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smuchmuch · 08-17-2017, 04:14 AM

Quote:Also, I will devote more time to this adventure since my contract with my previous employer has expired and now I have more income coming in from other sources (no it's not drugs). So, good news for everyone !

Oh Mayu no one would ever think you a drug dealer !
... A consumer maybe given some of the things you come up with but not a dealer :p

(Seriously tho, nice to see things are going well for you.)

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Quote:Total AS gained from processing all monsters killed and still viable for the Forge: 900 AS. Will need 4 days to collect and process it all.

Yeees, good, good
*Does the evil finger tenting*

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Okay. While we are on a timetable and it's true everyday counts, I suggest we do not attack anything today but instead use the day for preparations:

>Let's have two to three bataillons to-Secure Chaos bed, and Recover the Seal of Cosmic Truth. As well as Start preparing and retrieving the corpses for the Author Forge

We will use our 20 Author Points we have right now to build a PORTAL WAGON. And use it to open a portal from Region 5 to a close facility near our author forge (but not exactly in, by security measures). That should make bringing the corpses and the seal /much faster.

Then as soon as we have 20 Author points again from processed bodies, we can build a vigilance sphere which we will send to our team near chaos bed (preferably disguised as a flying drone so any eventual enemy intelligence agent couldn't recognize it's author tech)

Even by the end of the day we should have around 200 AP (900/4+20-20-20) which will be more than enough to buy some veeery nice things

>Half of our sonich mechs will be kept with them as security details in case some Smith monsters aren't quite as dead as they appeared.

>The other half will go through the procedure to give them arms because frankly at 20 RP (hell 10 rp since it's only half, although as I said I'd be willing to spend double the money for even better arms and systems that could help for peacekeeping if it's possible) it's a steal.

>Get a review of everything we can research in our R&D department, with all the stuff we have found and unlocked lately, there's gotta be quite a few things even non author take we can research.

>Get some report on the situation of Region 4 now that most of it (petty much all of it exept Pioneer and maybe Falcobeak in fact ?) is under our control. once we take pioneer out, the region should be entirely under our control so we should make at least make plans to consolidate it as soon as possible and turn our gaze to region 5, 2 and of course number 1
Here are a few situation we should get updates on:

-The removal of the stock of combat gases in Cobalt

-Lt Hayes and his divisions (you know the smith troops that were more like glorified PR people than soldiers and whose commander). I think it's about time the good lieutenant officially made a choice whether he's ready to defect with his unit to our side for good.

-No stirring or reaction from 'Nadir' in Cyrano to the presence and death of intruder ?

-Whats left of the Servant of Saramis. Even if they were desperate and manipulated and we disbanded the cult and told father Raimi to do his best to rein in what's left... the fact is that there are still thousands of cannibalistic and slightly confused if not brainwashed people now roaming region 4 with no more purpose in life. That's a .. pretty volatile mic, would be nice to keep an eye on it.

-Er.. is anything left of the rockethearts, y'know the surviving one of the three big gangs that were once the big problem in this region (i think it was the motorcyclist ones, yeah ?) Because we haven't heard of them like.. at all. Not complaining but might as well make sure they're dealt with.

-And finally, let's get all the information we have about Pioneer base, tunnels, anti enderfist strikes protocol and start making plan on how we can crack this nut with both our conventional forces and all the new toys we will be able to buy

That is my suggestion for this in game day.

Dis_Aster · 08-17-2017, 11:31 AM

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Anyways, I'm looking forward to that sweet, sweet 900 AS. More importantly, looking at smuchmuch's recommendations...

Quote:>Let's have two to three bataillons to-Secure Chaos bed, and Recover the Seal of Cosmic Truth. As well as Start preparing and retrieving the corpses for the Author Forge

We will use our 20 Author Points we have right now to build a PORTAL WAGON. And use it to open a portal from Region 5 to a close facility near our author forge (but not exactly in, by security measures). That should make bringing the corpses and the seal /much faster.

