The following is an AAR written using Chatgpt 4 which is much better at story writing than Chatgpt 3 who in turn is better than I am.
It is an experiment to see if notable events in game (those worthy of being added to my notes keeping track of the game so far) could with minor prompting and editing be turned into something I would actually enjoy reading. As I think this will bring life to my game and in turn I'll play this same game for much longer than I normally do.
For game context I am 40 years into an advanced start, high pop, high minerals, high tech game with research, terraforming and surveying at 10% (difficulty 200%) and have played up to the events hinted at in the closing lines of the AAR. Raiders have been set up to spawn at 5 systems and while I started with tech that could make them a cakewalk I purposely designed my starting combat ships to have issues facing them. I wanted raiders in this game to be more a logistical challenge making sure everything is protected with the real fighting being NPRs.
I will likely do multiple redrafts of this first event as I learn how best to get chatgpt to write the sort of stories I want before moving on to other events and styles other than the lecture format.
If there is any interest in seeing where this goes I'll continue posting here around once a week.
The Fall of Paragon
United Earth Nations
30 November 2139 - 10 January 2140
A holographic representation of Professor Andros flickered to life at the front of the UEN Naval Academy's central auditorium. His voice resonated through the chamber as third-year students sat attentively, their heads encased in the immersive glow of their holoscreens.
"Settle in cadets," Professor Andros began, "Today's subject in your 'UEN History of Expansion' module, is the 'Fall of Paragon'. This regrettable event, though it scarred our collective psyche, was a catalyst for the positive reforms that you see today in our United Earth Nations' operations."
A ripple of murmur echoed across the room, every cadet aware of the 'Fall of Paragon' events carved into our history half a century ago, and a testament to humanity's early, naive attempts at space colonization.
"Contrary to popular belief, the fall began not with the appearance of the first Caliban combat fleet in the system, but with the initial survey of Paragon. UEN was fixated on Crucible, a fertile planet five jumps away from Sol, teeming with life's potential. Paragon, though lacking the luster of the systems closer to Sol, was nonetheless a vital step-stone in the journey."
Professor Andros swiped a hand, and the holographic star map floating above the lectern shifted, focusing on the unimpressive system named Paragon.
"In comparison, Paragon was humdrum; void of Sorium-rich gas giants and lacking in mineable resources relative to other potential systems. But it served as a vital maintenance dock and waystation, the first viable place for a small fleet base on the route to Crucible."
The system flickered, and the representation of Paragon I grew, with information showcasing its solid mineral deposits.
Paragon I Survey Report
Neutronium: 318,096 0.50
Boronide: 138,384 0.50
Sorium: 374,544 0.90
Uridium: 853,776 0.70
Gallicite: 254,016 0.50
"The absence of a Sorium-rich gas giant threw us a curveball. No orbital fuel refinery station could be deployed. Instead, we relied on solid Sorium from Paragon I, which could be refined into fuel on a planet surface."
“The observant among you will note that Paragon I is missing something vital to achieve UENs stated goal for the system. It lacked Duranium, a mineral as you all know that is vital in the maintenance of spacecraft, without it there could be no self sustaining fleet base.”
A murmur filled the room as the professor paused, allowing the impact of this statement to sink in before changing the display.
Paragon III - Moon 2 Survey Report
Duranium: 4,904,712 0.90
Corbomite: 944,784 0.50
Tritanium: 1,822,500 0.70
Mercassium: 2,232,036 0.40
Vendarite: 72,900 0.40
“The plan was therefore, to mine the required Sorium, Uridium and Gallicite on Paragon I then transfer it using mass drivers to Paragon III - Moon 2 which could support a much larger population”
"The conventional wisdom was to have infrastructure ready to fuel and maintain patrol frigates for the protection of the system. An important measure, considering the increasing Caliban raids across known space. However, even though we had been victorious in all engagements, we were in the dark about their total forces, and, more importantly, their infiltration routes into our systems."
Professor Andros glanced around at the faces of his students, his eyes glinting with the weight of the knowledge he imparted. His gaze fell on a raised hand, and a small smile touched his lips. The questions were about to begin, as expected from the seasoned third-year students.
A student from the front row piped up, her question echoing in the silence of the auditorium, "Professor, while I understand the logic behind wanting an operational fleet base, couldn't the UEN High Command have deployed patrol ships while the base was still under construction? Even back then, crews were expected to serve five-year deployments, weren't they?"
