SD.net's World OOC/Discussion thread MK V

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Hijacking the moon? Come on, this isn't Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

The opening theme is nice, though, which is why I used it for that New Year's airshow alongside that other song that was in Eureka Seven. Speaking of that other song, three guesses as to what's being implied by "falling love."

[PeZook]

Anyhow, those ISCA underwater habitats should come in handy. Are those ready for order?

Yep. There are pretty difficult to construct, so I don't know what point value to assign them. Probably something on the order of 100 thousand DWT.

EDIT: And the sheer callousness the UAR exhibits towards fucking up the planet simply never ceases to amaze me. Would it be so hard to spray water on the ground before moving it?

[Coyote]

I was told once by a girlfriend that I bore an amazing resemblance to "that guy that plays Agent Riley on Buffy the Vampire Slayer". That means actor Marc Blucas. So I'll use some of his images for my use.

[RogueIce]

So basically I'm just saving us from having to repeat ourselves. Given our alliance structure:

Research and Development:
As part of MESS membership access is granted to all projects which are conducted under government funding. Thus out of the roughly 35 billion in intra-MESS research grants all results, including for projects deemed classified, member governments are granted access.

Military Position:
The MESS includes, as a requirement of entry, treaties of mutual defense and re-insurance. The language requires all members to come to the aid of any other member nation if they are attacked by another. In turn the MESS forbids acts of aggressive war and any member who commits such an act may be expelled by a unanimous vote of the other nations.

What I posted is inherently reasonable anyway. This just saves us the trouble of when someone says "I have deployed/ordered X system" the other eight or so people also have to say "I have deployed/ordered X system". It's a sensible thing for alliances like ours to do, and takes care of the nagging problem of if you're gone for a few days and, say, Wilkens doesn't see some project Lonestar announced. No worries, he's already in on it.

[Raj Ahten]

Pezook, I went ahead and had a team of investigators enter Indhopal on that terrorism issue. They are working with a small squad of Federal Police on the case. Since no one was actually killed, only 4-6 agents have been assigned to help your folks. Rules are for your men: No guns, they can't interrogate or arrest suspects without the Federal Police but otherwise few restrictions.

[The Yosemite Bear]

BTW if anyone has killed Anton while I was away, he's got a dead man trigger, you aren't going to like the results, and only getting one hour to post every 24 kinda bleeps.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Anyhow, those ISCA underwater habitats should come in handy. Are those ready for order?

Yep. There are pretty difficult to construct, so I don't know what point value to assign them. Probably something on the order of 100 thousand DWT.

EDIT: And the sheer callousness the UAR exhibits towards fucking up the planet simply never ceases to amaze me. Would it be so hard to spray water on the ground before moving it?

Actually, I don't mind studying the design. I just realised this morning that they are not only difficult, but nearly impossible with current technologies. Either that, or they are very very narrow. Current technology doesn't produce steel that can withstand pressures that high at the depths.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

What I posted is inherently reasonable anyway. This just saves us the trouble of when someone says "I have deployed/ordered X system" the other eight or so people also have to say "I have deployed/ordered X system". It's a sensible thing for alliances like ours to do, and takes care of the nagging problem of if you're gone for a few days and, say, Wilkens doesn't see some project Lonestar announced. No worries, he's already in on it.

To be honest, I don't know what's going on right now with this and that project. As a result, I have been turning to FUN for a lot of collaboration etc.

[RogueIce]

To be honest, I don't know what's going on right now with this and that project. As a result, I have been turning to FUN for a lot of collaboration etc.

I know. I've generally had that problem, too.

That's why I did what I did. So I don't need to keep up with it. I figure this way we can do our projects and we'll be keeping each other generally in the loop anyway automatically. That way I don't have to go back and search through everything.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

To be honest, I don't know what's going on right now with this and that project. As a result, I have been turning to FUN for a lot of collaboration etc.

I know. I've generally had that problem, too.

That's why I did what I did. So I don't need to keep up with it. I figure this way we can do our projects and we'll be keeping each other generally in the loop anyway automatically. That way I don't have to go back and search through everything.

Does that mean all the projects will be posted in a common area or? I'm not even sure where this common area will be.

[RogueIce]

Does that mean all the projects will be posted in a common area or? I'm not even sure where this common area will be.

It generally means that, like with Coyote's THEL program, I wouldn't have to make game posts to mirror his own about them going operational, tests, etc. My deployment will more-or-less mirror his own.

As to a common area for these sorts of things to be posted, I'd like that myself. Alas it would take some webspace for it I imagine and I don't really have that. Plus some way we could all contribute to it without having to load down one person with the responsibility of keeping it up to date.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Does that mean all the projects will be posted in a common area or? I'm not even sure where this common area will be.

It generally means that, like with Coyote's THEL program, I wouldn't have to make game posts to mirror his own about them going operational, tests, etc. My deployment will more-or-less mirror his own.

As to a common area for these sorts of things to be posted, I'd like that myself. Alas it would take some webspace for it I imagine and I don't really have that. Plus some way we could all contribute to it without having to load down one person with the responsibility of keeping it up to date.

