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Strangers in a Strange Sphere - [Battletech]

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    • Scheduled vote count started by HeroCooky on Nov 30, 2024 at 3:34 PM, finished with 16 posts and 13 votes.
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    • Two Weeks Before The Vote​

    "...I feel like I am forgetting something," Captain Adams said with a frown, his mind itching with that familiar feeling of forgotten information. "...Mother, is there an appointment I have to go to? Some deadline?" He said, looking at the perched form of the AGI within his office, silently working with him.

    "The scientists back at the derelict ship are waiting to be picked up," it replied evenly, though some mirth was hidden behind its eyes. It had been waiting to see if someone would remember before the deadline to travel back was up.

    "Oh. OH SHI-"


    Early Draft of a Report on the findings of the Derelict Team.

    The FTL-Drive of this universe is as much an awe-inspiring sight as it is puzzling to our minds like so many things are.

    The most glaring example of this is that, as far as we can determine, the Kearny-Fuchida Drive, as it is called, is capable of instantaneous teleportation with a range of about ~25 LYs. Such a feat would have, ordinarily, made the Alcubierre Drive of the Furina utterly useless, yet there are downsides to it that the AD does not have.

    The first is the need to charge the KF-Drive over days and weeks. While the time required can be cut short with standard batteries, such a thing also invites the second weakness: the chance of suffering a "miss-jump" during the drive's operation. Unlike the AD, the KF can simply fail with deadly results and has done so enough times to be a genuine concern, with a notable example being the 'Steed of the Dawnguard' and what its crew, and those of the 'Chariot of the Dawnguard' and 'Pathfinder of the Dawnguard' have suffered.

    Yet, we believe that, with enough time and the proper facilities, we can not only understand how to create and build our own KF Drives, but we believe that we can create a hybrid of the AD and KF drives to synergize...likely at the cost of range and carryable mass.

    [Addendum: Some simulation time with the onboard computers vindicated me! Though TAUBENMUTTER could only brute-force a solution by ignoring any energy consumption problems, the possible AD/KF drive we have been theorizing could transport a ship with a diameter of 80m an LY per day, with a day of rest between them.

    ...could. We ignored a lot of science and shoe-horned massive amounts of favorable data into our calculations. Though I remain hopeful that we will see some success in determining the viability of this hybrid drive.]

    [AD/KF HYBRIDIZATION UNLOCKED - ~30 YEARS UNTIL VIABILITY STUDY IS FINISHED]
    [KEARNY-FUCHIDA DRIVE REVERSE-ENGINEERING UNLOCKED - ~7 YEARS REMAIN]    ​


    One Hour After The Vote Has Concluded​

    With 78.57% of all votes, the people of the Furina De Fontaine had chosen with not merely a supermajority, but a 3/4ths majority, to continue their mission, yet alter it to better comply with the current situation.

    The most outstanding and shining example of that thinking was the presence of Gunhallow and its twenty-three million inhabitants.

    The people had readily accepted the truth of the Fontaine being from another universe, "it's too stupid to not be true. Also, Space Donut," as Lady McCullough had put it, yet the implications of what had happened, and what the local conditions were, forced people to think, especially with the information regarding the local colonized systems looked like, and what the reality of space travel demanded of them.

    Gunhallow, with its asteroid belt and tiny twin moons, was a planet rich in rare earth and precious materials, Germanium and Jade high among them. This made the planet a favorite place to trade with by the singular trader that came all the way out here from the "Magistracy of Canopus," as Germanium was a critical component of this universe's FTL-drives, the "Kearny-Fuchida Drive," so it could be used in the production of more JumpShips, and for the precious stones and minerals mined by the population. With only the Furina De Fontaine capable of FTL travel, if with a titanic cargo moving capability, gaining the ability to create more JumpShips would only be hindered by our understanding of the technology rather than material reality...if the industrial one is to be ignored.

    Gunhallow was also, critically, a world that hovers in its technology between total ruin and barely holding on. With most of its technological lying base somewhere around 1820-1850, conditions on the planet are between abysmal and barely humane from the perspective of the Furina. Most industries and infrastructure follow in kind.

