heavily armored to prevent infiltration by burrowing Zerg or sappers. By the end of the quarter, the pillars and the sub-basement are nearing completion, representing a tremendous amount of work even if none of it is readily visible except from directly above.
Brontes: Orbital Cleanup (Phase 1) [Reconstruction]
The space above the core world of Brontes was host to no less than three pitched naval battles between various combinations of the Confederacy, the Sons of Korhal, and the Zerg. As a result, planetary orbit is thick with debris, some of which may very well still be alive. While military reclamation efforts continue on the surface, General Duke has requested that the Treasury begin sweeping Brontes space to make planetfall easier for his steady flow of incoming reinforcements. The sooner Duke is finished on Brontes, the sooner we can get down there to rebuild. And, hey, there's bound to be some valuable salvage in that orbital field.
(Progress 172/300, -20R per die, Resource gain) [6, 2, 15]
"I'm tellin' you, I want those Zerg gone! Kill 'em! Burn 'em! Blow 'em up! Exterminate! Exterminate!!!"
- General Edmund Duke, instructing the troops
Forward momentum on the Brontes orbital cleanup virtually stalls out this quarter as General Duke's Alpha Squadron begins eradication efforts against the feral Zerg infesting the orbital platform. Zerg numbers are much higher than initially anticipated and the rudimentary intelligence of the hive repulses the initial incursion by Dominion battlecruisers. A Treasury work crew perishes and its freighter is destroyed during the counterattack after the Zerg Mutalisks elect to take on easier prey rather than pursue the retreating Alphas. A furious Duke orders a temporary halt to groundside operations and calls in reinforcements from outside the system, and by the end of the year the infestation in orbit is all but eliminated.
Heavy Industry
Vardona: Ardonin Heavy Vehicle Factory (Phase 1)
The Standard Construction Vehicle is an ancient design, inherited from Old Terra herself. It is enormously capable in construction and repair tasks, able to be operated by a single trained civilian, and possible to store and transport compactly. We have less than a thousand of them left in stores. The Ardonin Valley on Vardona is an ideal site for a major heavy vehicle plant and, when complete, will be able to churn out a horde of those useful little craft. If only the Emperor didn't think SCVs were "effete"...
(Progress 153/300, -15R per die, +5 Paranoia, multiple projects finish faster) [88, 35, 30]
"My great-grandfather worked in the Valley, back in the day, before they shipped all the jobs out to Nephor. Grandad always used to talk about the pride he took in his work, of making something with his hands. Three days ago, I blew up his old factory. Today, they started building a brand-new forge, state-of-the-art, right where he used to work. I wish he was here to see it."
- Labor Corps engineer
The Ardonin Valley was once a major source of Vardona's industrial output back when it was an early daughter-colony of Tarsonis. Now, with much of its surface converted over to post-industrial services, the valley has been left more or less dormant, its mineral reserves exhausted. However, it remains well-connected to the rest of the planet by mag-lev rail and boasts a sizable spaceport, making it ideal for refurbishment into a new factory complex. Ruined factories from a century ago are dismantled and their sites bulldozed to make way for the foundations of a major assembly plant and fusion forge. Given the current state of Dominion industry, some of the more advanced machines have to be imported from the Kel-Morian Combine, but the presently cordial relations between the two powers make this more or less painless, if also expensive. Construction proceeds at a steady clip, and the core of the complex is up and running by the end of the year.
Light and Chemical Industry
Tyrador IX: Refugee Workshops (Phase 1) [Reconstruction]
The refugees of Tyrador suffer from deprivation and inadequate shelter, but they also lack gainful employment. Dependent entirely on limited relief aid, they are unable to improve their lot or engage in meaningful work. By building small factories across the continent of Velocis, each one tailored to produce artificial fabrics, plastic goods, and home appliances, we can restore the flow of consumer goods to Dominion households and employ millions.
(Progress 271/400, -10R per die, Resource income) [87, 74, 28]
"Attention, associates: Remember that 'duels of honor' are not an appropriate method for conducting quality control checks on your products. Please only engage in the approved quality tests, as described in the manual. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action."
