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[Sensei]

Welcome, Bay12, to Armories of Valturia.
Your goal is join an arms company, design weapons, and sell them for a profit. The most successful company will be recognized as the official national armory of Valturia.

It is 1910, and as is tradition, this Arms Race takes place in the real world, except with a bunch of extra, fictional nations squeezed in. Machine guns are bulky and water-cooled, automatic loading pistols are a recent novelty, and armies are expected to fight in open fields at great range with firing lines of riflemen. The world has not experienced the first world war (though it will soon) and most generals know battle as a chess game of daring charges and clever pincers which has not changed much since Napoleon's time. Most armies have not even considered the opportunities of mechanization.

These people will be your clients, and your business will be in selling small arms of your own make: everything from pistols and shotguns to heavy machineguns and possibly cannons, and all sorts of weapons in between. Not only must your products be good, they must also appeal to the taste of generals who are deciding how to equip their armies.

Valturia, land of iron. The country sits in a tiny region of defensible, metal-rich mountains, but it was once the seat of a wide empire. Long ago, when the empire crumbled into civil war, Valturia avoided destruction by signing a treaty which guaranteed her independence, but forbade her from going to war with any of her many bordering nations and former vassals, no matter how small or weak. For hundreds of years, the tiny nation has been a hub of cultures from across the former empire, famously neutral in wars but incapable of any greater ambitions. However, the treaty said nothing about selling arms.

It is now the 20th century, and His Majesty Narvik II has hatched a scheme. The tools of war have grown more powerful, terrifying, and most of all, expensive. If the British empire's armies can defeat enemies ten times their number by using machine guns, then perhaps it is not armies, but weapons which now win wars. Valturia may remain neutral, but still shape the nations around her, by providing weapons to favored factions. Failing that, the country could stand to bring in a whole lot of money. There are three companies in Valturia which have produced weapons, and all of them will receive funding from the crown to expand and fulfill military contracts.

You will join one of these companies, but don't click the links for them until you've decided which you want to join. The plans made by each company are confidential.

Behrens is located in the northwest of Valturia, and their primary product is pocket watches and clocks. They produced some pistols under license from a foreign design in the last few years, which is the extent of their involvement in the arms business. They are known for extremely precise, hand-finished machining. Behrens starts with 60 credits.

Fabrique Riviere originated as a lumber mill and furniture company, and began selling cap-lock shotguns, and later, breech-loading rifles. These are widely regarded on the foreign market as a plague of cheap, mass-produced rubbish, but the quality of the wooden stocks is decent. However antiquated, this means there is already a complete assembly line in place for guns. FR starts with 55 credits.

Prykanbul Manufacturing is owned by a family whose origins are in the furthest east of Valturia's former empire, and there are rumors that their patriarch is wanted for crimes in the old country. Their trade is in metalwork, of common hardware and horseshoes but most famously swords. At one point in the past they manufactured muskets, but this production ceased as firearms became more complicated. The sword business continues on a small scale, and the quality of their blades makes them sought-after. Prykanbul starts with 65 credits.

For quick discussion of the game, there is also a Discord server. There are private text channels for each company.

The Rules

This is essentially an Arms Race game, you design weapons and compete with the other companies. However, instead of taking your weapons to battle for territory and resources, you will have your weapons tested by armies who will decide which they wish to purchase, and if you win the contract, you will gain money.

Turns take place in a two or three phases, and each turn represents the passage of a year.

Drawing Phases:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There are two primary actions which take place during the drawing phase:

Design a new product from scratch.

Revise an existing product design.

Both of these are explained in greater detail later, but they are the bulk of your activity in the game. You may also have opportunities to spend money in other ways, such as upgrading your factory, and that will take place in this phase. While there is no hard limit to the number of designs or revisions you may make in a turn, they become increasingly expensive if you do multiple in one turn. During the drawing phase you may start as many designs or revisions as you can afford. There is a second drawing phase, where you may do this again, if you wish. This allows you to make a revision or a new design once you know the results of your first phase, if you wish, but you can of course pass as well.

Bidding Phase:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

After you've completed (or passed) both action phases, it will be time to bid on contracts. Normally, you can bid on no more than two contracts each turn. For each contract, you must choose what item you are submitting, as well as the price. Once all companies have submitted their bids, the testing phase can begin.

