Frozen in Carbonite
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Growing Horizons: Inner Sphere - Quest
- Thread starter Warringer
- Start date
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
Well thing is we value free research… and they don't. At least not to anywhere near the same degree. They are well used to a plateau in research were there is seeming diminishing returns and no great new break throughs while we are trying all kinds of new things. They have like a thousand years of time to research hyperspace on us and in a decade or two we have advanced more than them in all that time. They can either try to catch up or be left behind. And I bet they can at least try to catch up in their own way. The FedCom has the resources to just pour it on greatly outnumbering our people. Proportionally they should haveat least capacity for far more scientists and engineers than us and their tech base is not horrible per say they just have relatively bad mindset. Once they see what were are doing they will have a great kick in the pants to start advancing and trying blue sky research as well and trying to copy our stuff or at least try to lure away some of our people as teachers and seed researchers. So we get crazy advances. They make their own crazy advances backed up by their far greater bulk. The unknown faction(s) are doing their own thing before becoming horrible monster upon us all. The clans continue being self destructive idiots and hopefully die save for those we or the houses absorb. Let things play out naturally and see where it goes.
Hope not we are two of each as is and that should be fine. Its not our fault the IS is built to not advance. At least till our presence breaks the mould.
Well, I for one wouldn't say no to more economy actions. I expect with the interstellar jump trader we'll be offered new trade options with the IS polities and not just the periphery worlds. A few turns after Von Neumann becomes available we'll be ready to flood the market like a freshly opened sweatshop.
Though in a sense we don't want to do that too much. If we outcompete local production too much, we'll only shoot ourselves in the foot if one of our goals is not utter conquest, but lifting them closer to eye level with us.
Though in a sense we don't want to do that too much. If we outcompete local production too much, we'll only shoot ourselves in the foot if one of our goals is not utter conquest, but lifting them closer to eye level with us.
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
I expect we will have to choke exports after a while because of overload and I expect the houses will choke imports to protect their worlds economies because they certainly don't want to have these worlds dependent on us and neither would the worlds. One of the harsher lessons of the succession wars was worlds that cannot self sustain die linger agonizing deaths if and when cut off. Yeah we should be reaching point soon we will be overloaded with all sort of econ actions as we interface with the Lyrans and perhaps Marik markets.
Oh hey, I actually have an account here... Anyways, pretty interesting quest so far.
I'm kind of wondering how much of a threat the spheroids are at this point of time to the Walker Cluster. Can they actually get through the orbital defenses of the Walkerites? Especially since they don't have scrupules about shooting at drop and jumpships.
I'm kind of wondering how much of a threat the spheroids are at this point of time to the Walker Cluster. Can they actually get through the orbital defenses of the Walkerites? Especially since they don't have scrupules about shooting at drop and jumpships.
Eliar
Well-known member
Depends on how Warships stack up against the fighter swarms?
I mean so far we have fought against rando dropships and low maintenance periphery fighters.
Dunno how our medium? Fighter swarms and bases will do against inner sphere heavy fighter/dropships/corvettes/destroyers...
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
Can they? Yes. Well they? No.
The walker cluster is already a heavy enough nut to crack a house would need to basically send most everything they got to break through. None can do that without getting immediately jumped by their neighbors. The FedCom is a greater issue but they are far more concerned with winning the succession wars finally then picking fights they don't need. By time they reach point they could afford to try our defenses will be even stronger and even less worth the trouble when diplomacy and trade can get them better deals.
Turn 38 - Winter 2183/3033 - Results
Turn 38 - Winter 2183/3033
WCDC Defense Council:
[] Project Byzantium: active
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 6, Roll 1d100: 88+5+5 = 98 - Artificial Crit Success (Bonus to all military R&D, Bolus to Space Combat R&D)
Roll 2 of 6, Roll 1d100: 94+5+5 = 104
A detailed structural analysis of the entire hull of the SLS Belisarius showed the hull under the armor was undamaged. It also showed the structure could survive acceleration greater than those the actual drive systems were capable of. As such, the fusion thrusters were slated to be upgraded to a system that could propel the massive warship at 2.5g continuously, while being able to increase it to 4g for emergencies. With the more powerful thrusters, it could easily be made to carry the largest fusion laser core ever designed, with a total laser power of nearly 500GW, where the previously largest was a 'mere' 10GW.
In combination with lessons learned from the laser optics natively carried by the Belisarius and various other tricks, most of them developed by the Tiaunt over the millennia, the goal was to provide all laser apertures with the maximum power they were designed for. As such, the rebuild would make use of 60 apertures capable to deliver up to 7500MW of coherent light at 300 nm, each with the ability to keep a beam focused on the target over up to ten seconds. Special crystals inside the aperture were able to pulse the laser, should the need arise, while others were able to shift the spectrum of the laser light as needed, for example for ground engagement through an atmosphere.
Where those 60 large laser apertures were installed in place of the previous laser systems, an additional 60 800MW apertures were spread over the hull, as closer range weaponry to defend against faster and smaller targets. Finally, 200 5MW laser apertures were also spread over the hull to provide close in defense as an anti-missile system, with the apertures combined into the same turret as two 35 mm helical rail guns.
The structural analysis of the compact jump core, by contrast, showed it had been damaged either during the fight that nearly destroyed the Belisarius or during the improvised journey to 61 Virginis. As such, it had to be removed, to be replaced by an Advanced Jump Core. This, in turn, resulted in the engineers having almost 80000 tonnes of additional mass available for various systems to be integrated into the hull of this war ship.
active for 4 more turns
[] Operation Tortuga Down: active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 87 - Success
Roll 2 of 3, Roll 1d100: 92- Success
The attack on Clayborne II differed from the Invasion of Circinus in that the initial attack was directly against the seven jumpships in system.
As the attack was out to disable or destroy the jumpships to prevent them from jumping and warning other pirates, the WCDC squadrons simultaneously struck against the Nadir and Zenit point, leaving Heim-Feynman Space extremely close to the jumpships and opening fire without warning, before they could react. This resulted in the outright destruction of 1 Invader and 1 Merchant, while the remaining ships were heavily damaged, two Invaders loosing their jump cores and the rest being boarded.
Following this initial attack, and before the light cone of the attack could reach the planet Clayborne II, the squadrons, after leaving a few vessels to keep watch at the jump points, translated deeper in the system into the L1 point of the planet and its primary. Again, the surprise and the uncoordinated nature of the pirates lead to a disjointed defense, with only half of the dropships even being able to leave the atmosphere, before being either destroyed or disabled. 5 Leopards, 2 Unions and 1 Mule remained on the surface, their crews unable to reach the dropships before Sleipnirs were able to disable them.
This was followed by the immediate landing of the 6th, 7th and 8th WCDC Expeditionary Regiments in three different landing zones surrounding the capital of the planet, McIntyre's Landing.
While the Pirate Forces on the planet were experienced warriors, most of them used to belong to various military and mercenary forces, once again the surprise hampered the defense and the uncoordinated nature of the pirate bands among each other. The new hardware and better training on the side of the WCDC Regiments showed, as well as the lessons learned on Circinus, as they were able to defeat the partially singular pirate bands deciding to attack piece meal against one Regiment or the other, while they were moving on McIntyre's Landing.
In the end most Pirate forces were defeated, with several mechs and about 400 infantry fleeing into the mountains near the capital. Here, the Hunter-Killer Prides showed their effectivity, as they were able to hunt down these pirates and slowly herd them towards the 7th Regiment, where almost all of them surrendered, rather than facing off against a Hunter-Killer Pride.
The civilian population of McIntyre's Landing welcomed the WCDC forces with open arms, having lived more than a year through hell, as they were exploited and endangered by the pirates. In an eerie mirror of Clayborne Remembered, the self-proclaimed Pirate King of Claryborne II was found dangling from a tree, where a mod had hanged him.
While this part of the operation was successful, the remaining forces of Operation Tortuga Down took on the remaining worlds of the former Circinus Federation, taking half of them without any losses or resistance, most of the worlds not even aware that Circinus had been invaded by the WCDC over a year earlier.
active for 1 more turns
WCDC Survey Office:
[] Marian Agents: active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 27+10 = 37 - Failure (Permanent Survey Squadrons)
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 74+10 = 84 - Success
Roll 3 of 4, Roll 1d100: 67+10 = 77 - Success
Roll 4 of 4, Roll 1d100: 25+10 = 35 - Failure
Combined: 58 - Success
Agent Network, Roll 1d100: 75 - Success
The attempts of Caesar O'Reilly to get trade agreements with the crews of the Profit Margain and Flexible Demeanour were not successful, largely due to the survey personnel having no idea what to actually offer to the Marian Federation. Even the Survey Office was at a loss and direct consultation via Ansible did not result in any success either.
Caesar O'Reilly then proved to be somewhat impulsive, as, in a fit of annoyance, he ordered the crews of the dropships to finish their operations and leave the planet within two days, only to return with good trade offers.
Having successfully inserted the agents, however, there was little the Intelligence crew could do in the Marian Hegemony, and they left the planet, and began with the journey home.
