I would wait for Diplomatic Corps to show up so we can see if we can get the island peacefully. Remember most people out this far in the Yellow Zones have only had NOD to go to for help previously. Build up for the push and nuke the SAM sites, but wait to make sure that combat with the village is a must and instead try to push out that NOD base off of the map.
[x] Building up for the big push
-[x] Power Plant: -500 credits, +100 power, -1 building slot
--[x] F3
-[x] Predator: -800 credits, -1 logistics, 2 speed, support attacks vs this unit are more effective, +20 vs vehicles, cannot engage aircraft, hit points at 125%.
--[x] Point Defense: 100 credits, negates first received rocket or shell damage per combat round
-[x] Sweep the northwest for SAM sites instead
-[x] Chew him out and...
--[x] Assign him deicing and snow removal duty on base during his down-time.
[x] Building up for the big push
-[x] Power Plant: -500 credits, +100 power, -1 building slot
--[x] F3
-[x] Predator: -800 credits, -1 logistics, 2 speed, support attacks vs this unit are more effective, +20 vs vehicles, cannot engage aircraft, hit points at 125%.
--[x] Point Defense: 100 credits, negates first received rocket or shell damage per combat round
-[x] Sweep the northwest for SAM sites instead
-[x] Chew him out and...
--[x] Assign him deicing and snow removal duty on base during his down-time.
"Look, corporal." you say, a little exasperated. "When I call you back to formation, it's not because I'm trying to reduce your kill count or I'm some kind of Nod sympathizer; it's because I've concluded that, as a team, we can inflict more damage than getting picked off one by one by Nod buggies."
"... but come on, Lieutenant, they were gonna get away! If you'd just sent some backup..."
"Your Pitbull goes about 25% faster than my APCs, Corporal." you interrupt. "We can't keep up with you at full speed, barreling down the arctic tundra. If you want to get yourself blown up, you can do that in somebody else's outfit." you carefully keep your facial expression neutral. "Anyway, while your Pitbull is in the shop, and for as long as the harvester crew chief needs you and you're not deployed, you're going to learn the value of everyone working as a team by helping him keep those harvesters clean of snow and ice. I understand he's had some problems with the discharge tube covers icing up."
"How's that supposed to illustrate the value of teamwork?" the Pitbull driver ask, his face scrunched up.
"If the harvesters aren't working, they're not picking up Tiberium. And, in case you didn't notice, the whole show runs on the substance. Dismissed, Corporal." you say, giving him a look that implies that there won't be any more explanations forthcoming.
"Yes ma'am." he says, saluting and walking out of you comm-post office.
You wonder for a few seconds if this would be easier if you had a deeper voice and were more physically imposing, instead of short and tiny. And female. Wonder if there's a support group for short, female officers on G-Net, you think to yourself. A brief global network search yields no useful results but does make you doubt whether humanity in general deserves to continue existing. You sigh and head out to inspect the newly-arrived Predator tank (which now makes two) and freshly-constructed power plant, watching as steam puffs up from the cooling towers.
---
February 13, 2060
"By the way, Lieutenant, just wanted to thank you for the extra help." the harvester crew chief finishes his report. "Lazy bastard, but we straightened him out pretty quick." he pauses. "Well, at least with regards to being on top of deicing those tube cover hinges."
"Happy to help, chief, and I don't want to know how you did it." you answer with a grin.
"Doesn't mean he's going to be any better at following orders." the chief replies with a smirk.
You shrug. "Fair enough, chief. Well, as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day."
"True." he replies. "But it only took a day to cover it in Tiberium. Speaking of which, we only got a day and a half worth of work left on this patch."
"Understood chief. I'll keep you up to date. Command out."
---
"Minefield detonation... detected. Sector E2." EVA informs you as you're reviewing the E4 satellite scan results - no additional turrets or anything detected, but you do now have a good population count on the village. You still have absolutely no clue how they make a living out here. You'd say ice fishing, but there's literally a Tiberium field within walking distance of the village. Anyone who eats that fish would also be eating some extra self-replicating seasoning. Focus, Violet, you remind yourself.
"Recon team, see anything?" you ask, wondering whether you should stop everything for an incoming Nod assault, or whether it was a couple of stray deer.
"Looks like a single Nod infantry squad." your sniper team's observer reports. "One of them stepped on a mine; now they're burning the rest out with flamethrowers."
You roll your eyes. "Fine. Move south, eliminate them, then get back on patrol."
Which your snipers perform with admirable efficiency - there's plenty of cover in that area, but the sniper takes the phrase "one shot, one kill" to heart, and within a few minutes, instead of most of a flamethrower squad sweeping through your minefield, there's nine dead troopers (plus the one that's scattered across the tundra), some with breached flamethrower tanks, others killed conventionally.
You frown, as it's still annoying - you've had to delay your SAM site sweep, and you've lost one of your screening minefields. You do kind of wonder how the hell those poor bastards wound up out there on their own - as near as you can tell, they have no way of getting back to their base without going through a Tiberium field, one way or the other.
