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 Master of Orion 2 is an old classic of the 4X genre, which I have previously visited in a prior Let's Play: http://lparchive.org/Master-of-Orion-2-(by-nweismuller)/ If you want detailed discussion of basic mechanics of Master of Orion 2, my earlier LP is probably a better introduction to the game. This run through will be focusing on one of the things you can do with the custom race design system. The Narestan people have a long history of relative peace and prosperity, and as their technology advances, they believe that the future shall only be brighter... Spoiler Policy Knock yourselves out- I'm not keeping any secrets this time around. That said, don't necessarily assume you can guess my interpretation of future events. Voting Policy Please bold any votes. Bear in mind also that the Narestans are individualistic to a literally inhuman degree- insofar as they have 'politics' they'd tend to view almost the entire spectrum of Human politics as unnaturally authoritarian and socialistic, and most votes cast will explicitly be glossed as private investment decisions that have nothing to do with their apparatus of law, and should be formulated as such if presented in an IC format. Narrative Conventions Population units, as before, are treated as billions rather than millions, and the starting year will be presented as 400 YE (Year of the Era of Exploration; the beginning of which was marked by the discovery of a major new continent on the planet of Nares). Updates 400 YE-That Blue Jewel, Nares 400-420 YE-New Industries, New Innovation 420-440 YE-Beyond the Luminal Constant 440-460 YE-Horrors in the Void 460-480 YE-Trade and Traffic 480-500 YE-Trade on Alien Shores 500-520 YE-Life in the Machine 520-540 YE-The Years of Isolation 540-560 YE-The Birds and the Bears 560-580 YE-The Changing of Worlds 580-600 YE-The Guardian of Orion 600 YE and beyond-The Beginning of the Long Peace Supplemental Material The Narestan Species and Culture Heavy Lift Vehicles, Orbital Lighters, Freighters, and Communications Probes- Communications and Trade in Early FTL Societies Shipkillers, Laser Cannon, and Attack Boats- The Basic Theory of Void Combat Sedesen Fine Imports Historical Files- The Great Wars on Nares Currency Markets, Insurance, Security, and Adjudication in Narestan Civilisation Assorted Lore Compilation Thanksgiving The Feast: a sequel to Thanksgiving Economic Technologies, Institutions, and Methodologies of the Known Galactic Region, YE 600 nweismuller fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Mar 28, 2017 |
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Sep 29, 2016 23:37
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That Blue Jewel, Nares It is 400 YE, and the world of Nares is at peace- as, indeed, it has been for the majority of its existence. The last major conflict of its history was the anti-piracy campaigns of the late second century YE, rooting out threats to shipping in the darker corners of the world. It is difficult to call the patchwork of legal arrangements, security firms, arbitrators, and property holdings that prevails over the surface of Nares a 'united planetary government', but nonetheless a common culture and a common economy prevails. Eight billion Narestans live spread across the surface, with 200 million employed in agriculture and 200 million in research and development, either taking entrepreneurial risks in technological development or working for established R&D firms and departments. Heavy industry on the surface has minimal employment, with most industrial employment being in light consumer industries. Enough investment in industrial machinery to maintain the current industrial and technological base in maintained, but nonetheless at this point investment in current industrial technology is mature. In anticipation of future space exploration, a major shipyard complex has recently been completed in orbit over Nares, even if this may be somewhat premature. There exists no unitary military command for various security forces, militias, and private armed individuals on the planet, although the total number of persons under arms is sometimes estimated as high as 40 million. I immediately sold the starting marine barracks on Nares- don't need it, don't want the upkeep, can use the extra 30 BC.  Tel, Nares' cool red star, has a relatively sparse inner system, dominated by Nares, a few scattered asteroids, and the irradiated world of Sedal. Sedal has a hostile, harsh environment, and is smaller than Nares- although some people have imagined exploiting Sedal industrially, the fact is that Nares will be a better home to the Narestans for the immediate future.  