But the major worlds of Ucuta, Becarra, Canun are all outposts so it could be better.
I'm fine with Risa but why Caldonia?
The Klingon is no threat at the moment, sure there's time.
We do not need a starbase per major world, and the HoH is not hostile besides. Having a starbase per square over the entire border (with the esception of the Tauni) is already overkill for a nonhostile border. We have about half that on our border with Cardassians, who are pretty hostile.
Because it is a major world, homeworld even, right on the border of a militaristic major power known for the use of cloaks. The next starbase should Klingons invade is at Andor. Starbases have extensive sensors that are very useful against cloaks and wolf packs.
Yes, there is time. Nonetheless I judge it more urgent then yet another starbase on the HoH border. They might have problems and we dont like them very much, but a major war with them is VERY unlikely, and even if it happens, another starbase wont help much.
Eh, okay, I'm being a bit uncharitable, but that's still basically the same issue I just described. They're delaying integration of a polity that arguably needs protection because it might somehow politically disrupt their pet project. That's not a super-unforgivable crime or anything, but it's the kind of thing that they deserve to get stung a little for.
I do not remember this being the reason. Prez and the pacifists wanted the Federalization to happen first, but that has other good explanations that arent "politicking". Also, in need of protection? I dont remember any threat to the Starkin.
Agreed. A Starbase or two at Becarra and/or Canun wouldn't go amiss. Not entirely sure which if we have to settle for only one though; Becarra has a repair yard and is more in line between Okatha and the Horizon Mist, but Canun is further from Obar and closer to the empty space between the Starkin and the Tauni.
For that matter, a couple Starbases elsewhere wouldn't hurt either. Risa finally (ideally as the center of an Outpost Network, there's nothing in the way of protection over there), Caldonia, and I could think of several places each in STO space and Adrazzi. Gabriel too. I would also argue Gaen, either 82 Eridani or Hagelan, and Solitude too, but the Klingon/Romulan borders are rather more quiet right now.
*Sigh* So much to do, so little Engineering Ships and PP to do it with...
We do not need a starbase per major world, and the HoH is not hostile besides. Having a starbase per square over the entire border (with the esception of the Tauni) is already overkill for a nonhostile border. We have about half that on our border with Cardassians, who are pretty hostile.
Debatable. The HoH may not be hostile overtly, but we've been having a diplo-and-blackops war for quite some time now. I don't want to bet that the OSA or the recent Felis pirates are the end of it, and in case they aren't, the logistics, sensors, and the sheer presence of a Starbase may prove quite useful in ways beside the obvious of a fortification.
No argument that the Card border is in urgent need of shoring up too, or the Klingon/Romulan ones in slightly less of a similar need. Honestly, I'd say we want to expand our fortification network on every non-allied border.
I'd put the HoH as much more likely to stumble into a war with us than the Klingons, actually. Mainly because they have a lot less capacity to back down from a provocation; even with Renhadd's centralization efforts, the Klingons are still a loose enough polity that the Imperial government can disavow the actions of Houses other than the Chancellor's own, as well as the actions of random individuals or mercenaries, as being none of their concern and thus deserving no support without it being flagrant bullshit.
The Harmony, on the other hand, can't, not unless they want to blame it on another line crazy and thus admit openly that every officer and official above a certain rank is potentially a ticking time bomb. I suspect that would lead to an unacceptable amount of internal unrest.
Debatable. The HoH may not be hostile overtly, but we've been having a diplo-and-blackops war for quite some time now. I don't want to bet that the OSA or the recent Felis pirates are the end of it, and in case they aren't, the logistics, sensors, and the sheer presence of a Starbase may prove quite useful in ways beside the obvious of a fortification.
No argument that the Card border is in urgent need of shoring up too, or the Klingon/Romulan ones in slightly less of a similar need. Honestly, I'd say we want to expand our fortification network on every non-allied border.
