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[evictedSaint]

Plan Completion

1 die to the Lesser European Swallow

4 dice saved

[Jerick]

So what do people think of these

Increasingly the battles of this war have been decided by a brave few in the sky. Bombs, artillery spotting and recon; these things win battles. Yet the sky crusaders are relegated to an auxiliary service. We are not included in the decisions of high command and often have to guess at the intents of the army's generals and the strategic aims of high command. We could be much more effective with greater communication and our input and experience on how best to use our aircraft could be invaluable to you. As such I would like to formally submit a request that the Sky Crusaders be promoted from an auxiliary service into an autonomous corps so that the Sky Crusaders can offer more to the general war effort.

The removal of half the maintenance costs of our balloons would significantly help us in building more aircraft. However, there are concerns about the erosion of Sky Crusader authority over the air force. These concerns are vocal enough to halt any such deal but I suspect these fears of eroding authority could be squashed if the army supports our push to be promoted to an autonomous corps. With those concerns dealt with it'll be easy to give you control of balloon deployment in exchange for half of the maintenance costs. I look forward to hearing from you again.

The armed forces council gives us a chance to lobby for more authority and I vote we take that opportunity.

[Cnidaros]

Just to clarify the council event, you can talk to them back-and-forth multiple times within this phase and argue over whatever proposals you want to make. So it's not a one-time message sort of thing.

[Jerick]

Just to clarify the council event, you can talk to them back-and-forth multiple times within this phase and argue over whatever proposals you want to make. So it's not a one-time message sort of thing.

Cool. Still, think I want other people's opinions before I 'send' the messages.

Anyway since the army is looking to claim some authority over our balloons how about we do something I think our enemies will not expect and claim some authority over the ground and hopefully set a precedent for us deciding where anti-aircraft defenses are deployed.

This vehicle is a converted civilian vehicle. The requirements for the civilian vehicle are simple, it must be as cheap as possible, very stable when parked and it has to have some off-road capabilities. The back of the vehicle be it a tractor pulling a cart or the bed of a truck mounts four linked bolt machine guns linked to a single trigger. This mounting is designed to allow for full 360 rotation and a maximum elevation angle of 85 degrees. This truck is meant to engage enemy aircraft as a mobile AA platform

[piratejoe]

Squire 3, will preform Defensive Patrols over the Basselton defensive, if no aircraft Balloon Busting/coastal defense.

Sad that they didn't actually do any sort of coastal defense against the enemy raids. Oh well.

Anyway, I would rather go for plan Completion. That way we can go revision things, like proper tracer ammo since the Kols are now getting a bit to accurate for my liking. Could also spend a revision on making the Barnett lighter without reducing the power, which would be useful.

Either way, no mater what we do we should get another Swallow and spend the remaining 5 pp on either upgrades to our Emu's or something else...

Also willing to provide ace names if needed Cnidaros.

[ConscriptFive]

Speaking of the air defense truck, I've been sitting on a project proposal for next turn.  The "Ox Slayer" .60 cal air-cooled heavy machine gun.  Tanks aren't a thing yet, so it'll be years before we could requisition anything like it.  We could pitch that as part of our bartering package for both the army and navy.  "And as our first act as an autonomous corps, we shall develop a state-of-the-art heavy machine gun.  This deadly weapon system will be available for our army and navy brothers."

[piratejoe]

Alternatively we could just design a tank for the army (or navy by calling them land ships just for bureaucratic nightmare) if we want. Of course it probably wouldn't be useful for more than a laugh unless it actually makes the army better, but would be amusing...

[evictedSaint]

I feel like we are dangerously out of scope.

Maybe we should focus on airplane stuff.

[piratejoe]

I wasn't really serious if it wasn't obvious, however I will admit that a fancy new machine gun wouldn't be bad.

[Sensei]

Jokes about us building tanks aside, I'm looking for things we can do to sweeten the deal with the army. They aren't happy about us constantly requesting equipment from them, and we probably need their approval to become an autonomous military corps. We have our Barnett engines, which they really could use to make a tank, or a variety of land vehicles. I propose we give them the design to our engines. Maybe even say they'll be guaranteed to have access to our future engine designs.

If it's possible, I'd even be willing to spend a PP providing an engine and funding to some army engineer to create a Barnett-powered truck (maybe even with some armor hastily slapped on) for army trials. That should show them the benefits of sharing technology go both ways.

We're thankful for the Army's assistance in acquiring technology such as the Bolt Machinegun which is a staple of our armaments, among other things. Now that we're becoming established, we'd like to show our worth by giving back. I present, the Barnett 1915 V12, a twelve-cylinder motor producing two-hundred horses of power. Yes! Imagine the weight two-hundred horses could pull on the battlefield, all attached to one wagon. I think you will find it adequate to power any truck or tractor to great speed, with the right transmission- even if it were covered in armor, even if you towed your heaviest artillery carriage behind it, or a dozen men and a whole crate of bullets. This could be yours and more, as time goes on I believe the Sky Crusaders will continue to produce the most powerful engines seen outside of ships, and maybe other useful inventions too.

Please accept this sample engine for your trials, as a token of our appreciation and good will.

Initially I wanted to make a quip about us "getting off the ground" but I think the muckboots might actually take offense to that.

Also, Plan Completion suits me fine, except I hate to let an opportunity to requisition equipment go to waste. I suggest we request from the Navy a light quick-firing cannon, of the sort they might have on decks as a defensive weapon. While I don't think we'll use it in the short term, it would be nice to have around if the Kols make an aircraft that needs a lot of extra firepower to kill, or maybe even if we want to make a WWI gunship with the cannon facing downwards.

