Once again you are early, however I note with approval that at least you have not been brief.

- it was designated as a Strike Cruiser not a Cruiser.

One wonders what the difference is, and for once as we shall see one need not wonder for too long.

The previous effort of the Ilford Plasmasmiths had been the Prometheus class Battlecruiser, a powerful ship built around a large main battery of Plasma Cannons she had a long and victorious career, however she never had any sister-ships as the Admiralty continued to prefer the 'standard' railgun armed Renown-class.

I realize this is a tome about unbuilt ships, but a singly-built ship is quite nearly as interesting and to be frank I am curious here, not only why the Chatham office favors plasma so heavily, but even more so why the Admiralty approved the design at all given their hesitancy and chronic conservatism.

Elswick 14"/4keV Mk.I Plasma Cannon (14)

Far be it from me to doubt the Chatham fellows, but 4 keV does seem a bit on the low end for a highly destructive weapon, though it seems to work out in practice and more importantly, I am sure, this is actually a British Imperial Space keV which bears only historical relation to the present-day units.

however by this point the Naval Estimates were so called because that was name they had always had and there was no obvious reason or need to change them.

This was something of a fiction as while on paper a cruiser squadron was a City-class jump cruiser, a Colony-class escort cruiser and two County-class cruisers, in reality only the 7th Cruiser squadron out on Halifax Station matched that pattern. The five other cruiser squadrons were all of wildly different sizes and compositions, many still had Daring-class destroyers attached for extra anti-missile firepower and of course the 4th Cruiser Squadron continued to not exist after it's 'temporary' amalgamation with the 3rd at the start of the decade.

Here we see a further exercise of tradition, indeed each exercise is as iron as the last in its certainty.

Parliament was not quite as foolish as it's reputation suggested so this subterfuge did not go unnoticed, however it did provide a rationale (or excuse) for many waverers to alter their position without anything so gauche as 'changing their mind' or worse 'compromising'.

Indeed.

but the well known benefits of large volume mass production never seemed to result in any efficiencies or decrease in cost.

Labour party members have noted an increase in efficiency of wealth transfer to the Sterling shareholders, but as no one listens to Labour party members this finding has yet to come to light.

however the Renown-class had literally been built for assaulting heavily defended jump points and were both far more capable and already in service, while the existing C-class cruisers classes had proven perfectly capable at jump point defence when required.

Further tantalizing adventures I am sure we will never hear of again.

A bolder design would have sacrificed some 'general purpose' qualities like range or endurance for a substantially higher speed, committing to short range engagement tactics and optimising for that rather than trying to be a match for the Counties in all things.

Conversely, a rather more conservative design could have replaced only a few of the railgun batteries of the Tiger class with plasma cannons, perhaps 2-4 as a forward/chase armament. Such a relatively minor alteration could have seen at least minimal acceptance, not least if it could be interbuilt from a shipyard tooled for Tigers.

For the rest I did build the Tiger-class and did designate them as Strike Cruisers as it seemed cooler, but I cannot articulate how they were different from a normal Cruiser in any meaningful way. Clearly therefore the explanation had to be politics and bureaucracy.

At least you are honest about it and that is what really separates us from the politicians at the end of the day.

Much like the Naval Estimates, the El Pip Update Estimate has long since lost all real meaning, nevertheless we persist for the sake of tradition. I currently am pegging sometime in late summer for the next one, but I admit that early autumn is within the realm of plausibility, though surely sometime as soon as early summer would be far too much of a rush.

Chapter 7 To Cruise or Not To Cruise Part III

Technically the winner of the cruiser contest was the County Mk.V, a gentle evolution of the standard design that allowed the existing hulls to be retained without refits that would cost more than a new build. In practice it was the Tiger-class design from the Chatham design office that won, officially and in part because of some innovative features but mostly because of an entirely administrative feature - it was designated as a Strike Cruiser not a Cruiser. While this seemingly trivial detail would occupy a surprisingly large amount of parliamentary and Admiralty time, the design itself cause a stir, because Chatham was in the Ilford System and the governing Quorum of that system was known to be excessively keen on Plasma in all it's variations. The previous effort of the Ilford Plasmasmiths had been the Prometheus class Battlecruiser, a powerful ship built around a large main battery of Plasma Cannons she had a long and victorious career, however she never had any sister-ships as the Admiralty continued to prefer the 'standard' railgun armed Renown-class. Given their well known obsessions another plasma based design had been expected from the Chatham designers, so the railgun armed Tiger-class was a pleasant surprise to many in the Admiralty. However, to use an appropriate metaphor the leopard had not changed it's spots and the Chatham team still believed a plasma cannon based design was the best option but had chosen to play the political game with their entry to the contest. The Tiger-class was put forward to build the system's reputation as designers and hopefully shipwrights, that reputation would then be used to argue for the follow up batch to be their actual preferred design, the Lion-class. As should be obvious this plan failed because the Tigers were too good and the Admiralty still unconvinced by Plasma weaponry, dooming the Lions to be an unbuilt design and thus eligible for our consideration.

