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[Haspen]

The 21st Century saw the Great Pacific War, Continental War, and the Luna Rebellion decimate the humanity. But once the mankind recovered from the brink of ruin, they have ventured into the space to find new home, new riches, new peace.

In the early 22nd Century, the Asian Co-Prosperity Federation, Pan-American Alliance and the Greenwich Union have finally put away their differences and signed the United Earth Parliament Charter, establishing the first truly united Earth government. Not long afterwards, Dr.Volonsky's team published their papers on Trans-Newtonian Theory.

A new era of exploration has begun, called the Star Era, numbered with the foundation of the first colony on Delta Seprentis b. 25 years later, the centralized government of UEP is having trouble with keeping the peace; the outlying colonies are far away, the police force inadequate, and smugglers and pirates rampant, preying on the defenseless liners and slow-moving cargo ships.

On Stardate 24.9, the United Earth Parliament ratified the charter that allowed for creation of Ship Design Bureau - the directorate responsible for design, construction and testing of new prototype starships that shall keep the peace.

Because only peace and prosperity awaits the mankind in space...

Right?

Name: Bureau Director's name
Name's Occupation: Politician, Financier, Designer
Bureau's Bonus: Finances, Prototype Warship, Secret Science, Infrastructure

Something akin to SPAMKIGNDOM, but instead of interstellar conquest, we will sit at a desk and direct the mankind's technological progress.

When it comes to spaceships, that's it.

[VoidSlayer]

Name: Nikolas Orion
Nikolas' Occupation: Financier
Bureau's Bonus: Secret Science

How an orphan from the lunar conflict became a wealthy investor is a fascinating story, but not the one told today.

[Haspen]

Stardate 25.0

You are Nikolas Orion!

The luna conflict did not deter you from pursuing your dream, and you became a financier, but your ties to spacefaring businesses made you prime candidate for Director of UEPSD Bureau. Thanks to this, you will be able to better manage the Bureau's finances.

Spoiler: Technologies so far (click to show/hide)

Engine Tech: Trans-Newtonian Subspace Drives
"The first drives that utilize Subspace Jump Nodes to traverse from one chartered star system to another. They often overheat and are prone to breakdowns, necessitating months-long repairs."
---

Thruster Tech: Ion Thrusters
"Good ol' ion thrusters used for spaceship propulsion within star systems and during combat. Bulky, heavy and rather costly, mainly due to scarcity and price of xenon gas."
---

Hull Tech: Tritanium Alloy Plating
"An alloy of Duranium (Z-126) and Titanium (Z-22) rolled in large honeycombed plates covering external hulls of space-faring vessels. Tritanium provides excellent protection against micrometeorites and small pieces of debris, and not much else."
---

Energy Tech: 200kW Lasers
"Laser arrays with power output around 200 kilowatts. Such lasers can rapidly puncture and overheat the targeted vessel's components, although this has lesser effect the larger the target is."
---

Kinetic Tech: Railguns
"A gun in which electromagnetic force launches high velocity projectiles made of conductive materials. The impact of such projectiles causes potentially extreme damage to the target, without need for explosives."
---

Comms Tech: Radio
"Subspace eludes scientists' attempts to propel information through the Nodes without the need for the whole Jump-capable ship to accompany the information storages. For now, light-speed radio transmission is the best we can do."
---

Very quickly you're given permission to learn some interesting science secrets - the Parliament has been, on its own, funding some research projects away from the gaze of the public. Their scientists were on verge of discovering new Communications, Kinetic Weapons and Engine technologies.

Spoiler: Ship Design (click to show/hide)

TYPE: Battleship/Cruiser/Corvette/Science
SIZE: Small/Medium/Large/Huge

Anti-Fighter Capability (AFC): Flak guns and other short-rage weapons allowing the vessel to defend itself better against enemy fighter and bomber craft.
Hull Strength (HLS): How long the vessel can last during space battles.
Long Range Operations (LRO): Vessel's capability of performing long-range missions without the need to resupply and re-arm.
Manuverability (MAN): Ability to perform more complicated maneuvers during space combat.
Primary Batteries (PRB): Heavy-duty armament, mostly used to duel enemy warships.
Secondary Armament (SAR): Smaller cannons, railguns and laser batteries, helpful in battlefield control and attacking smaller targets, like freighters or defense installations.
Science Capability (SCC): Communications, sensors, subspace navigation, ECM and ECCM, and other such systems.

====

Stellar-class Cruiser

Traits: Civilian Conversion

Total built/converted: 6
In-service: 3 (UEPC Procyon, UEPC Barnard UEPC Sirius)

TYPE: Cruiser
SIZE: Small

AFC: 1
HLS: 2
LRO: 2
MAN: 1
PRB: 0
SAR: 2
SCC: 1
Total: 9

---

Your Bureau must work quickly - the only 'cruiser', if it can be called, is a big armed merchant ship class converted into railgun-toting warship. No doubt the Parliament wants its fledging navy to be made of something much more substantial.

