Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest
- Thread starter 4WheelSword
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If Solar Wind were to win, I too would like to prioritize trade and civilian outreach.
Coyote Niff
the most transbian obligate scavenger on the 'net!
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I am thoroughly joking about launching a coup against Home's leadership, though the rough sketch of my very tired, devout, republically-minded fleet officer avatar is rubbing her temples and pushing up her glasses basically constantly while idly dreaming of it. Sometimes she takes out her little plastic mock-ups of the Quarrel and Pavise class vessels and flies them around making "woosh" noises, then cries a little.
She's Stressed!!!
She's Stressed!!!
Presenting OPLAN: Ivory Chamber
First, Fleet Landing Forces seconded from their normal security duties will blockade City Militia forces guarding the capital within their barracks. Secondly, FLF Rangers will detain those of the Citizen's Council suspected of pro-S'taxu Monarchist sedition. No lethal force will be authorized during this operation without action by the conspiracists. Following this, a chosen delegation of the People's Daught...
looks up.
FUCK! Shit! You weren't supposed to see that!
[X] Operation Solar Wind v1.1 + The Rest
Again, circumstances prevent me from taking the time to draw up my own plan, and Solar Wind 1.1 is well ordered and drawn up, and although my personal religious and political views lie with supporting S'taxu's democracy despite our tragic first meeting.
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Doubloon
Quelle horreur!
I don't actually mind that, I just wasn't sure which way opinion went on that point so I chose the reserved option. I'm still new to SV (in terms of games played, not time since account creation), would it be against forum etiquette to revise that in without making a 1.2?
Lmao. My condolences.
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To be more clear, while people have dreams of Democracy I for one wish to transform us into a Junta with the Navy at the top given we are the most important arm of keeping interstellar society functioning.
Because it's such a small change, yeah you're alright to do that, just also make a post to note the edit/adjustment.
Doubloon
Quelle horreur!
Alright, thank you for the note on etiquette.
I've added this point to Solar Wind.
[X] Operation Solar Wind v1.1 + The Rest
I'm honestly far more hopeful with regards to setting up the trade network; hopefully it enriches both us and Xyri. On one hand, we've got a head start on ships needed to trade in/out of the system and if I understand the system codes correctly, we're likely producing things that they aren't (based on this and this); on the other hand, Xyri's more technologically developed than us, meaning we could learn things from them. They're also a good buffer in case there's something nasty further out.
I'm honestly far more hopeful with regards to setting up the trade network; hopefully it enriches both us and Xyri. On one hand, we've got a head start on ships needed to trade in/out of the system and if I understand the system codes correctly, we're likely producing things that they aren't (based on this and this); on the other hand, Xyri's more technologically developed than us, meaning we could learn things from them. They're also a good buffer in case there's something nasty further out.
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[X] Plan Operation Searing Sun
2-4: Diplomatic Results
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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- It/She/They
Does the Navy recommend any changes to the design before work begins? No, she seems exactly what we need.
What, if anything, would we advise offering to Xyri? An embassy, requiring a few trips by the Janus to deliver enough of a embassy group.
- Open trade between our worlds, requiring the construction of trade ships or the releasing of jump technology to civilian yards.
OPERATION Solar Wind
Plans are put in place, crews are readied and a diplomatic contingent is trained for space travel and what to do in case of an emergency. Munitions are loaded, ships are fuelled and drives are checked and double-checked in order to ensure absolute readiness. By the time the four ships set out for the Jump Point they are perhaps the most rigorously tested naval personnel ever sent into space by Home. They are certainly prepared for any eventuality.
HSWS Ninurta, HSWS Pallas, and HSWS Sakumo hold a defensive formation around HSWS Janus that ensures so long as one of the cruisers reaches S'Taxu first, the smaller scout will be under the safe-zone of her guns. All at once they jump away, on time and on schedule. According to the mission plan, we expect to hear back from them in five weeks.
The Navy Yards - (02y07m00w)
Already working on three ships with an expected completion time some time in the middle of next year, the yards have been ordered to fill the rest of their space with a single gigantic ship. The Flotilla Supply Ship will be a 4,000 ton capital grade hull, built along the same principles as that of the SDD but with enhanced design methodology and significantly less armour. This semi-spherical logistics ship will be the first word in squadron resupply over the next years, though the Navy fully expects to require more advanced versions of the same ship as the fleet grows in size and needs. This ship - named the HSLS (Home Space Logistics Ship) Lakapati - will be ready for commission and service on or around 05y01m00w.
