Errr... I already mentioned any Victorian insurgents trapped behind our lines as a potential source of bandits ?
You know. Desperate people preying on evacuaees moving back to Detroit or any other vulnerable people.
as for towns and not challenging the biggest dogs, Chinese pirates challenged the EIC, the subsequent Royal Navy and USN. Brigands are brigands.
Ultimately, i want to spend AP points on upgrading us to smother local dissent, improve our attractiveness and legitimacy with our neighbours and not have to worry about using AP points to secure an expanded border in the Lakes.
Thia while boosting our intelligence. Not only has Poptart been dropping hints about how limited we are by our failed rolls in intel, im still extremely worried about that enemy which targeted and desteoyed Governor audrey intelligence service in the first place.
That being said, i not sayimg grabbing Detroit is a bad idea. Its a GREAT one. The issue is more of AP limitations. Detroit is now our ally. We have access to her trade networks and good will. We dont have their money but shrugs. Rather than risk tying us down there, i want to smother local and neighbour dissent. The conference means our neighbours can see us getting prosperous to be a good thing. Food means we can sell surplus to them. Growing our economy means we can align everyone to us economically, not just Detroit but traverse city.
Okay, first, let's start with the Victorian's. First, there arn't any "trapped behind our lines". The only real survivors are the northern force, which we attached from the west, while they were to the east of us, and quickly left only a token force behind once they were broken. We have no forces between them and retreating to Victoria. Sure, every community from here to Victoria is hostile to them, but they can start marching. Them attacking supply lines, requires the following.
1) They are still up for fighting
2) But arn't willing to try to get home
3) And are attacking refugees on the eastern side (as they can't cross water and Detroit is rather in the way)
4) And are a large enough group to in any way threaten Detroit.
I'd like to point out that 3 is fairly major. They have no boats, they can't go over water, and most people fleeing Victoria are probably going to go over water, or at least head AWAY from Victoria. Also,
@PoptartProdigy talked about people moving back, and didn't talk about them being attacked by bandits. If that were a concern, I kinda think it would be mentioned. Equally every time the Victoria survivors have been depicted, its a devastated, on the run force, not one sticking around for banditry.
As for the Desperate people, who? The only places the battle were fought were Detroit soil, and if they were in danger of starving, we probably would have had an action to stabalize them. Since we don't, and we know they were able to afford a party busting out horded food, it seems unlikely.
Chinese pirates were a well established regional power, not random groups suddenly popping up. Again, if such a group existed, they would have taken advantage when we were weak, not right now.
You talk about AP limitations. But Detroit is net ap-positive, treating it as a ap-negative because of some fantasy of bandits is ridiculous. And frankly if such bandits existed we would mobilize anyways, because letting our ally fall is terrible strategically, diplomatically and ethically. I can respect waiting based on, say
@Simon_Jester fear of pissing off our current population, but don't avoid them based on some imaginary bandits.
I figure Blackwell can sit on his Peace Talks for a bit. And while its possible he'll become more secure, so will we. Same thing with the Outreach. We'll be in a better bargaining position if we take time to settle.
I was originally thinking of putting Local Conference off till after we brought in Detroit and Toledo so that we'd be bring more weight to the table, but I figure it synergizes with Midwest Industrial Conference, and I am hesitant to put that off.
Finally, I put my last Free AP into Food production even though I really want to finish the Library.
I'm not worried about Victoria screwing with Outreach. I am very, very, worried about Russia doing so. Right now we can get our truth out before Russia controls the narrative. Waiting six months will insure Russia has it's story our, and will tell every state that had interest in us that we clearly don't have much interest in them.
