|
wedgekree posted:That's fine Nweis! Good things are worth waiting for. Mouse acquired with a properly functional LMB, but I am sleepy today. Uploads probably tomorrow, writing tomorrow or the weekend.
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2025 00:54
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jan 14, 2026 11:03 |
|
|
cool, looking forwards to the next fins in space episode!
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2025 02:10
|
|
|
Everything is uploaded, but I slept most of the day. That said... With recent technological developments, not only has the CSSF been able to field larger military vessels, but plans have been developed by Phidi ship designers for armed and armored freighters. Although mounting no more firepower than a destroyer and having a hefty price tag- more than comparable to the cruisers Just or Stern already commissioned into the CSSF- these armed freighters are nearly as survivable as a cruiser, have maintenance demands more comparable to a destroyer than a cruiser, and are anticipated to be able to be operated profitably under civilian control on the shipping lanes. Not only do these show potential for the hypothetical case of delivery of ground forces to a warzone (at least, should the Combine muster ground forces necessary for such operations), they could also potentially serve to help create a militia reserve fleet with vessels under civilian ownership, but obligated to respond to a muster during time of war to reinforce CSSF forces. Whether the Combine wishes to arrange a program to encourage purchase of such vessels by civilian shipping interests is still a matter of discussion. A steep up-front cost for armed merchants, but their maintenance costs can be entirely obviated by setting them to work the trade pool, they can earn a bit of money on the trade pool, and they can be recalled as needed- and even when recalled, their maintenance costs are notably lower than one might expect. They're also, frankly, probably better delivery vehicles for ground forces than standard troopships, which are great huge vulnerabilities and which add nothing to the combat power of a fleet. We might want to think about whether we want a militia fleet as a supplement, just quietly adding on armed merchants and setting them to trade in the background.
|
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2025 00:59
|
|
|
nweismuller posted:A steep up-front cost for armed merchants, but their maintenance costs can be entirely obviated by setting them to work the trade pool, they can earn a bit of money on the trade pool, and they can be recalled as needed- and even when recalled, their maintenance costs are notably lower than one might expect. They're also, frankly, probably better delivery vehicles for ground forces than standard troopships, which are great huge vulnerabilities and which add nothing to the combat power of a fleet. We might want to think about whether we want a militia fleet as a supplement, just quietly adding on armed merchants and setting them to trade in the background. A large number of armed freighters in the background doing trade but available in case of war seems tailor-made for the Phidi culture; if the universe was a safer place they'd probably wish all their military vessels were able to assist with trade.
|
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2025 02:17
|
|
|
The armed merchant looks really cool, yes. That's definitely something that the shipyards would be pumping out whenever not making other ships. They pay for themselves! Also huh we have cruisers now. Looking forwards to seeing how they operate!
|
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2025 03:04
|
|
|
wedgekree posted:Also huh we have cruisers now. Looking forwards to seeing how they operate!  The Just and Stern are the first two cruiser-class vessels of the CSSF. Although they have only a small firepower advantage in close quarters relative to Hope Navy light cruisers and rely on heavy coilguns with limited arc of fire, they also have a significant range advantage over prior ships, their heavy coilguns capable of accurately engaging targets well outside of a destroyer's engagement envelope. They also mount heavy defensive shield emitters that significantly improve survivability relative to lighter destroyers. The Proud and Bold are already planned for construction. Although much more expensive than a destroyer, both to build and to operate, their advantages in firepower and survivability are anticipated to more than make up for this cost.
|
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2025 08:17
|
|
|
Poseidon Naval Yards administrative servers posted:... USNS Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson-class deep space carrier, construction started CE 2572... nweismuller fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Jun 9, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2025 15:15
|
|
|
How do we compare naval-wise with the fleets of the other encountered galactic powers? I also presume that evne if we have more ships the ships of the other powers are likely more concentrated.
|
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2025 23:45
|
|
|
wedgekree posted:How do we compare naval-wise with the fleets of the other encountered galactic powers?  We don't have a good fix on exactly where all that Gremak Imperial fleet strength is. I'm pretty sure I remember them having a heavy cruiser I don't know the current position of. A light cruiser, a scout cruiser (which is a light cruiser hull that sacrifices some guns and reinforced bulkheads to get scout scanners and extended range, and is notably more combat-capable than Phidi or Human scouts), and three destroyers do not make up all that strength, but that's what we actually have pinpointed. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Jun 10, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2025 02:21
|
|
|
So for now the Tinkers have no immediate fleet strength (at least within range of our borders). The Gremak seem to have more cruisers than we do (and I'd presume their cruiser hulls are a bit more optimized). The number of destroyers they have is unknown beyond the three they have. We (as of at least this post) have two cruisers, 8-9 destroyers, and 2 non-combat scouts and supporting vessels. will see if they get upgrades or not in this segment when it goes up! Do we know roughly how on par the Gremak are with us on space tech or not? If we have some tactical data on Gremak ships will try to put up some war games. wedgekree fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Jun 10, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2025 02:37
|
|
|
wedgekree posted:So for now the Tinkers have no immediate fleet strength (at least within range of our borders). The Gremak seem to have more cruisers than we do (and I'd presume their cruiser hulls are a bit more optimized). The number of destroyers they have is unknown beyond the three they have. Our intelligence sources are confident the Tinkers still haven't rebuilt a fleet. That said... currently, we have three CSSF designs in service. The bulk of our strength is in twelve CSSF destroyers, hull 30, armor 40, shields 40, speed 16 each, each mounting two primary coilgun weapons (6-9 damage, long-ranged (thus, 24 spaces), accurate, partially shield-piercing) and four secondary point defense coilguns (2-4 damage, long-ranged (thus, 13 or 14 spaces), accurate, partially shield-piercing). Deflector screens, fusion reactors, and duranium armor give the rated power and durability. Our one military scout (the Vigilant) has hull 40, no secondary armament, extended operational range, and scout scanners, but is otherwise similar to the destroyers. Our two cruisers, the Just and Stern, have hull 80, armor 80, shields 160, speed 12 each, with two primary forward-facing heavy coilguns (10-16 damage, long-ranged (thus, 36 spaces), accurate, partially shield piercing) and two secondary turret-mounted coilguns (like destroyer primary armament). We also have three civilian scouts, which technically could contribute firepower, but they really aren't meant for combat service and are scattered all over the place. We have three Gremak designs I can confirm. Destroyers have hull 40, armor 25, speed 16, mounting titanium armor, fission reactors, and 'distortion generators' (emissions damping and baffling equipment that give them good strategic stealth while on the move between systems, as well as making them much harder to pinpoint for fire control until they betray their exact position by firing in combat), with a pair of 'viper launcher' tubes (firing plasma projectiles somewhat similar to what space rays are using) as primary armament (damage 12, range I'm not actually sure, mercifully vulnerable to point defense), and a full 12 point defense lasers as secondary armament (1-3 damage, range 9). Their ID'd light cruiser is more heavily-armed, but mercifully has had to make armament concessions due to the limits of their reactor technology. Fission reactor, reinforced bulkheads, distortion generator, titanium armor. 100 hull, 75 armor, 16 speed. Primary armament two viper launcher tubes. Secondary armament is four lasers (1-10 damage, range 16)- two of which are both rapid-firing and accurate. Rapid-fire lasers are firing twice, so that's functionally six secondary lasers. Tertiary armament is eight point defense lasers, half of which again are rapid-firing and accurate. If they had a fusion reactor on this cruiser, you can rest assured every laser mounted would be rapid-firing and accurate. The scout cruiser has only 50 armor, trading off the reinforced hull for extended operational range. Armament is two viper launcher tubes, 4 defense lasers, and 2 lasers. Again, I'm basically dead certain they have a heavy cruiser out there somewhere, but we have no current intel on it. You can be assured it's a pretty mean piece of hardware. Intelligence suggests they have a total of nine ships that aren't just transports of some description; we've only nailed down the positions of five of those nine. Given just how much combat power we have in our destroyers combined, I'm inclined to say the four ships we haven't pinpointed probably lean heavy, rather than 'more destroyers'. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Jun 10, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2025 04:20
|
|
|
Lovely, I'll try and writeup some war games sometime over the week! they'll be made without understanding of game mechanics and full on tech, but that's what wargames are for! They're simulations to give officers training and a rough idea of how the enemy would work. So yay for having an out of universe explanation for why in-universe analysis is way off! Plus, you want to put your worst place expectations at the forefront. wedgekree fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Jun 10, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2025 06:55
|
|
|
I'm about half done with the update and am melting despite it being nearly 9 in the evening here- frickin' summer. Creativity done, but will resume tomorrow. Any progress on your wargames, wedgekree?