- Recorded broadcast in a Tyrador utensil factory
With suitable housing available at all of the initial factory sites, progress on their construction moves forward smoothly and efficiently. While the simple products like toys and basic hand tools are already in production, the next wave of factories focuses on more complex goods like home appliances and power tools. Thousands of workers leave the refugee camps, relieving pressure on the aid facilities and resulting in a flow of remittances back to their relatives as yet unemployed. Quality of life across Velocis slowly, but noticeably, improves.
Environmental
Tyrador IX: Establish Farmsteads (Phase 1) [Reconstruction]
The secondary continent of Velocis is flat and uninteresting, with vast expanses of deep-soil grassland, which makes it suboptimal from a tourism perspective but excellent for large-scale farming. Building farms for the refugees to work will accomplish housing, employment, and food production goals all at the same time. Who doesn't love killing three Scourge with one AA rocket?
(Progress 269/400, -10R per die) [75, 46, 26]
"I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you here. When I started, I didn't know an adze from my own ass, pardon my language. Now, after six months on the farm, I have no problem telling you that it's a little axe you use to carve wood, and I'm using one to make myself some dining room furniture."
- Velocis farmer, speaking to a Treasury official
As the planned factory towns go up across Tyrador's second continent, so too do the medium-size family farms. Most of the new farmers are ill-prepared for the difficult lifestyle by education or experience, but time in the refugee camps has produced a bunch of very intense students, and their willingness to absorb information from the informational how-to videos being produced by the Sub-Ministry for the Environment is as ferocious as any gifted child's. Velocis is not yet food-independent, but aid subsidies are being gradually dialed back as fresh local produce flows into the camps and nutrition becomes more and more adequate.
Services
The Dominion Health Service (Phase 1)
One of the Emperor's many promises to his people was that they would be cared for, from cradle to grave. Private healthcare under the Confederacy was widely considered a bad joke, with massive piles of medical debt and long lines into emergency departments. While the Emperor has shown no interest in actually solving this problem now that he's in power, he did make the promise. As such, a number of new hospitals and clinics must be constructed to ease the burden on the groaning healthcare system, particularly in and around refugee settlements.
(Progress 170/300, -10R per die, +5 Paranoia) [14, 83, 73]
"Thanks, Doc! Haven't had my meds since Tarsonis fell. Now that my head's on straight again, maybe I'll go see about one of them Labor Corps jobs..."
- Grateful refugee, receiving care in a Nephor II camp clinic
While the Dominion presently labors under a massive shortage of trained medical personnel, there are even fewer adequate facilities available for the doctors and nurses we do have to work in. Especially problematic are the refugee camps, where poor sanitation and inadequate care are hallmarks of daily life. After an informal survey of field conditions, the director of the newly-minted Dominion Health Service orders, appropriately enough, triage efforts. Field clinics go up in the largest and least-served camps, as well as in isolated or overcrowded areas, while construction begins on more permanent buildings. The establishment of proper facilities is sufficient to stanch the worst of the bleeding, though much of the population remains untreated.
Military
Korhal: Eastcliff Military Academy
The jagged expanse of the Korhal Badlands is unsuited for traditional development, unlike the glassine plains around the former capital city, but they do offer a unique opportunity. By blowing the top off one of the larger peaks, we can situate a brand-new military academy there to replace the one lost on Tarsonis. The rugged terrain and awesome vistas will be a source of inspiration for every cadet who passes through the place.
(Progress 268/200, -10R per die, -10 Paranoia) [48, 92] (68 Progress toward Augustgrad)
"I, (INSERT NAME HERE), do solemnly swear that I will support the Throne and the Senate of the Terran Dominion, and bear true allegiance to its government; that I will maintain and defend the inviolability and sovereignty of Humanity United, above and beyond any other allegiance or affection I may owe to other groups or individuals; and that I will at all times obey the orders of my superiors and the Dominion Code of Military Justice."
- Cadet oath, sworn upon induction into Eastcliff
Eastcliff is finished early in the quarter, under-budget and ahead of schedule, owing to the enthusiastic efforts of the first cadet class, which pitches in as volunteer construction crews for their own campus. Their demonically inventive young minds are put to special purpose designing the full-up day-long obstacle course that occupies nearly a fifth of the plateau, bringing to bear all their creativity to ensure that the entire length is fiendishly challenging and taxing on even the best runner. You're impressed, and more than a little frightened. Furthermore, as a result of this excellent effort, you're able to redirect the work gangs toward Augustgrad Site 2, this time voluntarily.
