@Epic Bygones In both [] Build Infrastructure and [] Practice the Forge I see a problem. And this is that boths are too expensive.
I am afraid of straining finances too much... That is why it may be better to create a money reserve first ([] Copy with the Forge) and in the Ram Q2 focus on that... ([] Build Infrastructure and [] Practice the Forge)
Well, that's my opinion... 😅
They are investments. Both of them will improve our finances in the mid term. Right now our income is in the negative (-$15 per Quarter) and that's more worrisome than our reserves (175), which as stated could last us about 5 years. Build Infrastructure directly affects that, perhaps even raising our income over
zero. The Practice the Forge option, instead, is the one that more quickly will develop our most valuable technique, which the Patriarch himself thought would revolutionize the business. And even in the short term, while it will require some resources usage, it will also produce treasures (and likely better ones than what the other related options offer), which we could sell to make up for it.
The faster and the better we accomplish our Priority, the faster and the more our income
and our reserves will improve.
Practice the forge, look for new opportunities, diamond mind and diamond body are risky to use right now, make money, charm partners, and oversight are useful in the short short term but they don't have much long term value.
Charm partners and Oversight have incredible long term value, in my opinion. The former (beside directly raising prestige, stability and income, potentially) is basically networking! How is that not great for long term? And the latter (beside directly increasing stability) specifically mentions heading off crises before they start, which is also
not short term.
Her charity's are the reason why she has influence and why people like us and they probably also boost loyalty so I don't want to cast a veto because of the penalties but If I can't think of anything that she can do I might have to.
I feel like our brother would dislike her getting a role connected to the business no matter which one it was, but we can't really afford risking angering
her by not giving her one. Might as well let her do what she's shown to be good at. Cuts to charity are a bad thing regardless, and it's the veto that will hurt our relationship with our brother the least, most likely, given that they don't directly go against the Priority (brother's plan), as well as... you know... they are
cuts to charity. We have the moral high ground opposing them. Besides, it makes business sense, even if it might be a little inconvenient right now. There's a reason why every company and their mothers in our world does it, and unfortunately, I doubt it's the goodness of their heart.
Hiss, I could understand putting diamond back a little given how time in the form would allow you to slowly improve by itself but I can't see us dumping it. It was the best option that came out of character creation and without something like a phoenix down I don't see us voting to change it.
Was it, though?
Maybe it was the best option that we could get our hands on
in one week time (and probably more like 1-2 days, given that we needed at least
some time to prepare and actually Merge before the duel).
I disagree with the duels option as something that we can win because Diamond Spirit is not going to give many benefits in a duel on law and losing to a person below your cultivation is hugely embarrassing and a sign that you are terrible at picking duels.
It
is something we could win because of Diamond Spirit (with Shining Fate and possibly Clear Domain) and because of our techniques (9999 Meditation, Art of Evaluation and maybe even Blessing of Efficiency), in my opinion. But I agree that it's somewhat unlikely and absolutely not worth the risks, right now. I wouldn't vote for duels at all, but since either option in that Decision didn't directly affect the general strategy I proposed in my post, I thought I'd just leave it somewhat open.
The plan
Stability and Story Time lacks a vote to veto the cuts to charity in my opinion, given that the QM stated:
You could create a PR Department by taking some of the charity work and cannibalizing that part of sales.
If we both reduce our charity work
and give mom only some of it, I think this accomplishes little.
Also, Oku escorting high risks caravans sounds worse than her training guards, to me. First, she can only protect so many, while every other will have worse defenses. Second, she wanted to be
Matriarch... putting her in charge of training gives her at least a leadership position (in something she's skilled at), rather than just turning her into a glorified (and maybe not even
that) guard dog.
Finally, I'm not sure if a plan format like that works, as the QM specifically said to vote for Decisions individually and not in plans.
@Mr. Prokosch ?
Please vote for each decision individually, not in plans.
. Lol seriously though I think it'd be little risk and a bump to poor stability that we need.