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2025 03:47
|
|
|
nweismuller posted:I'm about half done with the update and am melting despite it being nearly 9 in the evening here- frickin' summer. Creativity done, but will resume tomorrow. Any progress on your wargames, wedgekree? I've tried them a few times! I'll post my latest attempt later tonight. Heat's been maraudering me. Edit: Uh, up! And aware that a lot of the tech/weapons may not work the way I presumed it did, nor do the mechanics. This is a training operation for cadets. So using that to handwave any in-universe inaccuracies. Green team was lucky their play as Admiral Yamamato ended up facing General MacArthur. wedgekree fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Jun 28, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2025 04:39
|
|
|
It was a standard exercise given to cadets of the War College. System defense. Under blockade, the friendly system was at threat of starvation and surrender if the blockade was not broken. That meant a direct attack had to be made on the blockading fleet. The instructor would wave his fins out, "From our data, the Gremak have deployed two destroyer analogs and one light cruiser on inner blockade of the planets to intercept and run down any trnasports attempting to break through. Jamming has made direct communications with the colony difficult, so we have little information beyond that. Our intelligene suggests that the majority of the Gremak fleet is here. Which is why all of the CSSF has been put into system. Stay alert and tell me your tactics. Gremak ships are thought to have reactors a generation behind our own, which gives them weaker secondary armaments. There was a buzz amongst the cadets - both playing the CSSF and the group playing OpFor. The OpFor had taken advantage by splitting up their destroyers in the system's Oort Cloud. With their stealth buffers, it made accurately tracking them difficult. The students of the CSSF buzzed amongs tthemselves. They had twelve destroyers, two light cruisers, and two scouts. They ended up splitting it down the middle. One light cruiser, six destroyers, and one scout. They were going to have to scan through the Oort Cloud to catch the destroyers so pairing one scout with each group.. Later on during debriefing the CSSF 'admiral' would admit that his secondary focus in the academy was stellar logistics, and this colored his tactics for a sweep operation. The main 'punch' of the Gremak was their Viper tubes, which were vulnerable to ECM and jamming. So that meant the Gremak woud have to fly in very, very close to use their secondaries. In his mind, CSSF short range beam weapons were far mroe accurate and rapid fire, so a close range engagement would fall into his advantage and would be the only real option the Gremak had. Two task forces, tight formations, and textbook perimeter sweeps in a grid pattern designed to locate and engage the enemy, or failing that make them withdraw to break the blockade. Pings from the colony confirmed the presence of the current Gremak deployment. All was proceeding as expected. OpFor AAR We're playing the Gremak, and the Gremak are nasty. Cutthroat. Our ships are designed for going in close and engaging in broadsides. Clorfiz (The CSSF team admiral) was a by the flimsiplast commander, so where we couldn't necessarily take on the entire CCSF wing.. We could take them on separately. Our destroyers had more close range weapons, they had better shields. They knew we had stealth generators, so they were gonna go in a hex-six pattern to search. So we could know where they were at any given point and bait accordingly. First Engagement: Gremak light cruiser, acting as bait with one destroyer, is caught on a scan by Task Force 1's scout. Task Force 1 reports, vectors in three destroyers to engage while the scout falls into the center of formation. Task Force 1 formation is centered around the cruiser Just, with destroyers acting as close range escorts. The Gremak light cruiser and destroyer fire off multiple Viper waves, which are quickly picked off by point defense. Gremak task force falls back into the Oort Cloud. Task Force 1 commander authorizes pursuit at full speed. The three destroyers exchange long range shots, which the withdrawing Gremak cannot answer due to the short range nature of their weapons. The destroyer takes damage, and slows as it's engines are partially disabled. The three destroyers move in for the kill, and the light cruiser has to decide between abandoning it's escort to die without much of a fight, or to stay in close and be swarmed. Two destroyers focus fire on the engines as the destroyer slows, and the third peppers the light cruiser. The destroyer drifts, ti's engine disabled. Task Force 1 arrives in two waves, two more destroyers charging in while one stays behind with the slower light cruiser. The Gremak light cruiser fires viper missiles, of which few do any damage. Second Engagement With Task Force 1 strung out, focusing on the disabled destroyer, the Gremak team goes to unleash their plan. Four destroyers snap into existence behind the Just, and fire their vipers at near point blank range into it, opening fire iwth all tubes. The Just's weapons are primarily fore facing with respectable broadsides, but like most known craft relies on escorts and turrets for attacks from the rear. Which means that the Just and it's escorting destroyer can only handle so much fire with all of the Gremak destroyers charging in at flank speed, rapidfire lasers impacting both ships brutally as well as close range missiles, which enough get through point defense to break shields. The Just loses maneuvering rapidly, even as it's destroyer escort breaks off. Task Force 1's admiral recalls all of his escort to come defend him, which leaves one crippled Gremak destroyer that the damaged light cruiser rapidly tows away back into the Oort Cloud. As the destroyers return, there is one dead CSSF Destroyer and the Just is dead in space, no longer combat effective. Easy prey. One destroyer is tasked with tractoring her out of the system while the others will go to rally with Task Force 2. The four Gremak destroyers fall back and use their stealth systems to vanish. The Gremak ships in orbit of the colony break off, moving towards the Oort Cloud to join the engagement. Math favors Task Force 2. It has the cruiser Stern, six destroyers, and shall shortly be joined by three more. Task Force 2 expects a strike before the destroyers can join him. The Gremak are thought to have nine ships, of which so far five have been engaged, and two more are coming to the fight. One is effectively dead. He notifies the fleet to stay in tight formation and only engage the Gremak at long range with coilguns. Task Force 2 maintains a speed of 10 standard galactic factors to stay together and tighten the formation. The Gremak team springs their second surprise. Their light cruisers can all maintain speed 16 at flank. Four of them rush in as Task Force 2 sweeps to try and hit from the port. Their faster speed lets them get in a brutal broadside as they move to close range. Heavier armor allows them to take shots as they tear into the center of the CSSF formation in the very literal sense - just flying at flank speed right through the middle, rapid fire lasers blasting on port and starboard sides indiscriminately where their greater armor and rate of fire lets them hold their own. The fight is brutal as the range is too close for effective use of coilguns and most CSSF short range weapons are for PD. The tight formation, a strength, ends up being a weakness as all ships are within shooting range of a far more heavily gunned enemy at their preferred zone of engagement. The melee ends with four destroyers killed or crippled, one Gremak light cruiser destroyed, and the Stern having taken on moderate damage. Even disengaging and fleeing would be difficult since the Gremak can outspeed his own fleet considerably. They're saved when the remnants of Task Force 1 arrive, tearing into the