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You know, looking at it, Valdez built a fabulous underwater science city because she's somewhat more left wing and environmentalist and wanted to get away from the norms of the semi-libertarian capitalist technophile society she came from. She is a way better Reverse Andrew Ryan than Sophia Lamb ever was. (I mean this as A: A good thing and B: Something weird I just noticed)
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Feb 26, 2015 07:00
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Continuing. East Hab The Eastern Habitation Sector, as it was designated in Xochimilco's original blueprints, has grown into the beating heart of the city in the decades since. A full half of the city's population live in the pressure domes, apartment complexes, and underground warrens of East Hab, so many that each dome complex is a little neighborhood in its own right. Notable boroughs in East Hab include the small Spartan expatriate community of Tirpitz, the University of Xochimilco and its attendant college neighborhood, and the Jewish community of Leviathan's Deep. The only thing all East Hab residents can agree on is a love of the East Hab Sealurks, the class of Xochimilco's football clubs, a love rivaled only by the depths of the hatred other parts of the city have for the black and blue club. Comfortably middle-class and safely isolated from the seismic disturbances that plague Trenchcliff and Shallowside, a visitor can easily spend a full week sampling the sights and attractions of East Hab... [a lengthy list detailing various attractions and notable restaurants has been excised]  North Dome Something of a misnomer now, the northern district of Xochimilco is one of the fastest-growing sections of the city today. Originally one large pressure dome, the sprawling complexes of North Dome are home to much of the city's light industry and commercial facilities that can't afford Uxmal. In particular, however, this is the home of the Tlaloc Initiative's research division including the [in]famous Project Cipatli that cultivates xenofungus and aquafungus in controlled environments for research purposes. Officially, the exodus of most of North Dome's apartment blocks to Shallowside and East Hab is completely unrelated to those disclosures. While Talon Security and Morgan Industries science teams have confirmed that psionic activity in North Dome is not significantly above the base line, the neighborhood has a steadily growing mythology of strange phenomena and eccentric residents. Many of the source reports for the famous "Xochimilco man" come from North Dome police logs.  To the south and southwest of Xochimilco, the area simply known as Shallowside creeps up towards the shoreline of Dry Island. Like East Hab, Trenchcliff, and North Dome, Shallowside began as a purely functional sector of the city. In this case, Shallowside was designated as an agricultural zone tasked with cultivating a wide range of foodstuffs that would be necessary to supplement fishing and off-site kelp farming in order to feed Xochimilco's population and make special vitamin/mineral supplements an option rather than a necessity. Shallowside's original purpose has been hard to shake, though modern gene splicing has created variants of many food crops allowing them to be grown on the ocean floor without pressure domes (pictured is a large neo-casava operation). Like Trenchcliff, a substantial number of Xochimilco's working class make their homes here. For the visiting tourist, the farmer's markets dotting Shallowside are worth the trip if you have a love of inexpensive produce fresh from the decontamination module.  Uxmal The Tlaloc Initiative is the nine hundred pound gorilla in Xochimilco, not officially governing the city but in practice the city's elected government has never been unwise enough to test the megacorporation that founded the city and whose influence permeates the daily life of everyone in Xochimilco. Sitting astride the western geothermal trench is Uxmal, the corporate sector of the city and home to the Initiative's own central headquarters. That is not, of course, to imply that the Initiative rules here alone. Most every corporation of note in the Republic has a branch office in Uxmal, and this is also where a tourist will find the finest and most expensive restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues to be found in Xochimilco. [Another long list of sights and attractions deleted] Of course, no visitor to Xochimilco should pass up a chance to visit the Tlaloc Initiative Central Headquarters itself, recently named Loiselle Tower. Guided tours of much of the complex start every other hour, and the public lobby is home to an astounding holosculpture of the Unity in its cradle station over Earth. Without a word, the Tlaloc Initiative makes clear its commitment to building a better world than the one humanity left behind. This concludes the chapter on Xochimilco, the City in the Sea. Cythereal fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Feb 26, 2015 |
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Feb 26, 2015 07:34
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Lokapala posted:Getting something about Bushnell and Talon from their leaders would be awesome too. I'm afraid I can't match the quality of Cythereal's offerings! Off the top of my head, though... Bushnell Center is influenced by three cultures: Dreamland Games, Lovelace Computing Machines, and the umbrella of companies formerly known as Bushnell Settlement Authority. The latter tends to dominate, and the average Bushnell Center citizen is a down-to-earth, hard-working man or woman, the sort who'll happily put in a hard day's work in the mines or on the kelp farms, then come home and knock back a pint with the guys. There's a certain amount of friendly ribbing between the Bushnell folks, i.e. 'the ones who do all the real work', and the Dreamland and Lovelace folks, i.e. 'the reason you even have jobs'. That said, they're no idiots. Dreamland and LCM both heavily support education, if only because an educated population means educated employees. Lovelace in particular is interested in sustaining their focus in research and development. (nweismuller, can you get me some figures on which settlements produce how much in the way of Labs, and maybe offer some advice on bumping up Bushnell's share if it isn't at least in the top three?) The single most obvious reason to visit Bushnell as a tourist is Dreamland Games. Their offices are built atop a giant arcade/amusement park/VR hub, where you can buy chili cheese dogs and cotton candy and promptly puke them up after you ride a virtual roller coaster. (Imagine one of those tilt-o-hurl machines you find at the mall or in small carnivals, only instead of a movie on a screen, you have fully immersive VR audio and video to go with the tilt-o-hurl.) Even if you don't go there, many of the entertainment venues are virtual to at least some degree, as befits the home of the Virtual World. (For instance, when you go to watch a game at the stadium, you can have infographics overlaid on your field of vision and the announcers of your choice piped comfortably into your ear. You can also order refreshments without leaving your seat.) Efforts to accommodate Gaian sensibilities are best described as 'earnest, but fumbling'. The focus on technological marvels and the heavy industry that supports them leaves even the most culturally sensitive grappling with how to avoid offense. 'It's just not the same,' says the Gaian of the virtual fungus patch. 'Yeah, it's not trying to eat you,' says the Bushnell native. And then there's an awkward apology. ManxomeBromide posted:
From: Fred Sloniker <ceo@dreamlandgames.com> Subject: Re: Project Maximum Irony To: Harvey Davidson <hdavidson@planetfall.edu> Your Dreamland Games account has been upgraded to Lifetime VID status. Thank you. Sincerely, Fred Sloniker CEO, Dreamland Games 'What's your dream?' To quote myself from earlier in the thread, I love you. 
