Galactic Dreams(Stellaris, Interactive/Community)

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by me

Engineering is back to work after being sidetracked by the debris analysis for the past couple of years or so.

You are still working on the thrusters.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

You are still working on the thrusters.

You make it sound soooooo dirty.

#RHPSFlashback

[tarcone]

My thrusters do need work. Ah the price of being 100+ years old.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by tarcone

My thrusters do need work. Ah the price of being 100+ years old.

Or maybe just the love of a good woman

[Brian Swartz]

This took an unexpected turn ...

[Brian Swartz]

Resource Overview

** Energy -- 1714 is the current balance out of a 5k maximum, with almost a 72-credit monthly surplus. Total income is 479 monthly, with ship maintenance consuming 20% of that, army maintenance 6%, station maintenance 25%, provincial buildings 32.5%, and spaceport modules 1.5%. The surplus is at 15% of our total income, which is I think a record and certainly not one that will last long. Sector taxes now account for more than a quarter of the imperial budget.

** Minerals -- For the first time, mineral supply has been at the storage maximum of 18k for the past couple of years. Clearly we can do without the mining stations that were eliminated. Income is 474 per month, most of that coming from the sectors(59%). Ship maintenance consumes 19%, nearly a fifth, leaving a monthly surplus of 383.

** Influence -- From a peak of over 500, half of the 1k storage maximum, expenditures mostly for recruiting new leaders reduced it to less than 200. The balance now stands at 260, with a gain of 3.35 monthly.

** Research -- Physics(320), Society(312), and Engineering(308) have been quite balanced for a while now in their relative levels of investment, and each has grown by about 30% in the last couple decades.

** Strategic Resources -- 5 Troutian Power Plants are available and on-line, with 8 Terraforming Gases and 6 Terraforming Liquids deposits fueling any terraforming efforts we need.

** Naval Capacity -- 149/557. We have a truly absurd surplus of logistical support at this point.

** Leader Capacity -- 16/16, 6 Scientists, 1 Admiral, 1 General, and 8 Administrators.

** Sector Limit -- 7/14. It's hard to imagine a situation at this point where we would approach this cap either. Larger sectors have proven most effective due to economies of scale; the needs of one system can often be supplied by its neighbors.


Leadership

Most of the 'experienced' members have passed on, with 13 of 16 at least two decades away from their natural 'expiration date'. The three senior scientists, all research directors, are the exceptions here. All are expected to drop dead at any moment. David Corperial is the only one left of the originals. He's been the face of the Society Dept. for over a century. Rather stunning.


Military

The army is pretty much ready for any challenge, though there are always periodic needs for new defensive armies. Relatively speaking it is a minor expense, and the three dozen assault armies appear to be enough to handle any war. Perhaps more might be needed if we wished to attack on multiple fronts at some point, but for now it definitely does it's job effectively.

The navy is in serious need of expansion after the energy crisis during the just-completed war with the QSC. The Djomar and Qravadox 'borders' are guarded by a contingent of 1 battleship, 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers, and 6 corvettes each. At Gabbog, the core systems hold the bulk of the fleet with 3 battleships, 7 cruisers, 16 destroyers, and 21 corvettes.


Factions

Internally, things remain remarkable stable. It seems that former Inquisitor Laren's plan to have top administrators in the most troublesome sectors, and regulate slavery, have served us well to stamp out any particularly troublesome elements.

** Loyalists -- After hovering around half for quite some time, they are down to just 41% of the Oncorhynchus Collective. This is still more than any other faction.

** Docile Slaves -- 29% of the population is in by far the second-largest faction. Every once in a while a small group radicalizes, but other than that they've caused no problems.

** Malcontent Slaves -- 8%, much fewer than the Dociles, are here. However, since Gov. Palmieri's departure, this has become a more attractive option for the enslaved elements, which is a little troubling ... numbers are slowly shifting back in this direction.

** Emancipation Movement -- About one in six Architreuthis presently favor elimination of slavery. They are far outnumbered by the Loyalists, and no major problems are foreseen so long as that remains the case.

** Others -- 4% are part of various separatist factions that have been kept well under control. About half of that number are in the recently acquired Qravadox territory. None of them are gaining any traction with the rest of the population, so they can safely be ignored.


Galactic Powers

With our victory over the Qravadox Star Consensus, they are no longer relevant as a major power in the galaxy. In fact, they are continuing to lose against the Vun-Okon, which will make that even more the case.

We now comprise a population of 527 spread across 45 worlds. No other empire comes close on either aspect. There are only two worth considering as threats in the future:

** Buhavilaa Ascendancy -- Stagnant though they may be, with only 5 planets and 125 population, the Buhavilaa remain leaps and bounds ahead of us technologically. They are listed as Overwhelming in terms of naval power and technology, merely Superior in fleet capacity.

** Bhenn'Thell Imperium -- They continue to gradually expand, and are the closest to our size with 22 planets and 347 pops. Their naval capacity is Inferior, but they are Superior in terms of fleet size and technology.

[Brian Swartz]

Had another update covering the year leading up to 2303.08.01 basically. It was lost somehow. Not a whole lot happened. Terraforming stations are being built -- there are six Architreuthis-occupied arctic worlds that can be improved -- and one planet has begun terraforming. Also, the Fist of Boojie just recently arrived back 'home', leading to the above overview. The galactic map hasn't changed much at all, other than what was shown of the gains from the QSC war.

Edit: Or I just posted in the wrong thread again :P. So, here it is:


2303

2303.01.01 -- The first major peacetime decision by Patriarch Glosch is to terraform the six Architreuthis-inhabited planets that are in need of it within the collective; all of them are arctic. This will cause some disruption both economically and socially, but will be much to our long-term benefit. Each of the terraforming stations will cost 3 energy per month to operate, so getting them going now will give us a better handle on where the budget is going to end up. It will have to be a staggered approach due to the massive front-end cost: 1.5k energy for each planet to be terraformed.

01.17




The last thing we need right now is more minerals. Having said that, it was still a nice gesture.

05.20




We've seen this before and weren't able to get there in time due to the last Djomar war. This time will be different -- a science ship is dispatched immediately.

08.01 -- First of the new terraforming stations completed. With the first outlay we are still at 1700(out of 5k), but with a surplus of 71 per month with the Fist of Boojie having arrived at Gabbog orbit a few days prior.

As is traditionally the case with a change in leadership or the conclusion of a war, it's time next for an overview of where things stand with the Collective.

[Brian Swartz]

** This is the longest update there's been in a while here. Part of that is because there was less need to pause for decisions. And there's a quite an important one needing feedback at the end ... **

2303-2306

Patriarch Glosch directed that various construction projects begin immediately in the core worlds. After all, we have plenty of minerals now. Rebuilding the navy is his primary objective, though there is much debate about what to do with it once that happens. To that end though, he wants all of the core planets to have fully upgraded spaceports to contribute to new shipbuilding wherever needed. Gabbog, Eskogg, and Agglor all began new Destroyer Assembly Yards, while new battleships were begun at Humboldt and Bakangi. Glosch intends to emphasize the smaller ships which can be built more quickly and efficiently ... but there is still a major shortage of the larger ones, at least for right now.