EVA Report Follows:
Current Objective Status: Secure Bridge Sites at A4 and A5 OR
Secure Bridge Sites at B4 and B5 (primary command directive; Nod base located at B4) Sweep northwestern area for SAM sites (secondary command directive, delayed)
Sweep river banks (A-F4, A-F5) for fixed emplacements (secondary command directive, awaiting diplomatic corps (2 days); D4, F4, E4 swept)
Base Status:
Power (available/total): 5/300
Logistics (available/total): 2/16
Building Slots F2: 0/8
Building Slots F3: 0/5 (-2 rocky, -1 Tiberium)
Tiberium Credits: 634 (+800 overspend)
Tiberium Storage Capacity: 1600/2000
Tiberium Income: 800
Construction Capacity: 1/turn
Infantry Requisition Capacity: 1/turn
Vehicle Requisition Capacity: 1/turn
Buildings:
F2: Conyard, 2x Power Plant, Barracks, Command Post, Factory
F3: Refinery, Silo, Armory, Power Plant
Miscellaneous Options:
[] Lay Minefields (one per APC per speed, 300 credits each, anywhere an APC can get go)
As usual, you consider putting down minefields around your base. Given Nod's widespread use of attack bikes and dozer-blade-equipped Scorpions, this is more for early warning than inflicting actual damage. But it works quite well for that purpose, as you just re-confirmed.
[] Satellite Scan (limit 1 per turn; so 2 on a double turn, 500 credits each, reveals all contents of designated sector)
With your command post online, you can task overhead GDI satellites to take some high resolution pictures of an area you want checked out, then put your processing power to work analysing the data to locate anything you may want located there.
[] Relocate MCV
Have your MCV pack up and move, allowing for construction work elsewhere.
-[] Write-in destination sector
Double Turn
Construction Options (pick 2; valid locations are F3 or relocation destination if applicable)
[] Sandbags: -450 credits, +5 to defensive infantry rolls, mutually exclusive with concrete walls
You know it, you love it. Lets your infantry have something to shiver behind while they get shot at by incoming Nod forces.
[] Concrete Walls: -900 credits, sector has "concrete walls"
For some reason you can't fathom, you've previously been locked out of building simple concrete walls around your base. Now you can - this will let you keep wandering saboteurs and tanks out of your base, or at least force them to blow the walls first or come in via glider, jump pack or airdrop. Meanwhile, your rocket and mortar-equipped units, as well as sentry towers, may engage incoming hostiles.
[] Power Plant: -500 credits, +100 power, -1 building slot
The standard pre-fabricated GDI nuclear fission power plant. Having just built one, you're good for these for a while.
[] Barracks: -500 credits, -15 power, -1 building slot, +4 logistics, +1 infantry requisition capacity
A place to put the various fighting and support personnel you'll need when you go to requisition additional units; it's a place to eat, sleep or socialize. And don't forget the decontamination facilities. You don't particularly need one at the moment.
[] Command Post Expansion: -1000 credits, -50 power, -1 building slot, +5 to all rolls due to comms advantage
Unlocks extra satellite scan/day
A building housing a large communications array and computational equipment. A second one with hardline connections to the first one will give you a comms advantage over the Brotherhood and let you coordinate more satellite scans. But, it's a heavy power and credit investment for limited return.
[] War Factory: -2000 credits, -40 power, -2 building slots, +4 logistics; +1 vehicle requisition capacity
A structure containing the equipment necessary to manufacture replacement parts and reasonable amounts of ammunition for all of GDI's vehicles and heavy weapons. Having already constructed one, you'd rather spend your soon-to-be limited credits on something else.
[] Airfield: -1000 credits, -45 power, -1 building slot, +4 logistics; +1 aircraft requisition capacity
Four VTOL landing pads, an air traffic control tower and some minor fabrication capability for spare parts will let you have aircraft temporarily attached to your command. Additionally, you will be able to call in air support over areas known to be clear of SAM sites; and there are a pair of Ox transports with infantry squads waiting for you to build the airfield and clear reported anti-air installations.
[] Tech Center: -4000 credits, -60 power, -1 building slot, +4 logistics;
Unlocks advanced zone armor requisition when combined with armory
Unlocks Pacifier MAV requisition from War Factory
This facility contains high-end fabrication equipment that allows you to manufacture supplies and replacement parts for advanced GDI units. For example, the standard Zone Trooper suits, as well as Commander, Raider and Marauder variants. It is an expensive investment to be sure, but the power armored infantry is leaps and bounds more effective than their unarmored counterparts. Additionally, you will be able to deploy Pacifier mobile artillery vehicles, which can easily navigate over the Ob river and its minor offshoots or tributaries. With your Tiberium field about to run out, this is not the most attractive option.
[] Refinery: -2000 credits, -40 power, -2 building slots
Contains the equipment to unload Tiberium from harvesters, process it and store the (still incredibly toxic) results of that process. Additionally, most of these have the ability to manufacture limited amount of spare parts for harvester maintenance. Available as you may want to relocate your harvesting operation somewhere very soon, given that your current Tiberium patch is just about played out.
[] Surveyor: -1500 credits, speed 2, -1 building slot when deployed;
-provides detection when deployed
A vehicle that, when deployed, contains the comms and power routing gear to enable building structures far away from your construction yard.
[] Crane: -1500 credits, -55 power, -1 building slot; +1 construction pick
An expansion of the crew, tools and vehicles provided by your construction yard, this will roughly double your construction capability.