And I have no access to the MESS usergroup.

I have been pursuing my own THEL program for a while, though I have been looking at it from different directions and I actually sounded Coyote out to work on a next generation version that uses solid state lasers instead.

[RogueIce]

And I have no access to the MESS usergroup.

That's why I'd want something else. Although I have no idea how to go about it. Beyond getting some el cheapo EZBoard-esque forum or something. And by "el cheapo" I really mean free. But that would probably suck.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

And I have no access to the MESS usergroup.

That's why I'd want something else. Although I have no idea how to go about it. Beyond getting some el cheapo EZBoard-esque forum or something. And by "el cheapo" I really mean free. But that would probably suck.

Actually, how about a Google Document? Just link it to be shared and editable by the emails.

[phongn]

What the hell?

1. The heavy strike stuff isn't even based in Alexandria. They're flying out of Saddamistan, and nobody is the wiser (since nobody has military radar, it just looks like commercial stuff flying around). They also aren't flying with Tonkin roundels or anything, though it's obvious who they are (if anyone could get a picture of them ... good luck doing that)

2. The light strike, CAP and air-cover is officially flown by Alexander's pilots and under Alexander's flag. How would journalists know that my pilots are actually out there?

3. We don't follow Protec's requests or orders.

4. And, uh, since these are Alexander's birds, it's rather unlikely he'd shell his own airfields.

[PeZook]

So...King Paul is...pissed.

It's really too bad I didn't have 2500 posts when we started this thing, or I would've started a nuclear program immediately

I will still allocate funds for that, axing military acquisition completely. I suggest the FUN force funds go towards air defences and deployment of Red Technocracy supersonic ramjets throughought the FUN this year.

On undersea habitats: I was thinking we'd start with some experimental low-level prototypes, especially since Baerne has already been operating habitats for some time now. Then, as materials science advances, we'll build more and more advanced ones, expanding further out into the ocean.

[RogueIce]

What the hell?

1. The heavy strike stuff isn't even based in Alexandria. They're flying out of Saddamistan, and nobody is the wiser (since nobody has military radar, it just looks like commercial stuff flying around). They also aren't flying with Tonkin roundels or anything, though it's obvious who they are (if anyone could get a picture of them ... good luck doing that)

2. The light strike, CAP and air-cover is officially flown by Alexander's pilots and under Alexander's flag. How would journalists know that my pilots are actually out there?

3. We don't follow Protec's requests or orders.

4. And, uh, since these are Alexander's birds, it's rather unlikely he'd shell his own airfields.

Yellow Journalism? Or maybe Bear has some spies infiltrated in your military?

Anyway, don't be too sure about nobody noticing. Wilkonia has a CVBG in the area. I have forces down south too. I also have an embassy in Alexandria, which would be sure to hear about these things through the rumor mill if nothing else. Which might just prompt the Wilkonian CVBG to send some Hawkeyes to start watching Terra Libertia airspace fulltime.

Just saying.

[K. A. Pital]

I suggest the FUN force funds go towards air defences and deployment of Red Technocracy supersonic ramjets throughought the FUN this year.

Can't do. Those are hypersonic scramjets, and they are still in the test type phase. The mega-scramjet SSTOs won't be ready in many years - however, the M=8 test type will be ready next year. I have hypersonic (M=5 cruise speed) missiles (Kh-90 HELA) for now.

However, I propose increasing our orbital strike potential by mirroring Bean's designs. The ALMAZ-1 still has two years worth of operation or maybe more, if we decide to dock more multi-functional modules to it. It could serve as a base of operations for the FUN Space Defense Force.

Moorings and fuelling tubes for the space fighters are already there, so our space fighter force has good autonomy, at least for the few days it could hang up there, and also a base to strike out from.

Kinetic and other orbit-to-earth weapons need to be our first priority.

[PeZook]

Can't do. Those are hypersonic scramjets, and they are still in the test type phase. The mega-scramjet SSTOs won't be ready in many years - however, the M=8 test type will be ready next year. I have hypersonic (M=5 cruise speed) missiles (Kh-90 HELA) for now.

These will do just fine. They are still fast enough to overcome the same defenses at the UARs Plutos can, but are conventional, and thus cheaper. Since ranges here are small, they can easily cover the UAR.

We should buy a lot of them and spam them on bombers, submarines and land-based launchers. And, of course, star a FUN nuke program. Damn, I hate to be saying this.

However, I propose increasing our orbital strike potential by mirroring Bean's designs. The ALMAZ-1 still has two years worth of operation or maybe more, if we decide to dock more multi-functional modules to it. It could serve as a base of operations for the FUN Space Defense Force.

2012 will see a lot of docking systems tests, so we can easily construct a real space station. I'm not sure about expanding ALMAZ-1 ; Did the OMSK develop a docking system? If it didn't, ALMAZ-1 won't really be equipped for docking methinks...

