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[Quarque]

Is there a real benefit to setting up the perimeter as part of the landing phase, rather than next phase? I assume that a simple landing will take less game time, and it should be more efficient to let the specialists do their own things.

It does take less time. Do note that each of the four phases are meant to fit within a certain theme. Setting up a perimeter directly after landing fits well within the Expansion theme of the current phase, but not so much with Exploration (next phase).

It also benefits from the specialty of the crewmember who came up with the idea (Phryne de Lys, Defense), so it would benefit a +1 bonus to the roll. Your character could likewise propose a way of expanding directly after landing with a bonus if it is socially flavoured. (Within reason, of course - "build a theme park" would receive a massive roll penalty even with the bonus.)

[mightymushroom]

Landing site
AB-4: (2) Nirur, mightymushroom
Y-16: (0)
Z-5: (0)
(add more?)

"Safe" basic landing: (1) Nirur
Land & set up spotlights: (0)
Land & set up perimeter detection: (1) mightymushroom

Convinced me regarding the merits of AB-4

[Nirur Torir]

Landing site
AB-4: (2) Nirur, mightymushroom
Y-16: (0)
Z-5: (0)
(add more?)

"Safe" basic landing: (0)
Land & set up spotlights: (0)
Land & set up perimeter detection: (2) mightymushroom, Nirur

In that case, a detection grid is a good thing to get done.

[Xvareon]

Landing site
AB-4: (3) Nirur, mightymushroom, Xvareon
Y-16: (0)
Z-5: (0)
(add more?)

"Safe" basic landing: (0)
Land & set up spotlights: (0)
Land & set up perimeter detection: (3) mightymushroom, Nirur, Xvareon

I figure "perimeter detection" can be as simple as just sitting up light posts over ground we scout in our immediate area, and to mark any points of interest (like a good spot to get water by the river) or any animal trails, so on. If possible, I'd want to color code these so any danger spots found (sinkholes, etc.) are marked red. The spotlights and such can wait. Prioritize lights and markers for now, those shouldn't take much of the solar paneling, like a little inches-wide piece per post. We can worry about an extensive camera and monitoring network after we know what we're dealing with.

Oh, and as for material for said posts, try and see if there's any decent wood around for that too. We'll likely start with metal or PVC or whatever it is we're working with with our limited resources, but we've definitely gotta find a more efficient way.

[a1s]

Immediately after landing, my priorities are a.) check the water for any lifeforms like fish; and b.) immediately set up a perimeter around our soon-to-be main hab module. Observe any local wildlife, flora or fauna or otherwise. Look around but only within eyesight. The drone takes care of the big picture, I want to look closer. Start taking notes of even small insects and tree foragers, if they exist.

The emphasis for me is completely different, but I would 100% support this proposal. Grace would love to see what kind of fish, animal and bird is around our camp.

I have already expressed my preference for a lake above a river, with which in mind I would like to suggest Q-37. I do not think we need to build a hydro-eclectic plant just yet, as we still have solar panels.

Landing site
AB-4: (3) Nirur, mightymushroom,Xvareon
Y-16: (0)
Z-5: (0)
Q-37: (1) a1s
(add more?)

"Safe" basic landing: (0)
Land & set up spotlights: (0)
Land & set up perimeter detection: (4) mightymushroom, Nirur, a1s, Xvareon

[Quarque]

Started working on the next phase update but it could take a while, there is a lot to unpack here.
Added a legend and scale bars to both maps:

Spoiler: world map, with legend & scale bar (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: submap of I-14 and I-15 on the world map (click to show/hide)

The most recent updates of any maps will from now on also be found in the first post. Copied your characters there too, to get all info in one place.

Feel free to give (new) names to any area, lake, sea, mountain range, the planet or anything else as we go.

[Quarque]

TURNTURNTURN


Expansion phase 1: feet on the ground. (roll: [2+3+4] -2 (Normal) +1 (defense specialty) = 8, Superior Quality)

After deliberation the crew chooses to land at subsquare AB-4. You nervously watch through a window as the satellite starts its descend. The heat shield starts to glow as you enter the atmosphere. When it cools down, you see mountains covered in clouds glide by below.

Landing is announced in two minutes. You see a flash of the terrain that looked like forest on vague pictures taken from orbit. It looks positively alien. The area you're landing in looks pretty mundane, though. It is a plateau of yellowish badlands, heavily eroded by the looks of it, with a river cutting through.