Gremak aft line with coilguns finally coming into play, where CSSF superior accuracy can strafe at ranges the Gremak cannot engage accurately with. One more Gremak light cruiser goes down with the entire CSSF Task Force surrounding the remaining ones. Engagement Three: The Gremak light cruiser and destroyer from the planet arrive, but are kept at range by coilgun fire and massed, high accuracy energy beams. Depsite casualties, it seems like the CSSF shall carry the day. Exactly as OpFor wants. The entire CSSF line is in one place and engaged at close range. Then the Gremak Heavy Cruiser arrives. It's fast, has heavier armor, a large number of viper tubes, and the mass of lasers that act as the Gremak secondary armament. The Gremak team just took a look at Gremak designs, and went with the predator philosophy of 'bigger is better' when getting to establish how their heavy cruiser would work. What follows is the hammer and anvil of the Gremak heavy cruiser smashing into Task Force 2 once more with massed guns that the CCSF cannot match with the damage they have taken. It simply charges into point blank range and unleashes batteries. The Stern is crippled, and the admiral calls for surviving ships to scatter and flee as they're chased by faster Gremak ships through the Oort Cloud. In the end the crippled light cruiser Just, it's destroyer escort, and two more destroyers break the edge of the system to flee. Roughly half the Gremak fleet is destroyed or the ships considered worth only sending to the scrapyards. In exchange for the death of the CSSF as a military power. Debriefing AAR with OpFor Cadet leader Finz: We had a look at Gremak designs. They're fast, not as well armored as our own, and have inferior shields and armor. They have to get into close range to fight effectively due to their limited generators. So we have to close the range fast or die. At harpoon fighting range (to borrow a tactical term from the Hope Government, knife fighting). But even with our speed, we'd get pasted by massed coilgun fire. The vipers are useless unless at point blank range. We can't win in a straight up fight. That's CSSF standard doctrine - engage the Gremak at range, focus fire, and wear them down one by one. We had to turn that around. We wanted to go with ambush tactics in the Oort Cloud, but the splitting up of the Task Forces played way too well for us. We knew what they'd do, we gave them what they wanted to see. Then we hit them at point blank range and ran away. We accepted we'd take losses so traded ships for time. A dead ship at the right time is just as good as one at full power and fresh from the yards. We kept them in one place and turned it into a point blank slugfest with wore them down, then came our heavy cruiser full and fresh. Instructor Review: Intelligence is never perfect. We gave them more ships than we know the Gremak have (or at least we suspect) and let them set the battlefield. They made psychological analysis a big part of how they prepped for the fight. Predators willing to sacrifice weakened ships in the name of victory. They made convincing points that the Gremak would knowingly let many of their ships die to get the advantage. In doing so they controlled the flow of the battlefield. Where the fight was, under the conditions, and what terms the fight was on. To Green Team, remember. Speed is life. You can maintain the formation or you can abandon it. You had a good plan but you kept on changing your mind on whether to keep your formation or thin it. Yes, you need to retain flexibility in a fight rather than hold hard to doctrine. You gave up all initiative to the enemy and were purely reactive. Remember that you cannot be passive in the face of the enemy. Make them respond to what you're doing, not what they are. Remember our ship designs are generalists. We fight at longer range with coilguns and our secondaries are moreso for point defense. Gremak ships are faster than ours, so you can expect them to charge in at flank speed. You can't take them out before they get in so just pick them off one at a time. All ships should mass fire on one at a time so when they get in at least some of them are down. You can't control the range but you can hurt them as much as possible. Massed fire on one target at a time lets you do as much damage as possible rather than spreading it out. Blue Force, you won here but purposefully sacrificed half your fleet. Spreading out worked, but your plan was overly complicated, relied on Blue team doing exactly as you expected, and split your ships far apart. If Green Team didn't break formation and get spread out and your guesses weren't right on their timing and positioning, this would have been a massacre on the other end. If your stealth systems weren't as effective as you'd hoped, or the Oort cloud wasn't as protected as you wanted, you'd be dead with little to show for it. You spread your fleet thin and put it into waves, and it worked. But you risked each wave being defeated in detail, throwing off your entire plan. But you figured out what battleground favored you based on technology and weapons, and ran with it logically. Well won.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2025 05:52
|
|
|
Serenitas, on the Stars in Shadow forums posted:
nweismuller fucked around with this message at 11:47 on Jul 8, 2025 |
|
#
?
Jul 4, 2025 23:40
|
|
|
A group of cadets will be given the task of creating a design for a small scale missile ship that can fit on a small hull-frame for maximum ease of production that will carry as many missile launchers as possible with the remainder of the space to be given to internal magazines. The ship should further not be required to keep up with the rest of the fleet at flank speed in an engagement given it's existance is purely to inundate the enemy with missile volleys. HOpefully saturation can be reached to a point that the missiles can inflict significant damage. Failing that, they should at least keep the Gremak ships from engaging with thier point defense weapons at close range. The cadets will be tasked with determining the effective range of said missiles and timing of volleys for maximum saturation effect, and calculation for the speed of missiles and fire rate of Gremak point defense weapons and approach. If the timing can be accomplished, when the Gremak charge in their secondary batteries will be occupied by missile volleys, leaving them vulnerable to coilgun attacks or at least slowing down their blitz. Cadet engineering teams will be tasked with submitting designs, calculations based upon Gremak technology and known hardpoints of enemy ships. At this point, wargame simulations will be run with different numbers and variations of the designs to determine effectiveness. If these designs prove viable then a request will be made to CSSF R&D to fast track the development required for a missile carrier craft and for a design to be proposed when the research is cmoplete.
|
|
#
?
Jul 5, 2025 01:03
|
|
|
I had no idea you could sneak-colonise a planet by deploying a full space hab in orbit! Seems like it'd be superb for grabbing the Wrem and Tarib early. I'll definitely have to try it next time I play.
|
|
#
?
Jul 6, 2025 19:30
|
|
|
Further writing slightly delayed by respiratory infection; my mind is not super clear. Try to finish when I am better.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2025 03:42
|
|
|
nweismuller posted:Further writing slightly delayed by respiratory infection; my mind is not super clear. Try to finish when I am better. Take care and feel better!
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2025 04:10
|
|
|
My condolences, take your time and I hope you recover soon!
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2025 14:20
|
|
|
Health is better, and getting a win on Rogue Trader with the second DLC has been finished. I should be a little less distracted now. (The second DLC lets you get your own personal recaf servant!)
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2025 09:23
|
|
|
Coffee is important!
