First Project - Turn 1
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
First Project - Turn 1
-
Arda II, Arda System, Gordian Reach, Outer Rim
41:09 - Ninth month of the Year 41 after the Great ReSynchronization
[A/N: In theory there should have been another vote before these results, with you deciding what exactly you are tasking the teams with and where you are assigning your Characters. For this turn I selected this due to a relative lack of options and a desire to have a meaningful post before the next vote.]
With a set of general tasks for each department selected you turn your people loose. You'll be busy trying to find more people while the departments attempt to redesign a frigate with less than half the staff that you'd expect for such a task. If the Reach wasn't on the verge of even more open fighting you'd probably not be considering asking your people to do this. Of course if the Reach wasn't on the verge you'd never have this job in the first place.
Week 1
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 2, 1, 3, 3, 7 = 1 Success]
You spend your time going through applications and holding interviews. You had done a good job of hiring every acceptable person while you were setting up the Bureau, so pickings were slim.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 3, 9, 6, 8, 5, 2, 4 = 3 Successes]
Jaa's team begins laying the groundwork for the pending changes to the hull. Many things are still to be determined, but some things were already pretty much fixed.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 3, 6 = 0 Successes]
The first week of examining potential sensor systems gave little concrete results.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 9, 2 = 1 Success]
The hyperdrive team spends their time running simulations to see if the various potential changes to the hull will impact the drive.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 7, 3, 9, 4, 8, 7, 10 = 6 Successes]
Sola's end of week report glows with praise for the Mark 22. She's confident that it will solve all the problems of the Mark 17 and fit into a smaller space.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 6, 3 = 0 Successes]
Evaluating the quotes received is going to take some time given how short staffed the team is. At least it can be reported that there have been no major setbacks.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 3, 10 = 2 Successes]
Working in accordance with some general directives from Jaa, the Structure team makes good progress in determining what new materials should be used for the hull.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 3, 3 = 0 Successes]
Just as with a number of other departments the process of getting quotes is a slow one.
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 9, 7 = 2 Successes]
The life support question is a relatively simple one. The first week has them running tests on a few promising sample units.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
[Department 1d10. 1 = Botch!]
The armament of a ship is of key importance. Thus you are quite distressed when you get a report that the entire department has been hospitalised due to a chemical leak in their offices. All are expected to make a full recovery, but they will not be returning to work for at least another week.
Week 2
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 3, 9, 10, 5, 8 = 5 Successes]
You decide to run a series of advertisements on the CBC that leads to better results than simply searching Arda. A number of professionals decide to take advantage of the chance to get in on the ground floor of the new ASDB.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 6, 3, 1, 3, 5, 4, 2 = Botch prevented by 6Ps]
You are forced to pull Jaa up short as he becomes enraptured with some highly esoteric possibilities offered by the new materials. The sketches certainly looked beautiful but they were utterly impractical.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 9, 5 = 2 Successes]
The second week goes substantially better than the first week. Progress is being made.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 10, 2 = 2 Successes]
The hyperdrive team continues to run simulations in light of all the data that their colleagues in the other departments could give them.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 5, 7, 2, 7, 7, 3, 10 = 5 Successes]
Sola describes the Mark 22 as a dream to work with. According to all the testing they have been able to do so far it's powerful, compact, and reliable.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 5, 10 = 2 Successes]
With more quotes flowing in, the Shield department has started eliminating unsuitable designs.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 4, 7 = 1 Success]
More incremental progress is made with the structure team.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 1 , 4 = Botch]
The sublight drives are proving to be quite a problem. None of the prospective options are going to be compatible with the drive housings. The entire section is going to have to be reworked from scratch. (+5 Architecture TN)
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 8, 10 = 3 Successes]
One of the local companies is swiftly pulling ahead of the competition. Their product seems exceptionally promising.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
After being released from hospital the department staff spent this week at home recovering from the chemical leak.
Week 3
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 3, 1, 8, 10, 5 = 3 Successes]
The foreign applicants have started moving through the hiring process. You have spotted a couple people that look promising for a more senior position.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 10, 5, 7, 9, 3, 5, 5 = 5 Successes]
Jaa seems to have learned his lesson and quickly resolves the problems introduced by the drive team's discovery.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 1, 9 = 1 Success]
Slow and steady is all you can expect given the circumstances, and it is all you do get.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 8, 9 = 2 Successes]
The hyperdrive team continues to run like a well oiled machine.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 1, 8, 3, 2, 6, 4, 4 = 1 Success]
Progress has slowed on the Mark 22 as the team finds itself running up against the fact that what the other departments have managed to accomplish limits progress with the reactor.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 5, 3 = 0 Successes]
Delays abound as some of the shield units that were supposed to be tested don't arrive until the end of the week.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 5, 4 = 0 Successes]
The structure department continues to work. Some of the things they tested have failed to live up to expectations.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 5, 2 = 0 Successes]
Drives powerful enough to move a 215m frigate at speed are not simple in any respect. You receive another request for more staff to help expedite the process that you place with all the others that have been hitting your inbox.