[] Defensive Turret: -540 credits, -9 power, stealth detector/long range sensors
A weapon on a stationary mount, along with a sophisticated sensor and targeting package. A great option for securing your bases against direct attack. Comes in minigun, anti-air and railgun flavors; or, a fixed point defence laser mount.
-[] Machine gun: +5 vs infantry, -10 vs vehicles, aircraft, tall (may fire over walls)
-[] Anti-aircraft: +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs ground targets
-[] Railgun: +15 vs vehicles, cannot engage aircraft
-[] Fixed Point Defence: Negates damage from a single projectile attack vs supported unit
[] Jackhammer Artillery: -1350 credits, -18 power
+25 vs infantry/structures; additional barrel use and precision shells available at 25 credits per barrel per day (if actually used; are stored up otherwise)
Precision shells grant additional +10 vs all targets
This is a self-contained artillery firebase capable of housing up to four fixed 155mm artillery barrels, allowing it to engage hostile targets well before they reach local fortifications (assuming adequate sensor coverage). Ammo shortages generally prevent full operation of all barrels for extended periods of time, but a war factory can be used to rapidly put together ammo in a pinch at a cost.
Infantry Requisitions (pick up to 2):
All infantry will arrive in F2
All infantry may be transported by APC
All infantry may swap loadout prior to battle or at beginning of turn at barracks or APC
[] Infantry Squad: -500 credits, -1 logistics, 1 speed
A basic infantry squad, armed with rifles, squad assault weapons, grenade launchers and anti-tank/anti-air rockets. Can be transported by APC and excel at combat in non-open terrain, especially when they have time to set up fighting positions. While they have some environmental protection, they cannot survive extended periods of Tiberium exposure. Winterized gear is mandatory in this environment.
-[] Standard Loadout: cannot engage aircraft
-[] Rockets: +15 vs vehicles/aircraft, -15 vs infantry
-[] Grenade Launchers: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs vehicles, cannot engage aircraft
[] Engineering Squad: -500 credits, -1 logistics, 1 speed
A specialized infantry squad carrying equipment for field repair of various GDI mechanized units. May be issued small arms and specialized equipment to aid in clearing building interiors of Nod personnel and boobytraps; said weaponry does not perform well against armored units. Unable to survive extended Tiberium exposure. Winterized gear is mandatory in this environment.
-20 vs non-structures; cannot engage aircraft
-[] Repair Gear: May repair 2x vehicle per turn, cannot capture buildings
-[] Standard Loadout: May repair 1x vehicle per turn, can capture buildings
[] Sniper Team: -900 credits, -1 logistics, 1 speed
The spotter/sniper team excels at quiet infiltration and soft target elimination; additionally, they provide an invaluable recon capability, including artillery spotting. However, they cannot be expected to engage vehicles reliably and require support against them.
-stealthed, detects hidden units in own sector, sees non-hidden units in adjacent sectors
-enables use of precision artillery munitions on directly observed targets
[] Zone Defender Squad: -720 credits, -1 logistics, 1 speed
A stripped-down version of the standard Zone Trooper armor, the Defender removes the jet pack and advanced sensor systems while retaining the armor/environmental protection and lift capability, enabling a Defender squad to effectively engage multiple targets with high-output weapons systems. Due to their slow speed, transporting them via APC is recommended.
Pick two weapon systems, may pick the same one twice
-[] Squad support weapon: +10 vs infantry, -5 vs armored units, cannot engage aircraft
-[] Grenade launcher: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs vehicles, cannot engage aircraft
-[] Rockets launcher: +15 vs vehicles/aircraft, -15 vs infantry
-----
Vehicle Requisition Options: (pick up to 2)
Vehicles will arrive in F2
Any vehicle can be upgraded with:
-[] Ablative plating: 50 credits, negates first received laser damage; degrades upon receiving any damage
[] Guardian APC: -600 credits, -1 logistics, 3 speed
You can never go wrong with a Guardian APC, with its flexible turret mount, good speed and reasonable armor protection. Ideally, you want an APC for each infantry unit you're planning to field, at least in an assault capacity.
Loadout options (1 weapon slot):
-[] Rotary cannon (default): +10 vs infantry, -5 vs armored units/aircraft
-[] Guided missiles: -5 vs infantry, +10 vs fast units/aircraft
-[] Grenade launcher: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs armored units, cannot engage aircraft
-[] Point Defence: negates first projectile attack against this or supported unit
[] Guardian Spotting Vehicle: -900 credits, -1 logistics, 3 speed
-Light Rotary Cannon: +5 vs infantry, -15 vs armored units, cannot engage aircraft
-Sensor package: detects stealthed units in sector, sensor pings in adjacent sectors
-Enables use of precision artillery shells against detected targets
-Grants +10 to artillery attacks against detected targets
While snipers can call for artillery fire, they are not specialized in the management of artillery like this modified APC. Replaces much of the passenger compartment with computers and workstations for two specialists, while the commander loses the flexible weapons mount in favor of a broad set of radar, lidar and optical sensors crammed into the turret, barely leaving room for a light machine gun for self-defense.
[] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 logistics, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
This fast little recon vehicle has two purposes - one, to fire guided missiles at vehicles and aircraft and two, to detect Nod stealth units with its advanced sensor system. It can also be shipped with a mounted mortar for an additional resource cost. The sensor system can detect stealthed units at close range or non-stealthed vehicle sensor contacts at long range.
Add-on options:
-[] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
[] Predator: -800 credits, -1 logistics, 2 speed, support attacks vs this unit are more effective, +20 vs vehicles, cannot engage aircraft, hit points at 125%.
This heavily armored tank's railgun can punch through just about any armor the brotherhood can bring to bear and can target fast-moving vehicles effectively due to the projectile's incredible launch velocity, but it struggles against infantry and fixed defenses. Its armor is pretty thick, but designers opted to put most of it in the front of the tank, so it performs best when it has support. Recent models have been re-fitted with point defense systems which excel at shooting down low rate of fire Nod projectiles, but tend to be overwhelmed by concentrated fire from multiple angles and have no effect against lasers or rapid-fire weapons.
Upgrade option:
-[] Point Defense: 100 credits, negates first received rocket or shell damage per combat round
[] Overseer Self-Propelled Gun: -800 credits, -1 logistics, 1 speed
Targets units up to 1 hex away; may target units in same sector by spending a combat round to "reposition"; +25 vs infantry/structures; +10 from hill
This is a slow, plodding artillery piece that does the bare minimum required, which is that it is mobile and can deliver firepower at long distances by firing a high-explosive shell at a high arc. This enables GDI commanders to reduce enemy strongpoints without having to re-enact the Charge of the Light Brigade, force river and other narrow passage crossings, and engage incoming hostiles to degrade their combat effectiveness prior to them closing in. While recent upgrades from a re-purposed 152mm barrel to a 155mm barrel specifically designed for the purpose have increased its accuracy, it still requires up-close protection and takes a significant amount of time to get to its destination. Additionally, its effectiveness against mobile targets is greatly reduced without some kind of spotting assistance. The major upside is that it does not require any high-tech components and thus can be requisitioned and supported without the presence of a Tech Center.
Aircraft Requisition Options: (pick up to 2, assuming airfield is built on first turn)
Will land in whererever the airfield is built
[] Orca: -1200 credits, -1 logistics, speed 3; May engage all targets with no penalty using railgun
Stealth detection; Aircraft (no movement range or terrain restriction - speed is used for initiative only)
The Orca is a dedicated but versatile ground-support VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) craft that has been in use in some form or other since the First Tiberium War. The A-16 variety has integrated sensor pods and a dedicated railgun capable of engaging both air and ground targets, drastically increasing its firepower compared to the A-15 model, while still able to mount full racks of air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles for increased firepower against the desired target types. Given the increased weapons and equipment load, the engines tend to redline on takeoff, howeve, increasing maintenance costs.
-[] Air-to-Ground missiles: +15 vs vehicles, +15 vs structures, -15 vs infantry, secondary weapon, cannot target aircraft
-[] Air-to-Air missiles: +10 vs aircraft, secondary weapon, cannot engage ground targets
[] Ox: -1000 credits, -1 logistics, speed 3, unarmed;
Can transport one unit per turn
The V-35 Ox has enough lift capability to carry everything but the heaviest units in the GDI arsenal. Having one "permanently" attached to your command is expensive but lets you move your units around without regard for such mundane restrictions as "rough terrain", "large bodies of water" and "sheer cliffs". Being completely unarmed, it is advisable to designate landing zones well clear of hostile anti-aircraft capability.
Operational Area Map:
A1:
Rocky
B1: 8x Tiberium
|C1:
|
=Narrow (1) to B1
|
|
D1:
Rocky 1x APC
1x Zone Trooper
1x Pitbull
E1:
Rocky
F1:
A2
Bridge (1) to A3
-------||-------
B2
-------------
|C2
|
|
|
D2:
Rocky 1x APC
1x Sniper
E2:
Rocky
F2: Conyard,
2x Power Plant,
Barracks, CommPost
Factory
3x Predator
2x Infantry
A3: 4x Tiberium
B3: 4x Tiberium
|C3:
|9x Tiberium
|
|
|
D3:
------------
E3: Minefield
Bridge (1) to E4
-----||------
F3: Refinery, Silo,
Armory, Power Plant
2x Harvester,
Rig
Rocky 1x Tiberium
----------
A4: Bridge Site
River South
B4: Bridge Site 1x Large Structure
4x Med Structure
2x Small Structure
|D4: |"Urban" |3x Building |2x Turret/Sandbags |River South
E4:
"Urban"
3x Building
River South
F4: 18x Tiberium
River South
A5 Bridge Site River North
B5 Bridge Site River North
C5
River North
D5
River North
E5
River North
F5
River North
Current Force Status:
All infantry have advanced medical kits
F2:
Infantry #1 - Speed 1, Grenades
Infantry #2 - Speed 1, Mixed Small Arms
Predator #1 - Speed 2, Railgun, Point Defense
Predator #2 - Speed 2, Railgun, Point Defense
Predator #3 - Speed 2, Railgun, Point Defense
D1:
Pitbull - Speed 4, Elite, Missile/Mortar, Spec vs Transport Aircraft (+10)
APC #1 - Speed 3, Elite, Rocket, Ablative Armor
Spec vs Fast Units (+3), Spec vs Scorpion Tanks (+3), Spec vs Cannon Scorpion Tanks in Open Terrain (+10)
Zone Trooper - Speed 2, Veteran, Jump Pack, Railgun
Your immediate choice is whether to send the Pitbull and the APC/Zone Trooper team up ahead while the snipers and other APC catch up later. You might even consider sending the Pitbull further ahead to sweep more area quicker. Although you doubt that would reinforce your previous lecture on teamwork and staying together - you're not really sure the driver understands the nuance of this being a recon job versus staying together in a combat situation. If you're in a hurry to clear the northwest area of reported SAM sites, then this is the way to go, although you might run into some problems - for example, Nod forces. There are two Scorpion tanks, a Spectre artillery piece and a buggy out there. Probably not too much more in the way of mobile units, since the harvesting operation got halted, but still.