Meanwhile, there were also planetside improvements to be made. A Symbol of Unity would be built on all five core planets, replacing the most expendable research facilities except on Gabbog where there is still plenty of room to spare. The message of our common heritage, purpose, and the glory of Boojie above all must never be allowed to be forgotten.

These projects consumed more than five thousand minerals immediately, nearly a third of the reserve, and every year review and expansion of the outlying spaceports and army garrisons where appropriate will also take place, as before the war. We can never be too prepared for any potential threat or calamity that might arise.

A couple other fairly minor changes were instituted by Glosch, who is mostly following the path laid before him by his predecessor. We are finally able to dismantle the outpost in Hanneri, and the Master's Teaching edict has been enacted; this increases Society research by 10%, and our leader cap by 1. The outer rim sector of Haribas absorbs the Saiph sector into one larger one as well. Combined, these two measures shrink the number of ungoverned sectors from four to two.

08.08 -- Word received that the Bhenn'Thell have accepted peace with the Polity of Oxx-Oxx, absorbing three more planets into their empire. Yet another reminder that complacency is not an option.




08.20 -- A second terraforming station is completed, the first of two that will be built in the Khamb system, center of the Perj Sector. For now, that is all that will be built; energy reserves will need time to recover before terraforming can begin there in any case.

09.17 -- It was inevitable to happen eventually. 150-year-old Dr. David Corperial has breathed his last. 38-year-old Shuglerm, recently out of the academies, replaces him thanks to his knowledge of the biological sciences. With a new recruit to take his spot on board the Suggron, the influence reserve dips again to 173.

2304.01.02 -- Engos Vapor Refining research is finished. New Society Research Director Shugglerm starts in on Atmospheric Filtering, which offers the promise of slightly improved living conditions -- and therefore productivity -- on all planets. Hopes for widespread production of engos-enhanced naval assets were significantly tempered when only two deposits within our territory were found; at Cordip and Seginus, near the Ibannic Sector. In the same area of space, just outside our territory, we may eventually get a third from Gidzerak. Still, it appears to be quite rare.




Instructions are sent to have Humboldt and Bakangi spaceport, our two primaries, built the new modules as soon as possible. Ship production will have to remain focused there in order to gain the benefits of this new enhancement.

It would be some time before work on Atmospheric Filtering could begin, as Shugglerm soon found himself occupied with coordinating work on the implants on Ovastivum.

03.03 -- The implants issue has been successfully resolved, and the Lollusch III returns to Spica to assist general studies there.




04.03 -- The Gwesibor Regime has declared themselves rivals with the Bhenn'Thell Imperium. Probably not a wise move.

05.08 -- Dr. Tarc has died with his current work nearly completed. He was 125. This time, Ethogg is the new fish for the job.

05.12 -- The Cormathani Star Combine has declared a war of independence against the Gwesibor. Their chances of success are not good, but we have no route into their territory to assist, even if we wanted to. What was not immediately obvious was that the Bhenn'Thell were allied with the Cormathani, along the Galactic Uindar, their 'pets'. That ... changed the odds considerably.

06.26 -- The last of the Symbols of Unity have been completed.

09.02 -- Impulse Thrusters are finished. The time-consuming work of Superfluid Materials, allowing for improved Engineering Research, will be next.

10.04 -- A second terraforming initiative is begun, on the planet Raggani in the Khamb system.

11.01 -- An Orbital Hydroponic Farm module is finished at Eskogg, and one of the provincial farms will be replaced by a new Engineering Facility.

2305.07.12 -- Engos Refineries finished at Humboldt and Bakangi spaceports. Battleship construction will resume in both systems.

09.16 -- Eskogg finishes the new Engineering Facility.

09.21 -- More malfunctioning implants, this time on Thrus-Larypoor. This time Dr. Salve Linus, who is across the same system at the Rakaron colony, is called in to assist.

12.09 -- First contact with the Uri Hegemony. They are collectivists who hate everyone, and are on the opposite side of the galaxy as is almost everyone we are meeting these days. Yet they still should not be ignored ...




Considered roughly equal in fleet strength and technology though lacking compared to the Collective in terms of naval capacity, the Uri are not an empire we can afford to ignore. Right now we'd rank them as a fourth galactic power along with the Buhavilaa, ourselves, and the Bhenn'Thell. Their holdings span 22 planets and nearly 300 population.

2306.01.02 -- Implant situation resolved.

03.29 --




Patriarch Glosch instructs that all remnants of this stupid interference must be eliminated, even though it will result in significant casualties among the 'locals'.

04.02 -- Atmospheric Filtering research completed. Up next is Doctrine: Fleet Support, which unlocks two more modules that allow for further decreases in fleet upkeep costs.

05.11 -- Dr. Salve Linus is up to ** skill.

06.08 -- New power plant is begun on Gabbog.

08.03 -- A third on-going terraforming effort begins, at Izval in the Occupied Territories.

09.19 -- Council convenes immediately following this communication from the Buhavilaa Ascendancy.




It seems they are mostly upset about our spiritualism first of all(they are fanatic materialists, stating that 'there is no divine spark that gives value to any living mind') and they also don't like the fact that we use robotics. We haven't developed any ourselves, but have captured some from the Djomar and Qravadox. Or maybe they just think we are starting to get too big for our britches.

Only two choices here, and they are pretty straightforward. Patriarch Glosch will entertain all advice before he makes a decision on how to reply, and those who have died will have a chance to rejoin if they choose, as well.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Only two choices here, and they are pretty straightforward. Patriarch Glosch will entertain all advice before he makes a decision on how to reply, and those who have died will have a chance to rejoin if they choose, as well.

Soooo hard to think about this in character rather than OOC.

In-game ... I'm inclined to tell them to get stuffed

OOC ... I'm of the impression that telling them to get stuffed is virtually an automatic game-over.

[SirFozzie]

I'm tempted to tell them to bite the northbound end of a southbound grishnak that has just gone through mating season.

[Coffee Warlord]

Boojie's servants do not bow to Alien Scum. Their time is over. We are in the ascendancy.

(though if we really do tell them to get bent, we're so dead)

[ntndeacon]

we scoff at such prattling. We respect the elders. OUR elders. not some enfeebled morons who pretend.

[tarcone]

Man, I die and the world goes to shit.

I would like to rejoin.

Tarcisius. The son of revered scientist, Dr. Tarc. Although a short time in his position, it was ineffectual.

[Brian Swartz]

Administrator, scientist, or something else? I'll wait another day, but it seems the will of the Collective is pretty clear here.

[tarcone]

Scientist.