Testing Phase:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Clients field-test each gun which is submitted, and choose their favorite to fulfill their contract. You'll receive a report on your gun, and how happy the client was (or wasn't) with it. During this phase, it may be common for previously unknown flaws to be discovered. Take note that I did not say clients choose "the best" gun. In addition to having unique circumstances and requirements, clients take into account price (coming in under-budget is always appreciated) and their own personal biases. Some clients may have opinions about military doctrine which range from antiquated to objectively wrong. This phase is where I have to do the bulk of the writing, so expect to wait a bit.

End of Turn:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A few things happen at the end of the turn. First, you spend money on assembly lines if necessary. If you've won two contracts, you may actually only be able to fulfill one contract, so you must choose which. You also choose whether to build an assembly line or re-tool an existing one. Next, assembly lines, including ones just created, assemble a batch of firearms if there is a buyer, and you receive the profits in time to start the next turn. If you are building a new assembly line from scratch, you might not turn a profit immediately.

Lastly, a set of new contracts will be posted. Contracts which weren't fulfilled last turn may or may not reappear. In addition to your profits, you receive Prestige (victory points). In 1940, the company with the most Prestige will win the game.

Designs and Revisions

This is the main thing you will do in this game! Having a better design than your opponents means you can win contracts. Designs are phrased narratively. Simply describe the sort of weapon you would like to design. You may have goals in mind ("must not cost more than 20 credits per batch"), but most of all you must have shape and method of operation ("magazine-fed simple blowback pistol"). You may also wish to specify construction methods- for example, a cast receiver is cheaper than one milled from a block. Extremely specific detail might be subject to change during the actual designing of the gun.

Revisions work just like designs, except they modify an existing design instead of creating something from scratch. Common examples would be redesigning an existing gun in a different caliber, fixing a flaw in a gun, or changing features like the sights or stock. You could also try to simply make it cheaper or more reliable. If you design a new ammunition cartridge, you will need to spend a revision on it.

There is an additional stipulation from His Majesty: Because it would be very advantageous for Valturia to have influence over supplies of ammunition, you may only use domestic ammunition, not pre-existing cartridges from other countries. Therefore, you will have to design your own cartridges most of the time, unless you can license one from the other Valturian companies.

Designs and revisions cost money! Each dice roll has a price depending on how many you do in the turn: each costs 10 Credits, times the number of items before it. IE the first costs 10, the second costs 20, the third costs 30 etc. Designs also cost a flat 10 Credits more (this system makes designs more expensive without making it so that the order in which you do them matters).

Designs and revisions involve a dice roll: 2d4 will be rolled, producing a number between 2 and 8 with an average of 5. They also have a difficulty, in the form of a bonus or penalty.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Results:

1 or less: You cannot make a working example on schedule.
2-3: The weapon has significant design flaws or missing features.
4: The weapon has some minor flaws.
5: The weapon performs exactly as desired, or required only minor compromises.
6-7: The weapon is a strong example of performance, reliability, or both.
8 or more: You stumble on a design which is particularly clever, performing beyond expectations in some way.

These are somewhat approximate! There may also be flaws inherent to a weapon's design even if everything goes as planned, or hidden manufacturing issues which appear later.

Difficulty:
+3: An extremely simple task.
+2: A very familiar design.
+1: A design which is familiar to you or already common on the market.
+0: Average.
-1: A design which is ahead of its time.
-2: A design which is very complicated, ahead of its time, or both.
-3: A design which stretches the limits of your capabilities.
-4: A design which it's unlikely anyone in the current era could make, such as relying on materials which are not readily available.

Notice that the difficulty of a design makes a big difference! Determining the actual difficulty is more art than science. As a rule of thumb however, consider similar historical guns, and your previous design portfolio. For example, submachineguns in this era are typically not very reliable, so they're difficult to make. However, if you have already made a semiautomatic pistol with a similar function it will be less difficult. If you've made a submachinegun already and are making a second attempt, it will be much less difficult, even if the first was bad.

Assembly Lines

Designing a weapon is only half the battle! Actually building it requires an investment into an assembly line. You start with one assembly line and His Majesty will fund the initial tooling. You also have space for a second assembly line. Starting a new assembly line costs 50 credits. Retooling an assembly line to make a different design costs 10 credits. Changing to a revision of the same design is free. This means it is much more cost effective to sell a gun you have already designed than make an entirely new one for a contract. It also means that you can switch between different revisions as often as you like, so you can do something like offering automatic or semi-automatic versions of the same gun.