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 10, 1 = 2 Successes]
The life support team has almost settled on a design. It just needs a bit of final testing to make certain there are no unexpected problems.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
[Department 1d10. 5 = 0 Successes]
While the team has returned to work they have been hesitant to make use of their old offices. Eventually they are satisfied with the very detailed inspection they do in full hazmat gear, but by that time there is no time for them to do their assigned job.
Week 4
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 3, 5, 9, 8, 4 = 3 Successes]
As the month draws to a close you finally are able to bring some new people on board. Nowhere near enough, but at least you'll be able to get a few departments closer to being fully staffed. You are particularly pleased with one hire in particular. You plan to put them in charge of a department just as soon as the paperwork is finished.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 1, 6, 5, 10, 8, 9, 5 = 5 Successes]
The changes to the hull are not going to stop any time soon, but it seems that Jaa is starting to get a good handle on how the new materials are going to impact the design.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 7, 6 = 1 Success]
With the month drawing to an end you have now received a short list of prospects for the sensor systems. It's a bit of a mixed bag but your people are confident that everything on the list will at least meet the overall minimum standards for a warship's sensor suite.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 1, 10 = 2 Successes]
The hyperdrive team has been working exceptionally hard. You don't understand what the reports mean, but spending time questioning the interim team lead you get the sense that they have produced good work. In fact you are starting to consider promoting them.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 6, 7, 1, 8, 9, 3, 2 = 3 Successes]
Sola looks supremely happy with herself as she walks you through the results of the last month of work by her team. You have to stop her so she can break things down for you frequently but by the end of her presentation you are starting to grasp what the Mark 22 is making her so happy. It's competitive with the output on a Nebulon-B while taking up noticeable less room. It's quite possible that the Mark 22 will be able to be standardised as the reactor of any future Frigates as well.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 2, 9 = 1 Success]
The results from the shields team are not impressive but at least they have been able to give Jaa and Sola solid numbers for the maximum and minimum expected space and power required by the units still under consideration.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 5, 6 = 0 Successes]
It seems finding combinations of materials that are able to exceed the performance of the Eambar's existing hull is harder than expected. The team doesn't feel like they have been defeated but warn that without more people it's going to be a long process.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 1, 8 = 1 Success]
The only sliver of good news that comes from the sublight drive department is that they have some potential drives to start looking at. This is tempered by the fact that none of them are currently in production and the decisions are going to have to be made off of the engineering documents and simulations.
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 6, 9 = 1 Success]
The life support question is one that you feel confident has been answered. The new system is going to require very minimal modifications to the existing structure of the hull while providing 5% higher rates of containment scrubbing. The excellent work done here has convinced you to promote the interim Support Systems team lead to the role permanently.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
[Department 1d10. 2 = 0 Successes]
The entire weapons team spent the entire week in Cimtar attending demonstrations of their Turbolaser lines. They come back with a wealth of data that simply confirms the fact that yes, you will be importing or licensing the only viable option for turbolasers in the Reach.
Sigh.
End of Month Retrospective
The end of month report is a mixed bag. Some of your departments exceeded your wildest expectations while others failed to accomplish anything of note, although at times through no fault of their own. With the new staff you've managed to bring on board things should go better next month.
One piece of good news is that you have received official approval to continue with your current project. So at least you can feel comfortable knowing that the last month wasn't wasted.
This turn has been a real challenge. I've been constantly changing how the back end system works for ship design and it is just not ready for the players to sink their teeth into. So things are going to be a bit abstract until I can nail things down. I keep getting one thing working and then discovering it breaks something else.
This is why I'm going to only slowly introduce systems and elements of concern. I have also elected that for this project Budget is not going to be directly tracked.
The TN listed for options below is that for the department in question. Options that increase the Architecture difficulty will be called out as doing so. Pretty much everything requires more TN for the Architecture tests. Every check on a task adds 0.5 to the TN for Architecture with 0.5 rounding up at the end of the project. The longer they need to work on something the more work Jaa needs to do. Once something is finalised then you can stop worrying about it changing and Jaa can finalise that portion of the ship design.
You have a cap of 5 major NPCs. I was going to have them trickle in, but for the sake of pacing I'm going to let you fill the remaining 3 slots this turn if you so choose. No traps, just select who you think will be the most useful.
Things described as "+Item" make them better, while "-Item" are worse. So "++Speed" is very fast. "+Cost" means it is less expensive. Yes, it is a bit counter intuitive but the other option is for there to be doubt about if a + or - is good for any particular option. It's very simple. + is good. - is bad.
"-Imported" items are from outside the system but fairly nearby with little chance of a hostile power disrupting things. So things from Feldwes for example. "--Imported" items are from places like Torque or Cimtar that have the core of GRTO between you and them.
Please note where you want your characters to be working. See the example post for details. I will assign any new NPCs to the most appropriate task to their skill set.
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment = 12 Successes
In addition to filling some of the massive shortfall in personal numbers for the teams, you have found two good prospects for bringing onto your leadership team alongside Sola and Jaa. You still have a lot of positions to fill, so you will keep the HR department working on filling those holes.
Select the single [Administration] option and up to two [JOB] options then assign 6 dice to the departments. You can have a maximum of 3 dice per department. This will make the department fully staffed. Once the entire bureau is fully staffed then specialities will be available. See the example plan at the bottom of this post.
