...Ok, apparently the RRs were pushed forward in line again.
Let´s have a look, shall we?
Xanatos Enterprises
[ ] Collaborate on FTL research
DC 175
27+28+28+28+27+7+20 (Government Funding)=167
Bare Failure
Xanatos Enterprises and Drakktech Industries have together filed several patents in an attempt to produce genuine faster than light travel, a task considered hefty to say the least. In their attempt to make a working FTL drive, they appear to have run up against several technical and logistical difficulties that stymied their attempts to produce a working prototype. The work of the stars is not going to be done in a day! Several promising designs have nonetheless emerged from their studies, and the companies are expected to redouble the efforts to make the leap from theoretical to practical in the near future.
So David was trying his hand at FTL tech and only barely farted on it? Sucks to be him, but at least it´s the King most likely to handle any alien encounter halfway-reasonable that´s faffing around with FTL stuff, so it´s not too concenring for anyone.
[ ] Construct a space elevator
DC 130 (Reduced by Prometheus Aeronautics)
35+38+35+25+17=150
Decent Success
Construction on the Xanatos Enterprises space elevator has been progressing well, with funding pouring into Prometheus Aeronautics from all over the nation. After considerable debate and development, an ocean-going base structure designed to travel across the world to avoid storm systems and other potential stressors has been selected. Conversion of a formerly decommissioned Fortress-class carrier into the base of the massive superstructure has progressed quickly, and while the elevator isn't functional yet, a significant amount of progress has been made. Commentators note the real difficulty of constructing such an elevator has never been in the base moorings, but in building a cable of sufficient strength to maintain the centripetal force of the entire planet. Many wonder just what Prometheus has in mind.
Continuing on his space angle, David managed to progress on his Space Elevator stuff? That´s pretty good, but even with that thing working just fine a mundane supply line to his moonbase would take quite some time - time he might not *have*, depending on what unfortunate event assails him up there.
If only someone close-ish to him had even the *theoretical* knowledge how to trapnsort supplies nigh-instantaneously over vast distances... I am pretty sure that David wouldn´t mind partaking in a practical application of such a revolutionary concept, once it has been made real - maybe he could even be convinced to *help* making that concept a reality in exchange for almost-exclusive rights on it, if you catch my drift...
...I am talking about approaching him about a Supply-Comedization Collab that would benefit the both of us greatly, if it wasn´t clear.
Gen-U-Tech
[ ] Release gene-modded crops
DC 120
57+28+28+20+5+14=147
Great Success
The worst days of the Breadbasket Collapse are long gone! Gen-U-Tech's latest designer crops, including citrus that isn't as picky about temperatures and wheat that will grow in nearly every environment, have gone a long way to returning the US to both the variety and price of food they could've expected before the midwest turned into a giant dust bowl. Their parent company, Xanatos Enterprises, is surely turning record profits exporting the new organisms overseas.
Hm, so David made a big push with his Food-related subsidiaries? While it does cut into our margins a bit (which does annoy me a bit), it also cuts into Toffees as well (since David knows of Toffees true nature, it wouldn´t surprise me if he was intentionally trying to weaken the lizards Earth-side endeavours that way while flying under the radar with it), which I like - so, coupled with the implications further down, that his attempted buyout of Hoppers fell through, I am not that annoyed at that move by Xanatos.
Drakktech
[ ] Collaborate with ENCOM on VR
DC 140
32+25+55+20+5=137
Bare Failure
The 'Pavarti' system's next sequential upgrade, intended to be a fully immersive 'deep dive' experience that engages all the senses, was beset by delays over the past few months, citing technological difficulties and stringent safety testing as the reason they would not be meeting their deadline. Investors were assured that the project would be releasing 'soon'.
While Shego being part of that failure does bother me the slightest bit (since I in general prefer her being on the *winning "team"* more or less), it also causes ENCOMs digital advance to stall a bit, so I will take it as a slight net positive.