FredMSloniker fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Feb 26, 2015 |
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Feb 26, 2015 08:24
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As of 2250, Morgan is the largest known settlement on Chiron, and the commercial and industrial hub of the world. The settlement hosts a number of major corporate headquarters, including those of Apollo Meditech, Sun Mining and Extraction, the Morgan Mercantile Exchange, and Morgan Industries itself, and is widely considered to be the premier location for medical treatment and research in Chiron. The Morgan Mercantile Exchange is the premier stocks and commodities exchange on Chiron, trading stocks, commodities, and futures from across the Republic and the UNCC, and is overseen by its own holding corporation, which Morgan Industries is a minority owner in. High-end shopping and restaurants in Morgan are famous, and the settlement hosts a rich cultural life catering to the extremely wealthy that concentrate here. The harbor on Rockefeller Bay sees shipping from all across Hercules, Pholus, and New Lacedaimonia, and almost anything that can be bought or sold can be found in the markets of Morgan. As industrial development has expanded and the settlement's population has grown dramatically, new neighborhoods have been established around the city core, and a great many small family-owned businesses serve a growing population. The rapid growth in population has somewhat diluted the previous 'universal wealth' of the settlement- although true poverty is still very rare at the moment, a large group of industrial, extractive, and service workers with lesser skills and productivity than the significant Talent class has grown up around the city. Nwabudike Morgan, CEO of Morgan Industries, views this long-term trend with alarm, and has for decades been pushing a market strategy combining focus into mass-market consumer goods along with investment into finance and education systems intended to improve business productivity at large and encourage greater entrepreneurship and an increase in skills for the general population. Nwabudike Morgan projects that current trends may result in a noticeable economic slowdown within the next decade, which would have impact on long-term growth rates. The lifestyle of Morgan is glamorous and health in the settlement is good, but, more than any other settlement in Pholus, intensive industrial development around the settlement has had a noticeable impact on the native ecosystem. Property management for artificial forests and farms keeps productivity high, but negotiations between agricultural concerns and industrial concerns that produce runoff that could contaminate farmland or offshore kelp farms are still difficult and inefficient. A number of native animal species have begun to adapt to the managed forests around Morgan, but native plant life in the area surrounding the settlement is increasingly displaced by terran forests and farmland. Morgan is also the home of the central governing authority of the North Pholus Republic, housed in a small office park on the outskirts of the central settlement and near to Morgan Military Base. A small historical museum in the office park is open to visitors, including records on the history of the Republic's government. Much more interesting to most tourists is the central settlement, housing major office and hab towers and the famed shopping and entertainment districts of Morgan. Although the central shopping district offers great luxury, tourists should be advised that prices in the central shopping district match the luxury on offer, and that outlying malls and shops have good selections with more reasonable prices for most budgets.
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Feb 26, 2015 09:19
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As of 2050, Talon Security Headquarters in a slowly growing colony on the Pholus frontier. Founded by company CEO Marcus Li, Talon's headquarters was envisioned as a hybrid of a military base, manufacturing center and a long term home for the many men and women who serve in the ranks of the Talon military. According to CEO Li "The soldier of humanity has fought for many things: survival, food, money, thrills, patriotism and more. But above all else, they have fought for their home, both in the physical sense of fighting for where they live, either to win a home or to protect the home they have fought for, but also for home in the sense of the family, community and society by which they are accustomed to and familiar with. With the settlement of Chiron, we've found that the soldiers fighting for Pholus are predominantly of the mercenary variety, fighting for their paychecks. Yet to avoid the many mistakes of humanity's past in hiring soldiers, we must ensure that while the wallets of our fighting people are well lined, that they also have something more tangible to defend. We must give them that home they will fight for!" To that Talon Headquarters was established to fulfill that dream. Built from the ground up to support a massive military apparatus, not only with material needs such as food, ammunition and vehicles, but also for the many mental, emotional and psychological needs a soldier may need.  The nucleus of the settlement is located in the center of the colony. Nicknamed Valhalla District, this area composes the primary residence of the soldiers and important support staff for Talon. Designed to maximize efficiency of space, while providing a premium of open green environments, Valhalla is where roughly fifty two percent of the colony lived. In addition to living spaces for the combat personnel who live in the area, the settlement also is the location of numerous corporate sponsored school buildings and small hospitals which care for wounded personnel. A number of construction efforts to improve the network connectivity of Talon HQ is currently underway.  In addition, Valhalla district is also home ot a number of high rise hydroponic farms which help feed the colony. While larger farming complexes are located in small colonies outside the city, interior high rise farms still provide almost twenty eight percent of the foodstuffs consumed by Talon. Small locally own cooperatives also run their own hydroponic facilities to raise their own custom crops, which can vary from location to location depending on the culture ad preferences of the group. Huauhtli ventures is the largest food cooperative, growing a modified version of amaranth which has proven to be one of the main staple crops for Talon.  Powering Talon and all it's outlying dependencies are a series of six powerful solar-thorium reactors, located at strategic points within Valhalla. Massive underground cables, insulated by plasma steel connect the power-plants to all parts of the Talon Sector.  