Lion Mk.I class Strike Cruiser      30,000 tons       865 Crew       5,040.1 BP       TCS 600    TH 3,600    EM 7,140
6000 km/s      Armour 5-86       Shields 238-476       HTK 218      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 30      PPV 217.36
Maint Life 1.02 Years     MSP 2,050    AFR 720%    IFR 10.0%    1YR 1,983    5YR 29,748    Max Repair 900 MSP
Captain    Control Rating 4   BRG   AUX   ENG   CIC   
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Morale Check Required   

Rolls Royce Griffon Mk.III MPD-1800 (2)    Power 3600    Fuel Use 50.31%    Signature 1800    Explosion 15%
Fuel Capacity 2,026,000 Gallons    Range 24.2 billion km (46 days at full power)
GKN Rampart Mk.II Epsilon Band/S119 Farad Shields (2)     Recharge Time 476 seconds (0.5 per second)

Elswick 14"/4keV Mk.I Plasma Cannon (14)    Range 320,000km     TS: 6,000 km/s     Power 32-4     RM 10,000 km    ROF 40       
Beardmore Mk.II Quad SBGC Turret (20k) (12x16)    Range 30,000km     TS: 20000 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 30,000 km    ROF 5       
Marconi Type 903 TFC 160-20000 (2)     Max Range: 160,000 km   TS: 20,000 km/s     94 88 81 75 69 62 56 50 44 38
Racal Type 502 BFC 320-6000 (2)     Max Range: 320,000 km   TS: 6,000 km/s     97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Brown Curtis Gorgon Mk.I SFR-B (3)     Total Power Output 75 kBTU/s    Exp 10%

Ferranti Type 600SR 46m/R20 (1)     GPS 1680     Range 46.6m km    Resolution 20
Racal Type 250EMWS 700k/R1 (1)     GPS 21     Range 8.6m km    MCR 771.7k km    Resolution 1

Anderwave ILIC Mk.I ECCM (3)         
TRE Asprin Mk.I 10kMx ECM Projector

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
An obvious question on reviewing the design details should be, why is it a Strike Cruiser? Having the same speed and displacement as a standard C-class and with the same role within doctrine as a County-class by all rights it should be a cruiser. There were of course cruiser variants in service but they all had rational justifications; the City-class had jump engines so were Jump Cruisers, the Colony-class had traded half their main guns for additional coil gun turrets so were Escort Cruisers. This was not the designers or the Admiralty being lax with designations, as discussed in previous chapters the Ship Naming Committee had an entire classification system and had to be heavily pressured to accept the 'new' class. The answer to the importance of the title, and why it attracted so much attention, is not in the details of the design but in politics.

The Royal Navy is funded by parliament through a system Naval Estimates, officially annual requests from Admiralty to the Imperial Parliament for the funds required for the next year. It is sometimes claimed the name of 'Estimate' is an acknowledgement from Parliament that it is not possible to know how much the Navy will spend in any given year until after the year is over. All bar the most economically minded agreed the Navy should respond to new threats as they emerged and not limit it's action to those that the budget had allowed for, hence the budget was not fixed as the exact amount that would have to be spent on fuel, ammunition, repairs and other consumables would vary. This is a fine theory and the facts are correct, indeed it may even have once been true, however by this point the Naval Estimates were so called because that was name they had always had and there was no obvious reason or need to change them. A key part of the Naval Estimates was the authorised strength and the fleet establishment, figures set by Parliament which limited the number of ships that would be funded and the amount of personnel available to crew them.