There has been some speculation that the warm yellow stars near Tel may prove to host planets with environments friendly to life, which could be an immense boon to the Narestans if this proves true. Even if nothing of value at all is found, the simple satisfaction of curiosity may well be worth the investment in some investors' eyes. 80 trillion credits free investment capital is available on various exchanges on Nares, with 22 trillion further being accumulated every year. Investment Proposals Engineering Firm Research The primary focus of R&D investment on Nares at the moment is new advanced industrial machinery, expected to bolster the productivity of the small heavy industrial sector and kickstart future development. This is not the only focus of investment, however- various space engineering firms based in the shipyard over the planet have been experimenting with new technologies. High-performance small craft, expected to be marketed as patrol vessels and pleasure craft, experimentation with light space-based weaponry, or redundant hull and safety systems have all been experimented with by certain firms. Our first primary research target is Automated Factories, but we need to pick up a technology on the way. Please vote between Fighter Bays, Anti-Missile Rockets, and Reinforced Hulls. Other Research While much of the current focus in R&D investment is focused on manufacturing technologies, both the agricultural and computing sectors have likewise been seeing significant funding. Viable optical computing is considered a high-value priority for the business and research communities, with various consumer spinoffs anticipated, while the agricultural sector hopes to see advances in automation and hydroponics allowing for substitution of heavier capital investment for current labor needs. Please vote between Research Labs and Hydroponic Farms as our next major research target. Continued Space Research Development of improved spaceframes, power systems, and the development of prototype drives to test the theories of physicists that anticipate the possibility of FTL travel is underway, but progress is slow at the moment, as most focus remains on domestic infrastructural technologies. New technological breakthroughs are on the horizon that promise a massive increase in productivity and wealth on Nares, leaving future generations richer than the Narestans of today, and the investment in new equipment parallels new research such that these new breakthroughs are likely to be implemented almost seamlessly. The future, as it ever has been, seems bright. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Sep 29, 2016 23:37
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The Narestan Species and Culture The Narestans are gracile, gray-or black-skinned mammalians with nearly hairless bodies- most of their hair (which is black) is found on top of their heads, somewhat similar to Humans. On average, they are very slightly shorter and rather thinner than Human averages, but have a relatively larger cranial cavity. Psychologically, Narestans are calm, rational, calculating, and deeply, deeply individualistic- by Human standards they would often be considered 'cold' and 'selfish', although likewise fair-minded and essentially entirely free of defects of cruelty, envy, or sadism. They are highly intelligent, channeling this intelligence both into abstract intellectual pursuits and, especially, economic and commercial ventures- the Narestan economy is extremely entrepreneurial, highly innovative, and exceptionally fluidly responsive to consumer demand and variations in real market conditions, enabling a lifestyle of almost startling wealth for the vast majority of Narestans. Narestan risk-aversion and lack of any real spirit of 'patriotism' or 'self-sacrifice' cripples them in military and espionage endeavors- Narestan security professionals in high-risk fields demand immense sums, forcing reliance on inefficiently high levels of automation in those fields. For only one example, reliance on swarms of drones with only minimal manned backup despite the relative vulnerability of drones is typical of Narestan ground tactics.  The Narestan 'government' is not, strictly speaking, a 'democracy', largely because it is not, strictly speaking, a 'government'. Widely interlocking series of arbitration agreements and customary law serve as the governing authority over Narestan society, locally enforced by security firms competing on an open market on price and service for the business of other individuals and firms. In the case of disagreement between different security firms, resort to neutral arbitration is typical. Personal and economic liberty in Narestan society is extremely high, while internal security on a society-wide level is largely non-existent. The Narestans are, thematically, the anti-Klackons. Where the Klackons exemplify collectivism, and leverage the percentage bonuses granted by Unification through inherent bonuses to agriculture and industry, the Narestans exemplify individualism, and leverage the percentage bonuses of Democracy through inherent bonuses to science and money. As of the start of the game, with all bonuses accounted for, each Narestan population unit generates 3 BC and each Narestan population unit on research generates 6 RP, tripling and doubling base output respectively. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Sep 29, 2016 23:38
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Alright! Another nweismuller playthrough of MoO2. Can't wait to see where this one goes.