-[][Administration] Continue to recruit staff
-[][JOB] Administrator
They have skill with keeping people on track, managing budgets, and talking to your political masters. They are somewhat lacking experience in but have a proven track record at their previous positions.
-[][JOB] Sensor Scientist
They are not engineer, but rather a research scientist. They focus on the more theoretical side of ship design, specifically advanced sensor systems. The papers they have written have been transformed into a number of excellent systems by some prominent firms.
-[][JOB] Drive Systems Engineer
Speed is life. Life is Speed. For their entire career they have been driven by a singular obsession. Making drives that can make ships as fast as physics allows. They have been censured a time or two for over delivering on that aspect to the detriment of things like cost or service life.
-[][JOB] Deflector Shield Engineer
This engineer has a very simple outlook. Shields are the main way of preserving starships from a myriad of dangers. They need to be strong, they need to be reliable. Concerns of power efficiency and 'elegance' are of no concern compared to the utter importance of the shields working right the first time, every time.
-[][JOB] Life Support Expert
Having proven themselves with the Life Support project, this junior engineer is due for a promotion. The only question is if they will be promoted to team lead or if you are going to bring them onto your leadership committee.
-[][JOB] Munitions Expert
Hailing from Cimtar, this engineer is an expert in the field of missiles and torpedoes. They helped build up a successful new company and are now looking for fresh challenges.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
Hull Redesign Current TN 23 = 13 Successes
Jaa has made good progress on revising the Eambar hull. It's still a work in progress so he will continue to work on it.
-[][Architecture] Continue the hull redesign.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
Sensor Prospects = 4 Successes
The Electronics team has fallen in love with the performance of the Omniscan XI but they admit that the YTR system would be vastly easier to implement.
-[][Electronics] Hailing from Feldwes, the YTR-Electronic Warfare System is a simple and inexpensive option. Its performance is purely middling but it would be hard to interdict your trade with Feldwes. (TN 7. +Cost, -Imported.) [A/N - Remember +Cost is good for you.]
-[][Electronics] The Longeye 1005 is, as the name implies, optimised for long range accuracy. The system does respond slightly slowly making it less effective once targets are at point blank range. The previous versions were used on the ships built by Torque and are well respected. (TN 10. +Long Range Accuracy, -Close Range Accuracy, --Imported.)
-[][Electronics] Presbalin is offering its Omniscan XI TA/T/S for your consideration. Normally mounted on dedicated reconnaissance frigates, the Omniscan is known for both its fidelity and finicky maintenance requirements. (TN 20. ++Detection, +Close Range Accuracy, -Cost, -Maintenance, --Imported.)
-[][Electronics] None of these look promising. Continue examining the prospects.
-[][Electronics] Give some more time for quotes to come in. Start looking at communication systems instead.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
Proactive Study = 7 Successes
The work that has come out of this department is above and beyond what is expected of them. Integrating the existing hyperdrive with the new systems is going to be quite simple thanks to the groundwork they have laid. The only question is if you are going to promote the team leader or not.
-[][Hyperdrive] Accept the Hyperspace team's proposal. (TN 5.)
-[][Hyperdrive] Accept the proposal and promote the interim team lead to the position permanently. (TN 5. Add a new NPC to your team.)
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
Mark 22 Evaluation = 15 Successes
The Mark 22 is everything you could ask for in a reactor. Sola's efforts have certainly paid off. The only question is if you accept this solid piece of engineering or if you want her to really push the envelope. If worst comes to worst it will always be possible to fall back on the current iteration of the Mark 22.
-[][Power] Accept the Mark 22 for service. (TN 5)
-[][Power] The Mark 22 is good, but perhaps it could be made better? (TN 30. Results unclear.)
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
Shield Prospects = 3 Successes
Feldwes and Torque both have shield generators that will soon be hitting the market. Feldwes is far more ambitious while Torque is attempting to update an old reliable option to modern standards.
-[][Shields] Feldwes offers the TriGuard 17 system. While it is still under development the TriGuard promises to provide a 'significant' increase in protection over more traditional shield systems. (TN 30. ++Strength? +Redundancy? +Efficiency?, --Experimental, -Cost, -Imported, -???.)
-[][Shields] Torque also has no shield systems in production, but they should have a refined version of their old Lightwall systems for sale within the next 3 months. The old Lightwalls dated back to just after the Clone Wars but performed well considering their age. The new Lightwall 2 is intended to be a simple upgrade to bring it up to modern standards. (TN 12. +Reliability, --Imported.)
-[][Shields] Keep looking for other options.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
Material Study = 3 Successes
The new materials that the Structure team has been evaluating do not yet have the transformative effects that were hoped for. If you elect to go ahead the simplest thing to do is use the new materials wherever it is easiest to do so. They team does think they've made enough progress to take a shot at a hangar but even if they manage to succeed there will need to be some sacrifices made elsewhere. A continued search may reveal new options and make the existing options more practical.
[Lora Uncommon Sense check 3d10. 1, 1, 7 = 1 Success.]
The idea of adding a major hangar to the ship seems to be utterly impractical. If you had wanted a carrier it would have been better to start with one. Room for a single flight is much more practical, but would probably benefit from more time doing studies.
-[][Structure] Continue searching for new prospects
-[][Structure] Settle for some incremental improvements (TN 5. Random minor improvements.)