[ ] Contract Wacky Wally's Weather Machines for the Exclusion Zone Reclamation Project
DC 120
40+16+38+25+20 (Government Funding)=139
Acceptable Success
Drakktech made a huge leap forward over the past several months as they worked in conjunction with 'Wacky Wally's Weather Machines'- a contractor known for salvaging and selling secondhand supervillain tech, much to the raised eyes of many- to make efforts to begin reclaiming the Midwest Exclusion Zone. Progress is excruciatingly slow yet promising in the early months. While the project is a massive undertaking and incredibly expensive, promises of funding from the government and support from several notable CEOs such as David Xanatos and Liv Amara, Drakktech is poised to make major strides in the future.
...The "Midwest Exclusion Zone"? Mind telling me what that is referring to?
Or is that the official label for the BnL Wasteland? If so, then there might be a clash between Drakktech and the Gaian Cult, the Duke, KaneCo or BnL in the near-ish future.
I´ll just wait for you guys´ explanation before delving further into that issue, ok?
[ ] Reactivate the odd robot
DC 140
86+20+28+20+4=158
Decent Success
To be continued in Interlude: When it Counts
No idea at all, what that is supposed to be, so *waiting game* it is here as well.
Sky High
[ ] 'Let Go' Former Teachers
DC 55
99+18+9=126
Critical Success!
The much-predicted restructuring of Sky High has finally come about for the new school year, with several problematic professors who could not or would not get with the times being 'Let Go'. Specifically, Let Go off the edge of Sky High, to plummet several thousand feet to the ground.
Most notable of these removed faculty members was Coach Boomer, head of athletics, Practical Heroics instructor, and manager of induction to the now defunct 'hero and sidekick' programs. Boomer was not harmed on his fall, reportedly using his powers of sonic projection to cushion his landing, though many suspected that the rather… violent dismissal of the long-tenured employee might have been a source of controversy. On the contrary, however, a spontaneous cheer erupted across the entire student body when news of Boomer's sacking reached the September starting class, with hundreds of living alumni writing in to congratulate Principal Greyson on her choice. If anything, Boomer's dismissal seems to have actively reinvigorated Sky High's otherwise controversial reputation. The school has for many years focused (officially speaking) on the raising of gifted children for private sector work and government contracting, giving it a reputation as a 'child soldier camp'. Many have posited that Sky High's recent reorganization is meant to take advantage of the repeal of the SRA and the likely change in career goals and funding sources to come.
[ ] Hire New Teachers
DC 70
35+18+9+10(Moving in New Directions)=72
Bare Success
Following the dismissal of many long-term teachers, Sky High has been on the prowl for new talent, looking high and low for people to teach their new curriculum. The entire list of new hires has not been made public as of yet- many suspect that Greyson is still waiting for a response from several of the individuals she has contacted, while others claim some instructors may in fact be wanted men- but some news has trickled out into the public. Notably, ninja instructor Vladimir Keitawa and retired Mexican billionaire and recreational supervillain Señor Senior, Senior have been hired, giving rise to rumor that Sky High may be accepting enrollment of non-powered 'Cape' heroes, or at least reducing the curriculum's near-monomaniacal focus on training powers to the exclusion of all else.
Hm, so some heads have started rolling at Sky High and were replaced almost immediately? Do you think that Shego - being one of the biggest "buyers" of Super muscle - facillitated that in order to tightening her grip on the school even more? Wouldn´t put it past her to do it, considering the bad blood between Drakktech and Sky High that started soon after the Sands Gala.
Sycorax
[ ] Release superpower drugs
DC 120
74+36+34+20-6=158
Great Success
Sycorax is proud to announce that the United States military has wholeheartedly embraced their new line of superpower-granting drugs in the new 'Minutemen Program', intended as a simultaneous projection of power and homage to the days of Nimble Jack. The superpowers on display are rather simple in nature- enhanced strength, speed, energy projection, and the like- but they are stable and by any description work very well. While the government is known to maintain teams of powered Super individuals- a practice shrouded in secrecy- enough people prove compatible with these serums to greatly increase the number of powered individuals working for the government. A new sort of 'Special Forces' may soon be joining Uncle Sam's arsenals. For the time being, these serums are proprietary, but many have suggested in concerned tones that increased public propagation of low-level powers may only be a matter of time.
Oh dear - the resident "crazy evolutionary" CEO supplying Uncle Sam with super-powered "Special Forces" (to say nothing of possible civilain applications further down the line) could shift the balance of power something fierce.
We should watch this issue closely, to make sure it doesn´t indirectly blow back at us too much.
