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Friend Commuter posted:You've written about Bulrathi taking up Human culture, but is there any cultural exchange going the other way? Are schools on Human planets teaching the Bulrathi language(s)? Have Bulrathi animist missionaries had much success? Is there a Bulrathi Fine Arts Society on Earth? Bearaboos  But yeah, liking the fluff!
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May 30, 2017 15:29
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Friend Commuter posted:You've written about Bulrathi taking up Human culture, but is there any cultural exchange going the other way? Are schools on Human planets teaching the Bulrathi language(s)? Have Bulrathi animist missionaries had much success? Is there a Bulrathi Fine Arts Society on Earth? That's not how Imperialism works brah.
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May 30, 2017 15:42
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Nah, colonizing nations pick up all sorts of culture from their colonies. They just tend to do it on their own terms, not those of the colonized. So Bulrathi missionaries, no, Human administrators hiring a Bulrathi shaman to learn the deep secrets of the bear forest or whatever as some kind of hobby, maybe. Plenty of Humans could take an interest in Bulrathi art and language and such cultivate it, although in this context it's likely to be heavily commoditized as an exotic luxury or something. Which may eventually become so common and bastardized that people can almost forget it's not Human culture. (See: butter chicken in Britain... or hell, tea.) But this is likely being played as the most equitable colonization ever, so I'd bet Bulrathi missionaries might not be so implausible. GunnerJ fucked around with this message at 15:48 on May 30, 2017 |
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May 30, 2017 15:45
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Morrow posted:That's not how Imperialism works brah. Tell that to all the British eating Chiken Tikka Masala. Though I guess curry is kind of an exception, being the sole indisputible proof that some divine force loves us and wants us to be happy. Also fat. On that note, has there been much culinary exchange between Humanity and the Bulrathi? Do they like our curry?
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May 30, 2017 15:57
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Given the penchant of McDonalds to adapt menus to local tastes, I wouldn't be surprised if there was humanified versions of bear food being served inside the capital too.
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May 30, 2017 16:40
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The biggest places where Bulrathi culture has been making inroads into Human culture have been in the fields of art and alcohol. Bulrathi alcohol already gained some popularity in the Republic in the years when trade was open; now that trade barriers are down, it's been steadily increasing in popularity. Bulrathi alcohol tends to be extremely strong, but Bulrathi brewers and distillers know what they're doing. With the gutting of the Bulrathi aristocracy and, to be frank, the looting of their abandoned estates, the arts and decoration used by Bulrathi nobles have become exposed to many Humans, much of which has started finding its way to museums, other pieces staying with the families of soldiers or being sold to private collectors. This has begun providing new markets for some Bulrathi artists, and spawned a raft of imitators in Bulrathi-influenced styles. To a somewhat lesser extent, there is an interest in trying at least some Bulrathi food, and some Human food has likewise enjoyed at least some success in crossing over to Bulrathi. Bulrathi religious influence has been less successful, partly due to the lingering suspicion of anything tied to Bulrathi Imperial authority. The previously-suppressed Bulrathi polytheisms have actually seen more outside interest than Bulrathi animism, at least amongst some subset of Humanity, although that has been, so far, a fairly minor transfer and one that has tended to become fairly garbled in the transition.
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May 30, 2017 16:47
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The plains of Yileria, sometime in the 25th century: The judges of honor had attempted to dissuade Heret, of course. They claimed honor could be satisfied by mere outside judgement, and the public recanting of Teysa's insult to her daughter, but Heret's anger would not be shaken. Such a lack of respect to one so young- Teysa's blood would water the ground, and when the sun saw him dying, then Heret would be satisfied. And so, on the appointed day, Heret and Teysa arrived on opposite sides of the chosen field, with rifles, field glasses, water, and other incidentals, and when the judges of the field confirmed their arrival, they began. The thin trickle of a stream ran through the center of the area chosen, and Heret was confident of her patience. And so she lay on her belly, nearly two days into the contest, drifting off in brief, restless snatches of sleep while scanning the stream in her waking moments, her pants slowly drying where she had urinated earlier. Crawling to the position under cover had been grueling, but now she waited. Unexpected movement caught her eye- a rustle in the grass, not one that could be caused by the wind. She fixed her attention there, but whatever was concealed in the grass was too covered, and firing blindly at what might simply be a small animal would betray her own position, and even if Teysa was there, she might miss without clear sight of him. And so she waited again, still scanning along the river, but coming back again and again to the spot where she had seen evidence of movement. Fieras was setting and shadows were gathering when finally she saw a Mrrshan silhouette slip from the grass she had marked towards the water, reaching to the stream. She braced her rifle, breathed deeply, and squeezed the trigger, almost lovingly. The shadow toppled, then did not move. When Heret stood over the stream under the starry night sky, she clicked on her hand light, and looked down on Teya. Dark blood soaked his shirt to his body, and a canteen lay near his hand in the water, his rifle slung. Heret cried out on triumph and raised her lamp to the sky, signalling the judges of the field that the duel was over. The gods, Heret knew, had delivered justice this day, and her honor and her anger were satisfied.
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May 31, 2017 06:20
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Hope people like a glimpse at a traditional Mrrshan rifle duel.