There has been no proof, even a weak one, of any HoH black operation against us. And even so, such a form of hostility is rather different to wanting a war with us. That is very much not in their interest.
Response bonus aside, Starbases are upgraded Outposts. Considering this:
Request new Starbase I [Write in Sector] 20pp, +12pp for each Starbase past the first in-sector - GBZ Invalid (5pp cheaper for HBZ or LBZ this year)
Request new Outposts on all LBZ Starfleet Colonies, 20pp
They are also about 7 times more expensive, at best. They are required as an anchor, a command center for a sector, and to protect exposed critical locations such as major worlds. They might have a logistics value, but if so, I can not find it.
If we want sensor saturation, we want many outposts.
Also, presence cuts both ways. What would it say if we fortify our border with a peaceful diplopower like the HoH so much more then the Cardassians, Klingons, or Romulans?
Any HoH invasion would have to pass through a square with a starbase already, which is plenty. We are not the ISC. Would more help? Probably. Would that be a good use of our resources, especialy given how few we have elsewhere? Not at all.
I'd put the HoH as much more likely to stumble into a war with us than the Klingons, actually. Mainly because they have a lot less capacity to back down from a provocation; even with Renhadd's centralization efforts, the Klingons are still a loose enough polity that the Imperial government can disavow the actions of Houses other than the Chancellor's own, as well as the actions of random individuals or mercenaries, as being none of their concern and thus deserving no support without it being flagrant bullshit.
The Harmony, on the other hand, can't, not unless they want to blame it on another line crazy and thus admit openly that every officer and official above a certain rank is potentially a ticking time bomb. I suspect that would lead to an unacceptable amount of internal unrest.
Plenty of ways to spin that. They have been doing this for a while, and are a democracy (or make sure to appear as one at least) besides. War would have to seem like a necessity to quite a lot of people, not just a couple rulers.
Notably, we get to choose our admirals, and so can prevent the insane ones from reaching the top.
As to starbases, we definitely don't need one for very major world along the Harmony border. I think it would be a good idea, however, to push for more along the Cardassian border.
So what does the map look like now with the Okatha sector cut out from the HBZ? For example, is Obar part of the BZ or is it part of the Okatha sector?
For that matter, I don't think the current map on the wiki has the new Seyek-Cardassian BZ marked out either.
It was mentioned, a while back, that if we ever integrated a species with more advanced technology than us, we'd get some kind of bonus to researching that same tech. Do the QMs have any plans on how that will work out yet, or should I wait to please bug you till the next research turn?
(The techs we know of would be the Honiani's 4000kt shipyard berths, the Yan-Ros's superior personal equipment, and the Obar's interior lighting. There might be more we don't know of, though I'm pretty sure Starfleet itself won't be able to benefit much from any Piety-related research.)
Edit: I forgot to mention, but the Honiani should be able to build/refit a 4.8Mt ship at their Cathedralforge Yards with our new 2330s Construction Techniques berth bonus. I think they might have some inclination to do so as soon as they are able.
Okay, got something for you. Here is a TF Proposal that attempts to prevent the Gorn/Ittick-ka War by working on the "Great Power Ambitions" Tags of both simultaneously. It, uh, does nothing for stopping the Ittick-Ka slavery tag... sorry, I think the war is more immediate. This assumes we go all-in and spend 160pp to call up 32 pts of member ships. It also assumes that TF Unity completes this quarter.
This is after keeping back a bunch of ships for sector garrison, which I can post separately, but which I think keeps our garrisons at comfortable levels. Note: A few Renaissances may be replaced by Blooded Constitution-Bs if we don't end up mothballing those.
Start off with TF Beyond, which I am boosting up to 22 ships and putting Thuir in command. You'll also see it now boasts the Basilica of Lakhept and several new attachments. (+1 to all opposed rolls is *drool*.)
