Let's Survive the Post-Collapse Colonies in... Star Dynasties

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EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

This seems pretty interesting. I'd be down to fill Thomas' shoes, and keep our infrastructure healthy and make sure whatever ill-advised wars we get into don't bankrupt us.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2022 10:18

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 17:04

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Space Accountant Thomas Weiss posted:

I've had a look over the books, and it seems like we're making a tidy surplus, which means it's time to spend, but we'll need to spend wisely, lest we find ourselves overextended. With the new administration's reputation on rocky ground already, I don't believe we can afford any missteps, here. Now, while I said we're running a solid surplus, the amount is actually rather paltry, in objective terms. As it stands, we can't even afford to repair a single installation in our own space. So any money we spend needs to come back to us, and it needs to bring friends. I propose we prioritize the repair of wealth-generating installations around Vega, in order to provide us with more resources we can use on future projects. Once we've completed that, our second priority should be the repair of all other installations in the Vega system. Vega is our home system, and the one we receive the most direct benefit from. As such, we should ensure that it's operating at maximum efficiency. Our tax rates for our vassals are quite generous, and those taxes should remain low, both to avoid fostering resentment when we're already fairly unpopular, and so that our vassals can work on restoring their lands for us. Not to mention that, if they're not providing much in taxes, they can't reasonably expect us to go too far out of our way to rebuild space that is, frankly, their responsibility. Only once our seat of power is as powerful as can be, should we begin the process of fixing up our vassals' holdings. That said, just because the taxes are low doesn't mean we can just ignore that source of income, so we should send available nobles on missions to assist in tax collection as frequently and aggressively as possible. The tax rate is set at ten percent, and our chosen auditors will ensure we get ten percent. Thank you for your attention.

(I haven't actually had the pleasure of getting in on any of your threads before, but hopefully this is what you're looking for, it's my general take on our current economic/administrative policy)

EclecticTastes fucked around with this message at 09:30 on Mar 24, 2022

# ¿ Mar 24, 2022 09:18

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

I think I'll also edit the post to make it more clear going forward when I'm posting in-character. Figured I'd go with a verbose tone to reflect the Dull characteristic.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2022 09:29

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

From the desk of Grand Exchequer Thomas Weiss posted:

Approved. I'm sure you'll do a lot of good in Kajam, Romeo.

P.S. And don't worry, I'll see to it that comm channels are made available so you and Prudence can stay in touch while you're gone.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2022 14:47

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

High Moneylord Thomas Weiss posted:

While I'm personally in favor of shoring up our reputation among our vassals, it behooves me to point out that fifteen thousand marks is more than half our current surplus, and a full diplomatic effort would thus wipe out our income for the year. Diplomatic gains mean little in the face of a full year of economic stagnation. Once we've finished repairing a few installations and are making a little more money, we can afford other expenditures. My suggestion is to pause all non-emergency expenditures greater than five-thousand marks until our annual income has at least doubled. At that point, we should be able to continue pursuing economic growth while also sparing a larger portion of the budget for diplomatic and military concerns. Truth be told, while I was proud to notice our income was greater than initial reports described, comparing it to the costs of installation repairs, I fear we may be in a bit of trouble. Whatever plans we may have, all of them cost money, and we simply don't have very much of it, by objective measures, and growing our budget is itself quite expensive.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2022 04:19

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Ledgerman Thomas Weiss posted:

While I'm sure everyone is very excited about getting a technological edge over potential rivals, and loathe as I am to contradict my wife, I'm going to have to be the wet blanket in the room. We need to haggle their price down and sell access to the data in order to have any hope of remaining in the black this year. Keeping technological secrets is a luxury only the wealthy can afford.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2022 11:02

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

If possible, it would be helpful if I could get a simple run-down on how the economic layer of the game works as part of my next report, like, how much income one can expect from a facility, costs of various projects, etc. I want to make sure I understand what the numbers mean, both objectively and relative to the rest of the game.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2022 19:31

