Turn 1 Result
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
Right, sorry, dear players.
I had planned to post this one week after the voting was closed. But life had other plans.
Gaath looked better than the last time you talked with him as he walked into the meeting room. The Mon Calamari took his seat, quickly connecting his datapad with the table and gave you a grin. You returned it with a small smile and looked at the other two. Thor was as excited as ever and mumbling to himself as he looked through his own datapad. Dhin Nerroma looked slightly troubled, and you noticed a slight ruffle in her fur. To your knowledge, that was a sign that she was somewhat uneasy or worried. You weren't sure, but you also hadn't worked that close with Bothans in the past. Maybe when the meeting came to her, she would inform you about what troubled her.
"Thank you for coming, people. We've much to discuss. First of all, Thor, thanks for the great work on those contracts. For those who don't know, our Thor here has contacted some old friends and got us a wonderful contract with Slayn & Korpil for a sublight engine and a hyperdrive. We get them at basically production cost and only need to highlight the name of Slayn & Korpil in the sale documents. Well done, Thor."
The small alien seemed to blush under his brown hood but proudly stood up to bow as Gaath and Dhin applauded him together with yourself. After the short applause died down, you continued. "But the good news doesn't end there. Gaath informed me this morning that they have finished the designs for the courier. We will choose which of the two we will take and develop in this meeting. Good work, Gaath."
The Mon Calamari looked rather pleased as he received his round of applause. Finally, you looked at the Bothan. Dhin returned the look rather fiercely, but you notice how her fur started to stand up even more than before. "And finally, we will hear about the development team's progress, which worked on our own blaster and shield production. But first, Gaath? Your turn."
Gaath gave you a nod and quickly leaned over to get his datapad. After a quick command, the holoprojector awoke with life in the middle of the table. In the air, two ships appeared, rotating at a synchronized speed. Just the correct rate to have enough time to compare details without rushing. "My team has finalized two versions of the courier. One has been optimized towards a low price and a good cargo capacity. The other has been optimized for speed. This comes at a slightly higher price, and we lose some cargo capacity."
He pointed towards the first design, the bulkier one of the two. Above it, you could see the name Aurek blink for a while before it stopped. "This is the Aurek design, optimized for low price production and a larger cargo capacity. It is slower than the expected opposition, but a good courier isn't just fast. You also need to carry the express delivery. With this design, our customers can do that; even larger runs shouldn't be a problem. And thanks to the lower price tag, you can counter the speed factor on a busy route with more ships. According to the calculations done by Dhin's department, this should bring it into the focus of the lower to mid-tier companies that offer courier services."
"But it will be slower than the competition, right?"
Gaath nodded when you asked the question and quickly answered. "Not by much, but enough that it will be noted. It's the price for the lower production cost and the higher cargo capacity. There is a good chance that the Aurek design won't be taken into service by the FDP. But it is the version that will most likely be of more interest to buyers on the open market."
Thor started to talk in his strange language, and his droid flayed with his arms about as he suddenly was forced to work. "My master is unhappy with such a design. He suggests that our design should push away any competition from their oasis, so they wither under the twin suns … oh master! That is rather grim and bloodthirsty! I also think it isn't a good analogy to use here. None of the others hail from a desert world. They don't understand. Master Gaath even comes from an aquatic world."
The Jawa gave his droid an annoyed look and then gave it a small whacking against the chest. The droid stopped berating its owner and returned to its original function. "The design we field should be better than those of the others so only we remain. If such a victory could be achieved, the name of Rogue Moon Shipwrights will be burned into the minds of the sector."
"You're right, Thor," you said as you nodded towards him. "But the question is if we actually want to win the procurement in the first place. Often it is not the best or the cheapest entry that wins, but the one marked to win. The testing will be a great chance to show off. Much of the local and galactic ship industry will at least take a glance at this. Even if we don't win the procurement tender, we will hopefully impress some people. Who then will get us into larger publications on the holonet, leading to customers buying the design."
"My master understands, but it does not sit well with him. He would like to win the procurement out of principle."
You couldn't help but chuckle as you heard that.
"Trust me, Thor, I too wish to win. But we need to think ahead a bit. As good as a victory would be for our reputation, it isn't all that matters. We could win as much by simply getting an entry to the market." You let your gaze wander over the three department heads gathered for a moment. "But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to win."
Excited, Thor whooped with joy in his own language. He even started to jump up and down in his seat. The others were looking happy in their own way. Gaath had this slight Mon Calamari smirk that looked as if he was having a stroke, and Dhin looked smug as she stroked her fur back down.
"Now then, Gaath, the second design?"
"Of course," the Mon Calamari pushed another button, and the second design was graced with a letter above it, Besh this time. Gaath cleared his throat, but when he started to speak, he still sounded as raspy as ever to your ears. "This one will be more to Thor's liking, I think. We've focused more on speed here. The reactor sits much closer to the engine and is bigger, using a lot of potential cargo space. Overall it costs more, has less space than the Aurek design, but has the groundwork to be much faster."
"Sounds good, Gaath. Now then, Dhin, how did your team fare?"