In the late 2220s the establishment allowed for 28 'C' class cruisers, based on a nominal target of 7 cruiser squadrons, the make up of the squadron also being defined. This was something of a fiction as while on paper a cruiser squadron was a City-class jump cruiser, a Colony-class escort cruiser and two County-class cruisers, in reality only the 7th Cruiser squadron out on Halifax Station matched that pattern. The five other cruiser squadrons were all of wildly different sizes and compositions, many still had Daring-class destroyers attached for extra anti-missile firepower and of course the 4th Cruiser Squadron continued to not exist after it's 'temporary' amalgamation with the 3rd at the start of the decade. With this background in place the reasoning should be obvious, if the Tigers had been cruisers they would count against this limit and the Admiralty would have to either sacrifice some existing tonnage or convince Parliament to expand the cruiser establishment, a task they had been attempting without success for a number of years. As Strike Cruisers the Tigers were technically a new class of ship which would need an entirely new establishment which would be in addition to the existing cruiser establishment. Parliament was not quite as foolish as it's reputation suggested so this subterfuge did not go unnoticed, however it did provide a rationale (or excuse) for many waverers to alter their position without anything so gauche as 'changing their mind' or worse 'compromising'. As the Lions were intended to fill out the Second Strike Squadron they too had to be Strike Cruisers, hence their designation.

Looking at the design itself the key feature is obviously the large bank of axially mounted  Elswick Plasma Cannons, arranged in seven twin mounts. As with all Ilford plasma designs of this era the relatively small reactor output (smaller than on a County class) are supplemented by direct taps from the Magneto-Plasma engines to build the plasma pressure. It was this feature that often caused concern in the Admiralty as it meant a fault in the tap system could disable weapons and engines, yet it is undeniably tonnage and size efficient. The cannons themselves formed a 14" plasma ball that had sufficient flux density to stay at least somewhat coherent out to the maximum range of the standard fire control systems, as was typical of plasma weapons the short range damage was considerable but so was the fall off in damage with increasing range. Despite using the latest Dowty 4keV charge inverters the plasma fill rate was another weak point, the resulting rate of fire did not compare well with the baseline railgun system. The other interesting system was the choice of the Quad SBCG coil gun turrets in place of the standard Twin Sterling turrets. SBCG stood somewhat unimaginatively for Small Bore Coil Gun, essentially the turret was built around cut down coil guns which had shorter barrels and so traded a decrease in mass for decreased accuracy, both of which were considerable, the intent being the increase in number of firing barrels would more than make up for each shot being less likely to hit. The SBCG was also found on the successful Tiger-class but this was not the Chatham design office taking a position in the Accuracy vs Weight of Fire wars that were a regular feature of Admiralty bureaucratic warfare. It was something even more political as the key feature of the turret was not it's capabilities but it's manufacturer; WM Beardmore and Daughters.

At this time the Sterling Amalgamated Aether Armaments Company, almost always shortened to Sterling, had an effective monopoly on coil gun turrets. A proven design with well established supply chain it worked and while commanders would occasionally wish they had more of the weapons they had no issues with the weapon itself. The group who did have a problem was the procurement department, for almost everything else there were a variety of suppliers and so some ability to compare costs and keep prices competitive. There was no in-service alternative to the Sterling Twin and so the Procurement Board just had to accept their prices which had been gently rising year on year, never anything egregious and always with a plausible reason, but the well known benefits of large volume mass production never seemed to result in any efficiencies or decrease in cost. They were ultimately naval officers so were not going to knowingly order something sub-standard, but they were pre-disposed to look very favourably on any alternative coil gun turret manufacturer. This internal Admiralty support, along with Beardmore committing their substantial resources to a lobbying campaign in support of the Tiger-class, and thus their turret, the Ilford Quorum was showing it had learnt that success was as much due to 'soft' political factors as any 'hard' technical capabilities. Sadly for them even this mastery of the political game was not enough to get the Lion-class built.