-[][Structure] Attempt to add a minimal hangar bay to the design (TN 20. Add room for 1 flight of fighters (6 fighters).)
-[][Structure] Attempt to add a major hangar bay to the design (TN 56. Add room for 1-2 full squadrons of fighters (12-24 fighters).)
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
Sublight Drive Prospects = 1 Success
None of the possible drive systems are completely satisfactory. The Longhaul III is a civilian design that will leave the upgraded ships sluggish at best. The KLM-13s are promising but the importance of manoeuvrability for a line frigate is far less than for smaller vessels. The Starwalker I is a vastly oversized engine that would also be a single point of failure. There is a reason that almost all ships mount a number of sub-light drives.
-[][Sublight] Continue searching for another option.
-[][Sublight] The Arda Driveworks 'Longhaul III' is a simple and reliable system used for freighters. They would require some work to be suitable for military use and would never win any awards for performance. (TN 10. +Reliability, +Fuel Efficiency, --Speed, -Durability.)
-[][Sublight] Kilodrives out of Torque have offered their KLM-13 drives. The system is noted as being exceptionally manoeuvrable, at least in simulations, at the cost of some mechanical complexity. Kilodrives is currently planning to put them into production within the next six months. (TN 15. +Maneuverability, --Imported, -Reliability.)
-[][Sublight] The Arda Driveworks 'Starwalker I' was proposed to replace the engines on the Neutron Star-class ships. While mounting a full cluster would be impossible, a single unit should be able to move a ship of this mass extremely quickly in a straight line. (TN 30. ++Speed, -Redundancy, -Fuel Efficiency, -Maneuverability.)
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
Life Support Prospects = 8
You have been very impressed by the Support Systems team's work. The BOE-1 hits or exceeds every target set for it. It might be possible to improve it further but the question is if that is worth the extra time and effort.
-[][Support] Accept the BOE-1 Life support system. (TN 5.)
-[][Support] Ask the team to further optimise the system. (TN 20. Results unclear.)
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
Weapons Prospects - 0 Successes
The weapons team has suffered numerous setbacks. Their current recommendation is that unless you are able to get them more help the only realistic possibility is to fall back on the simple replacement of the old weapons with ones currently available. If you insist it would just barely be possible to attempt to make some minor changes. Perhaps upgrade the light turbolasers to mediums and add a couple quad lasers for close-in anti-fighter work.
The final option is to push on and see if they can manage to find a workable proper upgrade. The weapons team reiterates that they'll need more staff for this to do any good.
-[][Weapons] Settle for keeping the firepower the same. (TN 5. 3x twin light turbolaser turrets. 8x laser cannons.)
-[][Weapons] Do a simple upgrade. (TN 12. 3x twin medium turbolaser turrets. 8x laser cannons, 2x Quad laser cannons)
-[][Weapons] Continue to work on the problem. Surely you can do better than this!
[] Example plan here - Leave departments that don't get staff off the plan.
-[][Administration] Continue to recruit staff
--Lora
-[][JOB] Administrator
-[][JOB] Drive Systems Engineer
-[] Administration 1
-[] Architecture 1
-[] Electronics 1
-[] Hyperspace drives 1
-[] Power systems 1
-[] Shields 1
-[] Structure
-[] Sublight drives
-[] Support Systems
-[] Weapons
-[][Architecture] Continue the hull redesign.
--Jaa
-[][Electronics] Hailing from Feldwes, the YTR-Electronic Warfare System is a simple and inexpensive option. Its performance is purely middling but it would be hard to interdict your trade with Feldwes. (TN 7. +Cost, -Imported.) [A/N - Remember +Cost is good for you.]
-[][Hyperdrive] Accept the Hyperspace team's proposal. (TN 5.)
-[][Power] Accept the Mark 22 for service. (TN 5)
--Sola
-[][Shields] Feldwes offers the TriGuard 17 system. While it is still under development the TriGuard promises to provide a 'significant' increase in protection over more traditional shield systems. (TN 30. ++Strength? +Redundancy? +Efficiency?, --Experimental, -Cost, -Imported, -???.)
-[][Structure] Continue searching for new prospects
-[][Sublight] Continue searching for another option.
-[][Support] Accept the BOE-1 Life support system. (TN 5.)
-[][Weapons] Settle for keeping the firepower the same. (TN 5. 3x twin light turbolaser turrets. 8x laser cannons.)
Vote by plan. I will open voting tomorrow or the next day.
-
Arda II, Arda System, Gordian Reach, Outer Rim
41:09 - Ninth month of the Year 41 after the Great ReSynchronization
[A/N: In theory there should have been another vote before these results, with you deciding what exactly you are tasking the teams with and where you are assigning your Characters. For this turn I selected this due to a relative lack of options and a desire to have a meaningful post before the next vote.]
With a set of general tasks for each department selected you turn your people loose. You'll be busy trying to find more people while the departments attempt to redesign a frigate with less than half the staff that you'd expect for such a task. If the Reach wasn't on the verge of even more open fighting you'd probably not be considering asking your people to do this. Of course if the Reach wasn't on the verge you'd never have this job in the first place.