[Brian Swartz]

2306-07

With the Collective unified(although a bit nervously), Patriarch Glosch told the Buhavilaa Ascendancy to stop sticking their nose where it was neither wanted nor appreciated. I'm told the actual language was not quite so ... charitable. There was no immediate response, though the diplomats say they are currently considering whether it's worth the effort to obliterate us. The word 'angry' is used to describe their attitude.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tarcisius has been named head of the Society Dept, taking a slightly different path than his father. He is 41, at ** skill, and has expertise in Biology(+10% research speed in the field).

12.03 -- The Confederation of Ir-Vol-Ta prepares to integrate a vassal. This news is not of immediate importance, as it comes from the other side of the galaxy, but when this is completed they will be roughly equal to us, or nearly so, instead of slightly inferior.

2307.02.02 -- Doctrine: Fleet Support research has finished. There are two more spaceport modules now available. Crew Quarters reduces the upkeep of ships in orbit by 20%. The Engineering Bay reduces upkeep by 10%, but -- it appears -- only for ships built there. We'll need these in all of the core planets. Repair speed is increased by 25%, and cost of those repairs reduced by 25%. It would probably be best to build these as well where the fleet is usually stationed(i.e, Sosta near the remains of Djomar, and Spica on the Qravadox border, along with Impal Tov where the bulk is stationed) and use those systems to build ships for that particular sector. That way, they'll have a place to return for quick, inexpensive repairs. A significant amount of our stockpiled minerals will now have a use.


Research Director's Briefing: Dr. Tarcisius

Our new Society Director is needed.

** Transgenic Crops(Biology, 48 mo.) -- The nutritional elements of several common food staples are combined into convenient packaging, slightly improving the overall health. Empire-wide increase of 5% in food production.

** Continental Colonization(New Worlds, 24 mo.) -- Pretty much what it says.

** Nutrient Replication(Biology, 82 mo.) -- A second shot at this one. Synthetic replication of common crops, using a large volume of organic waste as the source. Food increased by 25% across the empire, considerably increasing growth rates of new or developing colonies in particular.

** Xenology(Biology, 13 mo.) -- Reveals the dubious strategic resource of Alien Pets.

Dr. Tarcisius, you are on the clock.

[Brian Swartz]

Apparently Dr. Tarcisius can't be bothered. Nutrient Replication is selected. This will result in considerably more efficient use of arable land, and while it's a long project, it's still by far the best 'bang for the buck' here. Any new worlds we acquire in the future will benefit considerably from the increased growth.

[Brian Swartz]

2307(cont'd)

2307.08.15 -- New power plant operational on Gabbog. It also appears that the new spaceport modules work retroactively, as the energy surplus was boosted by nearly 30 per month when a few of them were completed. Quite the nice surprise there. One of the farms on Gabbog will now be replaced by a science lab, as the building there continues almost non-stop with the massive planet almost two-thirds occupied now.

09.02 -- Proton Torpedoes research completed. Another fleet upgrade is in order, but not until the spaceports are done with their current operations.

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. JIMGA Jr.

** Plasma Throwers(Particles, 24 mo.) -- A quite outdated weapons system at this point, Plasma Throwers do have good armor penetration but would only be useful if they led to something else.

** Arc Emitters(Particles, 62 mo.) -- An interesting new option. Arc Emitters are very power-hungry and do a lot of damage, nearly as much as the recently discovered proton torpedoes. They also penetrate armor fairly well(50%) and ignore half of shields. They work by literally creating lightning storms, and and as such the resulting damage can be very destructive ... or virtually non-existent. Overall though, they may be the best weapons system we know of.

** Synchronized Defenses(Computing, 13 mo.) -- This is at least the second time we've come upon this RARE tech option. This module for spaceports or stations increases their weapon damage and firing rate by 25%.

** Shield Harmonics(Field Manipulation, 53 mo.) -- Improvements to our practical engineering of shield systems allow for a 5% increase in effective strength immediately.

Dr. JIMGA Jr., you are now the elder statesman of sorts, and are on the clock again.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

** 56075994(Computing, 13 mo.) -- This is at least the second time we've come upon this RARE tech option. This module for spaceports or stations increases their weapon damage and firing rate by 25%.

** Shield Harmonics(Field Manipulation, 53 mo.) -- Improvements to our practical engineering of shield systems allow for a 5% increase in effective strength immediately.

Dr. JIMGA Jr., you are now the elder statesman of sorts, and are on the clock again.

Let's research Computing. It's quick, seems to be in line with our current direction.

(OOC note: this is the first time I've been able to log in since the great board crash. Was gonna do a temporary ID just to answer but after something like 18 tries previously failed, this one worked. Boojie be praised for her intervention)

[Brian Swartz]

That's what I call commitment!!

[tarcone]

Sorry about that. I was locked out of my office. Took me 6 light years to find someone that could get me in.

What a time it was.

[Brian Swartz]

Nothing to be sorry about. Stuff happens.

[Brian Swartz]

2307-08

2308.01.01 -- Several more armies are recruited on various planets of more security. Only our newest planet, Shaula, is not yet up to Destroyer production at the spaceport if needed, and of course the slow buildup of the fleet continues.

03.05 -- The new Engineering Bays and whatnot have been finished in the core worlds.

07.21 -- Schlurg, the second colony in the Khamb system, becomes the fourth active terraforming project. Two to go. The first of them is just reaching the midway point.

10.02 -- Synchronized Defenses research complete.

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. JIMGA Jr.

Again.

** Neutron Torpedoes(Particles, 102 mo.) -- For those of you scoring at home, I'm nearly certain this is the most expensive project yet. Another advance in torpedo technology, they are very similar to the Proton Torpedoes we currently have. Accurate, long-range, slow-firing, power sponges. They also ignore shields and do a ton of damage, 13% than our most powerful system to date.

** Uplink Miniaturization(Computing, 24 mo.) -- Doubles the effectiveness of our survey scientists on the Assist Research mission that now takes up most of their time.

** Shields(Field Manipulation, 40 mo.) -- Increases planetary fortifications by 20%. Shields are like Deflectors, only better, offering 50% more protection for the same size of generator.

** Interlinked Support Systems(Computing, 32 mo.) -- Unlocks Barrier Point Defense, an upgrade to our current Sentinel systems for that role.

Dr. JIMGA Jr., for some reason you are still alive. So do something.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Research Uplink Miniaturization

I figure I might as well shot for short, productive, and things I might see come to fruition before I kick the bucket.

[Brian Swartz]

2308-2310

2308.11.05 -- New Physics Lab operational on Gabbog. Some Djomar have immigrated here, and of course been enslaved. As a result, the population has far outstripped our ability to construct provincial operations. For the time being, we need a few science labs to get the Architreuthis all working, and then mining networks for the Djomar. 80% of the maximum population is present now.

2309.01.12 -- Peace between the Vun-Okon and the Qravadox. The settlement apparently stipulated an independent 'buffer state' between them, the Galactic Haddam Sovereignty. The QSC has now been reduced to 11 planets, making them a minor power but as anticipated, not one we need concern ourselves with any longer, unless we wish Boojie to reign over more of 'their' territory.