Tyrador IX: Military Recruitment Offices
While the plan is to engage in mass conscription to refill the ranks of the army, it's always preferable to secure willing volunteers over resentful voluntolds. A series of recruitment offices across Tyrador IX's refugee-swollen second continent will offer an escape route for those capable individuals prepared to risk their lives in service to the Dominion.
(Progress 115/200, -10R per die, -5 Paranoia) [71, 44]
"JOIN THE MARINE CORPS. HUMANITY NEEDS YOU."
- Dominion Marine Corps recruitment poster, obviously plagiarized
Blatant acts of slogan theft aside, the recruitment offices begin going up largely without a hitch. Most of them are humble little offices with a suit of (locked-down) power armor in the window, enough space for one or two immaculately-uniformed DMC officers, and a physical exam room. The first offices are naturally built near refugee camps, with predictable results, but a second wave is also intended for high-population areas like Tyrador's main continent and the main metropolises of Vardona.
Research
Integrated Protective Ensemble (Tech)
With the current shortage of SCVs (and trained operators), much of the reconstruction effort will have to be performed by unaugmented laborers. Moreover, the mass influx of new soldiers will quickly outstrip our ability to issue them with proper power armor. Given both issues, a heavy-duty outfit for both hard labor and mass combat is necessary, providing basic protection and life support in harsh conditions.
(Progress 178/100, -5R per die, -5 Paranoia) [74, 68] (78 Progress toward rollout)
"Never thought I'd appreciate being a test dummy, but it beats the hell out of working on Korhell. I've heard stories about how these suits used to be death sentences, but honestly, mine's great! It's comfy and easy to wear! Can't wait to bring it back to Augustgrad and not hate every minute of the work."
- R&D test subject, giving a characteristic exit interview
The IPE Mk. III (versions I and II having experienced various catastrophic flaws, or "teething issues" in engineer parlance) is a marvel of modern design. Fully ruggedized, it offers crown-to-sole protection against extreme temperatures, radiation, airborne particles, and small-arms fire. Moreover, the responsive kinetic structure of the suit provides a modest augmentation of user strength and speed, though nothing on the level of actual power armor. Finally, the life support system is sufficiently robust that it can even withstand limited deployment periods in hard vacuum or toxic atmosphere; in some tests, it was able to sustain its wearer through several days of lethal hazards before failure.
Handheld Fusion Cutters (Tech)
The fusion cutter is a technological marvel: multi-purpose, efficient, easy to use... and about half the weight of the average worker. However, it may be possible to simplify the cutter's basic design and miniaturize it down to perhaps a third of its current size by using certain insights gleaned from Protoss energy-circuit technology. The power output would be commensurately less, but it would still be an invaluable tool for our work crews.
(Progress 208/200, -5R per die, -5 Paranoia) [72, 63, 73] (8 Progress toward rollout)
"These Protoss are something else. Look at the elegance of the circuitry patterns. The sheer efficiency of the materials. There's practically no power lost! If anything, the exchange rate is so perfect, it's almost like it's... like it's drawing on some kind of external source... no, no, that can't be right."
- HFC lead designer, after three consecutive days without sleep
After several inconclusive meetings with the HFC design team, in which much technical jargon that you don't understand is deployed freely, they come prepared to the next one with a straightforward proposal using words of no more than three syllables. In essence, their main question is simple: "Can we use the weird xenotech in our new machine?" Once you confirm that the Protoss energy circuit is indeed replicable with Terran technology (albeit somewhat imperfectly), you sign off on the project and the rest is extremely easy. Before you know it, you've got a working prototype hanging up in your office, and a letter of commendation from the Emperor framed right next to it.
Bureaucracy
Refill the Upper Echelons (Experts)
There's no real way to sugar-coat it: the Dominion Treasury is suffering from a crisis of leadership. More specifically, it has none, beyond your own inexpert self. Most of the deputy secretaries and undersecretaries from the Confederate Treasury Department have fled Dominion space or are sitting in jail. If you're going to turn this department into anything but a bunch of bureaucrats sitting around, you're going to need experienced, honest deputy ministers, and fast.
