Martial: (Two Actions per Turn)
Two Actions Locked
hopefully we won't NEED to go to war (except against the pirates), so overtime is not necessary here. I'll still give a look for the most important actions for the next turn.
-The Great Hunt: Time: Three Years. Cost: 1500. Reward: Imperial Lands Purged of Monsters and Bandits, New Actions Unlocked.
Will Finish This Turn
And with this we'll finally be safe in our own lands! Hopefully we can let our army rest a bit after this
-
Ships of the Line: Time: Two Years. Cost: 1000. Reward: +15 Warships (Carracks) added to Imperial Navy.
Will Finish This Turn
And with this we now have a qualitative edge on everyone else's ships (though Neighpon will probably surpass us relatively soon, if they haven't already. they still got an overwhelming number superiority anyway.)
[ ] The West Wall-Watchtowers: Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Western Border Watchtowers built, removes possibility of surprise attacks, may discourage raids into core territory.
Let's be real: short of a Yak civil war or the rise of a war lord we're unlikely to ever consider this.
[ ] And Push It Somewhere Else!: Cost: 1500. Time: Three Years. Reward: Peregrine Line "Relocated" to Maretonian Border.
well, this reduces building time from 2+3 to just 3 years, which is VERY good. If talks break down or we antagonize Maretonia too much this will be necessary, and will probably need to be boosted by imperial order. And it wil still be highly desirable anyway (if we get our people back we're unlikely to actually be the one to start any offensive after all.)
[ ] Knights of the Frontier: Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: New Knightly Order Established to guard the Western Frontier.
This is not the border we need to concentrate on. Pass.
[ ] Black Knights: Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Knights of the Inner Circle equipped with Black Steel weapons.
Fortunately this is a 1 year action, so we can wait to take it.
[ ] Dog Knights: Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Diamond Dog Knights.
[ ] Crystal Knights: Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: Establishment of Crystal Knightly Order.
Both this are really nice, and we MIGHT take one of this (preferably the crystal knights, as they don't have anything more than a militia to defend themselves right now) instead of the black knights next turn.
[ ] Cautious Curiosity: Cost: 200. Time: Variable. Reward: Knowledge of Distant Lands.
F*** No. We already have enough problems. We have no time (and actions) to spare on anyone else
Diplomacy: (Two Actions per Turn)
One Action Locked
I believe any action on the Yak side should wait for Guiding Talon to end. This leaves Maretonia to deal with.
-A Guiding Talon: Time: Two Years. Cost: 800. Reward: Griffons assist Yak modernization efforts, Increased Gryphus-Yak Relations.
Will Finish This Turn
[ ] Immigration Campaign: Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak/Neighponese Immigrants. Chance of Success: 60%
There are no words to express how much i want this,especially if we're going to start the crystal university! But we simply can't!
[ ] Gaze upon the mists of Fate: Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Chance to gain information from Yak Seers. Chance of Success: 60%.
"The spirits tell me...that you should have used your actions on Maretonia".
Jokes aside, i have hope the shamans would TELL us if any Sombra level threat was coming, and we already have enough options for everything else. Their powers are supposed to be pretty vague anyway, and if our relationships with the Yaks continue to get better there is a chance they might explain some things of their own initiative (Certainly we don't have to do everything ourselves?!)
[ ] Calling the Old Yaks Out: Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Broken Horns publicly confronted with evidence of their deception, other Yak Clans alerted to potential power-play. Further Diplomatic Actions Available. Chance of Success: 55%
Let's wait for guiding talon to end, than we can consider it.
[ ]
You Stop That!: Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Libertalia momentarily pacified, Additional Options Unlocked. Chance of Success: 60%.
I think our ships are currently escorted right now, so it's not urgent. What i really have my eyes on is the next action
[ ] High-Level Talks: Cost: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Face-to-Face meeting with Queen Mareia, Chance to Normalize Relations with Maretonia. Possibility to Unlock New Actions, Gain Information. Chance of Success: 40%
THIS! THIS SO MUCH! First: it will give us the moral high ground, as it shows we TRIED everything to NOT go to war even if it fails. And if we can impress on the queen how harmfull a war would be for both of us we have a good chance to get our people back. Add the +40 from Lisain...
