>>25142124
We shall wear the Frilly Dress.
Did we not receive a new dress from our parents?

We shall wear the bathing dress, in case the rocket explodes hard enough to throw us into the sea, or a sufficiently large body of wter for people to swim in, and thus, be able to return to lad safely.

Or we shall wear our Frilly dress. With new gloves.

>>25142210
Oh derp, forgot.

>Extravagant dress (A really elaborately detailed and expensive looking dress, impresses nobility, but offends the military)
>Trendy dress (An expensive dress that costs 1 RnD point and goes out of style after 2 turns. But will impress everyone)

>>25142265
Just the Frilly Dress.
We can ill-afford a trendy dress when we're so strapped for resources.

>>25142265

We shall wear the extravagant dress at least once, because it's a gift.

Deciding to stick to your old pink dress you enter the blockhouse and begin the countdown. A the bottom of the hill, the Cherubim's engines are anchored to the ground, ready to be test fired.

The colonel salutes you and hands you the ignition key and microphone. Are you ready for the launch?

>>25142531
We are ready. Countdown and Ignition!

>>25142531

.... Probably not, but let's launch anyway after taking a quick look around to make sure nothing is where it shouldn't be.

Klaus should be getting a front seat.

Rolled 4, 5 - 2 = 7

Five
Four
Three
Two
One
Ignition!

>>25142709

Everything went bettr than expected?

>>25142709
As you press the switch, the engines roar to life and shoot flame into the sky, barely held back by the restraints. The steel moans, but the sound is drowned out by the roar of the engines.

Eventually, once the engines have finished there burn duration, the fire stops and everything is silent except for the ringing in your ears. Test successful.

>>25142754
Excellent. This will now allow us to continue development of the Mk4c.
With the Turn 2 budget from last session, we should be ready to proceed to Turn 3.

>>25142839

A polite congratulation to the staff is in order; there's no such thing as a routine flight yet, and this was... big.

Surely it doesn't escape anyone that if we want we can bomb anyone on the planet with this.

>Minerva tells you that the rocketry corps was part of the artillery corps during the great war. The first rockets carried conventional explosive warheads and glided to there targets on wings like unpiloted aeroplanes. However later in the war a new design was created that traveled in a ballistic arc, similar to a cannon shell only with much greater power. These Ballistic missiles were capable of mounting the Atomic bomb which Minerva had invented, and faced with this terrifying weapon, the Vile Huns had no choice but to surrender.

>Since then however, the rocket corps has carried the stigma of wielding such a dishonorable weapon, and has had trouble finding a place in peacetime. While the army, navy, and air corps can all put on parades and wear shiny uniforms, the rocket corps has no such glory.

>They hope to change that by putting an artificial satellite into an orbital trajectory. She claims that it's possible to throw an object in a way that will cause it to miss the ground as it falls, instead flying in oval around the earth. She claims that the Moon orbits the earth in such a manner, as do all the planets around the sun, and the stars around the cosmos.

>However, they have thus far been unable to acomplish this, and many in the royal astrological society claim it is impossible for a manmade object to enter into a stable orbit. Claiming that only the gods can alter the balance of the heavens.

The Age of Gods is over, and mankind is better off without them. We will conquer the heavens and scour the earth.
>just reading up from the beginning, had to get that off my chest after seeing that post

>>25142873
The archangel could deliver a warhead to any point on the globe as it is.
(Oddly enough, the proton rocket was designed as a super ICBM for delivering a 100megaton bomb, then they realized how stupid that was)

>>25142839
Yes it is now turn 3, you have 40 RnD points to spend, and 2 luck points.

>>25142933
Klaus applauds your little speech, but Amelia giggles and Minerva rolls her eyes.

>>25143098
wat
it was just something that I wished I had posted in the first thread when I saw it and had participated in it.
instead of now stuck with reading the archives until I get here

>>25143137
Then never mind.

