Outcast Quest [Updated 10/10/18 - Turn 14]

[Suederwind]

So, after the lag demon ate two versions of this post, I'll be brief:

[x] Niflheim (roughly "Mist World") sounds more fitting to me than Valhalla. Also, its located below the world of man in the nordic comology.

With the rest, I will vote for the same things Siber did.

And a qestion for our GM: If we build all this stuff (like heavy industry, Thrusters, etc...) do we need to worry about energy, too? Do we have the parts for a second reactor?

[Razor One]

Your chosen location, the Briar Patch, is effectively a dense planetary nebula that can never collapse into a star, nor expand into a proper nebula. You've got three or four atmospheres of pressure around your colony, and pretty much nothing stopping a constant flow of wind which your colonists have appropriated to power your colony.

Once you're more firmly established, you'll be able to build dedicated power sources to feed your industry. Alternatively, you can hook up power feeds from the L'Amour, though this would make you immobile. Additionally, the atmosphere that surrounds your colony? Mostly hydrogen, with a smattering of hydrocarbons, sulphides and other stuff you'd find in a gas giant. Have fun with that.

[Razor One]

I hate double posting, but eh, I figure this is slightly important.

Survey is now up. Cast your votes here.

I'll count up the votes for the name of your colony informally, so please post with your vote if you haven't already.

[dragoongfa]

Voted.

[X] Soothing tensions
[X] Agricultural center
[X] Mineral Survey
[X] Loroi Physiology
[X] Yay

[joestej]

Voted.

[X] Soothing Tensions.
[X] Agricultural Center.
[X] Mineralogical Survey.
[X] Loroi Physiology.
[X] Yea.

[alpha]

Voted.
[X] Niflheim

[X] Improving Relations.
[X] Agricultural Center.
[X] Mineralogical Survey.
[X] Loroi Biochemistry.
[X] Yea.

Let's never scrap the jumpdrive.

[Siber]

I think I'm going to change my name vote to

[X] Niflheim

I'll edit the previous name vote out.

[dragoongfa]

Don't care much about the name but please, please:

Keep the Ride of the Valkyries in, keep them in, keep them in...

Just imagine this:

The first fight between our own fleet and a Snootie raiding party.

Spear: Music?

O'Malley: An old tradition.

Spear: But music broadcasted on all frequencies?

O'Malley: They will learn to fear it.

Some time later.

Yet unmet Loroi: Music?

Spear: They use a track called 'Ride of the Valkyries'. Scares the shit out of the Snooties and the Humans love it.

Yet unmet Loroi: You spent too much time with the humans if you think that we will do that.

[Absalom]

This time I'm actually voting, because I think Niflheim is just that much better than Valhalla in this case.

[X] Niflheim

[X] Improving Relations.
[X] Agricultural Center.
[X] Mineralogical Survey.
[X] Loroi Biochemistry.
[X] Yea.

The way I went about it in my head is to produce some short of corvettes to combat a small Urkuk attack and hunt down anyone who retreats.

I'd suggest the equivalent of PT Boats instead. Building more ships should be considered a medium-term priority, but building full warships probably won't be worth it until the colony is ready to build inertial dampers as well. Better to build small & fast skirmishers at first, and base them out of a mothership when out hunting. If there are long-range heavy weapons that they can't mount, then those go on the mothership & get fired from beyond the horizon.

Anyway the first heavy industry product we will need to produce will probably be shuttles to ferry stuff back and fourth. We have what, 2 maybe 4 shuttles available plus the marine assault shuttle. With the amount of people we have brought and the production needed to sustain them we will need more shuttles as soon as possible.

Probably "Star Furies" + "space" barges are a slightly better starting-point than dedicated shuttles there, especially since they could also be rigged-up with construction equipment for repair & later construction projects. If they're equipped with a hatch on the front, then assembling a shuttle could be as easy as building the right barge, attaching any extra thrusters to it, and plugging their control & power buses together.


For the next construction priorities, I'd suggest the following to everyone:


1) Stabilisation Thrusters: Your home asteroid is not fixed in space. There is a slim chance that it could float off and strike another asteroid, or be struck itself. Needless to say, this would probably be a bad thing. Build stabilisation thrusters to help hold your colony in place and allow it to nudge itself away from impending doom.