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2025 16:10
|
|
|
Aaaaand sleep schedule wrestled back into shape, I really should finish up this weekend.Trader Aligo posted:When first our Combine and our species set forth into space, we imagined we would find eager friends and equal partners. We have abundant attestation of this. Of course, by now, we have learned that friendship is harder-gained than we imagined at first. The Threshers, although slow and reluctant to embrace modernity, are beloved junior partners in the Combine and both Phidi and Thresher have benefitted from our cooperation, and Thresher subscribers to principalities on the Phidi pattern are now common alongside their more traditional protectorates. More than any other species, they have delivered the promise of friendship and partnership for which we initially hoped. Our relationship with Humanity has been mixed indeed, with Human barbarians that refused any cooperation alongside the Humans descended from Fargone, who for whatever their harshness have been our truest foreign friends. The Haduir of Aturas are a proud people who have swiftly adapted to protectorate, and many of them now stand ready to join into the Combine proper, seeking to prosper alongside us. THESE have been our stories of success.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2025 20:03
|
|
|
Imperial Remnants With the new colony at Seysus in place, the Combine was once again in a position to attempt negotiations with the Tinkers by CY 4543. Despite this, the general sentiment amongst the princes of the Combine was that wasting time and effort on proactively reaching out to the Tinkers to end the current war, was, perhaps, premature- better to let the Tinkers conclude themselves the futility of the conflict.  In CY 4549, the Gremak Imperial Fleet confronted the space rays at Aldib, taking some damage in the battle but clearing the hostile organisms away. They had not, however, made any immediate arrangements to colonise the system, something that sponsors of Phidi colonial expeditions almost immediately seized upon as an opportunity.  Shortly thereafter, in CY 4550, a fueling outpost was established by the Combine at Elnath, pushing the effective operational range of the CSSF that much closer to the Eye of Dzibix system. With only one more Tinker border system under Combine control, the CSSF would have the capability to directly assault Dzibix itself, striking at the heart of the Tinker civilisation.    With the threat presented by the Combine's advance growing increasingly clear, the Tinkers approached Combine negotiators requesting a cease to all hostilities in CY 4554. Given the concerns about the Gremak Empire on the Combine's opposite flank, Combine negotiators agreed to this proposal with no further demands. Since the Tinkers approached us with this proposal, it doesn't cost us any influence to make peace. Preserving our precious diplomatic capital while ending a war is worth it.     In the wake of the peace agreement, Phidi negotiators worked diligently to reassure the skittish Tinker representatives of the goodwill of the Combine and re-established normal diplomatic and commercial relations. Although the Tinkers remained concerned about the Combine's presence on their borders, the war itself did little lasting harm to the opinion of the Tinkers of the Combined Association of Free Principalities. The princes of the Combine held out hope that time and continued negotiation could settle relations with their erratic cyborg neighbors. Unfortunately, setting our treaties back up DOES cost influence, but that was unavoidable once war broke out. We still benefit from more commerce and more research agreements.   Continued experimentation with genetically-engineered organisms allowed for the Combine to see distinct success in limited ecological engineering of its planets by about CY 4555. With superior closed-system life support and with organisms adapted to more marginal areas of colony worlds, new areas were opened to settlement- the effect being particularly striking on Eluz, which was able to take advantage of its growing population to support a significant increase in the output of refined metals it provided to the rest of the Combine.   In CY 4559, the Curiousity arrived at the M-class red dwarf Atria. In the outer system, ship wreckage dating back about to the time of the Great War proved to be a valuable source of salvage, while in close orbit around the dim red star was the arid world Aturas. This world, although only barely habitable in sealed colonies, with a thin atmosphere and no native biosphere, nonetheless still supported an ancient colony of the Ashdar Imperium, still inhabited by the Ashdar Haduir, one of two co-evolved Ashdar species from their homeworld that had established their Imperium, a proud and cultured people. The current ruler of the planet, Legatus Habioyo, was in theory merely the head of an Imperial Military District of the old Imperium ruling in the name of the Imperator, despite the vast gulfs of time separating the current day from the time in which the Imperium held sway. Regardless of any theoretical loyalty to the Imperium, Legatus Habioyo was almost desperately willing to conclude a treaty of protectorate with the Combine, trading the ruinous pressure of Gremak extortion from the Gremak despotate based at Ymir for the lighter touch of Phidi oversight. This treaty, however, was not without an escape clause- a condition of the treaty was a right reserved for Aturas to dissolve the protectorate to rejoin the Ashdar Imperium on the request of the Legatus should contact be re-established with the Ashdar Imperium. Phidi negotiators agreed to this clause, if not without a certain amount of bemusement at the insistence of the Legatus on its inclusion. You can occasionally encounter minor colonies of Ashdar or Humans left over from the prior history of the region, which may or may not immediately join your empire. The only art done for minor Ashdar colony rulers is for a yellow-scaled Teros ruler, although we can safely assume that Legatus Habioyo is actually a gray-green Haduir.   Despite its hostility, Aturas was relatively well-developed, with well-established industries and sufficient agriculture to support its people on the cold and lifeless desert of Aturas. The Haduir were a proud, cultured, and somewhat melancholic reptilian people with a strong tradition of ancestor worship and a well-established aristocratic class who proved to be cunning and prudent managers of their estates. The Haduir of Aturas took to their new relationship of protectorate with admirable grace, accepting the influx of Phidi investment and trade that began to transform life on their world with measured hope. Haduir are better at Coin production than most major races, although not as good at Coin production as Phidi. Relative to Humans, they're more tolerant of Arid biomes and less tolerant of Ice biomes, but are otherwise similar in environmental preferences.   The first designs for high-performance light craft capable of surface-to-orbit operations in the Combine were unveiled in CY 4560. Not only did these have (thus far only theoretical, without any effective plans for surface basing or orbital deployment platforms having been devised) military application, they also proved to be of distinct value in expanding orbital construction operations over Combine planets- the first step towards expanded shipbuilding capabilities in the Combine.   In CY 4564, the final colony ship departed the Tendao orbital construction yards to start on a voyage to the Rasalgethi system. Competition for the shipbuilding industry on Tendao had continued to mount at Nuo and Manui, while the value of Tendao as a financial, shipping, and light industrial hub had steadily been increasing. Following this, the orbital station previously used as a construction platform over Tendao was sold to a research consortium, its construction bays dismantled and orbital laboratory facilities installed there, while the mix of industries on Tendao's surface began to restructure itself in response to shifting investment.   By about CY 4570, use of new light craft to aid orbital construction combined with microgravity 3D printing technologies allowed for the first construction of larger orbital structures- designs for fortified orbital stations that could serve as shipbuilding facilities while helping secure the planetary orbit. No immediate plans were in place to assemble any such stations, but this was only the first step towards more ambitious construction in space.  The Curiousity arrived at the red dwarf Altair in CY 4571- a star whose planetary system was entirely devoid of any valuable candidates for colonisation, but which might eventually be another stepping stone for further Phidi exploration through establishment of an outpost to serve as a fueling base.    In CY 4573, the Combine approached the Gremak Empire in an effort to re-normalise relations between the two powers, the outrage over the previous diplomatic incident between the Gremak Empire and the Hope Central Government having died down by that time. Negotiations proceeded smoothly, although relations between the Combine and the Gremak Empire remained tense, to say the least.  The Curiousity arrived at Canopus in CY 4584. Although the deoxygenated, ocean-covered world present at this system was far from ideal for Phidi habitation, it was also a world that would be relatively simple to colonise as more promising colony targets began to be exhausted. The Curiousity proceeded on its mission, noting Canopus as a fairly promising target for Phidi expansion.  By CY 4585, continued work on refining orbital construction methods allowed for the first viable cruiser-class vessels in the Combine to be assembled at the Combine's shipyards. Although weapons systems suitable for these new ships were not fully completed, the Combine immediately authorised the construction of four cruisers for the CSSF to serve as a backbone for the fleet, beyond the simple fleets of destroyers thus far in use.  