It is now turn 3 of the year 715 of the Gates dynasty. This is the first day of spring. The Equinox is in 3 turns. How will you spend your budget and what are your plans?

>Train yourself in Stamina, Piloting, Engineering, Combat or Languages (Costs 1 RnD Point)
>See how Sir Harker is recovering from his injuries.
>See how work on the Reactive Pile is coming along
>Explore the island.

>>25143423

We shall see how the Reactive Pile is doing.

I shall leave the budget to other anons, but I suggest we invest some points in Klaus' work. He was the only one who applauded the retconned speech.

>>25143423
We shall see how the Reactive Pile is coming along, and the installation of the safety shielding.

Budget Turn 3:
12RP Mk4c Cheribum 10/15
18RP Invent Mass 6 'Big Pathfinder' Capsule
5RP Radiolight Beacon 12/17
5RP Photovoltaic Power Cells 15/18

>>25143574

That aside, we have promised Professora Minerva that we'd put some money behind it -- and we need the technology anyway.

Now that we have a large rocket, we should look into launching two Void Knights at the same time as well... but in a different sense: two capsules, which will launch together, then separate and reconnect as a way to test precision maneuvering, then land separately. One shall carry a winch with a rations container and hand it over to the other, and that one will remain in orbit for a day or two rather than just hours.

That Void Knight will be instructed to look out for oddities.

In the meantime, we have active comm sats to build!

>>25143850
15RP - Test pile
1RP - radiolight beacon (to improve beyond 10/15)
1RP - photovoltaic cells (to improve beyond 10/15)
10RP - radiolight beacon (15/29)
10RP - photovoltaic cells (18/20)

Next turn we should be able to launch our first mission with the cherubim missile. And after some work on MiniVAC, we should be ready for satellites.

>>25144065
oops, forgot one point.
1RP - heal sir Harker.

>>25144065
>>25144133
2 points remain for this suggestion.

>>25143850
This suggestion advances launch capabilities, but does not make any progress on the radio-pile. Consensus is required to chose one.

>>25144288

We must spend some time and resource on the radiopile (If the bunker for it is ready of course: is it?).

Don't want the nukees to get bored!

>>25144311
You head down to the bunker and are stopped by a guard. "I'm sorry your highness, I can't let anybody in without protective garments."

However before you can respond, the door opens and a figure appears wearing a bulky white suit. "Oh, good morning Lydia. What are you doing down here?" Minerva's voice asks from under the mask.

>>25144415
"Professora, we had hoped to see the pile as it is assembled."

>>25144065
10/14 is hardly ready for a manned launch, and it still requires 12RP to simply construct a Cheribum rocket.

>>25144471

"We're trying to figure out if you need anything!"

>>25144493

It's... passable, but hardly ready, yes.

>>25144065
>>25144133
>>25144288
1 point to learn Suthish then.

>>25144537

Save the point or now?

Right now, whatever the engineeriing situation, we're -behnind- in public perception, don't forget.

We can push back the invention of the Big Pathfinder in order to develop the radio-reactive pile further.

Budget Turn 3:
12RP Mk4c Cheribum 10/15
15RP Radio-Reactive Pile 3/6
5RP Radiolight Beacon 12/17
5RP Photovoltaic Power Cells 15/18
1RP Palmer Improve Piloting
2RP Orbital Thrusters 13/16

Points cannot be saved or banked.

>>25144415
God Mother, Lydia's Engineering should be 3, because of the RnD Point we invested in Turn 1, shouldn't it?

>>25144613
Sounds good. But I dont think the test pile will have a reliability,

>>25144613
Confirming budget and updating wiki.
>12RP Mk4c Cheribum 10/15
>15RP Radio-Reactive Pile 3/6
>5RP Radiolight Beacon 12/17
>5RP Photovoltaic Power Cells 15/18
>1RP Palmer Improve Piloting
>2RP Orbital Thrusters 13/16

>>25144501
"Nothing except for time and funds I'm afraid." She removes her mask. "The basic framework is finished, but I don't think it's safe to bring it to critical yet.
>Current safety rating 3/6

>>25144635
Oh yes, sometimes I forget to update that, her stamina should also be 2.