Located roughly seven miles south of Valhalla, in a desolate dry plateau is the primary foundry for Talon. Named Agni, this industrial district fills the myriad of manufacturing orders needed to maintain the Talon war machine in the war against the Dominion. Working in partnership with Ares Armories and other manufacturing firms, Talon has granted special manufacturing privileges to the various companies that make their home in the area in order to manufacture weapons and other tools needed to fight. In addition, a large number of native Talon industries also make their home hear, manufacturing the many day to day tools and products needed by the soldiers in the field. To quote one worker: "Ares and the others make the big products, the large weapons and other things. We here in the Talon Industries make the bread and butter things: armor, bullets, guns, rovers, and all the small things we need."  In these factories and other manufacturing locals, the vast majority of the non-Valhallan citizenry make their living, contributing the war effort. On the words of CEO LI "While the soldier fights, he need the tools of the trade, and only a strong manufacturing base can support that. Thanks to the rich mineral veins located near the base, Talon can support a large enough industry to supply that military need." However, due the massive consumption of raw materials to support the war with the Dominion, many other non-military enterprises in Talon HQ have slowed.  Three miles to the East of Agni is the settlement of New Canton. Here is the primary residence of Talon personnel not involved in fighting or research or other key technical areas to the company. More spartan than Valhalla, the city is nevertheless reported as being well organized, clean and has little crime. Here the citizenry is organized into "work platoons" which muster out to their various factories and other projects. Created to foster a spirit of esprit de corp among the workers and support personnel who aren't actively involved in the fighting to build better company morale and to encourage a stronger work ethic. In addition, work platoons are paired with squads in the field for communication. This program allows the workers to see the people who benefit from the supplies they manufacture. As one worker noted "It goes a long way to know the squad that benefits from the bullets I make, from the armor my buddy forges and for them it makes a nice connection to know there are people back home who are appreciating what they're doing in the field." Several prototypical air vehicles hold station around the monolith. Using a form of magnetic levitation to support themselves, these observer craft mainly monitor the structure for any anomalous signals, as well as serving as ground control craft of the camp. Sadly the technology to make free floating mag lev vehicles requires significant power, and move at slow speeds. In addition, the people of New Canton elect several members of a civilian board, a board which is seated at the main Talon Corporate Council (which also includes representatives from Valhalla). The current Canton Speaker of the Board is Jane Cobbdon from the cities sixth ward.  Further to the southwest of Talon HQ is the site of monolith complex. Build around the site is Fort Kubrick this location is the site of one-of the many Progenitor structures that dot Chiron. As with the other complexes, a surprising number of automated machinery is intact, which supplies a number of robo-miners and automated solar collectors coupled with thorium sifters. Beneath the complex are also several nutrient pools where a modified strain of edible algae are grown. Almost all the supplies are funneled back to Talon HQ. Meanwhile, Fort Kubrick is the main training location for the soldiers entering into Talon services.   Some of the many vehicle bays around Fort Kubrick. Jimmy4400nav fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Feb 26, 2015 |
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Feb 26, 2015 23:02
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Even if I'd likely die via mind worm, I wish I could book a trip to this little world that you all have created. Amazing work and applause to you all
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Feb 26, 2015 23:13
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<Internal Status Memo> From: T.M. Reilly To: <Undisclosed Recipients> Re: War Profits Old business Axiom - War is Good for Business. Peace is Good for business. And for the longest time, we have been at war with the Gaians. That has meant that our cooperative ventures in building Plasmasteel defences, in addition to our myriad other products have seen us accrue profits for all our shareholders at an astounding rate. That being said, now we must turn our designs toward peacetime applications of all our technologies. To that end, with the predicted development of massed Industrial Automation, we can now move towards large-scale construction of improved habitation for our population. For the longest time, Morgan Logistics, Supply and Security has been examining the feasibility of expanding our bases underground in order to minimize our impact on the landscape (yes, I know, Green Policies are not in the vogue with North Pholus right now). And with the successful construction of MLSS Habitats in Morgan Industries, now is the time to expand our business base to construct Habs in all our Bases immediately. We know that some bases have already ordered up fabrication designs, but we must be looking to the future, including greater expansion for our population as it grows. However, such materials technology, which would include the proper construction of Arcologies here in North Pholus that will allow for unlimited population growth. But that is not the only reason for MLSS' new and improved image. We recognize that our grand economy has served us well in allowing us to field the forces needed to push away the Gaian threat, but now is the time to focus on Knowledge, to learn more about ourselves and our new homeworld. The improved efficiency of an economic system geared toward a distributed knowledge systems will not only help us improve our economic output, but also allow us to expand our economic base further afield. MLSS is a forward-growth company, and we look forward to making our customer base better in the future, for a loyal customer is one that the company invests in. Build 4, Labs 50%, Econ 40%, Pych 10 ((OOC: Darn you! By settling Bases all around the Freshwater Sea, my lovely tactic of dropping a base right in the middle of it will have too much competition for space!))
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Feb 26, 2015 23:24
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berryjon posted:
Erm, I mean no offence, but I think all the votes have been taken now and the op is working on the next update, making this vote meaningless. I can have moments of... eccentricity and sometimes be quite curious about things. Please forgive me if I do something foolish or rude.
