May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)

[Barondoctor]

Alternative Plan

Martial:

[] Militia Standardization
[] Paramilitary Support
-[] Grievous

(Standardization helps our neutrality have teeth; Paramilitary support gives it a skeleton--some assorted 'trainers' from a number of different organizations would give it a lot of different capabilities. Sending Grievous to add to our martial bonuses seems like a good call. Maybe help him make some better friends than Jar-Jar. Among other options, the Antarian Rangers are at full strength.)

Diplomacy:
[] Shards Encased In Iron (CNS)
[] Negotiating With "The Negotiator"
[] Taming A Lone Wolf
-[] Silas Cata
-[] 6 Watcher teams
[] The Burning Rain
-[] Personal Attention
-[] 1 Watcher team
[] Between the Light and Dark
-[] Tython Jedi Order

(Shards are cool. Obi-Wan is free. Vos needs to be talked to. The Tython Jedi Order action largely exists because of my omakes and I'm inclined to seize it, if just to fuel more omakes. Speaking of omake fuel, a humanitarian aid effort to Honoghr definitely also qualifies for Riphath. Due to the question marks, it also qualifies for Ciaran)

Stewardship:
[] Sienar Custom Vessel
-[] Interdictor Vessel
-[] Salvage Vessels
[] The Revolution Will Be Televised
[] Oust Shu Mai
-[] PR-1
-[] Talesan Fry

(Interdictors are Thrawn's thing; I'm intrigued at the Salvage vessels because they would likely grant bonuses to their thing; Medical "Battlefleet" could perhaps more aptly be renamed Medical "Motorcade" and isn't as good as it might initially sound. We need to expand our propaganda efforts and displace Palpatine; Shu Mai needs to go and it's going to be tricky.)

Intrigue:
[] Autonomous Hunter-Seeker Teams
[] Strike Palpatine's Inner Circle
-[] Armand Isard
-[] Jango Fett
-[] 1 Watcher Team
[] Real Bad Moon Over Coruscant
-[] The Silencer
(More actions is go; blinding the enemy is a good first step to killing them, as it taking out their backup plans. Silencer is good at get in, get out, go boom; Jango will know what to do about Isard)

Lore:
[] Research Alternative Force Schools
-[] Disciples of Twilight
[] Archaeological Expeditions
-[] Aliston Nor
-[] Cheriss Sair
[] The Hunt For The Jebble Box
-[] Asajj Ventress

(If I have to go Panory for the Disciples of Twilight? Look, I can and I will, okay?

Aliston Nor is home of the Ancient Lego Jedi. If that doesn't scream Cheriss, I don't know what does.

and the Jebble Box is something that needs to go into full lockdown so it doesn't get found. Throw it in a black hole for all I care, but we need to make sure Palpatine can't go full Zombie Apocalypse as a last stand)

Learning:
[] Non-Human Genemods
[] Anti-Force Research: Chance of Success: 50% Cost: 200 Reward: Anti-Force subject researched [Takes 2 turns]
-[] Taozin
-[] Galen Erso

(Non-Human Genemods lets us get full benefit of mass genemodding when we take it next turn. Anti-Force takes longer and we need it. I had initially gone for the one-turn shot of it, but being able to figure out how Palpatine hides will let us be less blind to him.)

Personal:
[] Annoy Padme
[] Lava Blaster
[] Force Training
-[] Blazing Chains (Advanced)
[] Personal Attention
-[] The Burning Rain

(Bonus boss shenanigans are go; Honoghr is a big question mark.)

[] Under The Knife
-[] Choose 1 Hero Unit:
--[] Thrawn
-[] Choose 1 Genemod:
--[] Voss
[] Thrawn - Unravelling The Spider's Web
[] HK-47 - Write the Book
[] Mungo Baobab - Mergers And Acquisitions
-[] Hoersch-Kessel Drive

(Thrawn getting Force expansion of his ability to out-think things is a terrifying thought. Terrifying to Trench, that is. Starting to learn how to beat Force users without the Force is a good thing. Also, I was debating between having Baobab contact HK-Drive or the Mon Cal Shipyaards, but a properly armed Lucrehulk spewing out X-Wings (which we would develop next turn) would be pretty much unbeatable.)

Free Action: +1 Diplomacy

(We need the things)

Hero Support:

PR-1: [] Oust Shu Mai
The Silencer: [] Bad Moon Over Coruscant
Silas Cata: [] Taming A Lone Wolf
Cheriss Sair: [] Archaeological Expeditions: Aliston Nor
Thrawn: [] Unravelling The Spider's Web
Grievous: [] Paramilitary Support
Asajj Ventress: [] The Hunt For The Jebble Box
HK-47: [] Write the Book
Jango Fett: [] Strike Palpatine's Inner Circle: Armand Isard
Talesan Fry: [] Oust Shu Mai
Galen Erso: [] Anti-Force Research: Taozin
Mungo Baobab: [] Mergers And Acquisitions: Hoersch-Kessel Drive

Watcher Support (20 teams available, 1 Point per assigned team):
[] 8 teams assigned
-[] Taming A Lone Wolf
[] 1 team assigned
-[] The Burning Rain
[] 1 team assigned
-[] Strike Palpatine's Inner Circle: Armand Isard

Differences from Publicola's Plan:
Force Order: Tython over Ysanna/Almas; This is a personal preference. It would also lend a degree of credence, credibility, and legitimacy to Riphath's "pseudo-embassy-thing".
Sienar regular action: Salvage vessels over medical first response
Lore: Disciples of Twilight over Corellian Jedi. Twilight is more our style and their abilities are just cooler.