At the same time, a civilian yard is reserved for an entirely new type of ship. Designed in parallel between the Navy and Bearings Machinery Firm, it will be the first Interstellar cargo ship ever imagined. Solely intended for trade between Home and Xyri, it will hopefully provide the basis for a thousand-thousand of its ilk in the decades to come, as Home expands its reach beyond the local cluster and into the stars. Planners project a throughput of around 500 tons per month initially and thus this ship - already named Kubera - will be a thousand tons in total to allow for such an enormous cargo load. It will also carry a reliable Fission plant and be capable of just a single G of thrust. The Interstellar Conveyor is, if you listen to the representatives of BMF, the wave of the future. We simply have to ensure their safety getting there.
OPERATION Solar Wind 2 - (02y09m00w)
Every sensor operator in Home holds their breath as they receive the report of a jump flash, though most are far too distant to actually do anything if it turned out to be a threat. Sakumo flashes her ident and holds position, waiting for her companions. Ninurta is next, coming back into the system two hours after the first cruiser. A full eleven hours later, HSWS Janus slips back into real space and several members of the admiralty let out breaths they didn't know they were holding. Finally, an hour after that, Pallas joins the formation and all four begin the slow burn back towards Home and the steadily growing fleet dock that orbits high above the capital.
Their reports contain the following information:
- Military aid was supplied to the Dynasts. Primarily this was in the form of small arms, combat medical systems and explosives of various kinds. These were warmly received and it was indicated that additional air would be most welcome in staving off any offensives by democratic forces.
- Significant information has been learned about the various factions involved in the conflict, including the distant Junta:
-- The Chambrestrong Dynasty maintains a series of nuclear weapons platforms in orbit that are not intended for surface bombardment. Rather they are torpedo silos and mine field dispensers, intended to automatically deny orbits to aggressors without needing confirmation from the ground. We are fortunate we didn't trigger any on our first visit, jumping so far from the home world as we did.
-- These are backed up by a small capacity of surface-to-orbit operated by all factions on S'Taxu proper. Neither democratic faction has seen fit to fire on us despite our cruisers passing over their silos several times. We can only presume they are smart enough not to engender additional violence against their planet.
-- The Junta has two capital ships and a series of smaller mobile platforms and war-rockets available to them. The two capital ships are both built from the shells of hollowed out asteroids and are principally armed with torpedoes and missiles, though they also have significant laser armaments as well. Many of their other ships are old and out-dated, but this does not stop them from being a threat.
- The conflict is in a state of 'cold' war, with no faction willing to make a decisive push and put an end to the fighting. It would seem, though this is unconfirmed supposition, that the three non-monarchist factions are simply waiting for the Dynasts to collapse rather than fighting them, at which point negotiations will continue without the main roadblock to peaceful resolution.
-- Once again, the above is based entirely on assumption. It may be that the Dynasts are unwilling to come to the table for good reason. We do not know what caused the split between the Dynasts and the Junta in the first place.
- While unwilling to admit a position of weakness, the Dynasts are able to ask for the following:
-- A indefinite stationing of two warships in S'Taxu, in order to allow for more aggressive pushes against Democrat and Junta positions. These will be fuelled and supplied by Dynast orbital infrastructure.
-- Reassurances of defensive support in the event of a Junta offensive, though there are no requests for ground support at this time.
-- The supply of significant aid including both food and military supplies to feed and arm the population.
- In return the Chambrestrong Dynasty is willing to offer some or all of the following:
-- Access to still functional orbital yards capable of ~2,000Dtons of construction.
-- Skilled pilots to serve with the Home Navy, for cross-training purposes, to develop skills S'taxu (And especially the Dynasts) don't currently have and to bolster Home.
-- Financial compensation of significant quantities.
Please craft a treaty recommendation as a plan
What will you recommend offering?
[ ] The stationing of X warships in S'Taxu.
[ ] A defensive alliance, specifically targeting the Junta.
[ ] Food Aid
[ ] Military Aid
[ ] Write-in
What would you recommend asking for in return?
[ ] Access to the yards
[ ] Pilots, crews and support staff to be filtered into the Home Navy's infrastructure.
[ ] Financial compensation.
[ ] Write-in.
@4WheelSword, if the Dynasts have control of a construction yard, what's been stopping them from building up an actual naval presence? Lack of resources or the ability to get the resources? Or do they think starting a construction project would break the 'cold war' status that is the current situation.
Also, do you use a program to create the ships, or hand jam it with your resource books?
Also, do you use a program to create the ships, or hand jam it with your resource books?
Turns out we didn't need to react ASAP, so choosing Solar Wind was good. That said, it's weird we didn't learn it the first time around. On the plus side, we've got civilian cargo ships and new designations, that's wonderful!