The Bothan woman cleared her throat before she started to speak. It had a tune that almost made each word out of her mouth sound as if she was hissing with barely contained anger. "We've made some progress in both projects. I expect a basic model for a blaster cannon will be available the next time we meet. It won't be comparable to much on the market, but it will deepen our understanding of such equipment. The shields are more complex by nature, so it is still longer before we finish the first design."
"Do you think any of these will be ready to be installed in the courier?"
"As much as I would like it, I don't think so. Maybe the blaster, but definitely not the shields. And even the blaster is questionable at best, considering that we don't have the production facilities yet. Establishing such could be a timely and costly endeavor."
You nodded at that. Nothing that Dhin had said came as a surprise. Especially as Dhin had the tendency to keep a close look at the bigger picture and not just her department. Which made her just more helpful to have.
"What about outsourcing? I'm sure we can find some manufacturer down on Temaris who would gladly take up a contract for us. It can't be that hard."
"It wouldn't be that hard to find someone. The real question is if we want to. If an outsider produces our designs, there is a good chance that, sooner or later, some secrets will get leaked. On the other hand, the small quantity we will need might be more pricey when buying stock," Dhin played with her pad, and then the holoprojector changed. Where the two ships had been, a large table showing different calculations appeared. "As you can see, at the moment, it would be cheaper to buy stock than produce ourselves. That's if we don't stumble over a gold mine as Thor did with the drives. Besides that, as the Head of the Research Department, I would like to point out that they are better. Even as basic as they will be, our own blaster and shield designs are still worse than what is considered standard on the market. We can establish some baselines for our own, they are workable, but the performance will be suboptimal. "
"Good point. I will consider that. Thank you all for your time," you said and gave the gathered a significant smile. "I will inform you which design I've decided on in due course."
Choose one!
[ ] Aurek Design
Ship Class: Light Freighter / Courier
Compartment: -10 / 50
Speed: 0 / 75
Maneuverability: 0 / 25
Weapons: 0 / 10
Special Compartment: 0 / 10
Cost: -10 / 35
[ ] Besh Design
Ship Class: Light Freighter / Courier
Compartment: 10 / 50
Speed: 5 / 75 (R1)
Maneuverability: 0 / 25
Weapons: 0 / 10
Special Compartment: 0 / 10
Cost: 5 / 35
The first number indicates the current stat of the design, the second is what the customer wants.
(R#) shows you how many re-rolls you have for this part of the ship. When we come to the testing phase this means more dice are rolled, giving you a better chance to succeed. The difficulty of this test is the stat of the ship. You need to roll above the number of the design.
There will be a Moratorium! Voting will be opened by me!
I had planned to post this one week after the voting was closed. But life had other plans.
Gaath looked better than the last time you talked with him as he walked into the meeting room. The Mon Calamari took his seat, quickly connecting his datapad with the table and gave you a grin. You returned it with a small smile and looked at the other two. Thor was as excited as ever and mumbling to himself as he looked through his own datapad. Dhin Nerroma looked slightly troubled, and you noticed a slight ruffle in her fur. To your knowledge, that was a sign that she was somewhat uneasy or worried. You weren't sure, but you also hadn't worked that close with Bothans in the past. Maybe when the meeting came to her, she would inform you about what troubled her.
"Thank you for coming, people. We've much to discuss. First of all, Thor, thanks for the great work on those contracts. For those who don't know, our Thor here has contacted some old friends and got us a wonderful contract with Slayn & Korpil for a sublight engine and a hyperdrive. We get them at basically production cost and only need to highlight the name of Slayn & Korpil in the sale documents. Well done, Thor."
The small alien seemed to blush under his brown hood but proudly stood up to bow as Gaath and Dhin applauded him together with yourself. After the short applause died down, you continued. "But the good news doesn't end there. Gaath informed me this morning that they have finished the designs for the courier. We will choose which of the two we will take and develop in this meeting. Good work, Gaath."
The Mon Calamari looked rather pleased as he received his round of applause. Finally, you looked at the Bothan. Dhin returned the look rather fiercely, but you notice how her fur started to stand up even more than before. "And finally, we will hear about the development team's progress, which worked on our own blaster and shield production. But first, Gaath? Your turn."
Gaath gave you a nod and quickly leaned over to get his datapad. After a quick command, the holoprojector awoke with life in the middle of the table. In the air, two ships appeared, rotating at a synchronized speed. Just the correct rate to have enough time to compare details without rushing. "My team has finalized two versions of the courier. One has been optimized towards a low price and a good cargo capacity. The other has been optimized for speed. This comes at a slightly higher price, and we lose some cargo capacity."
He pointed towards the first design, the bulkier one of the two. Above it, you could see the name Aurek blink for a while before it stopped. "This is the Aurek design, optimized for low price production and a larger cargo capacity. It is slower than the expected opposition, but a good courier isn't just fast. You also need to carry the express delivery. With this design, our customers can do that; even larger runs shouldn't be a problem. And thanks to the lower price tag, you can counter the speed factor on a busy route with more ships. According to the calculations done by Dhin's department, this should bring it into the focus of the lower to mid-tier companies that offer courier services."