03.20 -- Another peace is found, this one between the Beldross Empire and the Uri Hegemony. The Uri clearly won this one, though I didn't play close enough attention to see what the terms were. The Beldross are definitely in decline though now. The Uri have 27 planets when you add in their vassals, so they are not to be trifled with.




10.02 -- Engineering Facility completed on Gabbog. Time to build another one.

11.18 -- The Tycan Nation sends this lovely comminique:




Patriarch Glosch has plans for them, but it is not yet time. They can't hide their ripoff of Agent Smith from us.

2310.02.18 -- Dr. Salve Linus is up to *** skill.

04.11 -- A fifth planet begins terraforming in the Zeldrah system, the heart of former Djomar territory.

06.01 -- The fleet now has 15 battleships, more than it had before the war. Filling out the smaller, cheaper ships is the next goal, with 15 each cruisers and destroyers not far away(already have 12-13 of each), and then building up to 45 total corvettes, as Glosch emphasizes those as a screening force. He'll re-evaluate where things stand at that point.

08.24 -- Engineering Facility finished on Gabbog. The population there has grown so fast that we now have some unemployed Architreuthis. Another science lab should handle that situation. '

10.02 -- Uplink Miniaturization research finished.

[Brian Swartz]

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. JIMGA Jr.

131 and still kickin'.

** Plasma Cannons(Particles, 102 mo.) -- Like the Plasma Accelerators, our best AP weapon, only significantly more destructive.

** Gamma Lasers(Particles, 102 mo.) -- Next iteration of laser technology, improving on our X-Ray Lasers. Not as much armor penetration as the plasma weapons, but a hair better base damage. For my money, the plasma weapons are clearly the superior option.

** Sentient AI(Computing, 74 mo.) -- This is our first DANGEROUS technology. It is also RARE. Rare as has been mentioned before means it might not come up again if we pass on it. Dangerous meaning it angers certain fallen empires ... like, you know, the Buhavilaa Ascendancy next door to us, who has done nothing but bluster about visiting Humboldt with a 'demonstration' of their technology. Dangerous also, because if the machines become too smart ... well, you know the rest. Might not be pretty, but chances are if we don't develop them, somebody else will. If they haven't already. Sentient AIs would, on the other hand, improve research speed by 10%.

** Hyperspace Slipstreams(Particles, 61 mo.) -- Unlocks Hyperdrive III, reducing charge-up time for fleet jumps from one system to another by an additional 25%, down to 50% of normal. In other words, a third faster than the present 75%.

Dr. JIMGA Jr., you may well go out with a doozy of a choice. The fast, safe route with hyperdrive improvements to allow our fleets to get from one place to another in our vast empire somewhat more quickly? A new, powerful weapons system for our ships? Or will the aging, some say senile, others say venerable, scientist open Pandora's Box and possibly usher in the Rise of the Machines? You're on the clock again.

[Brian Swartz]

Moving on with Hyperspace Slip Streams. With the size of the empire, it's important to be able to relocate more quickly.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Moving on with Hyperspace Slip Streams. With the size of the empire, it's important to be able to relocate more quickly.

So help me, I've been looking at this thing every day, several times a day.
No update. I even wondered where you'd been for so long, figured life just got busy or something.

Now suddenly you post & I see where I was missing a pending question.
Sorry.

[Brian Swartz]

Hehe. No problem.

[Brian Swartz]

2310-2313

2311.01 -- Cruisers have been built and it's on to destroyers now. Meanwhile, Patriarch Glosch has decided that it's time to finish our expansion into the Ibannic Nebula. If the Buhavilaa do ever come this way, it should at least help act as a buffer againt them.

There are three systems of interest to the Collective on the map above. Ustir has a fine arctic planet, Tediss an ocean one. We'd like to terraform Ustir before colonizing of course, which is where Debbux comes in. There is a max-size desert planet there, fitting for the Shantari, the best of our dry-climate 'assistants'. That would close enough to give us control over Ustir to be able to get the terraforming going.

02.20 -- Peace has been announced in the war next door to us. The Cormathani, former rebels against the Gwesibor, have expanded. And of course the Bhenn'Thell's help was not entirely philanthrophic, they took a bit of territory as well.




09.02 -- Superfluid Materials research completed. This allows for top-level Engineering Facilities, and the appropriate upgrades will commence immediately. Humboldt is the only core planet without at least one of them. There is tough choice ahead for Dr. Ethogg, but in keeping with Glosch's focus on the fleet he will pursue Standardized Cruiser Patterns. This unlocks the module Cruiser Assembly Yards, allowing quicker and cheaper production of these larger ships along with the corvette and destroyer variants already in use.

10.01 -- All of the requested corvettes for the Fist of Boojie have been completed. A few more are yet needed for the border task forces though.

10.21 -- Physics Lab finished on Gabbog, and attention turns to the many Engineering Facility upgrades that will be needed there.

12.17 -- A colony ship has been finished at Edellimar, the nearest Shantari planet just a few jumps away, and dispatched to Debbux to begin our expansion further into the nebula.

2312.02.03 -- Bakangi has completed upgrades to it's sole Engineering Facility.

02.21 -- Agglor has done the same. The remaining two core planets have several, and will take much longer to complete the process.

03.10 -- Hark is the sixth and final settled world to begin the terraforming process from arctic to ocean. It is only a little over a year and a half until the first completes the decade-long process.

05.10 -- All of the needed corvettes for the border fleets have been finished. For now, ship production will halt. There is still a large surplus(+52 per month), but the desired level is estimated to be about 30-35 at this point. We'll find more about how big it needs to be soon, because Patriarch Glosch has determined that it is time to clean up a couple of troublesome eyesores. The moment has arrived to eliminate the Djomar League and it's troublesome protectorate, the Tycan Nation. They will not insult us with their words or continued existence for much longer. Admiral Garma and the Fist of Boojie are called into action once more.

It ends up being even more of a drain than expected. We don't get the savings of from some of the recently built spaceport modules when not in orbit, and when the ships leave Gabbog the energy balance drops nearly to zero. That means a drop of close to 50 per month for any war with the current size of our fleet ... and that's with a significant part of it remaining for defensive purposes. We'll probably want to maintain a surplus of at least 30 in peacetime.

05.29 -- The colony ships lands on Debbux. A new one will be built to journey to the ocean world of Tediss, the first expansion of Architreuthis territory in some time.

12.28 -- The Fist of Boojie meets up with the Djomar Guard. The combined fleet then splits in two; half will stay here and deal with the Djomar themselves, the other half going a half-dozen jumps away to the Tycan border. A coordinated attack is the quickest way to deal with this situation. The energy balance has now turned negative, roughly a dozen per month. We can keep up that level for nearly a decade, so there is no immediate concern. The Malcontent Slaves have also chosen this moment to start causing trouble again, but all they'll do is smuggle another group out of the Empire. Cost of doing business.

2313.02.01 -- The Debbux colony has been officially established.

