Turn 1 : 1946-1947
Solar storms hit the Earth, resulting in many emaculate sightings of Aurorae near the Poles. It doesn't bode so well for spaceflight though, as these flares could be very dangerous to probes and manned spaceflight alike. However, considering the current incapacity of most spaceprograms to prevent their rockets from exploding on the launchpad, this isn't going to be a great problem for a long time.
County relations:
Australia Japan Poland Greece Scotland Nicuaraga France
Australia Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
Japan Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
Poland Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
Greece Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
Scotland Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
Nicuaraga Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
France Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral
SPACE
Research:Lab 1: Improve the reliability of the small thruster (-$1000)
The work is a succes. Thruster failure rates have dropped with about 10%Research costs: $1000
Design:None this year.
Construction:Upgrade the lab to get +1 action (-$5000)
Construction costs: $5000
Total cost: $6000
NASA (Japan)
ResearchImprove the thrusters, more thrust, with the scientist in the lab.-1000
Significant improvements in rocket thrust have been made, sir.If I can still do research in my office like in the last game, research solar panels
Work on solar pannels progresses swiftly, though they are rather heavy.BuildingUpgrade the lab with an extra floor.-5000
Expenses: 7000 (Personnal lab research isn't free this time, I'm afraid.)
It has officially begun. I had to improve the science facilities fast, either by replacing the logarithmic rulers with some mechanical computers or by just expanding the buildings and hiring more people. I had my men begin ground tests of our simple engine design, we need to find flaws in the design now, I don't want the officials to watch a huge fireball on our first launch.
I myself started designing a simple mechanical flight control, you can always hope that your rocket will fly straight up if you have it perfectly built. But real world works differently and adding gyroscopes, winglets and the sort costs considerably less than returns from scrap metal after your rocket crashes.
The research and equipment will eat a big part of the funding that we've got, but if we don't have theory right, then we can just as well build a huge catapult and hope that would work.
The field is new and it would be great to have other teams to share experience with, but it looks like the USSR is not interested, strange indeed. I can only hope that state will allow me to contact my acquaintances in UK and find help there.Turn:
Research:
Lab: Improve the small thrusters (-1000$)
Some work has gone into general safety of the thrustersMyself: Mechanical flight control system (Ascent guidance controller) (-1000$ [OOC: If its a free action even better!])
Work on this system goes slowly, but progresses. Currently it weights far to much to be useable, but soon we'll shafe of most of that weight.Design:
None
Construction:
Buy computing equipment for the lab, if impossible expand the lab (-5000$)
Lab upgraded with general research bonus.Totals: -7000$ [If research by me is free then 6000$]
Cash after turn: 3000$ [If research by me is free then 4000$]
Others: Because of my work in the UK during the war im interested in pulling some strings internationally and getting mutual agreement with HAGGIS.
The GM will not intervene with player negotiations. ((Unless I really need to, and I'd rather don't))
PSI
1/1/46
I saw the new headquarters for the first time today. I seem to recall that the building that used to stand there was flattened during the occupation. Irony is eternal.
Anyway, things seem to be going well so far. I have already examined the German rocket, and it is a true fountain of knowledge. I hope to soon understand the principle design of its engines, and my team is already dismantling the chassis. I do hope that a spirit of international cooperation will flourish, and that we need not re-invent too many wheels. To this end, I will offer to rent my state-of the art control center, in the hope that no disasters mar the birth of space-flight.- A.U.
Research-Lab-reverse engineer engines(-1000)
Work on the reverse engineering of the engines progresses rapidly. We have worked out all major kinks in the system. However, for further improvement, we will need more funds. (Further medium engine research costs 2000 rather than 1000)*
Construction upgrade control center for safety(-5000)
total expense(-6000)
*Nat 100, grats.
HAGGIS
It was a good day. Haggis-Bob had just arrived on his new job. The chiefs office at H.A.G.G.I.S.. He had just seen how primitive it currently was, compared to his dreams for Scotland. He wished to plant a kilt-on-a-pole on Luna. And with this crap nothing can be done. Haggis-Bob stormed over to the german thruster scientists office, and shouted "We need more stable thrusters! Can't have the rocket explode before it even takes off! We'll never get the kilt to the moon without it!!!", then went over to his office to make a letter. He wanted to improve relations with the FIEE, as the French could be brilliant minds sometimes. And allies could always be good in hard times...