Then as soon as we have 20 Author points again from processed bodies, we can build a vigilance sphere which we will send to our team near chaos bed (preferably disguised as a flying drone so any eventual enemy intelligence agent couldn't recognize it's author tech)

Sounds like a solid plan. I'd say three battalions would be best, just in case there's still something nasty lurking inside Chaos Bed. Add to it, for all we know, the Chamber of Horrors could possibly summon more Horror Blobs and the like to keep itself secure. And while I'd normally be a tad reticent about suplexing all our eggs into one basket, there's the fact that we're getting another huge chunk in the coming days, on top of our new Nightmare Factory^tm-brand friend expediting things... Well, hell, why not?

No idea if the Forge can disguise the sphere as a drone for us, or if it has to make it conform to a specific shape, but maybe we could consult with it on that. ...Or however that'd work, I dunno.

Quote:>Half of our sonich mechs will be kept with them as security details in case some Smith monsters aren't quite as dead as they appeared.

>The other half will go through the procedure to give them arms because frankly at 20 RP (hell 10 rp since it's only half, although as I said I'd be willing to spend double the money for even better arms and systems that could help for peacekeeping if it's possible) it's a steal.

No objections to these, either. Partly because I'm glad my bout of being silly and choosing to invest in so many of the buggers is coming in handy, and partly because the idea of giving them arms sounds solid to me. Mind, I'm expecting them to be more for more basic stuff like helping transport stuff, but if we can use 'em for more than just that, then that's just all the better.

Quote:>Get a review of everything we can research in our R&D department, with all the stuff we have found and unlocked lately, there's gotta be quite a few things even non author take we can research.

Seconding this. At the very least, here's what I know we're in the middle of researching...

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Of course, there's also Rainhar's projects which include...

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The only project we haven't started working on is the Laser Urchin, which is as follows:

Quote:Laser Urchin: 10,000 RP
Intended Result: Imagine a flying orb that has laser cannons pointing in every possible direction. That is essentially the Laser Urchin.

Estimated project completion: Week 7, Day 4

Do note that the estimate on the Laser Urchin is from back in W6D1. So, if we were to choose to start on it today, the estimated project completion would be more along the lines of Week 8, Day 3.

Of course, this is excluding any new wonderful toys we may be get a chance to develop what with half the shit that's gone down as of late, along with any other ideas Rainhar may have gotten. Mind, we're gonna need to wait on Mayu for that. ...That, and what the hell the estimate for Psi-Combat's completion is gonna be, for that matter. That too.

Quote:>Get some report on the situation of Region 4 now that most of it (petty much all of it exept Pioneer and maybe Falcobeak in fact ?) is under our control. once we take pioneer out, the region should be entirely under our control so we should make at least make plans to consolidate it as soon as possible and turn our gaze to region 5, 2 and of course number 1

Yes, a sitrep on the current state of affairs in R4 would be nice. Especially considering that Pioneer is probably our biggest pain in the ass there, given it's a mini-R1. No idea on Falcobeak, though I think if they're still in play, they'd be weakened a good bit, given that they attempted to provide backup to Douche Comb's forces in Cobalt.

Quote:Here are a few situation we should get updates on:

-The removal of the stock of combat gases in Cobalt

I'd imagine the removal of the containers of nerve gas probably somewhat slow goings, given that, if I recall correctly, some of it was leaking out and actually contributed to a small, yet steady death rate of soldiers in Cobalt. That, along with the pools of acid that need to be cleaned up from the aftermath of the clusterfuck there... I'd imagine it'd still be a while yet.

Quote:-No stirring or reaction from 'Nadir' in Cyrano to the presence and death of intruder ?

I'd presume that the dead Author isn't making much of a reaction due to the fact Intruder was still using his antenna in order to operate as a proxy. Though, it probably wouldn't hurt to figure out a good way to check up on the corpse of the First to be Named, regardless.

That aside, I've no other remarks regarding the rest of your other suggestions. Though, I do believe there's one other thing we should check up on...

- Bavana, the leader of Cobalt Fury. Last I checked, we 'punished' her and her men by conscripting some of them into keeping tabs on the prisoners in our POW facilities, while having some of her other subordinates head into enemy territory and transport supplies.

I'd assume that work's centered in R5, which makes me wonder if they've established contact with the Freedom Group yet, or if we already told them to do as such. Figured it'd be a good idea to get them working together and whatnot.

smuchmuch · 08-20-2017, 06:22 AM

Quote:No idea if the Forge can disguise the sphere as a drone for us, or if it has to make it conform to a specific shape, but maybe we could consult with it on that. ...Or however that'd work, I dunno.