Reward: Continous information about the Marian Hegemony, Emplaced intelligence network
[] Deep Cover Intelligence II: active
Time: 10 turns, Chance of Success: 60%
Roll 1 of 10, Roll 1d100: 78+10 = 85 - Success (Permanent Survey Squadrons)
Roll 2 of 10, Roll 1d100: 23+10 = 33 - Failure
Roll 3 of 10, Roll 1d100: 95+10 = 105 - Success
The dropships of the A Ship With A View landed on the planet Cerillos, where they began some trade talks with the locals, while attempting to discover the reason the three Overlord class dropships had arrived, as well as planting rumors Comstar was not telling the truth and that Circinus was taken over by a legitimate organization to stop piracy. All these goals were finished successfully, as there was some little bit of trade and the rumors fell on good soil.
Meanwhile, some agents were able to talk to some Mech Warriors from one of the three Overlords over a beer. They told that they had arrived to defend the border against pirates, but under no circumstances crossed over towards Circinus. They did not know why that order had been given, as they were surely able to beat a few periphery pirates. The agents were also able to get some rumors that the FWLM would send more forces after the War with Andurien, and that the actual orders of the force was to split up and defend several planets in the area against possible Lyran incursion, now that the FWLM was preoccupied.
The latter rumor turned out to be true, as one of the overlords remained on Cerillos, while the other two were routed towards Gallisteo and Griffith.
With these informations transmitted back into the WCDC, the A Ship With A View left for Allorton, before jumping to Edmondson and Kilarney. In between, however, the jumpship jumped into deep space during these stages, with the I Blame Your Mother and I Blame My Mother using their HFEGs to emplace Ternary Ansibles, allowing the mission to remain in contact with the WCDC, a massive difference to the previous mission into the Lyran Commonwealth.
active for 7 more turns
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network
[] Network Extension: - 7 votes active
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 2, Roll 1d100: 2+5 = 7 - Failure (Extended Base)
With the extension of FOB Pine Gap finished, came the plan to finally take a closer look at the worlds of New St. Andrews and Niops. However, attempting to locate either world proved to be more of a challenge than everyone had expected. For several weeks, the spacecraft of FOB Pine Gap continued to try and find those worlds without much success.
Additionally, the spacecraft were needed to install the first of the new Superluminal Wave Detectors in key position to supervise jump space traffic throughout known and parts of unknown space.
active for 1 more turn
WCDC Diplomatic Corps:
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Lyran Commonwealth: active
Time: 8 turns, Chance of success: 50%
Roll 1 of 8, Roll 1d100: 33 - Failure
Roll 2 of 8, Roll 1d100: 73 - Success
Roll 3 of 8, Roll 1d100: 67 - Success
Roll 4 of 8, Roll 1d100: 96 - Success
Over the course of nine weeks the Unexpected Oversupply Of Gravitas slowly makes its way towards Tharkad, several times jumping into uninhabited systems to shorten the travel between Rosice and Halfway and then between Smolnik and Eutin. Taking these shortcuts led to several concerned messages between the planetary governors and the jump ship, as usually jump ships try not to jump into uninhabited systems.
Once they reached Eutin, however, the jump ship and its visible escort dropships were stopped at Eutin and requested to land on the planet, where apparent customs officials and technicians from the Lyran Commonwealth were to search them for any contraband and to make sure that they would not carry anything dangerous. The entire situation was suspicious, however, as the 'officials' were attempting to distract the crews of the dropships, while the technicians examined everything. Surprisingly, they were unable to identify the HFEG as additional systems in the modified Overlord and Leopards and there was no comment given on the Mechs, tanks and other combat vehicles.
Instead, the 'technicians' searched for several out-of-the-way areas, where they dropped unidentified bundles in all dropships. They were observed doing this by the Smart Dust within the vessels, usually used to measure the environment and inform about damage to the structure or hull breaches. Instead, one of the packages resulted in a radiation warning from the compartment and one of the technicians was caught, attempting to deliver his package into a rarely used storage locker. He was caught by security, but later committed suicide, while the package he attempted to deliver was identified as a nuclear device, attached to a sensor that would have measured the electromagnetics of the jump ship and detonated the device just before a jump.
This resulted in the other packages to be collected, each containing a large mass of high explosives, meant to damage and/or destroy the dropship and the jump ship. In turn, the diplomats raised the problem with the local government, who were perplexed about the situation. They had merely been tasked to delay the mission a little, for Tharkad to fully prepare for the meeting as the jumpship had made the jump through uninhabited systems and shortened their journey. There had never been any customs officials and technicians meant to search the dropships.
While Comstar seemed to be the culprit of this scheme to destroy the diplomatic mission in transit, there was nothing in the HGP traffic that would confirm such a conclusion.
active for 4 more turns
[] Humanitarian Aid III: active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 50%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 74+20 = 94 - Success (Various Boni)
Roll 2 of 3, Roll 1d100: 32+25 = 57 - Success (Various Boni)
Roll 3 of 3, Roll 1d100: 90+25 = 115 - Success
Combined: 87 - Success
With the help of technicians and teachers, the fabricator complexes of the Prometheus Foundations were fully integrated into the economy of Santa Alvarez and began to fabricate copies of themselves. Private companies were allowed to buy some of these copies, as the first more modern computer systems, with modern WCDC designs, hit the market.
With some teachers and technicians remaining to continue teaching using the new technology, the Prometheus Foundation was confident that Santa Alvarez would reach a technological parity with the WCDC in 3060 to 3065.
Reward: +10 on diplomatic action on targeted world, targeted world is slowly brought up to a Walker Cluster tech level
WCDC Trade Organization:
[] Von Neuman: active
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 40%
Roll 1 of 6, Roll 1d100: 88+10+10+10+10 = 128 - Success (Scientific-Industrial Complex, Stronger Economy, Economic Ties, Interstellar Communication Network)
Roll 2 of 6, Roll 1d100: 64+10+10+10+10 = 104 - Success
Roll 3 of 6, Roll 1d100: 54+10+10+10+10 = 94 - Success
Roll 4 of 6, Roll 1d100: 48+10+10+10+10 = 88 - Success
Roll 5 of 6, Roll 1d100: 39+10+10+10+10 = 79 - Success
Some final touches were put on the fabricating system, enabling the internal cavern of the fabricator system to grow to a size that would enable it to work to repair or salvage Inner Sphere jump and warships up to twice the size of the SLS Belisarius. As such, it would work as a mobile dock, even capable of building the large structure of a heavy warship.
With the mining, refining and fabricating facilities done, the Von Neumann Project moved to design the drive system of the massive space craft. Of course the craft would be using an advanced jump drive, in combination with a Heim-Feynman Event Generator, though neither would move the Von Neumann while the fabricating bay was fully extended. For movement inside a solar system, a substantial drive system was added, enabling the craft to move at 1.5g of constant acceleration or 2.5g of emergency thrust.
It would certainly need some defenses. As such, two internally carried Sleipnir Autowars were added to the design.
The computer systems were added, in massively decentralized systems, able to survive heavy damage to the hull and structure., before finally some living quarters for up to a thousand people were integrated, largely to allow the Von Neumann to act as a longer ranged colonization craft, able to build up an entire infrastructure, complete with initial settlers, from the ground up.
While the entire design process was happening, the production of the first prototype was in full progress.
active for 1 more turns
[] Interstellar Jump Trader: active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 24+10+10+10+10 = 64 - Success (Scientific-Industrial Complex, Stronger Economy, Economic Ties, Interstellar Communication Network)
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 16+10+10+10+10 = 56 - Success
Roll 3 of 4, Roll 1d100: 80+10+10+10+10 = 120 - Success
With now only four jumpship designs for export into the Inner Sphere available, the various dockyards prepared slips for their construction, while the known larger scale deposits for germanium were tapped to produce the initial starting point for the construction.
active for 1 more turns
WCDC Office for Science and Development:
[] Alien Robot!: active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 55%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 27+10+10 = 47 - Success (Research Center Sol, Interstellar Communication Network)
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 24+10+10 = 44 - Success
Roll 3 of 4, Roll 1d100: 45+10+10 = 65 - Success
One surprising thing the researchers learned about the robot was that its main processor was situated within its head, behind a semi transparent 'face-shield' with an integrated OLED display. Carfully opening this CPU, they could determine that it had more in common with the computer technology of the WCDC, than with the technology used in the Inner Sphere. The main processing unit contained a massively parallel graphene based central processing unit, with memristor based memory for both RAM and long term storage. On top of this, the entire system had more in common with a neural network, with its simple processors, than a more conventional computer system. On top of this, at least four quantum particle based processing units were embedded deeply inside the main processor.
Based on this information, it was determined that this robot could house a AI up to a level of AGI, maybe a lowe level ASI.
Having learned almost all the robots secrets, the research team careully put the robot back together, repairing any damage done to it.
active for 1 more turn
[] Hypercom III: - 7 votes active
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 2, Roll 1d100: 61+10+10 = 81 - Success (Research Center Sol, Interstellar Communication Network)
Finally, the project team that had worked on hyper wave communication for such a long time, was given the means to begin completing their research and build the first prototypes of a Hyperwave transceiver. This first prototype was the site of a microwave and could transmit messages over hyperwave at a maximum velocity of about 20000 times the speed of light, with a theoretical range of about two hundred light years. The transmitter itself could only cope with a data rate of about 56 kbit per second on a single omni directional transmission channel.