Week 1
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 2, 1, 3, 3, 7 = 1 Success]
You spend your time going through applications and holding interviews. You had done a good job of hiring every acceptable person while you were setting up the Bureau, so pickings were slim.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 3, 9, 6, 8, 5, 2, 4 = 3 Successes]
Jaa's team begins laying the groundwork for the pending changes to the hull. Many things are still to be determined, but some things were already pretty much fixed.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 3, 6 = 0 Successes]
The first week of examining potential sensor systems gave little concrete results.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 9, 2 = 1 Success]
The hyperdrive team spends their time running simulations to see if the various potential changes to the hull will impact the drive.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 7, 3, 9, 4, 8, 7, 10 = 6 Successes]
Sola's end of week report glows with praise for the Mark 22. She's confident that it will solve all the problems of the Mark 17 and fit into a smaller space.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 6, 3 = 0 Successes]
Evaluating the quotes received is going to take some time given how short staffed the team is. At least it can be reported that there have been no major setbacks.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 3, 10 = 2 Successes]
Working in accordance with some general directives from Jaa, the Structure team makes good progress in determining what new materials should be used for the hull.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 3, 3 = 0 Successes]
Just as with a number of other departments the process of getting quotes is a slow one.
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 9, 7 = 2 Successes]
The life support question is a relatively simple one. The first week has them running tests on a few promising sample units.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
[Department 1d10. 1 = Botch!]
The armament of a ship is of key importance. Thus you are quite distressed when you get a report that the entire department has been hospitalised due to a chemical leak in their offices. All are expected to make a full recovery, but they will not be returning to work for at least another week.
Week 2
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 3, 9, 10, 5, 8 = 5 Successes]
You decide to run a series of advertisements on the CBC that leads to better results than simply searching Arda. A number of professionals decide to take advantage of the chance to get in on the ground floor of the new ASDB.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 6, 3, 1, 3, 5, 4, 2 = Botch prevented by 6Ps]
You are forced to pull Jaa up short as he becomes enraptured with some highly esoteric possibilities offered by the new materials. The sketches certainly looked beautiful but they were utterly impractical.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 9, 5 = 2 Successes]
The second week goes substantially better than the first week. Progress is being made.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 10, 2 = 2 Successes]
The hyperdrive team continues to run simulations in light of all the data that their colleagues in the other departments could give them.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 5, 7, 2, 7, 7, 3, 10 = 5 Successes]
Sola describes the Mark 22 as a dream to work with. According to all the testing they have been able to do so far it's powerful, compact, and reliable.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 5, 10 = 2 Successes]
With more quotes flowing in, the Shield department has started eliminating unsuitable designs.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 4, 7 = 1 Success]
More incremental progress is made with the structure team.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 1 , 4 = Botch]
The sublight drives are proving to be quite a problem. None of the prospective options are going to be compatible with the drive housings. The entire section is going to have to be reworked from scratch. (+5 Architecture TN)
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 8, 10 = 3 Successes]
One of the local companies is swiftly pulling ahead of the competition. Their product seems exceptionally promising.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
After being released from hospital the department staff spent this week at home recovering from the chemical leak.
Week 3
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 3, 1, 8, 10, 5 = 3 Successes]
The foreign applicants have started moving through the hiring process. You have spotted a couple people that look promising for a more senior position.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 10, 5, 7, 9, 3, 5, 5 = 5 Successes]
Jaa seems to have learned his lesson and quickly resolves the problems introduced by the drive team's discovery.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 1, 9 = 1 Success]
Slow and steady is all you can expect given the circumstances, and it is all you do get.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 8, 9 = 2 Successes]
The hyperdrive team continues to run like a well oiled machine.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 1, 8, 3, 2, 6, 4, 4 = 1 Success]
Progress has slowed on the Mark 22 as the team finds itself running up against the fact that what the other departments have managed to accomplish limits progress with the reactor.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 5, 3 = 0 Successes]
Delays abound as some of the shield units that were supposed to be tested don't arrive until the end of the week.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 5, 4 = 0 Successes]
The structure department continues to work. Some of the things they tested have failed to live up to expectations.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 5, 2 = 0 Successes]
Drives powerful enough to move a 215m frigate at speed are not simple in any respect. You receive another request for more staff to help expedite the process that you place with all the others that have been hitting your inbox.
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 10, 1 = 2 Successes]
The life support team has almost settled on a design. It just needs a bit of final testing to make certain there are no unexpected problems.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
[Department 1d10. 5 = 0 Successes]
While the team has returned to work they have been hesitant to make use of their old offices. Eventually they are satisfied with the very detailed inspection they do in full hazmat gear, but by that time there is no time for them to do their assigned job.
Week 4
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment
[Lora 2d10 + Headhunting 1d10 + Department 1d10 = 5d10, Double 9s. 3, 5, 9, 8, 4 = 3 Successes]
As the month draws to a close you finally are able to bring some new people on board. Nowhere near enough, but at least you'll be able to get a few departments closer to being fully staffed. You are particularly pleased with one hire in particular. You plan to put them in charge of a department just as soon as the paperwork is finished.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Architecture] Refine the design to take advantage of modern materials. (Base Target Number 10)
-[X][Jaa] Allow Jaa some freedom to be creative. (+8 Target Number, Specialization 'Elegant Beauty' applies)
[Jaa 3d10 + Elegant Beauty 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10, Double 9s. 1, 6, 5, 10, 8, 9, 5 = 5 Successes]
The changes to the hull are not going to stop any time soon, but it seems that Jaa is starting to get a good handle on how the new materials are going to impact the design.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sensors] Put out open tenders to corporations operating on Reach Pact member worlds.