You might also run into a situation where the diplomatic corps people arrive and ask for transport to the D4-E4-F4 island village and you have no APCs. That would be annoying. On the plus side, you've got a solid core of Predator tanks, which ought to do fine against those obnoxious biprop cannon-equipped Scorpion tanks.
[] Wait for snipers + APC to rendezvous at D1, continue sweep - 2 days for sweep, diplomatic corps ride delayed by 3 days
[] Send the Pitbull and APC + Zone Troopers on the sweep - 2 days for sweep, diplomatic corps has immediate ride
[] Let Pitbull sweep by itself - sweep completes in 1 day, but no backup in case of trouble
[] Pass on sweep - who needs those carryalls and extra infantry anyway
Your other choice is what to do about your nearly-depleted Tiberium source. You can attempt to harvest from C3 or B1. B1 is kind of far out and a good distance from the Nod base, but also far from your base - your ability to respond to attacks on it will be limited, and remote harvesting is basically unworkable due to the distance involved. C3 is closer to your base, but also within a day's drive from the Nod base - you'll barely have any warning if you attack. Not to mention that C3 is vulnerable to shelling from B3, and the only unit you have that can address that is your Zone Trooper squad. But it's a good bottleneck so you'll be able to defend everything from that location and point-defense equipped Predators can cover against the single artillery piece. Long-range harvesting C3 is technically an option, but with a six-day round trip time, you don't particularly like it.
Another option is to wait and see what the diplomatic corps people can get done - if they can get the villagers to let your MCV through to the F4 field, that'd be great - it's pretty sizable and should cover pretty much anything you can imagine building, as opposed to the other two relatively small patches that will disappear in the blink of an eye.
Regardless, you don't have the credits to build a surveyor and a new refinery - so you'll have to drive your MCV out to wherever you choose to harvest, or endure the glacial (har har, you think to yourself) pace of long-range harvesting.
[] Harvesting operation in B1 - 4 days;
lock up 2000 credits for new refinery (and dismantles the old one); must split off force to defend refinery and keep garrison in main base
[] Harvesting operation in C3 - 4 days;
lock up 2000 credits for new refinery (and dismantles the old one); can defend this choke point with only a token monitor for the B1-C1 river crossing;
close to Nod base and may provoke attacks
[] Long-range harvesting operation in C3 - 6 day round-trip, probably should escort harvesters
[] Wait for diplomatic corps to negotiate - potentially 4 days if negotiations go well
lock up 2000 credits for new refinery (and dismantles the old one); can defend this and main base with single force
The tally appears to have fucked up. My plan called for 2 Predators to be ordered, not one. We should be down 900 credits and have three Predators on base, not two.
Edit: Anyway, onto planning.
Lets keep the force scouting for AA turrets together and put our money on the Negotiating team.
[x] Plan Holding out for a Hero
-[x] Send the Pitbull and APC + Zone Troopers on the sweep - 2 days for sweep, diplomatic corps has immediate ride
-[x] Wait for diplomatic corps to negotiate - potentially 4 days if negotiations go well
lock up 2000 credits for new refinery (and dismantles the old one); can defend this and main base with single force
You still have absolutely no clue how they make a living out here. You'd say ice fishing, but there's literally a Tiberium field within walking distance of the village. Anyone who eats that fish would also be eating some extra self-replicating seasoning. Focus, Violet, you remind yourself.
...
You do kind of wonder how the hell those poor bastards wound up out there on their own - as near as you can tell, they have no way of getting back to their base without going through a Tiberium field, one way or the other.
Looks like the village might be deep enough in NOD pockets to be housing them, best case is just a few infantry tunnels, worst case there might be a full base covered by stealth generators. We should probably expect suprise attacks to come from that direction. The only other option I can think of is some sort of Stealth APCs for the troops and the village is just tib infested/immune? We might want to lay a few AP minefields or some turrets with detection capability covering all flanks there in that case, so they don't kidnap us again.
We'll have to put a detector in the diplo corps escort to work out what we're dealing with and prepare for them to fail.
Looks like the village might be deep enough in NOD pockets to be housing them, best case is just a few infantry tunnels, worst case there might be a full base covered by stealth generators. We should probably expect suprise attacks to come from that direction. The only other option I can think of is some sort of Stealth APCs for the troops and the village is just tib infested/immune? We might want to lay a few AP minefields or some turrets with detection capability covering all flanks there in that case, so they don't kidnap us again.