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Feb 26, 2015 23:38
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https://www.fanfiction.net There you go. Please stop making GBS threads up the thread.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:00
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WendyO posted:https://www.fanfiction.net Boy, you sure did tell that guy not to poo poo up the thread by doing what everyone in the thread, including the OP, is doing. Good job on your first post in this thread, which you clearly read before bothering to post.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:18
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FredMSloniker posted:Boy, you sure did tell that guy not to poo poo up the thread by doing what everyone in the thread, including the OP, is doing. Good job on your first post in this thread, which you clearly read before bothering to post. You've got Platinum. Just click report and let the mods do their work. Paying attention only rewards idiots.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:20
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WendyO posted:https://www.fanfiction.net Come on. You have to put in more effort in your posts here on Something Awful. You didn't even link to the Alpha Centauri section. https://www.fanfiction.net/game/Alpha-Centauri/
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Feb 27, 2015 00:20
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Akratic Method posted:You've got Platinum. Just click report and let the mods do their work. Paying attention only rewards idiots. Fair enough.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:25
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Klingon w Bowl Cut posted:Come on. You have to put in more effort in your posts here on Something Awful. You didn't even link to the Alpha Centauri section. https://www.fanfiction.net/game/Alpha-Centauri/ I'm almost afraid to click... quote:When Gaians Throw an Orgy by Ultimagu Welp that's just what I- quote:Rated: T Now I'm just confused.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:32
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The Peace Restored As the Republic continued to develop, its research and communication infrastructures grew to be the envy of Chiron. Although this had obvious benefits in innovation and in efficiency, a less-obvious difficulty presented by this was growing obstacles in the path of the Intelligence Service. Secrets were growing increasingly more difficult to keep, and this could eventually have negative effects when secrecy was vital.  By 2252, Autumn Grove's organic waste recycling plants had been completed, helping to provide biofuels, fertilisers, and other chemicals from what would otherwise simply be waste. The resources thereby provided helped Autumn Grove to grow.    Meanwhile, the Expeditionary Force pressed on, crushing two companies of infantry before pushing in to Memory of Earth, taking the settlement in a battle that left many buildings in Memory of Earth breached and wrecked. With Memory of Earth fallen, the last major Gaian industrial center, The Flowers Preach, lay open before the Expeditionary Force.      As the Expeditionary Force pushed on toward The Flowers Preach, the Dominion government, in desperation, agreed to a full and unconditional surrender. The eventual peace settlement written by the North Pholus Republic and signed by Deidre Skye partitioned the original territories of the Dominion in two, forming the Protectorate of South Pholus, a state administered by the Republic of North Pholus itself, and the Republic of East Pholus, comprising the territories the Dominion still held as of its surrender. The North Pholan government required all high church officials of the Stepdaughters of Gaia to be barred from future governmental positions, and that a constitution and government for East Pholus be adopted in free and democratic elections. The treasury of the old Dominion was surrendered to North Pholus as war reparations. The long war was finally over. With most trade barriers between East Pholus and North Pholus broken down by the peace settlement, trade was soon prospering between the two Pholan republics. A pact of submission, like this one, cannot be broken by the subservient party, and they stop complaining about your social engineering choices in diplomacy to the future. In diplomacy, they will remain displayed as Submissive, which is functionally equivalent to the very highest opinion they could otherwise have. You can demand new technology or credits from them whenever you wish. They are, essentially, no longer a threat in any sense.   While the war drew to its close, Tellus' adoption of industrial robotics and growing hab developments had reached a point where the population of Tellus once again could grow easily. The settlement joined with many others of North Pholus as it pushed on to ever greater growth. A year later, the waste reprocessing plants under development in Prometheus went into business, helping supply materials for the young settlement.  A swarm of mindworms in the fungus between Gaia's Landing and Lily of the Valley was exposed in 2254, engaging a rover platoon returning from the front and forcing the rovers to break off in retreat. These worms were eventually hunted down, however, and exterminated.  In 2255, the settlement of Kusisitiza Future was founded under the Sea of Pholus, near the shores of Hercules. Kusisitiza Datametrics, which led the settlement effort along with other smaller firms and families, hoped to prove the value of long-range automated logistical systems, using the new 'settlement of the future' as a base.        Over the remainder of the decade, North and South Pholus continued to develop, with Torrson's industry taking advantage of robotic tools, Talon fully linked into the North Pholan Datalinks, Memory of Earth developing its own waste reprocessors, and with small businesses and recreation facilities growing in Autumn Grove and Lily of the Valley. The productivity of the South Pholan workforce and economy was steadily growing, and many South Pholans were beginning to become very wealthy indeed under the new economy.      While this development was under way, the Planetary University Free State contacted the North Pholan government in 2257, requesting the aid of North Pholan instructors and academics to help provide a foundation for their own researchers to keep up with the state of the art in information technology. Unfortunately, negotiations broke down over the question of compensation to the instructors and their employers, and no result came of it. Regardless of the failure of the negotiations, Prokhor Zakharov expressed his sincere admiration for North Pholus' dedication to research and its excellence in scientific endeavors. With the admiration of the Planetary University secure, the policy of the Free State was sure to follow. It seemed unlikely that anything would threaten the friendship of the Free State and the Republic of North Pholus in the foreseeable future.  That same year, further advances in machine intelligence were made, allowing for true 'learning algorithms'. Although distinctly limited compared to human intelligence, these algorithms could learn and develop on specialised bodies of information, adapting seamlessly to changing circumstances. Lovelace Software released a new suite of adaptive security tools using these techniques into the market, which adapted to intrusion attempts in such a way to make security breaches much more difficult. Polymorphic Encryption on units doubles the cost to subvert them by enemy probe action; although of fairly specialised use, sometimes it can be a lifesaver against probe-heavy opponents. The Republic of North Pholus as of 2260   The new Protectorate of South Pholus has had its administrative capital sited in Gaia's Landing, and fungus clearance and development of the countryside continues steadily in Pholus. Although the forests of North Pholus do not match the vast forest in South Pholus, nonetheless they stretch in patches across the continent. Cleared fungus and rail links ensure that Prometheus is tied tightly into the Republic's transporation network, like all the earlier settlements.  