Turning to the potential of the class in combat, after the success of the Tiger-class the Chatham office had built enough reputation for the design to be taken seriously and so officially holo-simed and assessed by the Admiralty Tactical Office. These assessments did not yield any unexpected results and to the disappointment of the Ilford Quorum broadly vindicated the existing views of the Admiralty about plasma weaponry. Aside from the armament much of the rest of the equipment (engines, sensors, defence systems) was common to other cruisers and so had similar capabilities in those areas, leaving only the weapons as a point of difference. To simplify somewhat at any kind of range the Lion-class was inferior to an County-class cruiser and especially a Tiger-class due to the lower rate of fire and decoherence of the plasma field with time. At very short ranges (engagement distances in the low tens of thousands of km) things changed as the shear brute power of a fully cohered plasma ball was devastating and more than compensated for the slow rates of fire. Point blank ranged engagements also meant the 'wall of lead' effect of the massed SBCG was particularly pronounced; at such short ranges even the short barrel coil gun was highly likely to hit resulting in dozens of 0.303' solidshot rounds impacting a second, each individually minor but cumulatively highly damaging. Situationally the class could dominate, however the tactical officers were concerned that the Lion-class lacked the speed to be sure of controlling the engagement range or even being able to get close enough, fast enough, for it's advantages to count. On the positive side it was noted that the design's armament was well suited to jump point assault or defence, however the Renown-class had literally been built for assaulting heavily defended jump points and were both far more capable and already in service, while the existing C-class cruisers classes had proven perfectly capable at jump point defence when required.

Overall the Admiralty assessed the designs as being inferior as general purpose cruisers, but not specialised enough in any niche roles to justify procurement on those grounds and it is hard to argue with that conclusion. Had they been built it is likely they would have been moderately successful ships because they were not bad designs, just not as good as the alternatives in most situations. A bolder design would have sacrificed some 'general purpose' qualities like range or endurance for a substantially higher speed, committing to short range engagement tactics and optimising for that rather than trying to be a match for the Counties in all things. The Ilford Plasmasmiths would continue to develop warships built around enormous plasma cannons but would at least make an effort to address the Admiralty Tactical Office judgements on the Lion-class. It is perhaps unexpected given their vastly different sizes and intent, but the notorious Dark-class sloop-of-war (essentially a battery of plasma cannons, a targeting system and a massive engine) was the most tangible legacy of the Lion-class, for all it's lack of capability elsewhere few could argue that it lacked the speed to very rapidly close the range with any possible opponent.

---
Notes:
The middle of this this chapter inspired by wondering about whether including a mass production bonus for ships and components would improve the game. It does seem odd that I built probably hundreds of twin gauss turrets all with identical stats, but the last unit cost the same as the first, thus a mild detour into Admiralty procurement policy to consider this anomaly. For the rest I did build the Tiger-class and did designate them as Strike Cruisers as it seemed cooler, but I cannot articulate how they were different from a normal Cruiser in any meaningful way. Clearly therefore the explanation had to be politics and bureaucracy.

Alliance to explore the galaxy? Nice. How does this tech deal work in Aurora? Do you SM research whatever the other party researches?

1951

ZVEZDA IS HERE screams the headline on Pravda as Moscow proudly announces that their DLB Lunar Base, commonly known as Zvezda, had finished its first stage of construction and that brave Soviet citizens would soon take up new lives on Earth's companion. The fact that the Soviet Union does not currently have any shuttles capable of transporting colonists is obviously not mentioned. The Soviet Progress fleet grew to ten vessels while the Americans put out four Ares class shuttles, before starting construction of Luna class troop shuttles and Artemis class shuttlecraft, respectively. During the latter half of the year, the Americans put out their new rescue shuttles, whereas the Soviets caused a minor global panic with the introduction of their Krivak class gunships, the first armed space-faring vessels humanity had produced:

GS-01 Krivak 001  (Krivak class Gunship)      250 tons       2 Crew       12.7 BP       TCS 5    TH 3    EM 0
600 km/s      Armour 1-3       Shields 0-0       HTK 1      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0.98
Maint Life 9.02 Years     MSP 3    AFR 5%    IFR 0.1%    1YR 0    5YR 1    Max Repair 5 MSP
Kapitan tret'yego ranga    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 days    Morale Check Required   

Glushko RD-103 (1)    Power 3.0    Fuel Use 492.95%    Signature 3.00    Explosion 15%
Fuel Capacity 26,000 Litres    Range 3.8 billion km (73 days at full power)

Yurga MBP 100mm T-15 Gun 1A10 (1)    Range 10,000km     TS: 1,250 km/s     Power 0.75-0.25     RM 10,000 km    ROF 15       
Sapphire Gunsight N001 (1)     Max Range: 30,000 km   TS: 625 km/s    ECCM-0     10 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NPO Energomash RT-Generator/025 (1)     Total Power Output 0.3    Exp 5%

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a Fighter for auto-assignment purposes

The Apollo class rescue shuttle was a far more peaceful design:

RS-01 Apollo 001  (Apollo class Rescue Shuttle)      500 tons       4 Crew       28.6 BP       TCS 10    TH 4    EM 0
375 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 5      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 36.99 Years     MSP 303    AFR 20%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 0    5YR 6    Max Repair 5 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 15 days    Morale Check Required   

Rocketdyne C-125/9 Engine F-3 (1)    Power 3.8    Fuel Use 287.05%    Signature 3.75    Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 208,200 Litres    Range 26.1 billion km (805 days at full power)
Refuelling Capability: 10,000 litres per hour     Complete Refuel 20 hours

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a None for auto-assignment purposes

But Washington was not happy that the Soviet Union now had a base on the Moon as well as armed vessels in Earth orbit. Plans to push the USA forward were made and put into action.