We'll have to put a detector in the diplo corps escort to work out what we're dealing with and prepare for them to fail.
We just did three satellite scans of the island to see what is there. No amount of NOD stealth can hide from that and we have a minefield on the entrance to the island. What you see is what you get.
The tally appears to have fucked up. My plan called for 2 Predators to be ordered, not one. We should be down 900 credits and have three Predators on base, not two.
We just did three satellite scans of the island to see what is there. No amount of NOD stealth can hide from that and we have a minefield on the entrance to the island. What you see is what you get.
Satellite surveillance isn't quite good enough to tell the allegiance of a person; and if the person is not directly visible, can't tell what they're packing (and even then - they're not *that* hi-res). Not to mention if something is more than a few meters underground. So I wouldn't consider it completely fool-proof, but you're guaranteed that there aren't a bunch of Avatars and Obelisks of Light hiding down there.
Scheduled vote count started by NickAragua on Jun 11, 2022 at 11:11 PM, finished with 8 posts and 3 votes.
[x] Plan Holding out for a Hero
-[x] Send the Pitbull and APC + Zone Troopers on the sweep - 2 days for sweep, diplomatic corps has immediate ride
-[x] Wait for diplomatic corps to negotiate - potentially 4 days if negotiations go well
[x] Plan Holding out for a Hero
-[x] Send the Pitbull and APC + Zone Troopers on the sweep - 2 days for sweep, diplomatic corps has immediate ride
-[x] Wait for diplomatic corps to negotiate - potentially 4 days if negotiations go well
lock up 2000 credits for new refinery (and dismantles the old one); can defend this and main base with single force
F14:
APC, Zone Trooper, Pitbull B1 -> A1 -> A2 -> B2
SAM Site detected and destroyed in A1
APC D2 -> E2 -> F2
Harvester F3 (+800, clear, 1434 total)
MCV packs up F2 -> F3
3x Predator F2 -> F3
T+2
B2
APC, Zone Trooper, Pitbull vs
Infantry F, Spectre (long range)
APC #1 takes minor damage from Spectre
Militant F eliminated by Pitbull + Zone Troopers
F16:
APC, Zone Trooper, Pitbull D1 -> E1 -> E2 -> F2 (-4 repairs, 1430 total)
APC + Sniper E3 -> E2 -> F2; drop off negotiator; F2 -> E2
February 13-14, 2060
You order your APC and sniper team back to base while the Pitbull and Corporal Arias' APC, plus the Sgt Jarvi's Zone Trooper squad continue their sweep of the northwest sector. You explicitly instruct them not to cross south of the frozen brook into the sector with all the Tiberium and likely Nod presence.
They do pretty well over the next 48 hours, locating and destroying a SAM site way up in sector A1, then run into a little trouble as they sweep south and east through A2 to B2 - a squad of militants, spotting for artillery bombardment. The APC takes a few paint scratches from a near miss (which, unfortunately, also knocks off a lot of the ablative plating, rendering it pretty useless), but the Pitbull's driver and Zone Troopers respond quickly, eliminating the Nod personnel. With nobody to spot for them, the artillery ceases fire as quickly as it opened up. You briefly contemplate sending the Zone Troopers across the frozen tributary to the south, but find it unlikely that the Spectre will be there by itself - especially not with the (apparently newly constructed) structures in B3.
Personally, you get away with only grinding your teeth a little.
It gets a lot more stressful when the diplomatic corps representative arrives.
---
February 16, 2060
"... so there you have it, Lieutenant." Representative Botvinnik tells you. "The inhabitants of the village have agreed to let your non-military units through to the F4 Tiberium field to clear it, with the understanding that you will construct spikes in both F3 and F4." he pauses. "I recommend you construct the F3 spike as soon as possible, to demonstrate your positive intent."
You frown. "What about those turrets?"
The representative shakes his head. "According to them, they were constructed by the brotherhood but belong to the village. I have guaranteed that the turrets will be preserved."
You spread your hands, palms upward, in frustration. "What about escorts for the construction crews and harvesters?"
Botvinnik shakes his head again. "No." his face betrays the slight hint of a smile. "Surely, the harvesters can defend themselves using their machine guns and rail cannons against villagers equipped with out of date weaponry?"
You sputter, frustrated. "Villagers, yes, but what if the Brotherhood comes calling? You're asking me to send six thousand credits worth of equipment, not to mention non-combatant personnel, through an unsecured zone without any protection!"
The representative shrugs. "Not my problem, Lieutenant. I got you the best deal I could under the circumstances. The villagers claim they have had problems in the past with both Brotherhood and GDI forces exceeding the maximum allowed tonnage on the bridge and becoming agitated within the village, leading to damage to buildings and casualties."
"What is the maximum ... can I send infantry?" you begin.
"I don't know, and no military units. Period." Botvinnik interrupts. "You have the text of the agreement in your inbox, Lieutenant. Now, if you don't mind, I have many other locations that require my attention. A ride back to my Ox is what I require at the moment, rather than indignant puffing and more 'what abouts'."
You clench your jaw, holding in a comment about "half-assing" or халтура, as the local expression apparently goes, and order the representative a ride back to the base, from where he quickly departs on the Ox which he used to arrive.