The new Spartan settlement of Hommel's Citadel has been founded on Hommel's Isle, just off the coast of New Lacedaimonia. The Federation is growing.   Investment shows steady growth, while innovation has exploded over the past decade. New research and discoveries press on to expand the boundries of human knowledge on Chiron. East Pholus has become one of North Pholus' most important trading partners, providing imported goods and profits from exports across the Republic.  Although Morgan remains a settlement of great wealth, its growing population has brought with it new difficulties. The area around the settlement suffers the worst pollution in the Republic, with a noticeable impact on surviving native life. As the population has grown, productivity per capita has declined, with significant portions of the population not matching high professional incomes and unable to take advantage of increased productivity. There is an underserved market here, one which Morgan Industries and other firms are scrambling to address. The Citizens' Defense Force headquartered here has accumulated the equipment to set up defensive perimeters around every settlement in the Republic and muster local militias to support regular troops in the event of threats; now all that remains is the actual deployment of equipment to every corner of the Republic. Morgan is now out of a Golden Age for now; our growing populations will likely require 30% Psych rates to ensure universal Golden Ages like we were previously enjoying.  With the swelling population in Torrson, demand for maternity care and educational services for young children is higher than ever, and new ventures serving these needs have been growing in Torrson. The forestry industry in Torrson is thriving as the settlement grows.  Western Coast Medical, a growing company in Tellus, has begun an ambitious program of developing modern hospital facilities equipped for basic research and advanced procedures in Tellus. The growing firm hopes to compete on the same level as Apollo Meditech as time goes on, helping to advance the state of medical science and provide the highest-quality care possible to customers.  Work on establishing high-capacity cable connections to Hercules and New Lacedaimonia have slowed in Bushnell Center, and talks with interests in the UNCC to ensure cable connections between the UNCC and the Holy States of the Lord's Believers have stalled. Lovelace Computing has devoted significant efforts to machine intelligence research, hoping to find more practical applications available with the state of the art in technology.  With network connectivity in Talon increased and the local population taking advantage of virtual entertainment on a wide scale, conditions in Talon are better than ever before. Modernisation of local industry is under way, with local firms investing in new tools to expand production. With the war over, the mobile rover platoons in the Republic have relocated here for the moment, until they are called to service elsewhere.  Consumer demand in Xochimilco has begun to drive the development of new sports facilities, shopping complexes, and restaurants, and the opportunities provided by small businesses are beginning to spread amongst the general population. Agricultural yields here are strong, and the population is expected to grow swiftly over later years.  Prometheus continues to grow, taking advantage of the geothermal power along the Great Pholus Ridge to fuel its prosperity. Network cable to link its computers to the rest of the colony is being laid, and local businesses have begun upgrading network infrastructure in preparation.  Kusisitiza Future is still a very small settlement setting its initial priorities in order. There is a major subsurface uranium deposit directly north of the settlement, which it has begun developing as the backbone of its fledgling economy while work boats clear away the fungus from a nearby series of deposits of rare earths, titanium, and gold further east.  Gaia's Landing, the administrative capital of the new Protectorate of South Pholus, is still fairly underdeveloped compared to North Pholan settlements. Still, new reprocessing facilities have begun to make a business out of reclaiming valuable materials from waste, which is expected to help supply the settlement's needs for the future. In Gaia's Landing, as elsewhere in the Protectorate, there is some public resentment of South Pholus' status as a subordinate province, but growing development has helped keep the difficulties largely confined to grumbling and the occasional protest. Open violence has died away, and the need for stricter occupation tactics has passed.  Autumn Grove remains possibly the most important center of the forestry industry in all Pholus, and is prospering as new small business have helped extend opportunity to its people and ensure essentially the entire population is usefully and productively employed.  The replanting of the farmland southeast of Lily of the Valley has stabilised its food situation, helping prevent the settlement from sliding into catastrophe. The entertainment complexes built here during Dominion days are beginning to have their dominance challenged by networked home entertainment, but still hold their market position for now. Where Gaia's Landing is the administrative center of South Pholus, Lily of the Valley is the primary industrial, commercial, and scientific hub of the Protectorate.  Memory of Earth subsists on forestry, a modest industrial sector, and the reprocessing businesses it supports. It is and is expected to remain something of a backwater for some time, constructed on an arid coast poorly-suited for agriculture and with the landscape pitted with abandoned mines developed in a vain hope to bolster the local economy in Dominion days.    The Republic of East Pholus has established its own constitution and conducted a de-Gaianification of the government and civil service. Although the Stepdaughters of Gaia remain the largest religion in East Pholus and South Pholus, the faith of many of Stepdaughters has been tested by the long and bloody war. The overall character of the religion has moderated, and a number of splinter groups have fragmented off with the Church no longer able to effectively dictate adherence to dogma as a matter of state policy. Deidre Skye herself has moved to the new settlement of Deidre's Fishery, where she continues her work as a poet, religious leader, and xenobiologist now stripped of political authority. The East Pholan economy has slowly begun to stabilise, partly helped by trade with North and South Pholus. Research in East Pholus is expected to make new breakthrough within two years, something which is regarded with interest by many North Pholan business leaders and researchers.  While East Pholus has democratised, the Spartan Federation's situation has grown increasingly concerning. Their last Presidential elections brought in a hardline Christian party which has begun aggressively preaching duty to both God and State, and their diplomatic stance towards North Pholus has steadily soured. The current alliance still holds, but it seems likely that, absent steps to pacify the Spartan Federation, it will eventually crumble.  The UNCC remains the second-strongest economy on Chiron, and a reliable friend to North Pholus. Despite the strong reputation the UNCC enjoys amongst many colonies, the growing population of North Pholus makes it, if anything, even more influential. We have 53 council votes now, to the UNCC's 52. If we ever find that last colony, we should be one of the two candidates for Planetary Governor.  The Planetary University Free State, although still small and weak, is slowly solidifying its hold on western Hercules. It, like the UNCC, has a steady policy of friendship with North Pholus, and is a valuable friend and trade partner.  The population of the Holy States of the Lord's Believers continues to steadily grow, establishing them as an ominous force on Chiron Minor. Communication with the Holy States still remains minimal, and much about their society remains a mystery. Peace has finally been restored to Pholus, and, despite its growing difficulties, the Republic of North Pholus prospers. The Spartan Federation and the Holy States still loom as potential threats, however, and whether peace will continue in following decades is still unknown.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:41
