SD.net's World (RAR!)

[PeZook]

I.S.C.A. formation proceeding, full speed ahead to merchant ship construction

Republican Ministry of Trade has announced today that the International Sea Commerce Agency has almost finished forming. Currently, member states are submitting data necessary to allocate production orders for the next fiscal year.

With only 4 months to end of the year, much work lays ahead. The Minister urged all member countries to peruse the preliminary draft of the Agency's budget for the next year, and voice their opinions.

The budget has been published by the ministry and is Publically available here and on the Agency's website.

Member states are also urged to declare their commitments to the Agency's cash pool, which is to be distributed towards R&D contracts in all member states.

EDIT: Oh, and since Emperor Shady wanted to join the Agency, he's welcome! Just contact the Agency with data concerning your shipyard output and proposed budgetary input.

[Shroom Man 777]

The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel (WEEKLY WORLD EDITION!)
WATER WAR


A Shroomanian warship blows up the sea.

Much to the Paleopacifists' dismay, the RetroRegressive Party and the Fundietastic Faction have both cautioned the Parliament and the Shroomanian public at large of the dangers posed by unfathomable horrors that lie beneath the deep blue sea.

"The oceans of this world are unexplored! For too long have those godless communists, warmongers, and heathens threaten each other with annihilation when the doom of us all could be lurking beneath the waves!" exclaimed one of the Fundietastics on behalf of the rest of his party, currently under arrest for suspicion of widespread pedophilia.

Representatives from the Technotheocracy, a religious group quickly gaining hold in Shroomania, have agreed - citing scientific studies that show the lack of scientific studies conducted on the New Earth's seas and oceans. The Technotheocratic pseudosynagogue also presented evidence of 'cryptozoologic' sightings, evidence of alleged 'unknown creatures' seen by eyewitnesses all over the Shroomanian islands.

"This clearly represents a grave threat to our motherland!" exclaimed the RetroRegressive representative. "And should our suspicions be confirmed, we will have no choice but to initiate widespread naval operations against the ocean itself! The ocean and whatever's in there!"

The Paleopacifists have proposed that a civilian scientific survey be conducted throughout the New Earth's oceans, and the Shroomanian Scientific Society has echoed their proposal, aiming to confirm the world's biospherical similarity to Earth That Was.

The RetroRegressives and Fundietastics have suggested that all civilian scientific surveys should be accompanied by heavy military escorts as they make their way around the new world's oceans.

Prime Minister Shroom has approved the Paleopacifist proposal, but has rejected the idea of having the entire navy escort the civilian science vessel.

The RetroRegressives had the last say on the matter though. "If anything from beneath the ocean eats our ships, it will be a full escalation of force! They swallow our ships, then we'll blow up the ocean! They can't get away from us!"

The civilian scientific survey will be conducted by a single civilian science vessel without any military escort.

[The Yosemite Bear]

The Bear Republic shipped out the first sets of "Sampler" cargo loads. heading to Shroomania, Red Technocracy, and Cannissia with introductary samples of all of the Republic's various foods and beverages. Though Coffee, Choclate and Sugar cane were not in the first round of exports (they need a combination of equitorial climates, and volcanic soil, while most of my equitorial territory is desert, production is limited to the coastal regions)

The Bear Republic is interested in trading/production with the mermaids, and other equitorial nations, in order to increase the global supply of Coffee, Sugar, and Choclate. We have the vine stock, since this is still spring, vines transplanted now, would be ready for production next year. (takes a while for the plants to get settled)

[DarthShady]

The new national flag.

EDIT:Changed my image hosting, because the previous one sucked. I stole this one from Shroom's sig.

[Coyote]

ROYAL CANISSIAN CYCLEWORKS MOTORCYCLE FACTORY OPENS

ONE OF THE MANY RCC PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FOR CIVILIAN OR MILITARY PURCHASE; EXPORT ORDERS WELCOME
CAPRICA CITY, CANISSIA-- The recently unveiled Royal Canissian Cycleworks factory unveiled its latest product, the "Wolfhound" off-road cycle with powered sidecar. The "Wolfhound" is based off the Russian military's M-72 Ural, on Earth That Was, which is itself a reverse-engineered version of the BMW R-71 scout bike used by the former German Wehrmacht.