@4WheelSword Same question as WallFly, but also capital ship and small platform, roughly how much is that in tonnes?
[X] Plan Hard Bargain
-[X] Offer: Station 3 Interstellar Cruisers in S'Taxu. On rotation.
-[X] Offer: Defensive Pact, with secret protocols allowing for coordinated assault on the Junta with more Interstellar Cruisers, with the possibility to retain the pact after the war.
-[X] Offer: Limited material or food assistance, due to our current cargo capacity. It could be expanded in the future.
-[X] Offer: Limited expertise and technological transfer to assist them with building their interplanetary warships.
-[X] Demand: Access to their Yards during the civil war, shares in their Yards after the civil war ends.
-[X] Demand: Basing rights and transit rights after the civil war ends.
-[X] Demand: Tonnage limitations on S'taxu fleets after the civil war ends.
-[X] Demand: Pilots transferred to Home's Navy.
-[X] Demand: Lucrative contracts for our business partners.
-[X] Demand: Access to intel and support in recovering potential Heimdall survivors from the Junta.
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4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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1) Their resources have mostly been focused on ground based military and orbital defences, with no real focused vision for warships and the like.
2) I do it by hand but using excel. Well, no, google sheets. but yeah.
The Junta cap ships are several thousand tons. Close to the SDD's.
The Dynast stations are like, 50 tons up to several hundred tons.
[ ] The stationing of X warships in S'Taxu.
[ ] A defensive alliance, specifically targeting the Junta.
[ ] Food Aid
[ ] Military Aid
[ ] Access to the yards
[ ] Pilots, crews and support staff to be filtered into the Home Navy's infrastructure.
[ ] Financial compensation.
All of the above seems fine. We could potentially license our new civilian freighter to them for construction. They could lay down two hulls which could be dedicated to ferrying aid from our system to theirs. I don't think we should license any military or prototype designs to them yet.
An exchange of liaison officers to foster better joint working and relations seems sensible.
Stationing a couple warships in their system could be good experience to work up the crews and begin to develop some interstellar warfare doctrine.
[ ] A defensive alliance, specifically targeting the Junta.
[ ] Food Aid
[ ] Military Aid
[ ] Access to the yards
[ ] Pilots, crews and support staff to be filtered into the Home Navy's infrastructure.
[ ] Financial compensation.
All of the above seems fine. We could potentially license our new civilian freighter to them for construction. They could lay down two hulls which could be dedicated to ferrying aid from our system to theirs. I don't think we should license any military or prototype designs to them yet.
An exchange of liaison officers to foster better joint working and relations seems sensible.
Stationing a couple warships in their system could be good experience to work up the crews and begin to develop some interstellar warfare doctrine.
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We have the ships to do rotations. Instead of permanently stationing 3 cruisers, we could swing 2 switching out every month. This gets us less familiarity, but does train up and institutionalize consistent Jump rotations and travel through sectors. Additionally, with the "trade" we'll be doing it can be hidden (at least for a little bit) as escorts instead of defensive stationing.
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Of course, since we don't want want to stick our servicemen on permament foreign assignment rotations are a given. I've edited that into the Plan to be explicit.
Interesting. On one hand it makes the trade flow, which is great. On the other hand it releases the Jump-Drive technology to them. On balance, I think we shouldn't be doing that yet.
My guess is these guys hold the doomsday trigger. It says the orbital defenses are not intended for surface bombardment, but it would be trivial to retarget them. This gives them the ability to say "it's us or no one", so they think they'll never lose. That said, they'll never win either, not without building something that can reach the Junta or courting our assistance.
Overall, the situation is much stabler than I suspected. Perhaps we ought to let the civil war simmer until we get the time to expand in other directions and later subsume S'taxu due to our sheer size?
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If I understood correctly, the Dynasts are the one party in the civil war both other parties in the three-way civil war that everyone else is opposed to? It seems like the Junta and the Delovratic Factions could maybe come to some agreement, but not while the Dynasts hold the planet. And with this information, I feel even more reluctant about backing the Dynasts. They seem to be the weaker party compared to the Junta, and their offer is honestly not that good?
It could well be that our Council wants us to support the weaker side because the weaker side is more reliant on us and easier to integrate later. It also channels S'taxu popular discontent against the Dynasts and not us. I'd prefer to cooperate with the Junta, but there are good reasons to choose Dynasts.
BTW, where are we going to send or support ship? Do we use it to ferry supplies to S'taxu or do we use it to expand to sector 00-01, the one with the icy comet?
BTW, where are we going to send or support ship? Do we use it to ferry supplies to S'taxu or do we use it to expand to sector 00-01, the one with the icy comet?