Brave New Frontier

Going secret for a few more years is fine but the more secret conspiracish this is the more time our leadership will get decapitated. The European Union is already sniffing and finding which one will squeal and with what happened to the Yakuza the message is either a deal now or we're next. The fact that they found a lot of influential Yakuza within the whole of Asia just means they are watching since they seem to know something is up in the wheels of the economy when they forced European regulations upon us.
 
So considering space is a hellish environment. I have a couple of considerations for long term planning. Do we want to drive closer to a fully automated supply chain? Thus saving human lives and finding... Something to do with the people. (A UBI wound't be a bad idea in that case. It always trickles up.)
Or do we want to stick with the human capital we've been developing and further invest in that? IE manned missions across the solar system. Human controlled mining operations, humans on the production lines. We'll still run out of people to give labor to at some point but it would be far in the distant future.

Also a question for @Dapperlad1 what seem to be the biggest problems plaguing humanity right now? I know we already kind of solved pollution as well as food and then secured the water supply. Is there a new big issue like say... Declining birthrates? Imminent biosphere collapse? Or are we free to just mess around in space.
 
Also a question for @Dapperlad1 what seem to be the biggest problems plaguing humanity right now? I know we already kind of solved pollution as well as food and then secured the water supply. Is there a new big issue like say... Declining birthrates? Imminent biosphere collapse? Or are we free to just mess around in space.
Maybe we could do that as a project?

Setup a "Human Survival Bureau", or something.
They monitor Earth and all Human colonies/habitats.
It's their job to identify any problems humanity is facing, and recommend potential solutions for them, each turn.
 
Also a question for @Dapperlad1 what seem to be the biggest problems plaguing humanity right now? I know we already kind of solved pollution as well as food and then secured the water supply. Is there a new big issue like say... Declining birthrates? Imminent biosphere collapse? Or are we free to just mess around in space.
The current issues are fairly minor, the most pressing one is resource collapse in a century or two. Space mining is neatly solving that.
 
So looks like enough people are in favour of staying secret a bit longer I won't contest that. Which just leaves me with one question for @Dapperlad1 . How will diverting our efforts from founding the first lunar colony in favour of health research into space habitation go?

I can actually see people being in favour of it, but just curious what the hype that ran last turn's efforts to push towards a lunar colony hopefully this turn will work out if we re-orient efforts and delay it. Even if it's due to health concerns discovered in the effort to more safely found said colony.
 
So looks like enough people are in favour of staying secret a bit longer I won't contest that. Which just leaves me with one question for @Dapperlad1 . How will diverting our efforts from founding the first lunar colony in favour of health research into space habitation go?

I can actually see people being in favour of it, but just curious what the hype that ran last turn's efforts to push towards a lunar colony hopefully this turn will work out if we re-orient efforts and delay it. Even if it's due to health concerns discovered in the effort to more safely found said colony.
An interesting thing about your efforts to incite space colonization, you have reached the point where the orbital population is high enough to begin random event rolls, so colonization of things may happen naturally. Actually private efforts, in that I mean not funded by you guys, don't have as much margin for error by comparison though.

There would not be backlash for it due to media control, perhaps a single company is liquidated, but it will quickly be replaced by a dozen others.
 
Going to toss this up then, not expecting much and Health and Safety is agreeable enough that I'm tempted to vote for it now that it's become clear people have decided to stay secret a while long. I just want that lunar colony damnit!

[X] Plan Health and Safety on Luna

150 PF :
Work on next generation equipment and technology for long term industry and habitation in space. Ranging from health and exercise programs for long term residents, to better armored drones and spacesuits and tools for EVA to improvements in communications between stations and vessels.

150 PF: Work on reviving Earth Based space training, R&D and launch facilities in various locations around the world so new applicants can be prepared for life in space from emergency training, to living in close quarters and working in zero-gee.

100 PF: Using our media influence promote space development and industry through news and entertainment programs, along with supporting regional political parties and candidates that share our views. Nationalism has only brought hardship and working together we can build a peaceful world and that there are plenty of jobs in space for talented and determined people.

100 PF: Found the first lunar colony using the daisy chain of orbital infrastructure and surveys recently conducted. Take advantage of it for the media effort and long term space habitation endeavor as applicable.

-25 PF Ascalon
-30 PF Légion Etrangère


It is literally Traveller's plan, I just swapped grabbing caseless ammo this turn for founding the lunar colony we planned for last turn.
 
Going secret for a few more years is fine but the more secret conspiracish this is the more time our leadership will get decapitated. The European Union is already sniffing and finding which one will squeal and with what happened to the Yakuza the message is either a deal now or we're next. The fact that they found a lot of influential Yakuza within the whole of Asia just means they are watching since they seem to know something is up in the wheels of the economy when they forced European regulations upon us.