However, it showed that the system itself worked nicely and could theoretically already be put into operation. However, the research team had worked long and hard on the theory, which could enable a directed hyper wave, generated with a form of phased transmission array, increase the data rate up to about 1 megabit per second, and the maximum velocity to about 40000c, with a range of up to five hundred light years. At least, that was the hope.
And various organizations were quite interested in the system.
active for 1 more turns
----------------------------
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network Report:
Lothian League:
There is little of note to say.
Illyrian Palatinate:
There is little of note to say.
Circinus Federation:
There is little of note to say.
Marian Hegemony:
There is little of note to say.
Inner Sphere:
Lyran Commonwealth:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Federated Suns:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Draconis Combine:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Free Worlds League:
Dutchy of Andurien:
In the war between these two powers, the stalemate continues, though the FWL attempts to retake Fondras, which is successfully help by Zeta Batallion against several incursions of the FWL. Meanwhile Andurien is able to take Kwamashu, while the FWL is sucessful in the invasion of Pella II after several months of hard fighting.
Comstar:
Currently it is unknown whether or not Comstar is behind the attempted sabotage on our deiplomatic mission to Tharkad, but we should certainly keep our eyes open to the possibility.
Expansion and Suggestions:
Currently, the DSSINOO is busy with equipping select Surveylance Nodes with the new Superliminal Wave Detectors. FOB Pine Gap and Circinus have been given priority with these new systems.
-----------------------
Random Event - Nothing Happens
WCDC Defense Council:
[] Project Byzantium: active
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 6, Roll 1d100: 88+5+5 = 98 - Artificial Crit Success (Bonus to all military R&D, Bolus to Space Combat R&D)
Roll 2 of 6, Roll 1d100: 94+5+5 = 104
A detailed structural analysis of the entire hull of the SLS Belisarius showed the hull under the armor was undamaged. It also showed the structure could survive acceleration greater than those the actual drive systems were capable of. As such, the fusion thrusters were slated to be upgraded to a system that could propel the massive warship at 2.5g continuously, while being able to increase it to 4g for emergencies. With the more powerful thrusters, it could easily be made to carry the largest fusion laser core ever designed, with a total laser power of nearly 500GW, where the previously largest was a 'mere' 10GW.
In combination with lessons learned from the laser optics natively carried by the Belisarius and various other tricks, most of them developed by the Tiaunt over the millennia, the goal was to provide all laser apertures with the maximum power they were designed for. As such, the rebuild would make use of 60 apertures capable to deliver up to 7500MW of coherent light at 300 nm, each with the ability to keep a beam focused on the target over up to ten seconds. Special crystals inside the aperture were able to pulse the laser, should the need arise, while others were able to shift the spectrum of the laser light as needed, for example for ground engagement through an atmosphere.
Where those 60 large laser apertures were installed in place of the previous laser systems, an additional 60 800MW apertures were spread over the hull, as closer range weaponry to defend against faster and smaller targets. Finally, 200 5MW laser apertures were also spread over the hull to provide close in defense as an anti-missile system, with the apertures combined into the same turret as two 35 mm helical rail guns.
The structural analysis of the compact jump core, by contrast, showed it had been damaged either during the fight that nearly destroyed the Belisarius or during the improvised journey to 61 Virginis. As such, it had to be removed, to be replaced by an Advanced Jump Core. This, in turn, resulted in the engineers having almost 80000 tonnes of additional mass available for various systems to be integrated into the hull of this war ship.
active for 4 more turns
[] Operation Tortuga Down: active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 87 - Success
Roll 2 of 3, Roll 1d100: 92- Success
The attack on Clayborne II differed from the Invasion of Circinus in that the initial attack was directly against the seven jumpships in system.
Code:
Space Combat
WCDC Forces:
6 Squadrons (72 Sleipnir, 30 Im-umi, 18 Drashy)
Roll 1d100: 99+5+10+25 = 139 (vs Dropships, Squadrons with Autowars, Autowar Squadrons)
Pirates:
7 Jumpships (5 Invader, 2 Merchant)
19 Dropshios (12 Leopard, 6 Union, 1 Mule)
Roll 1d100: 54-10-5 = 39 (Surprise, Uncoordinated)
Result: 139 vs 39 - Uncontested WCDC VictoryAs the attack was out to disable or destroy the jumpships to prevent them from jumping and warning other pirates, the WCDC squadrons simultaneously struck against the Nadir and Zenit point, leaving Heim-Feynman Space extremely close to the jumpships and opening fire without warning, before they could react. This resulted in the outright destruction of 1 Invader and 1 Merchant, while the remaining ships were heavily damaged, two Invaders loosing their jump cores and the rest being boarded.
Following this initial attack, and before the light cone of the attack could reach the planet Clayborne II, the squadrons, after leaving a few vessels to keep watch at the jump points, translated deeper in the system into the L1 point of the planet and its primary. Again, the surprise and the uncoordinated nature of the pirates lead to a disjointed defense, with only half of the dropships even being able to leave the atmosphere, before being either destroyed or disabled. 5 Leopards, 2 Unions and 1 Mule remained on the surface, their crews unable to reach the dropships before Sleipnirs were able to disable them.
This was followed by the immediate landing of the 6th, 7th and 8th WCDC Expeditionary Regiments in three different landing zones surrounding the capital of the planet, McIntyre's Landing.
Code:
Ground Combat
WCDC Forces:
6th, 7th and 8th WCDC Expeditionary Regiment
Roll 1d100: 82+10+5+5 = 102 (Against Machs, All Ground Combat, Hunter-Killer Prides)
Pirate Forces:
40 Mechs
20 Combat Vehicles
2000 Infantry
Roll 1d100: 29-10-5+5 = 19 (Surprise, Uncoordinated, Experienced)
Result: 102 vs 19 - Uncontested WCDC VictoryWhile the Pirate Forces on the planet were experienced warriors, most of them used to belong to various military and mercenary forces, once again the surprise hampered the defense and the uncoordinated nature of the pirate bands among each other. The new hardware and better training on the side of the WCDC Regiments showed, as well as the lessons learned on Circinus, as they were able to defeat the partially singular pirate bands deciding to attack piece meal against one Regiment or the other, while they were moving on McIntyre's Landing.
In the end most Pirate forces were defeated, with several mechs and about 400 infantry fleeing into the mountains near the capital. Here, the Hunter-Killer Prides showed their effectivity, as they were able to hunt down these pirates and slowly herd them towards the 7th Regiment, where almost all of them surrendered, rather than facing off against a Hunter-Killer Pride.
The civilian population of McIntyre's Landing welcomed the WCDC forces with open arms, having lived more than a year through hell, as they were exploited and endangered by the pirates. In an eerie mirror of Clayborne Remembered, the self-proclaimed Pirate King of Claryborne II was found dangling from a tree, where a mod had hanged him.
While this part of the operation was successful, the remaining forces of Operation Tortuga Down took on the remaining worlds of the former Circinus Federation, taking half of them without any losses or resistance, most of the worlds not even aware that Circinus had been invaded by the WCDC over a year earlier.
active for 1 more turns
WCDC Survey Office:
[] Marian Agents: active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 27+10 = 37 - Failure (Permanent Survey Squadrons)
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 74+10 = 84 - Success
Roll 3 of 4, Roll 1d100: 67+10 = 77 - Success
Roll 4 of 4, Roll 1d100: 25+10 = 35 - Failure
Combined: 58 - Success
Agent Network, Roll 1d100: 75 - Success
The attempts of Caesar O'Reilly to get trade agreements with the crews of the Profit Margain and Flexible Demeanour were not successful, largely due to the survey personnel having no idea what to actually offer to the Marian Federation. Even the Survey Office was at a loss and direct consultation via Ansible did not result in any success either.
Caesar O'Reilly then proved to be somewhat impulsive, as, in a fit of annoyance, he ordered the crews of the dropships to finish their operations and leave the planet within two days, only to return with good trade offers.
Having successfully inserted the agents, however, there was little the Intelligence crew could do in the Marian Hegemony, and they left the planet, and began with the journey home.
Reward: Continous information about the Marian Hegemony, Emplaced intelligence network
[] Deep Cover Intelligence II: active
Time: 10 turns, Chance of Success: 60%
Roll 1 of 10, Roll 1d100: 78+10 = 85 - Success (Permanent Survey Squadrons)
Roll 2 of 10, Roll 1d100: 23+10 = 33 - Failure
Roll 3 of 10, Roll 1d100: 95+10 = 105 - Success
The dropships of the A Ship With A View landed on the planet Cerillos, where they began some trade talks with the locals, while attempting to discover the reason the three Overlord class dropships had arrived, as well as planting rumors Comstar was not telling the truth and that Circinus was taken over by a legitimate organization to stop piracy. All these goals were finished successfully, as there was some little bit of trade and the rumors fell on good soil.