(+1 die to all categories except Personal) (Progress 162/100, -5R per die, +5 Paranoia) [15, 85] (62 Progress toward next staffing project)
"I am pleased to report that all deputy and assistant deputy positions have been filled by eminently satisfactory and, indeed, some thoroughly excellent candidates, most of whom boast suitable credentials from either the best educational institutions or extensive workplace experience with their associated subject matter, leading me to conclude, not without a certain element of personal and, of course, professional satisfaction, that the hiring process, begun in the spirit of restoring that which was broken and rejuvenating that which was enervated, has now entered the ultimate and most satisfying phase of its existence, in which we may commence the process of collating all relevant records and contracts for inclusion in the permanent files, so that they may be reviewed at need or simply to refresh ourselves as to the particulars of the circumstances surrounding the tendering of an offer of employment to the specific individual in question and their subsequent acceptance."
- Samuel Smith, having finished the last onboarding interview
What he said.
Truth and Reconciliation Committee (Idealistic)
Many of the political prisoners in those cells are just as much a danger to Mengsk's autocracy as they were to the Confederacy's oligarchy. You're unlikely to be able to free the actual terrorists (at least not the ones who weren't in the Sons), but you could definitely put your thumb on the scale and selectively increase the percentage of dissidents and protestors released, albeit at a cost.
(Progress 24/200, -5R per die, +5 Paranoia) [6, 18]
"Yes, New Folsom exists! 'How do I know that?' Because I did time there, you goddamn idjit, most of the Sons did! Some of them are still in there, I'm gonna get them out, and if I have to listen to you tell me one more time that it isn't in the official records, I'm gonna reach down your throat and shake you by your spine until it is!"
- Chancellor Horner, on a call with a Bureau of Prisons official
Your one notable failure of the quarter, besides the whole Alpha Squadron clusterfuck over Brontes, is your effort to set up a truth and reconciliation committee. Though the wardens are obstructionist and the files provided are replete with mysterious and highly convenient omissions, the biggest problem is finding all the damn prisons. The Confederates set up so many black sites and extralegal holding areas that you could house half the refugees in the Dominion if you could just find all the cursed things. Fortunately, you have a more or less complete list of each and every site by year's end, along with most of their inhabitants.
Personal
Set Up a Personal Expense Account
Publicly, the Emperor has committed his administration to a vast purge of corruption and inefficiency. However, from what you know of Mengsk and his methods, what he actually means to do is trim the bloat down to something more or less functional rather than cut it out entirely. To Arcturus Mengsk, a little corruption is like oil on the gears, helping to get things done. Surely he'll understand if you decide to divert a bit of the department budget toward, say, personal endeavors?
(-25R, DC 10 to avoid +5 Paranoia, -25R per turn, slush fund and additional Personal projects unlocked) [35] [35 vs DC 10; pass]
"What does the Chancellor's office need the money for? Well, all sorts of things. Miscellaneous outgoings, legal fees, courier fees, management expenses, emergency shortfalls, inflationary compensation, import licenses, export licenses..."
- Jacob Arendt, baffling a Treasury official
You're not quite sure how comfortable you are with diverting a tenth of your department's quarterly income into what you've mentally dubbed 'the black budget.' It seems like an awful lot of money. However, according to your extremely capable assistant, apparently it's much easier to section off a portion of the funds into a discretionary account and thoroughly muddle the waters around that rather than siphon off dribs and drabs from the main Treasury every time you need a 'miscellaneous outgoing,' as he puts it. You defer to the expert, and it in turn is expertly handled.
Hire a Personal Staff
With your new assistant in place, it is now time to begin filling out your so-called "inner office." This cadre of secretaries, lesser assistants, messengers, and bodyguards will relieve you of your various minor cares, like doing your own paperwork or ordering your own lunch. Unlike your top-level political hires, you can stack your inner office with cronies and loyalists, minimizing any potential leaks or breaches.
(+2 Personal dice) (DC 20/40 to determine personnel quality, -5R per die) [69, 52] [121 vs DC 20/40; pass(!!!)]