Oh no, I didn't meant it that way (I mean if the Forge can do that, by all means, that would be great but I'm not counting on it) I expect the Sentinel Orb will look very ... authory. Weird, maybe fleshy, maybe weirdly mundane but in a way that absolutly doesnt look like it belong on a flying sphere... a litteral oddball, no doubt.

What I meant is that we have a couple of engineer pick a metal crate big enough to contain the sphere, stick a rotor drone on it, a coat or paint, maybe stra a few blinking lights and recorders that make electronic noises.. voila a totaly new 'detector drone'

(HEy I just remembered, even quicker, maybe we could use some of those dummy vehicles whose blueprints we put in the omnifactory. Have the sphere into a fake APC or volcano tank to transport it to the field.)

Same thing for the portal wagon, it should be stuck in a dummy APC or if it doesn't fit, a container will do and transported by skyshadow. Only have a select few people with clearance interact with the things directly in the field.

The important point is, if there is any Smith agents looking they shouldn't be able, neither should most regular soldiers (because rumors are things that go fast) be able to tell we're using author tech without getting a very close look.
(And if they do get that close look... well certainly we learned something about our security there...)

Don't get me wrong sooner or later the ennemy will know, nothing stay secret forever, but I'd rather they learned it on our own term, when we use our new toys against them with full surprise effect. The longer we can delay the discovery, the better.

Also that make me thingof a question: Mayu, can Vigilance spheres.. Sentinels orbs... whatever the anti trap balls, detect pretenders ?

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On an unrelated matter re reading the last updates, i relaised a weird contradcition in intruder's explenations

Post 91 while taling of the seal of cosmic truth

Quote:Intruder: Why, the ones watching us right now. The Audience. The ones represented by the top symbol in the seal.

You make a mental note to ask him about The Audience, but Intruder answers you now, sensing your curiosity.

Intruder: The Audience only want to be pleased.

but later in post 118

Quote:You: Wait, but what about the Audience?

Intruder: They’re not watching anymore.

You: What?

Intruder: They’ve been gone for a long, LONG time. We all know it, yet we continue to behave like they’re still there, even though they stopped talking to us for eons.

I /suppose you could say time as we know it means little to the audience and thus they are dead since a long time and yet stilw atching but that's still a weird turn. First he's like 'they're watching us right now' and but a few moment later 'they haven't been watching for a long time'

.... Well now he's dead so we can't go all cosmic phoenix wright on his ass for his contradiction but it's still weird and unless this was a blatant retcon from Mayu, i think everything Intruder told us about the audience should be taken with a grain of salt.

Mayu_Zane · 08-21-2017, 08:45 AM

(08-20-2017, 06:22 AM)smuchmuch Wrote: »----------------------------------------

On an unrelated matter re reading the last updates, i relaised a weird contradcition in intruder's explenations

Post 91 while taling of the seal of cosmic truth

Quote:Intruder: Why, the ones watching us right now. The Audience. The ones represented by the top symbol in the seal.

You make a mental note to ask him about The Audience, but Intruder answers you now, sensing your curiosity.

Intruder: The Audience only want to be pleased.

but later in post 118

Quote:You: Wait, but what about the Audience?

Intruder: They’re not watching anymore.

You: What?

Intruder: They’ve been gone for a long, LONG time. We all know it, yet we continue to behave like they’re still there, even though they stopped talking to us for eons.

I /suppose you could say time as we know it means little to the audience and thus they are dead since a long time and yet stilw atching but that's still a weird turn. First he's like 'they're watching us right now' and but a few moment later 'they haven't been watching for a long time'

.... Well now he's dead so we can't go all cosmic phoenix wright on his ass for his contradiction but it's still weird and unless this was a blatant retcon from Mayu, i think everything Intruder told us about the audience should be taken with a grain of salt.

Not even Intruder can fully embrace the idea that the Audience is gone. Lapses in memory happens because of it. Every single Author that exists was programmed to behave like the Audience is always there, and only in Intruder's final moments he was able to blurt out the truth.