The problem with traditional organized crime networks was that they are top down management structures and limited to specific ethnic or cultural groups. So if you remove several key players the whole organization collapses. In the 21st Century with the adoption of widespread telecommunications networks we can have a distributed virtual corporation. All we do is issue our higher level executives encrypted communications devices that send messages to distributed servers located in orbit and on Earth. If someone tries to intercept the message and if they are able to break the encryption they would only have part of the message. Instead of a pyramid type structure think of a cellular type structure with teams and departments formed based on tasks.

The other problem was that organized crime had a negative image despite romantic portrayals in the media. We ARE the Media and have already started influencing the population. Our businesses bring jobs, training, education and other services to all people, not just a select group. We are not interested in some flag or piece of dirt but uplifting the world, nationalism brought little but pain and hardship to main people and wealth to a few. Our message is that if you join us you will see the stars.
 
Adhoc vote count started by Dapperlad1 on Oct 24, 2021 at 7:48 AM, finished with 40 posts and 8 votes.


This is the current vote result, I'll leave it open for a tad bit longer unless everyone feels they want to move on.

On a completely unrelated note, I have begun another quest in a similar vein to this one! Just set in a dark fantasy Europe, specifically the Balkans. It's just starting on the faction selection.

forums.sufficientvelocity.com

A Night So Deep-(A Supernatural Alt-History Quest Set in the Balkans) Mature

The Glory of the Roman Empire shall be reignited! From these humble beginnings, the fire has been lit!
 
So considering space is a hellish environment. I have a couple of considerations for long term planning. Do we want to drive closer to a fully automated supply chain? Thus saving human lives and finding... Something to do with the people. (A UBI wound't be a bad idea in that case. It always trickles up.)
Or do we want to stick with the human capital we've been developing and further invest in that? IE manned missions across the solar system. Human controlled mining operations, humans on the production lines. We'll still run out of people to give labor to at some point but it would be far in the distant future.

Also a question for @Dapperlad1 what seem to be the biggest problems plaguing humanity right now? I know we already kind of solved pollution as well as food and then secured the water supply. Is there a new big issue like say... Declining birthrates? Imminent biosphere collapse? Or are we free to just mess around in space.

The problem with automation is one of cost, morale and environment. We can start a basic UBI for retirees, disabled people or with specific issues (Caregiving for parents, children) or make some goods free to use. However most people want to work or be productive to feel value, so we include some sort of Community Service like picking up litter or visiting those people who do not have family. As for space development the communication lag time, harsh radiation and other environmental considerations make manned supervisor essential. We can automate certain procedures but there still needs to be some one at the Shut Off button.
 
The problem with traditional organized crime networks was that they are top down management structures and limited to specific ethnic or cultural groups. So if you remove several key players the whole organization collapses. In the 21st Century with the adoption of widespread telecommunications networks we can have a distributed virtual corporation. All we do is issue our higher level executives encrypted communications devices that send messages to distributed servers located in orbit and on Earth. If someone tries to intercept the message and if they are able to break the encryption they would only have part of the message. Instead of a pyramid type structure think of a cellular type structure with teams and departments formed based on tasks.

The other problem was that organized crime had a negative image despite romantic portrayals in the media. We ARE the Media and have already started influencing the population. Our businesses bring jobs, training, education and other services to all people, not just a select group. We are not interested in some flag or piece of dirt but uplifting the world, nationalism brought little but pain and hardship to main people and wealth to a few. Our message is that if you join us you will see the stars.
I mean the European Union just went full-on COIN for the Yakuza so that even if it is just a bunch of large enough cells they would most likely be strangled instead of being fully gone from the field. Same as ours since the constituent corporations are just a bunch of much more public-facing cells with a central backer since the Union officials would know this especially their intelligence arm.
 
Turn 4 Results/Turn 5
2042
10:15 PM
REDACTED LOCATION


Another meeting with familiar faces, wrinkled and ageing as they are, discussions are slower and calmer, years weighing on everyone here. It takes a bit of time, but finally, an action plan is concocted and set into motion, letting everyone disperse.
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Next Generation Space Habitation and Industry-150PF+20 (Private Investment)+30 (European Union Grants)
Roll=8 (Critical Success)


The initial broad-spectrum foray into the matter is fairly eventful, general technologies developed, space-suits that are more form-fitting, designing habitats to incorporate constantly rotating sections, simple exercise regimens and drugs to take. It is only when European grants come in that this project acquires a peculiar success.

The grants are given to projects based on arcane criteria by the Union, however, most of it seems to land directly on the laps of drone programmers and space-resistant computing designers.