[Department 2d10. 7, 6 = 1 Success]
With the month drawing to an end you have now received a short list of prospects for the sensor systems. It's a bit of a mixed bag but your people are confident that everything on the list will at least meet the overall minimum standards for a warship's sensor suite.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Hyperdrive] It's not broken, don't fix it.
[Department 2d10. 1, 10 = 2 Successes]
The hyperdrive team has been working exceptionally hard. You don't understand what the reports mean, but spending time questioning the interim team lead you get the sense that they have produced good work. In fact you are starting to consider promoting them.
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Power] The Mark 22 is the latest revision of the Mark 17. It is still in prototyping but promises to be a straight upgrade over the mark 17. Sola favours this option.
[Sola 3d10 + Compactness 2d10 + Department 2d10 = 7d10. 6, 7, 1, 8, 9, 3, 2 = 3 Successes]
Sola looks supremely happy with herself as she walks you through the results of the last month of work by her team. You have to stop her so she can break things down for you frequently but by the end of her presentation you are starting to grasp what the Mark 22 is making her so happy. It's competitive with the output on a Nebulon-B while taking up noticeable less room. It's quite possible that the Mark 22 will be able to be standardised as the reactor of any future Frigates as well.
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Shields] Put out a RFQ to Reach Pact worlds for something you can import or licence.
[Department 2d10. 2, 9 = 1 Success]
The results from the shields team are not impressive but at least they have been able to give Jaa and Sola solid numbers for the maximum and minimum expected space and power required by the units still under consideration.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Structure] What you have is good, but if more radical alterations are desired then good might not be enough. (Required to add a fighter hanger to the ship)
[Department 2d10. 5, 6 = 0 Successes]
It seems finding combinations of materials that are able to exceed the performance of the Eambar's existing hull is harder than expected. The team doesn't feel like they have been defeated but warn that without more people it's going to be a long process.
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Sublight] Request for tenders for a new design either locally or from the Pact.
[Department 2d10. 1, 8 = 1 Success]
The only sliver of good news that comes from the sublight drive department is that they have some potential drives to start looking at. This is tempered by the fact that none of them are currently in production and the decisions are going to have to be made off of the engineering documents and simulations.
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
-[X][Support] Examine local suppliers for life support systems.
[Department 2d10. 6, 9 = 1 Success]
The life support question is one that you feel confident has been answered. The new system is going to require very minimal modifications to the existing structure of the hull while providing 5% higher rates of containment scrubbing. The excellent work done here has convinced you to promote the interim Support Systems team lead to the role permanently.
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
-[X][Weapons] Upgrade the firepower.
[Department 1d10. 2 = 0 Successes]
The entire weapons team spent the entire week in Cimtar attending demonstrations of their Turbolaser lines. They come back with a wealth of data that simply confirms the fact that yes, you will be importing or licensing the only viable option for turbolasers in the Reach.
Sigh.
End of Month Retrospective
The end of month report is a mixed bag. Some of your departments exceeded your wildest expectations while others failed to accomplish anything of note, although at times through no fault of their own. With the new staff you've managed to bring on board things should go better next month.
One piece of good news is that you have received official approval to continue with your current project. So at least you can feel comfortable knowing that the last month wasn't wasted.
This turn has been a real challenge. I've been constantly changing how the back end system works for ship design and it is just not ready for the players to sink their teeth into. So things are going to be a bit abstract until I can nail things down. I keep getting one thing working and then discovering it breaks something else.
This is why I'm going to only slowly introduce systems and elements of concern. I have also elected that for this project Budget is not going to be directly tracked.
The TN listed for options below is that for the department in question. Options that increase the Architecture difficulty will be called out as doing so. Pretty much everything requires more TN for the Architecture tests. Every check on a task adds 0.5 to the TN for Architecture with 0.5 rounding up at the end of the project. The longer they need to work on something the more work Jaa needs to do. Once something is finalised then you can stop worrying about it changing and Jaa can finalise that portion of the ship design.
You have a cap of 5 major NPCs. I was going to have them trickle in, but for the sake of pacing I'm going to let you fill the remaining 3 slots this turn if you so choose. No traps, just select who you think will be the most useful.
Things described as "+Item" make them better, while "-Item" are worse. So "++Speed" is very fast. "+Cost" means it is less expensive. Yes, it is a bit counter intuitive but the other option is for there to be doubt about if a + or - is good for any particular option. It's very simple. + is good. - is bad.
"-Imported" items are from outside the system but fairly nearby with little chance of a hostile power disrupting things. So things from Feldwes for example. "--Imported" items are from places like Torque or Cimtar that have the core of GRTO between you and them.
Please note where you want your characters to be working. See the example post for details. I will assign any new NPCs to the most appropriate task to their skill set.
