[X] Plan Plugging the hull -[X] Military
--[X] Fortifications
--[X]Saltpeter -[X] Economy
--[X] Trade?
--[X] Replacements -[X] Civilian
--[X] Food distribution
--[X] USA?
Our primary concerns at the moment are defense and plugging up any of the immediate holes that the transfer left in our economy. Static fortifications and ensuring our ammo supply is stable will give us a strong defensive base for the moment while we work on getting our economy back up to snuff for a real military, and we'll also want to get continuation of government settled pronto.
[X] Plan From the ground up. -[X] Military
-[X]Fortifications: We need strategic forts built along our borders and around ports. Get that going immediately, before we suffer more raids! (DC: 50, gain buff to defensive battles)
-[X]Saltpeter: Gunpowder requires saltpeter, and we have little. Most was imported from overseas, and we are cut off from that. Set about making niter beds and harvesting saltpeter from waste. (DC: 30, raise military by 10%) -[X] Economy
-[X]Replacements: Provide government help to build replacement industries for manufacturers lost with the rest of the country and overseas trade. (DC: 50, increase productivity by 5%)
-[X]Minerals: You have a number of mines in your territory, but some things are scarce or nonexistent. See if you can't gain sources of these materials. (DC: 50, gain 5% productivity) -[X] Civilian
-[X]USA?: The rest of the country is gone. Are we still the United States if no other states exist? We need to figure this out. (DC: 25, triggers subvote)
-[X]Food distribution: Imports of food have been disrupted. Set about ensuring the state can produce enough to feed itself. (DC: 35, stability increase by 5%)
My logic with this plan, similarly to button down the hatches, is that we need to focus on securing our home territory and fixing the things we already have as much as possible, rather than trying to get new things, or exploring this brave new world. Learning what the fuck is up with our neighbhours is important, don't get me wrong, but it can wait until we exist in a position of relative stability.
To this end, I chose the options for the following reasons:
-Fortifications so that we can secure our own territory and resist intrusions. Standing armies and such are nice, but we aren't embarking on any long overland campaigns just yet (For which a standing army would be well suited), so for now id prefer to have Militiamen shooting from the safety of half-decent walls than to try and get a professional group ready in the midst of this chaos. Veterans or no, training and organizing proper regiments can wait until we can guarantee a moment of peace to do so. I was tempted to take Naval patrols instead of this, but we will probably want to save that until we have some actually sea trade going on to protect, and if we are worried about raiders coming ashore, the forts option specifically say it's also building forts around our ports, so it will help against that as well.
-Saltpeter. While im certain that we have significant stores of Gunpowder on hand, I never trust having a big stockpile over having a renewable production of something. Making more gunpowder is going to be nescecary long term, and we might as well get it out of the way early so we dont have to worry about it later. If an Orc or beastman Horde comes calling, we will find ourselves burning through our powder very fast to keep them at bay.
-Replacements are fairly self explanatory. A little of the good old state intervention to make sure the economy doesnt collapse. Subsidize replacements now while the effect is minimal, and get it out of the way, so that we dont end up hurting for a lack of them later when they are needed.
-Minerals. We are surrounded, terribly outnumbered, and cut off from our normal trade partners. We need to make use of every natural resource we can to prop up our economy, and make us as self-sufficient as possible. Certain industries just cant work without certain resources, and making sure we have our resource base covered will help our economy in the long terms (and give us something to actually trade in the future). As with many of the other options, its short term effort to save us long term pain.
-USA? because we need to figure out our government ASAP. If we dont have a clear source of authority/chain of command, our ability to make important decisions will be crippled. Any actions that depend upon the legal powers of the state, such as accepting local immigrants as citizens, will be pointless if we dont know what they are becoming citizens of. Even if we just declare an emergency, Interim government, that's better than the chaotic legal limbo we are currently adrift in. Again, this will head off future problems.
-Food Distribution, because without food, everything else becomes pointless. Making sure we can reliably provide for our population should be like, priority #1.
Once all of these things are secure, we can start tentatively looking outward. Notably, we aren't far from Barak-Varr, a Major dwarfhold and trading hub, so well probably want to get in their good graces and become allies. Forging trade ties with the Tilean cities would probably also be a good idea, they have lots of skilled mercenaries we can hire in cases of emergency.
As for the border princes, I think we should *try* to do a campaign of peaceful integration by diplomatic and economic influence over time. Selling our fancy guns to desperate princes and intertwining them to us so thoroughly that they cant think to make us enemies, all the while slipping ideas about democracy and freedom into the heads of the peasents. Give us a couple years and well consensually form the United States of the Border. Outright conquest would be too bloody and costly when there are worse things than feudal asshole humans to worry about.
Adhoc vote count started by midnight77 on Nov 7, 2023 at 10:01 PM, finished with 35 posts and 14 votes.