In a few years, vast strides are made in the field, developing more and more intelligent AI's and computers to house them until the entirety of space is revolutionized, drone-piloted mining vessels able to carefully manoeuvre asteroids far more precisely, only watched by a technician rather than a team of them, asteroid miners being funnelled towards the newly built Lunar colony. The sheer success was only possible due to the cooperation of both the National Science Association and private teams.

This cascades into a dozen other fields as factories are far more easily automated and every household computer seems to hold a new Intelligent Assistant.

Finally, the military effects are cascading, with the intelligence displayed by the AI, drone warfare becomes incredibly viable and sees spreading adoption across PMC's as a cost-saving measure.

Advanced AI was created with European Union aid, compounding critical on both sides.
General Improvements to Space Habitation also acquired, zero-gee health issues mitigated.
Orbital Industry Profit Factor Increased by 30.
Civilian Product Sale Profit Factor Increased by 20.
Military Product Sale Profit Factor Increased by 15.
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Earth-based Space Training Facilities-150PF+30 (European Union Grants)
Roll=50 (Critical Success)


This new decade seems full of developments, as the idea of training individuals on Earth balloons into a far more successful operation than intended. With the promise of space-job certification, many millions quickly funnel into facilities, causing a great expansion of efforts, quickly growing into a vaster and vaster organization until finally, "Space Universities" are pushing out tens of thousands of graduates a semester each, all entering the rapidly growing sector of lunar colonization.

The European Union seems particularly fond of this, offering hundreds of thousands of scholarships to its own citizens and even extending military service benefits to cover it.

Space is being flooded with personnel, all trained to a similar standard of service. The lunar population expands massively.
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Pro-Corporate Media Manipulation-100PF-50 (European Union Pro-Nationalist Rhetoric)+30 (European Union Grants)
Roll=91 (Failure)


The media corporations attempt to start a new series of ads, statements and movements towards the glory of space travel and the can-do attitude of going out there yourself and carving out a place in the universe.

However, this encounters several issues, first of all, no one agrees on how exactly to spin it, then a new story about a colossal brawl between the Legion and terrorists takes over the news for a few months, afterwards, upon returning to the issue at hand, no one has any real idea how to pick it back up naturally.

Even with those drawbacks, a plan of action was forged and set into motion, only to run directly into state news espousing directly opposing messages in Europe, globally espousing them at that.

All told, very little progress is made, and in some ways, the enthusiasm for space is reduced, though the lunar colony more than makes up for it.

Action failed, nearly reduced Lunar immigration rate, having a moon colony overcame it.
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Lunar Colony-100PF+100 (European Union Co-Colonization Efforts)
Roll=1 (Okay then)


The Lunar City forms quite rapidly, the combined efforts of training hundreds of thousands of trained personnel at once, developing space-safety and artificial intelligence as well as the frankly absurd amount of effort the European Union puts into building a military base and shipbuilding centre on the moon, giving all those people immediate jobs causes the population to skyrocket.

It goes from a collection of vacuum-proof huts in a dip on the lunar surface to a three-kilometre wide city in the span of five years, construction methodologies adapted, local materials used and incredible amounts of practical experience collected.

The Unions shipyard sees completion in roughly the same time, a colossal space, capable of fitting the largest habitats in its maw of construction equipment inset in a canyon, the primary source of jobs other than mining and construction.

Luna colonized, the dice gods demanded this.
New Income Source Acquired.
Luna
Civilian Product Sale-70PF
Military Product Sale-30PF
Orbital Industry-50PF
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North America


The Legion, sitting in disuse, sees fit to engage the North American Terror Cells before they can properly assault anything, earning their pay. Using European Union and Corporate intelligence, they hone in on command centres and engage opponents all across the continent in violent police actions that see tens of thousands dead. Mostly civilian.

At the end of it all, the Terror Cells have been forced into hiding once more with minimal damage to the Legion, and your control of media stops this from developing into a scandal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South America
Experiencing the greatest economic boom it has ever had, South America is a heavily urbanizing continent, increasing in wealth, happiness and development.

This is causing some worry about the food supply of the world, but for now, it is stable.
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Europe

In the broadest terms, Europe has officially become the sovereigns of the planet in the eyes of everyone else. The only stable governments, the greatest happiness of citizens, the largest militaries, the world looks to the continent once more with eyes of wonder.

Be that as it may, internally, the Union seems far more worried. Military actions are spreading throughout it, practicing and drilling whilst tremendous amounts of money seems to disappear into "black projects", worrying your agents intensely, any questions about these projects are met with threats of investigation and firing.

The other event is the lockdown of all observatories, telescopes and any other long-range space-observation tools in European land. There is something up there they don't want their people to see?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asia
The industrial explosion from the development of carbon nanotubes continues as Asia continues to be the leader in materials sciences globally. Following the development of advanced AI's, independent researchers banded together with the unifying goal of putting them to use.