In CY 4586, the Hope Navy engaged and destroyed the Human barbarian forces at the Toliman system, but- without steps in place to properly claim the system- the system was occupied by a Tinker outpost station not long thereafter. By now, only 'the Fleet' at Kelara survived of the various Human barbarian groups the Phidi had encountered, still holding off colonisation of the valuable planets in their system.     Work to scale up existing coilgun designs to allow for heavy weapon mounts on the new cruiser designs finally completed in CY 4602. The final cruiser designs advanced to the CSSF relied on a pair of front-facing heavy coilguns port and starboard capable of very long-range fire, and two standard coilguns in turreted mounts, one dorsal and one ventral, supplementing firepower at closer range. With long-range firepower, much greater survivability than destroyers, and enough firepower to match two destroyers even at point-blank range, the new cruisers promised to help secure the Combine against its enemies for some time to come. The lack of any point-defense weaponry, however, meant that they were still best escorted by destroyers. Phidi shipbuilders also noted the possibility of creating armed merchant vessels. Although having less cargo space than current superfreighter designs, these ships would be easier to maintain than even current destroyer designs, while boasting similar firepower and greater survivability compared to destroyers, while still being able to be profitably operated by merchant concerns in time of peace. The first discussion of the formation of a civilian militia reserve fleet to back up the CSSF began amongst princes of the Combine- although initial construction costs for these ships would be steep and would require Combine subsidy to encourage merchant concerns to acquire them, the potential of a civilian reserve militia was appealing to many amongst the princes of the Combine. Cruisers are a major advance in military power, although Phidi cruisers are fairly unimpressive as cruisers go compared to Human or Gremak cruisers. Armed merchants, however, are a unique Phidi ship, a strange hybrid of low upkeep costs, potential to operate in the trade pool to earn money and ignore upkeep costs, and mediocre combat potential. I can definitely see the use case for armed merchants in a relatively peaceful playstyle.     During the same year, the primary CSSF combat fleet and the final colony ship from Tendao arrived at the Rasalgethi system, where the local space ray organisms attempted to intercept them. The bulk of the space rays suffered critical damage, either losing maneuver capability or having their internal 'reactors' overload before coming in range to engage the CSSF, and those few that did engage had their plasma projectiles dispersed by combined CSSF point defense.   With the space rays dealt with, the local garden world, Tefiri, was soon colonised, the first few Phidi settlements founded in its oceans. Aquaculture and light industry on the planet saw immediate investment.     Colonists from the Combine arrived at Aldib in CY 4611, there to colonise the local Tendao-like world, Lema. It rapidly proved that Lema had, during the time of the Great War, been the site of a Human colony world known as 'Poseidon' supporting shipyards for the then-extant Human space navy. A combination of archaeological work on the wreckage of the shipyard facilities in orbit and recovery of what datastores yet survived proved very informative on ancient Human construction techniques, with shipyard facilities dwarfing anything yet constructed in the Combine working on fleets of vessels heavier than anything thus far seen- Human battleships backed by lighter carriers and cruisers, the heavy cruiser Victory that had once been the pride of the Hope Navy having been little more than an unremarkable line vessel at the height of Human power.    Not long after, the inhabited world of the Gebal system and its rodentine natives were brought into the Combine with the establishment of a Phidi colony on the surface in CY 4612. Despite the general violence and savagery of the 'Scavenger' natives, they were fairly rapidly pacified and began acculturation following programs of bribery and playing of local bands against each other to focus their hostility outward. The planet, soon named 'Tattak' after its name in one of the major Scavenger languages, soon entered a period of what passed for peace amongst the Scavengers, although endemic crime amongst the Scavengers remained a severe issue. The Scavengers retained dim legends of once having been clients of the Ashdar Imperium, who evidently used these indigenes as a local industrial labor force. Scavengers are highly tolerant of arid biomes and have similar economic outputs to most major races, save only lacking any science output. Their 'Unruly' trait makes them revolt risks if they ever get negative morale and prevents them from being migrated to new planets, keeping them stuck on Tattak whether you like it or not. Their 'Criminal' trait was never actually implemented, but help text indicates it would make their world subject to a 'crime spree' negative random event. At the very least, it helps characterise what their Unruliness looks like.  In CY 4615, the Curiousity arrived at the Elowar system, charting another system in Tinker territory. Although the small ocean-covered world the Tinker outpost orbited could have been an at least minimally viable as a Phidi colony world, for the Tinkers it was entirely uninhabitable.  Continued survey of Tefiri following its colonisation eventually revealed its exceptional potential for mining, with extensive metal and mineral deposits that could be easily exploited. Investment on Tefiri began pivoting in a new direction, taking advantage of its potential to compete with Eluz as a mining world.     In CY 4626, continued refinement of photoelectric technologies promised that future deep space construction could more easily take advantage of solar collectors to supply its power needs, although transition of existing orbital assets was slow and outposts left isolated with no colonised world in their system were impractical to refit. Only a short time later, in CY 4628, engineers perfected designs of smaller, rapid-fire coilguns, making use of the examples salvaged from battles with Human barbarians.   With these new designs, the newest four CSSF destroyers- the Carnivore, Silver Darter, Ebon Eel, and Ghost Medusa- were refit with the new technology- the bulk of the CSSF still being in transit following the battle at Rasalgethi. Although a modest improvement to combat potential, it still helped to maintain the Combine's advantages over its neighbors in the event of a breakdown in the diplomatic situation.  Meanwhile, in CY 4628, the Discovery arrived at the the Aldebaran system, discovering Kazag, a minor Gremak mining colony on a small oceanic world. The arc of Gremak Imperial settlement along the Combine's borders proved to be of generally marginal value, although a community of Spice Mongers- an alien species native to an arid world subjugated by the Gremak with great commercial skills- had been established on the new colony world of Talok in the Capella system, helping administer some of the border trade with the Combine.   Continued access to observations of hyperspace allowed for breakthroughs in physical theory in the Combine, with several papers published in CY 4635 outlining the properties and behaviors of tachyons according to collected observations. This understanding allowed for the design of true faster-than-light sensor systems, helping ensure accurate observation of spaceborne phenomena and ship movements in neighboring systems.   The following year, CY 4636, the Curiousity arrived at the desolate Dunaman system in Tinker space, while the outpost that had once secured the Gebal system was decommissioned now that the colony at Tattak was well-established. Some portion of its materials and components were able to be repurposed as scrap.  The Discovery scouted out the G-class yellow dwarf Isel in Gremak space in CY 4639. The deep oceanic planet colonised by the Gremak there, Tazgor, lacked any native life, but proved to have relics of its geological history in the deep caverns of its ocean floor, where water pressure rendered extraction efforts hazardous and difficult. Entire caverns lined with brilliant gems were mined by Gremak laborers, the gems then shaped and polished as prizes for the Gremak aristocracy.   Phidi engineers and scientists, with the aid of the Etolapan Engineering data recovered from the ancient Ashdar ruins at Seysus, devised their first electromagnetic protective screens for ships in CY 4640. These screens could scatter overly-concentrated EM radiation and attempt to at least partially deflect physical impacts, at the cost of heavy heat buildup that would then need to be radiated into the void.      Although far from a perfect protection, these electromagnetic screens nonetheless promised notably better survivability for Phidi ships, with the Combine launching an expensive program of modernisation of the fleet over the following years.   Meanwhile, the shipbuilding stations at Manui and Nuo completed refitting their power infrastructure to make use of modern solar collectors, setting aside old engineering spaces once used for power generation as new engineering labs for ship systems. I finally remember to update my space stations after researching Advanced Solar Power.  In CY 4647, the Curiousity arrived at the Tinker system of Fomalhaut- a red dwarf whose system was little more than a clutter of small planetoids and debris with a Tinker asteroid station extending Tinker reach there. Meanwhile, a new Phidi outpost was established over a fairly promising, if lifeless, ocean planet orbiting Canopus, extending Combine reach even beyond its protectorate at Aturas.   With tachyon sensors and continued experience in hyperspace, it was finally possible to gather more accurate readings from ships in hyperspace, allowing ships to more accurately align themselves on warp lanes between stars. This proved to nearly halve the time needed for interstellar voyages, as well as helping gather new data needed to better understand the properties of hyperspace.   