Trevor Trengrove
[ ] Talk to Wendy
81
To be continued in Interlude: I'm Sorry, Please Help
...That can´t be good - our involved Operative crit-failed on this Interlude while her "opponent" rolled really well.
Let´s just hope things don´t go too south, okay?
ENCOM
[ ] Improve LEGACY security (reduced by bare fail)
DC 85 (Reduced by Bare Failure)
88+58+36+20+6=208
Critical Success!
ENCOM has announced a bounty… on themselves!
Yes that's right, ENCOM has made a massive recruitment effort towards white hat hackers everywhere, challenging them to infiltrate ENCOM security and discover any flaws in their much-vaunted system architecture. Already many minor flaws and opportunities for social engineering have been identified and eliminated, and the program seems likely to pay dividends well into the future.
Attempt to Hack ENCOM Learning action unlocked! If you're successful, ENCOM will pay you a sizable sum!
Ooooooh, interesting - we get the opportunity to take a stab at ENCOMs new security system and maybe infiltrate their grid for later on? Not bad.
Not only that, but since we would be doing it on their demandd in a White Hat hacking attempt, we would even get paid by them in case we are successful and wouldn´t even be violating that unspoken agreement between us to ease up on the rivalry.
***Count me in***
US Government
Theodore Riddle
[ ] Search %̴̧̨̛̯̪̫̱̈́*̴̡̡̨̧̱̩͎͎̞͉̆̅̽̑̃́̒̈́̀ͅͅ!̶̛̞͐͒̅̆̚$̴͓̺͇̞͔̬͎̋́̊͌͛͘̚͝&̵̖̜͕͒@̶͇̣̦̤͈͙̝͗̃̈̑̉͜͠*̶̢̻̮̣̖̣͙̝͓̜̆̂̓̃͒͛̇̂̕͘͠͠'s desk
61
To be continued in Quest: Luck be a Lady- The White House Always Wins
That could be *bad* since Riddle seems to be one of the few people who actively remembers Russ having existed - so him doing well-ish enough on a Russ-related action to get an Interlude doesn´t bode to well for me.
[ ] Establish disaster relief fund
DC 105
13+32+26+25 (Government Logistics)=96
Bare Failure
The government has moved significant funding around this month in an attempt to pass a large-scale expansion of FEMA and other disaster relief efforts. Unfortunately legislative focus has been near fully monopolized by the much-anticipated HEROES act, and the subject has been delayed for the time being.
...You think we could take advantage of that disaster relief found in some form by setting up Insuricare accordingly?
[ ] Pass the HEROES Act
DC 80 (Reduced by national effort and other recent incidents)
95+41+36+29+7=208
Critical Success
To universal acclaim, Richard Martinez signed the HEROES Act into law today, not only ending years of anti-super discrimination but establishing a coherent and sensible organization for the regulation and promotion of those who wish to use their inherent talents for the public good. The celebrations were attended by dignitaries from across the nation, as well as an unexpected guest in the form of Fironic, a well known fire-based hero and one of the few members of the previous generation interested in returning to the scene. Notably absent was center of the superhero promotion effort Winston Deavor, likely recuperating from the shocking and now infamous events earlier this month. Rumors are already swirling.
While the Feds nailing that act that well should help Supers outta their marginalized lot, Winston Deavor being unable to attend at such a critical junction (probably being understandably busy as fuck trying to get on top of the chaos engulfing Olympia after Evelyns rampage) is very bad for our new Ally from a PR standpoint.
Coupled with THIS:
Olympia Corp
Don't Fall Into Chaos
DC 200
57+29+23+3=112
Miserable Failure!
The shocking events of Olympia's latest fundraiser have sent tremors through the company as once again a major upset shook faith in its leadership. While Syndrome's unexpected departure from the company and its related publicity stunt were highly controversial, Evelyn Deavor's homicidal rampage has massively lowered consumer and investor confidence. Reports filtering out from the boardroom have suggested that the internal structure has been thrown into chaos that is unlikely to die down anytime soon, with several Board members claiming that they were in fact hypnotized by Ms. Deavor to support her candidacy in the first place!
Olympia Infiltration activates!