Meanwhile, some agents were able to talk to some Mech Warriors from one of the three Overlords over a beer. They told that they had arrived to defend the border against pirates, but under no circumstances crossed over towards Circinus. They did not know why that order had been given, as they were surely able to beat a few periphery pirates. The agents were also able to get some rumors that the FWLM would send more forces after the War with Andurien, and that the actual orders of the force was to split up and defend several planets in the area against possible Lyran incursion, now that the FWLM was preoccupied.
The latter rumor turned out to be true, as one of the overlords remained on Cerillos, while the other two were routed towards Gallisteo and Griffith.
With these informations transmitted back into the WCDC, the A Ship With A View left for Allorton, before jumping to Edmondson and Kilarney. In between, however, the jumpship jumped into deep space during these stages, with the I Blame Your Mother and I Blame My Mother using their HFEGs to emplace Ternary Ansibles, allowing the mission to remain in contact with the WCDC, a massive difference to the previous mission into the Lyran Commonwealth.
active for 7 more turns
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network
[] Network Extension: - 7 votes active
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 2, Roll 1d100: 2+5 = 7 - Failure (Extended Base)
With the extension of FOB Pine Gap finished, came the plan to finally take a closer look at the worlds of New St. Andrews and Niops. However, attempting to locate either world proved to be more of a challenge than everyone had expected. For several weeks, the spacecraft of FOB Pine Gap continued to try and find those worlds without much success.
Additionally, the spacecraft were needed to install the first of the new Superluminal Wave Detectors in key position to supervise jump space traffic throughout known and parts of unknown space.
active for 1 more turn
WCDC Diplomatic Corps:
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Lyran Commonwealth: active
Time: 8 turns, Chance of success: 50%
Roll 1 of 8, Roll 1d100: 33 - Failure
Roll 2 of 8, Roll 1d100: 73 - Success
Roll 3 of 8, Roll 1d100: 67 - Success
Roll 4 of 8, Roll 1d100: 96 - Success
Over the course of nine weeks the Unexpected Oversupply Of Gravitas slowly makes its way towards Tharkad, several times jumping into uninhabited systems to shorten the travel between Rosice and Halfway and then between Smolnik and Eutin. Taking these shortcuts led to several concerned messages between the planetary governors and the jump ship, as usually jump ships try not to jump into uninhabited systems.
Once they reached Eutin, however, the jump ship and its visible escort dropships were stopped at Eutin and requested to land on the planet, where apparent customs officials and technicians from the Lyran Commonwealth were to search them for any contraband and to make sure that they would not carry anything dangerous. The entire situation was suspicious, however, as the 'officials' were attempting to distract the crews of the dropships, while the technicians examined everything. Surprisingly, they were unable to identify the HFEG as additional systems in the modified Overlord and Leopards and there was no comment given on the Mechs, tanks and other combat vehicles.
Instead, the 'technicians' searched for several out-of-the-way areas, where they dropped unidentified bundles in all dropships. They were observed doing this by the Smart Dust within the vessels, usually used to measure the environment and inform about damage to the structure or hull breaches. Instead, one of the packages resulted in a radiation warning from the compartment and one of the technicians was caught, attempting to deliver his package into a rarely used storage locker. He was caught by security, but later committed suicide, while the package he attempted to deliver was identified as a nuclear device, attached to a sensor that would have measured the electromagnetics of the jump ship and detonated the device just before a jump.
This resulted in the other packages to be collected, each containing a large mass of high explosives, meant to damage and/or destroy the dropship and the jump ship. In turn, the diplomats raised the problem with the local government, who were perplexed about the situation. They had merely been tasked to delay the mission a little, for Tharkad to fully prepare for the meeting as the jumpship had made the jump through uninhabited systems and shortened their journey. There had never been any customs officials and technicians meant to search the dropships.
While Comstar seemed to be the culprit of this scheme to destroy the diplomatic mission in transit, there was nothing in the HGP traffic that would confirm such a conclusion.
active for 4 more turns
[] Humanitarian Aid III: active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 50%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 74+20 = 94 - Success (Various Boni)
Roll 2 of 3, Roll 1d100: 32+25 = 57 - Success (Various Boni)
Roll 3 of 3, Roll 1d100: 90+25 = 115 - Success
Combined: 87 - Success
With the help of technicians and teachers, the fabricator complexes of the Prometheus Foundations were fully integrated into the economy of Santa Alvarez and began to fabricate copies of themselves. Private companies were allowed to buy some of these copies, as the first more modern computer systems, with modern WCDC designs, hit the market.
With some teachers and technicians remaining to continue teaching using the new technology, the Prometheus Foundation was confident that Santa Alvarez would reach a technological parity with the WCDC in 3060 to 3065.
Reward: +10 on diplomatic action on targeted world, targeted world is slowly brought up to a Walker Cluster tech level
WCDC Trade Organization:
[] Von Neuman: active
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 40%
Roll 1 of 6, Roll 1d100: 88+10+10+10+10 = 128 - Success (Scientific-Industrial Complex, Stronger Economy, Economic Ties, Interstellar Communication Network)
Roll 2 of 6, Roll 1d100: 64+10+10+10+10 = 104 - Success
Roll 3 of 6, Roll 1d100: 54+10+10+10+10 = 94 - Success
Roll 4 of 6, Roll 1d100: 48+10+10+10+10 = 88 - Success
Roll 5 of 6, Roll 1d100: 39+10+10+10+10 = 79 - Success
Some final touches were put on the fabricating system, enabling the internal cavern of the fabricator system to grow to a size that would enable it to work to repair or salvage Inner Sphere jump and warships up to twice the size of the SLS Belisarius. As such, it would work as a mobile dock, even capable of building the large structure of a heavy warship.
With the mining, refining and fabricating facilities done, the Von Neumann Project moved to design the drive system of the massive space craft. Of course the craft would be using an advanced jump drive, in combination with a Heim-Feynman Event Generator, though neither would move the Von Neumann while the fabricating bay was fully extended. For movement inside a solar system, a substantial drive system was added, enabling the craft to move at 1.5g of constant acceleration or 2.5g of emergency thrust.
It would certainly need some defenses. As such, two internally carried Sleipnir Autowars were added to the design.
The computer systems were added, in massively decentralized systems, able to survive heavy damage to the hull and structure., before finally some living quarters for up to a thousand people were integrated, largely to allow the Von Neumann to act as a longer ranged colonization craft, able to build up an entire infrastructure, complete with initial settlers, from the ground up.
While the entire design process was happening, the production of the first prototype was in full progress.
active for 1 more turns
[] Interstellar Jump Trader: active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 24+10+10+10+10 = 64 - Success (Scientific-Industrial Complex, Stronger Economy, Economic Ties, Interstellar Communication Network)
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 16+10+10+10+10 = 56 - Success
Roll 3 of 4, Roll 1d100: 80+10+10+10+10 = 120 - Success
With now only four jumpship designs for export into the Inner Sphere available, the various dockyards prepared slips for their construction, while the known larger scale deposits for germanium were tapped to produce the initial starting point for the construction.
active for 1 more turns
WCDC Office for Science and Development:
[] Alien Robot!: active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 55%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 27+10+10 = 47 - Success (Research Center Sol, Interstellar Communication Network)
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 24+10+10 = 44 - Success
Roll 3 of 4, Roll 1d100: 45+10+10 = 65 - Success
One surprising thing the researchers learned about the robot was that its main processor was situated within its head, behind a semi transparent 'face-shield' with an integrated OLED display. Carfully opening this CPU, they could determine that it had more in common with the computer technology of the WCDC, than with the technology used in the Inner Sphere. The main processing unit contained a massively parallel graphene based central processing unit, with memristor based memory for both RAM and long term storage. On top of this, the entire system had more in common with a neural network, with its simple processors, than a more conventional computer system. On top of this, at least four quantum particle based processing units were embedded deeply inside the main processor.
Based on this information, it was determined that this robot could house a AI up to a level of AGI, maybe a lowe level ASI.
Having learned almost all the robots secrets, the research team careully put the robot back together, repairing any damage done to it.
active for 1 more turn
[] Hypercom III: - 7 votes active
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%
Roll 1 of 2, Roll 1d100: 61+10+10 = 81 - Success (Research Center Sol, Interstellar Communication Network)
Finally, the project team that had worked on hyper wave communication for such a long time, was given the means to begin completing their research and build the first prototypes of a Hyperwave transceiver. This first prototype was the site of a microwave and could transmit messages over hyperwave at a maximum velocity of about 20000 times the speed of light, with a theoretical range of about two hundred light years. The transmitter itself could only cope with a data rate of about 56 kbit per second on a single omni directional transmission channel.
However, it showed that the system itself worked nicely and could theoretically already be put into operation. However, the research team had worked long and hard on the theory, which could enable a directed hyper wave, generated with a form of phased transmission array, increase the data rate up to about 1 megabit per second, and the maximum velocity to about 40000c, with a range of up to five hundred light years. At least, that was the hope.
And various organizations were quite interested in the system.
active for 1 more turns
----------------------------
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network Report:
Lothian League:
There is little of note to say.
Illyrian Palatinate:
There is little of note to say.
