Okay, here's a package of votes. The idea here is that we immediately start all three projects we need to fully repair the Skagway and build warships of our own. The sooner that's done the better.
Torn between the options of by land or by sea, I've settled on wittling down the pirate forces by sea with hit and run tactics. Erkins was a Spartan and they don't give bad tactical advice, she's right about the range advantage and the viability of hurting the pirates with minimal risk if we act now.
We don't send forces by land for two reasons; first, those forces will not be able to return in time to defend our bases if the pirates see our army out of position and change targets, and they're not fools.
Second, it avoids sending all our nuclear rovers away from the base, and we do kind of need those for power. We've got a reserve to last us a while, but we would be in real trouble if most or all of them got destroyed.
Third, we can follow up next turn with rover patrols to check on UN Relief Station (as well as do a much, much needed survey of the island for cryopods) next turn, offering Dole aid he's likely going to need in exchange for whatever we care to get out of him.
[X] Plan Skagway Repair Package
-[X] Build an electronics lab to expand your knowledge of circuits and transistors. [-3 Construction Supplies, -1 Energy] (This will increase your Build output.)
-[X] Build a dedicated arsenal with a small foundry that can cast small-caliber cannon. [-10 Construction Supplies, -10 Survival Supplies]
-[X] Build an electronics lab to expand your knowledge of circuits and transistors. [-3 Construction Supplies, -1 Energy] (This will increase your Build output.)
[X] Conquer
[X] Manufacturing
[X] Decide in favor of Erkins. Engage the Nautilus Pirates in a naval battle. Send the Kungalooshi with three gun Foils.
(You've got Electronics Lab twice.)
[X] Choose
[X] Extraction
[X] Build a dedicated arsenal with a small foundry that can cast small-caliber cannon. [-10 Construction Supplies, -10 Survival Supplies]
[X] Build an electronics lab to expand your knowledge of circuits and transistors. [-3 Construction Supplies, -1 Energy] (This will increase your Build output.)
[X] Build a dedicated production line for electronics equipment. [-5 Construction Supplies, -5 Survival Supplies]
[X] Agree with Sadak. Transmit an urgent message offering to parley with Captain Svensgaard. Prepare the Holnists for potential transfer.
[X] Decide in favor of Erkins
. Engage the Nautilus Pirates in a naval battle. Send the
Kungalooshi with three gun Foils.
[X] Endorse Sathieu Metrion's plan. Attack the pirates by sea and occupy U.N. Relief Station. If the pirates are still in possession, evict them. If Dole Yudikon is still alive, arrest him.
----
It is useful to state the obvious -- we are out of time. We are now in a state of undeclared conflict with the
Nautilus Pirates. We made it clear that we would see an attack on Relief Station as a hostile act. Skinner leaves, and the first thing he does is... attack Relief Station. We should make Sadak's offer, but I am under no illusions that it will be accepted.
We need the electronics lab and the arsenal to start churning out materiel, and we need the psych lab so we can start running psyops against the Pirates. Everything else is now secondary.
I am tentatively in favor of Erkin's plan -- but I am concerned that we do not have sufficient intelligence to hit Svensgaard's center of gravity, or that we can weaken his fleet enough. I could be persuaded by
[ ] Endorse Sathieu Metrion's plan. Attack the pirates by sea and occupy U.N. Relief Station. If the pirates are still in possession, evict them. If Dole Yudikon is still alive, arrest him.
with a strong argument -- we are likely to get back a lot of heavy equipment, that way, and I suspect that Yudikon's going to have softened somewhat with his time in the wilderness.