While there are currently no known 'claimants' seeking to take power in Olympia, there is a significant and fiery anger over Evelyn's actions that a cunning player could easily turn against Winston if the man fails to distance himself. The next few months are likely to be critical to the future of the scandal-ridden corp.
Poach Olympia Resources action unlocked!
Move Into Idaho action unlocked!
Shore Up Olympia action unlocked!
Rebuild Sinatron action unlocked!
Hostile Takeover DC for Olympia reduced!
...Winston needs our help *right now*, guys.
He´s quite obviously doing very un-hot right now attempting to keep things together. Given that he is both the most earnestly por-Super voice right now and our only explicit Ally atm, him failing to to Ascend to Kingship would be VERY BAD to our long-term goals.
So my advice would be to Shore Up Olympia as hard as we can next turn (possibly including Paying Attention to it, although Doofs dismal current state in terms of PAs might preclude us from that) and maybe Move Into Idaho to diverty some heat away from Olympia as well.
Aside from these two options I am not super-invested in any of these new options for several reasons:
- Poaching and Hostile Takeover would weaken Olympia even more, so very counterproductive.
- Rebuilding Sinatron would needlessly bind our ressources, so not productive either (pretty sure Sinatron can hold the fort for a bit in the Grid just fine)
[ ] Exert control over Olympia territory
DC 110
93+32+26+20(???)=171
Massive Success!
With Olympia in shambles following the events of the charity fundraiser, the Feds have taken the opportunity to crack down against their corporate influence in the region. While they were unable to crack the strongholds of organized crime that have coalesced into the Reno and Carson City regions, or the Olympia stronghold of Vegas, massive anti-corruption measures and anti-trust lawsuits have stripped remaining influence from PMCs or petty crime bosses in the region, asserting federal control to levels that those 'in the know' consider unrivaled across most of the country.
Of course the Feds seized the opportunity to move into Olympia turf as well - annoying, but nothing we can do anything about without rocking that particular boat, so we´ll have to accept that.
Doc Hoppers
[ ] Advertise
DC 80
62+19+28+10 (???)=120
Great Success
Popular fast-food firm Doc Hoppers came out with a new series of advertisements these last few months in which their spokesperson, former Muppet star Kermit the Frog, espoused the virtues of purchasing french-fried frog legs. In an unusual departure from advertisement in years past, he took time to uncomfortably call out competitors for 'lackluster' products, following a recent trend in which fast food advertisement has become far more hostile.
Fast food has become an increasingly cutthroat industry in recent months, with less than cordial competition popping up across the nation.
Don´t really care about that Report aside from the indication that Hoppers is still up for grabs atm, which would benefit our food sector something fierce since you have to remember that a while back, Hoppers in turn gobbled up friggin McDonalds - which means that we would get some insane reach outta that buyout.
Sycorax
[ ] Purchase Poultry Palace
DC 70
88+25+20+5=138
Massive Success!
In a move clearly meant to synergize with its recent expansion into food production, San Fransokyo biotech firm Sycorax has announced their purchase of the 'Poultry Palace', a successful fast-food chain known for selling their namesake. The new owners have announced their intent to make common lab-grown meat and growth-accelerated genetically modified organisms, normalizing them in the eyes of the public… and entrenching Sycorax firmly into the market.
Despite this strong start, competing chains across the country have already taken out massive ad campaigns declaring their competing products 'all-natural' and 'unaltered' in yet more examples of combative behavior in the food industry.
So, between Davids and Sycorax´ pushes into the food sector as well as Hoppers aggressive marketing campaign, it seems that this particular "front of the shadow war" is heating up considerably - definitely a prudent idea to fortify our position in there by gobbling up Hoppers.
Cloverleaf
[ ] Release updated flying cars
DC 115
92+56+27+33+8=216
Massive Success!
Cloverleaf has made a massive advance in their flying car division with the release of the Oracle, a self-driving flying car running off of AI similar to that of the Civil Servant cogs. A significant reduction in price makes them far more available to the 'average middle-class consumer' (though in fact the cars are by all means still on the high end of the market, going for approximately $60,000 in addition to special licenses). Combined with a PR push on Doom's part, coming off the heels of Shere Khan's conversion to green energy, signs point to massive profits for Cloverleaf in the future. The government is already scrambling to establish updated air-traffic control laws. Judge Doom has publicly announced his intent to form Sky Freeways, a network of designated airspaces meant for cars to fly in without interfering with established air traffic, each other, or anyone on the ground.