Spoiler: Budget (click to show/hide)

INCOME:

Parliament Funding: 80 M.Credits
Outsourcing: -
Other: -

EXPENSES:

Research: -
Infrastructure Maintenance: 30 M.Credits
Prototype Maintenance: -
Salaries: 6.4 M.Credits

BALANCE:

Stardate 25.0: 80 M.Credits
Stardate 26.0: 123.6 M.Credits

Vice-Director explains that the budget is mostly determined by Parliament's funding. Currently, the Bureau is not allowed to earn money on itself, but maybe in the future...

It would be wise to set-up everything before we let the people work on whatever you tell them to do!

Which at the moment means you gotta tell people what to research. Half of the money you allocate will be used to pursue a specific technology breakthrough, the other half to continue research in the other fields.

How much money?

A) 15 M.Credits
B) 30 M.Credits
C) 40 M.Credits

Which Tech?

A) Engines!
B) Thrusters!
C) Hull!
D) Energy!
E) Kinetic!
F) Comms!

[The Canadian kitten]

B,A

[Happerry]

B, A

[Haspen]

You allocate moderate amount of funds to pursue Engine technology.

Stardate 25.1

Not much happens except an increase of worrying TV reports; apparently, there has been increase in piracy and civil disorder in Ross 128, Anser and Beta Corvi colonies. These are some of the largest yet furthest of UEP colonies out there...

Stardate 25.2

You receive a coded message from the Parliament.

The Bureau is ordered to design a Small-size Cruiser, with relatively high marks in Anti-Fighter Capability and Long-Range Operations by Stardate 25.4 and they want a Prototype flying and tested before Stardate 25.7.

You gather the heads of your Bureau's departments.

Chief Designer Yaqub Al-Fadil: "Finally, some work to do besides drawing up engine chambers. We will have a design ready in less than one-zero, Director."

Yard Director Alexander W.Orff: "Our drydocks in orbit of Titan are currently empty, so unless you skip on the proper budgeting, I believe we can have the Prototype flying before the second half of Stardate 25 hits. If anything happens, the crew is ready for adjustments and repairs."

Science Director Efa Volantis: "We're not that far from finding a way to improve the Subspace Drives. If we postpone the design and construction a little bit, we might incorporate the new drives into the Prototype and test it as well, scoring two birds with one stone, as you Earthlings say."

A) "That is an interesting proposal, Mrs.Volantis, but I would rather not fail the deadline on our very first project. No delays!"
B) "I believe Mrs.Volantis' has a good idea, but I think we need more time for that, right? We will return to this after I meet with the Parliament to discuss deadline move first."
C) "Great idea, Mrs.Volantis. We shall postpone the design until your scientists are done."

[The Canadian kitten]

B

[King Zultan]

B

[mightymushroom]

B

[Haspen]

You postpone your decision until you get the Parliament to do some deadline move done.

1

That fails quite effectively, and you're now being considered for replacement as your proposal so early at start of the Bureau has greatly undermined your reputation and the MP's belief in your capabilities as Bureau's Director.

You call in another meeting with the department heads. "That didn't go as planned."

"Therefore..."

A) "We must take risks and wait for Dr.Volantis' team to finish their research!"
B) "We must get to working on that cruiser design, pronto!"

[mightymushroom]

B

[Kashyyk]

B - Best get to work then

[The Canadian kitten]

B

[Haspen]

You tell the departments' heads that work is to commence on the design. You remind them it must be good for long range operations and be able to successfully fight against numerous small craft.

Stardate 25.3

5

Doesn't take long for your people to come up with a proper design!

Spoiler: Cruiser Design 001 (click to show/hide)

Design name: Oceanic

TYPE: Cruiser
SIZE: Small

Projected Marks:

AFC: 3
HLS: 2
LRO: 4
MAN: 2
PRB: 0
SAR: 2
SCC: 2
Total: 15

---

"What do we have here?" You ask, and Chief Designer explains.

"We did our best in such a short time. AFC and LRO marks are as high as we could get them with current technology and miniaturization of electronic equipment."

"No main armament?"

"None." The Chief Designer murmurs. "We thought it would be more efficient to install several miniature railguns across port and starboard than a big one in front." You wonder if the Parliament accepts a design without some big guns on a Cruiser...

A) "Time to begin construction of the Prototype!"
B) "Actually, I think we need more in... (specify Mark types to increase)"

[mightymushroom]

Um . . . is this a points budget thing where we have to meet a certain total size criteria, or do we just keep throwing things on and hope we can afford to build it?