ST4X Community Game 2 Main Thread

[contributor]

My dear counsilor En1gma. I do believe that some even within your own noble house were advocating further scouting, so there's no need to pretend that looking up to see if the sky really is falling (just because some madman happens to be shouting about it all time) is such a grand and magnanimous act. To be sure, we do appreciate your willingness to hold off on the fighter until appropriate technology can be researched. Technology that we have agreed to put at the front of the research queue just to accommodate your demands, even though we don't believe it is in the best interest of the alliance. So let's be honest about the fact that both sides are making compromises, and there is no need to play the role of the victim.

Furthermore, (as a bit of professional political advice) if you're trying on the victim role, I wouldn't, in the same speech, make it clear that you see your faction as clearly superior to the others just because, for the moment, you happen to be able to out-build them. Your talk about building with "your money" clearly belies your view of alliance funds, and I don't think your feelings of entitlement to our shared resources will be lost on the other delegates.

And as a final "fact-check," you have also not compromised on your insistence to put Faction Politics before other research. It is highly ironic that you would, on the one hand speak of how much better your faction is at establishing colonies and at the same time delay the recovery of the very technology that would help level the playing field. You would rather think about building exchanges and new starports than allow the other factions to start of with the mines they so desire and a little extra housing.

I'm afraid that all of this only leads me to conclude that you would only like Thulun to be a lion in relation to the other factions with which you share this quadrant, a fact set in stark contrast to how you wish to play the turtle in relation to our true shared enemy, the xeno.

[En1gma]

To be clear, Thulun has conceded multiple points, both putting off our construction, and allowing scouting to continue. We have folded on nearly EVERY point, but are firm in our resolve that a Fighter MUST be constructed.

So take your expanded scouting as you demanded, revel in the fact that our Empire will be largely unguarded for yet another lengthy stretch of time, and let us move on.

We grow weary of Mokklumnue's accusations that we are unwilling to compromise when WE have been the ones making concessions. Mokklumune needs to realize that they are not the only faction in this quadrant, and that we all will have demands.

[En1gma]

/OOC contributor- I think you're great. I'm seriously just Role Playing, and I hope you aren't taking me too seriously. If you like, we can all tone down the intensity if this isn't fun...

[resistor]

Counselor En1gma that you for clarifying Thulun's stance on these issues.

My first criticism (which contributor hasn't already covered) is that you claim it is Thulun colonies that are the first to turn a profit, but in reality, it is the Moklumnue colonies due to their trading expertise.
My second criticism is that you claim we need to research Faction Politics 3 before Space Colonization 1-2, but you say the reason why is that we will need the extra credits from exchanges to build colony ships with the upgraded star port. Between your faction not needing to subsidize anything, and our faction's trading expertise, we will have more than enough credits without FP3.

Finally, I would like to say we are not opposed to compromising, and even in Moklumnue's proposal you can see the words "We are more than willing to negotiate any of the terms above...". In fact, I would be fine with researching Starship Construction 2 and Fighters 1 and building a "second gen" fighter, but only if Space Colonization 1-2 is researched immediately afterwards. However researching both the fighter technologies, and Faction Politics 3, before Space Colonization 1-2 is simply unacceptable.

[CdrPlatypus]

Order! ORDER! slams mailed fist into the council table. It seems I will have to use my position as High Templar to arbitrate in order to get things moving along. [//OOC basically so I can run a cycle today before work starts again tomorrow //]

Scouting will continue; an ancient and wise general known as Tsun Su made a point of knowing your enemy and the battlefield. The Templar Order has no fear of Xeno or Narvidians. I will be the first to bathe in the blood of our enemies if we encounter them. Xeno blood is the best product for skin complexion. Ahh the luxurious battlefield...I have been stuck behind a desk for too long. 

We have recovered much in the way of planetary infrastructure, but very little in terms of military. It seems most wise to me to pursue Starship construction 2 and fighters 1 just in case. Following that with deepspace colonization 1 and 2 to improve our colony ships also seems wise. After those are completed we will revisit the needs of the empire perhaps faction politics 3 perhaps something else.

Clan Javat will be award settlement rights of the highest mineral systems. I believe this was one of the few things everyone could agree on.

A single strike fighter [stock] will be built for now so that there can be one ship guarding the orbit of each current colony while the explore continues exploring. Just in case.

For now Olggavan Hold will be awarded to Moklumnue and Sayek to Thulun. 

Perhaps Templar Commands negotiation goals were to ambitious and we should work in smaller blocks.

Also Floop! we need a replacement table and some Spice Espresso!

[ntsheep]

The sound of the pounding and breaking table wakes ntsheep up from his nap he was taking. He takes off the glasses that had open eyes painted on them,

"Vert der furk ben dat!" he yells in sheep dialect.