 

[Dr. Snark]

Here's the list you approved.

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I double-checked and the others I dropped were Non-Humans, so they're off the list until the other mod set is finished.

Here's another Hero Action as well.

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Yeaaaahhhh...I'm dropping that after second thoughts. That honestly just isn't really that exciting or really something that Jango needs to focus his absolute attention on.

Can you clarify if the "Force Study' action only extends to 'incorporate technique', or does it apply to any 'research alternate force school' action as well?

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Both.

Do we need to include this action in our Plans for the turn, or will it be automatically rolled regardless of our involvement? (Can we add hero support to ensure it succeeds? Are we paying 100 credits for it?)

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Auto roll.

Diplomacy: @Dr. Snark, is the Talzin option a Force Order one? She does lead the Nightsisters... Recruiting Vos is a good idea, and while shard engineers are cool, I want to see more options for the CNS. Also, Honogr is pretty much mandatory to keep up our public persona. We probably want personal attention too, so the Nohgri swear to follow us.

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Talzin: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no.
Honoghr: Honestly...I'll relent and let that be CNS, sure. There would certainly be a push to bring in Honoghr for its protection so they'd probably put together relief packages and the like on their own.

@Dr. Snark: are there any other Force Sects that Asajj can visit, or is she limited to the four that are listed?

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Convince me that she wouldn't get stabbed by someone who thinks Asajj is a Sith or that they're an order who wouldn't drive Asajj insane with their philosophizing or whatever and I'll consider it. Again, Asajj is definitely a better person but she's still not exactly the "sit there and meditate for a few days, kthx" kind of person, and she's willingly embraced being a Sith (albeit a much more enlightened variant as opposed to MURDER DEATH KILL).

Edit: Also important update: I reclassed negotiating with Talzin to a Personal Action because it makes more sense for Ciaran to want to handle someone like her personally (and the flavor text fits it better).

 

[Publicola]

Differences from Publicola's Plan:
Force Order: Tython over Ysanna/Almas; This is a personal preference. It would also lend a degree of credence, credibility, and legitimacy to Riphath's "pseudo-embassy-thing".
Sienar regular action: Salvage vessels over medical first response
Lore: Disciples of Twilight over Corellian Jedi. Twilight is more our style and their abilities are just cooler.

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Thanks for clarifying. I haven't made a decision for the Force Order (Diplomacy) action, but I'm pretty much sold on the Sienar salvage ships (so that won't be a difference). And as much as I love the Disciples of Twilight, I really want to follow up on the Corellian Jedi. (Remember how awesome Malachor was? Or Mortis? Ruusan has the same potential)

I double-checked and the others I dropped were Non-Humans, so they're off the list until the other mod set is finished.

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@Dr. Snark: Voss is definitely Near-Human, not 'non-human'. (You have a point about Bosph and Kel Dor, dang it).

Honoghr: Honestly...I'll relent and let that be CNS, sure. There would certainly be a push to bring in Honoghr for its protection so they'd probably put together relief packages and the like on their own.

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Gah that makes this turn so much harder. (And it puts our Shard Engineers on the chopping block, again). We can probably afford to pick the Talzin action, so long as we drop...

Edit: Also important update: I reclassed negotiating with Talzin to a Personal Action because it makes more sense for Ciaran to want to handle someone like her personally (and the flavor text fits it better).

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Never mind...? Now that Talzin is a Personal Action, we'd need to spend 2 personal actions (it + a Personal Attention) to ensure success. And we already need to spend one PA for Honoghr, and we've committed to spending 1 Personal Action each turn on self-improvement.


Here are the new/updated actions:

Martial
[] The Brothers X: X1 and X2 could prove to be serious problems if they're allowed to act against you given their Force sensitivity and who knows what other things the Kaminoans have done to their genetic code. Figure out a way to either subvert or kill them so they don't have the chance. Chance of Success: 40% Reward: X1/X2 subverted and/or terminated

[] There's No Machine That Can Stop Us: Granted, you do have some of the best fighters in the galaxy under your command but 90% of the time they don't really work together in a single fight. So, why not set up a room in the Foundry to act as a high-intensity training zone for some teamwork lessons? It would also make for some excellent recruitment footage if nothing else. (Starts mini-turn)

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Stewardship
-[] Dedicated Salvage Vessel: Given the amount of perfectly legitimate salvage work you do it can't hurt to have a heavily armored vessel capable of storing considerable amounts of materiel within it for uh...salvaging. Yes, salvaging. Cost: 200 Reward: Salvage Vessels/Heavy Transports designed/produced

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Lore
[] The Secrets of the Corellian Jedi: The Corellian Jedi are hiding something about the New Sith Wars and you don't like being told "no" for an answer. See if you can appropriate whatever records they're hiding and figure out what's so important about it. Chance of Success: 30% Reward: Corellian Jedi records investigated

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Personal[] Design a Custom Blaster: You've been using a holdout pistol up to know but your fight with Savage shows that a meager blaster isn't going to cut it. Work with your people to design a blaster integrating that lava crystal you picked up ages ago to see if you can make something with a bit more kick to it. Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Lava crystal-enhanced blaster installed

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[Void Stalker]

@Barondoctor @Publicola let me know when you have a more finalized turn plan so that I can see how much we have to spend on bases. I have 10,000 right now but it is likely to be a few hundred more then that. As it is I think I have most of the base upgrades nailed down that we will want this turn (all the packages except for smuggling, the 4 wire taps, coruscant enquirer, covert karada med facility on thyferra and rebuicund station in correllia) and that leaves us with about 1k to acquire new bases plus the few hundred expected extra (which we may want to keep as a reserve this turn to avoid credit shortages).