The satellite, which has been your home for so long, comes to a standstill. The door isn't opened yet. A safety procedure has to be followed first to make absolutely sure it is safe. The chemical composition of the atmosphere is automatically analyzed for toxins. The gravity exhausts your body. You lay down as it happens. Hours later you wake up. All tests were negative and Phryne de Lys has bravely volunteered to expose herself to the outside air before anyone else. She was allowed to take a partial exoskeleton with her on the journey. It allows her to walk in gravity more easily than others. She reports that all is fine.

In the following days you feel reborn, although still exhausted. Breathing fresh air makes you realize how badly you missed it, after being confined in a small room with stale air for so, so long. That air feels wholesome and thick as butter. What's more, a small mountain creek nearby your colony provides clear water. Several crew member delight in drinking from it with pure joy, until Grace Rayland warns the rest sternly that you have no idea yet what sort of microbes it could contain.

Speaking of Grace, she gets to work as soon as her body recovers enough to allow it. To her dissappointment there is very little life to study in the immediate vicinity. Some sort of lichen or moss is the only growth on this barren terrain. A quick chemical analysis of the ground itself identifies it as a composite resembling shale rock, containing small grains of magnetite and traces of salt. The creek water does turn out to contain all sorts of micro organisms when studied with an optical instrument. Finding out if any of them are harmful will probably require years of research. Grace sighs. Thankfully, the crew who carelessly drank from it don't immediately show any signs of disease.

In the meantime, Phryne (+1 influence) guides the crew in setting up a first defensive perimeter, with remotely controlled searchlights to keep better watch at night. Turo Celsa removes a number of wires and lamps from the colony base that are no longer needed now that you're safely on the ground. Using those, you install light posts at various points around the camp. Within a radius of about 500 meter you can now turn them on to light the area at night when desired.
The lights can be adequately powered by the nuclear station, but the solar panel is rolled out during the day to recharge anyway. The benefit is that it recharges your power bank, granting you additional energy reserves to run additional machines you have, such as the quad.

Speaking of the quad, Phryne uses it to carry out a few scouting trips in the nearby environment. The creek is easy enough to cross, but there are barriers on all sides that the quad can't cross: a river in the north, which falls down an impressive waterfall over a steep slope upwards to the west. A testflight with the drone reveals a rocky plains above this slope. The rock there has a distinctly different color than the terrain you're on: light grey.

To the southwest, you see two steep mountain peaks nearby. To the southeast, Phryne stops the quad at another steep slope, but this one leads downwards. Now she finally gets a good look at what you thought was a forest. Well, it sort of is. A dense growth of weird plants and trees of various types stretches out to the horizon. The ground looks extremely soggy. Impossible to drive through. Wetlands is a better name than forest.

Luckily an artist created this image that looks exactly like the landscape I have in mind, but please ignore the large moon in the background! Delta Pavonis C does not have a large moon, only a very small one that looks like a bright star at night.

Spoiler: the "forest" (click to show/hide)

And yes, Phryne does see that flock of flying creatures. Pretty big creatures, with a wingspan between two and three meters. They turn out to be a curious lot. As phryne starts to drive the quad back to the camp, a number of these follow her from a distance. They circle in the air above your colony for a long time, whilst making chattering and clicking noises. In the evening they fly off towards the mountains. The following days they regularly return to watch from a distance, fleeing whenever one of you comes too close.

Here is what they look like through a binocular.

Spoiler: curious flying animals (click to show/hide)

Now, the maps. I'm going to need better names for them to avoid confusion.
We have the World Map, which remains the same this phase. Then we got a smaller, more detailed map of world map squares I14 and I15. From now on I shall call this the Country Map. It's not really a country, but it has the scale of a country. Here is a small update, which shows the location of your new colony:

Spoiler: Country Map (click to show/hide)

And here is a smaller map of the immediate surroundings. I will call it the Local Map.

Spoiler: Local Map (click to show/hide)

Even on this map, the actual colony is but a small dot. As requested I marked any dangerous terrain in red, but the only danger you identified so far are steep slopes. So I drew them in red.