---
"I dunno, Lieutenant." the observer tells you as the two of you sit in the back of the APC, you contemplating the situation on the ride to the bridge. As usual, the sniper sits quietly to the side, inspecting his railgun. "We were watching that place for twenty four plus hours, and I just don't like it."
You look up. "How so, Corporal?"
"They're just ... look, if it's a civilian village, where's all the women and kids and non-combatants? All we've seen is the seven, or eight... " he pauses as the sniper snaps his fingers and makes a sign-language gesture. "... right, ten guys." the observer looks at the sniper again, as the latter makes several more gestures, and chuckles. "Look man, possible that the place used to have more people. But come on. Sure it's cold out, but unless they've got some really good electronic entertainment in there, the kids must be going nuts having to stay indoors that long. Plus... " he adds, triumphantly, "... the satellite scans clearly showed way more heat signatures in those buildings."
You sigh. "I hear you, Corporal. I don't like them, either. But command says no trespassing with military units."
"What about the fact that we haven't seen any traffic in or out of the place the entire time we've been here? They can't possibly be that isolated, when I talked to the guy across the bridge, he was using modern idioms and everything" the observer points out.
You shrug. "I don't disagree, but command doesn't want to step on diplo-corps' toes. My hands are somewhat tied in this, Corporal."
"... more like dildo-corps if you ask me." the observer mutters. You have to fight hard to avoid giggling, and you're unable to entirely keep a grin off your face, turning it into some kind of weird half-frown instead. You're pretty sure the twinkle in your eyes betrays you, however.
"You know, Lieutenant, me and my partner in crime here, I think we've got some leave coming up. I've always wanted to... uh... take a walk along some of the Ob river's tributaries for vacation." he looks up at you, giving a not very subtle grin. "I don't necessarily want to have my view spoiled by turrets or Tiberium, though. And Sergeant Jarvi has been telling me he wants to run some field tests on his squad's jetpacks, maybe he can use that Tiberium field we just cleared?"
[] Let the sniper team "take a vacation" across the bridge
-[] Zone Troopers hop across from F3 to F4 when outpost gets built?
If they don't find anything, send the harvesters and MCV across
[] Hold the sniper team, send the harvester and MCV across anyway
-[] Zone Troopers hop across from F3 to F4 when outpost gets built?
Your harvesters aren't defenseless, you're right across and have zone troopers;
[] Forget the whole thing, harvest from somewhere else
-[] C3
-[] B1
Construction and Requisition Interface Disabled
Map of Operational Area:
A1:
Rocky
B1: 8x Tiberium
|C1:
|
=Narrow (1) to B1
|
|
D1:
Rocky
E1:
Rocky
F1:
A2
Bridge (1) to A3
-------||-------
B2
-------------
|C2
|
|
|
D2:
Rocky
E2:
Rocky 1x APC
1x Sniper
F2: 2x Power Plant,
Barracks, CommPost
Factory
1x APC
1x Zone Trooper
1x Pitbull
2x Infantry
A3: 4x Tiberium
B3: 2x Tiberium 2x Med Structure
Spectre?
|C3:
|9x Tiberium
|
|
|
D3:
------------
E3: Minefield
2x Harvester,
Rig, MCV,
3x Predator
Bridge (1) to E4
-----||------
F3: Refinery, Silo,
Armory,
Power Plant
Rocky
----------
A4: Bridge Site
River South
B4: Bridge Site 1x Large Structures
4x Med Structures
2x Small Structures
2x Scorpion?
1x Buggy?
River South
C4
River South
|D4: |"Urban" |3x Building |2x Turret/Sandbags
|River South
Pitbull - Speed 4, Elite, Missile/Mortar, Spec vs Transport Aircraft (+10)
APC #1 - Speed 3, Elite, Rocket
Spec vs Fast Units (+3), Spec vs Scorpion Tanks (+3), Spec vs Cannon Scorpion Tanks in Open Terrain (+10)
Zone Trooper - Speed 2, Veteran, Jump Pack, Railgun
There is likely 2-3 Nod Squads of infantry holed up in there.
Looks like the Nod commander has restarted mining ops in B3, too.
[x] Plan Plausible deniability
-[x] Let the sniper team "take a vacation" across the bridge
--[x] Zone Troopers hop across from F3 to F4 when outpost gets built?
You know I'm reminded of How Being a Cop Broke My Brain. Basically I don't trust our soldiers to be able to grasp the concept of men only being visibly present in the village because they are afraid for their women and children. I mean would you trust a bunch of enemy soldiers on your doorstep to not go after your women for fun or your children for hostages/fun?
People we are in NOD territory and we have no idea what sort of propaganda these people have been exposed to so there not being any women or children out tells us nothing. Yes those people in the buildings could be militants or they could be women and children hiding in terror that GDI is here to do atrocities.
So with that in mind:
[X] Plan Trust but Verify
-[X] Hold the sniper team, send the Harvesters and MCV across anyway
--[X] Equip the other Harvester with a Railgun (-100 Credits)
--[X] Keep the Zone Troopers in their APCs and moving parallel to the MCV and Harvesters so they can rapidly respond if any problems arise. So when the MCV/Harvesters are in E4 they are in E3 and when Edit 2: the MCV/Harvesters move to F4 they move to F3 to keep support on our people. Keep them patrolling E3-F3 afterwards so that all our people have coverage from at least one of them at all times.