[Cnidaros]

Squire 3, will preform Defensive Patrols over the Basselton defensive, if no aircraft Balloon Busting/coastal defense.

Sad that they didn't actually do any sort of coastal defense against the enemy raids. Oh well.

They were busy trying to save all the Sky Eyes from being shot down! They didn't do that very well, but hey, they did their best, and that's what matters.

AA trucks and tanks are possible to build, although the latter may be very difficult.

If it's possible, I'd even be willing to spend a PP providing an engine and funding to some army engineer to create a Barnett-powered truck (maybe even with some armor hastily slapped on) for army trials. That should show them the benefits of sharing technology go both ways.

This is also possible!

For proposals to the council, I'm going to need two votes to agree on passing a proposal along to them, so someone needs to second Jerick's and Sensei's proposals. Voting against is also allowed, if you feel that the proposal isn't in the best interests of the Verusan Sky Crusaders. Nothing is formalised until the very end of this turn, where there'll be a yes/no vote on all the final agreements to sign them.

[piratejoe]

I presume you don't need ace names then. Anyway, we probably should just vote for putting the single die we need into the Swallow.

Plan Completion (2) eS, Piratejoe

[ConscriptFive]

The easy part...

Plan Completion (3) eS, Piratejoe, ConscriptiveFive

War Council MadLibs

Autonomy Request (1) ConscriptFive
-for-Balloons to Artillery Corps (1) ConscriptFive
-for-AD Truck to Army (0)
-for-Ox Slayer .60 cal HMG Pledge (1) ConscriptFive
-for-V12 Army Motors Partnership (1) ConscriptFive

No to Autonomy: Keep Current Status (0)

Navy Req: QF Cannon (0)

NO REQ THIS TURN (1) ConscriptFive

I think that covers what's out there.  As much as a QF cannon would be nice to have in the workshop, the phase we're demanding autonomy seems like the worst possible time to still be begging for hardware.  Hence why I put down a No Req vote.

I voted for the HMG as that's something I think we should develop anyways and it's a system both services could appreciate.  I also voted for Sensei's V12 offer as that also seems like a reasonable barter.  The balloons is a no brainer, though I'd push the narrative argument that the VSC is aiming to be a winged service, and that lighter-than-air equipment is served better by becoming organic to the Artillery Corps.  Kinda like how the USAF ceded rotary-wing (helicopters) to the other services to claim autonomy as the fixed-wing branch.

Speaking of autonomy, could we get a GM clarification on the concept further?  A bigger budget would be nice, but a more micromanage-able strategy phase seems like a voting headache.  Is that improved budget more dice or just more PP?  Also, how would our elevated status affect requisitions (are we entitled to better hand-me-downs or expected to grow up and move out of the basement so to speak)?

[Cnidaros]

Speaking of autonomy, could we get a GM clarification on the concept further?  A bigger budget would be nice, but a more micromanage-able strategy phase seems like a voting headache.  Is that improved budget more dice or just more PP?  Also, how would our elevated status affect requisitions (are we entitled to better hand-me-downs or expected to grow up and move out of the basement so to speak)?

Yes, if the VSC are successfully raised to the status of being an Autonomous Corps, there will be a budget increase. You won't be getting any new options in the strategy phase for the autonomous corps level. Instead, the army and navy will share longer-term plans with you at the end of every battle report, beyond just "here's what we're going to do next month". It's the status of being a Service Branch that will allow further options in directing the army and navy in joint offensives.

The improved budget is just more PP.

Elevated status will mean that you do get better equipment from requisitions, but relations with the army and navy will deteriorate faster from making multiple requisitions, as you're expected to be developing your own things. So it's a kind of double-edged sword, and you'll want to make fewer, but well-chosen requisitions instead of one every turn.

[Thanik]

Barnett 1916 V12 'Swallow' Engine
Inspired by the advanced aircraft that was the Lesser European Swallow, Johannes Barnett revisited his old engine - now the staple of the Verusan Sky Crusaders leading aircraft - and set out to utilize his genius once more to improve upon it, so as to upgrade the existing engines in these aircraft without increasing the size, cost or reliability of the engine itself. To achieve this, he set out to raise the engine's RPM and torque by tampering with the camshaft's lobe and lift duration and by raising the compression ratio of the engine, bringing the engine up to between 280 and 300 hp. If necessary, cost can be shifted up slightly, but the engine must remain compatible with all airframes utilizing it and keep it's reliability.

Incandescent Ammunition Revision
Given the enemy's notable use of bright ammunition to guide pilots while firing, the VSC seeks out similar cartridges in two forms - relatively short ranged (350-400 m) 'incendiary' rounds, filled with magnesium and phosphorous, which are set to burn furiously upon being fired and meant to turn the target ablaze, and 'guide' rounds, with a magnesium and aluminium oxide powder at the base, meant to allow the pilot to lead their shot more effectively. Upon completion, these munitions should be used alongside ball rounds in mixed belts, with one guide round every five rounds, and one tracer every two, in the following order.

Code: [Select]

BALL - BALL - INC - BALL - TRACER - INC - BALL - BALL - INC - TRACER - ...
Lesser European Swallow Maneuverability Improvements
Given the relatively sub-par performance of the Lesser European Swallow in terms of maneuverability, the needless bracing is removed and time is devoted to testing the airframe and tweaking it's control surfaces so as to result in a much more responsive aircraft.