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May 31, 2017 06:43
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So it is a sniper duel? I am suddenly reminded of MGS3
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May 31, 2017 07:03
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Siegkrow posted:So it is a sniper duel? I am suddenly reminded of MGS3 Both traditional Mrrshan rifle duels and traditional Mrrshan spear duels involve setting the combatants loose on a wide area with plenty of concealment to stalk each other until they find each other- so, yes, the traditional rifle duel is a sniper duel. Mrrshan pistol duels involve choosing an open field somewhere, setting both combatants in sight of each other but out of effective pistol range, and then letting them loose at each other with as many shots as the pistol magazine holds and full freedom of maneuverability. Mrrshan knife duels are fought in a narrow ring, face to face. The rifle duel is easily the most common form of traditional duel amongst Mrrshan. E: I also have never played any Metal Gear games, so any resemblances are purely coincidental. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 07:26 on May 31, 2017 |
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May 31, 2017 07:18
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... I like. More things in life need to be settled MGS style.
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May 31, 2017 07:25
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The American second amendment is the right to bear arms. Bulrathi second amendment is the right to arm bears.
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May 31, 2017 22:34
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Siegkrow posted:The American second amendment is the right to bear arms. I'm pretty sure even a strict constitutionalist will agree that the 'right to bear arms' includes the right of Bulrathi to maul mouthy humies.
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May 31, 2017 22:50
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So, tell me of this Metal Gear Solid sniper duel I have evidently reminded somebody of.
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Jun 1, 2017 00:20
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Siegkrow posted:The American second amendment is the right to bear arms. In Soviet Bulra, bear arms you!
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Jun 1, 2017 00:22
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nweismuller posted:So, tell me of this Metal Gear Solid sniper duel I have evidently reminded somebody of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YQKNpt-Idw
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Jun 1, 2017 00:23
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nweismuller posted:So, tell me of this Metal Gear Solid sniper duel I have evidently reminded somebody of. You basically fight a super photosynthetic sniper with a parrot that will call out your position. The sniper will get mad if you kill his parrot, madder if you eat it. The battle area spans 3 separate zones in a jungle. He has near perfect camoflague and you'll usually only catch glimpses of his sniper lense reflecting in the sun as you take pot shots. Maybe you crawl along the ground while using your directional microphone and can hear his labored breathing, then take a pot shot with your own rifle. Or you be lucky enough to stumble on his hiding place and get the drop on him, holding him up as he turns over his specialized camoflauge to you. Then he drops a flashbang and hustles away as fast as he can while you see nothing but white. But eventually you'll be forced to hunt him down using infrared goggles to track his footsteps, finding him on a bluff and hold him up one last time, only to realize you've run out of bullets to finish him off. And then you kick an old man to death in the jungle. MGS3 rules.
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Jun 1, 2017 01:13
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Alternately, you enter the zone, save your game, get called away to throw away some trash or whatnot. Then you forget about the game for a week or so and load it back up. And find your nemesis has died of old age while waiting for you. And then the bomb inside him explodes.
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Jun 1, 2017 01:15
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Alternatively alternatively, you take a killshot on the guy earlier in the game because you saw him in the open and decided to try sequence breaking. When you get to the zone, instead of fighting a badass veteran sniper in his final battle, you're doing a generic battle with a squad of regular mooks and have done yourself out of one of the best boss fights of the PS2 era.
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Jun 1, 2017 11:49
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OK, enough loving around with founding the Republic of Ireland in the early 9th century. Time to get down to serious work on the update. Should be up this evening or tomorrow.
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Jun 13, 2017 13:14
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Whoo! Can't wait to see it!
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Jun 14, 2017 06:09
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And... just accidentally erased my draft. Make that 'Sunday or Monday', then, sorry.
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Jun 14, 2017 16:09
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Don't worry man. poo poo happens.