"My god," he was quoted as saying at a press conference. "It'll be beautiful."
Red Car Network Activates!
[ ] Research ???
DC 100
61+22+26+5=114
Success
Your spies in Doomtown have come up with something… interesting. Apparently Judge Doom has made massive strides in advancing his robotics and AI programs. The only problem is that they've got no idea how he could do this- whatever he was working on was kept tightly under wraps, and you have no reason to suspect that he developed this on his own. Cloverleaf simply does not have the knowhow to make real strides in AI, and no partnerships have been announced. Either he stole it from someone- competitors ENCOM or Funtelligence seem likely- or he might've acquired it elsewhere.
Fuck, so Doom might have made a big push into Autonomous Driving, one of the more recent fads of our time that *isn´t* an outright scam like Cryptocurrencies and NFTs? That unfortunately strengthens his position a lot while we are being a bit too tied up to really do anything about it.
That sucks...
InventCo
[ ] Ad campaign in the Rockies
DC 100
84+47+21+5=157
Great Success!
The company best known for their 'Helping Hats' has begun a massive advertising campaign in the Rockies, espousing the virtues of owning a Helping Hat and telling how convenient it will be in your daily lives! Billboards, radio ads, television ads, and more are filled with the news of these wondrous inventions, and 50% off coupons have inspired more people than ever to try one out!
Previous Actions Knowledge:
Well. This might be an issue.
*Scheiße*
DOR-15 is pushing into our "territory" as well - that´s not good at all.
...Maybe talk to David about this issue as well? Granted, he probably already knows, but it´s still a big issue nonetheless.
Glomgold
[ ] Hire mercenaries
DC 90
77+48+29+10=164
Massive Success!
Glomgold Enterprises has been performing an absolute whirlwind of mercenary enrollment this month, with recurring hires Gabby McStabberson and Hack and Slash Smashnikov (are these… real names? Oh, they're from Thembra, that makes sense) being joined by a multitude of cut-throat combatants across the country. Rumors are swirling about why the duck has chosen to part with so much of his filthy lucre.
Hm, so GG is doing *something* he needs a lot of hired guns for? Considering who we are talking aobut, could go either way for us.
Let´s just focus on fullfilling our end of the bargain with him ASAP and not pay him any mind otherwise for now, ok?
Bellwether
[ ] Invite Doof to dinner
65
When you finally woke up from your two month nap, the first thing you saw on your desk was a very polite letter from the mayor of Zootopia, inviting you to a dinner so you could further ties and discuss the possibility of performing some work in the region. Bellwether has noted that she looks forward to inviting an 'honorary predator' like yourself to dinner in the hopes of distancing herself from some of her more unpleasant followers on the edge of the political spectrum. Mirage strongly suspects she intends to proposition you, but you're not sure if you're into that sort of-
Oh, oh business. Okay.
Attend Bellwether's Dinner personal action unlocked! Available next turn only. Bellweather is likely to want something from you. If you choose to accept this, it is likely to reflect positively on you in the eyes of the Zootopian community, and snubbing an invitation like this will be seen as an insult. There's really no logical reason why you would want to refuse this, so turning it down is likely to make a lot of people look unaskance. And by that you mean completely askance. It'd be weird.
*groans*
Great, just as Doof got hammered with a PA malus, that bitch comes crawling outta the woods with a "friendly invitation" for dinner, where she is highlighting our status as "honorary pred" in the same breath.
Who else is suspecting her of trying to Nighthowler the shit outta us there? I definitely am.
But Mirage is right - we just *can´t* refuse this invitation without loosing major face with a populace that until now has been relatively neutral towards us. So I say that we have to accept - *but not without a security detail*, which we as CEO living in a rather dangerous era are perfectly entitled to.
We might have to play by the rules of that bitch, but I´ll be damned if we aren´t making her bleed for it.
???
[ ] Steal commercial goods
DC 110
56+35+10+11+50 (???)+1=163
Great Success
Several commercial airliners on the west coast were forcibly boarded or forced to the ground as thieves made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars in commercial goods, primarily in the form of computer chips and other electronics. Passengers were unharmed but flight crews were forced to write off the attacks as a complete loss; the thieves were able to abscond with the goods far before any authorities could show up. West coast gang Kriegsfalken, a right wing pro-predator group based in the mountainous outskirts of Cape Suzette, were quick to take credit for the operation.
