To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

aeqnai · Jan 23, 2017

Woo 1000 pages!

~~only 3300 to go before we get to PMAS size~~

Night · Jan 23, 2017

Torgamous said:

We can take her!

Goat · Jan 23, 2017

Regarding war-time production/training speculation. If the war is big enough and long enough that we actually have to boost ship manufacture/crew production, and the end result is the Federation state still exists (either won, or defeated in a way that doesn't destroy us):

I can easily see, post-war, that we have to bring the surviving rush build ships in for a 'fix-all-the-cut-corners' refit, and they are not considered reliable until they have had that extra year in the ship-wombs to patch up all the problems.

The crew spend that year getting the training they skimped on in the Academies - well those that don't resign on the spot.
While this is going on, all new production is halted - unless we actually have more berths available than fixable ships ...

lbmaian · Jan 23, 2017

Simon_Jester said:
What I'm getting at is that a seriously prosecuted war is still likely to use up ships faster than it builds them. Certainly the Biophage campaign did. And if it had gone on any longer we'd have started taking much heavier ship losses, because we had explorers damaged after Kadesh, so we'd have had to rely more and more on smaller, more vulnerable ships.

Er, you fked up your quoting there.

Anyway, I've kinda lost the point you're trying to make, or what the original point even was, and this feels like an inconsequential tangent. There's no question that escorts will be the ships that will be the most mass produced - what you quoted said as much. Other than that, in a total war situation, you're pretty much forced to build as rapidly as you can until you win, or you lose the attrition war. If you can't produce enough to replenish losses and keep victory in sight, you gotta compromise on quality more to get more quantity out. If you can't do that anymore or the compromise starts being net negative, well then, you've lost. Not sure what else there is to say about that.

UbeOne · Jan 23, 2017

To another thousand pages of boldly facing the unknown...

Simon_Jester · Jan 23, 2017

lbmaian said:
Er, you fked up your quoting there.

Anyway, I've kinda lost the point you're trying to make, or what the original point even was, and this feels like an inconsequential tangent. There's no question that escorts will be the ships that will be the most mass produced - what you quoted said as much. Other than that, in a total war situation, you're pretty much forced to build as rapidly as you can until you win, or you lose the attrition war. If you can't produce enough to replenish losses and keep victory in sight, you gotta compromise on quality more to get more quantity out. If you can't do that anymore or the compromise starts being net negative, well then, you've lost. Not sure what else there is to say about that.

My original point was that we should plan on the assumption that in wartime we will lose ships faster than we can build them, and so will the enemy. That is one of the reasons it's so important to do a lot of construction in peacetime.

If we are so fortunate as to be able to build ships faster than we lose them, great. But that strikes me as rather unlikely, unless we are keeping to a very slow tempo of operations. In which case the war will drag out for a very long time.

My main reason for this belief is that a serious operational tempo in which both sides are actually trying to win by maneuvering large fleets can easily result in multiple Kadesh-sized battles a year. The combination of trying to repair all the battle-damaged ships and build large numbers of new ones isn't just an overwhelming prospect, it'd still be overwhelming even if we were rapidly building new berths everywhere in the Federation that's been suggested for it.

Chimeraguard · Jan 23, 2017

Just found and read through this quest, and it's amazing. One thing's been bugging me though.

OneirosTheWriter said:
Admiral, the inhabitants of Firax III apparently call themselves the Sotaw. They have not told us where their homeworld is but it was not difficult to take a few clues they left and assess it against a map to the Sajan System in Area 5. They have skirmished with the Biophage before, and taken some ship losses, but as of yet no colony losses. We have explained the situation to them, and they are going on their highest alert now that the true nature of the danger is known to them.

They are ... not amused by the idea that they are positioned quite in the middle of a 'neutral zone' between two powers they have never met. Some follow-up by the Diplomatic Service would be my advice. Their final disposition after this crisis will be interesting. But I don't know how long these Sotaw will hold if the Biophage attacks directly.

Did we ever actually do any follow-up diplomacy with the Sotaw?

Thebigpieman · Jan 23, 2017

Chimeraguard said:
Did we ever actually do any follow-up diplomacy with the Sotaw? I didn't see any.

No, at the time I believe it was because we believed they'd go the way of the Romulans. It's why we snagged the Kadeshi.

Simon_Jester · Jan 23, 2017

Starfleet didn't. Because really, Starfleet's only options for interacting with neutral species are:
1) Pressure the Council to make them Federation affiliates, or
2) Have our ships run into them and do nice things for them that make them like us.

Since the Sotaw are in the Neutral Zone, we can't do (2) because our ships aren't allowed to go there without Romulan permission. And doing (1) is very likely to lead to confrontation with the Romulans, which we don't want.

Chimeraguard · Jan 24, 2017

Simon_Jester said:
Starfleet didn't. Because really, Starfleet's only options for interacting with neutral species are:
1) Pressure the Council to make them Federation affiliates, or
2) Have our ships run into them and do nice things for them that make them like us.