Administration - Skeleton crew - 1d
Recruitment = 12 Successes
In addition to filling some of the massive shortfall in personal numbers for the teams, you have found two good prospects for bringing onto your leadership team alongside Sola and Jaa. You still have a lot of positions to fill, so you will keep the HR department working on filling those holes.
Select the single [Administration] option and up to two [JOB] options then assign 6 dice to the departments. You can have a maximum of 3 dice per department. This will make the department fully staffed. Once the entire bureau is fully staffed then specialities will be available. See the example plan at the bottom of this post.
-[][Administration] Continue to recruit staff
-[][JOB] Administrator
They have skill with keeping people on track, managing budgets, and talking to your political masters. They are somewhat lacking experience in but have a proven track record at their previous positions.
-[][JOB] Sensor Scientist
They are not engineer, but rather a research scientist. They focus on the more theoretical side of ship design, specifically advanced sensor systems. The papers they have written have been transformed into a number of excellent systems by some prominent firms.
-[][JOB] Drive Systems Engineer
Speed is life. Life is Speed. For their entire career they have been driven by a singular obsession. Making drives that can make ships as fast as physics allows. They have been censured a time or two for over delivering on that aspect to the detriment of things like cost or service life.
-[][JOB] Deflector Shield Engineer
This engineer has a very simple outlook. Shields are the main way of preserving starships from a myriad of dangers. They need to be strong, they need to be reliable. Concerns of power efficiency and 'elegance' are of no concern compared to the utter importance of the shields working right the first time, every time.
-[][JOB] Life Support Expert
Having proven themselves with the Life Support project, this junior engineer is due for a promotion. The only question is if they will be promoted to team lead or if you are going to bring them onto your leadership committee.
-[][JOB] Munitions Expert
Hailing from Cimtar, this engineer is an expert in the field of missiles and torpedoes. They helped build up a successful new company and are now looking for fresh challenges.
Architecture - Short Staffed - 2d
Hull Redesign Current TN 23 = 13 Successes
Jaa has made good progress on revising the Eambar hull. It's still a work in progress so he will continue to work on it.
-[][Architecture] Continue the hull redesign.
Electronics - Short Staffed - 2d
Sensor Prospects = 4 Successes
The Electronics team has fallen in love with the performance of the Omniscan XI but they admit that the YTR system would be vastly easier to implement.
-[][Electronics] Hailing from Feldwes, the YTR-Electronic Warfare System is a simple and inexpensive option. Its performance is purely middling but it would be hard to interdict your trade with Feldwes. (TN 7. +Cost, -Imported.) [A/N - Remember +Cost is good for you.]
-[][Electronics] The Longeye 1005 is, as the name implies, optimised for long range accuracy. The system does respond slightly slowly making it less effective once targets are at point blank range. The previous versions were used on the ships built by Torque and are well respected. (TN 10. +Long Range Accuracy, -Close Range Accuracy, --Imported.)
-[][Electronics] Presbalin is offering its Omniscan XI TA/T/S for your consideration. Normally mounted on dedicated reconnaissance frigates, the Omniscan is known for both its fidelity and finicky maintenance requirements. (TN 20. ++Detection, +Close Range Accuracy, -Cost, -Maintenance, --Imported.)
-[][Electronics] None of these look promising. Continue examining the prospects.
-[][Electronics] Give some more time for quotes to come in. Start looking at communication systems instead.
Hyperspace Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
Proactive Study = 7 Successes
The work that has come out of this department is above and beyond what is expected of them. Integrating the existing hyperdrive with the new systems is going to be quite simple thanks to the groundwork they have laid. The only question is if you are going to promote the team leader or not.
-[][Hyperdrive] Accept the Hyperspace team's proposal. (TN 5.)
-[][Hyperdrive] Accept the proposal and promote the interim team lead to the position permanently. (TN 5. Add a new NPC to your team.)
Power Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
Mark 22 Evaluation = 15 Successes
The Mark 22 is everything you could ask for in a reactor. Sola's efforts have certainly paid off. The only question is if you accept this solid piece of engineering or if you want her to really push the envelope. If worst comes to worst it will always be possible to fall back on the current iteration of the Mark 22.
-[][Power] Accept the Mark 22 for service. (TN 5)
-[][Power] The Mark 22 is good, but perhaps it could be made better? (TN 30. Results unclear.)
Shields - Short Staffed - 2d
Shield Prospects = 3 Successes
Feldwes and Torque both have shield generators that will soon be hitting the market. Feldwes is far more ambitious while Torque is attempting to update an old reliable option to modern standards.
-[][Shields] Feldwes offers the TriGuard 17 system. While it is still under development the TriGuard promises to provide a 'significant' increase in protection over more traditional shield systems. (TN 30. ++Strength? +Redundancy? +Efficiency?, --Experimental, -Cost, -Imported, -???.)
-[][Shields] Torque also has no shield systems in production, but they should have a refined version of their old Lightwall systems for sale within the next 3 months. The old Lightwalls dated back to just after the Clone Wars but performed well considering their age. The new Lightwall 2 is intended to be a simple upgrade to bring it up to modern standards. (TN 12. +Reliability, --Imported.)
-[][Shields] Keep looking for other options.