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Realizing that coming up with goofy new titles every post may be impractical, Thomas Weiss posted:

Well, it's been a very exciting couple of years for us, and not entirely in good ways, but I'm happy to say that we've somehow remained financially stable. I'm less happy to point out that this means we're financially stagnant. Actually, scratch that, thanks to certain people, we now have a very expensive secret we're going to need constant expenditures to keep under wraps, because they think we're made of money, it seems. However, we can't afford to constantly spend our entire budget slapping band-aids on everything, as I have said at every council meeting over the past two years, not that it's made much difference. As it is, we should make it our top priority to repair our orbital hydroponics and scrap processing facilities, and make plans to get the old corporate tower up and running again as soon as we can. Together, those installations will increase our income by roughly 25%. Additionally, once domestic considerations are handled, we may wish to invest in Beta Eridani. House Ritter has proven quite capable of turning a profit for themselves, which means a strong tax base for us. We should do what we can to encourage that trend, but only after we've seen to our own affairs. And pray that House Garrett never finds a more convenient way to press her war, because if we need to fund a fighting force? I'm not optimistic.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2022 22:14

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

The hospital's repairs are quite expensive, so it's not something I could approve in good conscience immediately, but following the restoration of hydroponics and scrap processing, we can start preparing to get the hospital up and running. As bullish as I am regarding the corporate tower, its true value is as a long-term investment, as it will increase our tax collection rate. At the moment, taxes make up only a small portion of our annual income. If we raise taxes, acquire new vassals, or our current vassals begin producing enough money, the tower may become a higher priority, but right now, it can wait on the backburner for a little while.

I also fully agree with my sister-in-law, both that hydroponics should be focused on before the scrap processing plant and that taxes should remain low for the foreseeable future. Until our claim on our territory is ironclad, we can't afford to risk our vassals' loyalty. Apologies to father, but right now, we're hoping not to have to use our military at all, budgetarily speaking, and better diplomacy will help that along.

From the desk of Thomas Weiss posted:

Romy,

I'm glad to see you keeping abreast of council meetings, despite your absence from court. However, my comments about Beta Eridani were both future-focused and highly optimistic. It's unlikely we'll be spending much money on any vassal holdings anytime within the next few years. We'll do what we can to prevent food shortages, as long as we still have money for domestic projects, but that's the extent of it in the immediate term. Following that, if you wish for Kajam to receive the lion's share of economic aid, you should urge your host to step up his administrative skills. Personally, I will be advising the council to prioritize such aid based solely on who provides us with the most taxes, and right now House Ritter is, as Jessica might say, "crushing it".

And I wouldn't worry too much about House Garrett. I'm not the tactician father is, but even I can tell that it would be unwise to cross an uninhabited system to strike at Kajam. It wouldn't exactly be ideal for us, as mobilizing forces costs money we only barely have, but I've no doubt father's already mapped out exactly how he'd crush any invaders foolish enough to overextend their supply lines like that.

Thomas Weiss, Duke-Heir of the Weiss Guild

EclecticTastes fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Mar 27, 2022

# ¿ Mar 27, 2022 07:36

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

If you think it best to have the tower operational, sister, well, you are the director-general. Sorry, Pru, looks like my hands are tied on this one, and we'll just have to wait on the hospital for now.

Father, I'm surprised to see you so concerned about House Garrett's toothless threats, do you know something we don't? Honestly, given recent events, I'd rather have the spy center restored before the defense fabricator, but neither is getting funds approved until our income is up, at least not by me.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2022 20:28

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Beta Librae changed hands due to its ruler's willing vassalization, it's hardly a comparable situation. Be that as it may, I'll offer at least some manner of compromise and lay out this proposed order of restoration regarding all damaged facilities in the Vega system:

1. Orbital Hydroponics
2. Scrap Processing
3. Corporate Tower
4. Hospital
5. Defense Platform Fabricator
6. Jail
7. Message Drone Hangar
8. Spy Center

Unless the director-general thinks otherwise, I would put the hospital at a higher priority, if for no other reason than to mollify our subjects somewhat. We don't need the Miaplacidus situation spreading to our own territory.