[CdrPlatypus]

**EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION**
XENO'S SPOTTED!!! 
2 NYKTOS COLONIES IN THE WEST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ASTEROID BELT

TEMPLAR COMMAND IS OVERRIDING NEGOTIATIONS AND REQUISITIONING ADDITIONAL STRIKE FIGHTERS (TOTAL OF 3 FOR NOW)

2ND COLONIZATION WAVE TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE RESEARCHING DEEPSPACE COLONIZATION TECHNOLOGIES we have 14k+ in the trreasury so we will eat the subsidization costs. we want to claim the good stuff before we have to fight for it. But hopefully we will have space colony module 2 before 3rd wave.

TEMPLAR COMMAND IS ASKING FOR THE COUNCILS APPROVAL TO REASEARCH FDF 1 AFTER FIGHTERS 1 DELAYING DEEPSPACE RESEARCH BY 1 TECH.

1st Draft War Charts are in production and will be posted later. 

[CdrPlatypus]

Here is an updated chart of our current situation. As you can see each faction has settled one new colony within the prime cluster. 

We have discovered to Nyktos Xeno colonies to the west of the know named asteroid belt Hadrian's Wall I feel like naming more things this time around So far the East is uninhabited in the near vicinity of our colonies.

We have met all of the currently negotiated research (new colonies and a pop boom on the primes boosted the per/turn research nicely)

Templar Command Proposes a Military Tech focus for the time being (fighters 3 and starship construction through carriers) as well as starting construction of a 3rd wave of colonization using our newly designed MII colony modules.

Please refer to the Charts below to deliberate our next moves.

[johndramey]

Your Excellency CdrPlatypus, as always your wise management of the empire is much appreciated. The Exalted Clan Moklumnue shall consider the current situation and submit our proposal ASAP. Moklumnue councilors, please report to the chambers with your opinions. I shall submit my findings as soon as the weekend passes.

[resistor]

Why is it that, with the possible exception of ntsheep, the Clan Javat representatives are always so quiet?

[Brutus Aurelius]

We are busy mining. We prefer the quiet stability of the earth to the chaos of politics. We discuss among ourselves and let the Sheep represent us as a whole.

[ntsheep]

//OOC: Different clan, different version of ntsheep. Don't expect me to play the same way I was in the other game.//


ntsheep looks at the latest stellar maps.

"Durn yuukoos gruting vurk urp over dis," he mumbles to himself, then out loud he says, "Hey guys use some basic navigation sense. Any warships sent by the xenos would be so low on fuel by the time they get to us that just a few basic fighters and the remaining Templar fleet would blow them to bits. Lets build up a few defenses, get some new colonies running, and by the time those hermit crabs come over here we will roast them and have a damn good dinner for the night. I'm going back to the mines, found an interesting mineral with a high explosive content. That should come in handy."

[krakun]

Your Excellency CdrPlatypus, I have come as requested without my flask (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), to represent the initial viewpoints of House Thulun. These are to be discussed with the other clans.

Since all colonies are now guarded with at least one stock fighter, and since FDF does not damage Xeno invaders, we propose to skip this research as your execrablecy erm Excellency proposed. If other factions insist, we will abide.

I have further understood you suggest Fighters research, also an excellent proposal which has the full backing of House Thulun. If others agree, we would even prolong this to cruisers.

Regarding the designs of these ships I have the 37 pages of notes (OOC community game 1 thread, sorry not providing links since it's too difficult on this tiny phone /OOC) from fellow councillor En1gma, and page 16 seems to have an interesting design, to be adapted to our current available technologies.

What do clan Javat and Molusc erm Moklumnue think?

[johndramey]

Your Excellency CdrPlatypus, I, speaking as an unofficial representative of the Exalted Clan Moklumnue, am tentatively agreeing with the honorable krakun of House Thulun. We feel that research into planetary defenses is better left to the future.

Even more surprisingly, I find myself agreeing with honorable krakun in the regard of prioritizing research in the Fighters tree. More advanced weapons and reactors will beget truly advanced second generation fighters, and as such they will provide ample support for our fledgling Empire.

However, I do feel that stretching all the way into Cruisers might be a little too much military research at one time. As such, I feel that potentially researching Manufacturing 1 and Planetary Mining 1 after completing the Fighters tree might be a better use of our time. We can then rededicate research to the more... martial branches.

Also, I back honorable krakun's plan to design our next generation fighter, I believe he is referencing this document. I'll go one step further and propose a design name for our second generation fighters; the Sparrow Hawk.

In regards to defence, I propose that our Templar Cruisers (do they have names yet?) be fully repaired and refueled and then station them two spaces past friendly space toward Hadrian's Wall. There they can easily provide some small advanced warning if a xeno incursion is beginning as well as easily retreat to friendly space if such an incursion where to begin.

The single strike fighter should be stationed just slightly north of Thulun Prime, between it and Thulun's other colony. From there, it can survey the eastern approach and provide warning if xenos appear on our eastern flank.

[CdrPlatypus]

johndramey It is true that we need to balance research and development of both military and infrastructure wisely. Templar Command believes fighters 3 to be the most worthwhile research atm from a defensive standpoint. It will allow us to build assault fighters, which are a potent force multiplier allowing us to land Templar marines on Xeno ships so we may attack our enemies from the inside and outside.