[] [TASK] Task Force: Beyond
Mission: Mission: Remove Horizon Influence from Licori, Felis, OSA, and (if it arises) Bolians. Remove Isolationist tag from Bolians.
Commander: Rear Admiral Michel Thuir- Reroll first event failure each quarter Attachments:
Free FDS Diplomatic Team attachment
Starfleet Tactical Brass: 0pp per year. Enables coordination events with other powers
Molchenek-Danashad: 3 pp per year. Effect: +1 to the first diplomatic roll involving a capitalist society each quarter
Sam Jones: 10 br on purchase, 10 br per year. Effect: Gain both sr & relations on trade summit missions for this task force.
Harbind-Attu Institute Research Team: 40 rp on purchase, 20 rp per year. Effect: Receive a bonus to a technology related to the Task Force's activities each year.
NEW Cpt. Wolfe's Analysis Team: 20 pp on purchase, 10 pp per year. Effect: +1 on opposed rolls
FROM UNITYAmbassador Sarek: 5 pp per year. Effect: Reroll the first failed diplomatic roll each quarter; add +1 to the reroll.
FROM UNITYAmbassador Nikael Dalera: 8 pp on purchase, 5 pp per year. Effect: Double progress on the first passed Diplomatic event each quarter.
Ships 2324.Q1:
Explorers: 4 Starfleet Excelsior-A [Salnas (B), Rru'adorr(B)], Endurance (B), Liberty], 1 Starkin Basilica of Lakhept [Basilica of Lakhept]
Next we have TF Royal, which I am hoping there is a better Intelligence attachment available than the Operations Team to boost Leanis's complaints. However that's the best we have right now. In the meantime, you'll see we also brought in Ashtarr and Mbeki to help with diplomacy. We also have some additional ships added, making it an 11 (eventually 12) ship TF... technically Rear Admiral Territory, but we'll see what things look like at the end of 2324, eh?
[] [TASK] Task Force: Royal (the Gorn Task Force)
-Mission: Resolve [Great Power Ambitions: 75/300] and [Distant Stars: 0/100] tags on Gorn. If a [Cardassian Influence: 0/100] tag emerges, resolve that tag as well.
-Commander: Leaniss Larai - May add one additional member fleet frigate to this task force, separate from other ships called up [adds Amarkian Centaur-B]
-Attachments:
Free FDS Diplomatic Team attachment. Effect: Reroll first failed Diplomatic Roll each quarter
Langa Mbeki: 5 pp on purchase, 5 pp per year. Effect: +2 to the lowest diplomatic roll each quarter
Ashtarr: 10 pp on purchase, 8 pp per year. Effect: +2 to the first diplomatic roll involving the Gorn each quarter.
Starfleet Intelligence Operations Team: 5pp on Purchase, 5pp per year. Effect: Enables Raid Events.
Yoyodyne Research Team: 10 rp per year. Enables reroll on first failed D-Test each quarter.
Kedaia Naar Institute Doctrine Team: 20 rp on purchase, 10 rp per year. Effect: +1 to the first space combat roll each quarter.
Notes: TF is 11 ships strong; 12 ships in 2324.Q3.
Task Force Breen doesn't change much, though I did reinforce it with a Kepler, making it now a 6 ship TF.
TF Breen Task Force
Mission: To carry out the opening stages of the reconnaissance response to the Breen, including monitoring the movements of their warfleet, reinforcements from the Breen core worlds, and communications surveillance, a separate task force is required.
Commander: Diego Zaardmani - +1S on Flagship, Re-roll first failed Science check each year
Attachments: Hallad-Wel Institute Computing Team: 10 rp on purchase, 8 rp per year. Effect: Reroll the first failed Science test of this task force each quarter, but at -1 to the roll.