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NPCP Platform Leonard Sun once again is running for Colony Executive, with the following platform: - Approve technology transfers to East Pholus by North Pholan firms that should put East Pholus on technological parity with its ally. - Provide resources to the Intelligence Service to set up information-gathering operations in the Spartan Federation, the Free State, and the Holy States. - Support East Pholus if East Pholus is attacked, or broker peace if possible. - Approve technology transfers to the Spartan Federation to preserve the 'alliance' and keep any new war from erupting. - Position a force of rovers in Song of Planet to protect against Spartan offensives if the peace collapses. - Conclude alliances with the UNCC and Free State, if they ever seem willing to do so- they have been reluctant so far. - Ask East Pholus for its breakthrough as soon as it is made. People with your own settlements: As always, give me instructions on development if you have preferences, and ask if you have questions. Everybody in general: Morgan will eventually get the chance to start on either the Planetary Datalinks or the Planetary Transit Network; please voice your preference. Morgan Industries works to support a great expansion of light industry and finance, attempting to supply new small businesses and encourage their healthy development, so as to expand the Talent class in North Pholus. Work to improve large-scale engineering and research into economic methods intended to mitigate inefficiencies of negotiations over pollution and emissions are sponsored by Morgan Industries. Build 4, Economy 3, Labs 3, Psych 4, NPCP.
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Feb 27, 2015 00:54
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nweismuller posted:A pact of submission, like this one, cannot be broken by the subservient party, and they stop complaining about your social engineering choices in diplomacy to the future. In diplomacy, they will remain displayed as Submissive, which is functionally equivalent to the very highest opinion they could otherwise have. You can demand new technology or credits from them whenever you wish. They are, essentially, no longer a threat in any sense. Do they benefit from, say, The Virtual World, or are they simply a faction that can no longer oppose us in any way? Jimmy4400nav, you got a character IC Fred can interact with at the mandatory 'Welcome to the Virtual World' party over at Talon? Labs 40%, Econ 30%, Psych 30%. What do we still need to be able to research Digital Sentience, and what research priorities would you suggest to reach that goal? Also, I asked earlier, but you may have missed it: what's Bushnell's rank in terms of cities providing Labs, and what would you suggest building (after the current project) to improve it if it isn't in the top three?
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Feb 27, 2015 01:06
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Inspired by the Talon Security info-update, the Morgan Industries Tourism Board is pleased to present promotional artwork of the other cities in the Northern Republic to celebrate the end of the war. Commonly featured are Talon's aircraft, and also Tlaloc Initiative-designed dirigibles encased in a lightweight metal shell to protect from native life. Morgan Industries: The Centauri Monopoly  Torsson Ventures: No Backwards Step  Bushnell Center: The Worldmakers  Tellus Cooperative: Many Voices, One Purpose  Xochimilco: Into Depths Uncharted  Prometheus: Giving Chiron Heartburn  Kusisitiza Future: Redesigning the Drawing Board Explore 4, Planetary Datalinks Xochimilco: Start construction of a hab complex. If Doctrine: Initiative is discovered, immediately start work on the Maritime Control Center.
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Feb 27, 2015 01:07
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FredMSloniker posted:Do they benefit from, say, The Virtual World, or are they simply a faction that can no longer oppose us in any way? They don't benefit from the Virtual World, sadly, but no longer can oppose us in any way and are getting extra energy in all their bases from trading with us, so there's that. And they may shortly get a huge tech infusion. To reach that tech... We have a LONG way to go with a huge number of pre-requisites; almost anything we can currently research feeds into it one way or another, and most of the things that don't directly feed into it we'd need anyhow. Bushnell Center is currently tied with Torrson for third place in Labs. To improve Labs production, Bushnell Center can currently build a Research Hospital, which would definitely help, or a Children's Creche, which might help a little bit due to increased efficiency, but isn't necessarily guaranteed to do so.
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Feb 27, 2015 01:20
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FredMSloniker posted:Also, I asked earlier, but you may have missed it: what's Bushnell's rank in terms of cities providing Labs, and what would you suggest building (after the current project) to improve it if it isn't in the top three? From the city updates: Morgan Industries: 32 Torrson Ventures: 14 Tellus Cooperative: 17 Bushnell Center: 14 Talon Security: 11 Xochimilco: 8 Prometheus: 3 Kusisitiza Future: 3 Gaia's Landing: 6 Autumn Grove: 7 Lily Of The Valley: 7 Memory Of Earth: 3
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Feb 27, 2015 01:22
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Goddamn, our settlements are pretty. Based on the artwork in the thread.
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Feb 27, 2015 01:23
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FredMSloniker posted:Do they benefit from, say, The Virtual World, or are they simply a faction that can no longer oppose us in any way? Yeah, Marcus can talk and hang out, now that the war is over with Skye, he has more time, though we still have Miriam to worry about. Night10194 posted:Goddamn, our settlements are pretty. Based on the artwork in the thread. Oh yes, thank you to all the Deviant Art users whose stuff I've been yoinking for some of my posts.
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Feb 27, 2015 01:27
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I have to agree- the artist doing those cityscapes is great.
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Feb 27, 2015 01:27
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Added Space posted:Query: Underwater sports stadium - how do you spare/justify the cubage? Blitzball. Obviously. 