 

[Semi-Autogyro]

You know, I was wondering if it would be possible to finally just out and recruit/finance Jerec so he could pull like the autonomous water team only with archaeological force sites for us...and maybe give us another hero.

 

[Barondoctor]

@Barondoctor @Publicola let me know when you have a more finalized turn plan so that I can see how much we have to spend on bases. I have 10,000 right now but it is likely to be a few hundred more then that. As it is I think I have most of the base upgrades nailed down that we will want this turn (all the packages except for smuggling, the 4 wire taps, coruscant enquirer, covert karada med facility on thyferra and rebuicund station in correllia) and that leaves us with about 1k to acquire new bases plus the few hundred expected extra (which we may want to keep as a reserve this turn to avoid credit shortages).

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Well, I think he might come around on Force Order Diplomacy for Tython Jedi.
We agree on Salvage Ships.
Lore's the sticky one.

@Publicola

one "Regular", one "Archaeology", one "Force Study"
Corellian Jedi isn't competing with Disciples of Twilight. It's competing with Jebble Box. (And losing in my estimation. Neat prizes vs. Preventing A Zombie Apocalypse)

 

[Publicola]

Well, I think he might come around on Force Order Diplomacy for Tython Jedi.

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At the moment I'm leaning towards the Ysanna -- Force Ghosts, Great Library, and a still surviving Great Librarian seems like a winning combo. Tython Jedi can wait for a turn (maybe?)

Corellian Jedi isn't competing with Disciples of Twilight. It's competing with Jebble Box. (And losing in my estimation)

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Good point. New question for @Dr. Snark, is 'Secrets of the Corellian Jedi' a 'Force Study' action?


Also:

[] One Mean Witch: You need to know where you lie with Talzin, and if things go south you need to let her know that you're not going to stand for her getting in your way. You may have been unnerved by her power before, but that was before you became Darth Traya and gained the Dagger of Mortis. You're not going to let her have her way again. Chance of Success: ??? Reward: ???

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Would Diplomacy bonuses still apply here, or would Lore be a more applicable category?

 

[MonkeyTypewriter]

At the moment I'm leaning towards the Ysanna -- Force Ghosts, Great Library, and a still surviving Great Librarian seems like a winning combo. Tython Jedi can wait for a turn (maybe?)

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Still in favor of the Jenesaari, they've got neat tricks, neat armor and can probably be absorbed wholesale.

 

[Barondoctor]

Tython is next turn. I still have a work-in-progress omake which would work fine with Tython waiting a bit. I can wheel and deal on letting it be Ysanna if we learn Disciples of Twilight stuff.

 

[Publicola]

Assuming 'Secrets of the Corellian Jedi' isn't a Force Study action (breaks my heart), I'm really torn as to what Force School we should research:

[] Research Alternative Force Schools: While the Jedi and Sith are the most well-known Force users in the galaxy there are certainly others that have mastered more esoteric techniques that could be useful to you. You already have information on them from the datachips so it shouldn't be too difficult. (Choose 1 below) Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Learn techniques from other Force users
-[] Jensaarai: A group of Force users that apparently follow a blend of Jedi and Sith teachings. Their unique ability is "ballistakinesis," which is basically hurling things at enemies at blindingly fast/lethal speeds.
-[] Fallanasi: A mostly female group of pacifistic Force users, their unique abilities are projected illusions and the ability to become practically undetectable.
-[] Nightsisters: You've already got an in with them through Talzin...even if she's been proven to be unreliable lately, and they have very unusual abilities that you might be able to use yourself.
-[] Tyia Adepts: A pacifistic group of Force users based on Revyia, they are extremely skilled at healing in general.
-[] Voss Mystics: These Force users have extremely powerful foresight to the point that their visions are regarded as fact.
-[] Jal Shey: A sect of nomadic diplomats and philosophers from the Indupar Crown Worlds, who specialize in the esoteric art of Force Imbuement.
-[] Disciples of Twilight: Located on the isolated colony of Dyspeth and founded by a former Jedi in the aftermath of the Ruusan Reformation, the Disciples specialize in illusion techniques said to surpass even the Fallanassi light-benders.
-[] Altisian Jedi: They have some ability called "essence transfer," and if it means what you think it means...

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@MonkeyTypewriter wants the Jensaarai -- to learn to throw things really fast, and to rescue a small group of quasi-'Sith' survivors before they decide to turn stupid!evil.
@Barondoctor wants the Disciples of Twilight -- to learn lightbending and shadow-bending, to improve our stealth and our illusions

I'm looking at the list above, and I'm mainly torn between Voss Mystics (seriously, Force foresight is broken and these guys are the best at it) and the Altisian Jedi ('essence transfer' is effective immortality, and unlocks psychometry techniques for our investigators as well).

There are so many goodies here, but can anyone persuade me why we shouldn't pick Voss or Altisian, or why we should pick one specific option?