Cost: 3000 RU, Time: 3 Months, Chance of Success: 60%, Reward: Not getting crushed by flying mountains, requires 500 RU upkeep.


2) Machine Shop: Allows for the reproduction and repair of basic tools and equipment.

Cost: 1000 RU, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 90%, Reward: Basic tool production, New options.\


3) Docks: Basic mooring and umbilicals for the L'Amour, allowing for ease of transport and for cargo and personnel and basic repairs.

Cost: 3000 RU, Time: 3 Months, Chance of Success: 80%, Reward: Allows for easy disembarkation of people and goods, Unlocks new Options.


4) Warehousing: Space to store spare parts, raw materials, and sensitive goods. Allows you to empty the L'Amour's cargo hold.

Cost: 1000 RU, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 90%, Reward: A place to store goods and cargo other than the ship.


5) Fuel Refinery: Harvests the surrounding hydrogen rich atmosphere and converts it into delicious fuel for your ships to burn.

Cost: 4000 RU, Time: 6 Months, Chance of Success: 70%, Reward: Ship automatically refuels while at home.


In that order, with asteroid mines stuck in as soon as they become possible. The L'Amour already provides habitation, medical, and scientific capabilities in limited amounts, so I'd say that these "unique" capabilities should probably come first. Depending on what Razor says about "manual" refueling, moving Fuel Refinery to right after Machine Shop might be desirable. I would definitively delay agricultural expansions until after Machine Shop: I haven't run the numbers, but I'm under the impression that with the initial Agricultural Complex everyone will be able to have 2/3 rations, while slowly increasing stocks.

If Razor says that Machine Shop will speed-up other construction jobs, then it should definitely go in the number 1 spot.

Incidentally, Razor, should Stabilization Thrusters be enough to move the colony-asteroid around, as an alternative to moving the L'Amour whenever a load of ore needs to be picked up?

[ChaosFarseer]

Been watching this for a little while, and now looks like a good time to say hi. So, um, hi! This is awesome, btw.

[X] Niflheim
[X] Soothing Tensions
[X] Agricultural Complex
[X] Mineralogical Survey
[X] Loroi Biochemistry
Emergency Action: More Rationing
[X] Yea

[alpha]

I would like to say that choosing 'Valhalla' gives us a perfect opportunity to put in some Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore quotes and of course the mandatory:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqtehtSB0LI

I have a feeling that the Urkek will hate us

National Anthem! Well, we still need words...Close enough!

This time I'm actually voting, because I think Niflheim is just that much better than Valhalla in this case.

[X] Niflheim

[X] Improving Relations.
[X] Agricultural Center.
[X] Mineralogical Survey.
[X] Loroi Biochemistry.
[X] Yea.

The way I went about it in my head is to produce some short of corvettes to combat a small Urkuk attack and hunt down anyone who retreats.

I'd suggest the equivalent of PT Boats instead. Building more ships should be considered a medium-term priority, but building full warships probably won't be worth it until the colony is ready to build inertial dampers as well. Better to build small & fast skirmishers at first, and base them out of a mothership when out hunting. If there are long-range heavy weapons that they can't mount, then those go on the mothership & get fired from beyond the horizon.

Anyway the first heavy industry product we will need to produce will probably be shuttles to ferry stuff back and fourth. We have what, 2 maybe 4 shuttles available plus the marine assault shuttle. With the amount of people we have brought and the production needed to sustain them we will need more shuttles as soon as possible.

Probably "Star Furies" + "space" barges are a slightly better starting-point than dedicated shuttles there, especially since they could also be rigged-up with construction equipment for repair & later construction projects. If they're equipped with a hatch on the front, then assembling a shuttle could be as easy as building the right barge, attaching any extra thrusters to it, and plugging their control & power buses together.


For the next construction priorities, I'd suggest the following to everyone:


1) Stabilisation Thrusters: Your home asteroid is not fixed in space. There is a slim chance that it could float off and strike another asteroid, or be struck itself. Needless to say, this would probably be a bad thing. Build stabilisation thrusters to help hold your colony in place and allow it to nudge itself away from impending doom.

Cost: 3000 RU, Time: 3 Months, Chance of Success: 60%, Reward: Not getting crushed by flying mountains, requires 500 RU upkeep.