[X] Plan Strong Foundation
-[X]Naval patrols: Our coastlines are vulnerable. Have the navy begin patrols of the coast to show the flag and ward off danger. (DC: 50, prevent piracy)
-[X]Fortifications: We need strategic forts built along our borders and around ports. Get that going immediately, before we suffer more raids! (DC: 50, gain buff to defensive battles)
-[X]Replacements: Provide government help to build replacement industries for manufacturers lost with the rest of the country and overseas trade. (DC: 50, increase productivity by 5%)
-[X]Minerals: You have a number of mines in your territory, but some things are scarce or nonexistent. See if you can't gain sources of these materials. (DC: 50, gain 5% productivity)
-[X]Citizenship: There are plenty of people in the "Border Princes" and a number have come into the state looking for shelter, food, and work. If they want to live here, they need to be integrated into the country. That means some will become citizens. Set about a process allowing for citizenship. (DC: 35, stability increases by 5%)
-[X]Food distribution: Imports of food have been disrupted. Set about ensuring the state can produce enough to feed itself. (DC: 35, stability increase by 5%)
[X] Plan From the ground up. -[X] Military
-[X]Fortifications: We need strategic forts built along our borders and around ports. Get that going immediately, before we suffer more raids! (DC: 50, gain buff to defensive battles)
-[X]Saltpeter: Gunpowder requires saltpeter, and we have little. Most was imported from overseas, and we are cut off from that. Set about making niter beds and harvesting saltpeter from waste. (DC: 30, raise military by 10%) -[X] Economy
-[X]Replacements: Provide government help to build replacement industries for manufacturers lost with the rest of the country and overseas trade. (DC: 50, increase productivity by 5%)
-[X]Minerals: You have a number of mines in your territory, but some things are scarce or nonexistent. See if you can't gain sources of these materials. (DC: 50, gain 5% productivity) -[X] Civilian
-[X]USA?: The rest of the country is gone. Are we still the United States if no other states exist? We need to figure this out. (DC: 25, triggers subvote)
-[X]Food distribution: Imports of food have been disrupted. Set about ensuring the state can produce enough to feed itself. (DC: 35, stability increase by 5%)
[X] Plan Strong Foundation
-[X]Naval patrols: Our coastlines are vulnerable. Have the navy begin patrols of the coast to show the flag and ward off danger. (DC: 50, prevent piracy)
-[X]Fortifications: We need strategic forts built along our borders and around ports. Get that going immediately, before we suffer more raids! (DC: 50, gain buff to defensive battles)
-[X]Replacements: Provide government help to build replacement industries for manufacturers lost with the rest of the country and overseas trade. (DC: 50, increase productivity by 5%)
-[X]Minerals: You have a number of mines in your territory, but some things are scarce or nonexistent. See if you can't gain sources of these materials. (DC: 50, gain 5% productivity)
-[X]Citizenship: There are plenty of people in the "Border Princes" and a number have come into the state looking for shelter, food, and work. If they want to live here, they need to be integrated into the country. That means some will become citizens. Set about a process allowing for citizenship. (DC: 35, stability increases by 5%)
-[X]Food distribution: Imports of food have been disrupted. Set about ensuring the state can produce enough to feed itself. (DC: 35, stability increase by 5%)
Naval patrols: Our coastlines are vulnerable. Have the navy begin patrols of the coast to show the flag and ward off danger. (DC: 50, prevent piracy) Rolled: 64
The naval patrols go well, as no raiders set onto the coastline and no fishing boats are taken. It also gets the word out to merchants of all kinds that a new group is around. This sees Boston receiving some new arrivals, particularly Brettonians and Imperials. The sight of a steamship also brings in the dwarves, a strange people who seem much admired and feared by the humans of this land. They are renowned as the greatest craftsmen yet apparently guard their knowledge fiercely.
That is not to say that the Navy does not see action. Green-skinned creatures in ramshackle boats make sorties towards the coast and are driven back by the ironclads and screw steamers of the Navy.
Fortifications: We need strategic forts built along our borders and around ports. Get that going immediately, before we suffer more raids! (DC: 50, gain buff to defensive battles) Rolled: 83
Along major tradeways near the border, forts are started. With the help of veteran engineers from the late war, they are modeled to be as difficult to assault as possible and proof against the dangers of this world, which are many. The forts around the ports of the state are also updated and rearmed, with arsenals seeing a major investment in heavy guns, given the formidable size of the dwarven ironclads that sailed into port.
Replacements: Provide government help to build replacement industries for manufacturers lost with the rest of the country and overseas trade. (DC: 50, increase productivity by 5%) Rolled: 62
A bill passes the legislature to allow for state funds to be put to the work of ensuring replacements for lost manufacturers. Small operators see investment in expansion and several chemical and industrial products are brought into being over the course of the year out of almost nothing. The economy booms, as word of your goods goes out and folks across the Border Princes send caravans and trading ships come as well.
Minerals: You have a number of mines in your territory, but some things are scarce or nonexistent. See if you can't gain sources of these materials. (DC: 50, gain 5% productivity) Rolled: 27
It seems not everything you need is nearby. Consultations with dwarves and locals sees that several minerals and substances cannot be found in the Border Princes or are in general unknown. Either replacements must be sought or sources found.
Citizenship: There are plenty of people in the "Border Princes" and a number have come into the state looking for shelter, food, and work. If they want to live here, they need to be integrated into the country. That means some will become citizens. Set about a process allowing for citizenship. (DC: 35, stability increases by 5%) Rolled: 76
The bill passes the assembly rapidly. It is essentially a copy of pre-event American citizenship laws, modified to give "Citizenship of the state of Massachusetts." It allows for people to become naturalized citizens provided a period of residence and a loyalty oath.
Food distribution: Imports of food have been disrupted. Set about ensuring the state can produce enough to feed itself. (DC: 35, stability increase by 5%) Rolled: 45
Luckily, the state arrived within time for the next planting season to be expanded. Quick purchases of food ended up stopping any great escalation of food prices, though some foods are unknown to this world or simply from places too far away to see regular access. Chocolate seems especially rare, as do several spices, though samples of the seeds for such do exist in seed banks of several universities.
And the best part is that this is the 1860s, so American beer hasn't become the infamous yellow swill we all know and hate yet. Dwarves will love Boston, even if it is full of umgi.
And the best part is that this is the 1860s, so American beer hasn't become the infamous yellow swill we all know and hate yet. Dwarves will love Boston, even if it is full of umgi.
It is time for the people of Massachusetts to become a Merchant Republic.
What they lack in minerals and natural resources is to be recuperated by trading with the peoples of the Old World from the Black Gulf to the Sea of Claws.