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Jun 15, 2017 01:28
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A Galaxy at War     Late in 2640, the Senate and Popular Assembly approved a measure authorising the Republic's executive branch to negotiate with the Meklar Combine in the interests of establishing a permanent formal alliance. Politicians in the Human Republic had deep concern about the generally repressive character of Darlok governance, and had a deep fear of the Darlok Administration being a terror threat to equal or match the old Bulrathi Empire. The attacks on Earth which had crippled the Human homeworld for decades still figured prominently in Human debate, and the secretive and paranoid character of Darlok leadership raised many fears of a repeat of those horrors. Although negotiations with the Meklar Combine were able to establish a treaty of non-aggression and mutual recognition of claims and borders, a formal alliance remained out of reach. Many individuals in the Republic raised their own concerns about the belligerent stance taken by the Republic's government towards the Darlok Administration, viewing this strategy as inconsistent with the Republic's values of peace and mutually-beneficial commercial relations, and warning that this course would doubtless lead to a war which might otherwise be avoided.   By 2642, a long process of refinement of the Republic's military doctrines based on the lessons from the Second Bulrathi-Human War was essentially complete. A paper written over two decades by Rear Admiral Gunther Bauer advocating the critical role of fleet escorts, scouting vessels, and integrated cooperation with surface forces in supplying interplanetary transport had laid the foundation for a new strategic doctrine with a heavy focus on significant numbers of frigates backing up heavier vessels to provide greater operational flexibility. Full implementation of the new doctrine would require a new focus on high-quality tactical training in Space Fleet, however. Meanwhile, the integration of Bulrathi troops into the Republic's surface forces, improved tactics for forcing orbit-to-surface landings, and the integration of semi-autonomous robotic combat craft into surface forces provided a massive force multiplier for the Republic's surface forces. The modern battlefield had proved a poor environment for traditional remote-operation drone vehicles, as jamming, hacking, and signal spoofing rendered them incredibly unreliable and potentially dangerous to their own users. Robotic combat vehicles with enough onboard intelligence to discriminate between friendly and hostile targets on their own and pursue at least simple orders from Human or Bulrathi officers, however, proved effective and reliable in military trials. Although any given transport ferrying troops had no more individual soldiers than before, their effectiveness in overrunning the defenses of hostile planets would doubtlessly be far greater, while established military garrisons on planets shrunk in size as they made heavier use of robotics to pad their forces.   Trade and commercial relations with the Mrrshan remained strong, with Republican companies continuing the pattern of loans and purchase of assets in Mrrshan space to finance ongoing trade between the Local Quadrant and Spinward Quadrant. Continued commerce and travel further cemented the already-strong friendship between Humanity and the Mrrshan, and helped provide a greater variety of goods for consumers along with continued profits for shippers and manufacturers both in the Human Republic and the High Queendom of the Mrrshan. From here on out, I'll show what we're getting when we lend money to our trading partners to finance trade, but won't bother showing renewal of trade pacts themselves. As a reminder, both trade pacts and payments per year last for twenty years, so our loan is providing a decent profit for us over that period of time- and, by ensuring the Mrrshan have the money on hand to renew trade, actually also helps their overall income as well. We may have brief interruptions in trade if our partners don't have enough money to make up the difference, but a little saving on our part should get us over those interruptions fairly quickly.  By 2646, counterinsurgency operations on Kalov were discontinued, as the planet's population had fully integrated as loyal citizens of the Republic. The last elements of military administration of the planet were discontinued, and the various states on the planet were admitted as full member states of the Republic. With the admission of the various states of Kalov as full members of the Republic, the Republic's Senate and Popular Assembly approved a law formally changing the Republic's name from the 'Human Republic' to the 'Solarian Free Republic', recognising the vital role that Bulrathi citizens now played in the Republic. Although Humans remained a majority of the Republic's population and dominated the upper ranks of its wealth, given the less-developed conditions of Imperial worlds when they were conquered, nonetheless there was little question that Bulrathi were fully capable of adopting the Republic's values of freedom, peace, and prosperity, and Bulrathi took their places amongst Human leadership as businessmen, legislators, military officers, and scientists.   A year later, the centuries-long peace which had prevailed in the Far Quadrant and helped ensure the great prosperity of that region of the galaxy was finally shattered. The Federation of Psilon Quanta and Sacred Kingdom of the Alkari, freed of wasteful military conflict, had enjoyed centuries of peaceful colonisation and development of their internal economies, helping ensure that both were amongst the most populous star nations of the galaxy, with strong and stable economies. Disputes over control of border systems had led to growing tensions between the two star nations, only exacerbated by the recent rise to power of new leaders in both nations. In the Federation, Dynal Orgit, recently elected as the new Controller of the Federation, made no secret of his contempt for the spiritual underpinnings of Alkari society, viewing the Alkari reverence for the ancient Orions as gods as a ridiculous loss of objectivity. Tak Tochno, the new King of the Alkari, for his part, was by all reports a particularly proud and impatient individual, quick to demand satisfaction for slights to his honor, real or imagined. It is unclear who fired the first shots of the war, but what is certain is that by mid-2647, full-scale conflict along the borders in the Far Quadrant had erupted. With the size and strength of the two star nations mobilising their forces against each other, the potential for devastation was enormous.   Although the eruption of war between the Federation and the Sacred Kingdom was an immense tragedy, it proved to have an unexpected fringe benefit for the Solarian Free Republic. The Federation of Psilon Quanta had long been reluctant to commit to a formal treaty of non-aggression with the Republic, preferring to maintain enough diplomatic flexibility to swiftly re-orient itself should such a step prove in the interests of the Federation. With the outbreak of war, however, Dynal Orgit approached the Free Republic's government, seeking such a treaty in order to secure the Federation's coreward flank while it focused on its new war with the Sacred Kingdom. As it had long been the opinion of both Human leadership and the broad mass of voters that a permanent state of peace with the Federation was desirable, Republican negotiators were swift to agree to this treaty. Hopes were high amongst Humanity that any future tensions with the Federation could be managed, and that the peace between the two star nations would continue uninterrupted into the future.    