 

[Immortal Lurker]

I'm new to the quest, but I love what all of you are doing. My Star Wars lore is too weak to be much help with many of the decisions here, which is a sentence I never thought I would have to type.

That being said, I think we are going about fighting Sidious incorrectly. We see him with an adoring legion of supporters, so we make our own. We see him with a web of alliances, so we make our own. We see him with a dazzling array of force powers, so we get our own. I could go on, about armies, super weapons, and force sensitive agents.

But that gives him an enemy to fight. Sidious gets stronger if he has an enemy to fight. That was the whole point of the Clone Wars. If Sidious can convince the Republic that we are an enemy, everything we've done to make ourselves stronger just makes him stronger as well, because its another reason for the republic to throw more power at him. We might still be able to win, but the resulting fight will burn the galaxy to the ground. All we have done is co-opt his plan for ourselves. Bane laughs and laughs.

I think that what we have done with Dooku, Ventress, and what we plan to do with Vos is the correct approach. Don't seize power for ourselves, remove his power. Or keep him from accessing it.

These actions seem in line with what I was thinking:

[] Public Relations Vaccination: While you did manage to deal with the Sith blackmail there's still a possibility that new incriminating information on you could be found. Preempt that by spreading a mix of truth and lies about you before debunking it all, making it that much harder for any actual dirt to be used on you. Chance of Success: 90% Reward: Increased defense against any incriminating evidence on you

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-[] COMPOR: A pro-Palpatine, pro-human, anti-pretty much everything else organization headed by Palpatine's most fanatically loyal followers. Not only would dealing with them be a significant blow to Palpatine's ability to rally people, but given that you're 75% non-human (ish) there's definitely some poetic justice to be meted out here.

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[] The Revolution Will Be Televised: Helping with the Pantoran blockade has given you a unique opportunity as the planet is home to a massive information network under the control of one Baron Notluwiski Papanoida, and also boasts considerable success as a media mogul. Given that you're going to need a solid propaganda machine going if you're going to counter Palpatine in any meaningful way, surely there's a deal that could be made here... Chance of Success: 80% Cost: 150 Reward: Media network set up with Baron Papanoida

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[] Grassroots Movements: Rile up protests, sponsor anti-government media, do whatever it takes, but stop Palpatine from getting any more influence any way you can. Chance of Success: 80% Reward: Palpatine's influence stymied

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[Publicola]

Convince me that she wouldn't get stabbed by someone who thinks Asajj is a Sith or that they're an order who wouldn't drive Asajj insane with their philosophizing or whatever and I'll consider it. Again, Asajj is definitely a better person but she's still not exactly the "sit there and meditate for a few days, kthx" kind of person, and she's willingly embraced being a Sith (albeit a much more enlightened variant as opposed to MURDER DEATH KILL).

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Hmm... here you go @Dr. Snark.

-[] Disciples of Twilight: Located on the isolated colony of Dyspeth and founded by a former Jedi in the aftermath of the Ruusan Reformation, the Disciples specialize in illusion techniques said to surpass even the Fallanassi light-benders.

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They're a Jedi splinter sect (maybe) with unknown views on light & dark sides; in Legends, they didn't align themselves with the New Republic against Krayt's Sith Empire or Fel's Imperial Remnant, so presumably they wouldn't immediately stab her.

-[] Almas Academy: An academy in the Cularin system that trains Jedi in an unorthodox style, emphasizing closer relationships with teachers and fellow students as well as ensuring that any student goes out into the galaxy on a "quest" to ensure they understand the galaxy they want to protect. They also apparently are capable of using a curious technique called "essence transfer..."

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They're used to teaching adult students, and as long as Asajj doesn't descend into maniacal Sith-y laughter, she should be able to pass for someone more gray-aligned than dark.

-[] Order of Shasa: A Maanan-based group that has sworn to protect their homeworld, and more importantly have trained themselves to use the Force to see through deception and enhance their telekinetic abilities.

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They were willing to hear out Darth Vader and align themselves with the Empire, so presumably no stabbing here.

-[] Nightsisters: You've already got an in with them through Talzin...even if she's been proven to be unreliable lately, and they have very unusual abilities that you might be able to use yourself.

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Asajj does come from Dathomir, at least originally, so she has some ties to the Nightsisters that'd keep her from getting stabbed. (OTOH, given her 'Nightsister Training' trait, this might be redundant).

-[] Jal Shey: A sect of nomadic diplomats and philosophers from the Indupar Crown Worlds, who specialize in the esoteric art of Force Imbuement.

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This one is more on the 'sit and mediate' side, but they're largely neutral (light-ish gray, maybe) and I'm pretty sure Asajj would appreciate just how useful Force Imbuement can be, even if it takes some time to master.

 

[MonkeyTypewriter]

There are so many goodies here, but can anyone persuade me why we shouldn't pick Voss or Altisian, or why we should pick one specific option?

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Jensaarai have cool armor designs that actually work against lightsabers. Also, they're the only group that's potentially time sensitive, and thus the one we should pick first.

 

[Jakobstj]

Could you instead be persuaded to make our Force Study option be Incorporate Luka Sene teachings, so we can actually give our Agents that? Force Sight is an incredibly useful ability on its own, with it giving the ability to detect people through walls and in the dark. But it also gives them Field Detection, the ability to detect energy fields and electronics, which can even be used to spot weaknesses in shields.

 

[Barondoctor]

Clearly, I need to go full-on Panory for Disciples of Twilight here.

