4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
The modularity
Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest
- Thread starter 4WheelSword
- Start date
- Original Art Quest Sci-Fi
Advanced Hostile Environment suits sound great tbh
It would be unwise to become reliant on Aslan, but we should definitely buy some non-essential stuff and use it when conditions are right.
Like these Advanced Hostile Environment suits look like a great fit for a Hexos mission. We should buy some both for our people who would go planetside there, and as aid to Hexans themselves.
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grimely
Twink Death Sufferer
A modular station, by design, requires unarmored airlocks open to space on at least one facing so that the modules can be stacked upon each other.
- Location
- 'Straya mate.
Pilots seem like a good pick. I don't think excavation rights for the other part of the planet is all that valuable. There's a lot of planets out there aren't there? Basing rights to orbitals also seem good for establishing them as -more or less- a vassal of ours. Economic activity in their local space could also be a benefit to their redevelopment.
Would we also want the rights to a spaceport city planetside?
Would we also want the rights to a spaceport city planetside?
OK, but couldn't those open airlocks be blinded with armour plates? Still, if that's what the Traveller rules state, it's going to be this way. Without armour, it doesn't really make sense to put guns in there, but perhaps fighter-bombers could operate far enough from the station.
I think the orbitals would be best. We could build them a starport and have an outpost even better than the one we've got at Heimdall.
[ ] Plan Bed and Breakfast
-[ ] Write-In: Limited trade. Focus on civilian and various utilitarian equipment. Do not replace Home small arms with Aslan small arms, but procure enough of them to allow for extensive testing.
-[ ] We should commission a design for a larger ship.
-[ ] Capacity for a squadron of XF-40 bombers.
-[ ] Plenty of space for R&R.
-[ ] Development rights to the systems orbitals, allowing for basing.
I'm hesitating on the Aslan trade the most. We want advanced stuff, but we want to be able to produce it, not just buy it.
We also want to be able to fight against the advanced stuff. We should definitely buy Aslan military tech, in order to make developing low-tech counters easier and boost our science progress.
Materials from the Aslan?
[ ] Other - Yes, buy high-tech weaponry and equipment from the Aslan. However, instead of using this to outfit our operational units, send these weapons to our R&D department for testing and reverse-engineering. If producing and maintaining such equipment is outside our capabilities at the moment, the research should focus on developing lower tech methods and strategies for fighting against an enemy armed which such weapons and equipment. For example, if the Aslan have a weapon capable of easily penetrating our current armor, focus on developing armor specifically engineered to resist this weapon. Also, freely share research data and equipment with the civilian sector, in order to increase our tech development faster.
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Now that I think about it, there's nothing preventing civilians buying stuff from Aslan and there's nothing preventing civilians owning advanced weapons. I suppose that will lead to Militia procuring these weapons to stay on top. Perhaps it'd be good to make a joint HSWS/Militia research project.
I'm not sold on the merchant marine. So far, our interactions with civilian traders were always positive and I'm not sure I want to use our budget and pilots to build civilian craft.
We do need pilots, but getting them from Hexon might be a trap option, since their recruiting pool is small, just a few thousand. Of those, there's even less that had opportunities to nurture their talents instead of focusing on surviving.
Omake: CORVETTE PILOT COMPLETES DEGREE
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
Interstellar Dispatch Service
010-235
CORVETTE PILOT COMPLETES DEGREE
Lieutenant Intan Đình received her degree in Accounting after completing a correspondence course from the University of Kopet. While this is nothing new, it was how she completed the degree that has attracted notice. Lt. Dinh is one of the new pilots of the new Corvette Fast Courier that are stationed in various systems. These pilots act not only as messengers but also are part of the early warning system set up by the Service. While on station, these pilots have massive amounts of time available, time which pilots such as the Lieutenant have used to further their education.
"I was already midway in completing my degree before I was given my first assignment", said Lt. Dinh. "I found out that I could review and complete my work without interruptions, which sometimes was difficult during Boot Camp. I had the materials and course schedule so I was able to submit my materials when I was near Home." The Lieutenant is the first of her family to serve in the Service and the second to complete a University degree. She plans to apply for the Logistics Department at a later time. We in the IDS salute the further education and service of members like the Lieutenant.
If we choose this option, we should implement something to what the British did during WWII and WWII, where civilian ships were drafted into the Navy and armed to be used as support vessels during war
Rat King
Izutsumi-pilled
I think the semi-civilian aspect means that the civilian yards will build and crew them, but under some oversight from the HSWS with regards to construction / crewing requirements and with the possibility of us being able to essentially draft them to the national cause in the event of war. Or at least that would be my interpretation of it. The real world US merchant marine is mostly in private hands, after all.
Section doesn't generally do "trap" options as far as I am aware.
That goes without saying. Still, it might be too early to allow civilians building all vessels. We want there to be bulk haulers first, before we'll get pleasure craft.
What would be the difference from the current situation be then? We're already got oversight on civilian designs and the ships were available for us when we needed them. For the moment, I'm voting the 'commission design' option since it's introduces the least complexity, but I could be persuaded otherwise.
[X] Plan Hangars and Amenities
-[X] Write-In: Limited purchases. Do not outfit mainline units with Aslan weapons, but procure enough of them to allow for extensive testing and development of potential countermeasures. Coordinate this project with the Militia.