Andros nodded in approval, his holographic eyes sparkling with a glint of satisfaction. "Excellent query. Yes, it's true. The UEN navy at the time did possess several patrol frigates capable of five-year deployments. Had even one been positioned in the system, it's plausible that Paragon wouldn't have met such a tragic end."
He moved his hands, manipulating the holo-projection to transform into a map of known space from fifty years ago, with indicators highlighting different systems.
"The crux of the issue lies in the wider situation in the UEN space at that time. Look here," he pointed at the highlighted systems on the map. "From our first encounter with the Calibans in 2137, their raids had taken place in Flint and Sol, as well Caliban. However, no hostile activities were recorded in Helios, the connecting system between Sol and Paragon. UEN High Command, at the time, was operating under the assumption that the Calibans did not have access to the Helios arm, thus making Paragon a low-priority system for fleet assignments."
Andros paused, letting the information sink into the minds of his students. He then continued, addressing another facet of the complex situation.
"Further complicating the matter, early encounters revealed that Caliban ships were actually faster than our patrol frigates. This may seem contradictory given our winning record, but it's a misleading fact."
The holographic projection transformed once again, showing a representation of Caliban ships hanging at the edge of the UEN patrol frigates' railgun and missile range.
"Most encounters were simply futile chases, with Caliban ships disappearing from sensor range after engaging in minor harassment. We managed to destroy a small fleet in the Caliban system, and two patrol fleets successfully performed a pincer maneuver against raiding fleets in Sol. A surface-to-orbit emplacement in Flint also took down a single raider frigate. But despite these victories, the fact remains that in 9 out of 10 encounters, the Caliban ships simply vanished before we could engage effectively."
Professor Andros then directed the conversation back to the original question. "So, why didn't we just station a couple of frigates in Paragon? The answer is simple: we didn't have any to deploy. Our fleet of Defiant - RAPF-MK01 class Frigates was undergoing a massive refit to the ACA or Anti-Caliban Alien variants."
The professor flicked his hand, and the projection shifted to display the schematics of the two ship variants.
Defiant - RAPF-MK01 class Frigate 10,000 tons 314 Crew 2,880.4 BP TCS 200 TH 640 EM 0
3200 km/s Armour 6-41 Shields 0-0 HTK 93 Sensors 14/14/0/0 DCR 28 PPV 60.84
Maint Life 5.44 Years MSP 1,440 AFR 100% IFR 1.4% 1YR 82 5YR 1,223 Max Repair 220 MSP
Troop Capacity 250 tons Boarding Capable
Captain Control Rating 4 BRG AUX ENG CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 60 months Morale Check Required
STM-Large Magneto-plasma Drive EP160.00 (4) Power 640 Fuel Use 50.0% Signature 160 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 683,000 Litres Range 24.6 billion km (88 days at full power)
30cm Railgun V80/C6 (2x4) Range 480,000km TS: 8,000 km/s Power 21-6 RM 80,000 km ROF 20
15cm Railgun V80/C6 (4x4) Range 240,000km TS: 8,000 km/s Power 9-6 RM 80,000 km ROF 10
Quad Gauss Cannon R400-50.0 Turret (1x16) Range 40,000km TS: 32000 km/s Power 0-0 RM 40,000 km ROF 5
15cm Railgun V80/C6 Fire Control R240-TS8000 (1) Max Range: 240,000 km TS: 8,000 km/s 96 92 88 83 79 75 71 67 62 58
25-30cm Railgun V80/C6 Fire Control R480-TS8000 (1) Max Range: 480,000 km TS: 8,000 km/s 98 96 94 92 90 88 85 83 81 79
Gauss Cannon Fire Control R48-TS32000 (SW) (1) Max Range: 48,000 km TS: 32,000 km/s 79 58 38 17 0 0 0 0 0 0
Inertial Confinement Fusion Reactor R6 (6) Total Power Output 36.7 Exp 5%
Missile Active Search Sensor AS12-R1 (1) GPS 36 Range 12.7m km MCR 1.1m km Resolution 1
Fighter Active Search Sensor AS27-R10 (1) GPS 360 Range 27.3m km Resolution 10
Frigate Active Search Sensor AS74-R200 (1) GPS 7200 Range 74.1m km Resolution 200
EM Sensor EM1.0-14.0 (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 29.6m km