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Sep 29, 2016 23:40
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This LP is running concurrently with a Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars (nuMoO, as I call it) LP at: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3792079
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Sep 30, 2016 00:37
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Running a democracy with an espionage malus is almost always a bad idea in moo2, and the accuracy reduction can potentially be fatal in an early war. Low gravity would have been a better pick, especially since you can cover most of its negatives with a fairly easy to reach mid-game tech. Also, I'd rather have fantastic traders with your setup than +1 research and large planet, but that's my personal preference. There's a lot of +research buildings, but getting double income from trade goods, and a boost to the already amazing trade agreements you'll be getting results in piles of cash. Go for research labs after the factories. While the boost isn't all that great with your setup, it helps get the ball rolling just that tiny bit faster. I don't know why you'd want hydroponic farms instead of biospheres, your race gains a lot from every extra unit of population, you really want to be maxing that out. e: Oh, right - reinforced hull. Double total hitpoints is nothing to sneeze at, and fighters just aren't all that great for non-creatives. my dad fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 30, 2016 01:06
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Labs and fighter bays.
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Sep 30, 2016 01:17
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I'll agree that an espionage penalty with Democracy is interesting, but we'll see how it turns out, yes? As far as Fantastic Traders versus the Research bonus- boosting both halves of the Democracy equation was a thematic goal for this, and getting both a research boost and the cash bonus is necessary for precisely the Stupid Tricks I'm about to be demonstrating in the next update. Likewise, I'd rather struggle with a subpar military and security setup than a 25% penalty to output on most worlds in the early game, which will slow me down, and for Hydroponic Farms... let's just look at Nares itself to begin with. Biospheres do nothing for us until that 16 population cap begins to fill, and will allow us to get one extra farmer and one extra worker or scientist, for an eventual total of 9 boring agricultural population units and 9 units of population actually meaningfully contributing. Hydroponic farms let us immediately transfer one population from agriculture to other fields, and can eventually allow a Nares with 7 agricultural population units and 9 other population units. As things spread to an interplanetary society, hydroponic farms help cut down on food transport costs and allow a smaller set of garden words to support population, letting us keep our densely-populated homeworld as a valuable research and industrial center for longer. Yes, it makes for slightly lower long-term revenues once planets fill up, but a lot of what I'm doing is trying to squeeze as much per-capita productivity out as possible, and hydroponic farms get us started faster and keep us running leaner. E: On a totally unrelated and basically irrelevant note: it's bothered me how 'malus' has recently been adopted commonly in English, when there's a perfectly good English word in common use from before that, 'penalty'. Not that it matters and it's basically just me being a crotchety sourpuss. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 30, 2016 01:36
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nweismuller posted:E: On a totally unrelated and basically irrelevant note: it's bothered me how 'malus' has recently been adopted commonly in English, when there's a perfectly good English word in common use from before that, 'penalty'. Not that it matters and it's basically just me being a crotchety sourpuss. I've always felt that one of the charms of English is how "uncouth" and "anonymous" have such different meanings despite being ultimately the same word. "Penalty" carries overtones of punishment that "malus" does not.  Fighter Bays and Research Labs. The first because apparently our fighters are already big on drone combat, and the second because hey, why not have even more preposterous research output?
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Sep 30, 2016 03:56
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Ah, something I neglected to mention in my prior analysis of Fantastic Traders versus a research bonus. Fantastic Traders actually isn't helped by either our money bonus or democracy- its 25% bonus to trade treaties is independent of the 50% bonus from Democracy, and the base output from trade treaties before being affected by Fantastic Traders or Democracy in MoO2 is entirely controlled by the total population of the less populous side of the treaty (so isn't increased by the money bonus). On the other hand, the research bonus actually gets multiplied by Democracy, so we're getting more for our effort there.
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Sep 30, 2016 04:05
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We should have Fighter Bays and what good is having research labs if we can't feed our people? Hydroponic Farms will help feed those people.
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Sep 30, 2016 05:11
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Voting for Fighter Bays and Research Labs. Fighter Garrisons come from Fighter Bays which are a useful backup planetary defense option. I've never found Reinforced Hulls to be that useful nor adding that much to survivabiliy of ships alas. And on Research Labs - the sooner we can boost our research the sooner we can start getting nicer things.
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Sep 30, 2016 05:12
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nweismuller posted:Master of Orion 2 is an old classic of the 4X genre, which I have previously visited in a prior Let's Play: http://lparchive.org/Master-of-Orion-2-(by-nweismuller)/ You closed your URL tag too soon.
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Sep 30, 2016 07:27
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Thanks, Fred. Fixed.