Turn:Research:
Lab 1: Research "Stable Small Thrusters" (-$1000)
Research on stabilizing the small thrusters goes slowly.Research costs: $1000
Design:
None
Construction:
Bigger, better, lab. (+1 research action, -$5000)
Construction costs: $5000
Other:
Try to become better friends with the FIEE (If possibru)
GM does not interfere with Interplayer diplomacy.Summary: +1 research action, -$6000
SMF Turn
Research:improve small thruster reliability(-1000)
The project progresses but slowlyMe:research larger thrusters(-1000)
Work on the larger thrusters speeds forwardDesign:none
Construction:Buy/install better lab equipment(-5000)
Summary:-7000
FIEE
Marceau graduated business school five years before the war broke out. Using money inherited from his parents, he began a zeppelin transportation company. This failed shortly after the Germans attacked France. Unable to flee the occupation and unwilling to risk opening a business, he spent the war lying low. When it finally ended, he decided to stay in France and try again - As any true Frenchman would. He spent the last of his money buying ex-German rocketry data and constructing aerospace facilities. He was pleased that the government had eventually accepted his grant request, even if it was to be a pittance.
Mr. Marceau enthusiastically greeted the morning of January 1st, 1946. His grant money had been successfully processed yesterday, and the tour of the nearly finished facilities the week before had gone well enough, if a bit disappointingly. It wasn't nearly what he was used to at Boeing, but the rushed construction job was all he could have realistically expected in a barely recovering France.
He thought back to the brainstorming session with his team. A few ideas had been discussed: Being the first to orbit the planet, developing superior engines or hulls and selling them to other space programs, or even getting someone into space, alive. The idea that most intrigued him was some sort of long-ranged radio transmitter. The sooner FIEE became financially viable of its own accord, the better.Research:1st floor: (Chassis Scientist) Lighten the single stage hull (-$1000)
Work here progresses marvelously.Design:None.
Construction:Laboratory expansion (-$5000)
(If buisnessman, laboratory expansion II for -$10,000)
Other:FIEE will, within five years, launch into space an object capable of sending radio signals down to Earth.
The governement finds your designs quite promising, and grants you some extra funds. It's but a meager reward through. (+7 prestige)Look for someone (NPC) to lease laboratory space to on a two-year contract over the next two turns. (Non-binding, I might lease to another space agency instead.) ((Someone is willing to lease a single labratory space to you for 2500 a year. Obviously a ripoff))
Total expenses:$7000
($16,000 if businessman)
MARYLAND (Sorry, missed your turn till it was to late. Will do it later.)
Turn:Research: Communications relay for conveying ground to space to ground messages between Earth and Orbit.
Work on the communication sattelite progresses slowly.MARYLAND is interested in purchasing blueprints for a more stable thruster from another space agency. We will watch their research with interest.
Turn summery: research -1000.
Patrick O'Connor walked the factory floor where the men and women were still busy at work making bombers. That would keep the place open for now but it wouldn't last for much longer. He was scoping the place out for a different kind of manufacturing. He liked what he saw and met the Glenn Martin representative outside to tender an offer. The man was happy for the little that Patrick offered but wondering what this whole startup Patrick was organizing was about. "Y'all planning to start another war or something like that?" Patrick just shrugged "Yeah, something like that. So it's agreed then, January 1st 1947 this place changes hands." Inside the gears in Patrick's head were already turning, he had big plans for this factory.
[/quote]
PromisesFIEE: Radio transmittor by the end of 1951
Player name: Peter Fletcher
Archetype: Lobbyist
Funds: 5,000 (+1000)
Prestige: 0
Organisation Name: SPACE: Space Projects for Australian Commerce and Exploration (yes I know it's a recursive acronym)
Motto: Ad astra per ardua
Nation: Australia
Fuel
-Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter hight)
Thrusters
-Small thrusters Weight 100 kg,Failure chance 39.6%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000)[0][0.52][0][0][0.52]
Chassis
-Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters)
- Two floor labs (2 research thing. 1000 per research)
- Small launchpad (Max 10 meters)
- Small Mission Control (1 mission/ year)
-Small manufacturing and design factory (Design: 2000. Max 10 meters of rocket/year)
Expert Electrical Engineer: +40 (This would be a bonus to sattelites and stuff, and maybe even capsules)
Player Name: Samuel Wells
Archetype: Scientist
Funds:4,000 (+1000)
Organisation: NASA (I can't think up a better name.)