2324.Q1 Ships:
SFI Ships: SS Rocinante, SFI Ship, Capable of Signal Intercepts, SS Winter, SFI Ship, Capable of Signal Intercepts
Now we have our first new TF, what I am calling "Goodfoot" to affiliate the Ur'razzi. You'll see I brought back an old favorite Vold Chad. If anyone knows how to knock heads with some assholes, it's him. It's a nice 8 ship Force; hopefully enough to get things done.
TF Goodfoot
Mission: Affiliate Ur'razzi
Commander: Vol Chad – Faster experience gain for ships in squadron.
Attachments:
Free FDS Diplomatic Team attachment. Effect: Reroll first failed Diplomatic Roll each quarter
Next new Task Force is for the Dreamers. I put Chekhov in charge, not because his special ability will necessarily be applicable, but because I like his SPICE spread for this one. An 8 ship squadron, generally good P and S, and if forced into a Fleet battle they can at least put up a decent fight.
TF Dreaming
Mission: Resolve [Alienmodes of Communication and Thought: 0/300] tag on Dreamer Collective.
Commander: Pavel Chekhov - Nullifies the first 2pts of crew casualties per year, reroll the first failed Away Team Combat each year
Attachments:
Hortance: 5 pp on purchase, 3 pp per year. Effect: Gain 5 pp each quarter that this task force succeeds on all events.
Lt. Sadd-Har's Cadet Field Training Team: 3 pp per year. Effect: Increased experience gain for missions involving S rolls.
Finally, here it is, your long-awaited Ittick-ka TF of.... seven ships (8 in Q3). (sigh) Yeah, I know, but I was running a little short at this point and the only member frigates left to draw from were P1 or P2 crap... not what you want for delicate diplomacy. These 7 ships include 4 explorers, a cruiser, an 3 Centaur-B, so hopefully they at least won't look too weak. And as an unopposed Task Force, they should at least be able to get the ball rolling on preventing this war. Ventil Oyana ought to make sure we make some progress every quarter anyway.
TF Chorus
Mission: Resolve [Great Power Ambitions: 0/300] and [Distant Stars: 0/100] tags on Ittick-Ka, with an eye to eliminating their determination to conquer all other species.
Commander: Sabek - ????? (picked for his reasonable P and high Insight)
Attachments:
FDS Diplomatic Team attachment. Effect: Reroll first failed Diplomatic Roll each quarter
Ventil Oyana: 5 pp on purchase, 3 pp per year. Effect: +5 on a targeted diplomatic tag each quarter.
Pallas-Abat Institute Ship Design Team: 20 rp on purchase, 10 rp per year. Effect: Ships in this task force get +1 to shield and hull checks to resist damage.
Very nice! I'd still like to get an Allupii Task Force going soonish so we have a counterbalance to the Ashalla Pact we can back spinwards, but that covers a respectable number of problems.
Clearly not, because otherwise the notion of plopping down a bunch of outposts and starbases on the HoH border wouldn't be something we'd be looking at doing right now in the first place. The UFP has major colonies that lack a starbase/outpost in system. Those would have higher priority than border fortification, since after all, what if your defensive lines are bypassed?
@Briefvoice I would expand the Dreamer TF to cover the last few points on Cosmozoan Lifeform. I would also consider buying both of these teams. The latter is basically tailor made for the large number of P rolls Beyond generates.
-Yokathi Lakhept: 8 pp on purchase, 5 pp per year. Effect: Reduce the cost of all failed diplomatic events by half.
-Technocracy Interstellar Ministry Diplomatic Team: 10 pp on purchase, 5 pp per year. Effect: For every passed Presence event each quarter, add +3 relations to another applicable tag.
@Briefvoice I would expand the Dreamer TF to cover the last few points on Cosmozoan Lifeform. I would also consider buying both of these teams. The latter is basically tailor made for the large number of P rolls Beyond generates.
-Yokathi Lakhept: 8 pp on purchase, 5 pp per year. Effect: Reduce the cost of all failed diplomatic events by half.