Assembly lines make one batch of a weapon per turn, if there are buyers. If your contract specifies multiple batches, then it will keep an assembly line occupied for multiple turns. Later in the game, the civilian market will be available: retailers will buy weapons which are legal to sell to civilians, but at a small margin, as they take a cut.

If you have won a contract and are starting an assembly line, it will be assembled and produce its first batch immediately. If you have won multiple contracts, you have to choose whether to build an additional assembly line, or only to fulfill one contract.

Prestige

The game will end in 1940. Every contract has Prestige points associated with it, and the company with the most prestige at the end of the game wins. Companies are not expected to go bankrupt.

Other Actions

There a few actions which don't follow a specific phase, but may be an option. If you run out of money, you may need to receive a grant from the crown. This does not need to be paid back, but will cost you Prestige. Alternatively, two companies may borrow or loan money at any terms agreeable to the both of them. Similarly, you may license designs, or offer the use of assembly lines. Licensed designs are added to your portfolio (possibly on limited terms) but do NOT grant experience as if you had designed it yourself. You may also use your assembly lines to produce weapons for another company, if they have won more contracts than they can fulfill, or won a contract which calls for multiple batches to be delivered at once. Again, this at a fee agreeable to both parties. It may also be possible to tamper with another company's design process or supply chain, but I'm sure none of you would do something so untoward, so we will not speak of this here.

1910 Contracts

These are the contracts available for the first year. You should design a weapon which suits one of them to submit.

The 4th Artillery Regiment of Ira is looking for officers' pistols. They are considering either revolvers or auto-loading pistols, but have made the particular request that the guns hold at least 7 cartridges. They also prefer the gun to fire a powerful round to as long a distance as a pistol can manage. Furthermore, they should look sharp. This is part of an officer's uniform after all, and it should command respect. They are willing to pay around 30 credits per batch, for 2 batches. 8 Prestige. Tip: Cost for an average revolver is around 15 credits, and an average semiautomatic is around 20 credits.

The Rutz Cavalry Legionnaires are looking for a carbine. It should be short, but still boast sufficient firepower to be a threat to enemy horses. More than anything however, it should be easy to wield and reload on horseback. Accuracy is not a primary concern, as the cavalry can ride close to their targets and shooting from horseback is imprecise at best. They are interested in purchasing 2 batches at 30 credits each. 6 Prestige. Tip: Cost for an average rifle is around 20 credits.

The City-State of Procino is interested in pistols for Royal Police. They say that the gun should be small, and slim profile. Semi-automatic is preferable. It will mostly be used at close range, but should be reliable. Appearance is of no concern- in fact, it will apparently be concealed most of the time. They are willing to pay around 25 credits per batch. 5 prestige.

The Vostoy Revolutionary Army is in desperate need of rifles. While they want a rifle which holds multiple rounds, is accurate to a long distance, and is reliable, they really want them to be cheap above all else. They will buy up to 4 batches, and possibly from multiple suppliers, but it should be cheap as possible. They're not willing to pay any more than 24 credits, and less is more. 3 prestige.

With these contracts in mind, choose a company to join and lead them to success. Design a weapon which these clients will find suitable- but remember, it must be MORE suitable than the competition's offers!

[Sensei]

Reserved

[Sensei]

Reserved

[TricMagic]

Behrens.

[chaotick21]

PTW

[Iris]

PTW

[UristMcRiley]

PTW

[Aseaheru]

 One fer Prykanbul Manufacturing.

[Screech9791]

Gonna roll a d6 to choose company; 1/2 will be Behrens, 3/4 will be FR, and 5/6 will be PM.

And I got a 1.

[Sensei]

Alright, time for a few announcements:

First off, no team has finished picking a design yet, so don't worry if you're not settled. As is usual for the start of the game, there's been a little confusion about what design descriptions need to include and that sort of thing, so I've posted in some of the threads to clarify as well.

Second, an error of mine: Fabrique Rivier does not start with a shotgun, they start with a trapdoor rifle, similar to a Springfield 1880. I forgot to correct the main thread OP when I was iterating these changes in the faction OP. Also to be clear, they do not start with an assembly line; they will build their first assembly line when they win a contract like everybody else.