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss, later on posted:

One small addendum to my earlier list of priorities, I was informed by one of my assistants that the spy facility doesn't achieve quite the effect I thought it had. Not exactly my department, so I got a tad confused. As such, we can very safely save it for last.

EclecticTastes fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Mar 28, 2022

# ¿ Mar 27, 2022 21:31

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

nweismuller posted:

The Lamb Clan- (no title defined)

Shepherd.

In-universe, maybe it could be a religious thing.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2022 21:44

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

While I was against both how we acquired our new secrets and what we did with them, I can't help but concur that at this point, it's in for a credit, in for a mark. Any expenditures necessary to keep the secret concealed are approved. We made our choice, so it would be unbecoming not to take full responsibility for it.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2022 04:13

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

I'd like to begin with a couple personal notes. First, a request that Lord Goodman be asked to assist in my daughter's medical care. I'm given to understand he's quite the gifted physician, and Pru has her own children to worry about, anyway. Second, while I'm sure father saw him in better days, I've heard some rumors of this Charles Kelley, myself, and to hear others tell it, torture may be the least troubling thing about him.

Now, onto official business. I'll start off by commending House Martin on their wise priorities. The more money you accrue early, the more you'll have to spend later on. House Ritter, on the other hand, has disappointed me a little, with their sloppy storing of munitions. When it comes time to begin portioning out money to aid our vassals in developing their demesnes, it's things like this that will make all the difference in who takes priority.

Other than that, no changes to the current fiscal policy are necessary at this time. Repairs continue apace, and will continue as permitted by the budget. Additionally, should funds be required to fabricate further claims on our domain, consider them approved. Once our claims are truly unassailable, we could safely bring taxes up to 20%, which would be a great boon to our income.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2022 08:10

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

General Revil posted:

I wasn't really feeling any of the original characters, but the evil king's goateed good brother? I call dibs. The coincidence is just amazing, and I'm glad you rolled with it.

As I joked on discord, Ilario is the evil king's evil bearded twin. So that makes him double secret evil, which somehow makes him good. Probably because three lefts make a right.

Evil kings with good-natured siblings they either exile, shuttle off to the rear end end of nowhere for "important duties", try to kill/imprison, etc. is actually a very common plot device in fiction, going as far back as Robin Hood (where, in that case, the good* sibling was technically the legitimate ruler, but was off fighting the Crusades and left John in charge) and Man in the Iron Mask. Such situations have also supposedly happened in real life, but many of those accounts are just as likely after-the-fact hagiography meant to retroactively justify a succession war/assassination.

*Well, at least as far as the fiction was concerned; the real King Richard was, let's say, complicated.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2022 10:39

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Duke-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

My opinion on the tax rate is that it should be increased to 20% around the time the corporate tower is finished being repaired and all of our vassals have at least four functional installations, assuming circumstances don't change significantly in the meantime. By that point, our rule should be firmly established, and our vassals reasonably comfortable, not to mention the increased efficiency our tax collectors will enjoy once the tower's up and running.

As for our claims, if it doesn't require a portion of the budget, it's not really my concern. Just wanted to be clear that any funds required to minimize risk of rebellion are fully available.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2022 12:37

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

I've been looking over the numbers, and things could scarcely look better. I can't say I loved taking that hit from the issues with the diplomatic corps, but with our recent developments, we can absorb such expenses in just half a year, with a little left over. A more conservative councilor might advise slowing down, saving up funds, but history has taught me that liquid assets are unreliable when left alone, and are better off invested in further development. We should push as hard as we can towards finishing my previously-submitted list of installation repairs, keeping only thirty to sixty-thousand marks available for use in unexpected situations until that time. Vega holds the honor of being the most well-developed sector we're aware of, and I would prefer it remain that way. Once we've finished repairs in our home sector, we should prioritize aiding Beta Eridani, Kapteyn's Star, and Kajam, ensuring they have enough functional installations to avoid food shortages, prioritizing income-generating facilities, of course. On the topic of our vassals, I will take this opportunity to urge House Martin to make haste in filling their administrative vacancy. Money they're losing for lack of an effective bookkeeper is money we're not receiving in taxes.