Since the Sotaw are in the Neutral Zone, we can't do (2) because our ships aren't allowed to go there without Romulan permission. And doing (1) is very likely to lead to confrontation with the Romulans, which we don't want.

That makes sense, thanks.

Another question. With the current five-year block on further Federation Members, and push into the Gabriel Expanse(presumably including more First Contacts), will any diplomacy focus now change to pushing up possible Affiliates into Affiliates, like the Honiani?

OneirosTheWriter · Jan 24, 2017

Chimeraguard said:
That makes sense, thanks.

Another question. With the current five-year block on further Federation Members, and push into the Gabriel Expanse(presumably including more First Contacts), will any diplomacy focus now change to pushing up possible Affiliates into Affiliates, like the Honiani?

Congratulations on Post #25001

cast2007 · Jan 24, 2017

Development: No Federation new members for the next five years
Expansionists + Starfleet: Okies
*Five Years and One Day Later*
Expansionists: We'd like to propose to admit the following for membership: Gaeni, Caldonians, Orions, Risans and Qloathi.
Mercantile (after being bribed): Seconded!
Hawks (they like more ships and guns pointed at the spoonheads): Approved!
Development *Spasms due to onset of aneurysms*

Glassware · Jan 24, 2017

Chimeraguard said:
That makes sense, thanks.

Another question. With the current five-year block on further Federation Members, and push into the Gabriel Expanse(presumably including more First Contacts), will any diplomacy focus now change to pushing up possible Affiliates into Affiliates, like the Honiani?

We're looking at the Honiani, the Dawiar, the Gretarians, and resolving the Licori/Ked Parah conflict and getting them both to be affiliates for our next diplomatic priorities, I believe. There's also the Yrillians who are in a state of politics that can be best described as "chaotic."

Briefvoice · Jan 24, 2017

Glassware said:
We're looking at the Honiani, the Dawiar, the Gretarians, and resolving the Licori/Ked Parah conflict and getting them both to be affiliates for our next diplomatic priorities, I believe. There's also the Yrillians who are in a state of politics that can be best described as "chaotic."

I keep trying to write another Yrillians omake and realizing that the plot I'm ending up with is really more of a short story. And all I have left is a cool line here or there, or a neat moment.

My favorite bit is the most recent one I had to scrap is a discussion about how slavery isn't technically outlawed in this one port due to local laws, but it's a precarious balance. After all, if people brought in too many slaves then the slaves would just vote to end slavery. The outsider asks why they would let slaves vote, and the Yrillian looks at them like they're insane. That's Yrillian psychology for you.

OneirosTheWriter · Jan 24, 2017

Alright, let's close the vote. Been a busy-busy-busy beaver.

Btw, vote for Stargazer will be for narrative purposes only - I don't want to further complicate that part of the mechanics for me, since that will be tricky enough as is.

DarknessSmiles · Jan 24, 2017

OneirosTheWriter said:
Alright, let's close the vote. Been a busy-busy-busy beaver.

Btw, vote for Stargazer will be for narrative purposes only - I don't want to further complicate that part of the mechanics for me, since that will be tricky enough as is.

boop

Vote Tally : Sci-Fi - To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest) | Page 994 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.4
Task: CARD
[X][CARD] Cardassian Tactics Report (Gain +5% combat vs Cardassian fleets for the next 12 months)
No. of Votes: 34
[X][CARD] Cardassian Ship Analysis Report - Heavy (Combat?) Escort
No. of Votes: 1

HearthBorn

[X][CARD] Cardassian Fleet Strength Report
No. of Votes: 1

Night

——————————————————————————————————————————————Task: REPORT
[X][REPORT] Dawiar Diplomatic Posture Report
No. of Votes: 33
[X][REPORT] Syndicate resilience and potential vulnerabilities to reduce resilience.
No. of Votes: 23
[X][REPORT] History and current status of the war between the Licori and the Ked Peddah
No. of Votes: 21
[X][REPORT] Shipyard Activity Report for: Sydraxians
No. of Votes: 14

Muramasa
aeqnai
Briefvoice
Chaos Blade
Derek58
Generic_Generica
Happerry
HearthBorn
Nervos Belli
NullVoid
pheonix89
Random Member
Shard
Steven Kodaly

[X][REPORT] Background, history, and current status the war between the Licori and the Ked Peddah
No. of Votes: 13

Muramasa
aeqnai
Briefvoice
Chaos Blade
Generic_Generica
lbmaian
Nervos Belli
Night
NullVoid
Random Member
Shard
Steven Kodaly
SynchronizedWritersBlock