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Sep 30, 2016 07:45
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wedgekree posted:Voting for Fighter Bays and Research Labs. Fighter Garrisons come from Fighter Bays which are a useful backup planetary defense option. I've never found Reinforced Hulls to be that useful nor adding that much to survivabiliy of ships alas. And on Research Labs - the sooner we can boost our research the sooner we can start getting nicer things. I support this proposition. Fighter bays will allow us to increase and sustain offensive firepower without much additional costs, and Research Labs will further strengthen our scientific prowess.
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Sep 30, 2016 08:27
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Hey more LPs and more MoO! This one I've played, so maybe I can vote with some degree of sense. Let's go with Reinforced Hulls, and Research labs. As a side note, I'll always find your avatar funny given your play style. nweismuller posted:E: On a totally unrelated and basically irrelevant note: it's bothered me how 'malus' has recently been adopted commonly in English, when there's a perfectly good English word in common use from before that, 'penalty'. Not that it matters and it's basically just me being a crotchety sourpuss.
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Sep 30, 2016 11:56
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Yeah, it's kind of nice seeing all three Master of Orion-games being LPed at the same time (if you count the remake as the first one).
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Sep 30, 2016 12:50
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Anti-Missile Rockets, while quite useful in the remake aren't worth much in MOO2. Ignore them. The question is between Fighter Bays and Reinforced Hull. Fighter Bays are a great early to mid-game system, but once computer tech gets accurate enough, they just get mowed down in droves and their only utility is to try and do intercepts on enemy fighters. Reinforced Hulls are useful all game long. However, Fighter Bays if deployed early enough and in sufficient numbers can win whole wars for you if the enemy hasn't got enough computers or PD to stop them. The question, then, is whether to take the short term big advantage or the long term small one. From a RP standpoint, the Fighters seem to fit our racial background better, though one could argue that making tough ships to keep our crew safe is also within our profile. Eh, what the hell, let's be aggressive with the drones. Fighter Bays Science. Science! Science, science, science! Research Labs!
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Sep 30, 2016 15:56
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Hm... Now that I think of it, fantastic traders would actually be pretty bad with your -espionage setup. The 1:1 ratio when converting food and production to cash is still great, but bad espionage makes it so that it's better to avoid meeting other factions for as long as possible, which is the opposite of what you want to do if you intend to trade a lot.
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Sep 30, 2016 16:03
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My dad, I understand your doubts about my setup, but I ask that you simply wait and see. This is a setup that has worked extremely well for me, and I'd like you extend some trust that I know what I'm doing with it.
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Sep 30, 2016 16:26
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nweismuller posted:My dad, I understand your doubts about my setup, but I ask that you simply wait and see. This is a setup that has worked extremely well for me, and I'd like you extend some trust that I know what I'm doing with it. I just said that one of my proposed changes wouldn't work with the rest of your setup.
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Sep 30, 2016 16:28
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my dad posted:I just said that one of my proposed changes wouldn't work with the rest of your setup. Fair enough. Sorry if I was snappy; I woke up much earlier than intended this morning and might not be at my very best at the moment. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 30, 2016 16:30
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Research labs and reinforced hulls because it's impossible to have enough science and being able to build ships that are TWICE as hard to kill the whole game long is nothing to sneeze at.
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Sep 30, 2016 18:07
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Crazycryodude posted:Research labs and reinforced hulls because it's impossible to have enough science and being able to build ships that are TWICE as hard to kill the whole game long is nothing to sneeze at. Amen to that thinking! Research labs and reinforced hulls for all our people! Reinforced labs in every home so everyone can experiment with adding nitrogens to a chemical chain!
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Sep 30, 2016 19:10
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Research labs because I like science, Reinforced hulls because even though I do not know ship design, thematically it makes sense for the highly risk averse Narestans to try and protect themselves as well as possible.
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Sep 30, 2016 21:27
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At 6 to 5, Fighter Bays take it. It's not even a contest between Research Labs and Hydroponic Farms. OK, I'm playing through the update.
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Oct 1, 2016 11:06
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I will vote for Hydroponic Farms until they get build  Is our faction appearance based off the Psilons?