Third, revisions. As in regular arms race, there has been some debate about what should constitute a revision as opposed to a new design. Because you will want to avoid re-tooling costs whenever possible, there is a lot of motivation to make revisions instead of designs for this game, so I should clarify in greater detail what constitutes a revision. When you make a design, you may if you wish think of it as platform for multiple products. However, every variant must share the basic action and, generally, at least more than half of the parts.

As a general rule, guns are first designed for their largest size of cartridge. You can't make the gun very much bigger without re-tooling everything. For smaller cartridges, you can bore a smaller barrel, but if the cartridge is much weaker this tends to be mean that the gun is larger and heavier than it needs to be for the cartridge.

Other than that, most revisions which alter the purpose of the gun should be accomplished with only a couple parts being changed: an alternate stock, a shorter or longer barrel, alternate sights or optics, offering the gun with or without decorative finish. Revisions such as this can create variations of a gun which you can offer to different clients.

The other kind of revisions are iterative revisions, which might affect all existing variations. The typical example of this is correcting a flaw which causes the action to be unreliable, or something of that nature. If you already offer a long and short barrel, for example, this alteration would affect both variants.

[Aseaheru]

 Are bayonets part of a firearms design, or do they need to be separate?
-edit-

Bayonets can be part of a design. They're not more complicated than, say, sights.
I mean you can just specify whether each gun you design has a bayonet, they're just a feature of the gun. If you want to have common bayonets be a selling point, you could specify that they all share a detachable bayonet mount design.

So, thats how that works then.

[Madman198237]

PTW, I guess.

Also I'm in Prykanbul if anyone cares.

[Sensei]

1910 Field Report

Alright- 1910 is coming to an end, and all three companies have their first (or first new, in Fabrique's case) weapon. First, the finances:

Behrens came up with a weapon they liked on their first try, so they still have 40 credits.

Spoiler: Catalog (click to show/hide)

-The 8mm Behrens cartridge. This is a near-imitation of 7.63mm Mauser used in the C96 pistol. It has a short round bullet, and the case is 25mm in length and rimless (making it suitable for use in magazines). It has a shoulder 5mm back from the bullet, which widens by 1.5mm.

-Behrens Semi-Automatic 'Valturia' Pistol: This is a pistol chambered in 8mm Behrens. It loads from detachable 8-round box magazines which are inserted to the bottom of the handle, and operates with a slide recoil system, in which the barrel lowers under the slide on two pins after traveling backwards a short distance. The slide extends behind the grip, and it is returned by two recoil springs which create a hip on other side of the gun along its length above the grip. Shells are ejected upwards to the right. The gun has a 90mm barrel and is a little more than twice that length overall, about 40mm of which is behind the grip. It features a thumb magazine release and notch sights on top of the slide, and a safety lever operated with the off hand. Every piece is milled and nicely finished in a mirror-smooth silver color, except patterned wooden grip plates. Costs 24 credits per batch.

Fabrique Riviere had to revise their weapon, they've got only 15 credits.

Spoiler: Catalog (click to show/hide)

-Riviere 11mm Cartridge: A rimmed cartridge with a center primer and pointed bullets. The case is 50mm in length, and straight. Not extremely powerful but decent ballistics thanks to its shape.

-Riviere 1885: A single-shot rifle, which loads from a trap-door breech, in which the breech block flips up above the barrel allowing a cartridge to be inserted. It has a large, visible hammer on the outside of the rifle which shows its percussion-cap origins, although it fires brass Rivier 11mm cartridges with a center primer. It has a traditional full wooden stock with very few extra fittings, except for a range-adjustable sight on a sliding rear track, with a front bead sight. Aside from the stock, quality of the parts is somewhat poor, although its simple design makes it reliable. Its achilles heel is that the hammer can easily be damage when the gun is dropped. By 1910 standards, range and accuracy are subpar. Costs 16 credits per batch.

-FR No. 1.b Carbine "Nouveau": This is a lever-action rifle, but instead of the traditional tube loader, it uses an internal magazine hidden in a hump in the wooden stock. This holds 5 rounds, and can be loaded from stripper clips. The lever mechanism also has some feed issues, it is slightly susceptible to pressure to the left or right and will often fail to chamber if it is not carefully moved straight-on. Once the cartridges are chambered, they at least fire as expected. Since nothing except the hammer moves when fired, it is as accurate as can be expected of the barrel, which is somewhat cheap. The moving parts are made from castings, and their simple design means they're not prone to binding, but they don't feel smooth. Feature wise, it's very simple with no extra safety, and has simple non-adjustable open sights, some checkered grip patterns on the stock, a brass butt plate and a sling attaching from the bottom. Costs 18 credits.