Three years later, early in 2650, the Meklar Combine approached the Free Republic's government, offering money, materials, and technical advisors in exchange for the Free Republic's declaration of war upon the Darlok Administration. The fears that belligerent policy by the Free Republic's government would lead to war were proven true. The battleships Peacemaker and Cincinnatus, the escort frigatesRifleman and Chevalier, the bombardment cruiser Thunderbolt, and the scout frigate Benjamin Hornigold were dispatched to push toward Darlok space, escorting 80 million Human and Bulrathi soldiers and the robotic units supplementing their forces.   Later in the year, negotiations between the Free Republic and the High Queendom of the Mrrshan led to technology transfers that would hopefully bolster the Mrrshan shipbuilding industry, helping them hold out against Klackon might. The tachyon-based communications technology that Republican manufacturers gained access to, although of little use compared to modern Republic FTL communications, nonetheless greatly eased communications between the High Queendom and Free Republic, as both now had access to compatible FTL transmitters and receivers.   Two years later, the Klackons made another effort to gain access to Human astrographic data, and more complete charts of their Mrrshan enemies, offering a fairly significant shipment of refined metals in exchange. Human leadership, which had little love for the Klackons and which had no desire to undermine the Mrrshan position, refused this offer, further cementing the Klackon perception of Humanity as a dangerously individualistic species.  In 2653, the growing ease of high-speed communications, the continued growth of trade between Human, Mrrshan, Psilon, Bulrathi, and Meklar territories, and the increasing sophistication of economic analysis techniques by major corporations began to lay the groundwork for truly effective interstellar investment. Although some corporations had maintained holdings in multiple star systems before this, the difficulties of communication and travel had rendered interstellar corporate branches functionally independent and ensured that capital investment between stars was sporadic and inefficient. The first true integrated multistellar corporations slowly began growing in the Free Republic, helping unify its economy and provide the investment needed to raise productivity and incomes across Human and Bulrathi space.    Trade between the Free Republic and the Federation continued to be strong, even after the Federation became embroiled in its war with the Alkari. Loans and purchase of Psilon assets by Republican trading corporations left Republican firms in a relatively stronger position compared to their Psilon counterparts, although both star nations benefited from the continued flow of commerce over their borders. As with the Meklars and the Mrrshan, Human friendship and understanding with the Psilons was strong.  2655 saw the announcement of large-scale engineering techniques that could relatively cost-effectively strip the majority of the atmosphere from a gas giant, exposing its rocky core, or collect the stray asteroids in a major asteroid belt into a single planet. These techniques could potentially allow for new sites for colonisation when the other usable planets within the Free Republic's borders were all colonised, although the need for such measures seemed to remain far in the future. Newly assembled planets lack any special resources, simply being a barren abundant planet. We have many other colonisation candidates still available, and the immediate benefits of exploiting gas giants and asteroids in systems where we have colonies are worth more, at the moment, than a new colonisation candidate. This may eventually change, however.     By 2657, the Space Fleet task force dispatched to Darlok space finally made contact with Darlok border defenses at the Inganok system. The station guarding the warp lane into the system was swiftly overwhelmed by long-range mass driver fire, inflicting no damage on the Space Fleet task force in return. This first battle, at least, seemed promising.   Meanwhile, the industrial techniques to safely affix a thin layer of highly-compressed degenerate matter to a more conventional alloy backing were perfected, which could provide structural elements and armor plate of immense strength. Although the armor thickness of neutronium armor would be many times less than earlier materials, it nonetheless could allow for greater strength per weight.  A year later, the continued growth of major multistellar corporations in the Free Republic was marked by the official opening of the Free Republic Stock Exchange in Los Angeles, on Earth. Earth was now the seat of several major corporations with effective operations across the entire Free Republic, and which had begun to extend operations beyond the Free Republic's borders. Earth enjoyed a new boom of prosperity, one which began to fuel accelerated investment across every Human and Bulrathi world. With the first Planetary Stock Exchange built, the economic victory for nuMoO is enabled. More details on that slightly later in the update.       By 2659, Space Fleet made contact with the defenders of the Earthlike planet Udun in the Inganok system. A major Darlok fleet command station, two heavily-armed satellites, a Darlok battleship, and a Darlok cruiser held position in orbit around the planet, ready to meet Space Fleet's strength. The battle that ensued was a straightforward slugging match, with Space Fleet vessels taking up long-range bombardment positions while pelted with fire from the orbital installations, while the Darlok mobile fleet elements charged the Space Fleet task force. The Darlok defenders were all destroyed, although they inflicted severe damage on the Space Fleet task force. The Benjamin Hornigold was quickly destroyed, and the Thunderbolt nearly crippled, with heavy crew casualties suffered after her hull was breached in several places. Both Space Fleet battleships in the task force suffered heavy damage, with hull fracturing leading to slow atmosphere leaks that required emergency patching, coupled with notable crew casualties in both vessels, while the Chevalier suffered several hits that failed to breach its armor and left the frigate still in effective operational condition. Although crew casualties amongst destroyed ships were always very high, with breached compartments generally having every member of the crew in the compartment killed instantly by the immense forces of space weaponry, orbital stations and border fortifications had always been large enough that at least a few survivors remained in unbreached compartments in the wars between the Bulrathi Empire and Human Republic. The fleet command station over Udun, however, dropped out of orbit due to the loss of station-keeping thrusters and secondary explosions from battle damage imparting thrust on the station, and no functional gravity generation remained on the compartments still intact. The impact of the remnants of the station on a mountainside on Udun, although not sufficient to destroy the station wreckage, was more than forceful enough to kill those crew members who were in compartments insulated enough from re-entry heat not to be roasted during the re-entry. Tragically, no survivors were able to be rescued.   