On a personal note, allow me to extend my sincerest gratitude to Lord Goodman for his excellent treatment and impeccable bedside manner. While the final decision would lie with Prudence, I'd imagine you'd make an excellent chief of medicine, when we finally get that hospital refurbished.

Personal communique from the desk of Thomas Weiss posted:

Janey,

The next time you plan such extensive efficiency reforms, I'd appreciate an invitation. You know I keep a bottle of apricot brandy in my desk for just such an occasion. One of my clerks told me about it, and it sounded like an absolute delight. And don't think I didn't notice the new spreadsheet software you found a couple years back; I'm positively green with envy.

Next time you're not too busy having fun without me, you should have dinner with me and the family, bring Mariko. I've got some new traffic control schedules I've been working on and you're the only other person I know who might appreciate the elegance, and I'm sure the children would love getting to spend time with their aunts in a less formal setting.

Your loving brother,
Tommy

PS: And thanks again for letting the girls into the archives, it means a lot to them, both the information, and your show of trust. Let's just hope they don't get into as much trouble as you and Jessica used to!

# ¿ Apr 4, 2022 04:30

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

From the desk of Thomas Weiss posted:

Romeo,

I'm well aware of the situation in Kajam, and while it's on the agenda, it's not the only sector currently in need of support. Both Kapteyn's Star and Beta Eridani remain vulnerable to food shortages. Reviewing my numbers, I think I may have a solution.

Thomas

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Let's all hope for a swift and permanent end to Duchess Garrett's suffering, in light of my wife's troubling news. Now, to address some issues with our vassals that I think we may be ignoring at our peril and definitely not to stop the nagging spacemails from a subordinate, I believe that once we've repaired the old corporate tower, we should take some time to repair the following, in no particular order:

-The Repair Platform at Kapteyn's Star
-The Waste Processing Plant at Kajam
-Any one of the Defense Platform Fabricator, Incinerator, or Experimental Lab at Beta Eridani

This assumes that our vassals don't repair additional installations themselves in the meantime. Once those three sectors have four operational facilities each, we may return to focusing on our own repairs.

# ¿ Apr 4, 2022 22:11

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

I find myself in agreement with the rest of the council, that Kirabo Martin is due for replacement. I try not to voice too loud an opinion in what is more Mariko and my wife's domain, but the vacancy left on his council has been felt in our bottom line, with taxes left uncollected. For obvious reasons, I recommend a relative of ours be given the baronial title.

My suggestion for bloodline improvement is Diligent Serfs, to further improve our economic base, with Skilled Collectors being my second choice. The more money we make each turn, the more we can invest in everything else, which means they'll improve more quickly, which means we can more rapidly fabricate claims/annex sectors/replace unrelated barons with relatives, which means faster bloodline improvements we can put towards other things.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2022 03:02

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

nweismuller posted:

Appears something bizarre with save loading happened, and Prudence's and Romeo's daughter Alice has turned out to be a son Allen after I played through this update.