>>25144685
It will. Guess what happens if it Booms.

God Mother, looking at our inventory, we should have 1 Photovoltaic Power Cell, as it was built last turn as part of preparing a Pathfinder capsule with a MiniVAC, Hawtrey Engine, Photovoltaic Power Cell, and Radiolight Beacon as a test satellite of an active repeater.

>>25144739
With that Piloting improvement, Palmer is now at:
Stamina 3
Piloting 2
Engineering 1
Combat 0
Flights 0

Once we have the active satellite network in place, we can hopefully get more funding.

>>25144742
Oh derp, I must have put down a radio-cell instead by mistake.

I think I'm gonna house rule that building an actual Radiocell (or warhead) requires an active Radio-pile to transmute the elements.

>>25144774
That has been updated.

>>25144795
Actually, we constructed both.
We needed a physical prototype of the radio-reactive power cell, and we needed a photovoltaic power cell for the satellite.

>>25144807
That must be why I was confused.

Capacha:
>cells ayedioa

Turn 4 Budget:
6RP Construct Arcangel Rocket
24RP Mk4c Cheribum 11/16
5RP Radio-Reactive Pile 3/7
3RP MiniVAC 11/15
2RP Photovoltaic Power Cells 15/20

Actions:
Launch
First Stage - Arcangel
Second Stage/Orbital Insertion - Pathfinder with Hawtrey Engine
Payload: MiniVAC, Photovoltaic Power Cell, Radiolight Beacon
Course: Polar Orbit

>>25144834

Ayedioa isn't a bad name for the project!

>>25144927

Looks good. LETS DO EEET!

The MiniVAC is new, too.

Let's just hope we don't get Found just yet...

>>25144994
"Ayedioa? what does that even mean?" Minerva asks.

>>25144927
Confirming budget, updating wiki.
>6RP Construct Arcangel Rocket
>24RP Mk4c Cheribum 11/16
>5RP Radio-Reactive Pile 3/7
>3RP MiniVAC 11/15
>2RP Photovoltaic Power Cells 15/20

An Archangel will be launched with the new satelite at the end of the turn. What shall you do until then?
>Train yourself in Stamina, Piloting, Engineering, Combat or Languages (Costs 1 RnD Point)
>Stargaze
>Oversee the construction of the satellite.
>Explore the island.

You have two luck points, You currently have a Frilly dress equipped.

>>25145472
We shall explore the island. This time we shall take diving equipment, and explore the sunken wreck.

>>25145487
equip bathing dress for thi expidition.

>>25145487

Second this, might as well. Who wants to come?

>>25145487
>>25145595
>>25145618
A bathing dress and snorkel would be sufficient, it's not that deep, and you have gotten fairly good at swimming.

Who shall accompany you? Select up to two companions.

>Sir Perro
>Amelia
>Klaus
>Cobham
>Harker
>Palmer
>Minera
>Smith
>Hawtry
>Adell
>Savard

Capacha,
>citizens Etoedb

>>25145661

Klaus and Minerva probably have things to do, given that they finally got some funding. We shall invite Amelia and Dame Palmer, and assume that Sir Perro will be nearby whether we want him or not.

>>25145661
We shall bring along Amelia and Dame Palmer.
Amelia because she is our BFF, and Dame Palmer because she is a Naval Aviator and so is a good swimmer.

File: 1369968039194.jpg-(130 KB, 500x774, V5533.jpg)

130 KB JPG

>>25145675
>>25145739

Palmer, being the daughter of seafarers and a navy pilot, is the ideal escort investigating a sunken ship. The Lord protector places you in her care and goes of to train, at least that's what he tells you.
Amelia so far has been using her bathing dress mostly for laying around on the beach and not actually swimming, but she follows you anyways.

