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[Funk]

We do war crimes next time, say Chain shot bullets that fly apart and have wire in the middle.


Vote

NSA-CM-12-1-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Arrachtach" (2):AseaHeru , Funk
NSA-CM-12-2-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Torann"
NSA-CM-12-3-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Chabair"
3E1 "Pansi" (or colloquially "Taflwr Toesen")
NSA-CM-12-4-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Ceobhrįn"
NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" (1): Quarque

[Kot]

We do war crimes next time, say Chain shot bullets that fly apart and have wire in the middle.

I oppose "war crimes" in general, unless the Royalists go so heavy into them we need our own to compete, but war crime bullets are specifically pretty dumb, because most of them are pointless. Like, okay, explosive bullets or just normal enchanced fragmentation do help kill people dead, not just incapacitate them, but in a war scenario it's not really that important (and armor could make them way less dangerous), but wire bullets would just... make smaller wounds than normal bullets.
Hell, in the turn report the exploaive bullet probably didn't matter at all, the knee shot probably meant losing the/bleeding out anyway considering the state of medicine at the time while the other was a headshot.Those bullets are going to matter only in edge cases really.

[Powder Miner]

The #1 need we have for a machine gun is definitely defending against melee charges, considering that they have the short-range advantage and are likely to want to milk it, so overkill may be very harmful.

NSA-CM-12-1-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Arrachtach" (2):AseaHeru , Funk
NSA-CM-12-2-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Torann"
NSA-CM-12-3-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Chabair"
3E1 "Pansi" (or colloquially "Taflwr Toesen")
NSA-CM-12-4-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Ceobhrįn"
NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" (2): Quarque, Powder Miner

[Light forger]

NSA-CM-12-1-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Arrachtach" (3):AseaHeru , Funk, Lightforger
NSA-CM-12-2-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Torann"
NSA-CM-12-3-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Chabair"
3E1 "Pansi" (or colloquially "Taflwr Toesen")
NSA-CM-12-4-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Ceobhrįn"
NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" (2): Quarque, Powder Miner

I don't find the threat of a zerg rush very likely. If we are that worried about it we should just revise barbed wire which will remain useful pretty much forever.

[Quarque]

I don't find the threat of a zerg rush very likely. If we are that worried about it we should just revise barbed wire which will remain useful pretty much forever.

While the threat of a 'zerg rush' might not seem likely in a WWI-themed game, it's actually what happened all the time. In the early stages of World War I, both sides often employed mass infantry charges, essentially 'zerg rushes,' as the prevailing strategy. The invention of the machine gun played a crucial role in transforming the nature of warfare during that period.
The machine gun's ability to deliver sustained, withering firepower was the key reason why WWI evolved into a brutal trench warfare grind. Without such weapons, defending against charging forces would be extremely challenging. Barbed wire, while useful for impeding enemy movements, pales in comparison to the effectiveness of a well-placed machine gun.

Having a machine gun that is good at sustaining fire fills a key role that will remain important for the rest of the game.

[Kot]

NSA-CM-12-1-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Arrachtach" (3):AseaHeru, Funk, Lightforger
NSA-CM-12-2-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Torann"
NSA-CM-12-3-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Chabair"
3E1 "Pansi" (or colloquially "Taflwr Toesen")
NSA-CM-12-4-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Ceobhrįn"
NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" (3): Quarque, Powder Miner, Kot

I'm happy with either but I'd love more voter turnout. I think a big part of this isn't even "well the gun won't supress enough" or "the gun won't kill people hard enough", it's risk. Arrachtach is a much more risky design all things considered. Like, sure, it's simple, but it's also big and the simple mechanism will be moving very fast. If we roll well it's going to brrrrap everything they might come up with off the face of Earth. I'd like somoene try mass charges against something that could stop a speeding train. Rąsanach rate of fire will probably be rather slow even for WW1 standards. If we roll well on it we can slap it and Bunaiteach together to hopefully create a decent light automatic rifle.