Circinus Federation:
There is little of note to say.
Marian Hegemony:
There is little of note to say.
Inner Sphere:
Lyran Commonwealth:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Federated Suns:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Draconis Combine:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Free Worlds League:
Dutchy of Andurien:
In the war between these two powers, the stalemate continues, though the FWL attempts to retake Fondras, which is successfully help by Zeta Batallion against several incursions of the FWL. Meanwhile Andurien is able to take Kwamashu, while the FWL is sucessful in the invasion of Pella II after several months of hard fighting.
Comstar:
Currently it is unknown whether or not Comstar is behind the attempted sabotage on our deiplomatic mission to Tharkad, but we should certainly keep our eyes open to the possibility.
Expansion and Suggestions:
Currently, the DSSINOO is busy with equipping select Surveylance Nodes with the new Superliminal Wave Detectors. FOB Pine Gap and Circinus have been given priority with these new systems.
-----------------------
Random Event - Nothing Happens
Turn 39 - Spring 2184/3034
Turn 39 - Spring 2184/3034
WCDC Defense Council:
[] Project Byzantium: active (4 turns)
With the successful recovery of the SLS Belisarius it should be a priority to put this large spacecraft back into service and take the time to take a look at its weaponry and other systems, as they are replaced by their WCDC equivalent. This would potentially allow the design of heavy weapon systems, including lasers and kinetics, a vessel of similar size might be equipped with. At the least, it should be possible to determine, whether a massive combat spacecraft of this size makes any sense. At the very least it might be possible to carry a number of dropship collar equipped conventional combat spacecraft to be carried into combat, backed up by a lot of firepower and even act as a Forwards Operations Base.
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Belisarius put into service for the WCDC, new research options for large scale weaponry and large scale combat spacecraft
[] Operation Tortuga Down: active (1 turn)
With a possible new 'Pirate Heaven' building up directly adjacent to Circinus, there is a reason to go out and prevent if from being established in the first place. Additionally, some troops should be sent to the other worlds of the by now possibly former Circinus Federation to occupy them as well and help set up future democratic governments of these worlds. Additional patrols of spacecraft would go a long way to prevent any 'Pirate Heaven' to form.
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: All worlds of the Circinus Federation occupied, No piracy in the Circinus Federation, reduced piracy in nearby space
[] Improved System Defense & Forward Operation Base:
While the Raytan Jump Point Defense Stations do their job for system defense, there are ideas how to improve on the system, giving it FTL capabilities, so that they can be emplaced in systems without existing interplanetary infrastructure. Additionally, such a station could potentially act as a mobile Forward Operation Base for offensive operations. Together with the Caldran Ansible, it would also allow the operations command and staff to remain protected bhind the potential front lines. Potentially, such a design might be equipped with the new Jump Drive.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 45%, Reward: New FTL cpable Defensive Station
[] Extended Anti-Piracy Patrols:
While the project to improve the defense against piracy in Known Space around the WCDC was a success, many within the Diplomatic Corps and the Military believed that more should be done to prevent piracy in this sector of space, as the destruction of any 'Pirate Heaven' close by would proove to remain a problem not only for the WCDC, but also for any nearby nation the WCDC had contact with. As such, longer duration and longer ranged patrols to discover any potential pirate havens in known space and destroy them before they can be fully established.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Long Duration, long range patrols, reduction of pirate activity to almost zero within known space
[] Project Black Light:
On one of the former colonies, an apparent plasma weapon has been recovered. It would be a good idea to take a close look at the weapon and potentially develop a usable weapon from it.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 45%, Reward: Plasma Weapon technology, 50% chance of plasma weapon prototype (1d4 for type)
WCDC Survey Office:
[] Deep Cover Intelligence II: active (7 turns)
With the Preparations successful, it is time to send the Deep Cover Intelligence mission out into the Inner Sphere and begin trading with the Free Worlds League. And while doing so, gather information about the economy and military of the Inner Sphere nation. It might also be possible to place some deep cover agents into both nations to gather long term information.
Time: 10 turns, Chance of Success: 60%, Reward: Information about the Free Worlds League, 75% chance of emplacing an intelligence network
[] Further Survey IV:
Following the Initial Survey, more information should be gathered further outside of the Walker Cluster and the already known space.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: (10+2d20) systems from 60 to 90 ly discovered, followup action allows surveying the remaining space
[] Project Orange Grass:
The complete overhaul of A Ship With A View has been quite successful, so it might be a good idea to request the remaining Invader class Jumpships and Leopard Class dropships to be upgraded to the new Invader MKII and Leopard MKII specifications, to be used for low profile recon missions into the Inner phsere.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: 7 Invader MKII, 15x Leopard MKII avaiable for Deep Cover missions
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network
[] HumInt: (6 turns)
Find a way to emplace HumInt agents into places of interest.
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 40%, Reward: A way to insert agents to planets where they can gather human intelligence
[] Network Extension: active (1 turn)
The worlds of New St. Andrews and Niops appear to be good cancidates for the extension of the Network.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Network extension into New St. Andrews and Niops
WCDC Diplomatic Corps:
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Lyran Commonwealth: active (4 turns)
The first of the Long Duration Deep Cover Surveilannce Missions has been completed and some believe that it is time to contact the first large Inner Sphere nation, in this case the Lyran Commonwealth. They are likely more interested in business deals as a mostly mercantine nation, they are less likely to try any military operations against the WCDC.
Time: 8 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: Contact with the Lyran Commonwealth
[] Humanitarian Aid IV:
With the formation of the Prometheus Foundation, it would be a shame not to make use of it. As such, it might be advantageous to send out a diplomatic mission to one of the neighboring systems discovered recently, and offer the planet some humanitarian aid. Rumors within the Foundation note they have been able to produce a couple of Planetary Settlement Kits, usually meant to establish new settlements on habitable worlds.
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: +10 on diplomatic action on targeted world, targeted world is slowly brought up to a Walker Cluster tech level
Please select a world from the list of Known Habited Worlds neat the Walker Cluster
[] Charm Offensive IV:
In the wake of the Black Warrior Attack and the fears that are still around in the nearby systems, it would be a good idea to alley their fear.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Better diplomatic relations to the ten known worlds, +5 to diplomatic actions with the ten worlds
[] We need new members:
There are 8 nations in the Three Systems that have declined to become members of the WCDC. The Three Systems can't effort to have some nations working on cross purposes and endanger the entire rest of the Walker Cluster. So there is a need to get them aboard and into the WCDC.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 25%, Reward: 1d6 nations of the 8 nations that declined WCDC membership initially, become WCDC members
[] Invite Others III:
The WCDC was working out nicely and maybe it was time to invite one of the other worlds outside the Three Systems into the WCDC?
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 35%, Reward: The selected world joins the WCDC as a member
Please select a world from the list of Known Habited Worlds neat the Walker Cluster
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony:
The Marian Hegemony is now a more known quantity and the current Caesar is interested in trade deals. So it might be a good idea to open official diplomatic contact with the Marians. It might certainly help if one could make them uninterested in any military operation against the WCDC.
Time: 8 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: Contact with the Marian Hegemony
WCDC Trade Organization:
[] Von Neuman: active (1 turns)
AIs of various stripes have been a fact of life for all nations of the Three Systems for some time now and there had always been ideas of space craft that could reproduce by themselves and to a degree the Planetary Settlement Kits were a version of such a Von Neumann machine. Now, with both the economic and military situation somewhat in the balance, concerning the Inner Sphere, maybe it would be time to make use of the available technology and create fully automated factory space craft that could go into a system, begin mining raw materials from asteroids and then produce just about everything with its fabricators, from shoes over shuttles to combat space craft and even a copy of itself. The military would be interested in such a spacecraft to produce munitions, replacement parts and entire stations.
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 40%, Reward: Design of a Von Neumann Factory Spacecraft, 5% chance of a working prototype
[] Interstellar Jump Trader: active (1 turns)
There are several large jump ships now available as a base to design a large jump capable trade space craft that would allow carrying dropships and cargo. It might be a good idea to give some incentives to some dock yards to begin with the development of large jump capable vessels that can operate like the jump ships of the Inner Sphere and either use or sell them on the open market of the Inner Sphere, using a conventional jump drive.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: 1d4 Jumpship designs that can be used locally or sold
[] New Settlement Initiative:
There are many virgin, uninhabited planets nearby discovered by the initial survey missions. So it is only natural that the Trade Organization should offer a few incentives to send out a few new settlement missions. Perhaps one or two Planetary Settelment Kits for free would do for settling an additional planet or two.