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Oct 1, 2016 12:34
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New Industries, New Innovation  Over the first two decades of the 400s, investment and development of new equipment and methods for industry on Nares proceeded relentlessly, with the industrial base of the planet significantly modernised by approximately 415. Sophisticated robotics far extended the output of the relatively tiny heavy industrial workforce, helping increase the output of durable goods and bolstering the real income of the planet. The dropping prices for hardware led to a steady wave of investment of modernisation in information systems across the planet, tracking the new innovations in electronics that seemed to be coming increasingly quickly as time went on. The prosperity of Nares steadily marched forward.   In 406, Salen Personal Vehicles introduced the first high-performance void-ready small craft. These small vessels are primarily engine, with a control chamber mounted on a framework around the spinal engine containing a heavily-cushioned shock couch for the pilot, along with high-output attitude thrusters on the frame. Although these are of little practical use, being unusable in atmosphere and lacking the range for travel outside of orbit, nonetheless orbital flying as a recreation became a passion amongst a significant subculture on Nares, with professional racing and precision maneuver demonstrations emerging within a decade of the introduction of the craft. Fighter Pilot will improve both offense and defense of fighters in the fleet with this leader, while Helmsman improves the defense of actual ships. Not a bad leader with a Fighter Bays start.  Continued improvements in electronic and computing technology led to a new generation of guidance computers for small craft by 418, along with many incremental improvements in existing consumer and business computers and electronics. Experiments into efficient and effective optical computing are already underway, and are expected to totally revolutionise the computing industry on Nares when they are unveiled. Narestan Civilisation as of 420 YE  Nares now has a population of nearly 9.8 billion persons, with an agriculture sector now employing an estimated 250 million to support the growing population. Real prices of durable goods have fallen with the revolution in industrial technology on Nares, while the new industry of personal voidcraft has appeared from nothing within the past 15 years. Powerful and compact computing technology has begun to be more pervasive than it already was in the Information Age society of Nares. Incremental investment in new technology should minimise the time needed to implement optical computing on a wide scale when it finally becomes practical. Now that we have 5 production per turn on Nares, we can save it up for future improvements. Because of the way production switching works in Master of Orion 2, using a Colony Base as a store of production in the early game helps us more efficiently get early improvements in place, which is something of a big deal this early in the game.  Innovation continues at a similar pace as it has for the past two decades, rapidly bringing new technologies and new applications, given the heavy investment into R&D and the rapid adoption of new ideas and new devices by the Narestan populace. Investment capital continues to accumulate, with 24 trillion credits being saved up per year. Despite the activity in the orbit of Nares, Narestan activity still remains firmly focused on that single planet, for now. It is anticipated that the next decades will bring new and significant changes to the planet, but only time will tell what the future will bring. Investment Proposals Void Piloting Sporting Leagues Interest amongst both prospective pilots and audiences in high-precision voidcraft events is high, although it is possible that audiences could grow even larger. With sufficient revenues to support high-grade training and equipment, the development of Narestan piloting talent and a tradition of void flight could be greatly accelerated. All this, ultimately, depends on just how popular these sports are. Please vote on whether to hire our new expert pilot leader. Space Technology, Exploration, and Colonisation As Nares grows more developed, its ability to support large-scale space exploration and colonisation will grow steadily greater, and large-scale investment into space technology is likely to happen within a decade, following anticipated revolutions in computing and agriculture. That said, whether Narestan investors and colonists will focus on an immediate drive to colonise Sedal or focus more heavily on exploration of nearby stars in hopes of better prospects first remains uncertain. Colonisation of Sedal is likely to be considerably cheaper, but Sedal itself is a planet of only modest attractiveness. Please vote on colonisation of Sedal as soon as we have the technology and infrastructure in place to support it, or focus on immediate scouting in hopes of better worlds. Changes are slowly accelerating on Nares, and slowly its people look to the stars as the last barrier to their ambition. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Oct 1, 2016 13:17
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IAmTheRad posted:Is our faction appearance based off the Psilons? It's the best graphics set I could choose for them, yes. That said I imagine them looking a bit different than standard Psilons.
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Oct 1, 2016 13:19
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Delay hiring the leader - Do get him eventually before the 30 turn counter expires, but no need to pay the upkeep in the meantime. Scout first, colony base second - Scouting is really drat slow in the early game, and but if we find a really good world before completing the colony base, we can always switch production to a colony ship. That having been said, the boon from that early second colony is pretty great, so it'll have to be a drat good planet for this to happen.