[Aseaheru]

We can probably turn the Bunaiteach into one anyways. At the least, thats my plan... And hey, nomatter how it goes, we probably wont be doing a late 1940s Belgium with "we have automatic rifle with 10-round fixed magazines... and a rate of fire of over 10 rounds a second."

[Nirur Torir]

NSA-CM-12-1-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Arrachtach" (4):AseaHeru, Funk, Lightforger, Nirur Torir
NSA-CM-12-2-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Torann"
NSA-CM-12-3-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Chabair"
3E1 "Pansi" (or colloquially "Taflwr Toesen")
NSA-CM-12-4-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Ceobhrįn"
NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" (3): Quarque, Powder Miner, Kot

The Rąsanach is better for winning the near future, and giving us a useful backbone, but what useful design experience do we get out of it?
The Arrachtach gets us design experience for "impractically oversized massacre." My preferred tech tree for this game will be "very durable and reliable ultra-heavy vehicles," but this is close.

[Powder Miner]

If there's any lesson to learn from the original Arms Race, it's that "impractically oversized massacre" is often not a winning way to go... because, well, it's impractically oversized. Unless the enemy has something to make it justified, which it probably won't for some time, we're going to be getting the downsides of going for an uber monster machine gun (difficulty and jankiness) without getting any of the upsides, because they just don't actually do anything for us. Moskurg in the original AR at around this tech level built an identity on impractically oversized badass guns, and proceeded to get the shit kicked out of them so hard by Arstotzka that they're one of only around two or three arms race sides that actually completely legitimately lost an AR.

This isn't the original Arms Race, and MoP isn't Sensei, but this should still apply as we just don't have a reason why going for maximum boolet is actually useful right now.

[NUKE9.13]

In fairness, we're in the prelims. There are no stakes right now. If beeg turns out to be overly impractical, we'll have time to adjust our overall strategy before the real fighting starts.
Not sure about my vote yet, but I don't think it would be crippling to do the more unique option.

[Kot]

In fairness, we're in the prelims. There are no stakes right now.

The stakes are the same as always, the whole game. It's just that we're protected for few turns so they can't end the game in record time.

[Nirur Torir]

NSA-CM-12-1-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Arrachtach" (3):AseaHeru, Funk, Lightforger
NSA-CM-12-2-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Torann"
NSA-CM-12-3-2, ADM Index: 3N2 "Chabair"
3E1 "Pansi" (or colloquially "Taflwr Toesen")
NSA-CM-12-4-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Ceobhrįn"
NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" (4): Quarque, Powder Miner, Kot, Nirur Torir

I have been convinced to be boring, for now.

[Man of Paper]

Preliminary Turn 2 Design Phase - Summer 1912

Proposal: NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach"
Difficulty: Norman [GM Note: I know, but I didn't catch it right away and it caught me off guard, so it deserves to stay.]
Result: 6+5=11, Masterwork

A machine gun isn't a very difficult concept to grasp - it's just a gun that's more gun in every conceivable way. The NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" is exactly that. Weighing 30kg, the Rąsanach is a beast of a weapon that utilizes a gas capture system in order to provide it with automatic firing capabilities. A two-piece water jacket screws onto the barrel in order to provide the very necessary cooling that the 600 rpm cyclic rate requires, and a tripod (or static emplacement with seat) and muzzle brake help counteract the recoil.

While the Rąsanach does well enough on the tripod, the emplacement is the true star of the show. The emplacement provides a stable raised platform for the Rąsanach and gives the gunner a foot pedal to fire the weapon for additional range of movement when aiming. Housing a mount for a water condenser (this appears elsewhere, but is available on all static mounts) and a lip to hold ammo boxes carrying belts of up to 250 7.5x55mm rounds, the Rąsanach can lay down a devastating amount of fire for an extended period of time (a test model fired constantly for well over half an hour before suffering from failures!). Thanks to a stable position and compatibility with the 5C1 scope, as well as precision Administrative engineering, the Rąsanach has an effective range of 2000m.