We also get a chance of decent relationships, verifying in person the Queen's opinion on slavery, possibly making some plans for the future to help each other. We might also get to worsen the ambassador's/nobles' position, which is a plus in my book.
I Think we should use imperial order on this one as well, we have a decent chance of solving the problem peacefully without even needing Ravenburg's help!
[ ] Gunboat Diplomacy: Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Maretonia Reconsiders. Chance of Success: 30% (Critical Failure Leads to War)
We're not ready for war, i would not risk this. We don't even have our new ships ready yet!
Stewardship: (Two Actions Per Turn)
[ ] Neighponese Seed Drills: Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Farming Income.
[ ] Western Lumberjacks: Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Logging Income.
[ ] Cloth Mills: Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Industrial Linen Production achieved, Increased Tax Income.
All three are nice actions. All three have been waiting a long time. All three are likely to wait much longer. Of the three i thing the seed drill would be the best one, simply because we'll need a surpluss in food to actually MAKE the canned food. The more the better.
Actually, now that i think about it, Canned food makes it easier to prepare for any bad harvest..if we had it before Sombra's winter...
[ ] First Rail: Cost: 700. Time: One Year. Reward: First Rail-Line, Increased Income, New Actions Unlocked.
Look, enough has been said about this. Do i even have to start again?
[ ] Crystalline Investment: Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate Becomes More Developed.
[ ] Skill-Training Program: Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Slightly Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate no longer dependent on Imperial Expertise.
Both are important, but i think developing the Protectorate would be much easier if we got the skilled ponies first. Skill training is also a 1-year action, which gives us extra flexibility in case we want to delay crystalline investment next turn (unlikely, but who knows).
An overtime to take all three would be nice, but we'll probably have to use it elsewhere
Learning: (Two Actions per Turn)
One Action Locked
-
Open Hearth Furnaces: Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Tax Income, Decreased Army Recruitment Costs.
Will Finish This Turn
the steel will be oh so usefull!
[ ] Flying without Wings: Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Viability of Airships explored, additional Learning Actions Unlocked.
I so want this, but i don't think we can fit it in the plan
[ ] Sugar Beets: Cost: 200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Sugar Beets acquired, new Learning and Stewardship Actions Unlocked.
No. Even if i think it's probably the action that will lead us to biobutanol as an alternative to carbon. Also Sugar and more fuel for our flamethrowers.
[ ] Sound the War Horns!: Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Gain War Horns. Upgrade Army Communications Bonus.
Can wait. We still have a decent chance to avoid a war.
[ ] Canned Foodstuffs: Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Decreased Military Upkeep, Additional Actions Unlocked.
This one is actually more interesting. After all canned food has more uses than simply military ones, and it would allow us to be prepared in case of famines, or if enemy pegasi ruin our weather.
As it has been said, unless you win INCREDIBLY quickly it's logistics that win wars.
[ ] A Different Kind of Mortar: Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Mortar Artillery Developed.
More usefull on the offensive that on the defensive, so I'll give this a maybe. We're more likely to fight on the defense for provoking them too much that being the one to actually attack, and i still have hope for a peacefull solution
[ ] Crystal University: Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Crystal University Constructed, New Learning Actions Unlocked.
THIS! We want this! at the very least crystal magic would be usefull for construction work and maybe against dark magic (looking at the crystal heart..).
It also gives the protectorate something unique, something they can be proud of that others don't have/can't do as well.