03.09 -- Gabbog has finished with the upgrading of its engineering facilities. The Engineering Dept. is now slightly more well-funded even that Society. The only thing left for full development of our fifth core world is to build several mining networks.

03.16 -- Everything is in position, and the only way the Djomar could be unaware of what is coming is if their agents are asleep. Regardless, the word of war must be officially delivered, and this is the day for it. We are two jumps away from the lone planet each has settled.

04.01 -- The energy situation turns further south. I'd forgotten that some of our citizens don't like offensive wars, and aren't as productive in this situation. All the more reason to build up a big reserve for any major future conflicts. Shouldn't be an issue here though. Still enough for almost five years. Part of it was also the completion of the latest colony ship at Raggani, which heads out to Tediss. After jumping into hostile territory, both task forces are opposed by a single mining station.

04.16 -- The Tycan Nation, possessing the same wormhole tech as their masters, sends a small contingent to the small system of Alioth. They will be ignored. They probably are strong enough to take down our spaceport, but once we take their lone planet I doubt they'll be so enthusiastic to resist.




05.08 -- Eskogg finishes upgrading engineering facilities, the last to do so.

06.18 -- The Djomar's final battle has begun; Admiral Garma engages the Djo Feh'Mari Spaceport. The Tycan front is slower, with a research station a jump away from the target slowing things down.

08.02 -- The Tycan attackers have fled Alioth, probably due to the fact that we've just arrived at their home system. Meanwhile, Mag Rutosch is the first of the six ongoing terraforming projects to complete.

08.05 -- The Djomar are trying the same tactic, attacking Ullus where we have three colonies. They'll not find the welcome any warmer, even as we assault their final homeworld.

08.27 -- Interstellar Railroad activated and we lose another slave pop. At the moment I couldn't care less.

10.30 -- The Djomar spaceport is almost down, and elsewhere the Tycan fleet, such as it is, has been smashed along with their wormhole station.

11.10 -- The Ullus Prime spaceport has been destroyed on our end, with three corvettes lost of a much larger force of attacking Djomar.

12.27 -- A second spaceport lost in Ullus. Another corvette and two destroyers were paid by the Djomar in compensation.

2314.01.02 -- Nutrient Replication research completed.

The current status of the war is that the final Djomar presence in their home system, the wormhole station, is being eliminated. Then we will proceed to their planet of Semadjo. On the Tycan front, the battle against their spaceport and associated, mostly civilian ships, has just begun.

The Djomar fleet in Ullus, known as the 3rd Abyssal Flotilla, is basically the remnant from the last war. They've got 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers, and a pair of corvettes remaining. They can bombard our defenses on the planets there but little else they can do, esp. once we take down their only wormhole station.

[Brian Swartz]

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. Tarcisius

** Artificial Moral Codes(Statecraft, 32 mo.) -- Gotta loves the hubris of this tech in the merely naming of it. 'It is circumstances that dictate what is moral. Define the circumstances, and the ethics are like clay in your hands'. Except ... we're Architreuthis. We don't have hands. Anyway. Resettlement cost is reduced by 10%. Additionally, the Imperial Edict of Share the Burden becomes available. For 1.7 influence per month, slave production of food and minerals is increased by 20%, as well as robot production by 20% across the board. This is achieved by a rotating schedule of duties that allows for a productivity increase through variety. Not sure how that would affect robots, but perhaps they have 'boredom programming'. Shrug.

** Tropical Colonization(New Worlds, 24 mo.)

** Xeno Diplomacy(Statecraft, 24 mo.) -- This is the option to unlock the Form Federation diplomatic option. At this point, we're practically a federation unto ourselves.

** Doctrine: Reactive Formations(Military Theory, 13 mo.) -- Experience of deep-space combat has allowed us more efficiency in coordinate large-scale maneuvers,. Another 10% increase to naval capacity. At present, we are at 255/591, and that's with the loss of a couple of spaceports that will be rebuilt.

Dr. Tarcisius, you are on the clock.

[tarcone]

Since I lack them, maybe I could use these.
Artificial Moral Codes(Statecraft, 32 mo.)

[Brian Swartz]

Good to know one of our top scientists has no ethics., On the other hand, maybe that's how he got to his present position.

Anyway ...

2314-16

2314.01.23 -- The Djomar wormhole station is down, probably their only one although with one system out of range we can't be certain. The Fist of Boojie has lost three corvettes, quite minor losses overall but still more than we'd like. It's time for bombardmente of Djo Feh'Mari, their last remaining planet.

04.27 -- Resistance eliminated in the Bysh system controlled by the Tycan Nation, and the task force there moves in on Xant Ovoc.

05.04 -- First of five mining networks is finished on Gabbog.

08.01 -- Tediss colony established.

08.06 -- After a fierce battle in which a majority of our attacking armies were badly depleted, Djo Feh'Mari surrendered. With this victory, both the Djomar and Tycan governments signed unconditional surrenders, ending the war. The Occupied Territories sector grows even larger adding Semadjo, and Bysh goes to the Deesh Sector.

Construction and science ships are sent in to build new stations, analyze debris, etc. Meanwhile, the fleet will return to the previous stations.

10.06 -- Raggani is the second of the terraforming operations to complete.

2015.03.08 -- I noticed something interesting. Each sector has its own construction ships, and they are going around rebuilding the 'inefficient' mining stations where there are only a 2-mineral yield. I can't actually stop them from doing this. I think that's a possibility with the better sector controls in the incompatible patches, but as it is it will limit us a little bit. No point in fighting them -- just another reason to leave as many systems out of sectors as possible.

03.18 -- Another 'situation' on Ovastivum. Had a screenshot-taking fail, but the basic deal is that the subterranean race there is in danger of a famine. Not sure how that works underground, but they asked for our help, which would require 100 energy. Patriarch Glosch refused to invest energy resources in such matters. Architreuthis needs come first. Won't help our relations with them, but we won't be held hostage by an alien presence on one planet.

06.23 -- The first few debris fields yielded nothing. In the Ullus system, however, there was found some minimal progress towards Interlinked Support Systems.

07.01 -- Second mining network finished on Gabbog.

12.08 -- The Gwesibor Regime is now rivals with the Anathurian Alliance of Domains. We take notice of this as both are neighbors to us.

12.26 -- More debris analysis gives us a bit of insight into the antiquated concept of Space Torpedoes.

2416.03.02 -- Hyperspace Slipstreams research completed. All ships will begin the upgrade process for the new hyperdrives by the end of the year if not traveling on other duties.

06.25 -- More progress on useless-to-us Plasma Throwers and Space Torpedoes as the debris analysis continues.

08.05 -- Izval Prime has been terraformed into an ocean environment. Three down, three more underway.

08.30 -- Third mining network finished on Gabbog.

09.02 -- Artificial Moral Codes research finished.

We've got the usual research decisions coming up next, but it's also time to reassess the post-war situation. We've reached another one of the those points where we need to take stock of the situation and do some critical rudder orders. The endgame may soon be upon us ...

[Brian Swartz]

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. JIMGA Jr.