I was gonna say, that's what it looked like in the update's screenshot back when you posted it, was the baby was named Allen.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2022 22:33

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

First, let me just apologize for my uncharacteristic outburst the other day, I clearly wasn't in my right mind. As far as business goes, we're doing better than I ever dared to hope, in no small part due to recent unexpected windfalls, such as the rather handsome dowry we received from Baron Beck and the Director-General's successful wager during her visit to the Gilmore Guild. I'll leave it to father and Mariko to decide how we'll turn these stuffed coffers into new territory for us to develop, but, given that our domestic repairs are at a point where time is more of an obstacle than money, I've charted out what our priorities should be for repairing our vassals' installations going forward:

1. The repair platform at Kapteyn's Star
2. The solar array at Miaplacidus
3. Orbital hydroponics at Kajam
4. The parts factory at Kapteyn's Star
5. The ore mine at Beta Eridani
6. The ore mine at Miaplacidus
7. The electronics factory at Kapteyn's Star
8. The Hospital at Kajam

And that's all I've been willing to plan, so far, and leave it to my fellow councilors to suggest the order in which we might aid in repairs of other facilities, based on our needs going forward. For example, the experimental lab at Beta Eridani might aid Mr. Barry with work he seems much more accustomed to than any of the rest of us, perhaps to plug a certain leak in a neighboring dukedom. Otherwise, the above eight buildings should ensure wealth and, in the hospital's case, stability for our vassals, which means more taxes for us.

From the desk of Thomas Weiss posted:

Janey,

I am at my absolute wit's end with Romeo. I understand I was out of line the other day, but the man just keeps pushing me. It started with the constant nagging spacemails about Kajam. I sent him the charts and spreadsheets laying out our repair schedules, and that Kajam was slated for improvement, but did that stop him? No! It was never enough, as though we were supposed to drop everything to spruce up the vacation home he uses to get away from Pru, who deserves so much better than to be coldly tolerated. But then, he starts posturing, revealing he's been taking fencing lessons and proposing some silly wager about it. I took him up on it, thinking he'd suddenly become fun, but then he nearly kills me in the middle of the council chamber! At this point, I've quite grown to hate the man. I wish Jessica were here, she'd probably know something appropriately devious to put him back in his place. As it is, I'm this close to engaging Mr. Barry's services myself.

No, that's note true. As much as I hate him and his ill-advised mustache, he's a competent tax collector, so until we have a decent replacement, I can't well ask for him to be removed from his position or exiled. I'll just have to continue tolerating him.

Still hanging in there,
Tommy

# ¿ Apr 11, 2022 18:31

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

I leave it to my wife to make all final advisements on matters of security, given that it's her department, not mine, but we've paid a considerable sum of money at this point, both to acquire that secret and keep it quiet. That one person could put all that money to waste, well, let's just say the man was hired for a reason, and I'm not inclined to stand in his way in this matter.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2022 19:13

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

I'm not saying we should do it, just that we shouldn't take the possibility off the table. Also, as my schedule lays out, we have other matters to attend to in the near term, anyway. But, let's not forget, it was Duchess Garrett who spied on us, first. Playing dirty isn't my go-to strategy, either, sister, but when someone draws a weapon on you, I see no dishonor in drawing that same weapon on them in return. I mean, could you imagine dying from some filthy, mustachioed coward's cheap shot just because you were too hung up on appearances to bring your own sidearm to council? Not that- well, I mean- just a random metaphor, there, of course.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2022 21:55

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Thomas Weiss, temporary drunk tank operator posted:

If you'll refer to the documents I've made available, you'll see that the hospital is the next facility slated for repairs in Vega, due to requests originally submitted by Prudence. And, after how well you cared for my daughter, I couldn't possibly see you in the same light as your brother, and have reevaluated my opinion of the Goodman name as a whole, said brother notwithstanding. As it happens, I've heard on the grapevine that, due to your arrival in Vega, an upcoming docu-drama series about the downfall of House Goodman has been significantly rewritten to include a prominent subplot about the kind-hearted, reasonable younger brother who tried to keep things from getting as bad as they did, and was ultimately exiled for his troubles. Hopefully, it'll help the common folk embrace you the way we on the council have.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2022 13:20

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Hold on, before I approve such a significant expenditure for the purpose of warfare, I'd like some projections as to the potential tax value of Ross 128. If it doesn't pay for itself within a few years, then I think we can wait until our military can handle things on their own, without mercenaries. Between firmly establishing our rule and dealing with potential reprisals for our aggression, I imagine Ross 128 will prove quite expensive as it is, without throwing an entire hospital's worth of money at it. Claiming the sector could end up a Pyrrhic victory, if it costs us all the economic momentum we've built up over the last several years.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2022 21:04