Motto: Lets screw with history
Nation: Japan (Bet you didn't expect that)
Fuel
-Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter hight)
Thrusters
-Small thrusters Weight 100 kg,Failure chance 50%, 1meter high, Can carry 2.1kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000)[0][0][0.85][0][0.85]
Chassis
-Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters)
Payload
-Solar pannels(555 kg) [0.72]
2 floor labs labs
Small launchpad
Small Mission Control
Small manufacturing and design factory
Special scientist old German propulsion scientist: + 40 Propulsion research
Sent in as part of the Marshal Plan, Well's job is quite simply to rebuild Japans research capacity, he hopes to ally with another space program to help with the space program.
Player name: Aleksander Sołtyk
Archetype: Scientist
Funds: 4.000 (+1000)
Organisation Name: P.C.I.S. (Poland CAN into Space)
Motto: Show the world what we can do.
Nation: Republic of Poland
Fuel
-Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter hight)
Thrusters
-Small thrusters Weight 100 kg,Failure chance 41.8%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000) 0][0.41][0][0][0.41]
Chassis
-Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters)
Payload
-Mechanical guidance system(212 kg, +5% Safety) [0.47]
Small Upgraded labs (+5 research bonus)
Small launchpad
Small Mission Control
Small manufacturing and design factory
Fuel production line: [Reduces price of fuel tanks with 50%]
After the WW2 Poland was in terrible financial state. That, and it was mostly rubble after Germans passed through it to the east and the Russians to the west. With most of the intellectual elite killed by one side or another it's luck that the Soviets could even find people to make puppets from.
I myself returned from Britain hoping for a sovereign Homeland. Having worked for PZL before the war I have continued working for aerospace
engineering industry during the war and after it.
The state representatives approached me and few others to create a small space program. We were to build a rocket or two and send them into space. It was to be something to show to the people, you see, a national pride thing. I believe they wanted to wrap the project up fast, but we are men of science and will use any opportunity to research the world that surrounds us.
If I must I will FIGHT the bureaucrats for funding, I won't let MY... our project to die, this is a great chance for this country.
The facilities are state owned, some kind of proving grounds... The 'labs' are humble barracks, for the design and manufacture we will have to depend on Centralne Studium Samolotów (Central Aircraft Studies) for now. They get even worse funding than us but they have some great men there. I will need to procure some better equipment, get more professional facilities built, but for now it will have to suffice.
We've got some german equipment from our 'comrades'. Will have to get some guys to dismantle it and reverse engineer its workings.
Player name: Apostolos Urian
Archetype: Lobbyist
Funds: 5.000 (+1000)
Organisation Name: PSI(Preeminent Space Investigation)
-Motto: Fly Higher, Fly Faster
-Nation: Greece
Fuel storage - Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter height)
Propulsion - Small thrusters Weight 100 kg,Failure chance 50%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000) 0][0][0][0][0]
- Medium Thrusters Weight 200 kg, Failure chance 10%, 1 meter high, Can Carry 2.15 kg weight to LEO per liter fuel (2.75 max capable) Max fuel use: 1500
Chassis - Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters) []
- Small labs (1 research/year for $1000)
- Small launchpad (Max rocket height of 10m)
- Small Improved Mission Control (1 launch/year, +5 Safety)
- Small manufacturing and design factory: (Can build rockets, can design new rockets ($2000 + cost))
-a V2 rocket(may be reverse-engineered for low-level components, but not launched) (Below is an overview of the info you can get out of the parts)
-Basic radiocontrol direction system [3.0]
-Medium warhead [2.0]
-Upgraded Chassis(14 meter) [3.00]
-Upgraded Medium engine [4.00]
-Upgraded fuel tank [2.00]
Greece was heavily occupied during the Second World War, and though they lost much to famine and heavy-handed oppression, they have begun to resurge with a vengeance, and recent caches of German equipment found unmolested in store-houses across the country have been a great help in that regard. While most of these were sold off, a disarmed v2 rocket has sparked interest in the myriad possibilities of rocketry, propelling Greece into the space race.