Spoiler: equipment (click to show/hide)

spaceship: Currently on the ground. Serves as a small base for your colony. It has many small basic tools on board.
miniaturized nuclear power plant: It will last for twenty years, but has a limited energy output.
food reserves: Dry, the tastes are never quite satisfying. Enough to keep the crew alive for roughly a year.
Reconnaissance drone: A small drone that will be able to explore terrain. Vulnerable to bad weather.
Quad: A small vehicle with large all-terrain wheels. Runs on an electric engine.
Gene bank: Genetic diversity must be preserved in the long run. That is why you have a cooled unit full of human sperm and egg cells on board. Once you are ready to increase population, you have the means to prevent inbreeding.
It also contains the seeds of many different Earthly species, in case you want to farm or raise pets later.
Solar Panels: You have a 50 m2 flexible, lightweight and foldable solar panel that can be taken apart into smaller modules. It is somewhat vulnerable to harsh weather without additional protection layer (that you'd have to produce locally). A smaller, more sturdy one is attached to the quad, to restore battery power in case of need.
Recyclotron: a small facility to filter water and make it drinkable (within limits, there are contaminants it can't filter).
Medical Supplies: a luxurious kit for first aid and treat a variety of diseases
Training Ropes: elastic ropes for various physical exercises
Laser guns (4): light, but reliable weapons that do not run out of ammo
3D printer: what it says on the box. Printing material is limited.
Rare Minerals: you have a small supply of a few rare, useful chemical compounds. They can be used for making explosives and many other purposes.
Perimeter: You installed light posts at various points around the camp. Within a radius of about 500 meter you can now turn them on to light the area at night when desired.

Spoiler: influence (click to show/hide)

Phryne de Lys (Xvareon) 2 influence
Grace Rayland (a1s) 1 influence
Turo Celsa (mightymushroom) 1 influence
Nigel Rosenburg (Nirur Torir) 1 influence

It is now the Exploitation phase. During this phase you can choose to exploit any of the unexploited resources in the environment you found, see the list below. You can also develop new methods of extracting or growing things and the like. I encourage you to find a good name for the animals you found, as well as anything else you want to name.

Spoiler: resources by Country map square (click to show/hide)

unexploited, exploited
AB-4: Moss, Shale, Magnetite, Salt, Fresh Water (creek), curious flying animals

[Nirur Torir]

I assume the recyclotron can easily filter the creek as-is, with no need for an action, so we should be set for water. Natural barriers limit easy exploration, and make timber difficult to reach, but it sounds like a very defensible location with iron and water. A stone ground means we should be safe from aggressive burrowing carnivores. The creatures have sharp teeth, indicating carnivores, but they don't seem to want to eat us. They also aren't treating us like they've been hunted by local human-like aliens.

The creatures' eyes remind me of chameleons, so I'll propose the name Pterochameleons.

There's not much I can suggest for a social bonus yet, but this should work: We could observe the animals with the drone to figure out their favorite foods and nesting environment, then try to tame them. They know what the local threats are, and have evolved senses to detect them. Since they're smart enough to be curious about us, we can try to tame a group, and hopefully build a roost for them. We might get eggs we can eat, and eventually a ranch for meat and hide, but the most important thing would be that colony defenders and explorers can use them as threat detectors, by noticing when the Pterochameleons look wary, when they get spooked and fly off, or if they refuse to enter an area. Plus, pets are good for morale.

We might need to build a ladder or footpath to access a food source for them, but I assume that's easy enough to only slightly affect the difficulty.

Downsides: They might be able to eat us. Teaching them to associate us with food might fail in undesirable and predictable ways. Hunting them down would be a safer exploitation in that respect, but we don't know if we can eat them, and we'd miss out on using them as threat detectors and pets.

[Quarque]

I assume the recyclotron can easily filter the creek as-is, with no need for an action, so we should be set for water.

Small clarification: the creek is at a distance of over 150 meters from your base. While that isn't a very difficult problem to solve (rolling at either Very Safe or maybe Trivial if you do nothing else), I'd still like to know how you do it. You can combine it with additional resource extraction plans in the same action, yes. I'm allowing combined actions, at the cost of increased difficulty.

Looking at the Local map, I see that misleading scale strikes again. The small circle (which touches the creek on the map) was intended as a symbol to see more easily where your base is located, but the size of the base is only about two pixels at this scale. I'm correcting the map, the perimeter already helps to see where it is.