In CY 4654, the Gremak Empire reported a major mining disaster on its homeworld, leaving the Empire direly short of metals needed to support its civil shipbuilding. Although the Phidi were skeptical of the details reported, nonetheless many princes of the Combine agreed to supply shipments of metal for no more than transportation costs, calculating that such generosity might at least discourage Gremak Imperial adventurism and help stabilise the borders with this untrustworthy neighbor.  The Discovery arrived at the yellow dwarf Kazatel in CY 4657, there finding what was perhaps the strangest thing yet encountered by the Phidi amongst the stars- an inorganic worm-like species native to an otherwise lifeless, airless world, having constructed an iron age society of kingdoms and fortresses amidst the dust and rocks of their homeworld. Without relatives or evolutionary precursors, the existence of this species was puzzling indeed, while the hostility of their world left them thus far untouched by the Gremak. The Phidi, the Combine, and Known Space as of CY 4658    The Combine proper comprises nine inhabited worlds, while the new Haduir protectorate of Aturas forms a tenth inhabited world in the Combine sphere of influence. The Combine economy has grown significantly since CY 4542, easily absorbing the increased costs of the growing CSSF. Trade relations have been reopened with the Gremak and Tinkers, and volume of interstellar trade has grown somewhat, but a shortage of merchant shipping has helped prevent as much growth of trade as might have been seen. As well as the outpost at Canopus, a new outpost has been established at Calen, while outpost missions are nearly to both Achelus and Altair. The Combine has expanded to its natural borders against its known neighbors, with only a few unexplored stars past Canopus and the planets guarded by the Human barbarians of the Fleet at Kelara accessible for further expansion, although there are a number of worlds within Combine borders that could yet be colonised.   The CSSF has been split into two distinct task groups at this point in time. The cruisers Just and Stern and the destroyers Carnivore, Silver Darter, Ebon Eel, and Ghost Medusa have been stationed in orbit of Manui, now the primary security shipbuilding center of the Combine and the front line of defense against potential Gremak Imperial aggression. The eight older destroyers of the CSSF and the military scout Vigilant, meanwhile, are stationed in orbit of Tattak, there able to respond to either Gremak or Tinker borders and stand in readiness for a potential expedition to Kelara. Combine intelligence sources estimate the CSSF as a whole may be more powerful than the Gremak Imperial Fleet, although any clash between the two forces would doubtless be destructive and costly. The Just and Stern are the first two of an initially-planned four cruisers to serve as the backbone of the CSSF. They provide greater firepower at greater range than destroyers, with significantly greater survivability. Their lack of point defense ensures they still require destroyer escort, however.   Known Gremak Imperial Fleet positions are a light cruiser and three destroyers at Capella and a scout cruiser at Aldebaran, although it doubtless possesses more ships than these. The Gremak Imperial Fleet remains, at the moment, the primary military threat considered by Phidi security planners.  Tendao's population has grown rapidly, now standing at over sixteen billion. Its heavy shipbuilding industries have been decommissioned, while its position as the center of shipping and finance for the Combine has only grown in importance, and its export of light industrial products has increased- Tendao is the primary center of manufacture of high-grade electronics across all of Gremak, Human, Tinker, and Phidi space, and a world of immense prosperity and contentment. It is by far the wealthiest world in known space, as well as one of the two most important centers of research in the Combine. Morale at Tendao now up to +78, a win in my book.  Ecological engineering on Eluz has allowed its population to grow by nearly a third, now standing at 3.4 billion persons. This expanded population has gone along with expanding output of refined metals, now half again as high as in CY 4542. Eluz still dominates the provision of industrial metals in the Combine, but has, for the first time, begun to see competition in that regard from Tefiri and Aturas.  Ssuuruush has grown somewhat in population and in total economic output, holding steady at nearly 19 billion inhabitants, both Thresher and Phidi. It remains the largest exporter of food in the Combine, as well as supporting an extensive research establishment amongst the Phidi of the planet. It, along with Manui and Nuo, is one of the second-rank commercial hubs of the Combine, helping supply significant investment capital across Phidi space.  The demands of colonisation have left Nuo's population nearly unchanged, having grown to only about nine and a half billion inhabitants. It has settled as the primary civilian shipbuilding hub of the Combine, currently working on assembling a new superfreighter to serve the intense demand for merchant shipping in the Combine.  Manui's population has nearly doubled, standing at over ten billion inhabitants and growing rapidly even now, thus having largely overcome its earlier labor shortages. It supports extensive commerce and a superb standard of living, as well as supporting the security shipbuilding industry of the Combine and a healthy ecosystem of industrial laboratories contributing to the Combine's technological progress. The cruiser Proud is currently being assembled in orbit over Manui.  Seysus has gone from an underdeveloped backwater to a prospering commercial world of over five billion inhabitants, supporting sufficient aquaculture to provide extensive exports across the Combine. With its rapidly-growing population and extensive light industries, it is expected to only increase in importance in coming years.  With integration into Combine commercial networks and heavy investment by Phidi merchants, Aturas has seen massive economic growth, while its prior agricultural industries have been decommissioned in the face of competition from more fertile worlds. The Imperial Military Authority's population has grown to over three and a half billion Haduir, supporting diversified industries, research, and mining. Although it stands apart from the greater Combine in some ways, nonetheless both Aturas and the Combine have benefitted from their relationship.  Tefiri supports nearly two and a half billion Phidi inhabitants with a strong standard of living and modest aquacultural exports. The discovery of extensive metals deposits on the planet have led to the growth of a major mining and refining industry here, competing with Eluz's output.  Since its colonisation, Lema has grown to somewhat over two billion Phidi in population, supporting a limited aquacultural export industry and extensive light industries that, thus far, are primarily focused on domestic needs, producing limited capital for interstellar trade. A process of investment into what is intended to be an extensive research establishment has begun, although much will depend on investment capital from the rest of the Combine.  The integration of the Scavengers of Tattak into the Combine has been, at best, imperfect, although relative peace now reigns amongst the nearly four billion Scavengers of the world, while over two billion Phidi inhabit restored and flooded city towers in the ancient megacities of the planet. Vast portions of the deserts of Tattak have been converted into farmlands worked by the Scavengers that provide food to several nearby worlds, while the commerce and industry of the cities hosts a parasitic ecology of criminality amongst the Scavengers, an issue that seemed unlikely to have any true solution. Research facilities, partly intended to study the ancient remnants of the Ashdar Imperium at Tattak, are slowly being established here.  Relations have more or less stabilised with the Gremak Empire, while the end of the war with the Tinkers has allowed for the reopening of trade. The diplomatic situation at the moment, although not ideal, is, at least, acceptable.  The Hope Central Government remains the closest independent friend of the Combine, although not its largest trade partner. It has been steadily expanding its own fleet strength, securing its relatively small portion of space.  The Gremak Empire is the largest and most powerful neighbor of the Combined Association of Free Principalities, and its largest trade partner. Relations are relatively stable at the moment- partly helped by Gremak assessment that the Combine's fleet strength exceeds its own.  The Tinkers remain weak and impoverished, with no active military fleet and a dependence on Phidi trade to support their logistics. It is believed they now have a second world with significant population in their space- a development that might, eventually, help them stabilise their economic situation. Although the Tinker collective remains suspicious at best of the Phidi, their ability to act on this is essentially non-existent, rendering them only a minor factor in CSSF planning.  Study of hyperspace has begun to show that it should be possible to artificially intensify the strength of the warp lanes, reducing the reactor draw for ships following warp lanes connecting to Combine stars and improving the logistical feasibility of lengthy voyages, although full practical implementation is yet to be achieved. Some theorists, observing the possibility of artificial manipulation of warp lanes and noting that there is no evident natural cause that should limit the warp lanes to the limited portion of the galaxy they occupy, have proposed that the warp lanes themselves are artificial phenomena- although why they should have begun their recent recovery after so long inactive raises troubling questions.   