Player name: Haggis-Bob The Bearded
Archetype: Lobbyist
Funds: 5.000 (+1000)
Prestige: 0
Organisation Name: H.A.G.G.I.S. (Heaven's Awesome Gentlemens' Great Intelligence Society)
-Motto: Up, up, and away! And back!
-Nation: Scotland!
Fuel
-Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter hight)
Thrusters
-Small thrusters Weight 100 kg,Failure chance 45%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000) 0][0.24][0][0][0.24]
Chassis
-Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters)
-2 Floor labs (1 research/year for $1000)
-Small launchpad (Max rocket height of 10m)
-Small Mission Control (1 launch/year)
-Small manufacturing and design factory (Can build rockets, can design new rockets ($2000 + cost)
-Special People:
-Expert Thruster Scientist (+40)
-Special thingy:
-Nuthing
Player name:Javier
Archetype:scientist
Funds: 4.000
Organization: S.M.F.(supermagicalfuntime)
-Motto: No one builds 'em better than us!
-Nation: Nicaragua
- Fuel[ Storage - Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter height)
Propulsion - Small thrusters Weight 100 kg, Failure chance 41.4%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000) 0][0.43][0][0][043]
- Medium Thrusters Weight 200 kg, Failure chance 30%, 1 meter high, Can Carry 2.15 kg weight to LEO per liter fuel (2.75 max capable) Max fuel use: 1500
Chassis - Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters)
- - -Small labs (+5)
-Small launchpad
-Small Mission Control
-Small manufacturing and design factory
- - mathematician(German) (What do you want to do with this one.)
-Special thingy:
-none yet
Player name: Medoro Marceau
Archetype: Bussinesman
Funds: 5.870(+1870)
Prestige:7
Organisation Name: French Institute for Extraterrestrial Exploitation (FIEE)
-Motto: Étendre l'influence de l'humanité (Expanding humanity's influence)
-Nation: France
Fuel[ Storage
- Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter height)
Propulsion
- Small thrusters Weight 100 kg, Failure chance 50%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000)
Chassis
- Single stage hull(61 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters) [0.88]
- 3 floor labs (3 research/year for $1000)
- Small launchpad (Max rocket height of 10m)
- Small Mission Control (1 launch/year)
- Small manufacturing and design factory: (Can build rockets, can design new rockets ($2000 + cost))
Expert structural scientist (Chassis, fuel tanks, maybe armor).
Initial bonus: Expert Chassis scientist (+40)
[/spoiler]
Player name: Patrick FitzConnor
Archetype: Businessman
Funds: 20.100(+1100)
Prestige:0
Organisation Name: Making Aeronautic Research Yield Lasting And New Development (MARYLAND)
-Motto: Large Rockets, Gentle Words
-Nation: US/Maryland
Fuel[ Storage
- Small fuel tank ( 125 liters of liquid fuel per meter height)
Propulsion
- Small thrusters Weight 100 kg, Failure chance 50%, 1meter high, Can carry 2kg of weight to LEO per liter fuel, Max fuel use: 1000)
Chassis
- Single stage hull(75 kg weight per meters high, max 10 meters)
Payload
-Communication sattelite (1111 kg, 1 year lifetime) [0.36]
- Small labs (1 research/year for $1000)
- Small launchpad (Max rocket height of 10m)
- Small Mission Control (1 launch/year)
- Small manufacturing and design factory: (Can build rockets, can design new rockets ($2000 + cost))
Manufacturing base (-20% rocket price)
The US was the hardest hit country by the Great Depression and it took many long years for the country to finally recover. WWII meant hardship but it also meant economic boom times so many were afraid of what would happen when the war ended and the military industries were shut down. The MARYLAND project was a response to these fears, the intent was to repurpose the extensive bomber factories and naval yards in the state of Maryland to peacetime uses. The purpose eventually settled on was space exploration, starting with the launch of communication satellites to quickly send messages between the US and Europe.
The main advantage the MARYLAND brings to the table is the extensive steelworking and aeronautic industries around Baltimore. In wartime the Glenn Martin company produced the B-26 Marauder bomber. With wartime contracts drying up the government has provided startup capital to acquire these factories at fire sale prices. The project is headed by Patrick FitzConnor, a man who has spent years working for the Glenn Martin company and has served as a US Senator.