Every Author knows the Audience is gone, but they don't want to admit it. Right now they're all hoping they're back, or they never left, because the truth hurts them too much to ever say it unless they absolutely have to say the truth.

Imagine if it turned out nobody has to breathe anymore, but we still keep our lungs, nostrils, the instinct to breathe, etc. It's the same thing with the Authors: They don't have to please the Audience anymore, but they cannot ignore their own impulses to act as if they're still there.

Next update: 25 August 2017

Hypevosa · 08-21-2017, 11:43 PM

My vote is an orb, and then (after 40 more AS) we can chain 2 portal wagons such that we can open 2 portals to anywhere in the universe without ever putting them at risk since they can operate right next to eachother. (one portal will lead directly into the next or we can have a very thickly lined corridor between them if there needs to be some distance separation)

We could even use the chained portals to have the enemy open fire upon themselves.

gloomyMoron · 08-22-2017, 06:12 AM

Mmm. I was hoping this would come back after... yeah... I just never thought to check here for it. I've honestly missed this. So, just some random thoughts:

- Region 2 has nukes... a LOT of nukes. At least it did when we were first landing our invasion. Either way, I'm gonna advocate for limited use of the nuclear/horror arsenal that we have until we deal with Region 2. The last thing we want is to invite nuclear fire open our troops. That being said, I really, really, really, REALLY can't wait to get a Void Sphere. It is Heat AND Radiation resistant plus fires miniature black holes? Sounds like it is the perfect thing to fight those Triple Corps elites, and specifically Max (I think we dealt with him some though, already? I don't really remember... completely... I know we've had a few encounters with him).

- I also suggest that we give about half our total AS (once fully collected) to Rainhar to use for his own forces.

- I think we should prepend any device/unit made with the Author's Forge with the IHA designation, which stands for Intruder Horror Arsenal, in honor of Intruder (Author's never truly die if remembered and their works live on, after all). Ex: IHA-001 "Taskmaster" Void Sphere (Designation, Call Sign, Unit).

- Sentinel Orbs will be useful, but they might be best used on our spies and infiltrators, depending on its size. If it is small enough (I imagine it being palm-sized, but even if it is larger it could still be useful so long as it isn't, say, medicine ball sized), it becomes invaluable at scouting and aiding our Spec Ops and infiltrators as well as boosting their firepower to deal with larger threats. We should get one per Spec Op squad, at least, which is 140 AS. Also get maybe 3 more, two for our front-line battalions and one for either defensive forces or for a replacement. So, 10 in total. (200 AS even, assuming we split the 900 AS in half between Vora and Rainhar, that leaves us with 250 AS.)

- I would like at least one, but preferably as many as five Void Spheres (at 30 AS each that is a max of 150 AS). These will prove really useful in dealing with Region 2 and 5. Region 2 because of the nuclear arsenal they possess and Region 5 for its... sometimes radioactive hellscape. Also, like I mused earlier, they seem like they'd be hella useful against Triple Corps and non-standard enemies.

- At least one Truth Extractor will be vital, but I worry about the components that require meat and/or blood. Can it be any source of meat/blood? If so, we should work on our logistics and perhaps setup 'livestock farms' of quick-to-breed animals that we can slaughter for the necessary... resources. We can possibly do this by offering subsidies to already existing industries and encouraging the hiring of newly emigrated and the poorer populace. This help provides a way out for the impoverished Region 5 refugees, the gang-bangers, and the like. We can use the Omni-Factory (and probably some resources) to make some Pre-Fab structures for use to get structures up quickly. Perhaps we can even use the Cloner as a basis for research towards this end.

- Phantomic Repeaters are good short range anti-personnel weapons. They'd be nice to have for our Spec Ops as well, honestly. I assume they're phasic rather than kinetic (as Hypevosa suggests), meaning I think they just phases through inorganic material (depending on how the device classifies 'inorganic' this could be really limited or insanely powerful). There should probably be at least one-per Spec Op squad and maybe as many as 50 per battalion (ideally, though we're gonna run out of AS long before that's possible). They seem like they'd be amazing against most of the stuff we've been dealing with (Bodyjackers, Brainbeasts, and so on).