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Oct 1, 2016 13:32
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We just got fighter bays. Getting a leader so quickly that will capitalize on this is worth it. Hire the alien pilot There might be amazing planets outside our small section of space. The time and resources required to colonize our other planet isn't worth it when we don't have Hydroponic Farms. Scout for better planets
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Oct 1, 2016 13:33
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IAmTheRad posted:We just got fighter bays. Getting a leader so quickly that will capitalize on this is worth it. Hire the alien pilot Spoiler: we're getting Hydroponic Farms before we work on space research. Our current research queue as stacked in my decision-making procedure is: Research Labs, Hydroponic Farms, basic Power, basic Chemistry, Cold Fusion (for colony ships).
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Oct 1, 2016 13:38
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my dad posted:Delay hiring the leader - Do get him eventually before the 30 turn counter expires, but no need to pay the upkeep in the meantime. Agreed on both counts.
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Oct 1, 2016 14:13
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nweismuller posted:It's the best graphics set I could choose for them, yes. That said I imagine them looking a bit different than standard Psilons. You made them sound like male Elerians.
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Oct 1, 2016 15:41
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Agree on Delay hiring the leader until the 30 turn limit is up but definitely hire and scout and if we don't find a better world deploy the colony base.
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Oct 1, 2016 16:10
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my dad posted:Delay hiring the leader - Do get him eventually before the 30 turn counter expires, but no need to pay the upkeep in the meantime. This.
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Oct 1, 2016 16:34
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Joining on the my dad bandwagon: Delay hiring and Scout for better worlds. Sedal is a radiation-baked wasteland.
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Oct 2, 2016 00:07
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It looks like there's a pretty overwhelming consensus. I'll start playing through the next update.
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Oct 2, 2016 02:10
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Beyond the Luminal Constant  The continued investment in computing technology eventually led to fully-functional optical computers being developed in 425, which significantly increased the processing speed available to computers. New hardware and software spread through uses in research, business, and personal computing technologies, and, by 426 YE, Nares saw immense improvements in productivity and innovation. Cutting-edge computer technology eased the design of new technologies and helped with the processing of large quantities of data, helping organisational efficiency, research projects, and simple consumer applications in communication and recreation.   Meanwhile, investments in industrial-scale hydroponic agriculture, although equipment-intensive compared to more traditional farming methods, allowed for a notable reduction in needed employment in agricultural fields by 430 YE. New specialty industries became needed to support the specialised requirements of hydroponic agriculture on this scale, but the economy of Nares was efficient enough to absorb this with barely a ripple. As agricultural employment began to contract, employment in heavy industry began to grow as space industries started to absorb more and more investment from Nares' capital markets, the daunting task of assembling a true interplanetary presence starting to be tackled by Narestan civilisation.  The growth of investment to space industries and space technologies led to a steadily-growing cadre of expert aerospace engineers employed in Narestan industry. The potential for radical new techniques in shipbuilding and in the maintenance and repair of spacefaring vessels promised to further bolster the strength of Narestan space industries.   By YE 433, adaptation of existing nuclear power plants to run drive systems that could achieve interplanetary flight in a reasonable timeframe was complete, and the first test probes intended to verify the predictions of the potential of FTL travel through a 'hyperspace' dimension were completed and test-launched. Although the test probes did achieve entry into hyperspace, they exited shortly thereafter, shredded and crumpled by the intense gravitational shear stresses of hyperspace. It quickly became apparent that hyperspace travel would require reinforced vessels with sturdy hull materials, braced against the crushing stresses of FTL. With this technology, we can start building freighters, allowing basic interplanetary transport in the same system, but we still need the basic armor material to build FTL vessels.     Three years later, intensive study into materials science had delivered titanium hull alloys capable of standing up to the stresses of hyperspace travel, slightly improved reactor fuel mixes for increased long-range endurance of interstellar vessels, and innovations in thruster design for STL vessels that allowed for faster and more maneuverable small craft. Adaptation of existing small craft drive units with the improved impulse may actually allow for heavy anti-ship missiles that could have the acceleration and maneuverability to effectively engage ships at the speeds and ranges likely to be in play if conflict ever erupts in the void. Use of nuclear payloads for shipkillers could allow for proximity detonation that could deal effective damage without requiring a direct contact intercept by shipkiller missiles. Still, the potential for such technology was, for the moment, largely reserved for fanciful novels and dramas positing pirates and pirate-hunters among the stars.  