2048: The Battle for Power Beyond Earth.

In the vast expanse of space, where the moons of distant planets became the battlegrounds for power and dominance, Io found itself at the centre of a brewing conflict between the Asian Dominion (AD) and the South American Union (SAU). Economic disparities and territorial disputes had fuelled tensions, culminating in border skirmishes that threatened to plunge the entire region into chaos.

Sensing the impending danger, the Asian Dominion made a calculated move. Leveraging the aid provided during the United Terran Federation (UTF) financial crisis, they called upon the powerful alliance to mediate and prevent the conflict from escalating into a full-scale war. The UTF, bound by the weight of their debt to the AD, reluctantly agreed to step into the diplomatic arena.

As the UTF entered the fray, the SAU, recognizing the potential consequences of facing the mighty alliance, chose a strategic retreat. Their forces withdrew from Io, avoiding a direct military confrontation with the Asian Dominion, which took over the whole mining operations. The threat of a wider conflict diminished, but the tensions lingered in the cold silence of space.

In light of the outcome, the Trans-Newtonian Arms Control Treaty (TACT) felt the strain, as military tensions highlighted the limitations of such agreements. Factions reevaluated their commitments to arms control measures, with a renewed focus on the perceived effectiveness of the treaty in the face of evolving geopolitical landscapes.

Eventually, as the diplomatic negotiations between the Asian Dominion (AD) and the United Terran Federation (UTF) were underway, a shadowy incident cast a dark cloud over the proceedings. A covert operation within the UTF, designed to protect classified military technologies, went awry. The result was a leak of sensitive information to the Asian Dominion, igniting a major diplomatic and security crisis that reverberated through the cosmos.

The leaked information included advanced missile systems, a cornerstone of the UTF's defence strategy. The revelation not only angered the leaders of the United Terran Federation but also raised questions about the integrity of their intelligence operations. The diplomatic dance on Io suddenly became more complex, as accusations and denials flew between the UTF and AD.

In response to the intelligence leak, the UTF demanded a thorough investigation into the breach of national security. The Asian Dominion, caught in the crossfire, vehemently denied any involvement, attributing the incident to rogue elements engaged in espionage. The stage was set for a tense stand-off, with mistrust escalating between the two powers, casting a shadow over the negotiation table.

The perception update for all powers was significant. The United Terran Federation suffered a severe blow, with its reputation tarnished by the breach of classified information. The Asian Dominion, although denying any involvement, faced slight damage to its perception, with the potential gains in military technology overshadowed by the diplomatic fallout. Other powers in the region began to express heightened concerns about the reliability of intelligence-sharing, raising questions about the stability of the entire region.

With the adjusted goals, the UTF shifted its focus to prioritizing internal security measures and rebuilding trust in its intelligence operations. The Asian Dominion, in contrast, covertly sought to benefit from the leaked technologies while maintaining a public stance of denial, downplaying the incident for diplomatic reasons.

Adjusted strategies came into play as the UTF concentrated on strengthening counter-intelligence efforts and diplomatic measures to contain the fallout. The Asian Dominion adopted a cautious approach in public statements, carefully navigating the delicate diplomatic terrain while quietly exploring the potential military advantages gained from the leaked technologies.

The fallout from the intelligence leak extended to treaties and restrictions. The Non-Aggression and Scientific Collaboration Treaty (NASC) between the UTF and AD faced strains, with the UTF considering reassessment based on the breach of trust. Future collaborations and information-sharing agreements hung in the balance, with the potential for a significant impact on the delicate balance of power in the region. As the negotiations on Io continued, the stakes were higher than ever, with the spectre of the intelligence leak looming over the proceedings.

The echoes of the conflict on Io would resonate across the cosmos, shaping the future of interstellar relations and the delicate dance of power among the stars.