The eighty million soldiers of the surface forces accompanying Space Fleet forced a landing on Udun once the orbit was secured, fighting an intense ground war for control of the major population centers against 110 million Darlok troopers for the better part of the year. Organised resistance had largely collapsed by the end of the year, but those soldiers of the invasion force who were still combat ready had to be tasked to occupation and counter-insurgency duties, stretched to the limits merely maintaining control over the planet.  The year also saw Humanity's first colony established beyond the Local Quadrant, on the irradiated planet of Hephaistos in the Saltator system. With Humanity's first colony in the Core, the Free Republic made the first steps needed to establish a clear territorial claim over multiple systems in the Core.     A year after the first battle at Udun, a Darlok fleet comprising three combat cruisers and no fewer than eleven frigates split into two flanking groups engaged Space Fleet in orbit over Udun. Space Fleet had significantly better long-range firepower but lower maneuverability, and attempted to maintain a range advantage as long as possible, pushing at an angle to engage the left flank of the Darlok fleet, which had a smaller frigate group assigned to it, while staying clear of its cruisers and right flank. The bulk of the Darlok left flank was wiped out, but the Darlok right flank was able to pull the accelerations to make intercept with the Space Fleet task force while it dealt with the other frigates. The left flank frigates came under heavy fire that nearly crippled one of their number, but at close range, they were able to repeatedly discharge graviton cannon that had enough firepower to seriously endanger the Human ships. The Thunderbolt was torn apart, while the Cincinnatus was hammered several times, breaking open new fractures in its hull but avoiding full breaches. The Rifleman also suffered significant damage, although its armor held and it suffered only a few casualties. Rather than continue to engage the Darlok frigates at point-blank range while already severely damaged, the four surviving ships of the Space Fleet task force engaged an emergency warp jump to the edge of the Inganok system, leaving Udun's orbit under Darlok control.  Back in the Free Republic itself, use of super-strong neutronium materials for structural elements proved to allow the construction of ships and structures larger than ever before. Neutronium cable stretching from a planetary surface to orbit could be used to quickly and cheaply raise materials to orbit, once in place, while new superheavy battleships larger than the current Peacemaker class could now be possible. The Solarian Free Republic and the Galaxy as of 2660   Picket forces have been established at Saltator, Tantalus, Steinbok, and Arlyehm, marking out the borders of the Solarian Free Republic's claims in the Core until more permanent claims can be established by colonies and border defenses. A factory ship in Segel is expected to begin heading to Saltator within two years, establishing defenses and gas mining operations under contract to the Republic's government and local mining firms based on Hephaistos.    The George Washington is currently in the Zhardan systems, en route to reinforce the Space Fleet task force, although it is still much too far away to assist should the Darlok fleet in Inganok choose to pursue the Space Fleet task force committed against the Darloks. The Space Fleet task force is still a powerful force with superior long-range firepower, and is certain to inflict losses should the Darlok fleet re-engage, but with the heavy damage it has suffered over multiple battles the ultimate outcome of such a battle remains uncertain.    The High Queendom of the Mrrshan has colonised the Zonaus system, the Klackons have colonised the Pernus system, and the Federation has colonised the Butain and Elvarad systems over the past two decades, helping to spread civilisation into previously unexploited space. The Federation border defenses in the Toranor system have been breached in the war with the Sacred Kingdom of the Alkari, but no territory has changed hands as of yet. Human scientific innovation has accelerated over the past decades, but a temporary slump in trade with the Meklar Combine caused by capital shortages within the Combine have depressed investment, for the moment. Human financial and trading firms expect to be able to provide the necessary investment to overcome this difficulty within the next one or two years, however. The growing sophistication of interstellar commerce has led to the establishment of permanent assets owned by Human or Meklar corporations across all four of the star nations linked into the galactic trade network. Free Republic-based corporations own roughly 500 trillion credits in assets in systems beyond the Free Republic's borders, while Combine-based corporations own roughly 250 trillion credits in assets beyond the Combine's borders. With increasingly sophisticated tools of economic analysis and with information sourced from Psilon and Mrrshan intelligence agencies, Human financial institutions are now capable of making a fairly accurate estimate of the annual product of the galactic economy. The annual gross galactic product totals to approximately 22.3 quadrillion credits, with the Free Republic's gross domestic product of 5.6 quadrillion credits making up approximately a quarter of galactic economic activity. The Meklar Combine, Federation of Psilon Quanta, and Sacred Kingdom of the Alkari all have large and productive economies, although none match the size of the Free Republic's. Now that the economic victory condition is enabled, we are capable of creating new 'Galactic Monetary Fund' shares at a cost that scales with gross galactic product, or liquidating them at a lower price. GMF shares are also tradable between star nations in diplomatic agreements. In order to win an economic victory, we must have a GDP of at 38% of the GGP, own at least 38% of GMF shares, and maintain both these conditions for ten years straight, at which point our immense economic influence ensures our dominance. We have been slowly gaining ground on GGP share, but being first to Planetary Stock Exchanges will help us build up our share further, as will potential future economic technology based on even better FTL communications.   Earth now hosts the headquarters of the largest multistellar corporations of the galaxy, with a significantly increased per-capita productivity and income relative to two decades ago. A portion of this increased income has gone to support a cutting-edge entertainment and recreation industry, providing amusement to what is the single most prosperous planet in the galaxy. A major program of expansion and improvement of Space Fleet training academies and logistics bureaus is under way on the planet, in the hopes of a more efficient and effective officer corps and supply network for Space Fleet.   