    Yet, it was not only a planet with 23 million natives, but also one that was already happy to see the Furina De Fontaine and its people. Though the society and culture of the planet most closely resembled that of the "Wild West" period of the United States, and the position of Planetary Sheriff being inherited rather than elected, it still, miraculously, agreed on most basics of those that the 22nd Century had agreed with.

    So with a society agreeable, a planet rich in resources, and only lacking in infrastructure and education, many, rightfully, began to debate if they shouldn't propose to the people of Gunhallow an agreement of uplift...and becoming a center of a new nation.



    Vote:
    (6-Hour Moratorium)
    [] See If Gunhallow Would Like To Become A Capital
    [] See Other Ways
    [] Actually... (Write-In)
     
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    • [] See If Gunhallow Would Like To Become A Capital

    Yessiree, ma'am we'd like to make a new nation, one with uplifted cowboys and tech from beyond the universe.
     
    Huh, a 7 years reverse-engineering period to unlock Jumpdrives and a starting system rich in the critical materials needed actually mitigates a lot of my concern about the difficulties of nation-building.

    That being said, while I'm obviously in favor of uplifting Gunhallow, can anyone more well-versed in Battletech Lore explain how it stacks up as a Capital Candidate? While 23 mil population is respectable, the early 19th century tech level and "total ruin and barely holding on" description makes me hesitant. Granted, it will probably end up being a trading hub eventually, given that we will probably build a Jumpship factory there ASAP.
     
    what's the military's option on how defendable is Gunhallow?
    any thing that would indicate that asteroid belt be good for cover or would it stifle our defenses in preventing us firing outward?
    and about the moons are their any thing else about them than being orbiting resource to be mined?
    grav-plates are ridiculously expensive but how about a mobile star base/ship/city, what's the logistics and timeframe for that cause there's going to be at least 1 person who will bring that up in story
     
    [] Actually... (Write-In)
    -[] Gift them a copy of everything they would need to restart education on the planet. Help fix up their Battlemechs and combat vehicles then leave to find a more industrialized world to start a Capital on.

    Gunhallow strikes me as too much of a fix-er-upper to be a decent starting world.
     
    Don't get me wrong, it'll take years to uplift gunhallow, bring up their education and tech level to snuff. But we've got the expertise for it - and it has the two critical things we don't have - people and raw resources.

    What are we going to do, look for somewhere better? We've already started a timer for Comstar learning about us, since Gunhallow will definitely talk to the next trader to come through. Might as well use the time to build up.
     
    Model DC.14F said:
    That being said, while I'm obviously in favor of uplifting Gunhallow, can anyone more well-versed in Battletech Lore explain how it stacks up as a Capital Candidate?
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    As far as planets in the Deep Periphery go, having a stable and unified government that isn't extreme, and not being dependent on some unrepairable technology, Gunhallow is as close to perfect you are going to get.
    *name* said:
    what's the military's option on how defendable is Gunhallow?
    any thing that would indicate that asteroid belt be good for cover or would it stifle our defenses in preventing us firing outward?
    and about the moons are their any thing else about them than being orbiting resource to be mined?
    grav-plates are ridiculously expensive but how about a mobile star base/ship/city, what's the logistics and timeframe for that cause there's going to be at least 1 person who will bring that up in story
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    In order:
    As defensible as any planet. Meaning; if no KKV is lobbed at the planet, or a dozen other planetary killer weapons used, any invading force can just...land outside any anti-air/space defense umbrella and wage a conventional war.
    Yeah, you can build defense stations in there once you have the space infrastructure to provide upkeep.
    They can also act as dockyards/shipyards, logistic hubs, and defenseive installations.
    That is what you are already using them for. If you want anything more than mining/logistics/research stations/ships going about general science fiction business (whose time-frame is about ~10 years to start happening if Gunhallow becomes your capital planet) you will look at a [You need to justify why you'd build flying cities instead of plonking stations over/colonies onto planets/gas giants/important locations] scenario.
     