** Orbital Sensor Arrays(Voidcraft, 10 mo.) -- This is a RARE technology. Unlocks the Observatory module. Sensor range is increased by 50%, and research by 10% wherever it is built.

** Subspace Sensors(Voidcraft, 24 mo.) -- +5% to survey speed. Also unlocks Subspace Sensors which have moderately increased range and a slight increase to accuracy for our ships.

** Assembly Algorithms(Computing, 53 mo.) -- Decreases construction times by 5%.

** Neutron Torpedoes(Particles, 104 mo.) -- Latest advance in weaponry, they are more powerful than our current Proton Torpedoes.

** Interlinked Support Systems(Computing, 3/32 mo.) -- Point-defense system, improvement over our current Sentinel for the anti-strike craft role.


Research Director's Briefing: Dr. Tarcisius

** Synthetic Thought Patters(Statecraft, 45 mo.) -- An additional 10% reduction in resettlement cost is achieved. 15% reduction in the cost of edicts as well. Description is amusing: "Thinking outside the box only places you in another, somewhat larger box." This is a RARE technology.

** Massive Glacier Removal(New Worlds, 9 mo.) -- Given our terraforming efforts on arctic worlds, it's hard for me to imagine us using this much.

** Xenology(Biology, 12 mo.) -- Unlocks the dubious strategic resource Alien Pets.

** Telepathy(Psionics, 58 mo.) -- Unlocks Psionic Armies. Much like our current armies, only they do a lot more damage, particularly psychologically. This is a RARE technolocy.

Dr. JIMGA Jr. and Dr. Tarcisius, you have another choice ahead of you and are now on the clock.

[JonInMiddleGA]

A rare tech that's also the quickest to complete? Easy peasy.
Orbital Sensor Arrays

[Brian Swartz]

Post-War Situation

Economically things are back to the way they were basically. We're building new spaceports and rebuilding the ones in Ullus that were destroyed by the final flailings on the Djomar. With the size of the fleet now we probably want to maintain about a +50 energy balance in peacetime, and we're at roughly +65-70 so that's no problem. The goals at this point are:

** Terraform and then colonize Ustir when energy supplies recover sufficiently.
** Continue to use surplus minerals to improve spaceports, recruit armies, etc. where needed.
** We'll upgrade the fleet next as mentioned, which will change things a bit. After this last terraforming initiative, expanding the fleet a bit more will happen when there's enough energy to warrant the investment.
** We've got some more systems to expand into with orbital stations, mostly in the Ibannic sector where we've recently colonized. At this point the investment cost of doing such things is quite trivial.
** Internally, even with just over a third of the population Loyalists at this point, things are remarkably stable and likely to remain so.

All of those decisions essentially make themselves. The thornier question is this: what's our long-term strategy? To set that up, here's the most recent zoomed-out galactic map.




For the first time in many decades, we have no obvious immediate enemies. The Oncorynchus Collective has long been the largest empire in the galaxy, and that remains true. We span 44 planets and 622 population. That's about 40% more than anyone else. There are also no major expansion avenues open to us via colonization; we can settle new average to large-sized planets, but they would all be within our established borders. The biggest, most lucrative destinations have already been claimed.

The stage appears to be set; the final act is not yet here, but it can be seen just over the horizon, so to speak. For decades, our empire and that of the Bhenn'Thell Imperium have progressed on similar paths. Sometimes living in peace, often at war in expanding our territories, both have steadily grown in power and overwhelmed our neighbors. There's very much a cold war/arms-race feel to it. The Bhenn'Thell have direct control over less territory(28 planets, 435 pop) but if you add in their vassal, the Galactic Uthonian Nation, those numbers grow to 34 and 498. Still less than ours, but not insignificant. Their fleet, not counting Uthonian contributions is roughly equal to ours as is their logistical support. Technologically they are still considered superior.

It seems inevitable that our two empires will come into open conflict eventually. It also seems highly probably that the winner of that conflict will come to dominate the galaxy in this age, barring some unforseen disaster ...

Though they have taken no direct action, we cannot discount the possibility that the Buhavilaa Asendancy will join in at some point. In terms of naval might we are now strong enough to be on their radar, though they'd never admit it: they are now just Superior in both categories. Technology rating is still Overwhelming though.

Still, the primary thrust of things is this: how do we deal with the Bhenn'Thell going forward?

** Internal Advancement -- With no immediate, compelling reason to expand further, we could follow the approach favored by our former leader, Roe Laren. This is a 'quiet' approach under which we'd colonize a new planet once every 5-10 years, focusing on developing our technological capabilities. This is the 'tall' vision, informed by the view that we're big enough for the time being and seeing research as the key to making the most of our empire.

** Blob Away! -- Alternatively, we have the fleet capability to simultaneously wage war and keep a sizable portion of our ships at home. This is the 'wide' approach, in which we stake the future of the Architreuthis people on sheer numbers and more alien slaves and regions of space coming under our dominion. What we might lack compared to the Buhavilaa and Bhenn'Thell in technology we will more than make up for in sheer numbers. Admiral Garma would be directed to smash first one enemy and then another; heck, we could even fire a governor and fight multiple wars at once if we chose. The limiter on how quickly we can conquer would be our energy reserves, which must remain high in order to support such campaigns.

The Gwesibor and Cormathani form a buffer inwards between ourselves and the Bhenn'Thell; taking their territory would make a conflict likely sooner rather than later with the Imperium, but also deprive them of a potential avenue of expansion. The Qravadox and Scyldari on the outer rim, or the Anathurians in the middle, are not capable of any meaningful resistance -- and there are others in the lower reaches of the galaxy beyond them.

** Moderation -- Some might also wish to advocate a middle ground, with occasional wars interspersed with times of peace. Once every 10-15 years we might expand, then take some time to consolidate, and then repeat the cycle. Perhaps invading Gwesibor first to put more pressure on the Bhenn'Thell, then going into a time of domestic investment might be favored.

Patriarch Glosch needs to hear from all corners of the Collective in order to decide how to best proceed. What say you?

[tarcone]

Dr. Tarcisius wants to research Telepathy

And in 45 months "Blob Away!"

[Brian Swartz]

Why 45 months?

[tarcone]

Oooppps. 58 months. When my new psi warriors are rolled out.

Nothing and I mean nothing will stop my new psi warriors.

[Brian Swartz]

Except tripping over their own gills? Nm.

2316-17

2316.12.23 -- More progress on Space Torpedoes and Plasma Throwers.

2317.03.02 -- Orbital Sensor Arrays research completed. These will be built immediately on all highly-developed worlds. There is a maintenance cost in energy, but it's minimal(1 each) and will allow further advancement by largely offsetting the cost of bringing new technologies to all corners of our empire.

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. JIMGA Jr.

** Arc Emitter(Particles, 62 mo.) -- Lightning-based weapon that comes only in Large. Their primary advantadge is being good against both armor and shields(50% for each), and therefore highly versatile/adaptable to any enemy.