The wreak of the golden crab is a few feet under the surface of the water. Palmer tells you it tried to seek refuge in the bay from a storm 90 years ago, and ran aground on the reef. Now it's a part of the reef, with lots of sea creatures living on and around it's structure. In exchange for giving shelter, they seem to have prevented the wood from completely rotting away after all this time.

>>25145837
Are there any dangers we should watch out for?
No matter how peaceful it appears, the wreck could still shift and collapse.

>>25145866
Palmer warns there might be eels living in the wreak, and warns to stay away from dark corners and not go any deeper than her.

>>25145900
Alright then. With those warnings in mind, let us explore the wreck.

>>25146016

Watch out for spycrabs!

Staying within snorkel depth you see dozens of colorful fish swimming around the remains of the hull. Palmer also dives deeper and probes around with her knife, inspecting some rubble at the bottom.

>>25146180

Let's make sure she signals that it's safe.

What's Amelia doing?

>>25146180
Wait until Palmer signals that it's safe before we proceed.

>>25146213
Amelia is on the beach wading around.

After a bit of poking, Palmer swims back up and breaks the surface to catch her breath. "I think it's safe down there, your highness."

>>25146252
"Then let us explore. Onwards to adventure!"
Dive down and look around.

You dive down into the wreck after Palmer and look for anything of interest.

Rolled 9, 8 = 17

derp, stupid dice.

>>25146354
Will you spend a luck point or accept that result?

>>25146405

Have we managed to avoid drowning?

>>25146463
1-10= Find something
10-15= Don't find something
15-20= Bad things happen.

>>25146497

I vote we take the bad thing.

>>25146497
Just this once can high be a good thing?

Rolled 7, 7 = 14

>>25146618
It used to be! But that would mean that low safety ratings were better, which was more confusing. So Roll under it is.

You think you see something shiny and go to get a closer look, but instead of treasure, and Eel lunges out at you!

However Palmer is faster and quickly dives to intercept it with her knife.

Rolled 8, 1 = 9

>>25146703
Palmer quickly grabs the Eel and tries to stab it with the knife!

(Rolling twice and adding both character's combat ratings, both zero right now)

The water turns red as you find yourself swimming quickly upwards away from the angry sea monster.

>>25146744

Phew! Well... it'll make for a cool story at dinner, at least!

Your head pops up above the water, followed a few moments later by Palmer, holding a dead Eel. "Well, I know what we're eating for dinner your highness."

Do you head back home before sharks are drawn to the sent of blood, or investigate the dead Eels lair?

>>25146856
I think that's enough excitement for today, lets head back.

>>25146906

Second this.

Of course once we're on solid ground we shall thank Dame Palmer profusely.

>>25146856
Maybe another time. There's work to do.

As you swim back to the beach, you see Amelia talking to Colonel Smith.

>>25146984

... we'll never hear the end of this one, eh? :)

>>25147003
He doesn't know yet!

"oh, there you are your highness! The Merikans have just launched another spacecraft. It's the same size as before, but it dosn't seem to be manned. It deployed a Balloon, but it hasn't de-orbited, Just hovering there idly.

>>25147214

We shake the water out of our hair and proclaim all hail the mighty huntress behind us! "That's a big spaceship to send up with nobody on it, hopefully nothing bad happened?"

>>25147247
"It dosn't look like anything's gone wrong, at least not yet. It's the largest thing in orbit right now. I'd say it's a strange move for them, but then again everything they've been doing since they put those two kids up has been strange... Did you hear the space scouts on the last mission were younger than you ma'am?"

>>25147794
What? How did they even have the requisite training?

How old were we again?

>>25147869
You are currently 17 years old. You started on the eve of your 16th birthday. Which is the time when most Midlanders take up apprenticeships or go to university.

"The suthlanders have a different culture than us. They don't have nobility or kings like we do. We believe the Space Scouts are all civilians"

>>25147968
Then we will meet you in the control room momentarily to see what they are up to.

