ACDG5: The Wardroom

[vyeh]

This role playing and discussion thread is part of Alpha Centauri Democracy Game 5 ("ACDG5"). Demo players and SMAC players offering advice may post in this thread. Please remain in character.

Please post comments and questions on the game organization thread.

Edit: Added reference to index at the top of the message.

The initial setting: A wardroom aboard the Unity.

The characters are all Lieutenants:

Bodissey
dacole
JoeStalin
Nahkrinoth
Nims
Plan9
timsup2nothin
vyeh

The situation: Lt. timsup2nothin has been put in (temporary) charge of Unity Command's council with the clear instruction that he is only chairman of a council of equals (and not even first among equals). He, his fellow council members, three colony pods, three scout units, three unity supply droids and three unity former droids are landing on Planet in a week. All eyes turn to Lt. timsup2nothin as he calls the meeting to order ...

[timsup2nothin]

Gentlemen, (I assume, apologies to any ladies I haven't noticed, this bulky space suit stuff is a drag)

In the aftermath of mutiny and madness it falls to us to restore order to this mission. I put to you that we should stand in tolerance when possible, on the throats of the rebels when necessary, and with our feet firmly planted on pragmatic ground.

We need a volunteer to manage the logistics of our first year on the planet. Anyone who would like to step forward is welcome to do so.

Until we have a clearer picture of our proposed Planetfall, that will be all, unless someone has questions.

[vyeh]

Lieutenant Chairman,

Could we do a round of introductions? I'm Lt. vyeh.

[Bodissey]

Fellow Lieutenants, I salute you all,

I'm Lieutenant Bodissey, from the former European Plutocratic Union, perhaps I might be of assistance with the logistics.

[timsup2nothin]

Great idea Lt vyeh. I usually go by just Tim, up2nothin being a unique surname harking back to my origins in the l33t federation on old earth.

[JoeStalin]

Hello fellow Lieutenants, LT. Joe Stalin here hailing from reconstituted USSR. Looking forward to orderly domination of new planet and its inhabitants. Due to relative inexperience in democratic colonization am willing to serve in chiefly advisory role. Am more than willing to take on greater role if needed.

[vyeh]

Lt. Nims will be delayed. He is dealing with an equipment malfunction.

[timsup2nothin]

Gentlemen, (I have still seen no evidence to the contrary)

I may have to tap certain of our fellows firmly on the noggin with a nerve staple gun to get their attention. Lt Nims is exempt due to his equipment malfunction.

However, while awaiting complete introductions, I am anticipating some early scans of our likely landing site. Does anyone have any proposals or preferences about what to do with them when we get them?

For starters, I suggest that we agree that one of our colony pods should plant itself immediately to form our capital, or travel at most one square before doing so. Does anyone have any suggestions about how far the other two pods should go? Do we want to set up with no overlap in the base footprints, or try to get all three bases planted as quickly as possible and think more about spread as we expand?

Obviously terrain will have to be considered, so I'm not trying to make any hard and fast statements here, but if we are all generally on the same page we will be able to reach a faster consensus when we see the terrain. If we are way off from the same page maybe we can at least figure out who stands where and practice getting along.

For example, if someone suggests planting all three colony pods into the capital immediately I will likely not agree. I would be interested in their reasoning, and it would be good to get that discussion out of the way before we have terrain scans staring us in the face.

[vyeh]

Lt. Chairman,

I agree that anyone who does not respond to your call for advice (except for Lt. Nims who is struggling to get his personal network node operational before landing) should be nerve stapled.

The most critical element is defensibility. Each base should be no more than three squares from another base (and building roads should be the Unity former droids first assignment). We know some of the rebels are hostile. We don't know where they will be.

Lt. JoeStalin, you have a message waiting at the com center.

[Plan9]

Greetings

I am Plan9 of the Hellenic region of the European Plutocratic Republic.

The first scans of our landing site look quite interesting. I strongly support our chairman's proposed course of action of establishing our Headquarters within the first 2 mission years. More data on surrounding terrain is needed before we can discuss locations and proximity of further bases.

I can't say I like all this talk of nerve-stapling though. May I remind you that nerve stapling is an atrocity according to the charter of our mission.

[vyeh]

A slight point of clarification. Nerve stapling is an atrocity only when it is done to civilians ...

[Bodissey]

I feel I'm already nerve-stapled in my new assignment.

Apart from some numbness in the frontal lobes, I don't feel anything at all. So you shouldn't worry.

[vyeh]

Lt. Chairman,

I'm looking at the scans. While all three colony pods are in excellent positions, the western most CP is in the best position. A base founded on its position will have access to a lot of energy (our orbital scans indicate that those strange alien monoliths have strong energy signatures and the river will help). That base will also have sea access, which will greatly aid exploration. Respectfully, I propose that we establish our headquarters at the site of the westernmost CP.

[timsup2nothin]

When I was with the Peacekeeper Drop Infantry I would get nerve stapled most every day off, just for the buzz, so no whining.

[vyeh]

Lt. Chairman,

Despite what I said earlier about keeping the bases three squares apart, there is a strong case for planting all three bases immediately. Each base would be contributing to building, research, economy and population growth immediately. They all have access to the ocean (and it is possible that each base has access to ocean squares not accessible by sea to the other bases).