Seriously, though. Darkvision, burst of light (flashbang), and ACTUAL INVISIBILITY.

One Force School to be able to add more or less full-on ninja ability?

And their philosophy of "shadowy justice" and stifling the overreach of the strong to keep them from preying upon the common people? Isn't that us?

 

[dredloki]

guys dont forget the most important option.
[] troll padme

 

[Publicola]

One Force School to be able to add more or less full-on ninja ability?

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...Yeah, that's a pretty good reason.

At this point, @Barondoctor, I'm wondering if we should go for a compromise ticket -- Ysanna in Diplomacy, Disciples of Twilight in Lore -- or if we should make like America and stick with a two-party system that offers a thin veneer of difference while marginalizing any third parties? (Basically: you'd go with Tython and Disciples of Twilight, while my plan would go with Ysanna and Voss.). Naturally we'd keep the deal secret, so no one else knows that we're manipulating events from behind the scenes.

 

[Void Stalker]

Okay so with the 10k for base upgrades I have a list that uses up 9,052.125, adds 1,410.375 to our net income. Currently on the ROI sheet with a filtered view here. That leaves 947.875 for new bases, plus whatever else we have left after the action plans (likely 200 to 600 more). There is also the smugglers package for 165.97175 which adds 239.02825 to income to consider as well for the remaining funds. Also the current actions will add 75 to our upkeep costs (unless that gets the military discount down to 45).

Base List:
Bothawui: The Spynet has "created an opening" on the planet for you to move into so long as you can pay some "administrative fees" for it. ...So this is what being on the other side of that feels like. Cost: 200 Reward: Base on Bothawui

Pantora: Since you (or more accurately Silas) helped alleviate the worst of the blockade over Pantora, the people there are more than willing to let you set up a Karada facility there...on a planet with a wide-spanning media and intel network... Cost: 150 Reward: Facility on Pantora

Manda: You're already on good terms with the Baobabs at this point, so why not have a more physical sign of your partnership? Cost: 150 Reward: Property on Manda

Dac: The reputation of the Mon Calamari shipbuilders alone makes expanding here worthwhile. Cost: 200 Reward: Property on Dac

Cularin: Given how weird this system is, it would definitely be worth fully expanding here. Cost: 200 Reward: Facility on Cularin

Cormit: While the Chiss have refused to let you set up anything on Csilla itself, they would be willing to let you set up a base on Cormit for more active relations so long as the CEDF can keep a close eye on it. Cost: 250 Reward: Facility on Cormit:

Manaan: Kolto could prove to be a way to weaken Thyferra's political power and the planet has played a key role in the past history of the Republic. Cost: 200 Reward: Property on Maanan

Procopia: Home to various noble houses competing for power - each leaning towards the Jedi or Sith no less - a smart woman could make a lot of money playing them off against each other. Cost: 300 Reward: Property on Procopia

Those are the most interesting choices, also we do have the 10% discount on them. All told those actions cost 1,485 after discount so we would need to cut two or three from the list.

 

[Barondoctor]

a compromise ticket -- Ysanna in Diplomacy, Disciples of Twilight in Lore .

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I'm inclined to be bipartisan and get things accomplished while allowing for significantly different voices to be heard. We've seen arguments for each and I'm more of a wheeler-dealer type.

 

[Publicola]

Fair enough.

This does assume that 'Secrets of the Corellian Jedi' doesn't count as a Force Study action. If it is, then all bets are off, because I want to visit the Valley of the Jedi. If it isn't, then Jebble Box takes priority for our regular action this turn.

Also, if we aren't following up with the Corellian Jedi, that means Asajj Ventress is free to offer hero support for another action. I ran the calculations, and I'm pretty sure we can get away with the Talzin action this turn, even without a Personal Attention. Here are the odds:

Mother Talzin: ??? + 20 (Lore default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 27 (Asajj) + 10 (Force Bond) + 2 (Watchers) = ??? odds, with 79% chance of crit

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That's beside the 84% chance of crit for Honoghr, or the 78% chance of crit for Thrawn's hero action (I adjusted the Watcher teams). That would mean we have three separate ??? actions this turn (and only two rerolls), but very good odds for each.

 

[Stealthy]

On mobile and vacation so the color code breakdown is off the table. Later tonight I may be able to get something more thorough but for the matter at hand: Twilight > Voss. Conceptual Shatterpoint covers similar ground as the Voss and while the synergy is nice, diversifying is more important atm.

 

[JAGwin]

At this point, @Barondoctor, I'm wondering if we should go for a compromise ticket -- Ysanna in Diplomacy, Disciples of Twilight in Lore -- or if we should make like America and stick with a two-party system that offers a thin veneer of difference while marginalizing any third parties? (Basically: you'd go with Tython and Disciples of Twilight, while my plan would go with Ysanna and Voss.). Naturally we'd keep the deal secret, so no one else knows that we're manipulating events from behind the scenes.

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While my opinion on politicians is as low as the next person, can we not?

 

[Publicola]

All right, here's my updated set of actions for Turn 29, again assuming that the 'Secrets of the Corellian Jedi' is a regular rather than a 'Force Study' action (and assuming that @Dr. Snark will approve the Voss genemod, since they are Near-Human). Everything else looks solid, even if we have three ??? actions that needed lots of hero support. If there are no objections, I'll use this as the basis for calculating how many base purchases and upgrades we can afford.