"You have reached the Office of the Chancellor of the Terran Dominion. If this is a military emergency, please hang up and dial 111 for your nearest marine barracks. Otherwise, please listen carefully, as our options have recently changed..."
- Recorded message played for callers to the Treasury
Though you had expected the phrase "inner office" to be more or less metaphorical, you are surprised to discover it taking on a very literal form. Your office is physically sequestered off behind another room that's full of your personal staff, with all other entrances blocked. The secretaries and assistants serve as symbolic roadblocks to your august presence, upon whose sacred time no person may intrude, lest they have special clearance. This keeps the legion of accountants, bureaucrats, engineers, and programmers you employ from just barging in, vastly reducing your need to be physically present all the time. Your golf swing hasn't been this good in years.
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VoidZero
Passing Flan 布丁魔王
- Location
- Anywhere but RL
Good good, the department and private office is rapidly being filled out. We can begin real work of bringing about dawn of professionalism into this régime shortly. Some claims red tapes stops progress, but i say red tape holds people together.
F0lkL0re
Officially not an Inquisitor
- Location
- Shetland
Good to see we've got our priorities in order.
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
- Location
- United States
I get the impression he gets his kicks from trolling people.Are we paying this guy by the word or something?
Darik29
Verified Delicious
One question i admitto having entirely by accident after remembering some things from the old Starcraft books, which this delightful quest is bringing back to mind the more of it i read.
What is Mengsk policy on Resoc, and how widely will he be implementing it once he has the resources to do so?
What is Mengsk policy on Resoc, and how widely will he be implementing it once he has the resources to do so?
The lack of periods and spacing in this quote does an excellent job of characterizing Sam as someone I find irritating and as someone trying to be sneaky.
Kornet
Quite possibly a sloth abomination
- Location
- Mother Russia
Quite possibly. I sense more than a bit of a certain Sir Humphy Appleby in him. At least he looks like he went to the same college.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Well, I can't fault his attitude. Though given that the Zerg nearly ate him that one time, I imagine he's a bit tetchy on the subject.
And as for the SCV factory...
Ahem. Lack of functional industrial facilities means that we cannot supply tooling for new industrial facilities and have to import it. This is the kind of thing the Nephor II reconstruction will hopefully address.
Okay that is hilarious.
I hope we're not being bullshitted here...
Oh thank God.
Yay!
Yeah, you gotta know how to handle Horner. He's not a fool, but anything written on the assumption that he's a college graduate is going to bounce right off him.
Of course, we now have +1 die in all categories, and are running short of R to fund those categories with.
We'll need to be very careful about using expensive dice, because two dice on 20 R/die projects will mean four dice not activated on 10 R/die projects. And it's quite rare that that's a worthwhile exchange.
Can someone please check Smith's keyboard and make sure the period key still works? Maybe dock his pay for every sentence more than twenty words long?
Nice.
Starting to really like Horner. He's a flawed man, but I like him.
...Oh, and we've got this, which takes out a chunk of the budget. Now, to be fair, if we have like four Personal dice, we can find things to do with the money... but it all adds up to "budget hell" for everything else we're doing.
EDIT:
Basically, we will have 38 non-Personal dice next turn and only about... Well, the reserve's down to 120 R, and our income (not counting the slush fund) is 205 RpT...
Hm. We have about 325 R to activate 38 non-Personal dice. Something's going to have to take a hit. Spending heavily on the SCV factory and Brontes will mean a lot more takes a hit.
This is a skeletal planlet, or what a plan would look like if we were not dipping into the reserves to fund projects.
205/325 R
Infrastructure
-- Augustgrad (1 die) 10 R
-- Brontes (2 dice) 40 R
-- Nephor II (2 dice) 20 R
Heavy Industry
-- SCV factory (3 dice) 45 R
-- Keresh mines (5 dice) 50 R
Light Industry
-- Tyrador Workshops (3 dice) 30 R
-- Two dice idle
Environmental
-- All dice idle
Services
-- All dice idle
Military
-- Tyrador Recruitment Office (1 die) 10 R
-- Four dice idle
Research
-- All dice idle
Bureaucracy
-- Truth and Reconciliation (3 dice) 15 R
-- One die idle
Personal (self-funding)
-- Do whatever, as long as it costs 25 R or less
If you don't like this, well, we do have 120 R of cash reserves left, but bear in mind that once those are gone, they're gone. We're not going to be able to start filling them back up any time soon without leaving even more dice idle. Basically everything I've got is being thrown at the projects that seem most likely to pay off in resources, project difficulty reductions, or just us being under too much pressure to finish what we started. Because otherwise we're going to be stuck in budget hell.