2) Machine Shop: Allows for the reproduction and repair of basic tools and equipment.

Cost: 1000 RU, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 90%, Reward: Basic tool production, New options.\


3) Docks: Basic mooring and umbilicals for the L'Amour, allowing for ease of transport and for cargo and personnel and basic repairs.

Cost: 3000 RU, Time: 3 Months, Chance of Success: 80%, Reward: Allows for easy disembarkation of people and goods, Unlocks new Options.


4) Warehousing: Space to store spare parts, raw materials, and sensitive goods. Allows you to empty the L'Amour's cargo hold.

Cost: 1000 RU, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 90%, Reward: A place to store goods and cargo other than the ship.


5) Fuel Refinery: Harvests the surrounding hydrogen rich atmosphere and converts it into delicious fuel for your ships to burn.

Cost: 4000 RU, Time: 6 Months, Chance of Success: 70%, Reward: Ship automatically refuels while at home.


In that order, with asteroid mines stuck in as soon as they become possible. The L'Amour already provides habitation, medical, and scientific capabilities in limited amounts, so I'd say that these "unique" capabilities should probably come first. Depending on what Razor says about "manual" refueling, moving Fuel Refinery to right after Machine Shop might be desirable. I would definitively delay agricultural expansions until after Machine Shop: I haven't run the numbers, but I'm under the impression that with the initial Agricultural Complex everyone will be able to have 2/3 rations, while slowly increasing stocks.

If Razor says that Machine Shop will speed-up other construction jobs, then it should definitely go in the number 1 spot.

Incidentally, Razor, should Stabilization Thrusters be enough to move the colony-asteroid around, as an alternative to moving the L'Amour whenever a load of ore needs to be picked up?

We should probably have one long-term and one short-term project running at the same time.

So...
Proposed Stewardship Action(s) Schedule:

SpoilerShow

T-Turn+1:
(1T) Warehousing (Or machine shop, if it speeds stuff up)
(3T) Stabilization Thrusters

T-Turn+2:
(1T) Machine Shop (Or Warehousing, if it did not go first)
(2T) Thrusters

T-Turn+3:
(3T) Docks
(1T) Thrusters

4:
(2T) Docks
(1T) Habitation

Learning:
Also, I derped. I did not notice the value of 80 for Physiology. With that in mind, Physiology, then Biochem or Trade.

[Razor One]

Voting is now closed. Here's what won.

On the informal vote:

[X] Valhalla

dragoongfa, Sweforce

[X] Avalon

joestej, anamiac

[X] Niflheim

Suederwind, alpha, Siber, Absalom, ChaosFarseer

Your colony is now called Niflheim. You'll see Norse themes appearing in updates and your colonists will adopt a Norse naming scheme for ships, stations, and potential expansions as the years go by. While your marines like being compared favourably to the Einherjar, they feel the name is a bit unwieldy and prefer to remain being called marines.

Formal vote results:

[X] Soothing Tensions
[X] Agricultural Complex
[X] Mineralogical Survey
[X] Loroi Biochemistry
[X] Yea

I'll be rolling the dice and typing up an update, but until then, I'll put one of the dice firmly in your hands.

I need someone to head over to Rolz. Punch in your forum handle in the nickname field, skip the password field, and punch in "Outcast Quest" (without the quotes) in the Room field.

Once there, type #1d262 in the comment field. You can see an example of what to do in the chatlog. The first successful roll will be the number of volunteers you get for harsher rationing. If you get more than 50 on this roll, you're gravy. If you get less than 50, you'll need to force the issue lest you wind up starving. This will hit your morale slightly. Nobody wants to starve, but your colonists are getting bit irritated with the lowered rations.

You can embed the roll directly here. This is what you got on your test roll:



Which while nice, doesn't count since a player didn't roll it.

As I said, first come first served. If you have trouble or are beaten to the roll, don't sweat it. There may be other rolls I require of you in the future.

[dragoongfa]

Rolled 180 but how the hell do I embed?



Question: Although I am pretty sure we are keeping our Loroi guests safe and sound, we can change research to Loroi physiology if someone gets hurt right?