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Feb 27, 2015 01:28
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Night10194 posted:Goddamn, our settlements are pretty. Based on the artwork in the thread. Just don't go building too many more sea cities, good artwork of sci-fi undersea cities is hard to find.  As for Xochimilco plans: if we get Doc Initiative, Tlaloc will want to drop everything and start work on that. Barring that, the plan is Hab Complex -> Children's Creche -> Research Hospital.
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Feb 27, 2015 01:29
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I figure I can bring Wil back for a victory post, at least. [Letter of Resignation, Major William Hendrikson, Talon Security Solutions.] Mr. Li, It's been decades. I remember standing honor guard at Morgan's wedding, even though he tried to say he didn't need anyone, way back when I was a corporal. I remember the old worm fights, back when all Talon had was converted industrial lasers and flame guns. I remember Order 66 going out when the Gaians crossed the border. Hell, I remember back when the NPCP used to be able to win elections! Heh. Sir, it's been an honor to serve with Talon all the way through my first rejuv, but seventy years as a soldier is more than enough for two lifetimes. I've stuck it out, Pholus has stuck it out, and we've gotten the job done. I think it's time for an old soldier to hang up the guns and go back to college. Finish the degree I left waiting seven decades ago. I want to thank you, personally, for having the wisdom to keep Talon out of politics. Thanks to you and the other people at TSS, we've become a real national military, not a kingmaker or a band of profiteers, and I can be proud to have done my duty to the Republic. We've had plenty of rough patchs; I remember how much it hurt Rick the first time he had to turn his gun on a person, and the rough years in the occupation zones. But we've earned our keep with the Republic. Maybe one day, like the Colleonis in Venice, they'll build a statue for their most famous Condotierri, eh? Sincerely yours, Major William Hendrikson, Talon Security Solutions, Retired. OOC: I've been watching to see if we lose those two Rover units the entire war; if we did, Wil's obituary or death notice would've gone up instead. Instead, he survived and gets to retire. 
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Feb 27, 2015 01:36
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The immediate threat to our great Republic has finally been dealt with, but let us not forget that the Lord's Believers are still out there, and still hostile to us. Even as we rejoice that this terrible crusade has come to an end, we must not become complacent. I think that the peace we have achieved with the Dominion has proven that I and the Republic Security Party are capable stewards of this nation, so I am running for office again. While I am loath to immediately break our alliance with the Spartan Federation, I will not allow them to browbeat us into submission, either. If their fundamentalist regime make any demands of my administration for technology, credits, or anything similar, I will cancel the treaty. Our trade and friendship should be more than enough to make both of our colonies safe and prosperous. I also pledge to significantly bolster our navy. While an amphibious offensive against the Believers is probably not currently feasible--I would have to check with my advisers--we will fight them with our most advanced cruisers until Godwinson yields to a white peace. No lesser outcome to this conflict would be fair to the people of Pholus. I will continue to aggressively target xenofungus for Former removal. While we have become better at dealing with mindworm attacks, I say that any attack at all is too many! Even if we triumph over our human foes, we will not be genuinely secure until this menace is handled. In the meantime, we should continue to explore and expand. At least two naval civilian or intelligence units will be deployed to map significant areas of Chiron's territory. Meanwhile, we should begin work toward establishing a Planetary Transit System so that, when the time comes, we will be able to efficiently settle and industrialize the areas we have explored. Finally, I want to thank all the soldiers of North Pholus. Without them, we would not have been able to free the South from tyranny, nor would true, honorable peace be nearly within our grasp. Vote for me, and I will do my best to get us the rest of the way. --Cal Foster, RSP CE candidate Econ 3, Labs 4, Psych 3; Explore 2, Conquer 2
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Feb 27, 2015 01:39
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Hal Kimberley's Personal Field Log, Entry 67 Just got word that Skye finally surrendered to Morgan. I feel I should spare a word about this conflict: [ahem] Ha! Ah ha ha ha! Ha! That's enough of that. As far as I'm concerned, I won't have beaten Skye unless I figure out how to raise and train mind worms in captivity before she does. It's too drat bad I got sidetracked by all that "punishment sphere" bullshit. I may be out here raising loving mind worms, but even I know a horror show when I see one. Still, we've been making progress. After my hunt through the Weather Paradigm information, we've decided that the key is to send the stage one boil signal to make the worms amenable to commands from a singular source. A bonded human, perhaps? We'll see. Our wireless specialist, Dr. Hanada, has also helped us understand how the xenofungus communicates. The trick, it seems, is that we've been using omnidirectional sensors this whole time when we would have been better served with unidirectional sensors instead. The fungus acts primarily as a relay for information; each stalk takes in the signals from its neighbors and, in most cases, repeats that signal to its neighbors in turn. This causes a wave-like motion in the signal, similar to how one neuron might fire and cause its neighbors to trigger in a cascade that flows across the cerebellum. By using omnidirectional sensors, we've been picking up a jumbled mess because what we "hear" is an overlapping chorus that kills the meaning. It's sort of like trying to listen to every person in a noisy crowd instead of focusing on one person in particular. So now what we've done is prop the Faraday cage door open with a unidirectional sensor. Sure enough, we got two clear, repeating patterns on a very specific frequency: the first caused the worms to enter boil mode, and then once the second signal began they started tearing through the captive fungus again. Curiously, though, they only got through around fifty-five to sixty percent before stopping. Maybe they've grown fond of the local patch over the years? Too many variables to say. We've tried signal one a few times now, and it seems to work exactly as we predicted, although the boil only remains for several minutes without further input. The next step will be to put a telempathy-equipped human in the fungus and see what happens. I'd prefer using a lab rat or a monkey first, but circumstances demand that we put in someone able to control their fear and other emotions. An amygdalectomy just isn't enough. I wonder what the security boys will tell the family if the worst happens? Well, here's hoping we won't have to find out. End log. Explore 4. Can't even wonder about which tech it is, there are so many it could be.