Study of the ancient wreckage in orbit of Lema has left the Phidi tantalisingly close to designs for major orbital industrial installations that could greatly ease shipbuilding. Although construction of any such installation would be immensely expensive and demand staggering amounts of metal, but would thereafter allow for much more streamlined assembly of ships and the fabrication of certain components in orbit. Such installations would also be invaluable in the development of yet larger vessels for the CSSF. Building shipyards with two construction modules will suck down HUGE amounts of metal, but will discount the labor costs of future shipbuilding and will be necessary for ships larger than cruisers.   With advanced solar power now available for orbital stations, large-scale habitation in the orbit of Phidi worlds might soon be within reach, although the development of the architecture for orbital colonies would be a demanding task. Space Habitats lets us get population in orbit, Fleet Logistics lets us build stations big enough to fit two habitat modules. I basically wait until I have both before building orbital colonies.  Continued work in physics, making use of the data continuing to be uncovered, could lay the foundation for any number of future breakthroughs. At the very least, it may allow for some miniaturisation of EM deflection screens.  Now that sensors capable of operating effectively in hyperspace exist, it should be possible to, finally, develop communication systems that operate faster than light, allowing messages to be sent without courier ships. Further refinement of such work could allow for a full FTL communications network across the Combine, greatly easing shipping logistics and the unity of the Combine. Development of an effective FTL communications network across the Combine is very likely to allow for important future economic developments.  Some theorists believe that 'bubbles' of realspace could potentially exist in stable form in hyperspace. Although beyond Phidi abilities to create as things stand, discovering whether any such bubbles do exist and locating them would simply be a matter of extensive sensor probing of hyperspace. What value this might hold is, as of yet, impossible to predict.  Similarly, work to develop sensor systems that can detect changes in warp lanes caused by ships travelling along them could well increase the range at which ships can be detected.  Basic work in ground military technologies might allow for effective surface-based defenses and better hardware for any future expeditionary forces mustered by the Combine.  Fully-sealed ground-based colonies that withstand the most hostile conditions at the scale of a full inhabited world would be a relatively daunting engineering task, opening up a wide array of planets of generally marginal value for habitation. Still, as more and more of the more hospitable bodies in Combine space are colonised, this may eventually become a field of greater interest.  Extensive predictive modelling of population behaviors and demands, although necessarily limited in precision, could nonetheless further smooth the logistics of heavily-developed worlds and allow a major economic boom as development intensifies in Phidi core worlds.  New materials science to develop alloys of greater strength should be possible, although the investment required would be daunting. As well as helping provide new armor materials, improved materials science may well lay the groundwork for industrial breakthroughs of the future. Proposals for the Combine and its People Technological Advances Many of the relatively simpler advances the Combine could make have now been plumbed, but the continued development of Combine science means it remains in a relatively strong position to continue making the breakthroughs needed for its continued security, prosperity, and understanding of the universe we live in. Developing major orbital shipyards, however, should prove very simple, given the information recovered from Lema. Please vote yea or nay on immediately getting Shipyards (100 RP) after we finish our current research. Please also split five votes between ground military technologies (710 RP), hyperspace communications and networking (1600 RP), advanced field theory (600 RP), warp harmonics (600 RP), hyperspace anomalies (500 RP), orbital colonies (1600 RP), habitat domes (1500 RP), social engineering (2800 RP, and a major economic jump forward), and adamantium construction (4000 RP). Shipbuilding: Manui Manui now serves as the primary center of shipbuilding for the CSSF. Following the completion of the Proud and Bold, its shipyards will need to be turned to new projects. One proposal that has been raised is the development of durable armed merchant vessels that could operate under civilian ownership in peacetime, but which could be called in as armed auxiliaries in time of war. Such vessels could also serve as effective troop transports under direct CSSF command, if needed. Although relatively expensive to build, such ships could be operated at a profit in peacetime and put no ongoing burden on the CSSF, and would have relatively low operating costs even during war. Although they would have only the firepower of a destroyer, they would be far more survivable. It would, of course, also be possible to continue to reinforce the CSSF proper with more cruisers. Please vote between having Manui work on militia reserve armed merchants, armed merchant troop transports (with the extra cost of mustering the troops in them), or more cruisers. Militia reserve armed merchants would go straight to the trade pool and help make us money during peacetime, and be recalled for war. Shipbuilding: Nuo Nuo, for its part, is the center of civilian shipbuilding. Building more merchant shipping and assembling more colony missions both are pressing priorities. It is possible that new merchant shipping built here could also be armed militia reserves- significantly more expensive to build than traditional superfreighters, but providing a pool of reserve military strength. Please split five votes between colony ships, superfreighters, and armed merchants to be built at Nuo. Aturan Emigration The growing population of Haduir at Aturas has begun to create an increasing desire for emigration beyond the bounds of the Imperial Military Authority into the wider Combine, seeking opportunity, but a number of prospects remain open for initial destinations for emigration. Tefiri is a large and lush world with good development, that could offer a great deal of room for Haduir settlers to grow and to live in prosperity. Tattak was once an Imperial colony world, and Haduir there could join in the ongoing project to restore its cities and help tame the Scavengers, who were apparently once clients of the Ashdar Imperium. An arid world in the Hadar system with some small amount of open water and a limited biosphere spread across its valleys still possesses ancient ruins that settlers could help excavate and study, which could present great opportunities for the Combine and for those studying the ruins. It may, however, be the case that the emigration pressure has yet to reach critical mass. We're getting close to being able to draw some population off from Aturas to help serve as useful airbreathers to settle worlds Phidi can't and share worlds with air-based biomes. Please vote between having our first target for Haduir settlement be Tefiri, Tattak, a new colony in Hadar, or just to wait a bit. Waiting will be useful in that having a somewhat higher population than we currently have on Aturas will help us get faster population growth we can draw on. Kelara Expedition The CSSF should be more than capable of handling the Human barbarians of the Fleet, and the massive Tendao-like world in Kelara is the best remaining Phidi colonisation prospect in explored space. Perhaps, once a colony mission is in place, the Combine should finally deal with the Fleet. Please vote yea or nay on handling Kelara once we get a free colony ship to work with. Human Diplomacy The longstanding friendship the Combined Association of Free Principalities has cultivated with the Hope Central Government may well be ready to reach the next level. Once Kelara is secured, the Combine will have effective territorial control over its natural borders, vitiating prior concerns about full alliance. Although an alliance with the Hope Central Government may potentially be entangling, it may also lay the groundwork for helping to draw Humanity into a permanent and mutually-beneficial arrangement with the Phidi- a prospect with immense potential. Barring full alliance, it should at least be viable to negotiate mutual basing and fueling rights, allowing further exploration past Human space. Please vote between pursuing alliance, open ports, or maintaining status quo with Humanity. Gremak Diplomacy Although the Phidi neither like nor trust the Gremak Empire, the current relatively friendly relations provide an opportunity. Negotiating basing and fueling rights in the Gremak Empire could allow for exploration between Gremak space, although there are many who question the wisdom of any such entanglements. Please vote yea or nay on negotiating open ports with the Gremak. A century and a half, by Human standards, has passed since the Phidi's first tentative steps to the stars, and the Combined Association of Free Principalities is now a great interstellar society representing citizen-clients of four different species, with peace once again restored on its borders. We can hope that the Combine's prosperity and its strength continue to grow, and that the peace will remain undisturbed.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 02:40
|
|
|
I took a stupidly long time wrestling with bad sleep, burnout, and distraction. Much of the time when my sleep was half-decent, I was distracted, and then for long stretches I was just wracked by insomnia. Fingers crossed I'll be productive again.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 02:43
|
|
|
Welcome back!