[Razor One]

Yeah, you can switch research tracks unless I say otherwise. Researching their biochemistry isn't time sensitive. They're not evolving a different biochemistry as we speak.

Also, very nice roll. May warrant a bit of story time, just a few hundred words to show all those people stepping up to the plate.

[Siber]

Also, very nice roll. May warrant a bit of story time, just a few hundred words to show all those people stepping up to the plate.

Or perhaps away from it, in this case.

[Razor One]

Diplomacy:

[] Soothing Tensions: Your colonists are not as united as you'd like. Factions are starting to form despite Vanessa and Richard's best efforts. Nipping this in the bud would be for the best.

Cost: 0, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 60%, Reward: Tensions Soothed, ???

Rolled: 7 + 14 = 21, Fail

What you intended to be an airing of grievances and an attempt at fostering unity and cohesion has descended into a shouting match. This is not helped by the fact that Richard Hughes keeps opening his fat mouth and the fact that his ribs seem to have become immune to his wife's constant elbowing to try and shut him up.

While some colonists nominally support the Hughes' leadership by dint of their original corporate sponsors, a rival group has become something of a rallying point of resistance. Lead by Jonathan Spencer, they are demanding that a firm date for elections be set so that they can be lead democratically, rather than by an appointed corporate lackey.

They are incredibly critical of Vanessa and Richard. Towards you they're something of a mixed bag. They're critical of some of your actions, and praise you on others. It seems that this group hasn't made up their mind about you yet.

You fail to settle the grievances between the two camps. They're simply irreconcilable at this point. You manage to convince them to not let this get in the way of building your colony, but not without being roped into setting a date for a free and proper democratic election to settle the issue.

Stewardship:

[] Agricultural Complex: Without a ready supply of food you're going to starve. The Agri-Complex will allow you to grow food as quickly as you can once it's built.

Cost: 1000 RU, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 80%, Reward: Agricultural Complex Built, New Options, Able to Grow Food, converts 3 RU -> 1 Food, +500 Food at max production, requires 250 RU upkeep, requires two turns to begin production after completion.

Rolled: 46, Success

Round the clock construction and preparation have paid off. The agricultural complex is complete and planting of your first potato crops, the only one capable of maturing before you starve, is already underway. (Harvest on Turn 4)

[] Mineralogical Survey: Survey your home and nearby asteroids for the best place to deploy your mining equipment.

Cost: 0, Time: 1 Month, Chance of Success: 90%, Reward: Knowledge of local ores, Able to begin mining operations.

Rolled: 83, Success

The asteroids of this region are positively overflowing with useful resources. One of your prospectors literally throws his pickaxe and hits a stunningly large vein of gold. There's more titanium locked up in one of the nearby asteroids than the entire Terran Mining Consortium pulls out of the ground in a decade. Even fissile material is found in an abundance that is practically criminal.

You now know the best places to situate your mines.

Learning:

[] Loroi Biochemistry: Doctor Campos would like to do a more detailed study into Loroi biochemistry to determine with certainty what foods the Loroi can handle as well as derive what nutrients they require to fully recover from their ordeal in addition to what medicines they're able to consume.

Cost: 0, Value Needed: 91 / 1000, Reward: Knowledge of what is and is not toxic to Loroi biochemistry.

Rolled: 20 + 16 = 36

Doctor Campos has continued looking into your Loroi guests biochemistry, though it's been slow going. While he is exempted from work details to do his research, a number of your colonists medical needs due to the constant work and low rations continually distract him from making much headway. He does manage to test some cell cultures though.

Increased Rationing:

You call something of a town meeting in the cargo bay. Everyone who's been enjoying their 2/3rds rations has been called. After months of this, the difference between those who chose to go with less and those who didn't is incredibly visible. You see it every time you look in the mirror how you're getting lean and bony, while those on 2/3rds still have traces of fat on them.

"Everyone, I need your attention," you say, calling the meeting to order, "We've run the numbers several times now, and while we've all worked hard and done well, they're coming up short. At the rate that our potato crops grow, we'll have begun starving by the time they're ready."

You pace a few times to let that information sink in. You hate this. You hate to ask these people to sacrifice the very food from their mouths after they've had so much taken from them. Their families, their friends, their livelihoods and all that they've known. They deserve better than this, but this is all you have, and if you don't ask, they'll starve.

