Updated the first post with all the new characters, when I run some turns tonight I’m sure we’ll get a few more players on the scene. As the game gets bigger my ability to micro some of the ship assignments gets a little more limited too but I’ll do my best to keep the update details flowing…
My ability to actually influence what a colony does is somewhat limited, but there are a few knobs – tax rates, what orbital facilities they build, etc. The same goes for some of the automated behaviors of the ships (which the game is built around). Of course players are encouraged to provide their own explanations for how various game events resulted from their own heroic actions or particular personality traits!
Tom, as governor your first order of business should be to name our first new colony on Deluxina…
I dub the new colony Chick Station. I would recommend jamming tax rates to the roof just for laughs, but I don’t want to spoil the early development. So I’m content just letting it grow of its own accord while everyone brings us luxury goods.
Oh boy oh boy! I want to be a planetary governor too! I want lots of people, LOTS OF PEOPLE. Anything that increases population growth I am in favor of. I also want LOTS OF STARSHIPS. Starships AND people. And MORE STARSHIPS.
Sign me up as a military man of sorts. A ruthlessly aggressive military man, not afraid to throw my men to their deaths if it means glory to the Empire. We’re an empire, right?
The Esdi Naha system matched our telescopes from home, being a simple white dwarf system. We have found no signs yet of any available resources in-system, and Astrogation puts the chances at very low for any surprises. Transmitting full astrogation data back to Command.
Logfile 17:
Our transmission home is acknowledged and came with a special packet attached. It would seem we are being put to work as a SIGINT team to ‘put eyes on’ a possible pirate base. I’ve informed the XO of the situation, but asked him to play it as a standard run to investigate the mineral properties of the asteroids. Most of this crew isn’t prepared for combat situations. Ghu knows the ship isn’t.
Logfile 18:
Well, that was close. SIGINT gets to know that yes, there is pirate activity in the asteroid field. Thank Ghu for the sensors on board. We saw them long before they could catch us, and managed to jump free. We can identify at least two pirate affiliated ships, though their size and full fleet composition was not determined before engineering pulled us out of there. Transmitting all data to Command and SIGINT, with a complaint for the admiral. If he wants us to keep up these missions, then I’m going to need a boat equipped for SIGINT. Just because I have the best radio telescope, and analysis equipment in the sector doesn’t mean I’m prepared for scouting missions.
The newly commissioned explorer Zak Gordon off of Tarsont 6, completing a more thorough survey there. Already mining ships are setting up shop in the system. Not a lot of options for exotic alien womanizing however.
A handful of additional destroyers are queued up at good old EM616. I intend to commission a new fleet strong enough to root out the Lone Rock Gang from their gas cloud secret hideout. It may take some time though – the newly flourishing industry at our nearby systems is starting to put more pressure on our shipyard capacity. Fortunately we have a fresh crop of captains ready to graduate from the academy!
Patrolling out at the edge of explored space in the Bisteni system are the frigates Smoothie and JM. They are escorting a mining constructor, and securing that flow of resources back to Quarterville will be essential in our continued expansion.
Stardate 2755.02.27
The destroyer “Red October”, captained by Schurem is fresh out of drydock. Note the transport ship traffic in the skies around Quarterville, a good sign indeed. Capt. Schurem’s first posting is to head out to Delunixa to ensure the safety of what is soon to be our new colony.
Governor Tom Chick immediate starts acquiring a personal collection of the Emeros Crystals for which are plentiful on the planet.
However the pirates of the Lone Rock Gang are not far behind, and they immediately start harassing our new colony. Colonies aren’t as easy to destroy as remote mining outposts though.
Stardate 2755.04.14
Nabuu continues to be a pirate hot zone, and the destroyers Infrangible and Willk0 square off in numerous smaller skirmishes alongside Chaplain’s frigate. Each time their firepower is superior but the pirates are too fast, and are able to destroy our mining platforms then warp away before we can finish them off. Perhaps some faster escort class ships are called for.
Fortunately my subcommanders are way ahead of me, and had already dispatched 4 escorts. Here they are en route to the Nabuu hot zone. The AI did this automatically with some spare escort capacity I had built up.
Having reached the far side of the Jirejadur Drift, Captain Dreamshadow continues to run afoul of pirates – this time discovering the base of a different pirate clan, the Sinister Claw Ravagers, in the Zhar system.
The Lone Rock Gang, having demonstrated the efficacy of their hit and run tactics, tries to shake us down for a few credits. We are not amused.
Stardate 2755.06.26
Captain Sinfony of the “Pulseczar” has been busy exploring towards Galactic East.
Scientists are already abuzz about the discovery of the Neutron Star at IB717 and plans are made to establish a research base there. Word is put out among the elites back home for a research administrator brave enough to answer the call of the void and unlock the secrets of IB717.
But further out, in the Sondare system Captain Sinfony makes an even more exciting discovery:
Top advisors of the empire are torn as to whether it is better spent advancing our research or put to use against the pirates. We already have firepower superiority against the spacefaring vermin, and research will continue to pay off into the future. On the other hand, it is unclear exactly how much of a research bonus we’ll actually get out of it.
Sondare is also colonizable, and despite its distance we decide to send a colony ship out to it… lets hope the pirates don’t get wind of our plan.
The Sinister Claw Ravagers offer to sell us some valuable “information” but for 10,000 credits I think we’re better off keeping faith in our exploration fleet. Speaking of which, Captain Kieron Gillen graduates from the academy, and sets off for parts unknown. Given his reputation, I think it’s best left unknown whose parts he’s exploring.
Note that’s JM and Smoothie riding shotgun for that constructor, the Dirra Starfire. It’s collecting components needed to build our research base out at IB717. Note that Distant Worlds has a pretty crazy detailed economic system here, resources are turned into components which are assembled into ships or bases.
A few more Chicago class destroyers come off the assembly line. The time has come to strike back – the 1st Fleet begins to assemble in near Quarterville orbit. The “Infrangible”, “Willk0”, and “Stringer Bell”, are joined by Captain McKnight of the “Excalibur”, Captain Larinson and Captain Drake113, with a handful of lesser frigates and escorts. It will be a while before they are all assembled and refueled, but it should be more than enough force to eliminate the Lone Rock Gang.
The year comes to a close with another good development – our colony on faraway Sondare 7 has been succesfully founded. Governor Raife establishes basic infrastructure and governmental systems, and is tasked with choosing a better name than “Sondare 7” for the colony.
It’s not the richest world, though it has some sizable deposits of Chromium. However it is strategically very well placed in a dense cluster of stars that could provide great expansion opportunities.
Here’s our entire empire at the end of the second year. The 1st Fleet will soon be ready to strike, and we’ve made significant progress in expanding our borders.
We are surely not alone here (even beyond the pirate scum) – will we soon make contact?
I’m going to have to buy this, but in the meantime, sign me up as Captain Dave “Daring” Markell, a minimally competent but insanely (suicidally?) brave commander awaiting a chance to send his loyal crew to their cold, unmourned deaths in deep space. Our ship should probably be named the USS Red Shirt.
Agents aren’t cheap, and until we make contact with another (sexy) alien race they can’t really do anything. I imagine we can’t be too far off from first contact. So to speak.
Governors will start to ramp up here before long I imagine.
Combat ships we have in fairly large supply by comparison. Though anyone who got stuck with a Frigate, let me know if you want a promotion to a Destroyer when one frees up.
If anyone wants to be a Colony Ship captain or Research Base administrator those are also available, though I’m not sure how much action they’ll see…