With the ability to develop effective interstellar craft, two separate consortia raised funds to commission exploratory vessels with similar designs. Both the Intrepid and the Venturer supported a modest exploratory and scientific crew, sufficient to survey distant stars, along with expanded reactor fuel bunkerage and other consumables to maintain the crew for the years needed to cross interstellar distances, even at FTL. The Intrepid launched in YE 437 and the Venturer in YE 438, each targeting one of the two yellow stars in operational range of Tel.   By YE 440, the Intrepid arrived at the Peren system, launching a fast communications probe back to Tel to report its findings. Peren, unfortunately, was fairly disappointing, with three planets dominating its inner system. The inmost was a small, radiation-baked planet, in some ways similar to Sedal, but smaller. Next further out was a relatively hot gas giant, and, finally, a tiny ice-covered planet with an inert nitrogen atmosphere. Although more hospitable than Sedal or the other worlds in the Peren system, and enjoying rich deposits of heavy metals, this planet was extremely small, and would never support a colony of more than perhaps one billion persons. The experience from the first Narestan voyage of discovery was already recorded and analysed, and had begun to allow for the training of skilled interstellar navigators for Narestan starships. Peren III is tiny, tundra, rich, with 1B max population. I'm continuing to gloss these leaders as native talent, for now.   Meanwhile, experimentation with cold fusion finally produced results, helping revolutionise industry on Nares as fusion plants began to displace the previously-dominant fission plants that powered Narestan civilisation. The previous questions as to how significant colony populations could be transported across interstellar distances began to be answered with the introduction of fusion plants- although any ship to carry large populations would need to be massive and have staggering power demands, fusion plants could scale to support the power needs of these gargantuan ships economically and reliably. Large populations of colonists could sleep in carefully-managed medically-induced comas, leaving only a relatively small crew to manage the operational needs of the ship. Narestan Civilisation as of 440 YE  Nares stands at nearly 11.5 billion persons in population, with growth continuing steadily. The economy is more productive across multiple sectors, with an agricultural workforce no larger than that of 20 years ago supporting a larger population. Although employment in R&D has shrunk from approximately 200 million to only somewhat over 150 million over the past twenty years, innovation on the planet has actually accelerated slightly, with scientists and engineers working more efficiently and effectively with improved facilities and communications. Where things have changed dramatically, however, is in the heavy industry of Nares. Formerly a relatively tiny fraction of the economy, largely supporting the existing industrial base and helping implement new innovations as they occurred, heavy industrial employment has ballooned to approximately 150 million, many of whom are assembling equipment, systems, and supplies that will be required for any off-planet colony, either on Sedal or on some further planet around a new star. The massive increase in industrial output has started to require more expensive waste management techniques to prevent property damage to others that might lead to even more costly settlements over the trespass. Research is slightly up, annual income holds steady, and our industrial output has absolutely skyrocketed. Pollution, as ever in MoO2, is basically just a diminishing returns mechanic, which is assumed to be effectively sequestered as it's produced, thereby reducing effective industrial output.  The Venturer is one year out from its target star, while the Intrepid is two years from the second star on its itinerary. The four stars closest to Tel are expected to be explored within the next five years, helping reveal more of what the galaxy beyond Tel is like and hopefully revealing a world more promising than those thus far found beyond Nares. A small fleet of heavy freighters has been assembled by hopeful shipping companies to service anticipated trade once a new colony is established. A significant reserve of investment capital has accumulated, hopefully accelerating Narestan colonisation in the future. Freighters don't cost us anything unless they're actively transporting food or population units, so getting a few up to support a new colony as soon as we get it is prudent.  