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    Polities Of The Sphere New
  • Informational
    • Gunhallow
    -Led By: Mayor "N/A - Killed In Invasion" and Planetary Sheriff Nina 'Bad Cowgirl' McCullough.
    -Lore: Founded in the last dredges of humanity's expansion, the planet has largely been used as an extractive resource colony for the few years its parent company existed before being obliterated in war. Since then, a gradual backside in technology occurred, with society adapting to the planet's (also called Gunhallow) climate and conditions.
    -Ideology: Democratic Frontier Settlers.
    -Culture: Rough n' Tumble Independent Folk, akin to the 19th Century Wild West.
    -Military: 1x Archer, 2x Locusts, 1x Panther, 1x Shadowhawk, and 1x Javelin. No Vehicles. Negligible Militia,
    -Population: ~23 Million.

    Name
    -Led By:
    -Lore:
    -Ideology:
    -Culture:
    -Military:
    -Population:
    Cenoma II
    -Led By: Chief Executive ???
    -Lore: A remote mining outpost under Majesty Metals and Manufacturing, they are nominally led by their chief Executive. Eternal tensions exist with the leader of the planetary union, which permissive Canopian laws allow to exist.
    -Ideology: Corporate Canopean.
    -Culture: Canopean Factory Towns.
    -Military: Corporate militia composed out of Locust, Stinger and Wasp Mechs.
    -Population: ~5 Million.

    Sjávarhús I
    -Led By: ???
    -Lore: Formally a colony of the Taurian Concordant but due to the Reunification War and Succession Wars, it has long since lost proper contact with the greater galaxy. It is considered a 'dead world' by the TC. The populations used to live in a series of cities above and below the water on a series of archipelagos, but, nowadays, everything that isn't underground or underwater has long since been looted or blown up. Near-constant and severe weather patterns mean exposed structures must be heavily reinforced. As a result of lost contact and limited trade, their technology has degraded below Age of War levels (building-sized fusion reactors with fuel cells, etc, for vehicles) with rare and barely maintained primitive ultralight/light IndustrialMechs available to do various tasks inside and outside the habitats.
    -Ideology: ???
    -Culture: Forgotten Taurian Resource Colony.
    -Military: Primitive Navy ships, militarized IndustrialMechs.
    -Population: ~15 Million, mostly centered in cities and habitats.

    Sigar IV
    -Led By: None.
    -Lore: The world of Sigar IV is a desert planet extremely rich in iron, copper, zinc, aluminum, and other valuable metals. These metals are primarily found within the sands of the vast deserts spanning the entire world. As a former mining outpost of the Star League, its sparse permanent settlements were meant to support the roaming harvesting fleets collecting the metals before selling them to off-world companies in return for little money and fewer thanks. Due to the Star Leagues' colonization philosophy, the settlements depended on off-world machinery that the colonists couldn't create to prevent rebellion. With the fall of the Star League, Sigar IV fell into oblivion, and its settlements fell into chaos, and then ruin, with only one remaining. Today, the population barely reaches half a million people, and its society comprises hundreds of minor warlords with dozens of loyal minions and several hundred people under their control, meeting only every five years in the sole remaining settlement to sell valuable metals to an interstellar trader, conduct diplomacy, and settle disputes without spilling blood. The few IndustrialMechs that survived the constant conflict are little more than scrap attached to a rusted and mutilated skeleton.
    -Ideology: Tribal Warriors.
    -Culture: Desert Tribes.
    -Military: Primitive Warbands and Rusted IndustrialMechs.
    -Population: ~0.5 Million.
    Name : Turonia II
    -Led By: Each of the 3 cities maintains it's own matriarch, a position that is technically open to men, but in practice rarely is. In times of chaos or strife, the planet and it's military tend to be led by an expert selected from the outlying tribes. She is nominally the planet's ruler, but except in times of crisis she tends to be out of contact.
    -Ideology: Divergent Canopean ; split between matriarchal leaning; individualistic cities, and definitively matriarchal but far more communally focused rurals.
    -Culture: Divergent Canopean Population ; culturally split between the research arcologies (canopian derivative culture focused heavily on freedom of mind and form) and outlying expeditions (much more survivalist focused; heavily matriarchal as a throwback; small communities)
    -Military: Domesticated Megasaur cavalry, assisted with dismounted AT infantry and towed artillery. A small number of Locust "Herding" Mechs. Rumors of ancestral Shadowhawk mechs
    -Population: ~27 million spread between 3 arcology cities and the roving communities that sprawl around the planet, managing all affairs.
     