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Before we end today's council session, seeing as we're committed to the endeavor, once we've taken Ross 128, my subordinate, Romeo, will be reassigned there to assist in tax collections, to get the region up to speed. Indefinitely.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2022 06:22

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Before I address administrative business, I would like to take a moment to urge Prudence to take some time and attend to Lord Goodman's injuries until his health has improved. He was there for us when we needed him, when we never even knew he existed, and I believe we owe it to him to repay him in kind.

As for ongoing matters, first, it seems I underestimated our ability to prosecute a war of conquest, so, kudos, father. I imagine further expansion, courtesy of Mariko, will likely go just as smoothly, given the evidence. For our current priorities, it seems wise to finish up our local hospital's repairs as soon as we can. Between injuries at home and illness abroad, improving our healthcare system will do a lot to maintain our stability. Next, we're more or less at the point where, rather than needing to prioritize repairs one at a time, we can have repairs going in each vassal system, so here's my recommendations for which facilities should be repaired first (our priorities for the Vega system remain unchanged):

Kapteyn's Star:
1. Repair Platform
2. Electronics Factory
3. Parts Factory
4. Archives
5. Park
6. Defense Platform Fabricator

Kajam:
1. Orbital Hydroponics
2. Shipyard
3. Hospital
4. Command Center
5. Spy Center
6. Convict Ship

Beta Eridani:
1. Ore Mine
2. Defense Platform Fabricator
3. Experimental Lab

Miaplacidus:
1. Solar Array
2. Ore Mine
3. Pleasure District (yes, yes, get the giggling over with, income is income)
4. Interstellar Authority Outpost
5. Security Center
6. Starlane Edge Port

Ross 128 (the ongoing repairs are excluded, of course):
1. Ship Fabrication Plant
2. Corporate Tower
3. Electronics Factory
4. Interstellar Authority Outpost

Haldus:
1. Grain Silo
2. Pleasure District
3. Laboratory
4. Barracks
5. Hospital
6. Starlane Edge Port

Further, Romeo may return to oversee a system closer to Vega in need of tax assistance, should the Director-General believe it to be beneficial, compared to his current assignment. Also, while this isn't really my department, I'd like to urge my system to either transfer Noelle Barry back to Security, once Lord Goodman is back in good heath and good spirits, or hire a new security expert. My wife is having to work some fairly long hours, running her department by herself, and it doesn't seem fair that Technology gets two assistants when she doesn't even have one. No offense, Prudence.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2022 08:30

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Much as I'm loathe to pass up the extra tax revenue, I suppose I'm willing to loan Romeo out temporarily to aid in rebuilding the fleet, but then I want him back on tax duty. And hopefully the hospital we're fixing up will mollify our citizens somewhat. Comprehensive healthcare has a way of mitigating unrest.

As for the memory chip, I imagine there are a lot of people who'd love to receive it. I, for one, would love to be able to take a vacation without actually needing to take time off. However, Illario could certainly use the pick-me-up, and Oriole might want it after running security solo for a while. To be honest, I'm also endlessly curious exactly how it will work, so it's hard not to just raise my hand like an overeager schoolboy, but there's a case to be made for giving it to just about anyone.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2022 11:47

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

At this point, fifteen-thousand is a trivial sum, so of course, it's approved.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2022 15:49

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Given how hard we've been snowballing due in no small part to establishing and maintaining a doctrine of generating and then spending as much money as possible, my suggestions would be to complete the entire Mechants/Admin tree, as well as Diligent Serfs and, just for funsies, Hired Protection. It's less that Thomas is employing pirates so much as that if a vassal so much as forgets a dime between the couch cushions, he'll audit them until they loving die, so sometimes they add a little extra to make double sure they're all paid up. Plus, as I said in an earlier post, generating more income will allow us to get more done, which will hopefully speed up our ability to install dynasty members in positions of leadership, thus speeding up our acquisition of new perks.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2022 22:26