Perception Update for All Powers:
Asian Dominion (AD): Perception improved due to successfully leveraging the UTF's debt to secure its interests without direct military conflict with potential gains in military technology.
South American Union (SAU): Perception damaged, but avoids a full-scale conflict, potentially leaving room for future diplomatic resolutions.
United Terran Federation (UTF): Perception slightly damaged due to being pressured into mediating, but potential for improved relations with the AD, and significantly damaged, as the leak is seen as a breach of national security.

Adjusted Goals:
AD: Maintains the goal of resolving territorial and economic disputes but emphasizes diplomatic solutions. May covertly benefit from the leaked technologies while publicly denying any involvement. Seeks to downplay the incident for diplomatic reasons.
SAU: Shifts focus to peaceful resolutions and economic stability.
UTF: May reevaluate diplomatic and military strategies, considering the potential implications of their debt to the AD. Prioritizes enhancing internal security measures and rebuilding trust in intelligence operations.

Adjusted Strategies:
AD: Continues diplomatic efforts, potentially exploring economic cooperation with the SAU. Adopts a cautious approach in public statements while exploring the potential military advantages gained from the leaked technologies.
SAU: Emphasizes diplomatic initiatives and explores economic cooperation to avoid future conflicts.
UTF: May reconsider military and diplomatic strategies to avoid being heavily influenced by debts in the future. Focuses on strengthening counter-intelligence and diplomatic efforts to contain the fallout.

Adjusted Treaties or Restrictions:

Trans-Newtonian Arms Control Treaty (TACT):
The Trans-Newtonian Arms Control Treaty (TACT) is strained, as military tensions highlight the potential limitations of such agreements. Factions are cancelling their commitments to arms control measures based on the perceived ineffectiveness of the treaty.

Non-Aggression and Scientific Collaboration Treaty (NASC):
The Non-Aggression and Scientific Collaboration Treaty (NASC) between the solar powers is facing strains, with the UTF considering reassessment based on the intelligence leak, and the AD contemplating a revision following the Io affair. All powers have unanimously agreed to prohibit aggressive military actions only on Earth and its orbit, effective from the year 2050.

---

Asian Dominion (AD)
Government System: Authoritarian Regime

Goals: Prioritize internal stability and technological innovation by asserting dominance in space and control Trans-Newtonian resources.

Economic Strategy: Strategically deploy fleets to key Trans-Newtonian resource-rich locations, ensuring control and exploiting resources for the dominion's economic and military benefit.
Diplomatic Strategy: Seek diplomatic and strategic alliances with powers that share common interests in space dominance and technological innovation. Adopts a cautious approach in public statements while exploring the potential military advantages gained from the leaked technologies.
Military Strategy: Maintain a defensive military posture while focusing on the development of advanced missile systems for long-range engagements.

Colonized: Moon, Titan, Io

United Terran Federation (UTF): Seen as striving to maintain a balance of power through both diplomatic and military means. Valued for diplomatic engagement, attempting to de-escalate tensions and seek resolutions through dialogue.
Euro-African Coalition (EAC): Views the EAC's shift to a Technocratic Oligarchy with caution. While acknowledging the emphasis on technology aligns with their own goals, the potential for increased diplomatic assertiveness raises concerns about potential conflicts.
South American Union (SAU): Economic potential is acknowledged, but there's a sense of superiority in terms of military might.
Oceanic Alliance (OA): Perceived as weak due to minimal military presence. However, recognized for innovative technologies, especially in environmental sustainability.

---

Euro-African Coalition (EAC)
Government System: Technocratic Oligarchy

Goals: Assert influence in space exploration and technological innovation. Maintain diplomatic ties and collaborations.

Economic Strategy: Mixed-market economy with a focus on research and development.
Diplomatic Strategy: Technologically driven diplomacy, assertive in space-related matters. Open to collaboration on scientific research and technological advancement.
Military Strategy: Defensive military posture, focusing on technological superiority.

Colonized: Mercury, Ganymede, Io

United Terran Federation (UTF): Seen as striving to maintain a balance of power through both diplomatic and military means. Valued for diplomatic engagement, attempting to de-escalate tensions and seek resolutions through dialogue.
Asian Dominion (AD): Viewed as assertive in pursuing space dominance, raising concerns among other powers. Perceived as managing internal dissent, but concerns linger about the potential impact on the AD's external actions.
South American Union (SAU): Perceives the SAU's pivot toward the UTF as a diplomatic insult, leading to a sense of betrayal. The cancellation of the TTS has strained diplomatic relations and future collaborations may be approached with caution.
Oceanic Alliance (OA): Valued as a partner in environmental initiatives. Concerns exist about potential conflicts with other powers.