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: 1d4 newly settled planets
[] Heavy Combat Space Craft:
After the success of the previous projects to build light and medium space craft with the new technologies, it is not time to begin with the development of heavy combat space craft to replace the current classes of Bombard type spacecraft
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: One design of a heavy combat spacecraft, 30% chance of a working prototype
[] Industrial Export:
Some surprising things have come up during historical research, including the Terran Hegemony flooding the Periphery with cheap goods and systems that killed off local suppliers and left worlds in the cold, following the Amaris Crisis and the following Successor Wars. Now some companies believe they could make a profit selling power generation, atmospheric processors, water purification and other similar systems to the worlds and polities surrounding the WCDC. Some even propose to set up factories for these things on other planets and polities. This would certainly improve the economic situation of these worlds, diplomatic contact with them, as well as improve the WCDC economy.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: +10 to external trade with selected world, +10 to diplomacy with selected world
Select a world or polity to export to
[] Build the Weapons:
Since the weapons used by the Inner Sphere were successfully reverese engineered, it is not possible to build carbon copies of them and perhaps even build up on them, though mostly for export. Handing the plans over to several arms cpmpanies will allow that they can be sold easily
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 70%, Reward: Ability to build IS weapons, Options to create upgraded IS weapons, Possibility to sell weapons
[] Build the Technology:
With mechs been taken apart, it might be a possibility that parts for them could be replicated and sold on the open market in the future. Especially Myomer bundles are interesting in thie regard, though WCDC technology allows to make motive materials that are more compact compared to IS Myomer.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Ability to build IS mech components, Options to upgrade IS Mech components, Possibility to sell Mech components
[] Mining Town:
With the possibility of future construction of jump ships in large amounts, the situation with germanium might become problematic and more sources have to be found within the systems of the WCDC and mines constructed to exploit any finds.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 55%, Reward: Germanium Mines
WCDC Office for Science and Development:
[] Alien Robot!: active (1 turns)
There has been an alien robot discovered on one of the abandoned worlds that were surveyed. Its construction might give some clues about its creators and it might even be possible to repair it and turn it back on. If the centrail computer still works that is.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 55%, Reward: Alien robot design, 50% chance of robot turning back on
[] Hypercom III: active (1 turns)
With two FTL communication system avaiable, why not collect the full set? Most of the work for the Hyperwave comm system has already been done, so it should all just be a matter of completing the research.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Hyperwave Communication System
[] Project Heavy Mysterious Mustard:
With the completion of the Jump Drive Project, it might be a good idea whether or not it would be possible to burn some research time to further improve the Jump Drive, Improve the range, materials, allow faster charing from a fusion reactor, this kind of thing.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 40%, Reward: Improved Jump Drive
[] HFEG Jump:
In the wake of the success with the Jump Drive and the HFEG working in parallel, there have been some signs that it might be possible to combine both systems into a single drive system.
Time: 12 turns, Chance of success: 25%, Reward: HF Jump Drive
[] Hyperwave Reflection Research:
During the work on the Superlimunal Wave Detector, there were apparently some reflections happening of hyperwaves in some form or another. Research should be done into what caused these reflections.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: ?
----------------------------
2 Action for:
1 Action for:
Survey
Diplomacy
WCDC Defense Council:
[] Project Byzantium: active (4 turns)
With the successful recovery of the SLS Belisarius it should be a priority to put this large spacecraft back into service and take the time to take a look at its weaponry and other systems, as they are replaced by their WCDC equivalent. This would potentially allow the design of heavy weapon systems, including lasers and kinetics, a vessel of similar size might be equipped with. At the least, it should be possible to determine, whether a massive combat spacecraft of this size makes any sense. At the very least it might be possible to carry a number of dropship collar equipped conventional combat spacecraft to be carried into combat, backed up by a lot of firepower and even act as a Forwards Operations Base.
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Belisarius put into service for the WCDC, new research options for large scale weaponry and large scale combat spacecraft
[] Operation Tortuga Down: active (1 turn)
With a possible new 'Pirate Heaven' building up directly adjacent to Circinus, there is a reason to go out and prevent if from being established in the first place. Additionally, some troops should be sent to the other worlds of the by now possibly former Circinus Federation to occupy them as well and help set up future democratic governments of these worlds. Additional patrols of spacecraft would go a long way to prevent any 'Pirate Heaven' to form.
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: All worlds of the Circinus Federation occupied, No piracy in the Circinus Federation, reduced piracy in nearby space
[] Improved System Defense & Forward Operation Base:
While the Raytan Jump Point Defense Stations do their job for system defense, there are ideas how to improve on the system, giving it FTL capabilities, so that they can be emplaced in systems without existing interplanetary infrastructure. Additionally, such a station could potentially act as a mobile Forward Operation Base for offensive operations. Together with the Caldran Ansible, it would also allow the operations command and staff to remain protected bhind the potential front lines. Potentially, such a design might be equipped with the new Jump Drive.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 45%, Reward: New FTL cpable Defensive Station
[] Extended Anti-Piracy Patrols:
While the project to improve the defense against piracy in Known Space around the WCDC was a success, many within the Diplomatic Corps and the Military believed that more should be done to prevent piracy in this sector of space, as the destruction of any 'Pirate Heaven' close by would proove to remain a problem not only for the WCDC, but also for any nearby nation the WCDC had contact with. As such, longer duration and longer ranged patrols to discover any potential pirate havens in known space and destroy them before they can be fully established.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Long Duration, long range patrols, reduction of pirate activity to almost zero within known space
[] Project Black Light:
On one of the former colonies, an apparent plasma weapon has been recovered. It would be a good idea to take a close look at the weapon and potentially develop a usable weapon from it.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 45%, Reward: Plasma Weapon technology, 50% chance of plasma weapon prototype (1d4 for type)
WCDC Survey Office:
[] Deep Cover Intelligence II: active (7 turns)
With the Preparations successful, it is time to send the Deep Cover Intelligence mission out into the Inner Sphere and begin trading with the Free Worlds League. And while doing so, gather information about the economy and military of the Inner Sphere nation. It might also be possible to place some deep cover agents into both nations to gather long term information.
Time: 10 turns, Chance of Success: 60%, Reward: Information about the Free Worlds League, 75% chance of emplacing an intelligence network
[] Further Survey IV:
Following the Initial Survey, more information should be gathered further outside of the Walker Cluster and the already known space.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: (10+2d20) systems from 60 to 90 ly discovered, followup action allows surveying the remaining space
[] Project Orange Grass:
The complete overhaul of A Ship With A View has been quite successful, so it might be a good idea to request the remaining Invader class Jumpships and Leopard Class dropships to be upgraded to the new Invader MKII and Leopard MKII specifications, to be used for low profile recon missions into the Inner phsere.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: 7 Invader MKII, 15x Leopard MKII avaiable for Deep Cover missions
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network
Find a way to emplace HumInt agents into places of interest.
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 40%, Reward: A way to insert agents to planets where they can gather human intelligence
[] Network Extension: active (1 turn)
The worlds of New St. Andrews and Niops appear to be good cancidates for the extension of the Network.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Network extension into New St. Andrews and Niops
WCDC Diplomatic Corps:
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Lyran Commonwealth: active (4 turns)
The first of the Long Duration Deep Cover Surveilannce Missions has been completed and some believe that it is time to contact the first large Inner Sphere nation, in this case the Lyran Commonwealth. They are likely more interested in business deals as a mostly mercantine nation, they are less likely to try any military operations against the WCDC.
Time: 8 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: Contact with the Lyran Commonwealth
[] Humanitarian Aid IV:
With the formation of the Prometheus Foundation, it would be a shame not to make use of it. As such, it might be advantageous to send out a diplomatic mission to one of the neighboring systems discovered recently, and offer the planet some humanitarian aid. Rumors within the Foundation note they have been able to produce a couple of Planetary Settlement Kits, usually meant to establish new settlements on habitable worlds.
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: +10 on diplomatic action on targeted world, targeted world is slowly brought up to a Walker Cluster tech level
Please select a world from the list of Known Habited Worlds neat the Walker Cluster
[] Charm Offensive IV:
In the wake of the Black Warrior Attack and the fears that are still around in the nearby systems, it would be a good idea to alley their fear.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Better diplomatic relations to the ten known worlds, +5 to diplomatic actions with the ten worlds
[] We need new members:
There are 8 nations in the Three Systems that have declined to become members of the WCDC. The Three Systems can't effort to have some nations working on cross purposes and endanger the entire rest of the Walker Cluster. So there is a need to get them aboard and into the WCDC.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 25%, Reward: 1d6 nations of the 8 nations that declined WCDC membership initially, become WCDC members
[] Invite Others III:
The WCDC was working out nicely and maybe it was time to invite one of the other worlds outside the Three Systems into the WCDC?
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 35%, Reward: The selected world joins the WCDC as a member
Please select a world from the list of Known Habited Worlds neat the Walker Cluster
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony:
The Marian Hegemony is now a more known quantity and the current Caesar is interested in trade deals. So it might be a good idea to open official diplomatic contact with the Marians. It might certainly help if one could make them uninterested in any military operation against the WCDC.
Time: 8 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: Contact with the Marian Hegemony
WCDC Trade Organization:
[] Von Neuman: active (1 turns)
AIs of various stripes have been a fact of life for all nations of the Three Systems for some time now and there had always been ideas of space craft that could reproduce by themselves and to a degree the Planetary Settlement Kits were a version of such a Von Neumann machine. Now, with both the economic and military situation somewhat in the balance, concerning the Inner Sphere, maybe it would be time to make use of the available technology and create fully automated factory space craft that could go into a system, begin mining raw materials from asteroids and then produce just about everything with its fabricators, from shoes over shuttles to combat space craft and even a copy of itself. The military would be interested in such a spacecraft to produce munitions, replacement parts and entire stations.