Prykanbul Manufacturing designed a new cartridge to go with their new gun, they have 25 credits.

Spoiler: Catalog (click to show/hide)

-Prykanbul Curved Sword: A curved sword with a round pommel and a large, flat blade. Rather heavy, but the blade is made of excellent steel and it keeps an edge even when clanging against lesser steel. Costs 25 credits per batch.

-The .48 Prykanbul Express rifle cartridge, a rimmed cartridge with a round bullet and straight case measuring 3 inches in length, making it wider and longer than an average rifle cartridge. Uses a somewhat antiquated powder formula which is slow-burning, so it benefits from a long barrel.

-Prykanbul Manufacturing 6x50mm Light Rifle Cartridge: A 6mm FMJ cartridge with a 50mm tapered and shouldered case. The case is semi rimmed, having both a small rim and an inset for the extractor to grab. The bullet itself is long and has a pointed shape, with a boat tail. The case is made of steel. It's a fairly high velocity round. -1 cost to guns using this.

-Prykanbul Manufacturing SR-6-10 6mm Short Rifle Model 1910: This is a bolt action rifle with a 22-inch barrel, making it between the typical length of a rifle or a carbine, and a full wooden stock. It has an internal magazine with a double-stack, single feed arrangement, which holds 7 rounds. It can be loaded from 7-round stripper clips, although these are slightly large and unwieldy. The bolt hand sits upward when the bolt is open and 90 degrees to the right when closed. The last notable feature is an aperture sight. The rear sight about 2cm in diameter, and a couple inches from where the user's cheek should sit. It is adjustable for elevation and windage with large thumb screws on the left, and top right. There is also a bayonet lug where a knife-type bayonet can be secured with another thumbscrew. Both the front and rear sight posts are tall, the front is 5cm above the barrel. The workmanship of the barrel and moving parts is average, it's reasonably accurate and feeds consistently. Costs 21 credits per batch.

Field Tests

The 4th Artillery Regiment of Ira is looking for officers' pistols. They are considering either revolvers or auto-loading pistols, but have made the particular request that the guns hold at least 7 cartridges. They also prefer the gun to fire a powerful round to as long a distance as a pistol can manage. Furthermore, they should look sharp. This is part of an officer's uniform after all, and it should command respect. They are willing to pay around 30 credits per batch, for 2 batches. 8 Prestige. Tip: Cost for an average revolver is around 15 credits, and an average semiautomatic is around 20 credits.

The sole entrant for this contract is the Behrens Semi-Automatic 'Valturia' Pistol at 30 credits:
"It definitely looks different. A real weapon fit for an officer! It's more curvy than lumpy like a lot of the pistols you can buy now, and the finish is exquisite. We also went through several magazines- by the way, those are nice. They might be expensive, but it's so much more convenient than loading from stripper clips or loading a revolver. Eight rounds is also a nice advantage over our old revolvers. On the shooting range, we found these were... accurate enough. They're just not as accurate as revolvers firing single-action, but then, what is? These cartridges are small though, and they don't give a ton of range. Despite this, the gun kicks like a mule too. In my opinion, I'd really love a long-barreled version. We also found they were reliable enough in our tests. We got a couple jams when firing fast, but they weren't hard to clear. We don't do mud tests or anything like that here- we keep our guns clean, we're not filthy people."
"For 30 credits, we'll take them!"

The Rutz Cavalry Legionnaires are looking for a carbine. It should be short, but still boast sufficient firepower to be a threat to enemy horses. More than anything however, it should be easy to wield and reload on horseback. Accuracy is not a primary concern, as the cavalry can ride close to their targets and shooting from horseback is imprecise at best. They are interested in purchasing 2 batches at 30 credits each. 6 Prestige. Tip: Cost for an average rifle is around 20 credits.