** Plasma Cannons(Particles, 110 mo.) -- These come in any size, and are 75% armor penetrating. Many of our more powerful weapons are available only for biggest hardpoints; these can be used on any ship.

** Gamma Lasers(Particles, 110 mo.) -- Next-gen laser weaponry. A little more damaging than the plasma cannons, but not nearly as good against armor(33% penetration).

** Particle Lance(Particles, 62 mo.) -- A power sink just like torpedoes are, these come only in Large size also. They have 75% armor penetration and each can deal as much damage as any system currently in our arsenal.

** Interlinked Support Systems(Computing, 3/32 mo.) -- Comes only in Small, an upgrade for our point defense.

Dr. JIMGA Jr., this is not a subtle selection here. Pick the weapons system to be developed next.

A quick little project as anticipated for this brief update. I forgot to do the fleet refit/upgrade again. I really need to remember to do that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Might we get some input from our naval commander?

(If not, I'm inclined toward Arc Emitter if you need an immediate decision, but if we could wait maybe 12 hours at least for the fleet to weigh in I'd prefer to)

[Brian Swartz]

You've got 48 hours, so we can sure wait 12. Having said that, Admiral Garma is an NPC. On his behalf, I'll say that:

** We might make more progress on Interlinked Support Systems from the ongoing debris work; about half of available wreckage from the war remains to be studied.

** IMO Plasma Cannons are clearly superior overall to Gamma Lasers

** In fitting with your instincts, I'd take the Arc Emitter over the Particle Lance for versatility reasons just in case we come up against heavily shielded foes.

** So, my/Garma's naval recommendation comes down to Plasma Cannons vs. Arc Emitters. Both are improvements over what we already have, but our best large weapons are torpedoes that bypass shields entirely; the Arc Emitter's damage profile is much more of a game-changer than the Plasma Cannon, which is your typical modest improvement over our existing Plasma Accelerators. And of course it's faster .

[chesapeake]

I worry about our energy reserves should we get into a prolonged conflict. Also, aren't we expecting a response from the Buhavilaa to our most recent love letter sent their way?

I think we can handle a moderate approach to expansion. Some care must be taken to not get too deeply embroiled in case the Buhavilaa invade, and we don't want to build up too much badboy rating, as the only thing other than an ascendant race that can take us out is getting the rest of the galaxy to unite against us.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

And of course it's faster .

And at my age ...

Arc Emitter it is

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Chesapeake

Also, aren't we expecting a response from the Buhavilaa to our most recent love letter sent their way?

We're about midway through the cool-down period. I've seen examples of such empires responding immediately so I don't think they are going to attack at this point ... but I'm far from certain. Their attitude is still Angry, and they are still listed as considering whether or not to go to war with us. We'll know one way or another by the time we're done with the current terraforming initiative though -- there are no plans for us to go on the warpath again before that in any case, because of the energy issue you mention.

[Brian Swartz]

** Long Update here, but also an important one after some years of tedium. All leadership are advised to at least read the summary at the bottom and the 'message' from last February. **


Fleet Upgrade

Thought I'd break this out as a separate thing, since there's a significant amount of changes here.

** Everything gets the new hyperdrives, advanced versions of whatever combat computers they had before, and thrusters. I didn't realize how long it'd been since I did this: we were definitely overdue. Sensors have not advanced in some time, and were unaffected.

** Small/Medium weapon slots were changed to X-Ray Lasers and Plasma Accelerators respectively. The lasers do more damage, the plasma weapons more armor penetration. On Destroyers and up, an ion disruptor was thrown in at least once per ship for an anti-shield option.

** Large weapon slots depend largely on the ship's previous type of weaponry, but they are either Proton Torpedoes(most damage by far, ignore shields) or Plasma Accelerators(for armor penetration).

** More power was required by these changes, so generally speaking the ships now have better weapons but not quite as much protection.

** We had some weapons which, by now, are absurdly archaic; mining cutting lasers, red shard throwers, etc. A few decades ago these were close to top of the line and we were still waiting to see what further developments might come. Now, they just look silly; so they're gone.

Total cost, just for the military ships though they are the lion's share, came to just over 4k minerals; about nine months surplus. About 200 more total for the construction ships, and probably similar cost for the science survey vessels though they are busy at the moment with the debris work.


2317-2321

2317.06.10 -- Qravadox Xenos United have destroyed a provincial building in protest of our occupation. This was on Gluggaben, in the Omaggus system a jump away from the border. We were right not to trust them.

06.24 -- More progress on Space Torpedoes and Plasma Throwers.

09.23 -- March towards useless Space Torpedoes continues.

11.03 -- Dr. Tarcisius has reached *** skill, slightly increasing the speed of his work.

11.15 -- Gabbog has finished another mining network. One more to build, but there are not enough Djomar slaves yet to operate it, so that will wait. It occurs to me at this point that I didn't check the core planets when achieved Nutrient Replication a few years back.

2318.01.19 -- The Gwesibor Regime and the Polity of Oxx-Oxx have entered a Defensive Pact. No doubt this is an attempt to protect themselves against further encroachment by the Bhenn'Thell. Of course it also means any attempt on our part to expand at their expense would be a lot more risky.

04.11 -- QXU(Qravadox Xenos United) is started to cause trouble again. In order to attempt to head off further sabatoge, Patriarch Glosch authorizes using some of our influence(100 of nearly 700 saved) for an Integration Campaign.

07.10 -- It doesn't work. Another provincial building has been ruined. Governor Ablogor is reassigned to Gabbog, while Shushk is sent out to the Coffee Sector to establish order.

08.01 -- Schlurg is the fourth planet to complete terraforming.

08.27 -- Terraforming station completed above Ustir IV, and the decade-long process of preparing that planet for Architreuthis arrival begins.

09.29 -- After just over a year and a half, the fleet upgrade has been finished. The admiralty is decidedly underwhelmed by reports that combat effectiveness has only been increased by about 2%. I'd say the increased mobility is worth more than that on it's own.

2319.03.06 -- Last of the debris from the war has been studied, with a bit more progress on Space Torpedoes. The Engineering Dept. can get back to work.

08.10 -- More sabotage by the Qravadox.

09.10 -- Uri Hegemony declares war on the Beldross Empire. The reason we care is that the Uri are basically on the other side of the Bhenn'Thell from us, and are one of a very few(perhaps only two) empires that might potentially be able to rival them. Assuming they succeed in this war, which is quite likely, the balance of power could shift somewhat.

11.19 -- The Assembly of Vun-Okon Dominions has declared war on the Qravadox Star Consensus again. They can fight among themselves as much as they want to.

2320.04.14 -- Zeldrah has been successfully terraformed. Only Hark among the original six, and of course Ustir, remain.

07.02 -- Standardized Cruiser Patterns research completed. There were multiple new options available, but we will proceed next with Standardized Battleship Patterns. When finished, this will allow us to fully optimize ship production. For maximum efficiency, it's been decided that we will build the larger classes at Humboldt, and the smaller ones at Bakangi. There's not enough space to add all of the appropriate modules in both locations.