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 40%, Reward: Design of a Von Neumann Factory Spacecraft, 5% chance of a working prototype
[] Interstellar Jump Trader: active (1 turns)
There are several large jump ships now available as a base to design a large jump capable trade space craft that would allow carrying dropships and cargo. It might be a good idea to give some incentives to some dock yards to begin with the development of large jump capable vessels that can operate like the jump ships of the Inner Sphere and either use or sell them on the open market of the Inner Sphere, using a conventional jump drive.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: 1d4 Jumpship designs that can be used locally or sold
[] New Settlement Initiative:
There are many virgin, uninhabited planets nearby discovered by the initial survey missions. So it is only natural that the Trade Organization should offer a few incentives to send out a few new settlement missions. Perhaps one or two Planetary Settelment Kits for free would do for settling an additional planet or two.
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: 1d4 newly settled planets
[] Heavy Combat Space Craft:
After the success of the previous projects to build light and medium space craft with the new technologies, it is not time to begin with the development of heavy combat space craft to replace the current classes of Bombard type spacecraft
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: One design of a heavy combat spacecraft, 30% chance of a working prototype
[] Industrial Export:
Some surprising things have come up during historical research, including the Terran Hegemony flooding the Periphery with cheap goods and systems that killed off local suppliers and left worlds in the cold, following the Amaris Crisis and the following Successor Wars. Now some companies believe they could make a profit selling power generation, atmospheric processors, water purification and other similar systems to the worlds and polities surrounding the WCDC. Some even propose to set up factories for these things on other planets and polities. This would certainly improve the economic situation of these worlds, diplomatic contact with them, as well as improve the WCDC economy.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: +10 to external trade with selected world, +10 to diplomacy with selected world
Select a world or polity to export to
[] Build the Weapons:
Since the weapons used by the Inner Sphere were successfully reverese engineered, it is not possible to build carbon copies of them and perhaps even build up on them, though mostly for export. Handing the plans over to several arms cpmpanies will allow that they can be sold easily
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 70%, Reward: Ability to build IS weapons, Options to create upgraded IS weapons, Possibility to sell weapons
[] Build the Technology:
With mechs been taken apart, it might be a possibility that parts for them could be replicated and sold on the open market in the future. Especially Myomer bundles are interesting in thie regard, though WCDC technology allows to make motive materials that are more compact compared to IS Myomer.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Ability to build IS mech components, Options to upgrade IS Mech components, Possibility to sell Mech components
[] Mining Town:
With the possibility of future construction of jump ships in large amounts, the situation with germanium might become problematic and more sources have to be found within the systems of the WCDC and mines constructed to exploit any finds.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 55%, Reward: Germanium Mines
WCDC Office for Science and Development:
[] Alien Robot!: active (1 turns)
There has been an alien robot discovered on one of the abandoned worlds that were surveyed. Its construction might give some clues about its creators and it might even be possible to repair it and turn it back on. If the centrail computer still works that is.
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 55%, Reward: Alien robot design, 50% chance of robot turning back on
[] Hypercom III: active (1 turns)
With two FTL communication system avaiable, why not collect the full set? Most of the work for the Hyperwave comm system has already been done, so it should all just be a matter of completing the research.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 60%, Reward: Hyperwave Communication System
[] Project Heavy Mysterious Mustard:
With the completion of the Jump Drive Project, it might be a good idea whether or not it would be possible to burn some research time to further improve the Jump Drive, Improve the range, materials, allow faster charing from a fusion reactor, this kind of thing.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 40%, Reward: Improved Jump Drive
[] HFEG Jump:
In the wake of the success with the Jump Drive and the HFEG working in parallel, there have been some signs that it might be possible to combine both systems into a single drive system.
Time: 12 turns, Chance of success: 25%, Reward: HF Jump Drive
[] Hyperwave Reflection Research:
During the work on the Superlimunal Wave Detector, there were apparently some reflections happening of hyperwaves in some form or another. Research should be done into what caused these reflections.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 50%, Reward: ?
----------------------------
1 Action for:
Survey
Diplomacy
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
[X] Project Orange Grass:
The complete overhaul of A Ship With A View has been quite successful, so it might be a good idea to request the remaining Invader class Jumpships and Leopard Class dropships to be upgraded to the new Invader MKII and Leopard MKII specifications, to be used for low profile recon missions into the Inner phsere.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: 7 Invader MKII, 15x Leopard MKII avaiable for Deep Cover missions
[X] We need new members:
There are 8 nations in the Three Systems that have declined to become members of the WCDC. The Three Systems can't effort to have some nations working on cross purposes and endanger the entire rest of the Walker Cluster. So there is a need to get them aboard and into the WCDC.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 25%, Reward: 1d6 nations of the 8 nations that declined WCDC membership initially, become WCDC members
Marian contact might be more useful but fuck it lets get the last 8 on board finally hopefully. They have to be about ready to come in out of the cold.
The attempted sabotage is worrying and probable comstar. No internal faction has reason to try something like that. Will probable see even more attempts as we get closer to Tharkard. League looks like knows something is happening over here but not poking the darkness when already tied up. Works for me. Project continue a pace and our warship looks like it will be a unstoppable beast for a good while. Old Star League would be shocked by what were are doing to her. Hopefully we did not scramble AI poking at its brain either. Pirate stomping looks very good and hopefully can help the people and snatch up even more pirates. Prides also probable got very good work out as well.
The complete overhaul of A Ship With A View has been quite successful, so it might be a good idea to request the remaining Invader class Jumpships and Leopard Class dropships to be upgraded to the new Invader MKII and Leopard MKII specifications, to be used for low profile recon missions into the Inner phsere.
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 65%, Reward: 7 Invader MKII, 15x Leopard MKII avaiable for Deep Cover missions
[X] We need new members:
There are 8 nations in the Three Systems that have declined to become members of the WCDC. The Three Systems can't effort to have some nations working on cross purposes and endanger the entire rest of the Walker Cluster. So there is a need to get them aboard and into the WCDC.
Time: 2 turns, Chance of success: 25%, Reward: 1d6 nations of the 8 nations that declined WCDC membership initially, become WCDC members
Marian contact might be more useful but fuck it lets get the last 8 on board finally hopefully. They have to be about ready to come in out of the cold.
The attempted sabotage is worrying and probable comstar. No internal faction has reason to try something like that. Will probable see even more attempts as we get closer to Tharkard. League looks like knows something is happening over here but not poking the darkness when already tied up. Works for me. Project continue a pace and our warship looks like it will be a unstoppable beast for a good while. Old Star League would be shocked by what were are doing to her. Hopefully we did not scramble AI poking at its brain either. Pirate stomping looks very good and hopefully can help the people and snatch up even more pirates. Prides also probable got very good work out as well.
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Blade4
Apathetic Marine
The more I look at this the more concerned I become and I don't know what to think.
Sheesh, we'll definitely not shooting sparrows with those cannons. I mean, 500GW is… about a fifth of the current global mean electrical power consumption. Heck, if we can bring that to bear on a square kilometre, the entire thing starts to glows with a nice, warm 1700K.
————
Survey
I suspect I'll be getting dismissed, but my vote is on Further Survey. I keep arguing for this, to get to know our neighbourhood fully. I know the shiny Project Orange Grass dangles in front of us, but I really want to finish this. We don't know what polities remain in our survey bubble that we don't know about.
Also, just as a reminder, this is the Survey section. The last time our surveyors were able to do their actual ostensible job was on turn 24, yet here we are, 4 years later, and not a single survey since.
[X] Further Survey IV
Diplomacy
Here I've got nothing. But I'm willing to throw our reluctant non-members a bone.
Eliar made a good point.
[X] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony
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Eliar
Well-known member
ehehehe the Bellisarius is shaping up to be a beast.
[X] Further Survey IV
Because I want to know to else we may have dragged along or worse torn the heart out of.
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony:
Because I suspect the window of opportunity for us to take advantage of us crushing Circinus and the reputation it earned us and the obvious appetite of Ceasar O Reilly for trade will close fast.
And we have wasted too many turns on a 25% option already
[X] Further Survey IV
Because I want to know to else we may have dragged along or worse torn the heart out of.
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony:
Because I suspect the window of opportunity for us to take advantage of us crushing Circinus and the reputation it earned us and the obvious appetite of Ceasar O Reilly for trade will close fast.
And we have wasted too many turns on a 25% option already
Wildredlifer
Member
[X] Further Survey IV
[X] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony:
[X] Long Range Diplomacy - Marian Hegemony:
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
More I think about bombing attempt more it does not make sense. Comstar stole at least some data on smart dust. They would know it is used extensively on ships so was this shear desperation hoping to get lucky or slow expedition down or was this some third party that has some motive desperate enough to try? We have no contact with Lyrans yet save for Snord so no one should have motive unless say spurred on by comstar but what could they say to push for this?
They might have information on Smart Dust. But do they really understand what Smart dust can be used to do?