>>25148165
By the time you get back, the spacecraft is passing over the horizon. But the next balloon will be overhead in a few hours. (Several balloons de-orbited last turn, however the two remaining are at a higher altitude and should be safe for now at least.)

Do you wish to send Ms Kenaway a wireless?

>>25148213
Let's get some readings on it qhile it's still on range.

>>25148251
Well the balloon is still attached to it, making it's shape hard to make out, but the reading from before it deployed it indicated it was similar in size to the kijumbamshale (Southern Swallow) capsule, but unlike the last mission, it did not transmit any voice messages. Just normal status beeps.

>>25148325
Could they have independently developed MiniVAC's on their own, and beat us to a successful robotic mission?

>>25148213
Let's send her a message asking if everything is okay on her end. A large ship isn't just left floating in space everyday after all...

>>25148453

Maybe it's some sort of permanent habitat?

>>25147968

"I wonder what thieir selection process was."

>>25148453
You send Ms Kenaway a wireless, and when the next balloon appears over the horizon, she replies via voice. "Yes! This mission is going perfectly. We're getting ready for part 2 back down on earth. It's so exciting!" She sounds giddy. "What are you up to Princess Lydia?"

>>25148738
"We are preparing to launch very soon an active radiolight beacon with a new power source, a photovoltaic one, in order to test both technologies.
"What does part 2 entail?"

The Suthlanders really are catching up, and at this rate they will overtake us.

>>25148738
I think I would like to surprise you with that.

This is the turn we send up a satellite right?

>>25148803
>>25148807

Sort of. Our power source in't ready.

>>25148803
"The Nyati is a passive docking target! We are going to try docking with it soon!" She explains excitedly. Apparently the SSC doesn't place as much value on operational secrecy.
"Photovoltaic cells? Would you mind sharing your notes? We are still trying to make some of our own."

>>25148807
Yes.
>>25148860
Solar panels are ready.

>>25148980
"Oh yes! But please, also share your notes on orbital docking. We have yet to prepare a docking ring on our capsules, and it would be beneficial for everyone if we standardized the docking specifications."

Not the latest photovoltaic design specs, but enough to get them over their current hurdle.
We are keeping this race friendly and civil, on the outside at least.

>>25149037

Second this. Minus the radio-reactive stuff of course.

Having a standard docking connector is something that we should publicize (with a short explanation), it will do wonders to help with the pacifists' worries!

>>25149153
As long as we send the most recently outdated photovoltaic design specs and nothing to do with our radio-reactive projects, I support this idea.

>>25149037
>>25149153
"Oh yes, standardizing the docking rings is a great idea, Your void knights might even be able to visit our...*Kfizzzz*" The balloon drops below the horizon and the radio link is lost.

Shortly after you get a wireless apologizing for the communications failure, and promising that schematics will be delivered in the mail as soon as possible.

>>25149255

We shall do the same, after making sure it's just about the photovoltaics.

Are we ready to go?

>>25149255
Have the schematics of photovoltaic power cells two generations back, approximately 9/13 Reliability sent to Kenaway via mail.

Then proceed to the launch of our first powered, fully robotic, active radio satellite.

>>25149274
You send the Merikans schematics allowing them to develop photovoltaic cells at 5/10.

You receive plans for an inflatable module, based off of the Balloon system, only designed to contain a livable habitat with a comfortable living pressure.


The satellite is now completed. Are you ready to launch?

>>25149362

Looks like it!

I suppose the world'll end up standardizing on the Merikan docking size... not a bad thing, really.

The potential of terrestrial use for the photovoltaic cell should be widely propagandized, if the mission is a success.

>>25149362
Yes, launch the satellite.

First Stage: Mk4a Arcangel Rocket
Second Stage/Orbital Insertion: Pathfinder Capsule with Hawtrey Engine
Payload: MiniVAC, Photovoltaic Power Cell, Radiolight Beacon

>>25149389
Is there anything inherently wrong with their system...

We should probably give it a look-over before we go ahead with the standardization.