Fabrique Riviere offers the FR No. 1.b Carbine "Nouveau" at 28 credits.
"A lever-gun, and in rifle caliber. That's definitely a good start. In particular, these 11mm rounds look like they have the power I need to do my job. I don't appreciate the move to small calibers nowadays. The lever is easy to work on horseback, so I prefer it even it's what some might consider an antiquated design. They seem to shoot alright on the target range as well. On the other hand... the price is great, but it definitely feels cheaply made. The action feels... what was the word one of my officers used? Ah, crusty, that's a good way to put it. While it shoots alright, we had a little trouble in the horseback trials. I could take or leave the strippers, it's not a sure thing to get them in all at once when you're at a gallop so I might just insert single rounds anyway. But the real trouble was, I had it jam up when I tried to chamber a round a few times. It's finicky and seems to go wrong occasionally unless you're delicate with it, and to put it simply we are not delicate men and we are not doing a delicate job. I ended up cranking the lever a few times and wiggling it back and forth, which was a hit or miss thing between chambering the round and dropping it on the ground. So, I really like this gun but I'll have to consider it with the reliability issues."

Prykanbul Manufacturing offers the SR-6-10 6mm Short Rifle Model 1910 at 28 credits.
"This seems to be a pretty standard sort of rifle. I'm not seeing a lot of features that are tailored to us horse-soldiers though- except the bayonet, that I rather like. The bolt action is... fine, it runs smoothly enough. The seven round capacity is impressive for a magazine, although it's about the same as a tube-loader. I'm given to understand the big benefit of these magazines is that they can be loaded all at once with a stripper clip, but the 7-round clips are just unwieldy. I'm not fond of the sights either, they're big and complicated. On the upside, it definitely feeds every time."

It's not an easy decision, but I think we're going to have to go with the FR Carbine. Despite some quality issues, it's much more of a proper cavalry weapon.

The City-State of Procino is interested in pistols for Royal Police. They say that the gun should be small, and slim profile. Semi-automatic is preferable. It will mostly be used at close range, but should be reliable. Appearance is of no concern- in fact, it will apparently be concealed most of the time. They are willing to pay around 25 credits per batch. 5 prestige.

Once again, the only entrant is Behrens with the Valturia Pistol, offered here at 28 credits.
"These pistols are... not very compact, but they are compact considering that they have a practical cartridge. It kicks and definitely feels its size, but I am confident our men can handle it. The finish is too flashy. Between that and the price, it certainly seems to be a wealthy man's sidearm. Also, it does holster a bit oddly with its shape which is wide in the middle. We tested them thoroughly and they do jam sometimes, it is worth keeping in mind that this is a downside compared to revolvers."
We'll buy them, but not for more than 25 credits.

The Vostoy Revolutionary Army is in desperate need of rifles. While they want a rifle which holds multiple rounds, is accurate to a long distance, and is reliable, they really want them to be cheap above all else. They will buy up to 4 batches, and possibly from multiple suppliers, but it should be cheap as possible. They're not willing to pay any more than 24 credits, and less is more. 3 prestige.

Prykanbul Manufacturing offers the SR-6-10 6mm Short Rifle Model 1910 at 24 credits.
"Could do better range, but really, we won't complain. Holds decent ammo and shoots it every time, that's what matters."
We'll take all you can sell!

Fabrique Riviere offers the Riviere 1885 at 24 credits.
"Old hammer guns? I don't mean to be picky but when Prykanbul is offering modern weapons at the same price, we'd much rather stick to those."

Results:
Behrens has 40 credits, 8 Prestige, and a contract worth 6 credits profit for 2 turns. (Assuming they don't want to fulfill the Procino contract at reduced price)

Fabrique Riviere has 15 credits, 6 Prestige, and a contract worth 10 credits profit for 2 turns.

Prykanbul Manufacturing has 25 credits, 3 Prestige, and a contract worth 3 credits profit for 4 turns (no cancellation penalty).

Also happening this turn: Behrens and Fabrique have adopted logos.

Spoiler: Behrens (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Fabrique (click to show/hide)

No teams have voted to change their name, so names are locked in.

So far, Behrens has taken a definitive lead, thanks mostly to good dice rolls. Aside from them, nobody has the money the money to make a new design and re-tool an assembly line next turn. No team has the money to start a new assembly line, either. Coming up, expect much more profitable contracts, which will be available for at least two turns. Contract details TBD!

[Sensei]

A few short announcements:

-Valturia has a flag, why not. This probably won't become relevant again.