-[X] Edit 4: Keep the Sniper team with their APC in F4 alongside the regular infantry until the Pitbull arrives and then send them back to E2
-[X] Form up an attack formation made of the 3 Predators and the Pitbull and keep it in E3 Edit: on response duty until the new outpost is deployed fully and the MCV is back in fully friendly territory then move them to D3 after scouting C3 to keep NOD honest.
-[X] Refinery: -2000 credits, -40 power, -2 building slots
--[X] F4
-[X] Defensive Turret: -540 credits, -9 power, stealth detector/long range sensors
--[X] F4
--[X] Point Defence: negates first projectile attack against this or supported unit
--[X] NOD can still bomb us or shoot artillery at F4 since there is no Village there and Point Defense can't be turned to offensive actions.
-[X] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 logistics, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
--[X] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
-[X] Begin Tiberium Spike Construction - F3: Edit 3: -1000 credits, -1 building slot
--[X] Move the MCV back to F3 after everything in F4 has been constructed
Edit 4: Our Zone Troopers can respond to any mess that happens on that island if we keep them close enough and until we build our outpost we can keep the Predators on standby with our Pitbull to avoid having NOD slip infiltrators into the village and to have a response team waiting. We will need another Pitbull in our base to be able to keep infiltrators out as soon as possible though Edit 4: and until then we keep our Sniper Team there as replacement.
Keep both the Sniper Team and the Zone Troopers in their APCs and moving parallel to the MCV and Harvesters so they can rapidly respond if any problems arise. So when the MCV/Harvesters are in E4 they are in E3 ... [snip]
A couple of comments - the zone troopers can cross from F3 to F4 because of their jetpacks. Everyone else cannot - there's a body of water in the way. It's technically frozen over, but the ice will not support an APC crossing over, and infantry is also somewhat questionable (and forget about tanks). The only way across on the ground is the E3-E4 bridge.
Also, the build stuff won't be able to start until the Tiberium starts coming in again (although I'm happy to "queue it up"); spikes are normally 1000 (they were 900 during that particular scenario due to the engineering officer's discount, but she's uh, not around any more)
A couple of comments - the zone troopers can cross from F3 to F4 because of their jetpacks. Everyone else cannot - there's a body of water in the way. It's technically frozen over, but the ice will not support an APC crossing over, and infantry is also somewhat questionable (and forget about tanks). The only way across on the ground is the E3-E4 bridge.
Also, the build stuff won't be able to start until the Tiberium starts coming in again (although I'm happy to "queue it up"); spikes are normally 1000 (they were 900 during that particular scenario due to the engineering officer's discount, but she's uh, not around any more)
Snipers can shoot adjacent sectors so they don't need to move into them which means they can cover the island from outside and my plan already states that the tanks will wait at the bridge and charge it if shit hits the fan. I'll edit in the correct price for the spikes.
[x] Plan Plausible deniability
-[x] Let the sniper team "take a vacation" across the bridge
--[x] Zone Troopers hop across from F3 to F4 when outpost gets built?
BTW, apologies, I made the Rig disappear last turn. It's at F3, moving to F2 at the start of this turn to better defend the main base (Violet doesn't think having the Rig defend an armory and a silo behind a bunch of other units is a good use of the resource)
tiberium_exiles_blue_alert_walk.mp3
Scheduled vote count started by NickAragua on Jun 13, 2022 at 10:39 PM, finished with 9 posts and 5 votes.
[X] Plan Trust but Verify
-[X] Hold the sniper team, send the Harvesters and MCV across anyway
--[X] Equip the other Harvester with a Railgun (-100 Credits)
--[X] Keep the Zone Troopers in their APCs and moving parallel to the MCV and Harvesters so they can rapidly respond if any problems arise. So when the MCV/Harvesters are in E4 they are in E3 and when Edit 2: the MCV/Harvesters move to F4 they move to F3 to keep support on our people. Keep them patrolling E3-F3 afterwards so that all our people have coverage from at least one of them at all times.
-[X] Edit 4: Keep the Sniper team with their APC in F4 alongside the regular infantry until the Pitbull arrives and then send them back to E2
-[X] Form up an attack formation made of the 3 Predators and the Pitbull and keep it in E3 Edit: on response duty until the new outpost is deployed fully and the MCV is back in fully friendly territory then move them to D3 after scouting C3 to keep NOD honest.
-[X] Refinery: -2000 credits, -40 power, -2 building slots
--[X] F4
-[X] Defensive Turret: -540 credits, -9 power, stealth detector/long range sensors
--[X] Point Defence: negates first projectile attack against this or supported unit
--[X] NOD can still bomb us or shoot artillery at F4 since there is no Village there and Point Defense can't be turned to offensive actions.
-[X] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 logistics, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
--[X] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
-[X] Begin Tiberium Spike Construction - F3: Edit 3: -1000 credits, -1 building slot
--[X] Move the MCV back to F3 after everything in F4 has been constructed
[x] Plan Plausible deniability
-[x] Let the sniper team "take a vacation" across the bridge
--[x] Zone Troopers hop across from F3 to F4 when outpost gets built?