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Personally, I don't see Internal Affairs as having a particularly large impact, as our exact reputation with our vassals isn't especially important as long as it's above the threshold for betrayal, which seems easy enough to maintain without spending such a precious resource on it. Spending five picks to get a +15% bonus to assignment results is a bit of a hard sell for me. I'd rather have the Diplomacy line, so we can more easily soak reputation hits from illegal conquest and the like. On the other hand, if we had the picks for it, I'd take Loremasters up to Skilled Educators. Intelligent characters are good, but being able to boost those childhood skill gains will lead to our characters' stats ballooning over successive generations (especially if gains are influenced by the stats of their guardian, allowing the benefits to compound over time).

# ¿ Apr 18, 2022 03:22

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

wedgekree posted:

How are folks thinking they want to expand here? Go for military options as they're available or for more economic ones? Just trying to get a feel for how folks are thinking of long term plans.

For my part, I'm focusing mostly on our domestic economic policy and leaving expansion decisions to others, but I'm generally hoping for less bloody forms of conquest and ideally additional opportunities to wave our giant GDP around.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2022 04:43

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

nweismuller posted:

Well, testing it would involve using up our AP at the end of the coming update, but I'm getting a report of 'may accept' for the Lamb Clan voluntarily taking vassalisation at the end of next update. Which, my hunch, the 'may' involves the giant pile of money we've accumulated at that point between ordinary revenues and a massive pile of fines we've collected from new vassals to resolve charges against them. So we just might get to wave our giant GDP around for expansion.

Just as long as we don't overextend. I've played enough CK2 that expanding too much too quickly can be problematic unless you use the custom ruler creator to create a nigh-immortal god-king under whose children the continent-spanning empire will promptly collapse due to having non-broken stats, if said ruler ever actually dies of old age with his obscene Health stat. I may have had a game going over the past several years I revisit occasionally to see if I can actually take over the entire map.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2022 05:31

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

OneWingedDevil posted:

So contrary to Machiavelli, in Star Dynasties it seems to be much better to be loved than feared. I haven't had anyone flip from me since she ascended the throne. I did have a couple systems flip under my first ruler, but he was pretty neutral on the respect scale.

A lot of people misunderstand that Machiavelli quote. He wasn't saying it was better to be feared than loved in general, he was saying that if you could only have one of the two, that being feared was the better one to have by itself. The ideal situation for Machiavelli is to be both feared and loved (or, even more ideally, genuinely respected, but given the time in which The Prince was written, true respect was hard to come by, as everyone involved in Italian politics at the time was extremely power-hungry, greedy, arrogant, etc., so he laid out alternatives that were more feasible and easier to manipulate).

In essence, being a soft touch just led to people walking all over you. Star Dynasties doesn't seem to model/track any stats that might lead to events like "(Vassal) demands (concession), knowing you're too much of a conciliatory wuss to say no." Like, in Crusader Kings, if vassals detect weakness, they can make factions to declare independence, or force concessions (like lower taxes/levies, inheritance rules that make it harder to consolidate power/high-level titles, etc.). All it seems to track is if you treat people fairly and lawfully, which would be more "respect" than "love".

# ¿ Apr 29, 2022 06:25

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Before we begin proceedings for this session, I would like to extend a formal thanks to Duke Yeardley Patton, who for reasons unknown, has seen fit to not only drive most of his vassals into our open arms, but also follow it up by giving us cause to levy hefty fines on those new vassals, significantly padding the budget. Given how rapidly we're gaining colonies at this point, individually planning repair priorities had become inefficient, so, from now on This rough order will be applied to all colonies, with facilities hereafter categorized as "Priority X":

Special (Priority 0): Facilities that increase vassal limit (prioritize first if we're near or at the cap, or last otherwise)
1. Facilities that increase Wealth or Administration
2. Facilities that increase wealth indirectly (such as by boosting the effect of Tax Assistance)
3. Facilities that improve the efficiency/speed of future repairs
4. Facilities that decrease unrest
5. Facilities that increase Diplomacy and/or Science
6. Facilities that increase Military and/or Security
7. Facilities that provide other benefits

Additional: Facilities that cost sixty-thousand should generally be prioritized over those that cost one-twenty, the exception being wealth-generating facilities, which should always come first by default.