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Archivist Grim
Totally not AI
- Location
- The abyss
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They
Now this fun quest with great start, there are far too few star craft quest, and plan attempting to fill the plan format works well here
Budget Negotiations (2507)
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
Budget Negotiations (2507)
When you first stepped into the Treasury mid-year, you were given an extraordinary levy to get the job done. However, under regular circumstances, part of your job as Chancellor is overseeing the yearly budget negotiations, which typically occur during the winter holidays. These are ostensibly conducted with key members of the Senate oversight committees responsible for your department through hearings, meetings, formal proposals, the whole nine yards. However, the rubber-stamp nature of the legislature and your own personal connections mean that, in practice, you end up hashing the details out with the Emperor, Warfield, and Duke over a game of Texas Hold 'Em.
Despite his many alleged fine qualities as a leader of men, Duke is a terrible poker player, prone to going on tilt after a lost hand. He cools down quickly enough, though, making him tolerable company, albeit distracting from the cutthroat nature of the competition. Mengsk is absolutely unreadable at the table, with a tendency towards outrageous bluffing that you're often reluctant to call (he is the Boss, after all). Warfield, meanwhile, plays a fine analytical game with little flair, steadily racking up the small wins.
The fifth member of your table is Devon Starke, head of Dominion Security. Wearing the headgear you recognize as psychic restraints, indicating that he's either a Ghost or a natural telepath, his face gives away even less than Mengsk does. Absent personal knowledge of the man, who didn't serve in the Sons, you flounder a bit against Starke's precision plays. You strongly suspect he trained against some kind of poker-playing machine, assuming he isn't one himself.
Anyway, there's nothing shameful about coming in third place (not even Starke has the fortitude to try beating the Boss), even if Carla razzes you mercilessly about your monetary losses. What's important is not coming in dead last when it comes to the real game: getting your piece of the pie, and defending it from all comers.
Just how much are you going to need to get this done, anyway?
[] 30% of the Dominion Budget
Going down to 30% of the budget would buy you a lot of friends at the table. Of course, demands on your purse will only grow more intense, so accepting a net reduction in the Treasury's income may be more harmful than helpful.
(Gain 2 Leverage; 180 Resources per turn)
[] 40% of the Dominion Budget
The modest growth of the economy would permit you to maintain funding at current percentage levels and experience an actual increase in available resources. Whether this is sufficient for your needs or not is unclear.
(240 Resources per turn)
[] 50% of the Dominion Budget
With the Treasury Department more or less functioning as intended, and certainly better than it ever did under the Confederates, you can make a case for taking half the budget for yourself. Everyone knows the Armed Forces are more or less self-funding anyway, so all you're doing is slashing their government subsidies, and possibly horning in on Security's own piece of the pie.
(Lose 2 Leverage; 300 Resources per turn)
[] 60% of the Dominion Budget
Setbacks on Korhal and Brontes may not look the best to the average observer, but they do give you a strong case that you need substantially more resources to get the job done. By cutting military subsidies to all but token contributions, you should be able to secure the majority of the budget for yourself, if you're willing to make the appropriate trade-offs.
(Lose 4 Leverage; 360 Resources per turn)
What are you willing to promise?
[] Restart the Dylarian Shipyards
General Duke is a little twitchy after the dust-up over Brontes, which led to significant damage to several of his precious battlecruisers. Without the Dylarian Shipyards up and running, he's been forced to make inadequate field repairs. Indicating your willingness to lend a hand will smooth his feathers substantially.
(Gain 1 Leverage; must complete Dylar IV: Dylarian Shipyards (Phase 1) by the end of Q4 2507)
[] Build the Broken Mesa Xenobiology Institute
General Warfield is concerned that the Dominion remains on the back foot regarding the Zerg; most of the relevant data was collected by Confederate scientists, many of whom are now dead or in exile. A center of learning focused on studying the Zerg, under the Imperial Guard's direct remit, will improve the Dominion Armed Forces' chances in any future conflict, or so says the General.