-[X] We should commission a design for a larger ship.
-[X] Capacity for a squadron of XF-40 bombers.
-[X] Plenty of space for R&R.
-[X] Development rights to the systems orbitals, allowing for basing.
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4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
There is currently no formal expectation that the merchant fleet be available to the HSWS. Yes, it worked for Cassalon. It's up to you whether you think it will work in future.
[X] Plan We'll Do More Later
-[X] Write-In: Limited purchases. Procure enough of weapons to allow for extensive testing and development of potential countermeasures. Coordinate this project with the Militia. Purchase some amount of "expendable" equipment to be used on special ocasions, on mission-by-mission basis.
-[X] We should free the civilians to build whatever they like (so long as those are not warships).
-[X] Capacity for a squadron of XF-40 bombers.
-[X] Plenty of space for R&R.
-[X] Exploration and excavation rights in the uninhabited sectors of the equatorial ring.
I want pilots and basing more than "loot rights", but excavation is a limited-time option, as sooner or later locals would ecavate their stuff themselves. We should expand into basing and pilots later though.
With station, I would want fuel and cargo hold more than bombers. However, bombers could become necessary if there would eb any "action" with Hermosa. Fuel and cargo hold may wait a bit.
-[X] Write-In: Limited purchases. Procure enough of weapons to allow for extensive testing and development of potential countermeasures. Coordinate this project with the Militia. Purchase some amount of "expendable" equipment to be used on special ocasions, on mission-by-mission basis.
-[X] We should free the civilians to build whatever they like (so long as those are not warships).
-[X] Capacity for a squadron of XF-40 bombers.
-[X] Plenty of space for R&R.
-[X] Exploration and excavation rights in the uninhabited sectors of the equatorial ring.
I want pilots and basing more than "loot rights", but excavation is a limited-time option, as sooner or later locals would ecavate their stuff themselves. We should expand into basing and pilots later though.
With station, I would want fuel and cargo hold more than bombers. However, bombers could become necessary if there would eb any "action" with Hermosa. Fuel and cargo hold may wait a bit.
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But, we had no indication of there being valuable stuff to excavate? Is there something on Hexon we couldn't mine off an asteroid or an unihabited planet?
I am under impression that we can recover some interesting tech from the pre-catastrophe ruins there. Though, admittedly, I cannot find what exactly in text gave me this impression.
Rat King
Izutsumi-pilled
[X] OPLAN: Overseer
-[X] Continue to procure samples for testing and study; work with the Militia to maintain a sizable armory so individual houses, individuals, etc., do not eventually out-gun us! After all, we can't stop citizens from buying them...
-[X] We should establish a true semi-civilian merchant service to operate alongside the HSWS.
-[X] Capacity for a squadron of XF-40 bombers.
-[X] Plenty of space for R&R.
-[X] Exploration and excavation rights in the uninhabited sectors of the equatorial ring.
Might be worth establishing a second anchorage for additional fueling capacity later, since I'd like fueling, strikecraft, and the R&R space eventually.
Controlling the orbitals will de facto allow us to control the planet and eventually get their population integrated with us. So.... longer term we will probably get pilots, but not immediately.
-[X] Continue to procure samples for testing and study; work with the Militia to maintain a sizable armory so individual houses, individuals, etc., do not eventually out-gun us! After all, we can't stop citizens from buying them...
-[X] We should establish a true semi-civilian merchant service to operate alongside the HSWS.
-[X] Capacity for a squadron of XF-40 bombers.
-[X] Plenty of space for R&R.
-[X] Exploration and excavation rights in the uninhabited sectors of the equatorial ring.
Might be worth establishing a second anchorage for additional fueling capacity later, since I'd like fueling, strikecraft, and the R&R space eventually.
Controlling the orbitals will de facto allow us to control the planet and eventually get their population integrated with us. So.... longer term we will probably get pilots, but not immediately.
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Where?
Overall, Overseer and Hangars and Amenities are equivalent, except for formalizing the merchant marine. Perhaps we should merge the plans, ask the civilian interests as to their preference and make the choice contigent on that? Could score us some political points back at Home.
Rat King
Izutsumi-pilled
Basically a second station in Heimdall alongside the first. I don't think there's necessarily a limit on how many stations we can build.
I remain broadly in favor of semi-civilian merchant service and am gonna back that option, regardless.
[X] OPLAN: Overseer
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
[X] OPLAN: Overseer
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
Sometimes, assumptions are a good thing to make.
Unrelated to current vote, we may ponder designing a dedicated (non-modular and armored) military space station in 1-2Kton range, and a dedicated big hauler to carry and "install" it.
We may then position a few of them - in Heimdall, maybe Xyri (they wanted some tripwire force in case of Aslan emergency) and some other systems. This would take off some patrol duties from existing warships, allowing them to be deployed somewhere else if necessary. And, importantly, stations would not use pilots.
We may then position a few of them - in Heimdall, maybe Xyri (they wanted some tripwire force in case of Aslan emergency) and some other systems. This would take off some patrol duties from existing warships, allowing them to be deployed somewhere else if necessary. And, importantly, stations would not use pilots.
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