Martial: Pick 2:
[] Militia Standardization: Chance of Success: 80% Reward: CNS militia forces increase in quality.
[] Paramilitary Support: Chance of Success: 60% Cost: 150 Upkeep: 75 Reward: Martial bonus; paramilitary groups confirmed as anti-Palpatine assets
-[] Grievous

Spoiler: Reasoning

Given the triple threat of Admiral Trench, the Malevolence, and the Pride of the Core, we need to secure Neutral Space as our first priority. 'Militia Standardization' does that.

As for our anti-Palpatine assets, I was torn between 'Preying Mantises' (anti-piracy bounty hunters), but 'Paramilitary Support' is a broader base of support, and gives us a default bonus to Martial actions. Income is nice, but not really necessary. Bonuses are worth their weight in gold.

CNS Militia: 80% + 15 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 35% chance of crit
Paramilitaries: 60% + 10 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 19 (Grievous) = 100+% odds, with 49% chance of crit

Diplomacy: Pick 1 Regular Action, 1 CNS Action, 1 Force Order Action, 1 Free Action:
[] Negotiating With "The Negotiator:" Chance of Success: 60% Reward: Obi-Wan Kenobi brought into the anti-Palpatine conspiracy (Free Action)
[] Shards Encased In Iron (CNS): Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Contact with Shard worlds established, potential to recruit Shard engineers
[] Between the Light and Dark: Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Contact with chosen organization established
-[] Ysanna
[] Taming A Lone Wolf: Chance of Success: 40% Reward: Quinlan Vos subverted
-[] Silas Cata
-[] 6 Watcher teams
[] The Burning Rain: Chance of Success: ??? Cost: 250 Reward: Relief sent to Honoghr, ???
-[] Personal Attention

Spoiler: Reasoning

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a free action, and thank heavens, because this category is crazy busy.

We need to deal with Quinlan Vos, and I believe strongly that our priority should be to subvert/recruit him (rather than assassinate him), which means we need to pick it as a Diplomacy action. I also strongly believe that we need to deal with the Honoghr bioweapon now, which means we need to allocate our Free Action to this category so we can pick it up. (Given the unknown odds, I'm also inclined to assign our Personal Attention to this category).

We have a single CNS action, and there's only one viable option here -- I've been dying to recruit those Shard engineers, and now we finally can! (...How much do you want to bet they give us an extra Learning action? I expect I shall bitterly regret the turn after turn of delay.)

Finally, the big question-mark for me is which Force Sect to contact. I'd love to pick Tython and help the Jedi reform, or Almas and recruit/subvert a heterodox Jedi Academy with all its goodies. But for this turn, I decided to go with Ysanna, the Jedi survivors of Ossus, home of the Great Jedi Library.

Obi-Wan: 60% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100% odds, with 40% chance of crit
Shard Engineers: 70% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 40% chance of crit
Ysanna: 70% + 15 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 35% chance of crit
Quinlan Vos: 40% + 15 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 14 (Silas Cata) + 6 (Watchers) = 95% odds, with 55% chance of crit
Honoghr: ??? + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 44 (Personal Attention) = ??? odds, with 84% chance of crit

Stewardship: Pick 2 Regular Actions, 1 Free Sienar Action and optionally 1 other Sienar Action:
[] Sienar Custom Vessel: Chance of Success: 90%
-[] Interdictor Vessel: Cost: 200 (Free) Reward: Interdictor vessels designed/produced
-[] Dedicated Salvage Vessel: Cost: 200 Reward: Salvage Vessels/Heavy Transports designed/produced
[] The Revolution Will Be Televised: Chance of Success: 80% Cost: 150 Reward: Media network set up with Baron Papanoida
[] Oust Shu Mai: Chance of Success: 40% Reward: Shu Mai ousted from Commerce Guild and new leadership chosen
-[] PR-1
-[] Talesan Fry

Spoiler: Reasoning

Okay, so we can double-up Sienar actions this turn. We should definitely spend our free one on the Interdictor vessels, since those are basically Thrawn's signature and will be incredibly useful against the three fleets rampaging through Neutral Space. For our second... I'm torn between salvage vessel (presumably a default bonus to all salvage rolls, which could be huge) or a Sienar upgrade better suited for defense (given the three fleets rampaging through Neutral Space). Unfortunately, 'medical battlefleet' isn't a Sienar upgrade, but those dedicated carriers might still be handy. However, I'm inclined to go with the salvage vessels, given just how many salvage rolls we have each turn, and how much a bonus to those would benefit us.

For our regular actions, connecting with Baron Papanoida's media empire/galactic spynet is definitely locked-in (that will be a huge asset for counter-programming against Palpatine's propaganda). As for the second, I'm intrigued by the potential in the swoop-biking action, and I'd love to get my hands on one of the shipwright corporations (though we can assign Mungo to that instead), and I've love to get a medical battlefleet to defend CNS space. However, now that we have the hero support, I'm pretty sure we should finally pull the trigger on Shu Mai.