Intrigue: Ravenburg's intelligence coup the previous year succeeded in bringing the Maretonians to the negotiating table, though there was little he could do to prevent the failure of the talks. Naturally, before Olive Branch had even left the capital, your spymaster had already begun drawing up more...underhanded means of liberating your enslaved citizens. (One Action Per Turn)
[ ]
Covert Kingmaker: Some in the Yak Modernist movement have begun to speak privately of a unified Yakyakistan. Such a unified Kingdom would need a King, or at least a leadership figure of some renown capable of uniting the Clans. You could wait for such a figure to arise naturally...or you could seek one out and begin to covertly "groom them" for leadership. Whether they'll be made aware of such grooming is still up for debate. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Potential Yak Unifier Identified, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%
[ ]
Putting Out Feelers: The Broken Horns are sitting on a literal mountain of Orichalcum, one they've denied any knowledge of. While they lack the capacity to mine and smelt it, you don't like the idea of such a strategically important resource being in the possession of a Clan with mysterious motivations. Truthfully, you just don't like the fact that you don't have access to it. You could wait for the Yaks to unify themselves and then negotiate with the new leadership, but that's a risk you might not want to take. Ravenburg has raised a potential solution to this problem: organize a coup. Surely there is an ambitious young Yak within the Broken Horns willing to overthrow the clan's Elder Council...several such individuals are known to exist within the local group of modernists. Such a aspiring leader would likely be amicable to allowing Imperial access to the Orichalcum deposits in exchange for support and recognition. Of course, you'll have to find such a Yak before you can even think of going through with this, provided you do actually want to go through with this. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Identify potential Broken Horn Coup leader. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ]
How Do You Do Fellow Pirates?: Libertalia is a hub of criminal activity. Pirate vessels, smuggler's boats and slave barges come and go on an almost daily basis. It has no government or central authority, an anarchic territory divided amongst numerous gangs and criminal syndicates. It is the place where every outlaw goes when they need to disappear, where anything can be bought and sold for the right price. In other words, it's the perfect place for infiltration. Ravenburg is practically salivating at the thought of how much information could be gathered in such an environment, as well as other covert activities that could be carried out there. It should be child's play to slip a few Diamond Dogs ashore to gather information and report back on what they find. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Additional Information on Libertalia, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 75%
[ ] Ministry of Information: Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Ministry of Information Created, Additional Intrigue Action Per Turn.
FINALLY OUR SECOND ACTION!
[ ] The Good Kind of People Smuggling: Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Enslaved Citizens Liberated. Chance of Success: 35%.
[ ] The Indispensables: Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Enslaved Citizens Rescued, Chaos in Maretonia, Chance to Inflame Tensions. Chance of Success: 40%
We should only take one of these NOW if we'll boost them with our higher omake bonuses
I'd prefer to try to talk with the Queen before. If it doesn't work, I'd be fine with either of this.
Yes, we risk leaving our people as slaves a bit longer... but we get only ONE chance to save them, and if we actually go to war many more people will die. I think in the long term we have more to gain from successfull talks than from a successfull hostage rescue.
[ ] Bringing People Together: Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists Organized, New Actions Unlocked, Increased Chance of Success for Slave Liberation Actions. Chance of Success: 70%.
interesting. Maybe. I'd wait to see how our talk with the Queen goes though, she might even (unofficially) be supportive, who knows.
[ ] Calming Things Down: Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Lessened Tensions between Maretonian Political Factions, Potential to Peacefully Resolve the Hostage Crisis. Chance of Success: 30%
This might actually help the talks with the Queen. If she doesn't have to worry (too much) about the nobles she'll probably be more agreeable
[ ] Throwing a Match on the Pile: Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Tensions between Maretonian Political Factions, Potential to Incite a Civil War. Chance of Success: 40%
no, civil wars are nearly always a bad thing!
...unless we want to conquer them at their weakest, i suppose..
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
[ ] Overtime:
This is a turn i think we could really use an overtime, or even two
[ ] Imperial Priority:
Overtimes are slightly more usefull i think this time. Unless we want to talk to the Queen or save the hostages right this turn, which IS an option.
[ ] Creative Accounting: Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: One Small Lump-Sum of Funds. Chance of Success: 60%
nah
[ ] Getting to Know You: Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain Improves Relationship with a Friend, May Lead to Further Developments and Benefits Down the Road.
I think this should wait a turn, as right now our empire is more important than our son's friendships (sorry Gawain!
) though if we take i'd prefer the Qilin.