The "Wolfhound" is a solid, steel-tube construction off-road bike, built for the rigors of unimproved trails. It will be available for the Border Guards and Militia as an official duty vehicle, but no Canissian military orders are expected. Foreign military orders, however, are welcome and the low cost and high durability may make the "Wolfhound" a popular scout and light-utility vehicle for many small-nation militaries.

Available to civilians, the "Wolfhound" allows for fun, rugged trail biking as well as street-legal motorcycling. Other RCC products include non-military version of the "Wolfhound" as well as non-sidecar "solo" units for more standard touring.

Prices start at $15,500.00 USD, or ROB.13,750.00.



KING ARIK COYOTUS-I SIGNS 'LAW OF THE SEA' TREATY
"I swear to God I thought we signed this," says King.
ROYAL AIR FORCE-1-- En route to yet another high-level meeting, King Arik Coyotus-I was handed a manila envelope which he was told contained the blank, unsigned and undated document for the Law of the Sea Treaty.

"It was found under the sofa cushion," the King said,a little embarassed at the discovery, "I think the Foreign Minister had it with a pile of other stuff, and I must have set it aside and it got squished down between the cushions."

The King quickly signed the treaty, making Canissia a member of the multinational treaty.

"I'm really sorry about this," the King said, "I don't know what happened. I must have gotten distracted by something."

"Something" could have been one of the King's personal "assistants", who entered the office during the interview while wearing a French Maid outfit that appeared to be constructed from crepe-paper.

"Get that goddamn camera outta here," the King said as the interview was hastily concluded.

[MKSheppard]

Shepnukistani DoD Budget for FY09 Released

(OOC - I've never done this for a RPG, so if you spot any fuckups please point them out)



If you think i've forgotten you in the Blackbeard order, just let me know and I'll add you into the budget.

EDIT: this is just for R and Procurement. This doesn't count the Operations and Mantainence costs which chew up a budget.

EDIT: THe reason only 12 battalions and 576 Blackbeard series ASMS are being delivered this year (and at reduced manning levels, e.g. only 48 missiles instead of 96 per battalion), is because the production lines are tooling up and I expect that you guys expect at least something now rather than waiting for a full complement of missiles.

I project FY10 production of 40 Battalions with their full complement of missiles, and 3,840 Blackbeards for $4.1 billion next year.

In efficiency this means:

443~ missiles per billion in FY09
936~ missiles per billion in FY10

I expect that by FY11 or FY12; all the radar sets and launcher sets will have been delivered to anyone who wants them; allowing for production to concentrate on missiles; allowing each signatory to receive 10 battalions of missiles a year (960); or in a complete program term 7,680 missiles for $5.7 billion; that's 1,347~ missiles per billion.

[Shroom Man 777]

Let it be known that Shep has also ordered 12 Fast Commerce Ships.

[MKSheppard]

Let it be known that Shep has also ordered 12 Fast Commerce Ships.

How much are those each, and how often will they be delivered? Or should I pay for all 12 at once? For example; the RBMK-2000 complex of three plants is gonna cost me about $25 to $30 billion; but I can spread the costs out over multiple years as just a $5 billion item.

[Shroom Man 777]

You can pay for a few every years, or we can give you all 12 in half a year... PM PeZook, he handles the finances

I'm also upping my order of Blackbeards to 5. 4 Slowbeards and 1 Fastbeard. Man, those are silly names for missiles. What's up with the beards?

[PeZook]

See Alliances for prices. I will work out a payment plan ; We may have enough capacity to deliver them all in two batches six months apart.

[Shroom Man 777]

Also, when you get your ships, the Shroomanian Sea Shipping Corporation will see to it that their cargo holds are stocked with calendars full of pictures of buff half-naked men. Compliments of the Sovereignty of Shroomania

[MKSheppard]

What's up with the beards?

I needed a name for this missile; and "ZAASM" or "MGM-174/MGM-175" didn't cut it.

So I named it after the greatest pirate all time; since it IS an antiship missile; BLACKBEARD!