In order to capitalize on the weapon's capabilities, engineers have come up with a Select Fire switch that allows the gunner to transition between single fire and fully automatic at will with no extra work. This lets gunners take more precise shots and function more along the role of a marksman if so desired (and with the longest effective range of the Administrative Armory, this will probably happen often).

If necessary, the static emplacement may be entirely repositioned through the installation of wheels, but this isn't a very common occurrence.

The Rąsanach brings a lot to the table, but it's what it doesn't bring that our soldiers are bound to notice most: annoyance. Clearly designed by an engineer that has actually fired a weapon in their lifetime, all aspects of the Rąsanach seem to provide some means of simplifying the tasks of cleaning and maintenance. The weapon refuses to fail until pressed to the absolute extremes, and even then it puts up a fight. The incredible lifespan of this weapon and the "loyalty" it offers the three-man crews (gunner, gunner assistant, ammo bearer) is what makes it stand out more than anything, and is a significant reason why it will be seen all across the Administrative lines as the...

checks notes

NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach" is Cheap.

----------------

It is now the Revision Phase. You are free to modify weapons and equipment that appear in your armory.

Spoiler: Armory (click to show/hide)

Arms and Equipment
NSA-SR-12-3-5, ADM Index: 5N1 "Bunaiteach": A 110cm long, 3.8kg straight-pull bolt action rifle firing 7.5x55mm copper jacketed spitzer rounds from a six-round magazine reloaded through charging clips or individual bullets. Tangent sights rest at 50m and are marked every 100m out to 1000m. Has an effective range of 800m. Reliable. Comes with a cleaning kit and 600mm sword bayonet sporting a 450mm double-edged straight blade. Comes with a belt sheathe. White beech and blued steel along with a nearly flush magazine provide a slick appearance. Cheap
-NSA-LR-12-4-2, ADM Index: 5N2 "Banchéile": Bunis modified for range with a 5x scope mounted 45 degrees off the centerline, a bipod, a muzzle break, and comfortable padding. Scope is adjusted via screws, marked for 100m-1000m, and have a small silhouette for a human at 100m and 500m. The scope provides the weapon (but not the human) a 1300m effective range. Cheap

NSA-CM-12-5-1, ADM Index: 3N2 "Rąsanach": A machine gun utilizing gas capture and a water jacket to provide a 600 rpm fire rate. Fires 7.5x55mm rounds with an effective range of 2000m. Can be found on a tripod or static emplacement. Static positions provide a water condenser mount and lip for hooking ammo boxes, give the gunner a seat and pedal trigger, provide a stable position to rain fire from comfortably. Ammo belts come in 50/200/250. Has a select fire switch and is compatible with the Banchéile's 5C1 scope. Excessively reliable and easy to maintain. Cheap

Spoiler: Territories (click to show/hide)

Capital
Northern States Administration: 2/0

Western Lane
Administrative Forest: 2/0
Northern Plain: 3/0
NO MAN'S LAND: NEUTRAL
Southern Plain: 0/3
Southern Star Mountains: 0/2

Central Lane
Administrative Forest: 2/0
Northern Plain: 3/0
NO MAN'S LAND: NEUTRAL
Southern Plain: 0/3
Southern Star Mountains: 0/2

Eastern Lane
Administrative Forest: 2/0
Northern Plain: 3/0
NO MAN'S LAND: NEUTRAL
Southern Plain: 0/3
Southern Star Mountains: 0/2

Capital
Kingdom of The Southern Star: 0/2

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

TURNTURNTURN

[Powder Miner]

This thing fucks pretty hard and I feel like we have fair latitude to screw around a little more with our revision if we want to. To the people who know guns better than I do - would it be out of line to create our own special ammo, or maybe to slap together a fucking horrifying automatic/select fire version of the Bunaiteach to contest close range better?

[Quarque]

God damn I love it so much. Hope you guys who wanted the gast aren't too disappointed.