Interdictors: 90% + 10 (default) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 30% chance of crit
Sienar Salvage: 90% + 10 (default) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 30% chance of crit
Papanoida: 80% + 10 (default) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 30% chance of crit
Shu Mai: 40% + 10 (default) + 20 (omakes) + 15 (PR-1) + 12 (Talesan Fry) = 97% odds, with 57% chance of crit

Intrigue: Pick 3:
[] Real Bad Moon Over Coruscant: Chance of Success: 50% Reward: Palpatine facility destroyed
-[] The Silencer
[] Autonomous Hunter-Seeker Teams: Chance of Success: 90% Cost: 150 Reward: Teams set up to handle actions that are guaranteed successes with reduced bonuses
[] Strike Palpatine's Inner Circle: Chance of Success: 40% Cost: 150 Reward: Targeted member/group discredited/neutralized/etc
-[] Armand Isard
-[] Jango Fett

Spoiler: Reasoning

'Autonomous Hunter-Seekers' is locked in -- that will give us an extra Intrigue action, which we need to clear out all the minor actions that have fallen by the wayside.

I also strongly feel that we need to continue 'striking at Palpatine's Inner Circle'. I'd like to wait on COMPNOR (the racist mob that gives Palpatine full-throated public support) until we can launch an anti-slavery raid on the founder's homeworld of Senex-Juvex. Likewise, replacing Saro Sanuo can wait until we're nearly ready to press the red button. Right now our priority should be Armand Isard -- as the diabolical (and gifted) intelligence chief, he is vital to Palpatine's plans. Cutting him out of the loop should have a major impact on Palpatine's ability to punch back.

For our final action... it comes down to defense v. offense. On the one hand, I'd like to figure out who's hunting after Galen Erso, but I'm inclined to say Erso should be safe for one turn, especially if we have him working in an out-of-the-way lab somewhere. On the other... we've been putting off dealing with Palpatine's cloning operation on Centax II, and that is definitely a priority before we press the big red button.

Hunter-Seekers: 90% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 40% chance of crit
Armand Isard: 40% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 15 (Jango Fett) = 95% odds, with 55% chance of crit
Centax Clones: 50% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 14 (Silencer) = 100+% odds, with 54% chance of crit

Lore: Pick 1 Regular Action, 1 Archaeological Action, 1 Force Study Action:
[] Research Alternative Force Schools: Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Learn techniques from other Force users
-[] Disciples of Twilight
[] Archaeological Expeditions: Chance of Success: 70% Cost: 50 Reward: Expedition to chosen location launched
-[] Aliston Nor
[] The Hunt For The Jebble Box: Chance of Success: 50% Cost: 200 Reward: Jebble Box/Muur Talisman secured
-[] Cheriss Sair

Spoiler: Reasoning

Okay, for our archaeology action, I was torn between Kathol Rift (seriously: there's a Force sect that has teleportation techniques) and Belsavis (a bunch of Rakatan artifacts, including Mother Machine and a series of teleportation gates). But ultimately I decided to go with Aliston Nor, because if there's one thing more interesting than teleporting Jedi, it's a Force sect that specializes in, basically, mechu daru on crack -- using the Force to build anything you set your mind on. Yeah, I'm sold.

For our regular action... hoo boy. As much as I'd like to keep the Jebble Box out of Palpatine's hands, I really don't want to touch anything to do with rakghouls, and I have a bad feeling about the Box's inhabitant. Celeste Morne, who's been in stasis for several millennia, was a Shadow of the Jedi Covenant, an anti-Sith extremist group that was responsible for the Padawan Massacre of Taris and other atrocities. I doubt she'll be a fan of ours. On the other hand, Fanhunter696 makes a good point that this isn't about gaining the Jebble Box for ourselves, as it is denying it to Palpatine. If we do pick it, we'll need to assign hero support to make sure it's safe.

For our 'Force Study', if we can't pick the follow-up to research the Corellian Jedi's history, then the next best option is the Disciples of Twilight: specialists in light-bending and shadow-bending. As Barondoctor says, "a full ninja package".

Aliston Nor: 70% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 40% chance of crit
Twilight: 70% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 40% chance of crit
Jebble Box: 50% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 13 (Cheriss) = 100+% odds, with 53% chance of crit

Learning: Pick 2, or pick only one Research action and halve its time:
[] Non-Human Genemods: Chance of Success: 70% Cost: 100 Reward: Genemodding available for non-human species
[] Anti-Force Research: Chance of Success: 50% Cost: 200 Reward: Anti-Force subject researched [Takes 2 turns]
-[] Taozin
-[] Galen Erso

Spoiler: Reasoning

Now that our 'Anti-Force Research' is accelerated and no longer locks our Learning actions for multiple turns, we should make sure to assign an action to that, especially since learning about the taozin may let us block Palpatine's precog and/or penetrate his dark-side veil, which would be huge for our chances of successfully pressing the big red button.

For our second action... I'm torn between any number of actions. 'Non-Human Genemods' unlocks the rest of our Hero Units for genemod bonuses, and ensures that 'mass genemods' will affect all of our forces (including Wookies and Kaleesh, for instance). I'm inclined to pick that, then Mass Genemods next turn. On the other hand, there is a lot of potential in the 'Analyze Chiss Archives' (Unknown Regions ftw), commando gears is another high priority, and nano-droids have been put on the back-burner for quite a few turns now.