Then I realized we needed something to differentate between the supersonic sea skimmer and the subsonic sea skimmer......hence Fast and Slow...

[PeZook]

Fuck...that's gonna be...over 150 thousand tonnes of gay calendars!

Are you sure he won't nuke us for that?

[PeZook]

Then I realized we needed something to differentate between the supersonic sea skimmer and the subsonic sea skimmer......hence Fast and Slow...

Feh! Defeated by two unarmed navy sloops. Some great pirate.

They should be called Morgans if that was the justification

Although I agree: They're fast and violently homicidal, so Blackbeard suits them just fine

[MKSheppard]

Feh! Defeated by two unarmed navy sloops. Some great pirate.

His corpse swam around the sloop twice before sinking even after being beheaded!

Beat that!

[Coyote]

Arik looked out over the back deck of the zeppelin. Today is a good day... to fly, he thought to himself.

The zeppelin was flying at a liesurely pace, and Arik himself was feeling somewhat liesurely as well. He sipped at his Copper Camel-- Bailey's Irish Cream and a shot of Butterscotch Schnapps-- and watching the shadow of the giant zepp pass over the waves.

"The Shroomians have declared war on the sea," said the voice of his chief aide, Colonel Rassnar. He entered the Royal Suite with a silver carafe of coffee.
"So I heard," Arik said, "What's this?"

"One of our fast couriers brought it by," Colonel Rassnar said, "It is coffee, a native blend grown in the Bear Republic." Arik was intrigued. He loved coffee easily as much as he loved alcohol and women. He finished off the Copper Camel and placed the glass on th etray the Colonel carried, and sniffed at the coffee.

"Dear God in Heaven that smells good."
"Medium roast, sir," the Colonel said. Arik raised the cup in salute and drank some.
"Ohhh, nectar of the gods themselves this is," he said. "It inspires me. I want to draft an agreement, an international treaty."

"What would be the objective of said treaty, sir?" the Colonel asked.
"Foodstuffs-- real food items, with nutritional value-- should be exempt from international tariffs and taxes," Arik proposed, "Items of real nutritional value should be available to the people without being used as a tool for monetary reimbursement. It raises the price of food for the poor."

"I will have the Royal Secretary draw up a draft."
"Good. We'll try to transmit it later today. Have you had this coffee?"
"I had some in the galley before coming up here, sir," the Colonel admitted.
"Good stuff. Now about this 'war on th esea', thing, I was thinking perhaps we should try to capture some of these sea beasties and see if they'd be good eatin'. Now maybe a depth charge or two might stun 'em, make 'em float to the surface, and we can bust out the carving knives."
"I'll pass the suggestion on to the Admiralty, sir,"
"Good man."



Results:
Canissia supports War on the Sea, for own purposes.
Canissia sponsors international treaty lifting any and all taxes on the trade and commerce of nutritious food items between nations. "Treat" food items can still be taxed.

[The Yosemite Bear]

In the interest of economic recovery for war torn Sydonia, the Bear Republic is offering to plant cane fields, or Coffee plantations in Northern Sydonia (It should be in the tropics). Also the Bear Republic would like to inquire about surfing and beach front activities, to get some tourism in that desperate region.

[Shroom Man 777]

[The War on the Sea is a premise to, basically, explore the oceanic depths of the New Earth and start killing whales and shit for food.]

Shroomania and the FUNGAL AXIS would like to enter discussions with the Bear Republic on food, agriculture, booze, babes, shitty Reality TV, and more.

The first of the Shroom Sats - to be launched from the United Kingdom of Blackadder - will be for satellite TV! To be beamed to everyone in the world with a subscription!

So, if your TV channels want MOAR ratings, come to us mang

We're also interested in Zeppelins.

[MKSheppard]

This "War on the sea" sounds intriguing. If only for the sheer fun of fishing via 4,000 lb "light case" bombs.

[The Yosemite Bear]

The Bear Republic sends a trade and media delegation to the Fungal Axis.

Discussians will be on quanities of food needed, currently we are gearing up our sour dough production (you would be suprised how long it takes to get large quanities of a bacteria to grow in the right conditions, from a very small sample) Actually since Mothersponge supply doubles every 48 hours, it works.