-Technocracy Interstellar Ministry Diplomatic Team: 10 pp on purchase, 5 pp per year. Effect: For every passed Presence event each quarter, add +3 relations to another applicable tag.
Why the Keplers? They have good P, but better S. Centaur B has only 1P less.
I would say swap Centaur Bs on garrison duty with Keplers and send them off. Or put the Keplers in TF Dreams, where they are an excellent fit (ability to protect themselves aside) if we want to level them up fast. Edit: Or Breen.
Why this?
Yoyodyne Research Team: 10 rp per year. Enables reroll on first failed D-Test each quarter.
Is there a reason to believe that they are useful in Royal? I know that we have plenty of RP, but spending them for the hell of sits badly with me.
Probably what they are called, or what the GMs call them for ease of our comprehension. The other parties probably also call themselves something else.
Edit: I agree on targeting the Ambition tags first.
Why the Keplers? They have good P, but better S. Centaur B has only 1P less.
I would say swap Centaur Bs on garrison duty with Keplers and send them off. Or put the Keplers in TF Dreams, where they are an excellent fit (ability to protect themselves besides) if we want to level them up fast.
Because we're pretty sure we DO roll Science checks even on diplomatic task forces, where the Kepler's science capabilities are especially important. Resolving Distant Stars tags probably involves mapping and charting out space, at which Keplers excel. Also, Keplers' sensors may give us extra intel on the Ittick-ka fleet and facilities, which would be nice.
Why this?
Yoyodyne Research Team: 10 rp per year. Enables reroll on first failed D-Test each quarter.
Is there a reason to believe that they are useful in Royal? I know that we have plenty of RP, but spending them for the hell of sits badly with me.
I think we've had at least one or two instances of us blowing events because our ship couldn't get there in time. Furthermore, we may have some time-critical events involving, say, a Cardassian-backed coup attempt, for which being able to engage Ludicrous Speed safely would be a major asset.
Why the Keplers? They have good P, but better S. Centaur B has only 1P less.
I would say swap Centaur Bs on garrison duty with Keplers and send them off. Or put the Keplers in TF Dreams, where they are an excellent fit (ability to protect themselves besides) if we want to level them up fast.
Hmm, I have Keplers in Royal (1, in Q3), Breen (1), Goodfoot (1), Dreaming (1), and Chorus (1, in Q3).
The ones that arrive in Q3 are coming direct from shipyards so it's easier not to try to play musical chairs with garrison ships, I think Dreaming is going to be Science-heavy so two Science ships make sense, Breen obviously benefits from a good Science ship, so that just leaves Goodfoot as questionable.
Why this?
Yoyodyne Research Team: 10 rp per year. Enables reroll on first failed D-Test each quarter.
Is there a reason to believe that they are useful in Royal? I know that we have plenty of RP, but spending them for the hell of sits badly with me.
Hmm, I have Keplers in Royal (1, in Q3), Breen (1), Goodfoot (1), Dreaming (1), and Chorus (1, in Q3).
The ones that arrive in Q3 are coming direct from shipyards so it's easier not to try to play musical chairs with garrison ships, I think Dreaming is going to be Science-heavy so two Science ships make sense, Breen obviously benefits from a good Science ship, so that just leaves Goodfoot as questionable.
Well, based on past precedent, our operations for Goodfoot are going to involve:
-Assisting the Ur'razzi with medical and technical emergencies their own resources can't handle.
-Locating resources the Ur'razzi can use, as a way of gaining prestige and rapport with them.
-Monitoring Cardassian activities, keeping tabs on the movements of any Cardassian ships near or into our space and/or their attempts to interact with the Cardassians.
It's quite reasonable for us to send them a Kepler. Frankly, though, I'd rather give TF Chorus their Kepler right away, and let Goodfoot wait until Q3, though.
I think we should look at the Licori Slave and Serfdom tags. They're a melting pot and regardless of weather we affiliate them in the end we should ensure that that doesn't blow up in everyone's faces.