Non-Human Genemods: 70% + 30 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 50% chance of crit
Taozin: 50% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 18 (Galen Erso) = 100+% odds, with 58% chance of crit

Personal: Pick 3:
[] Personal attention/Increased Focus: Chance of Success: 100%. Reward: Your stats + Force Sight bonus added to a action of your choice
-[] The Burning Rain
[] Design a Custom Blaster: Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Lava crystal-enhanced blaster installed
[] Annoy Padme (Free Action, no bonuses): Chance of Success: Yes. Reward: Entertainment
[] One Mean Witch: Chance of Success: ??? Reward: ???\
-[] Asajj Ventress
-[] 2 Watcher teams

Spoiler: Reasoning

I really want to finish customizing our equipment load-out with some nice synergy (custom blaster with splash damage + Blazing Chain = Force-empowered heat-seeking grenade launcher the size of a pocket pistol). Personal Attention was necessary for the Honoghr action, so that fills out our three. Happily, with Asajj's hero support, we can afford to spend our third action on Mother Talzin, taking care of that.

Personal Attention: 100%
Lava Blaster: 70% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 40% chance of crit.
Annoy Padme: Always
Mother Talzin: ??? + 20 (Lore default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 27 (Asajj) + 10 (Force Bond) + 2 (Watcher) = ??? odds, with 79% chance of crit

Hero Units: Optional, Pick Up To 3 & 1 Genemod, Uses Hero Unit's Full Stats:
[] Under The Knife: Chance of Success: 70% Cost: 100 Reward: Selected Hero Unit genemodded
-[] Choose 1 Hero Unit:
--[] Thrawn
-[] Choose 1 Genemod:
--[] Voss
[] Thrawn - Unravelling The Spider's Web: (Uses Martial Bonuses, Thrawn must be assigned to this action if chosen) Chance of Success: ??? Reward: Thrawn determines Trench's next move, ???
-[] 2 Watcher teams
[] HK-47 - Write the Book: (Uses Lore Bonuses, HK-47 must be assigned to this action if chosen) Chance of Success: 80% Reward: Anti-Force user simulations designed, ???
[] Mungo Baobab - Mergers And Acquisitions: (Uses Stewardship Bonuses, Mungo Baobab must be assigned to this action if chosen) Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Chosen company contacted, ???
-[] Hoersch-Kessel Drive

Spoiler: Reasoning

For the genemods: Thrawn is our best strategist, and giving him sensitivity to the Force (with a natural talent for precognition and farsight) will only multiply his effectiveness. Pairing him with Voss vision was a no-brainer.

Thrawn's action is likewise locked-in: we have three fleets rampaging through Neutral Space, and Thrawn is our best man to deal with it. Easy peasy.

HK-47 won't be happy, given all the war going on, but we need him to set up our anti-Force simulations, to prepare our ground forces for the big red button, and now's as good a time as any seeing as the Foundry's been secured.

Finally, Mungo is fairly new, so I wanted to start him off with an easy 'clean' business operation: making contact with the nearly bankrupt Hoersch-Kessel, and seeing if we can help them out and/or buy them out and use their assets for ourselves. 60% chance of a crit makes it a pretty good bet....

Voss Genemod: 70% + 25 (default) + 20 (omakes) = 100+% odds, with 45% chance of crit
Thrawn: ??? + 15 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 41 (Thrawn) + 2 (Watchers) = ??? odds, with 78% chance of crit
HK-47: 80% + 20 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 17 (HK-47) = 100+% odds, with 57% chance of crit
Mungo: 70% + 10 (default bonus) + 20 (omakes) + 30 (Mungo) = 100+% odds, with 60% chance of crit

Free Action: +1 Diplomacy Action

Spoiler: Reasoning

Usually this is one of the toughest decisions to make each turn, but that certainly wasn't the case here. Wow did we need help with our Diplomacy turn -- between the free Obi-Wan action and the Free Action, we engaged in five Diplomacy actions this turn, and it still felt like too few.

Hero Support (applies half the stats to a chosen action):
PR-1: [] Oust Shu Mai
The Silencer: [] Bad Moon Over Coruscant
Silas Cata: [] Taming A Lone Wolf
Cheriss Sair: [] The Hunt For The Jebble Box
Thrawn: [] Unravelling The Spider's Web
Grievous: [] Paramilitary Support
Asajj Ventress: [] One Mean Witch
HK-47: [] Write the Book
Jango Fett: [] Strike Palpatine's Inner Circle: Armand Isard
Talesan Fry: [] Oust Shu Mai
Galen Erso: [] Anti-Force Research: Taozin
Mungo Baobab: [] Mergers And Acquisitions: Hoersch-Kessel Drive


Watcher Support (20 teams available, 1 Point per assigned team):
[] 6 teams assigned
-[] Taming A Lone Wolf
[] 2 teams assigned
-[] One Mean Witch
[] 2 teams assigned
-[] Unravelling The Spider's Web

 

[HymnOfRagnarok]

Well, read through the entire quest and....well that's one hell of a trip. Pretty impressed by the amount of omake and they're pretty good, but I have to admit that by the end I was skipping to the actual updates. You guys did a great job fleshing out the side stories and characters associated with the Abyss Watchers, but since I was reading it all in one go instead of staggered over the years, I stuck to canon material and the main updates.

I don't know enough Star Wars to appreciate all the source material being drawn from, but it's certainly interesting to see in action. Grievious has pretty much become my favorite Hero unit for that awesome trip through the foundary, and it just being fun to watch the canon villain become a hero. The same could be said of a lot of our hero units, but Grievious is just my favorite.

If nothing else? I read the entire damn original Quest and this one, and I stuck to the end. So uh, you guys sure did something right. Bravo. I don't think I'll be much help in the planning here, but I certainly to keep reading until the end of the line.

 

[JAGwin]

Come to think of it, I wonder what would happen if we crit-failed on Annoy Padme.