Use of ocean-cooled supercomputing arrays has become standard for research groups on Paradise, helping them effectively deal with more data and contribute more effectively to the science of the Free Republic. Improved space port facilities are growing alongside the specialty industries and trading companies to take advantage of greater shipping volumes here, which should further strengthen the local economy. Soil and water contamination is continuing to improve here, although at a glacially-slow rate, and remains a significant problem.  The colony mission from Sunrise was dispatched to establish the new colony on Hephaistos. Environmental contamination here has improved reasonably quickly over the past two decades, although it remains a fairly serious problem for now. Educational standards have been slowly improving on the colony, as has investment by major multistellar corporations.   The heavy industrial base on New Babylon has been upgraded to modern standards of robotic automation, and major atmospheric processing plants have been established to handle the increased emissions from the more productive industrial base. Although analysts expected industrial employment to drop, rising demand for industrial services has in fact kept industrial employment steady, with only minor environmental damage before the atmospheric processing plants cleaning the air were in place. The local governments of New Babylon have debated funding DNA sniffer technology to monitor potential Darlok threats, or whether to spare the taxes and accelerate civilian development on the planet.   Niflheim now supports modern spaceport facilities and the ancillary specialty industries and trading firms to help take further advantage of interstellar trade, as well as a fully-modernised industrial base which has allowed heavy industrial employment to drop from about 150 million to 100 million over the past two decades. Environmental quality has been slowly improving, although contamination is still reasonably severe. Educational investment is strong on the planet, which is also poised to start developing major multistellar corporate headquarters of its own. For now, however, the planet remains heavily dependent on outside investment.   Gobi's population has grown to over five billion over the past two decades, with a rapidly growing industrial sector accelerating its economic growth. Modern entertainment and recreation technologies have helped make life here more pleasant and attractive to the growing population. Local investment is split across many different fields- interstellar trade, power and industry, and research ventures have all seen great interest from investors.   A shield network protecting Erebus from the severe radiation it has received from its system primary of Tyrannus has allowed the colonisation of the planetary surface and the establishment of vast fields of sealed hydroponic domes worked by a burgeoning agricultural workforce. Although the local agricultural productivity is poor, it has nonetheless allowed the planetary population to surge to about four billion. The planetary economy is still fairly marginal, but growing.   Most of the resistance movements on Bulra have died out as the inhabitants have acclimated to rule by the Free Republic and Human culture has spread, although a significant alliance of totalitarian 'Black' rebels in favor of a serf-run dictatorship still holds out in the harsher regions of the planet, launching periodical guerrilla attacks and terrorist campaigns. The establishing of a major research center on Bulra's moon and ocean-cooled supercomputers has accelerated local scientific work, and construction of a major space elevator to support the local shipbuilding industry is underway.   Quality of life has risen on Korga, with new sources of culture and entertainment, and the last diehard resistance to the Free Republic's rule has disappeared. As on every Bulrathi world but Bulra itself, the states of Korga are now full members of the Free Republic. A major research facility on Korga's moon has boosted local scientific output, although the planet is severely dependent on outside investment now. Work on facilities to accomodate growing trade volumes is well on its way, slowly bolstering local productivity.   The population of Kalov has stabilised at approximately eight billion persons, with a greatly expanded research sector making it a fairly notable contributor to the Free Republic's science. The local heavy industrial base has been upgraded with the latest robotic technologies, and the factories of the planet have been refitted with emissions-scrubbing upgrades mitigating the impact of their expanded output. A strong industrial base speeds the development of improved trade facilities and export industries, which may help mitigate the planet's dependence on outside investment.   With the resistance to the Free Republic gone on Porov, the local economy is far more stable than it was previously. Standards of medical care have been greatly improved as new hospitals have been established, and the local industrial base has been substantially modernised. As with many of the less populous worlds of the Free Republic, however, it still remains dependent on outside investment.   Tsovana's agriculture has been greatly improved by the establishment of full-scale industries to support soil chemistry management by its farmers, and a research station on its moon has provided valuable data to other scientists across the Free Republic. The local infrastructure is still fairly basic, but well within the capacity of the local economy to maintain. Local industries are upgrading emissions filtration, helping to support the intensified output of the heavy industrial sector here.   Chalov's population has grown to over five billion, supported by its own soil chemistry management industries and new hospital equipment developed over the past two decades. As on Tsovana, a moon research station is being established here. The economy is relatively basic, for the Free Republic, but shows healthy growth.   A permanent garrison has been established on Gelkiy over the past two decades, and its hospitals have been extensively modernised. The local resistance here was swiftly and decisively crushed, and the general population has grown to accept the Free Republic's rule, even as the population has nearly doubled over two decades between domestic growth and immigration from more densely-populated Bulrathi worlds. Modernisation of its agriculture is under way, although local agriculture remains quite productive in Gelkiy's fairly lush environment.   One billion inhabitants of Hephaistos inhabit a series of rough and basic subterranean cities, slowly working to establish enough agricultural capacity to relieve continued uncertainty about food supplies. Hephaistos is, by far, the smallest and poorest Human colony in the Free Republic.    