Thermal Sensor TH1.0-14.0 (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 29.6m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a Warship for auto-assignment purposes
Defiant - RAPF-MK02 (ACA) class Frigate 10,000 tons 282 Crew 2,511.1 BP TCS 200 TH 960 EM 0
4800 km/s Armour 6-41 Shields 0-0 HTK 88 Sensors 14/14/0/0 DCR 28 PPV 45.84
Maint Life 5.76 Years MSP 1,580 AFR 100% IFR 1.4% 1YR 81 5YR 1,213 Max Repair 220 MSP
Troop Capacity 250 tons Boarding Capable
Captain Control Rating 4 BRG AUX ENG CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 60 months Morale Check Required
STM-Large Magneto-plasma Drive EP160.00 (6) Power 960 Fuel Use 50.0% Signature 160 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 683,000 Litres Range 24.6 billion km (59 days at full power)
30cm Railgun V80/C6 (3x4) Range 480,000km TS: 8,000 km/s Power 21-6 RM 80,000 km ROF 20
Quad Gauss Cannon R400-50.0 Turret (1x16) Range 40,000km TS: 32000 km/s Power 0-0 RM 40,000 km ROF 5
25-30cm Railgun V80/C6 Fire Control R480-TS8000 (1) Max Range: 480,000 km TS: 8,000 km/s 98 96 94 92 90 88 85 83 81 79
Gauss Cannon Fire Control R48-TS32000 (SW) (1) Max Range: 48,000 km TS: 32,000 km/s 79 58 38 17 0 0 0 0 0 0
Inertial Confinement Fusion Reactor R6 (3) Total Power Output 18.3 Exp 5%
Missile Active Search Sensor AS12-R1 (1) GPS 36 Range 12.7m km MCR 1.1m km Resolution 1
Fighter Active Search Sensor AS27-R10 (1) GPS 360 Range 27.3m km Resolution 10
Frigate Active Search Sensor AS74-R200 (1) GPS 7200 Range 74.1m km Resolution 200
EM Sensor EM1.0-14.0 (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 29.6m km
Thermal Sensor TH1.0-14.0 (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 29.6m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a Warship for auto-assignment purposes
"The Defiant - RAPF-MK02 (ACA) was designed to have an additional 30cm railgun in place of the smaller calibre railguns. More crucially, it was equipped with additional engines, enabling a speed of 4,800 meters per second, surpassing the 4,532 meters per second of the fastest Caliban ship recorded. The goal was clear: our new ACA frigates would outrun the Caliban threat."
Wearing a confident smile, Professor Andros transitioned to the climactic sequence of events, steering the lecture towards the haunting account of Paragon's invasion.
"Alright cadets, I believe that's enough context and background. Let's dive into the real meat of 'The Fall of Paragon'." He paused for dramatic effect and then with a twinkle in his eye, he added, "Or in other words, here's where the Caliban finally get to play their part in our tale, instead of just loitering around on the edge of our sensor range!"
The auditorium echoed with a ripple of laughter, defusing the tension before the grim narrative ahead.
"On the first day of December, 2139, our deep space tracking stations picked up the presence of a Caliban fleet in Paragon. The fleet consisted of four vessels - two railgun frigates, one point defence frigate, and a troop transport. Employing their signature cloaking systems, these ships appeared on our sensors far from any known jump gate, once again striking out from the darkness of the void without warning."
Andros paused, his gaze scanning over the students, making sure they grasped the gravity of the situation.
"By then, about 200,000 souls had already settled Paragon III Moon II, lured by the prospect of pioneering a new world. Unfortunately, they had done so before the establishment of any defensive infrastructure or UEN garrison units. Thus, when just 26 hours later, an estimated 20,000 tons of alien soldiers and war machines descended upon them, they were utterly defenceless."
A shrill electronic chime echoed through the hall, signaling the end of the lesson.
"Well, cadets, that's all for today. In our next session, we'll discuss the valiant actions of the two 4th Cargo Fleet ACA variant escort frigates that reached Paragon just two days after its fall. We will analyze the fleet action that saw them obliterate eight Caliban ships without suffering a scratch."
With that, the students started to rise from their seats, talking amongst themselves as they exited the auditorium, each one carrying a piece of history with them.