"I need at least fifty people to volunteer for harsher rationing," you say, "If not we're going to fall short and..."

You lose your voice at the sight before you. People aren't just stepping up, they're raising their hands and glaring daggers at those who don't, shaming them into making the necessary sacrifice. More and more and more of them every moment that passes, until finally a hundred and eighty people agree to do with less for a time.

After that disastrous meeting to try and sort out the political problems of your colony, you never in a million years expected this. It takes effort to hide both your joy and your pride. Joy that so many would do so much, pride that despite their differences, despite their difficulties in getting along with one another, that they would put everything on the line when the chips were down.

A cynical part of you considers this just a temporary gesture, a thing easily parted with because it will be temporary, but you refuse to let that dampen your spirits.

Reward: Consumption reduced from 303 per turn to 243 per turn. No additional morale penalty for reduced consumption for the next five turns.

Miscellaneous:

Ensign Izumi has been released from quarantine and has already been put onto a work detail since nobody, not even you, can be spared from building up your colony. The ensign seems somewhat changed due to her time in quarantine. She's more confident than before and is even a little smug about how well she did.

Still, she reports that the Loroi are becoming agitated. They've been cooped up in quarantine for months and they know you're not taking them home just yet. Though they didn't say as much, the Ensign thinks that some of them are beginning to consider whether or not they're prisoners again. Spear has however asked to meet you when possible, so it can't all be bad.

Several women have fallen ill while on work detail. While this was worrisome at first, Doctor Campos says that the colony can look forward to some population growth thanks to some of the more industrious men. The knowledge spreads like wildfire, spurring the colonists to work harder, both to create a proper home for children as well as to make up for the inevitable maternity leave.

Accounting:

Start of Turn Resources:

RU: 12500
Food: 853

Expenditures:

RU: 2500
Food: 243

End of Turn Resources

RU: 10000
Food: 610

Loroi Biochemistry: 127 / 1000

--

That 7 on your Diplo! Still, you managed to avoid having them turn into La Resistance or have things descend into rioting, which is good, though that's not saying much since even a natural 1 would've been mitigated by your diplomacy. All the people who stepped up for more rationing refused to be excused until you cut their rations, dammit. Your food situation is improved, but you'll need to make progress quickly to get your people off rationing.

I'll be writing up Turn 2's options soon. If not after dinner, then by tomorrow night at the latest. Setting a date for the elections is likely to be a free action. I'll decide when I write the next bit.

<< Turn 1 || Turn 2 >>

[dragoongfa]

I am having a nasty feeling that science research will be a pain with the kind of extreme rolls we are getting more often than not...

If I can make a suggestion, can we at least implement a system revolving around a certain research bonus once certain labs and equipment have been produced?

For example, once we have produced the bio labs we have a +20 Bonus on bio research, then an extra +10 when we have the ability to manufacture science equipment.

Anyway from what we know I believe that the next stewardship actions have to be:

Turn 2: One more agri-complex and the establishing of a mine.

Turn 3: Third agri-complex aiming for food diversification (and the eventual lifting of food rationing) and housing (huge morale boost from both at turn 4).

Turn 4: Thrusters and tool shop.

Turn 5: Thrusters and medical center.

With this we will have nipped the population problems early and quickly, while we will have plenty of choices after this.

[Razor One]

Proper laboratory facilities will definitely speed along your research. Synergy bonuses may also occur if you take some options first and then take others.

If it turns out the research values are a bit too harsh, I'll adjust things and see how it pans out. I don't want you racing through science, but I also don't want you getting bogged down either. If you're fielding super battleships by turn nine, I'll have failed as a GM.

[dragoongfa]

I agree on this, it's just that the 1000 biochemistry does look extreme and it will take more than a full year with just average rolls.

I will insist on having the research changed from biochemistry to Loroi physiology. Physiology which has just an 80 research limit will be over in 1 maybe 2 turns and I think that there will be a synergy bonus while also ensuring that we are able to heal our guests.

[Siber]

Agreed regarding biochem vs physiology. I expect we'll want to diplomasize the Loroi this turn, and hopefully continued efforts to understand them might help with that. Researching the collars would probably have the opposite effect.