Udun is a world with immense deposits of industrial metals, ruin sites of Orion-era cities still intact enough for archaeological work, and a well-developed local infrastructure at least temporarily under the Free Republic's administration. Whether the Free Republic can hold the world, however, is another matter. Proposals for the People of the Free Republic Research Proposals  With the recent breakthroughs in large-scale engineering in the Free Republic, many wonder what advances lay next on the horizon. Continued investigation of the properties of hyperspace could finally establish hyperspace phase cannon as a mature technology and lay the groundwork for even more efficient and rapid FTL communications. Continued refinement of the theory of artificial gravity could help in the development of more powerful torpedoes and stronger shields, and may, eventually, help allow for radically improved kinetic cannon in the future. Use of miniscule quantities of antimatter could shave off time needed to emit and absorb photons in optronic applications, allowing even more powerful computers for scientific and military applications. Meanwhile, study into engineering safe protocols for use of antimatter as a power storage medium for ships and industries could allow for superior drive systems and immense leaps forward in industrial output. Please vote between research into hyperspace physics, gravitic physics, computing, and industrial technologies. Trade Financing Trading firms interested in keeping the trade routes to the Meklar Combine open despite the disruptions of war and piracy have considered looking to Psilon investors for investment capital. This will help ensure uninterrupted trade, but will, of course, mean a portion of the profits go to Psilon investors. Please vote on whether we should borrow 250 trillion credits from the Psilons in order to minimise time without Meklar trading profits. Porov Migration Some of the Human families on Porov have begun migrating from Porov back to Human-majority portions of the Free Republic. A few analysts believe this trend may dramatically accelerate, but it is difficult to be certain. Please vote on whether the Human population on Porov will ship out as a whole to settle on one of our Human worlds. Economic Development- Less-Developed Worlds Tsovana, Chalov, Gobi, and Erebus all share a roughly similar level of development, considerably behind the leading level of development in the Free Republic. Their agriculture, power, and communications industries all lag, and all are undergoing investment in those areas. Please vote on whether to prioritise agriculture, heavy industry, or research improvements on these four worlds. Economic Development- Highly-Developed Worlds Many of the richer and more developed worlds of the Free Republic are experiencing major modernisation of their educational systems even as they are developing highly sophisticated economies supporting multistellar corporate headquarters. Both trends have drawn investment and talent. Please vote on prioritisation of stock exchanges or universities on more-developed worlds. Local Governmental Initiatives- New Babylon and Niflheim Free Republic member states on New Babylon and Niflheim have been considering whether to levy the taxes to implement DNA sniffer technology in the major settlements of these planets, helping to ensure their security against espionage and terrorism, even if at considerable expense. Please vote yea or nay for each of these worlds implementing extra security measures as a first priority. Udun Administration Whether any effort should be made to set up counterinsurgency operations on Udun is far from clear. Alternately, an emergency effort to evacuate occupation forces with as much gear and Administration property as they can escape with can be made. Please vote on whether or not to focus our efforts on Udun while we hold it on looting it for as much as we can get away with via Trade Goods and dismantling existing improvements. Bulra Shipbuilding Some elements within the Joint Chiefs of Staff have requested immediate appropriations to turn out additional escort frigates to reinforce Space Fleet on the Darlok front. Others point out that allowing local industries on Bulra to focus on completing a space elevator could greatly reduce future costs for fleet expansion, and believe current fleet forces should be sufficient to hold the line until then. Please vote on whether to focus on immediate shipbuilding on Bulra, or to wait for a space elevator, which could nearly halve ship construction costs. Space Fleet Deployment It seems unlikely that Space Fleet can hold the Inganok system as things stand, although with the support of the George Washington, the odds against the Darlok fleet may be more even. Alternately, the fleet could fall back to Free Republic space entirely for repairs and modernisation. Please vote on whether to push back to Inganok once the George Washington has joined the fleet, or to pull back to a defensive posture while the fleet is repaired and refitted. Space Fleet Ship Design A new ship design contest could, potentially, allow for a new generation of Space Fleet warships, but the necessary refits are likely to be extremely expensive, and perhaps may only show their best effect with better designs for hyperspace phase cannon than currently exist. Even more expensive would be the appropriations to commission a new superheavy fleet flagship. On the other hand, modernisation of the armor plating on all classes and an upgrade of the main turret on the Rifleman frigate to a rapid-fire design would be significantly more affordable, while still very effective. Please vote on whether or not to hold a general fleet design contest incorporating the newest generation of technology. More modest refits may happen regardless. Also vote on whether or not to design a major new superheavy battleship as a fleet flagship. Foreign Affairs The outbreak of war between the Federation of Psilon Quanta and Sacred Kingdom of the Alkari combined with the war between the Free Republic and the Darlok Administration has left every star nation of the galaxy at war. Some believe that this makes efforts to contact the Alkari even more urgent, while others believe that a peace settlement should be sought with the Darlok Administration using Udun as leverage. Nonetheless, relations with the Mrrshan, Meklars, and Psilons are very strong at the moment, which Free Republic diplomats view as a success. Whether Psilon and Mrrshan forces can maintain territorial integrity against their enemies is still open to question. Please advise on continued foreign policy goals. The continued growth of interstellar commerce promises a bright future of prosperity for the galaxy, while many wars raging across the galaxy threaten to betray that promise. What the ultimate fate of galactic civilisation will be, between these two alternatives, remains to be seen. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Jun 20, 2017 |
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Jun 20, 2017 01:07
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Planet updates, decisions for the readers, and general overview for 2660 coming soon, to be edited into the post, but given my loss of a great deal of material earlier and my need to take a small break from writing for food and a chapter or two of reading, I figured it was wiser to put up the half-finished update so it wouldn't be lost. The rest should be up later tonight.