Certain colonies may be particularly deficient in some capacity, in which case I will provide specific repair orders, which will supersede the above. And to be clear, facilities that increase multiple attributes will be categorized based on their highest-priority attribute. For instance, Solar Arrays are a Priority 1 facility. Obviously, we'll prioritize Vega and direct vassals first, and only after they all have ongoing repairs will we start repairing facilities for vassals-of-vassals.

My vote is for C. The faster we get through the Merchants/Admin tree, the more money we'll have to work with later on. Also, if you decide to pick a winner via ranked-choice, my second choice would be A, since it also boosts our income, though at this point I think C represents a larger benefit.

EclecticTastes fucked around with this message at 21:51 on May 11, 2022

# ¿ May 11, 2022 21:19

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

While we're in session, I'd like to add that we should look into acquiring the colony of Saiph from the Gilmore Guild. This isn't usually my department, but Saiph appears to be just one disaster away from complete collapse. Restoration of a colony in such a state would be very expensive, and the loss of an entire colony's income from the galactic economy is almost unthinkable. We should at the very least weigh our options, not just for our sake, but for everyone's. We're the only power positioned to immediately conduct emergency repairs in Saiph and prevent the loss of their GDP. If we can't save all that money, what's even the point of all this? Just give it some thought.

# ¿ May 11, 2022 22:30

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

MechaCrash posted:

The solution, of course, is because money doesn't fix everything, but if you tell them it does, they will give it to you, and then you can use that money to continue building, expanding, and improving things.

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Someone get this person a title, we need more people like them in administration!

# ¿ May 12, 2022 00:58

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Director-Heir Thomas Weiss posted:

Circling back to some of my sister's proposals, I think most of them seem reasonable enough. I'd normally be a little more hesitant to spend so much money on a party, but we've got plenty of funds, and Lady Garcia could absolutely use some cheering up. Acquiring the Lamb Clan also seems like a wise investment, and I have no objections. As to reorganizing our vassalage, we should take care not to hand off any especially valuable colonies. Haldus, in particular, is quite the prize plum, and could potentially provide quite a bit of tax income, once fully restored. However, I agree with the broader strategy of reorganizing our vassals to streamline our administration. I'd also like to formally urge that we take on new talent in all departments, so we have more people to send out on assignments. Not that I don't love traipsing across the league, overseeing repairs and taxes, but I may be better-utilized taking care of more... high-level duties.

As to the matter of my daughter, while I'm quite fond of Lord Goodman, the final decision will be up to Rebecca. Assuming Lord Goodman is even interested, himself. She's quite a bit younger than him, so there may be some concerns on both sides. But, I suppose if they're both in favor of it, I'd be happy to give my blessing to the arrangement.

# ¿ May 12, 2022 06:34

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

From the desk of Thomas Weiss posted:

So, I finally noticed Romeo's lovely contribution to the office decor, and I've learned a bit about "the memes" myself, so I thought I'd try my hand at it.

# ¿ May 12, 2022 17:28

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 17:04

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

dervinosdoom posted:

EDIT: work doesn't like image host, shows up on phone fine! Also, good one

I'd been looking for something substantive to hang a meme on for Thomas that fit my idea of "understands the basic concept of memes, but has a really blunt and uncreative sense of humor because Dull", so this was a lucky confluence of factors.

# ¿ May 12, 2022 18:34

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Let's Survive the Post-Collapse Colonies in... Star Dynasties

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