Corporate Federation - Comments

[Kurt (OP)]

Political machinations at a time of crisis? Humanity shows its best side once again 

Honest question - do you really think you can stop the Dregluk without SM assistance, at least with radiation/dust levels on Earth?

The way things are going, I think I can stop them.  Whether I can ever take the fight to them is an entirely different question.  I'm going to have to get a bunch of people off of Earth to get my economy going, but I can't while the Dregluk have the ability to roam the Solar system and strike wherever they want, as long as they stay outside the range of Earth's PDC's.  If I can get to mid-2136 or so, newly developed tech should change the situation radically and allow me to secure the Solar System.  As long as the Dregluk don't come up with something new.  By then, though, I will have worn away a lot of their fleet, if things continue on as they have. 

Kurt 

[Kurt (OP)]

Political machinations at a time of crisis? Humanity shows its best side once again 

Honest question - do you really think you can stop the Dregluk without SM assistance, at least with radiation/dust levels on Earth?

Also, times of crises are often the best time for political machinations!  After all, everyone is distracted and, if you are successful, will essentially be forced to rally around you for common defense against the real enemy.  By the time the emergency is over you can consolidate your power and might just be a hero for winning the war.  Maybe.  If everything goes right and your machinations don't cause the final collapse.  Then you just say "Oops!" and flee, perhaps to Argentina. 

Kurt

[Garfunkel]

Or to the secret U-Boat base in Antarctica 

In any case, kudos for sticking with this, it has been a thrilling ride and definitely out of the ordinary for Aurora fiction. Two thumbs up and keep it going!

Also, it makes me feel like a loser that I gave up so easily with my War of the Worlds scenario, since my Earth hadn't been pounded nearly as hard by the Martians as your Earth has been by the Dreklug.

[Neophyte]

A lot of times in my games I'll find a nearby habitable planet in a dead-end system and I HAVE to settle it and name it "Refuge" or "Redoubt" or something along those lines, for just such a situation as this one.

Naturally it only ends up as rp fluff since whenever I do it I never get extinction-level alien invasions like you do.   

Lucky!

[Neophyte]

Great update today!  It says something about your game that losing 3. 5 million people on Earth can be considered a victory. . . 

Now it seems there's a bit more of a choice when constructing missiles, because you've got two ways to stop the alien attacks - the Aegis IV AMMs to destroy the incoming waves, or the Bludgeon II LRASM to kill off the attacking ships themselves.   And, in the future, a possible third way - missile-based mines to (presumably) seed the jumpoint.

Interesting opportunity costs for your ordinance order.   Do you concentrate on known safety (AMMs), gamble a bit and be more pro-active (ASMs to hopefully kill them before they launch or at least attrit the fleeing ships) and/or try to kill them all in one fell swoop? (jumpoint defense with mines mines and more mines)?  A combo of all three?  And in what ratio?  Pros and cons to all these choices.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

[Kurt (OP)]

Great update today!  It says something about your game that losing 3. 5 million people on Earth can be considered a victory. . . 

Now it seems there's a bit more of a choice when constructing missiles, because you've got two ways to stop the alien attacks - the Aegis IV AMMs to destroy the incoming waves, or the Bludgeon II LRASM to kill off the attacking ships themselves.   And, in the future, a possible third way - missile-based mines to (presumably) seed the jumpoint.

Interesting opportunity costs for your ordinance order.   Do you concentrate on known safety (AMMs), gamble a bit and be more pro-active (ASMs to hopefully kill them before they launch or at least attrit the fleeing ships) and/or try to kill them all in one fell swoop? (jumpoint defense with mines mines and more mines)?  A combo of all three?  And in what ratio?  Pros and cons to all these choices.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

Yeah, that was a hard decision,  The Bludgeons are a known factor and a safe bet, but won't work against Dregluk BB's launching their best ASM from max range.  And of course, if I short the AMM's the world ends.  So no pressure there...

[TMaekler]

Just recently jumped on this read. Quick question: is this an NPR that is attacking you, or the usual spoilers?

[Kurt (OP)]

Just recently jumped on this read. Quick question: is this an NPR that is attacking you, or the usual spoilers?

The Dregluk are a regular NPR.  I hadn't played Aurora in a while, and I wanted an easy play-through to get back into it, so I set up a game with one player race, the Corporate Federation, the spoilers, and either one or two NPR's (I can't remember).  I played the Federation as rather peaceful explorers, until they got attacked. 

[Neophyte]

Nice update!  Now that the AMMs are keeping the Earth safe (mostly), it's time to start hitting back!

"Begun, the Terran Crusade has!"

BTW are the mines going to be laid by ships at the JPs (I assume), or large carrier missiles from Earth, or?

[Kurt (OP)]

Nice update!  Now that the AMMs are keeping the Earth safe (mostly), it's time to start hitting back!

"Begun, the Terran Crusade has!"

BTW are the mines going to be laid by ships at the JPs (I assume), or large carrier missiles from Earth, or?

Well, the plan was to have ships lay them close to the jump point.  You'll see how it works in the next installment. I should be able to post it tomorrow. 

Kurt

[Neophyte]

It's a Dreglukian standoff - they can't (quite) get enough missiles to kill off Earth, Earth can't quite get enough ASmissiles to kill them off!

BTW did you figure out what was wrong with the mines?  I've never really used them because I'm dumb and figuring out the whole stage+separation+sensor distance+phase of the moon magic formulae to set them up properly is too much for my tiny brain.

[Kurt (OP)]

It's a Dreglukian standoff - they can't (quite) get enough missiles to kill off Earth, Earth can't quite get enough ASmissiles to kill them off!

BTW did you figure out what was wrong with the mines?  I've never really used them because I'm dumb and figuring out the whole stage+separation+sensor distance+phase of the moon magic formulae to set them up properly is too much for my tiny brain.

No, its an enduring mystery in the Corporate Federation universe!  I'm pretty sure I missed something, or that I misunderstand something about mine design/deployment, but I haven't been able to figure it out.  I haven't spent a lot of time trying, its true, but in any case, as you will see, things are improving for humanity even without the mines. 

Kurt

[Panopticon]

Yeah I think you are pretty much out of danger unless the Dregluk decide to send their entire mobile fleet at you and they have full magazines. The dozen or less partially damaged, somewhat loaded ships with a mix of old and new missiles at a time aren't gonna cut it anymore.

[Kurt (OP)]

Yeah I think you are pretty much out of danger unless the Dregluk decide to send their entire mobile fleet at you and they have full magazines. The dozen or less partially damaged, somewhat loaded ships with a mix of old and new missiles at a time aren't gonna cut it anymore.

I think you are right, but the constant attacks are making it difficult to get anywhere, and the ecological damage is mounting.  I don't think I've ever continued a campaign where my primary race had suffered this much damage and had 25% radiation on its only really populated world. 

Kurt

[Neophyte]

Glad to see you're able to start building meson PDCs to start taking some of the pressure off your ordinance factories - even though they're too slow like you said enough quantity can substitute for quality.  Then the freed-up production can go towards more Bludgeons, heh heh heh...

How's the mineral situation?  Are you experiencing any bottlenecks, considering how much you've had to turtle on Earth and just churn out missiles and ordinance factories?