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    • I guess the real thing is that, do we even need to designate a Capital World at this point? We only have two cultures, only one of which is planet bound, we don't exactly have a pressing need to create a centralized center for policy making and bureaucracy yet.

    ...Actually, would it be possible to designate the Furina De Fontaine as a sort of Capital District? Between the 5 million population capacity and the advanced computing systems, it might be able to handle the required workload; and having the capital being a traveling spaceborne 'Federal' vessel might help prevent the 'geographical' favoritism that might come with choosing a single planet.
     
    jwolfe_beta said:
    Sorry, but are you looking for OC ideas for people and/or worlds?
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    I have ideas for some of the worlds you can encounter, but not enough to settle an entire region of space. So...yeah.

    (If they will be used is another story altogether.)
    Edit:
    Model DC.14F said:
    I guess the real thing is that, do we even need to designate a Capital World at this point?
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    You need a Port of Call. One where you know you can get stuff you need, and a place you can build up to provide repairs, fuel, people, etc. With a centralized world, that willbecome far less of a hassle. Now, if it will become akin to Paris (basically lording over France), or like Berlin (a net-loss for the German economy all things considered, but politicall relevant) is up to you.
    Model DC.14F said:
    ...Actually, would it be possible to designate the Furina De Fontaine as a sort of Capital District?
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    ...hrm, that would also be a possibility...but that would require refits. A lot of them.
     
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    Name : Turonia II
    -Led By: Each of the 3 cities maintains it's own matriarch, a position that is technically open to men, but in practice rarely is. In times of chaos or strife, the planet and it's military tend to be led by an expert selected from the outlying tribes. She is nominally the planet's ruler, but except in times of crisis she tends to be out of contact.
    -Ideology: Divergent Canopean ; split between matriarchal leaning; individualistic cities, and definitively matriarchal but far more communally focused rurals.
    -Culture: Divergent Canopean Population ; culturally split between the research arcologies (canopian derivative culture focused heavily on freedom of mind and form) and outlying expeditions (much more survivalist focused; heavily matriarchal as a throwback; small communities)
    -Military: Domesticated Megasaur cavalry, assisted with dismounted AT infantry and towed artillery. A small number of Locust "Herding" Mechs. Rumors of ancestral Shadowhawk mechs
    -Population: ~27 million spread between 3 arcology cities and the roving communities that sprawl around the planet, managing all affairs.

    Battletech is such a fun, down to earth, realistic setting



    Edit : Crap, forgot the name.
     
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    Huh... thinking about it, the Taurians are supposedly the Wild West equivalent in the Periphery right? :V

    As for voting...

    [] See If Gunhallow Would Like To Become A Capital
    So it's still possible for Gunhallow to refuse, sort-of? If so, can we still help them and make it a staging ground to looking to other planets/areas if they somehow don't want to become a capital? In theory anyway...
     
    HeroCooky said:
    Yeah? You aren't taking over by force, you are going to be floating the idea to them and see what they say/would demand in return for partnering with you on that quest.
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    Do the Gunhallowers know about us Misjumping 'forward' into the future? Maybe claim being from the 'Terran Alliance' being a science research colony thingy that went back only to misjump into said future and not knowing about the 'Terran Hegemony' if the latter comes up? :V? Though I'm not sure if the Terran Alliance and/or Terran Hegemony thingy (especially the former since I've no clue about them) is seen in a bad light somewhat. @_@;

    QUICK EDIT: Since we don't want to issue the fact that we're from a different timeline yet, or at all.
     
    HeroCooky said:
    Very realistic, and very grounded. Added it to the informational.
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    Cowardice!

    But fine, have another one.

    Name : Cenoma II
    -Led By: A remote mining outpost under Majesty Metals and Manufacturing, they are nominally led by their chief Executive. Eternal tensions exist with the leader of the planetary union, which permissive Canopian laws allow to exist
    -Ideology: Corporate Canopean
    -Culture: Canopean Factory Towns
    -Military: Corporate militia composed out of Locust, Stinger and Wasp Mechs
    -Population: ~5 million
     
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