[MKSheppard]

Republic of Shepnukistan DoD Release #3

The Defense Department of Shepnukistan is interested in expanding it's dealings with the International Sea Commerce Agency beyond that of the twelve Fast Commerce Ship it has contracted for.

Because we do not have the shipyard capacity to build a reasonable amount of ships; and because most of our research and development people are tied up in developing various aerospace systems:

We propose to contract out to the ISCA for a Nuclear Fast Cargo/Passenger Ship (NFCPS); with the following specs:




Dimensions
Length: 205 meters (overall)
Beam 25.6 meters
Draft 8.9 meters
Full Load Displacement: 26,380 tonnes

Cargo Capacity as Split Passenger/Cargo Vessel
Cabin Class: 40 - On A Deck
Tourist Class: 160 - On A Deck
3rd Class: 2,300 - On B, C, and D Decks
Crew: 232 - On Bridge Deck and B Deck.
Total Crew and Passengers: 2,732
Cargo Capacity:: 11,000 m3 in three fore and two aft cargo holds.

Cargo Capacity as Cargo Vessel
Crew: 100+ On Bridge Deck.
Cargo Capacity:: 33,000 m3

Propulsion Plant
Two Geared Steam Turbines driving two shafts.
One Pressurized Water Reactor




With 90%+ Enriched Uranium in a High Power Reactor
Core Lifetime: 20~ Years between refuellings.
Maximum Speed 32.5 kts at 148,000 SHP
Cruising Speed 30 kts at 108,000 SHP

With 1.7% Enriched Uranium in a Low Power Reactor
Core Lifetime: 416 days between refuellings.
Maximum Speed 25 kts at 44,000 SHP
Cruising Speed 23.5 kts at 35,000 SHP

Costs (Low Power Reactor Version)
Construction Cost: $182,454,738 USD (based on 1957 cost of $24,166,000).
Yearly Operating Cost (1st Year): $20,891,014 USD (Based on 1957 cost of $2,767,000)
Yearly Operating Cost (13th Year): $1,733,493 USD (Based on 1957 cost of $229,600)
Fuel Costs of One Day's Steaming at 44,000 SHP: $41,948 USD (Based on 1957 cost of $5,556)
Fuel Costs of One Day In Port: $6,296 USD (Based on 1957 cost of $834)

NOTES: Based an actual ship design I found in a "Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy".

[Coyote]

What's up with the beards?

I needed a name for this missile; and "ZAASM" or "MGM-174/MGM-175" didn't cut it.

So I named it after the greatest pirate all time; since it IS an antiship missile; BLACKBEARD!

Then I realized we needed something to differentate between the supersonic sea skimmer and the subsonic sea skimmer......hence Fast and Slow...

And, the no-doubt soon to be announced underwater version, the BEARDED CLAM.

[PeZook]

Oooh...shiny...

This is that "something awesome" we were looking for for FY2010, guys!

[MKSheppard]

Republic of Shepnukistan DoD Release #4

The Defense Department of Shepnukistan's advanced project agency (SARPA) is interested in letting a research contract into the feasibility of large submarine cargo vessels. Due to the Syndromia of Shroomania's extensive experience in large scale submarine construction, they are a natural to win the contract, estimated at about $25 million USD.

SARPA has already put forth a paper project on such a project. The results are listed below:




Cutaway of Hull Structure at Reactor

Basic Stats
Length: 180 meters (overall)
Beam 24 meters
Draft 24 meters
Normal Displacement: 48,200 tonnes
Oil Cargo: 30,000 tonnes
Safe Depth: 100 meters
Submerged Cruising Speed: 22 kts
Power Plant: Pressurized Water Reactor driving 2 Steam Turbines for 40,000 shp total
Amount of 1.7% Enriched U235: 8.25 tonnes
Refuelling Intervals: 2 Years

Crew
Officers: 13 Men
Peons 37 Men
Total Crew: 50 Men

NOTES: Based an actual ship design I found in a "Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy". Japanese to boot.

[Coyote]

Canissia is interested in a large, underwater cargo vessel... something to glide serenely beneath the polar ice caps for quick trade...