"But it will be slower than the competition, right?"
Gaath nodded when you asked the question and quickly answered. "Not by much, but enough that it will be noted. It's the price for the lower production cost and the higher cargo capacity. There is a good chance that the Aurek design won't be taken into service by the FDP. But it is the version that will most likely be of more interest to buyers on the open market."
Thor started to talk in his strange language, and his droid flayed with his arms about as he suddenly was forced to work. "My master is unhappy with such a design. He suggests that our design should push away any competition from their oasis, so they wither under the twin suns … oh master! That is rather grim and bloodthirsty! I also think it isn't a good analogy to use here. None of the others hail from a desert world. They don't understand. Master Gaath even comes from an aquatic world."
The Jawa gave his droid an annoyed look and then gave it a small whacking against the chest. The droid stopped berating its owner and returned to its original function. "The design we field should be better than those of the others so only we remain. If such a victory could be achieved, the name of Rogue Moon Shipwrights will be burned into the minds of the sector."
"You're right, Thor," you said as you nodded towards him. "But the question is if we actually want to win the procurement in the first place. Often it is not the best or the cheapest entry that wins, but the one marked to win. The testing will be a great chance to show off. Much of the local and galactic ship industry will at least take a glance at this. Even if we don't win the procurement tender, we will hopefully impress some people. Who then will get us into larger publications on the holonet, leading to customers buying the design."
"My master understands, but it does not sit well with him. He would like to win the procurement out of principle."
You couldn't help but chuckle as you heard that.
"Trust me, Thor, I too wish to win. But we need to think ahead a bit. As good as a victory would be for our reputation, it isn't all that matters. We could win as much by simply getting an entry to the market." You let your gaze wander over the three department heads gathered for a moment. "But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to win."
Excited, Thor whooped with joy in his own language. He even started to jump up and down in his seat. The others were looking happy in their own way. Gaath had this slight Mon Calamari smirk that looked as if he was having a stroke, and Dhin looked smug as she stroked her fur back down.
"Now then, Gaath, the second design?"
"Of course," the Mon Calamari pushed another button, and the second design was graced with a letter above it, Besh this time. Gaath cleared his throat, but when he started to speak, he still sounded as raspy as ever to your ears. "This one will be more to Thor's liking, I think. We've focused more on speed here. The reactor sits much closer to the engine and is bigger, using a lot of potential cargo space. Overall it costs more, has less space than the Aurek design, but has the groundwork to be much faster."
"Sounds good, Gaath. Now then, Dhin, how did your team fare?"
The Bothan woman cleared her throat before she started to speak. It had a tune that almost made each word out of her mouth sound as if she was hissing with barely contained anger. "We've made some progress in both projects. I expect a basic model for a blaster cannon will be available the next time we meet. It won't be comparable to much on the market, but it will deepen our understanding of such equipment. The shields are more complex by nature, so it is still longer before we finish the first design."
"Do you think any of these will be ready to be installed in the courier?"
"As much as I would like it, I don't think so. Maybe the blaster, but definitely not the shields. And even the blaster is questionable at best, considering that we don't have the production facilities yet. Establishing such could be a timely and costly endeavor."
You nodded at that. Nothing that Dhin had said came as a surprise. Especially as Dhin had the tendency to keep a close look at the bigger picture and not just her department. Which made her just more helpful to have.
"What about outsourcing? I'm sure we can find some manufacturer down on Temaris who would gladly take up a contract for us. It can't be that hard."
"It wouldn't be that hard to find someone. The real question is if we want to. If an outsider produces our designs, there is a good chance that, sooner or later, some secrets will get leaked. On the other hand, the small quantity we will need might be more pricey when buying stock," Dhin played with her pad, and then the holoprojector changed. Where the two ships had been, a large table showing different calculations appeared. "As you can see, at the moment, it would be cheaper to buy stock than produce ourselves. That's if we don't stumble over a gold mine as Thor did with the drives. Besides that, as the Head of the Research Department, I would like to point out that they are better. Even as basic as they will be, our own blaster and shield designs are still worse than what is considered standard on the market. We can establish some baselines for our own, they are workable, but the performance will be suboptimal. "
"Good point. I will consider that. Thank you all for your time," you said and gave the gathered a significant smile. "I will inform you which design I've decided on in due course."
Choose one!
[ ] Aurek Design
Ship Class: Light Freighter / Courier
Compartment: -10 / 50
Speed: 0 / 75
Maneuverability: 0 / 25
Weapons: 0 / 10
Special Compartment: 0 / 10
Cost: -10 / 35
[ ] Besh Design
Ship Class: Light Freighter / Courier
Compartment: 10 / 50
Speed: 5 / 75 (R1)
Maneuverability: 0 / 25
Weapons: 0 / 10
Special Compartment: 0 / 10
Cost: 5 / 35
The first number indicates the current stat of the design, the second is what the customer wants.
(R#) shows you how many re-rolls you have for this part of the ship. When we come to the testing phase this means more dice are rolled, giving you a better chance to succeed. The difficulty of this test is the stat of the ship. You need to roll above the number of the design.
There will be a Moratorium! Voting will be opened by me!