Spoiler: Local map, corrected (click to show/hide)

There's not much I can suggest for a social bonus yet, but this should work: We could observe the animals with the drone to figure out their favorite foods and nesting environment, then try to tame them. They know what the local threats are, and have evolved senses to detect them. Since they're smart enough to be curious about us, we can try to tame a group, and hopefully build a roost for them. We might get eggs we can eat, and eventually a ranch for meat and hide, but the most important thing would be that colony defenders and explorers can use them as threat detectors, by noticing when the Pterochameleons look wary, when they get spooked and fly off, or if they refuse to enter an area. Plus, pets are good for morale.

We might need to build a ladder or footpath to access a food source for them, but I assume that's easy enough to only slightly affect the difficulty.

Social bonus certainly applies if you try to bond with wildlife. Doing all of the above in a single phase would be a Dangerous roll (effectively Risky with bonus included). Splitting it into two actions (and doing half of it now) would lower the difficulty.

[Nirur Torir]

I expect that splitting it would involve first getting a mostly tamed, friendly group that's used to us, and then training them as a second action?
That sounds too expensive to be worth it.

Would a couple of personal actions during the exploration and research phases work almost as well? I could study what they eat and what their social behavior is like, and then try to figure out how much language they have. Even knowing a dog's body language is important for training one without getting bit because they're scared, but if I can get a recording of calming noises, that would go a long way.

[mightymushroom]

You know me, always with the questions: a quick estimate on the height of these slopes? I'm assuming stairs or quad path are more appropriate for when Expansion phase rolls around again (unless we manage to tie it into an exploit action: look at that, we just so happened to dig so as to carve out the feature we desire).

Worst case scenario for water, we use buckets. Various folks on Earth have lived much farther than 150 meters from their water source. It's not fun, but it's doable.

Trying to focus on the good news, shale is a pretty easy rock to exploit, not hard to dig even with hand tools. Almost too easy, it's famous for the way it cleaves with just a few taps. (Also: fossils!) The tendency for flat sides would let us dry stack for walls with little difficulty, I believe. A pumphouse-cairn to secure our water supply, for instance.

Even better, perhaps, would be to identify an upstream diversion point and make a little aqueduct to redirect the creek as we like.

I don't like building too much here, though. It feels exposed, there's no soil, and badlands are generally, well, bad. A bit of a pickle, seeing as how our tech is tied to the base, which I assume is extremely difficult to move, probably requiring breaking it down and stuff like the nuclear reactor (as Phryne pointed out already) can't be functionally split up.

Magnetite is okay, but I think we need some sort of ore grinder to separate and exploit it properly – it'll be deposited as fine grains mixed into layers throughout the shale.

[Quarque]

I expect that splitting it would involve first getting a mostly tamed, friendly group that's used to us, and then training them as a second action?

That's one way to go about it, yeah.

Would a couple of personal actions during the exploration and research phases work almost as well?

Can't make promises about the result, but yes taking more time to study them first would reduce risks. Note, with a smaller species this would all be easier (but perhaps less rewarding).

You know me, always with the questions: a quick estimate on the height of these slopes?

Questions are good, I should have said this in the update. The slopes you found to the west (rocky plains) and southeast (wetlands) are about 15-25 meter.
The mountain slopes southwest are higher and more varied.

Making a little aquaduct is Very Safe, using buckets reduces it to Trivial at the cost of some daily manual labor.

Also yes, the magnetite here comes as fine grains in the shale and requires some setup to mine.

[a1s]

The creatures' eyes remind me of chameleons, so I'll propose the name Pterochameleons.

"Chamae" means "ground", and they're anything but grounded. I suggest "Pteroleons". 

How long are these phases anyway? I know we have ~350 days of food and ~20 years of nuclear power, but how many turns is that?

[Quarque]

Duration of the phases so far was about a week each, so I'll stick with that for now, I like that it results in a whole turn taking about a month. But in the future they might have to stretch longer. If you embark on a long term construction project I don't want it to run at a boring pace.

Still need to work out how long a day or a year takes exactly on this planet, but both will be roughly comparable to earth days / years.

[a1s]

Even though food is not an immediate concern, I would like to exploit the moss (in addition to water, if feasible. Water takes priority if not.) While it's unlikely that the moss is directly edible by humans, Grace suspects she can make mushrooms grow in some moss slurry.