---

Oceanic Alliance (OA)
Government System: Direct Democracy

Goals: Environmental conservation, peaceful coexistence.

Economic Strategy: Sustainable economy with a focus on environmental technologies.
Diplomatic Strategy: Pacifist and cooperative.
Military Strategy: Minimal military, strong focus on space exploration.

Colonized: Enceladus, Triton, Io

United Terran Federation (UTF): Seen as striving to maintain a balance of power through both diplomatic and military means. Valued for diplomatic engagement, attempting to de-escalate tensions and seek resolutions through dialogue.
Asian Dominion (AD): Viewed as assertive in pursuing space dominance, raising concerns among other powers. Perceived as managing internal dissent, but concerns linger about the potential impact on the AD's external actions.
Euro-African Coalition (EAC): The OA sees the EAC's government reshuffle as a positive development, valuing the emphasis on technological innovation as a potential for collaboration in environmental initiatives and sustainable technologies. The commitment to diplomatic ties aligns with the OA's cooperative and peaceful approach.
South American Union (SAU): Recognized for environmental consciousness. Potential collaboration in peaceful initiatives but concerns about SAU's economic stability.

---

South American Union (SAU)
Government System: Democratic Federation

Goals: Economic prosperity, and prioritize diplomatic and cultural exchange to enhance global standing and foster regional stability.

Economic Strategy: Export-oriented economy with a focus on cultural exports.
Diplomatic Strategy: Emphasize diplomatic initiatives and cultural exchange to build alliances and promote economic cooperation.
Military Strategy: Defensive posture, small but efficient military.

Colonized: Venus, Callisto

United Terran Federation (UTF): Seen as striving to maintain a balance of power through both diplomatic and military means. Valued for diplomatic engagement, attempting to de-escalate tensions and seek resolutions through dialogue.
Asian Dominion (AD): Viewed as assertive in pursuing space dominance, raising concerns among other powers. Perceived as managing internal dissent, but concerns linger about the potential impact on the AD's external actions.
Euro-African Coalition (EAC): While acknowledging the potential benefits, remains watchful of any military implications and may advocate for diplomatic discussions on arms control. The shift to a Technocratic Oligarchy is noted, and diplomatic relationships have been put on hold cutting ties.
Oceanic Alliance (OA): Valued as a potential partner in peaceful initiatives. Limited military capabilities raise concerns.

---

United Terran Federation (UTF)
Government System: Federal Republic

Goals: Maintain balance of power through diplomacy and military capabilities to ensure the security of UTF interests and adherence to existing treaties. Invest in military research and development.

Economic Strategy: Capitalist economy with a focus on technology and trade. Prioritize economic recovery and reduce dependency on external aid.
Diplomatic Strategy: Explore opportunities for strategic alliances with factions that share concerns about the arms race dynamics, fostering cooperation to maintain stability. Focuses on strengthening counter-intelligence and diplomatic efforts to contain the fallout.
Military Strategy: Maintain a defensive military posture with a focus on deterrent capabilities, demonstrating strength while avoiding unnecessary aggression.

Colonized: Mars, Europa, Io

Asian Dominion (AD): Viewed as assertive in pursuing space dominance, raising concerns among other powers. Perceived as managing internal dissent, but concerns linger about the potential impact on the AD's external actions.
Euro-African Coalition (EAC): sees the EAC's advancements as an opportunity for collaboration in technological innovation and space exploration, and views the EAC's move to a Technocratic Oligarchy with interest.
South American Union (SAU): Economic cooperation is valued, but there's wariness about potential conflicts arising from nationalist movements.
Oceanic Alliance (OA): Perceived as assertive in defending territorial claims.

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FULL DISCLOSURE: Text and RNG events are managed by my personal AI, AuroraGPT. I actively engage in questioning AuroraGPT, seeking clarification on various events and their implications and also prompt in manually my events based on the game ones. This process involves more than a quick three-second command and a copy-paste; considerable effort is invested while simultaneously playing the game and controlling all races, including humans and, if applicable, aliens. As spoilers, only Raiders and Precursors are currently active, and there may or may not be swarms introduced at some point via SM.