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 03:36
|
|
|
Jxforema posted:Welcome back! Thanks, and it's great to hear from somebody I've not heard from before! Hope you're enjoying the LP.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 03:42
|
|
|
Ohh an update! Nice. Welcome back.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 10:23
|
|
|
Looks like things are going well. Welcome back. Votes: Shipyards: Yea Research priorities: Social Engineering, Hyperspace Comms, Hyperspace Anomalies, Habitat Domes, Warp Harmonics Manui: Militia reserve armed merchants Nuo: Colony Ships 3 Superfreighters 2 Aturans: New colony Hadar Kelara: Yea Humans: Open ports Gremak: Nay
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 11:03
|
|
|
Artificer posted:Ohh an update! Nice. Welcome back. Thanks! You planning to drop a vote?
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 12:47
|
|
|
It's here  VOTES: For tech, Yea on getting the discount Shipyards. Then, 3 votes for Orbital Colonies because habitats are cool, and 2 votes for Hyperspace Anomalies because whilst I don't know what those are, it sounds like a treasure hunt and I like those. Manui should make Armed Merchant Troop Transports so that we can actually have troop transports if we need them without having to build specialized ships. Nuo's votes are 4 votes for Colony Ships because always be expanding, and 1 vote for Armed Merchants because we need shipping capacity too. Aturans should Colonize Hadar because always be expanding. Kelara: Yea because always be expanding. Let's get an Alliance with the Humans because I like Humans (I am one myself even) No need to do open ports with the Gremaks until we have actual need to explore past their space, methinks. Nay.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 14:30
|
|
|
AJ_Impy posted:Looks like things are going well. Welcome back. On the Humans: We seem to have colonized/claimed everywhere in our space that's useful so there's no reason not to. Also this will solidify pretty much permanent peace with the Gremak given they would be outnumbered about 3:1 with both of us on their borders. On the Gremak: We mourn that the Gremaks exist. But we live in a galaxy where there is a distinction between what we want and what we can do. We are not capable of a generational war to liberate Gremak space and the populace, nor could we rehabilitate it. The costs of occupation on a hostile species spread out over so many planets would break the COmbine for generations, even presuming we were capable of it. Our treaties and our fleet will hopefully ensure that no war ever happens. We can hope for the time we have beneficial relations with the Gremak that we can start to instill within their species a willingness to change and better themselves, though this is as the Humans of Hope would say a pipe dream. We can maintain our fleet and keep it stronger than our adversarial neighbor and keep it modernized. Also Gremak tech should be monitored and in the event that we see them fielding superior missile technology some consideration should be given to specialized point defense escorts. A number of plans have been drawn up for ships to be as cost effective as possible so they can be quickly and cheaply produced should aggressions rise, with a slower speed designed to keep pace with our cruisers and behind the front lines. They would be armed purely with as many effective medium and short range point defense weapons and should not be put in sitautions where they are taking direct fire. While we do not know the capabilities of Gremak missile carriers, should they showcase advances in technology and design salvo ships, a countermeasure should be available. Saturation fire has the potential to break through heavy point defense, and we have the shipbuilding capability to produce specialized designs if necessary. OOC: This is just a general thought of having a pure 'escort' vessel designed to shoot down missiles if we ever think the Gremak are deploying missile carriers. They should be made as cheap as possible within our technology so they could be pumped out rapidly in case of a crisis. Further, we have seen the massive firepower that Gremak ships can bring at close range thanks to their immense numbers of secondary batteries. Their ships also have a higher speed than our main battleline, so the potential for them to close in and unleash their full batteries on our task force allows them the potential to outgun us should they close the range since they could bring all their weapons to bear. A design competition should in turn be considered for small missile destroyers designed to pump out as many missiles as possible at medium range to saturate Gremak defenses. These are not designed to inflict crippling damage, but to keep our primary adversary's secondary batteries engaged so that our ships are not overwhelmed. OOC: A general thought of small scale missile destroyers where as many of them are chunked on as possible on all weapon mounts and as much ammo can be loaded. Cheap in all other categories. Better the Gremak shoot down missiles than shoot our ships. Our deployment of two task forces is required to cover our space. Even with faster hyperspace routes, the Gremak could still defeat us in detail by overwhelming one task force with superior numbers, falling back for repairs and resupply, and then standing ready to engage our second. Their entire fleet could obliterate our major industrial centers if they could break through our task forces. These are for now theoretiacl in nature and technology to detect fleets from longer range and faster hyperspace transit allows rapid redeployment to threatened sectors in the event of conflict. Building ships for such specialized purposes would be a drain on our finances and logistics so would be unnecessary. But having the designs available with a focus on being able to rapidly build them ensures a margin of safety. This, combined with the possibility of fortifying border areas with new defense stations should ensure no offensive could break through without casualties sufficient to break the back of the Gremak navy, even with localized superiority. OOC: These ships should not be built, but doing any 'quick' researches that would make them viable would be nice RP fluff. Basically cheap, disposable ships for PD and missile cruisers.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 22:52
|
|
|
Just for clarity, does this mean you're copying AJ_Impy's votes? E: As regards your engineering proposals... a dedicated point defense variant of the destroyer is POSSIBLE, but frankly getting the medium guns for extended range probably makes them better escorts. Meanwhile, developing a missile variant of the destroyer... there's research for that.  
nweismuller fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Nov 3, 2025 |
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2025 23:26
|
|
|
nweismuller posted:Just for clarity, does this mean you're copying AJ_Impy's votes? Almost: The difference is wedgekree edited the Humans vote to Alliance, within the quote.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2025 02:08
|
|
|
AJ_Impy posted:Almost: The difference is wedgekree edited the Humans vote to Alliance, within the quote. Yes, messed up the quote system there. BB code gonna be BB Code. And they were more theoretical things that if they were made would be intended to be cheap, crash builds. Seems like tech isn't quite there yet and in-universe you can say that longer detection range and faster fleet response times makes the Dremak gaining localized superiority extremely unlikely. Also be nice if missile boats don't dominate in this game engine like nearly all space 4x games..
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2025 02:14
|
|
|
wedgekree posted:Yes, messed up the quote system there. BB code gonna be BB Code. Missile boats are good IF you get enough weight of them, but they're not ideal for reliability in my book. That said, if you're playing Tinkers, missile boats are your bread and butter. As Phidi, I prefer good direct fires and eventually leaning on the fact that our strongest standard hull is a carrier. I might have preferred a dreadnought, but it's what the Phidi get.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2025 02:34
|
|
|
Vote: Votes: Yes on shipyards Research advanced field theory, it’s the key to so much good stuff and we need to start thinking about leaning into beam weapons at some point. Kinetic weapons will only get us so far.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2025 04:13
|
|
|
Jxforema posted:Vote: Should I take that as five votes for AFT, then?
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2025 04:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jan 14, 2026 11:03 |
|
|
nweismuller posted:Should I take that as five votes for AFT, then? Please!
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2025 17:08
|
|