Hm overall we may have to come up with a strategy for dealing with Comstar. I mean ignoring them and hoping they'll go away doesn't seem to work. Sooner or later they will succeed and when they do that'll likely mean a failure goes critical.
This means we'll either have to get them to the table to form a communications cartel or something, agree on influence spheres or something like that. Or we'll have to go on the offensive sooner or later, make clear to everyone Comstar has a hostile relationship to us and remove their neutral party status at least concerning us. Which means they'll inevitably be suspect when something weird happens involving our assets in interstellar politics.
This means we'll either have to get them to the table to form a communications cartel or something, agree on influence spheres or something like that. Or we'll have to go on the offensive sooner or later, make clear to everyone Comstar has a hostile relationship to us and remove their neutral party status at least concerning us. Which means they'll inevitably be suspect when something weird happens involving our assets in interstellar politics.
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
Perhaps not. Having a Wikipedia article detailing it is one thing but actually understanding a tech that is rather ocp is another but they have enough data they should have known something this blatant would not work but these could also be blakist fanatics who think Blake will personally hand them victory to... Eh wait and see what happens.
Thing is we by our nature are a death nail to their religion and survival. We must die or be broken and stripped of our stuff. But thing is they have already lost. We have our own hpgs better than theirs. All we need to do is trade or give them to the FedCom then step back with beer and popcorn and watch as comstar dies screaming as their abuse victims are now free to kill them.
Well, we're pushing into their monopoly, we're by definition already on hostile economic ground. I don't remember if they know we have FTL communications that is entirely disconnected from them, but I think they at least suspect it. From that perspective their goal ought to be to keep their monopoly at all cost since competition is never good for a monopolist.
However since they're historically much more established, having had a history as a service provide for literally hundreds of year, we're starting on the back foot. We're a backwater periphery polity that is the next best thing to neobarbarians, which is the most favourable picture ComSpot will cast us at. They will claim the usual such as unreliability of service, tapping the lines, supporting the enemy, etc., which incidentally they all do, but that's something we either can't prove or won't be believed, initially. We'll need ironclad evidence and smoking guns to overcome the obstacles we'll be facing. Everyone directly and many indirectly associated with ComSpot will be obstructing us since their livelihoods will depend on their employer's continued existence.
Below I'll illustrate two approaches which can be summarised as "peripheral creep dissemination" and "informational carpet bombing". I urge everyone to come up with their own ideas so we can have more than these two, somewhat extreme approaches.
If/when we ever pursue pushing into the FTL comms market, then the best approach would be via peripheral worlds that aren't serviced by the ComSpot HPG network. Since ComSpot did intentionally obfuscate their tech, our approach would be to open up the technology to the best of our abilities. Since we basically have the specs of vanilla HPG stations, or at least that's as I understood it, we can similarly provide blueprints that are compatible with many local tech levels which would allow local governments to build their own HPGs.
In a way this might be a good initial attack, enabling local planetary governments to listen in to HPG coms (is that broadcast or unicast?) or send their owns, diluting and, hopefully, revealing ComSpot's own tailored, propagandistic news casts. At the same time we offer the local governments the upgrade to our secured HPG. If they looked into ComSpots shenanigans, they might be distrustful of our offer and the more savvy will recognise that we might just try to supplant one in hindsight untrustworthy FTL comms for another, but by laying out the blueprints to the enhanced HPG, we'll hopefully be able to convince the locals to trust us.
This way the enhanced HPG will slowly percolate throughout the peripheral systems. Since we have agents in a few polities, we might be able to push news or reports about such a bit faster into official channels, and depending on ComSpot's response schedule burning a few assets to accelerate the process might be better than the possible alternative of ComSpot going on a suppression spree in the defenceless periphery systems.
On the other hand, this is a rather passive approach. The governments' specialists will probably take a year or two before they'll okay any of the blueprints as being clean, since our tech base and approach to system architecture is very much different. Their okay's will likely heavily asterisked for that alone.
We can also go directly to the respective capital systems and governments and drop the information for secured HPG in the local internet (I suspect some kind of shared computer networks exist. Probably not remotely Walker scale, but thousands computers per planet, and a few in the hands of rich individuals and mid-sized corporations and avove.). Make no mistake, this will result in chaos as the information and the implications gets out. Especially if we do multiple information bombs across each polity. This is effectively information and economic warfare. You don't have to twist law much, if at all, to construe a casus belli out of this, since we for all intents and purposes attacked that polity's information and telecommunication infrastructure. Once they've worked through the chaos, they'll not be positively inclined to any polity that does such things, namely us.
Furthermore I can't see this happening without some chaos, which would lead to a neighbouring polity smelling blood in the waters and, seeing a chance, preparing an attack. So to minimise damage, this would need to be basically a carpet bombing the blueprints. If everyone's in chaos, no-one should be too confident in any attack. There will still be attacks, of that I am sure, but this should minimise them.
At the same time this is the quickest way to disseminate the enhanced HPG throughout the Inner Sphere, and maybe the galvanising agent that leads them all to unite against us, especially if ComSpot uses their remaining resources as their monopoly crumbles to push the narrative in that direction.
Again, keep in mind that I only drew out two out of many more approaches.
However since they're historically much more established, having had a history as a service provide for literally hundreds of year, we're starting on the back foot. We're a backwater periphery polity that is the next best thing to neobarbarians, which is the most favourable picture ComSpot will cast us at. They will claim the usual such as unreliability of service, tapping the lines, supporting the enemy, etc., which incidentally they all do, but that's something we either can't prove or won't be believed, initially. We'll need ironclad evidence and smoking guns to overcome the obstacles we'll be facing. Everyone directly and many indirectly associated with ComSpot will be obstructing us since their livelihoods will depend on their employer's continued existence.
Below I'll illustrate two approaches which can be summarised as "peripheral creep dissemination" and "informational carpet bombing". I urge everyone to come up with their own ideas so we can have more than these two, somewhat extreme approaches.
If/when we ever pursue pushing into the FTL comms market, then the best approach would be via peripheral worlds that aren't serviced by the ComSpot HPG network. Since ComSpot did intentionally obfuscate their tech, our approach would be to open up the technology to the best of our abilities. Since we basically have the specs of vanilla HPG stations, or at least that's as I understood it, we can similarly provide blueprints that are compatible with many local tech levels which would allow local governments to build their own HPGs.
In a way this might be a good initial attack, enabling local planetary governments to listen in to HPG coms (is that broadcast or unicast?) or send their owns, diluting and, hopefully, revealing ComSpot's own tailored, propagandistic news casts. At the same time we offer the local governments the upgrade to our secured HPG. If they looked into ComSpots shenanigans, they might be distrustful of our offer and the more savvy will recognise that we might just try to supplant one in hindsight untrustworthy FTL comms for another, but by laying out the blueprints to the enhanced HPG, we'll hopefully be able to convince the locals to trust us.
This way the enhanced HPG will slowly percolate throughout the peripheral systems. Since we have agents in a few polities, we might be able to push news or reports about such a bit faster into official channels, and depending on ComSpot's response schedule burning a few assets to accelerate the process might be better than the possible alternative of ComSpot going on a suppression spree in the defenceless periphery systems.
On the other hand, this is a rather passive approach. The governments' specialists will probably take a year or two before they'll okay any of the blueprints as being clean, since our tech base and approach to system architecture is very much different. Their okay's will likely heavily asterisked for that alone.
We can also go directly to the respective capital systems and governments and drop the information for secured HPG in the local internet (I suspect some kind of shared computer networks exist. Probably not remotely Walker scale, but thousands computers per planet, and a few in the hands of rich individuals and mid-sized corporations and avove.). Make no mistake, this will result in chaos as the information and the implications gets out. Especially if we do multiple information bombs across each polity. This is effectively information and economic warfare. You don't have to twist law much, if at all, to construe a casus belli out of this, since we for all intents and purposes attacked that polity's information and telecommunication infrastructure. Once they've worked through the chaos, they'll not be positively inclined to any polity that does such things, namely us.
Furthermore I can't see this happening without some chaos, which would lead to a neighbouring polity smelling blood in the waters and, seeing a chance, preparing an attack. So to minimise damage, this would need to be basically a carpet bombing the blueprints. If everyone's in chaos, no-one should be too confident in any attack. There will still be attacks, of that I am sure, but this should minimise them.
At the same time this is the quickest way to disseminate the enhanced HPG throughout the Inner Sphere, and maybe the galvanising agent that leads them all to unite against us, especially if ComSpot uses their remaining resources as their monopoly crumbles to push the narrative in that direction.
Again, keep in mind that I only drew out two out of many more approaches.
Blade4
Apathetic Marine
Things to keep in mind but at same time I expect the houses will take control of their own communication. The FedCom at least knows very well comstar is evil and uses its monopoly to protect itself and to hide its crimes. The Combine would probable love getting rid of this unwanted foreign element that has long existed on their worlds and the league to probable would not mind controlling its own mail. Once HPG tech gets out comstar has no reason to keep existing and its own actions to protect itself will just make matters worse and there.... well there might be a opening for the various bureaucracies working together to keep external lines open but I expect governments will want strict control and never let a comstar rise again.