[X][REPORT] Romulan Fleet Strength Report
No. of Votes: 2

JesseJ
Muramasa

[X][REPORT] Cardassian Diplomatic Posture Report
No. of Votes: 1

Nix

[X][REPORT] Shipyard Activity Report for: Syndraxians
No. of Votes: 1

JesseJ

[X][REPORT] Shipyard Report for: Sydraxians
No. of Votes: 1

SynchronizedWritersBlock

[X][REPORT] Fleet Strength Lecarre
No. of Votes: 1

Happerry

——————————————————————————————————————————————Task: ROM
[X][ROM] Romulan Fleet Strength Report
No. of Votes: 32
[X][ROM] Romulan Daljerra Cruiser Report
No. of Votes: 3

Nix
JesseJ
Muramasa

Total No. of Voters: 39

AlphaDelta · Jan 24, 2017

Briefvoice said:
I keep trying to write another Yrillians omake and realizing that the plot I'm ending up with is really more of a short story. And all I have left is a cool line here or there, or a neat moment.

My favorite bit is the most recent one I had to scrap is a discussion about how slavery isn't technically outlawed in this one port due to local laws, but it's a precarious balance. After all, if people brought in too many slaves then the slaves would just vote to end slavery. The outsider asks why they would let slaves vote, and the Yrillian looks at them like they're insane. That's Yrillian psychology for you.

Literal tyranny of the majority. I like it.

Briefvoice · Jan 24, 2017

OneirosTheWriter said:
Btw, vote for Stargazer will be for narrative purposes only - I don't want to further complicate that part of the mechanics for me, since that will be tricky enough as is.

I think the essential genius inspiration you had for this quest was the realization that waifu wars garner by far the most discussion, arguments, and votes in quests. Every single captain selection we do is its own waifu war.

In other words, don't expect people to care any less.

OneirosTheWriter · Jan 24, 2017

[X][CARD] Cardassian Tactics Report (Gain +5% combat vs Cardassian fleets for the next 12 months)
[X][ROM] Romulan Fleet Strength Report
[X][REPORT] Dawiar Diplomatic Posture Report
[X][REPORT] Syndicate resilience and potential vulnerabilities to reduce resilience.
[X][REPORT] History and current status of the war between the Licori and the Ked Peddah

You had made clear to all Captains that the appointment to the Stargazer would be volunteer only. Your expectation was to get a small handful of the most exploration-minded captains. Instead you receive nominations from about twenty Captains and a half-dozen Commodores. Seruk filters out the latter immediately, and then starts paring down the list, until you are left with three candidates.

A choice of three people to fling out into the great unknown at the forefront of the last hope of a shattered people, the vanguard of their salvation. If Seruk has not done his job right, if you do not do your job right, you could be sending the wrong person on a trip far beyond any hope of Starfleet aid, left to rely on their own inner steel. The wrong Captain could mean a one-way trip, could even bring down the mission of the Pride of Kadesh.

You know for many this mission would be a point of pride, but you set that concern aside. A Starfleet officer seeks truth, not aggrandisement. Scientific truth, historical truth, political truth. You want the one for whom the truth will always be the last light remaining even when all the hopes, stars and quasars extinguish.

And so you go to your list.

========================

[ ] Captain Maryam Ajam
Captain, USS Docana (NCC-1810)
Has been agitating for the role since the mission was announced, looking to follow her dreams to distant stars.

[ ] Captain Michael O'Hara
Director, Security Operations, Starfleet Intelligence Command
Looks to this mission as a chance for redemption from the humiliation at the Evacuation of Arcori III, to go and immerse himself in the stars.

[ ] Captain T'Mina
Captain, USS Cheron (NCC-1720)
A successful and talented Captain who, as a Vulcan, sees a twenty-plus year sojourn as an excellent career opportunity.

Japanime · Jan 24, 2017

[X] Captain Michael O'Hara

SynchronizedWritersBlock · Jan 24, 2017

O'Hara wouldn't be a bad choice at all. He didn't have the temperament for war, but that same trait made him desirable in peacetime.

Leila Hann · Jan 24, 2017

[X] Commodore Nash KaSharren

Go fuck yourself, Seruk.

OneirosTheWriter · Jan 24, 2017

Over a hundred Captains in the database and I still find myself racking my brain to pick candidates

Artemis1992 · Jan 24, 2017

[X] Captain T'Mina

Vulcan makes sense. Any human we send has a very real chance of never going back to active service, even if he or she returns successfully. Age is so far pretty inevitable. We'll put our scientists on that little issue.

cast2007 · Jan 24, 2017

I'd say ideally T'Mina would be the best physiologically due to her lifespan. However, a part of me wants O'Hara to do it. He's one of the few people in Starfleet whose managed to get the crap kicked out of him and managed to climb out of the crater sized hole he dug for himself. From what I can see, the guy's a survivor and that's what we need to get the Stargazer to hell and back.

To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

Nerdy Homu

Widow Null

a thirsty squirrel

Daydreaming CPU

We do deserve to exist.

I've got this, I think.

We do deserve to exist.

Cabal Core Commander

Cabal Core Commander

Cabal Core Commander

Cabal Core Commander