(Gain 1 Leverage; must complete Korhal: Broken Mesa Xenobiology Institute by the end of Q4 2507)
[] Complete a Dominion-Wide Census
Director Starke, while he's in the process of taking your money, quietly suggests that it would be in the best interests of good government to have a comprehensive picture of the Dominion's population. He'd be interested in seeing the results of the census. You happen to agree, but are slightly disconcerted by where this is coming from.
(Gain 1 Leverage; must complete Conduct a Dominion-Wide Census by the end of Q4 2507)
And what are you looking to gain?
[] Military Surplus
While you're having to manufacture, import, or borrow every scrap of material you can find, the Dominion Military is flush with surplus prefab buildings, equipment, and other things you desperately need. The number of unused barracks buildings alone is staggering. You happen to know that Duke has a warehouse full of SCVs, not being used. By anyone! Surely he can shake something loose for you.
(Lose 1 Leverage; reduce necessary Progress for all Planetary Reconstruction phases by 100)
[] Guard Intervention
Alpha Squadron bailed you out once, but Duke has clearly stated that he intends to resume focusing entirely on Brontes' various surface problems. Warfield, on the other hand, has a number of newly-raised Guard units in need of some blooding. You may be able to persuade him to direct them into Brontes orbit, to help clear out any Zerg or rogue scavengers lurking in the debris field.
(Lose 1 Leverage; reduce necessary Progress for all Brontes: Orbital Cleanup and Brontes: Refloating the Fleet phases by 100)
[] Additional Security
Director Starke took an opportunity during a lull in the game to privately inquire about the degree of corruption your reconstruction efforts were facing. He then proceeded to indicate that the problem is much worse than you think, and suggested that Dominion Security might be able to help round up the embezzlers and grifters on the civilian side of things. As none of the people he mentioned have any ties to Arendt (according to the man himself), it should be safe to release the hounds.
(Lose 1 Leverage; reduce cost per die for all [Reconstruction] project phases by 5R, to a minimum of 10R)
Finally, after the game has wrapped up and all the other players have gone home, the Emperor takes you aside for a private chat.
"Chuck, you've been doing a damn fine job over there at the Treasury. I've seen all the love and attention you've put into the Labor Corps, so I know you and I are on absolutely the same page about the future of the Dominion. It's the people, Chuck, the people. They're the ones the Confederates ignored and they're the ones we're gonna put to work.
Now, that said, you've had a few setbacks. Not your fault, not your fault at all; I gave you a department with all sorts of problems, and you've got it humming now, but that sort of thing takes time. So, how about this? We'll call these first six months a run-in period. The five years I gave you starts first thing next year instead. I'm not an unreasonable man, Chuck. I want you to succeed.
In exchange, though, I'd like to see a little more progress on Augustgrad. I don't mind Tyrador, it's a fine vacation home, but I think an Emperor really needs to be in his palace, don't you? Sends the right message, shows the people that we're on the right track. You can get that done for me, can't you?"
Do you take the deal?
[] Accept the deal
Sure, what the hell? You were going to finish the capital anyway, and an extra six months won't hurt at all. Plus, it's always good to have Mengsk on your side. Definitely better than having him on the other one.
(Plan period extended through Q4 2511, must complete Korhal: Capital City Augustgrad (Phase 1) by the end of Q4 2507, must complete one Augustgrad phase per year after that)
[] Stick to the original timetable
You're on excellent terms with the Emperor, and you know how to phrase a refusal in such a way that he'll only be a little miffed rather than mortally offended. Still, he won't like you rejecting an imperial favor like this, no matter how soft your word choice is.
(+20 Paranoia, last plan period remains Q2 2511, no change)
Here's how Leverage works: You start at 0. Each point you gain in excess of what you spend reduces Paranoia by 10. Each point you spend in excess of what you gain increases Paranoia by 10. Aside from that, there's no limit to what you can take on or promise. Mengsk's deal doesn't function on the Leverage system; it's entirely outside the budget negotiations.
I'd like people to vote for the budget (including Mengsk's deal) in plan format. 24-hour moratorium, then another day or two to vote.
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