With their silicon minds used in conjunction with creative biological ones, vast strides are made in the fields of myomer-robotics. Robotic arms in factories are replaced with cheaper, smoother and easier to maintain myomer-limbs as the technology is put to immediate use.

Talk of militarizing this remains, but no one has pushed the matter just yet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa
In Africa, the first all-Drone PMC's are deployed, corporations hiring people from all across the world to pilot aircraft and ground-craft from the comfort of their homes in the African War-Zones with the intent of enforcing peace.

Paid as if they were an office worker, the job is cheap, easily trained in and has revolutionized warfare. Now remote controlled tanks, aircraft and ships ply the rivers in Africa, annihilating enemy forces with no risk whatsoever to trained personnel. A new era in warfare has come, a cheaper, deathless era.
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Space

The invention of AI's has led to amassed mining efforts taking place, the drones are able to perfectly calculate the distance and speed of each asteroid to not interfere with any other mining endeavour earth-side. But otherwise, the spaceways are much the same, except for the constant stream of rockets going Earth-Luna.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luna

Lunar City is a massive thing, drilling deep into the moon itself for safety from regolith, it currently houses just under half a million people, most of them working to mine valuable minerals, crack oxygen and grow plants in its enormity.

Breaches are a daily reality, deaths occur on the regular and few people are safe, however, there are always more immigrants to replace the dead.

The Union Space Vessel Yard is a curious sight, lying unused but teeming with workers in its bowels, affecting minor repairs and maintenance as they await orders.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Profit Factor-755-25 If Ascalon is kept, -30 if Légion is kept.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What even was this turn? I have no idea, the rolls were insane and it went somewhat off the rails for a bit.

Now I have to write all of the new mechanics for drone armies.
And also the Union is acting freaky.

As always, congratulations on your successes and better luck next time on your failures.
Feel free to ask for clarification on whatever you need, I did sort of spit this one out fast.
 
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we may need to put some profit into the EU as they are real suspicious right now. I would say invest 150-200 for there will be push back
 
Finally, the military effects are cascading, with the intelligence displayed by the AI, drone warfare becomes incredibly viable and sees spreading adoption across PMC's as a cost-saving measure.

Advanced AI was created with European Union aid, compounding critical on both sides.
General Improvements to Space Habitation also acquired, zero-gee health issues mitigated.
Orbital Industry Profit Factor Increased by 30.
Civilian Product Sale Profit Factor Increased by 20.
Military Product Sale Profit Factor Increased by 15.
How advance AI are we talking about? Fully a person? Or what?
 
How advance AI are we talking about? Fully a person? Or what?
No, not quite that, it is intelligent enough that you can't tell it's not a person if its trained to be social. But it's just an incredibly advanced natural learning algorithm at the end of the day.

Edit:Also, realize I forgot to add PF total to the update, I'll get it in a bit, just nipping off to a restaurant for something to eat.
It's added.
 
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We need to invest money in Europe that is to their taste because they are freaking me out on how they might try to backstab us. Being able to influence politicians and us considering Europe as the shining city and capital of humanity might be something they might like.
 
We might need to keep an eye on EU, but Asia is also going quite hard with their stuff and I think we could try to exploit that. Maybe destabilize the continent by investing in some PMC's or trying to buy them off the markets? We can also try to rush lunar colonization and have the whole moon loyal to us.
 
We might need to keep an eye on EU, but Asia is also going quite hard with their stuff and I think we could try to exploit that. Maybe destabilize the continent by investing in some PMC's or trying to buy them off the markets? We can also try to rush lunar colonization and have the whole moon loyal to us.
Why should we destabilize places we control though since they are our industrial bastion and soon to be new sites of Algae farms since global food security needs to be addressed. It's also our base in the Pacific for "Freedom of the Seas".
 
Let the EU deal with Asia, we can focus our efforts on the stars.

[X] Plan Telescopes, Elevators and AI

150PF
Telescope satellite constellation - For use spying on the EU and finding what in the stars has them so freaked out. Telescopes point both ways after all.
150PF Lunar influence - Though strategic investment and bringing large number of our own people in, work to ensure that the Moon is under our subtle control.
50PF Lunar Safety - If there are small breaches, there can be large ones, put some work towards avoiding any major catastrophes that discourage space investment.
150PF Corporate AI's - Housed in specialized bunkers, and answering only to executives, they are constantly searching for opportunities and threats.
100PF Personal AI's - A helping hand through the day, loyal to the owner, subtly designed to lean towards corporate interests, this handy tool is always happy to organize your to do list, share the news or help shop for the latest corporate products.
100PF Space Elevator - Since we have carbon nanotubes, make a cheap gateway to the stars, then charge for it.

25 PF Ascalon
30 PF Légion Etrangère


755 of 755 PF used
 
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