08.10 -- More sabotage on Gluggaben. Patriarch Glosch tries a second, more intensive Integration Campaign(200 of 678 influence spent, about five years worth of profit).

2321.03.11 -- A potentially ominous discovery ...



03.22 -- In a show of galactic unity, several empires open their borders to us. More would follow in the days afterwards.

05.02 -- Cruiser Assembly Yards finished at Humboldt Spaceport. Also, Telepathy research has been completed, allowing us to recruit Psionic Armies. They are considerably more expensive, and take a full year to train. As a result, using them for garrison duty seems foolhardy. An elite 'Boojie's Guard' force for defense of the core worlds and, if possible, assault duty for invasions is a more fitting role. Recruitment begins immediately.

Summary

Obviously the 'subspace echoes' are most concerning. Who, or what, is coming? When will they/it arrive? What will happen when they get here? Clearly the other empires of the galaxy have their eyes on this as well. Meanwhile, over the past few years many of the sector spaceports built observatories, eating up many of our energy gains but swelling our research efforts considerably. Overall a net gain I think. Current surplus is in the mid-50s per month, just above where we want it. Balance is just over 4k out of a 5k maximum. So we're in a very healthy situation, but don't really have the resources to expand the fleet yet. If nothing happens elsewhere, we'll probably be back at war, a conflict of our choosing, within the next few years.

From a galatic political standpoint, the Gwesibor Regime has been shattered into several small pieces, the rest of that area now under the control of their former small rebels, the Cormathani Star Combine. The Cormathani are friends(but not allies) of the Bhenn'Thell. The Vun-Okon are winning against the Qravadox, and the Uri against the Beldross, though both wars appear closer to their beginning than their end.

[Brian Swartz]

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. Tarcisius

** Precognition Interface(Psionics, 52 mo.) -- A combat computer for our ships, this would be a different foray for Society research. Cutting through the mumbo-jumbo, these essentially allow the ship to know what it's officers are about to do before they realize it themselves, drastically reducing reaction times and allowing for a modest combat bonuses across the board(accuracy, range, damage, speed, evasion). An amazing and at the same time terrifying next step into the fusion of man and machine, offering the best of both. This is RARE technology.

** Xeno Diplomacy(Statecraft, 20 mo.) -- A return of the essentially useless ability to form federations.

** Doctrine: Reactive Formations(Military Theory, 11 mo.) -- +10% in naval capacity. We're at 258 of 704 at the moment. I don't imagine more capacity will ever be needed.

** Tundra Colonization(New Worlds, 20 mo.)

Dr. Tarcisius, you are on the clock.

[Brian Swartz]

We'll continue with Precognition Interface. Time-consuming but it's really the only one that's going to provide a significant benefit. The fact that it's rare makes it an easy call for me.

[Brian Swartz]

2321

2321.06.10 -- The QXU strikes again; another building is ruined on Gluggaben. The integration campaigns have lowered their popularity, but it was already pretty low. This issue is about a very small group(2 of 657 empire-wide pops) causing localized problems, not any widespread movement. Another option is to Suppress the Media(400 energy, 50 influence). We've got plenty of both right now. This is based on the no fuel, no fire concept; get the QXU out of the headlines, and hopefully starve their support.

06.27 -- Things are getting serious with the mysterious 'subspace echoes' ...




All plans for further military expansion have been put on hold. We must find out what this is about ... and if they are friendly, hostile, or other. Analysis of the readings indicates they are expected to arrive here ...




That's definitely problematic. Those half-dozen system are within our territory, just above the Qravadox on the outer arm. After consulting with his council, Patriarch Glosch diverts most of the fleet to these coordinates. We have no imminent threats elsewhere, and a show of force only sensible if we are to have 'visitors' in our space. All research departments are standing by, and the Collective's military is put on high alert. Hopefully they come in peace, but if not, we must be ready. For all we know, they are prophets sent from Boojie to personally deliver new instructions. Perhaps we've reached a new plane of existence and are about to be blessed for our faithfulness. In that case as well, a proper greeting must be prepared.




This is a closer look. Saiph and Khagaton, our two occupied planets in the affected region, are the destinations for this redeployment. There's no way to know if we will get there before the ... whatever they are ... does.

08.13 -- Dr. Salve Linus has reached **** ability.

08.20 --


That didn't take long. We're only a couple of jumps away from Khagaton with the task force that guards the Qravadox border. Let's see what they have to say ...




We can't make any sense of this. Our translators are useless. Not really sure what to make of it. Obviously an organic being of some intelligence, and the implication of their speed of intergalactic travel suggests they are highly advanced. Beyond that, however, we can surmise nothing.

08.25 --


This ... is not good.

They have arrived in four systems; Cknoor, Talan, Tenecca, and Quannaga. Our 'Qravadox Fleet' is in Tenecca, but readings indicate they would be somewhat outmatched if they engaged this enemy.




There are 3 'Prethoryn' task forces in each of the four systems. Each task force is between 2.5k and 3.5k in estimated combat strength. In other words, somewhere around 36k total. We have 6.3k strength in each of our two 'border guard' garrisons, 19k for the first of Boojie. So overall, what we've seen so far is slightly more powerful than ours. Quite likely we could beat them in a war of attrition at worst case: concentrate the fleet as much as possible and take out their weaker elements. Damage/delay from taking out our spaceports and planets would allow us to rebuild. We have a large empire and they can't take it all on at once.

It would be a long, hard struggle, but the Architreuthis would quite likely prevail. Just one problem: this being only the vanguard, we will be overrun when the 'main body' arrives.

Patriarch Glosch calls an emergency summit of all top officials. Insiders report that all experts and simulations show the same dire assessment of the threat. Unless a significant portion of the galaxy outside our borders aids us against this threat, the children of Boojie are doomed.

[Brian Swartz]

Emergency Briefing: The Prethoryn Threat

Our options are limited, but we might as well lay all of the cards on the table.

** Diplomacy -- The Prethoryn have ignored us except for that initial unintelligble message. We have no way of communicating with them, and therefore can't discover what they want -- if they are even interested in anything beyond destroying/harvesting us. There has been no response from the rest of the galaxy as of yet. We can only hope they will see the threat and come to our aid. Literally the only potentially beneficial option we might have is to revoke our rivalry with the Qravadox. Our borders have been open to everyone else for some time.

** Tenecca -- Our fleet in this system has the opportunity to at least give us information. The weakest of the three local Prethoryn task forces is split off a bit from the others -- we could attempt an attack and see how it goes, though this would almost certainly result in these ships being lost. That's probably going to happen anyway though.

** General Fleet Strategy -- It seems the best chance we have is to put up the best defense we can and try to at least slow them down. Anything we can do to reduce their numbers will probably help us hold out longer. How much that will matter is likely dependent on just how big their primary fleet is, however.

Everyone's on the clock here; any ideas on how to proceed in this quite possibly hopeless situation?