And I like the idea of permanently basing space fighters in orbit. Hell, we could establish a base of operations on the other side of the planet in GEO, where Saddamistan can't get to them using lasers, and missiles will take a while. SPIRALs can evade any GEO ASATs with ease (Saddamistan doesn't really have much in the way of a space program...so I'm not sure if he will even have any) and deploy their payload.

Moorings and fuelling tubes for the space fighters are already there, so our space fighter force has good autonomy, at least for the few days it could hang up there, and also a base to strike out from.

Kinetic and other orbit-to-earth weapons need to be our first priority.

We also have an orbital fuel depot now (well, not WE, but its's there ),and a 400-ton superheavy launcher apparently has flown and works.

We could try to maintain a 3-4 space fighter force in orbit at first, before we place a lot of kinetic orbital killsats there.

To maintain 3-4 fighters would require a base (we have ALMAZ-1) and between 12-20 actual fighters to exist (normally it would take 12, but it's not a standard terra-bound deployment, really)

EDIT: How many heavy launchpads do we have throughout the FUN in total? I mean, capable of handling the Vulkan at least? One in Korolev and two under construction at Comona Island?

[phongn]

Yellow Journalism? Or maybe Bear has some spies infiltrated in your military?

Maybe, but he'd need positive proof if it ain't yellow journalism, which is a lot harder to do.

Anyway, don't be too sure about nobody noticing. Wilkonia has a CVBG in the area. I have forces down south too. I also have an embassy in Alexandria, which would be sure to hear about these things through the rumor mill if nothing else. Which might just prompt the Wilkonian CVBG to send some Hawkeyes to start watching Terra Libertia airspace fulltime.

Quite, but right now I have a relatively free hand to smash the communes' defenses. Though, what can you do? It's an official and legal request, if done a bit discreetly.

[RogueIce]

Quite, but right now I have a relatively free hand to smash the communes' defenses.

Well don't be too sure. The Wilkonian CVBG was enroute before the New Year which, if 12 hours = 12 days means they've arrived and set up already. And would have already received orders to "confirm the BR report and rumors heard from SR embassy personnel" by now (no later than my last game post as of this writing, at least). Your window of freedom to operate relatively undetected is rapidly closing.

[PeZook]

Phong has a point, though. If Alexander requested his help, then he's within his rights to do so, seeing as he's recognized as a sovereign country and all.

If anything, we should pressure the general to be less prone to jumping the gun into outright war, rather than other people into not helping him.

[K. A. Pital]

I have the reactors to produce nuclear weapons. So does Shroom.

I'm not sure about expanding ALMAZ-1

It's a design that can dock the Soyuz cargo modules; with a double-dock body fitted with such a module, you could expand it, but not both ways.

In any case, I have started building the core for the next space station even before I launched the ALMAZ, and informed the world of it. It should be ready to replace it by the next year, or we can even have two stations up there, if Lonestar or Beowulf agrees to help us with supply runs.

We could try to maintain a 3-4 space fighter force in orbit at first, before we place a lot of kinetic orbital killsats there.

That works.

Basing fighters in GSO however does not work - passing through Van Allen belts is too much of a threat for crews, and home return in case smeone actually irradiates teh VA belts would be deadly without exception.

GSO is a good place to put the "Death Switch" however - a control satellite linked to GPS GEOsats, all far beyond effective range of any "nuclear countermeasures", that would call the KSATs to rain down retaliation warheards and payloads.

[phongn]

If anything, we should pressure the general to be less prone to jumping the gun into outright war, rather than other people into not helping him.

In addition:

1. This is an internal security matter. It's not like he's attacking the Diocese or the Sultanate. I also have authorization from Saddamistan (OOC) as well: there is absolutely nothing illegal about what I'm doing. I'm just being discreet about it.

2. It's the Bear making a huge mess of things at the moment with his sponsored insurgents, drug runners and whatever aid is getting to the communes. Rest assured the IRT is working on where all this is coming from and we will be pissed if we can get a link.

[PeZook]

It's a design that can dock the Soyuz cargo modules; with a double-dock body fitted with such a module, you could expand it, but not both ways.

Unless we used a "transfer module" itself fitted with several docking ports, so that we can expand the station further.

In any case, I have started building the core for the next space station even before I launched the ALMAZ, and informed the world of it. It should be ready to replace it by the next year, or we can even have two stations up there, if Lonestar or Beowulf agrees to help us with supply runs.

Two stations may be excessive, but the MESS has placed the SkyLab in orbit already. Meaning that, effectively, we do have two stations up right now.

Basing fighters in GSO however does not work - passing through Van Allen belts is too much of a threat for crews, and home return in case smeone actually irradiates teh VA belts would be deadly without exception.

Actually, only the ineer belts (700-1000km) are deadly, and then again - staying within them, you get 2500 REM a year. It's a fatal dose, of course, but it does not translate to particularly high exposures per day, and that's with pitiful shielding. Though I agree that we could avoid all that trouble by just putting automated killsats up there.

So...do we run a FUN-wide vote on acquiring nuclear weapons? It's just a question of building several processing facilities, we already have enough reactors to make the plutonium.