Small craft void maneuvers are now a major sport and recreation that supports an impressive pool of piloting talent, one that draws from a somewhat different cultural background than the navigators and explorers of the two major exploratory consortia. Both cultures, however, share a dream of a society of routine space travel, one that is slowly beginning to become a reality. Design engineers, although perhaps somewhat less immediately involved in space travel, nonetheless form a critical support to both these cultures. Investment Proposals Development of Engineering Departments The engineering departments of major aerospace companies could potentially become even more effective with the proper financial support. The potential payoffs seem well worthwhile. Please vote on whether to hire our new expert engineer leader. The new technology alone seems a good enough reason to me to vote yes, however. Research Proposals Continued research into engineering and shipbuilding could help improve the currently rather cumbersome methods that would be needed with current technology for transfer of cargoes in and out of gravity wells, and potentially lead to dramatic new industrial methods down the line. Meanwhile, continued agronomic research promises to even further improve agricultural productivity, helping more effectively feed the Narestan population. Other fields with less obvious immediate benefit but still of potential interest include the development of a new generation of drive systems that take advantage of the improved power output from fusion reactors or the development of new high-performance industrial alloys, which might eventually lead to more efficient ways to handle the current industrial waste problem. Please vote between targeting Spaceports, Soil Enrichment, Fusion Drives, or Tritanium Armor. Notable that Spaceports will allow Robo Miner Plants, which should greatly improve our production speed, while Tritanium Armor will allow for Pollution Processors, which will help with waste disposal as pollution grows to be a larger problem. If you vote for Spaceports or Tritanium Armor, please also vote for whether to immediately continue to the next application. If you vote for Spaceports, also vote between Battle Pods and Survival Pods along the way. Industrial and Research Funding Future growth of the workforce might lead to increases in the employment of heavy industry or research and development. Relative focus of investment might help determine how that difference tilts. Our next population unit will be go to industry or to research; please vote between the two. Four is the limit I'll be running on most industrial sectors under normal circumstances, and I normally prefer three all else being equal, but this vote will help guide my labor allocation philosophy in this particular game. The Narestan people have reached to the stars, and soon, perhaps, new worlds shall be in their grasp. Many things have changed over the past decade, but Narestan prosperity and progress has remained consistent. May it always remain so. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 02:10 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Oct 2, 2016 05:37
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Heavy Lift Vehicles, Orbital Lighters, Freighters, and Communication Probes- Communications and Trade in Early FTL Society Four basic technologies underlie many of the fundamental operations of any early faster-than-light society, over and beyond the obvious requirement of 'faster-than-light drives' themselves. These technologies are the heavy lift vehicle, the orbital lighter, the interstellar freighter, and the fast communication probe. Without any one of them, interstellar societies would falter, trade and travel choking off. The heavy lift vehicle or 'heavy surface to orbit shuttle' is the workhorse of materials transfer in and out of planetary gravity wells. With a cargo area designed to accomodate a small load of standard shipping containers, a streamlined fuselage for atmospheric operations, and powerful thrusters, the HLV is designed to escape a gravity well and enter orbit with a cargo payload as efficiently as possible. Once in orbit, cargo transfer is accomplished by use of orbital lighters. These small craft, operated by either a single pilot or remote drone operation, are designed to latch onto cargo containers, safely and precisely shifting them between HLVs, freighters, and stations. Orbital lighters are generally directly hosted by a freighter or by an orbital station. Interstellar freighters are designed with a FTL drive system, enough crew facilities to support a small crew for the long haul of interstellar voyages, and a cavernous unpressurised cargo area. Some also add on passenger transport facilities. The fundamental design objective of an interstellar freighter is to reduce operating costs for extended voyages as low as possible while still maintaining the integrity to survive FTL travel. All three make for a cumbersome and rather expensive means to shift goods between gravity wells, but nonetheless some level of interplanetary and interstellar trade is viable even with this awkward system. Meanwhile, the fast communications probe allows for information to be transferred considerably faster than either cargoes or persons between the stars. Ship drive systems are designed with the assumption that the ship and the drive should survive their journey, increasing cost and bulk and reducing possible FTL speed. By a series of design compromises, FTL speeds over 50 times those practically achievable by standard vessels can be effectively achieved by a stripped-down unmanned probe consisting of a power plant sufficient to run the drive system, a pre-programmed navigation system, the FTL drive itself, and a powerful radio transmitter attached to prerecorded data packages. Although the voyage effectively destroys both the power plant and drive system for future use, this can safely deliver the transmitter across interstellar distances, allowing messages packed with as much data as is needed to be transmitted in weeks rather than years. The travel lag between systems in FTL societies almost renders the interstellar trade needed to support a 'society' at this scale impossible- without the rapid communications permitted by these probes, it truly would be impossible. Despite the expense needed for these single-use probes, they remain the best means early FTL societies have to keep themselves connected and coherent. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Oct 2, 2016 06:05
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