Rolled 3, 3 - 2 = 4

Five
Four
Three
Two
One
Ignition!

Rolled 4, 9 - 2 = 11

The rocket launches off without any error and keeps on going up. Soon the first stage is discarded and the upper stage start's it's burn.

>>25149462

By the sound of it, it might be a bit too small. Nobody's done EVA yet, and it would be good if the docking port could also be an airlock.

>>25149500

This time around we're worried about hte payload more than the rocket... Incidentally, is Klaus interested in the launches, or did he zone out everything that isn't his project? Because that'd be dangerous.

Rolled 2, 5 - 2 = 5

The engine keeps on burning and pushes the spacecraft into a polar orbit. If this works you will have passed a milestone for the orbit with the highest inclination.

>>25149516
>Because that'd be dangerous.
Not really. I'd rather him be wholly focused on keeping the radio-reactive pile from a Boom catastrophe.

Rolled 7, 9 - 2 = 14

With it's fuel finally spent, the solar panels begin to deploy.

Rolled 9, 6 - 2 = 13

Then the radio begins to transmit the test signal. Lord Amedio's symphony of the earth.

File: 1369981467704.png-(241 KB, 355x462, Worker.png)

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>>25149528

This plus a camera should be able to return

It will be useful to very carefully plot the orbit of this satellite, if it works -- even just the one can be a useful navigational aid, if it's known when it comes above the horizon.

>>25149539

We wouldn't want the nuclear boy scout to get too obsessed...

>>25149549

Oooh! Too bad nbody's there to look at it. We doodle the satellite as if it was some sort of mechanical dragonfly.

>>25149566
Or at least that's what's supposed to happen. The radio just isn't transmitting for some reason. You are pretty sure it's in orbit though. It's radar signature also indicates that it's solar wings appear to be spread. It's just not transmitting.

>>25149592
Are we working with the rule that a thing cannot get better than 15/18 unless it successfully flies, or that Payload modules are exempt from this rule?

>>25149592

There's a way to see if it's at least receiving: the wings can be retracted right?

Maybe they just happened to deploy at right angl to the sun?

(Voting to spend a luck point as we brainstorm)

>>25149516
>>25149539
All nonessential work (such as RnD) is temporarily hauled during launches. Especially on potentially hazardous tasks.

This gives the staff a chance to catch a break and watch the launch, and minimizes potential catastrophes in the event of an explosion.

Once the pile is operating however, it will need to be tended constantly.

Rolled 10, 2 - 2 = 10

>>25149625
We are working with that rule, some parts are grandfathered in however.

>>25149628
Spending luck point. You send a series of commands to try and restart the satellite's systems.

>>25149664
The cosmic equivalent of slapping it until it works seems to do the trick. And on the next orbit the panels re-deploy, and the music starts to come in from the heavens.

>>25149682

A cheer is in order?

How is the signal compared to Jakisans?

File: 1369982383919.png-(486 KB, 932x720, MARVELOUS.png)

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>>25149682
Excellent! How is the reception? Can we also use it as a radio retransmitter?

>>25149703
Everybody cheers. The signal is similar, but as the satellite travels around the world, everyone will be able to hear it, and if you build more, you will be able to make longer connections.

(Granted, the way I made this world, most of the landmass is on the same hemisphere so that's less of an advantage.)

>>25149765

That is quite the bully pulpit, if we so choose.

What can the MicroVAC on it do? Can it change the rebroadcast enough to add morse code to identify itself?

>>25149827
It can repeat any signal you send it.

>>25149871
Then we can use this to send a message to Lord Amedeo, that his music is now a part of the stars.

Well, this was another 100+ reply thread. Thank you very much,
But now it is time for me to go to bed.

There will not be a game this Saturday because I will be attending a meting of the Royal Astrological society. Hopefully Gaia will see fit to bless us with clear skies, unlike the last two meetings.

See you next Tuesday at the regular time.

>>25150049
thank you!

>>25150049
See you then.