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Jun 20, 2017 01:09
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Love it, nice to see we're back in the game. Also, I know you mean us when you say the Free Republic, but the first few times I did a double-take and thought you were talking about 
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Jun 20, 2017 01:30
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Crazycryodude posted:Love it, nice to see we're back in the game. Same, and it gave me a giggle. Can't wait to see the second half of this update after such an action packed start!
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Jun 20, 2017 01:38
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Ooh been a while since we've been up against a comparable opponent.
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Jun 20, 2017 03:12
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*Soldiers of the Free Republic land on Darlok Shores* "WE ARE SPACE LIBERTARIANS, OUR FOCUS GROUP TESTS TELL US YOU ARE A DANGER TO OUR FREEDOM OF MARKET AND WE ARE HERE TO OFFER FREE SAMPLES OF BULLETS RRRRRAGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
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Jun 20, 2017 05:38
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Ow, messy fight. Looks like we're not going to hold the system anytime soon. How much of the spacefleet do we have in a positoin to be reinforcements or otherwise be in a position to hold the line? It might be worth it to try and garrison the border to have a fallback positoin for our defenders.
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Jun 20, 2017 05:44
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wedgekree posted:Ow, messy fight. Looks like we're not going to hold the system anytime soon. How much of the spacefleet do we have in a positoin to be reinforcements or otherwise be in a position to hold the line? It might be worth it to try and garrison the border to have a fallback positoin for our defenders. We have the George Washington, a fresh new Peacemaker battleship a couple of systems back in Zhardan. Not close enough to reinforce the forward task force if it's attacked again, although we may be able to continue falling back after another battle. I'm sufficiently tired I'm taking a break to finish up in the morning, but I'm most of the way through the planetary reports now. Sorry for the continued delays, but to be fair, my sort of LP updates are very writing-intensive, and that's a fair amount of work. It should be very soon nonetheless.
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Jun 20, 2017 07:06
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Take all the time you need nweis. Your updates are always worth it. Also, any reason you went for Galactic Economics as opposed to City Planning? I always found the populatoin production boost that City Planning gave to be better than GE. Well, it lead to huge pollution problems as my prodution tended to go so high up that I had to manually transfer folks on every planet around to not crank it so high.. And it likely the Darloks are going to bombard the planet to extermination or re-invade?
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Jun 20, 2017 07:27
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wedgekree posted:Take all the time you need nweis. Your updates are always worth it. Also, any reason you went for Galactic Economics as opposed to City Planning? I always found the populatoin production boost that City Planning gave to be better than GE. Well, it lead to huge pollution problems as my prodution tended to go so high up that I had to manually transfer folks on every planet around to not crank it so high.. It enables economic victory, and I like the cash boost. I know extra population cap is powerful, but ehhhhh. Edit: As for the Darlok plans, I have no real idea yet, but we shall doubtless see soon. If they sterilise their own planet, that would, ironically, mean that our invasion was still effective in badly hurting the Darlok Administration. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 08:03 on Jun 20, 2017 |
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Jun 20, 2017 07:38
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nweismuller posted:It enables economic victory, and I like the cash boost. I know extra population cap is powerful, but ehhhhh. Fair enough. I tend to like the production boost it gives you as it lets even smaller planets get a lot better, which makes even small but Rich/Ultra Rich planets much more viable later game. Just different playstyle.
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Jun 20, 2017 08:36
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Update is now completed. I realised I forgot to post and comment on the discovery of Astro Engineering in 2660, so that has been added just before the 2660 overview and planetary reports.
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Jun 20, 2017 23:21
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Well, while I wait for votes to come in: anybody interested in seeing anything supplemental after this last update?
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Jun 21, 2017 19:54
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Industrial tech, borrow from Psilons, don't meddle with Porov's population, prioritize agriculture, prioritize stock exchanges, build both DNA sniffers, loot and leave Udun, wait for the Bulra space elevator, defensive fleet deployment, new ship design contest. I'd like to see more efforts to get closer to the Psilon Quanta.
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Jun 21, 2017 20:03
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Excellent update, sadly I have no idea how to vote on all these things... prioritize stock exchanges I guess, I know you love your money.
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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Jun 21, 2017 20:55
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What happened to us at Inganok and Udun is why I don't like allying with the AI for was in 4X games - You'll inevitably become their sword that's shattered and reforged repeatedly but they'll take their sweet rear end time actually prosecuting the war. Also, are we planning on hemming in the Mrrshan by colonizing Sarwa or potentially letting them expand into the core? Rick_Hunter fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Jun 21, 2017 |
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Jun 21, 2017 23:33
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Rick_Hunter posted:What happened to us at Inganok and Udun is why I don't like allying with the AI for was in 4X games - You'll inevitably become their sword that's shattered and reforged repeatedly but they'll take their sweet rear end time actually prosecuting the war. Sarwa has no planets at all, and I don't mind if the Mrrshan push to Janib or beyond. The Mrrshan are really not a threat as things stand.
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Jun 22, 2017 00:17
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