We call it the "swisslatsylvania flag"

-Ammunition types will not get dice rolls. Instead, everyone will get average results for the specifications of their cartridges. Simply choose a reasonable size, shape and rim type and you should be good. Furthermore, any developed bullet types will be available in any sizes you have access to which are reasonable. For example if you develop tracer bullets, you will be able to produce belts with mixed tracer and ball cartridges automatically, and you will still be able to do so if you develop a new cartridge size later. Like cartridge types, these may be licensed as well.

-Contract Cancellation: Most contracts will now reward prestige per batch delivered. This include the previous Ira Artillery and Rutz Cavalry contracts; they will award 4 and 3 prestige per batch delivered, respectively. The Vostoy contract will be an exception; delivering at least 1 batch nets you 3 prestige, and none further after that. A contract may specify further penalties for cancellation.

-Prices: As I said before, most contracts are going up in value. In some cases, you may be looking for more money still. Some clients may be willing to pay above their stated price, but the gun should be pretty perfect for their needs. They will also be a little more forgiving of guns which are obviously more expensive, such as in contracts which may be fulfilled by a revolver or self-loading pistol.

1911 Contracts

Ira's 1st Army is looking to adopt a new general purpose infantry rifle. These should be able to fire to the maximum range possible while being accurate enough to hit enemy infantry lines in a volley. Bayonets are a requirement. They should also be very reliable. 2 Batches @ 40 credits, 5 prestige each. This contract will be available until 1913 if there are no bidders. Cancellation: -3 Prestige, Ira will not consider you for 1 contract.

Procino Royal Police are looking for a close-quarters firearm. They are conducting trials on a practice course which tests handling and marksmanship in a simulated indoor combat environment. They are comparing disparate weapons such as pistols, shotguns, and compact carbines. 1 Batch @ 36 credits, 6 prestige each. This contract will be available until 1913 if there are no bidders.

The Kingdom of Vostoy is looking for a machine gun: These will be emplacement weapons, most likely in rifle caliber or larger. Reliability, such as it is for machine guns, is a primary concern. Accuracy, range, and capacity for sustained fire are also factors, as well as ease of use. 2 Batches @ 60 credits, 8 prestige each. This contract will be available until 1912 if there are no bidders. Cancellation: -5 prestige, wanted for execution in Vostoy. Tip: depending on the design, costs of machine guns can vary considerably, but average around 40.

The Altussia Navy is looking for a service pistol: This will be carried by men on deck to repel boarders or any surprise attacks in docking operation. While it should have a certain level of accuracy and firepower to be considered acceptable, these will not be used very often. Therefore, they should be reliable after being carried loaded for a long time, and compact and comfortable to wear. Sailors will be carrying out all sorts of laborious tasks, so the pistols must not get in the way. Lower cost is also highly preferable. 2 Batches @ 32 credits, 4 prestige each. This contract will be available until 1912 if there are no bidders. No cancellation penalty.

1911 Company Status
Here are finances and prestige after turn-end. Note that some prestige numbers have reduced as I have made prestige on a per-batch basis.

Behrens:
-Credits: 46
-Prestige: 4

Spoiler: Lines and Contracts (click to show/hide)

Line 1:
-Assembling Valturia Pistols
-Contract: Ira Artillery, 6 Credits, 4 Prestige, 1 turn

Fabrique Riviere:
-Credits: 25
-Prestige: 3

Spoiler: Lines and Contracts (click to show/hide)

Line 1:
-Assembling Nouveau Carbines
-Contract: Rutz Cavalry, 10 Credits, 3 Prestige, 1 turn

Prykanbul Manufacturing:
-Credits: 28
-Prestige: 3

Spoiler: Lines and Contracts (click to show/hide)

Line 1:
-Assembling: SR-6-10 6mm Short Rifle Model 1910
-Contract: Vostoyan Revolutionaries, 3 credits, 3 turns

Remember you can loan money, or license items such as ammunition.

[Sensei]

Information from some questions asked in chat:
-If you need money to re-tool or start a new assembly line, you can use the profits from an upcoming contract. Think of it as paying up front. This means that if you are profiting 10 or more from a contract, you don't need to have tooling money set aside, it just eats into your first profit. Think of it as being paid upfront.
-New assembly lines are tooled for the base price price. You don't need to pay an additional tooling fee.
-If you need a loan to the crown, you'll get an offer- probably when you're at less than 20 credits at the beginning of a turn, possibly at a higher threshold later.