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Feb 27, 2015 02:00
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In celebration of the end of the war, all departments will hold a company party in Morgan Tower in fifteen days. Work for the day will end with the lunch break, with the remainder of the day dedicated to the party. Drinks, dinner, music, and entertainment will be provided. Let's hope for many more years of peace and profitability for Morgan Industries! Each employee will get one additional invitation for friends or family. - Morgan Industries internal memo to divisions around the Morgan settlement
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Feb 27, 2015 02:10
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Gaia actually changed its government type to Democracy, that wasn't just fluff? Was that just a lucky fluke or can you actually direct a vassal to change Social Engineering policies, or make it a condition of peace? If so, how did I never notice that!
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Feb 27, 2015 02:36
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GunnerJ posted:Gaia actually changed its government type to Democracy, that wasn't just fluff? Was that just a lucky fluke or can you actually direct a vassal to change Social Engineering policies, or make it a condition of peace? If so, how did I never notice that! A lucky fluke, but I find it likely they'll stick with it now that they're no longer on a major crusade. Making it a condition of peace seemed to fit the narrative.
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Feb 27, 2015 02:39
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My vote, as always, is with Planetary TransitCythereal posted:Just don't go building too many more sea cities, good artwork of sci-fi undersea cities is hard to find. This is incorrect, Underwater cities are neat! Also vote #1 tech transfers. My inner pretty Borderer would love to recommend transferring Memory of Earth back to the Gaians too, but I don't recall city transfers being a thing.
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Feb 27, 2015 02:44
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Veloxyll posted:My vote, as always, is with Planetary Transit City transfers are indeed a thing.
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Feb 27, 2015 02:46
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Providing the original owner doesn't object. PfP Information Release I am Aster Swir, seeking to reuinite the Party for Planet base. With peace comes new opportunities for peaceful and responsible expansion. The transition to democracy in East Pholus demonstrates that environmental principles are completely compatible with good government. We would seek a balance of corporate interests with maintaining ecological stability. In domestic policy: * Cease all fungus clearing * Shut down the high-pollution mine near Morgan Industries * Pass strong anti-pollution laws to prevent future ecological damage * Move military forces to Song of Planet to intercede in the Federation as needed In foreign policy: * Seek alliances on reasonable terms with the Free State and the UNCC * To this end, gift them with our knowledge of Cyberethics so that they can create more efficient and profitable economies with which to trade. * Maintain good relations with Sparta Federation through reasonable credit and technology transfers * Seek loans on reasonable terms from the Federation, Free State, and UNCC to cement relations * Infiltrate the Holy States as soon as practicable * Re-incorporate Memory of Earth back to East Pholus * Full technology sharing with East Pholus In world policy: * Create scout rovers to explore the northern tip of Pholus * Create an aquatic scout force to investigate the minor landmass northeast of Hercules. The last of the Unity colonization modules may have landed there. Through these actions we hope to maintain a smooth and profitable growth for the foreseeable future while avoiding the excesses of the past. Explore 4 Econ 3 Labs 4 Psych 3 PfP Planetary Transit Network Added Space fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Feb 27, 2015 |
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Feb 27, 2015 02:51
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I agree with giving Memory back because it looks like a pointless dumb city.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:05
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Apparently Skye's memories of Earth were of utterly useless mines.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:15
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nweismuller posted:Apparently Skye's memories of Earth were of utterly useless mines. Well, there's a reason she wants to avoid repeating "the tragedy of Earth." Presumably she needs somewhere to show the Planetborn exactly why.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:20
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nweismuller posted:Everybody in general: Morgan will eventually get the chance to start on either the Planetary Datalinks or the Planetary Transit Network; please voice your preference. Would either of them do much of anything for us at this point? nweismuller posted:We have a LONG way to go with a huge number of pre-requisites; almost anything we can currently research feeds into it one way or another, and most of the things that don't directly feed into it we'd need anyhow. I'm pretty sure we do however have both prerequisites for fusion power, which would be awesome to have for next time we find ourselves at war.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:20
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Cockmaster posted:Would either of them do much of anything for us at this point? Both Projects might have some benefit, but it's likely to be fairly limited. We don't have the prerequisites for that technology yet- we still need room-temperature superconductors, which a number of physical chemists believe should be possible. Working out how to develop one has hit roadblocks so far, however.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:27
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nweismuller posted:They don't benefit from the Virtual World, sadly, but no longer can oppose us in any way and are getting extra energy in all their bases from trading with us, so there's that. And they may shortly get a huge tech infusion. To reach that tech... Okay, going for my generic Build 2, Discover 2 then, and queuing a Research Hospital after the current project. I'm a little distracted, so no party vote yet. Also, I'm assuming that the Gaians will get access to the Virtual World ICly once they have the Network Nodes, but they don't get the happiness bonus because it doesn't quite align with their hippie values. Like, it's okay, but the happiest customers are still Morganites. Jimmy4400nav posted:Yeah, Marcus can talk and hang out, now that the war is over with Skye, he has more time, though we still have Miriam to worry about. From: Fred Sloniker <ceo@dreamlandgames.com> Subject: Welcome to the Virtual World To: Marcus Li <ceo@tss.com> As you may have heard, Dreamland Games likes to have a little shindig whenever a settlement gets to the point where it has the necessary hardware to support the Virtual World. I'm getting the usual gear together--free Views, a display booth, corn dogs, that sort of thing--and I thought I'd ask if you had any preferences in that regard. Want me to set up a Phazon Wars mini-server? Or are you guys tired of shooting and want This Island Life? Or maybe you'd prefer something else. Let me know. Sincerely, Fred Sloniker CEO, Dreamland Games 'What's your dream?' Feel free to make up the name of a game and give a brief description of genre and stuff.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:31
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