...I really wanna crack down on those fuckers now - not because I support BWs anti-pred course, but because they are *right-wing*, which always rails me up
One Dimensional Films
[ ] Release ToxiCosmos 4
DC 70
15+21+17+10+1=64
Bare Failure
Due to the need for reshoots late into production, fans of the commercially viable ToxiCosmos franchise will have to wait another several months for the next installment from the series of apocalyptically mediocre films. In a poorly-phrased statement to the press, the director guaranteed that viewers will be entertained for at least thirty minutes of the two hour runtime!
-shrugs-and-moves-on-
Red Car network activates!
Red Car
[ ] Search for dubious arrests
DC 80
57+24+12+5+5=103
Decent Success
A little (tweety) bird told you that, in a joint operation between the Toon Patrol and the LA Vice unit, the LAPD performed a raid on the toon-operated Swinging Sinners nightclub. The owner of the establishment, an alleged (and infamous) Tijuana Bible star named Debbie Doodle, was seen being shoved into a police car by Vice detective Ralph Noid.
This is troubling for the Red Car group, as Ms. Doodle has been hired several times in the past to help toons in trouble with the law disappear. They don't expect her to crack under pressure or even that any charges will stick, but Doodle's incarceration is a sign that Mayor Doom is once again cracking down on toon crime.
This little bird's identity is being kept anonymous for their own protection.
As expected, our resident wannabe-Nazi Doom (one of two wannabes in a way) is cracking down some more on Toons.
Stuff like that makes me less and less willing to even consider his "armstice offer".
At least Tweety seems to still hang on despite everything.
???
[ ] Steal ???
DC 120
54+??+??+30 (???)+?=137
Decent Success
The, like, third or fourth thing you did after you woke up from your two month long nap was what you liked to do every couple of months: go and look at all the stuff you took from Syndrome! You really can't help yourself, that was one of the most successful schemes you've ever had! But when you opened up the safe to bask in your ill-gotten goods, you discovered something horrifying! The zero-point energy tech was gone!
This… isn't that catastrophic, since you made backups of the blueprints and everything, but it'll make it harder without having something physical to work off of! And it really makes you mad that someone took your stuff!
The DC for researching Zero Point Energy tech has increased!
Someone Else has gained access to an example of ZP Tech!
Preliminary investigation has left little to no evidence as to who it was that took your stuff; investigation is likely to be very hard!
Annoying that someone managed to nick tech of us, but considering that we never really *did* anything with Syndromes ZP tech, it doesn´t sting too badly for me.
Olympia infiltration activates!
Alexander Paine
[ ] Solidify control over Carson City
DC 100
11+45+36+16=108
Bare Success
News reports out of Reno in the wake of Olympia Corp's recent upset have suggested that local mobster Alexander Paine has narrowly managed to solidify his territory from competitors and corporate influence after a series of brief yet brutal gang wars. The superpowered mob boss has dug in his heels for the long haul and is likely to be a major player in the area for some time to come. Several sting operations have failed due to the man's known superpowers being uniquely suited to preventing his incapacitation.
Olympia Infiltration activates!
Yama
[ ] Solidify control over Reno
DC 100
70+27+23+3=123
Success
The Yakuza's influence in Reno has solidified following the recent power struggle in Olympia as some of Yama's most trusted enforcers- the Fujitas- have solidly stamped out any opposition to their dominance of the underworld. Good Luck Alley now has a large source of gambling, and supposedly, protection, money to fund their illicit schemes.
Some Duke-tier gang-bangers are using Olympias troubles to tear their little fiefdoms outta that cake?
Annoying, but nothing we or anyone else can do anything about, I am afriad.
Neisenberg
[ ] Expand Your Trade
DC 80
100+87+31+15+20=253
Triple Critical Success!
It's time to cook.
To be continued in Interlude: Deep Purple
Don´t know that guy, so don´t care much right now.
...So, that indicates that the "Self-RR" our Alliance with Olympia is bringing on the table will be part of our own Turn Results post? Honestly, makes sense.