Structure - Short Staffed - 2d
Material Study = 3 Successes
The new materials that the Structure team has been evaluating do not yet have the transformative effects that were hoped for. If you elect to go ahead the simplest thing to do is use the new materials wherever it is easiest to do so. They team does think they've made enough progress to take a shot at a hangar but even if they manage to succeed there will need to be some sacrifices made elsewhere. A continued search may reveal new options and make the existing options more practical.
[Lora Uncommon Sense check 3d10. 1, 1, 7 = 1 Success.]
The idea of adding a major hangar to the ship seems to be utterly impractical. If you had wanted a carrier it would have been better to start with one. Room for a single flight is much more practical, but would probably benefit from more time doing studies.
-[][Structure] Continue searching for new prospects
-[][Structure] Settle for some incremental improvements (TN 5. Random minor improvements.)
-[][Structure] Attempt to add a minimal hangar bay to the design (TN 20. Add room for 1 flight of fighters (6 fighters).)
-[][Structure] Attempt to add a major hangar bay to the design (TN 56. Add room for 1-2 full squadrons of fighters (12-24 fighters).)
Sublight Drives - Short Staffed - 2d
Sublight Drive Prospects = 1 Success
None of the possible drive systems are completely satisfactory. The Longhaul III is a civilian design that will leave the upgraded ships sluggish at best. The KLM-13s are promising but the importance of manoeuvrability for a line frigate is far less than for smaller vessels. The Starwalker I is a vastly oversized engine that would also be a single point of failure. There is a reason that almost all ships mount a number of sub-light drives.
-[][Sublight] Continue searching for another option.
-[][Sublight] The Arda Driveworks 'Longhaul III' is a simple and reliable system used for freighters. They would require some work to be suitable for military use and would never win any awards for performance. (TN 10. +Reliability, +Fuel Efficiency, --Speed, -Durability.)
-[][Sublight] Kilodrives out of Torque have offered their KLM-13 drives. The system is noted as being exceptionally manoeuvrable, at least in simulations, at the cost of some mechanical complexity. Kilodrives is currently planning to put them into production within the next six months. (TN 15. +Maneuverability, --Imported, -Reliability.)
-[][Sublight] The Arda Driveworks 'Starwalker I' was proposed to replace the engines on the Neutron Star-class ships. While mounting a full cluster would be impossible, a single unit should be able to move a ship of this mass extremely quickly in a straight line. (TN 30. ++Speed, -Redundancy, -Fuel Efficiency, -Maneuverability.)
Support Systems - Short Staffed - 2d
Life Support Prospects = 8
You have been very impressed by the Support Systems team's work. The BOE-1 hits or exceeds every target set for it. It might be possible to improve it further but the question is if that is worth the extra time and effort.
-[][Support] Accept the BOE-1 Life support system. (TN 5.)
-[][Support] Ask the team to further optimise the system. (TN 20. Results unclear.)
Weapons - Skeleton crew - 1d
Weapons Prospects - 0 Successes
The weapons team has suffered numerous setbacks. Their current recommendation is that unless you are able to get them more help the only realistic possibility is to fall back on the simple replacement of the old weapons with ones currently available. If you insist it would just barely be possible to attempt to make some minor changes. Perhaps upgrade the light turbolasers to mediums and add a couple quad lasers for close-in anti-fighter work.
The final option is to push on and see if they can manage to find a workable proper upgrade. The weapons team reiterates that they'll need more staff for this to do any good.
-[][Weapons] Settle for keeping the firepower the same. (TN 5. 3x twin light turbolaser turrets. 8x laser cannons.)
-[][Weapons] Do a simple upgrade. (TN 12. 3x twin medium turbolaser turrets. 8x laser cannons, 2x Quad laser cannons)
-[][Weapons] Continue to work on the problem. Surely you can do better than this!
[] Example plan here - Leave departments that don't get staff off the plan.
-[][Administration] Continue to recruit staff
--Lora
-[][JOB] Administrator
-[][JOB] Drive Systems Engineer
-[] Administration 1
-[] Architecture 1
-[] Electronics 1
-[] Hyperspace drives 1
-[] Power systems 1
-[] Shields 1
-[] Structure
-[] Sublight drives
-[] Support Systems
-[] Weapons
-[][Architecture] Continue the hull redesign.
--Jaa
-[][Electronics] Hailing from Feldwes, the YTR-Electronic Warfare System is a simple and inexpensive option. Its performance is purely middling but it would be hard to interdict your trade with Feldwes. (TN 7. +Cost, -Imported.) [A/N - Remember +Cost is good for you.]
-[][Hyperdrive] Accept the Hyperspace team's proposal. (TN 5.)
-[][Power] Accept the Mark 22 for service. (TN 5)
--Sola
-[][Shields] Feldwes offers the TriGuard 17 system. While it is still under development the TriGuard promises to provide a 'significant' increase in protection over more traditional shield systems. (TN 30. ++Strength? +Redundancy? +Efficiency?, --Experimental, -Cost, -Imported, -???.)
-[][Structure] Continue searching for new prospects
-[][Sublight] Continue searching for another option.
-[][Support] Accept the BOE-1 Life support system. (TN 5.)
-[][Weapons] Settle for keeping the firepower the same. (TN 5. 3x twin light turbolaser turrets. 8x laser cannons.)
Vote by plan. I will open voting tomorrow or the next day.
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