- The Warp Tech that is probably buried under the weather control station.... we need to recover what we can of that. If it is intact, I think it becomes priority number 1 for research. Usurper North's forces did try to portal someTHING up onto Enderfist early in the war, so we need to develop a countermeasure to this somehow. Maybe... huh... The Author's Forge might provide a clue there... the portals require knowing EXACT positions and coordinates (relative to what, I don't really know... I assume the device itself) but the AF can fuck with space to make it think it is a different space... if we can find a way to do this in a limited field without tapping it into the Author Dimension (because fuck The Polluted) but instead create a 'copy of some other space' within the field, it could act as a scrambler thereby preventing the portal from forming a stable connection.

- Considering the above point about Warp Tech, getting a Portal Wagon could greatly aid our understanding in this way... so getting at least one for use and one for study should be a bit of a priority. Though, we should perhaps work on a way to shield it some... perhaps by modifying Bodyjacker armor.

Finally... umm... hello again. The wordy bastard is back. <.<

Mayu_Zane · 08-25-2017, 04:19 AM

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(08-17-2017, 04:14 AM)smuchmuch Wrote: »>Let's have two to three bataillons to-Secure Chaos bed, and Recover the Seal of Cosmic Truth. As well as Start preparing and retrieving the corpses for the Author Forge

We will use our 20 Author Points we have right now to build a PORTAL WAGON. And use it to open a portal from Region 5 to a close facility near our author forge (but not exactly in, by security measures). That should make bringing the corpses and the seal /much faster.

Then as soon as we have 20 Author points again from processed bodies, we can build a vigilance sphere which we will send to our team near chaos bed (preferably disguised as a flying drone so any eventual enemy intelligence agent couldn't recognize it's author tech)

You first build a Portal Wagon. After a few seconds of screaming noises and flashing lights, the wheeled brain awaits your command.

[Image: xacH3aB.png]

Portal Wagon: Hello. Please tell me exact positioning of where the destination portal should be using distance relative from my location.

Ghulls: Uh, what units of measurement do you use?

Portal Wagon: Any.

Ghulls: And how do we show you the direction?

Portal Wagon: Point with your finger, or any other body part.

Ghulls: Understood. Your, uh, designer said you need meat and blood to survive?

Portal Wagon: Yes. Just place them on me and I will absorb it.

Ghulls: Do you have a name?

Portal Wagon: No. You may call me whatever you wish, and I will answer. I will know.

HQ has designated the Portal Wagon as ‘Keymaster’.

This thing raises more questions every time it answers. Still, it seems polite enough, and after a brief period of testing, it does indeed work. No side effects, signs of disobedience or anything like that.

Keymaster: Please feed me every 24 hours with at least 1 liter of biomass in the form of blood or meat. I do not wish to die. Cooked meat is optional but preferred.

With the Portal Wagon now in place, you make use of it and send Battalions 1, 2, and 3 to secure Chaos Bed and the surrounding area. With any luck, the zone should be completely safe for you and your allies. They quickly arrive there and find no hostile contacts for now.

Rainhar: So wait, are our transport vehicles useless now?

The Portal Wagon unexpectedly speaks up.

Keymaster: No. I cannot provide any direct protection for your troops, nor can I send vehicles. If I am sending your people right into hostile territory, there is a strong chance they will quickly die without added protection.

Rainhar: Hmmm… can we send in a Sentinel Orb through your portal?

Keymaster: Sentinel Orbs are acceptable. They are shaped like friends.

Grenda: What about me and my suit?

Keymaster: You are shaped like friend.

Grenda: Sweet.

Lagan: What exactly do you mean by ‘shaped like friend’?

Keymaster: Only friends may pass. Non-friends cannot.

Lagan: What counts as friend-shaped?

Keymaster: Anything alive, and their clothes, no bigger than an elephant.

Lagan: What the hell is an elephant?

You show your husband a photo of the animal. He seems a little bewildered that this creature is using that as a reference.

You issue more orders for the rest of the day.

(08-17-2017, 04:14 AM)smuchmuch Wrote: »>Half of our sonich mechs will be kept with them as security details in case some Smith monsters aren't quite as dead as they appeared.

>The other half will go through the procedure to give them arms because frankly at 20 RP (hell 10 rp since it's only half, although as I said I'd be willing to spend double the money for even better arms and systems that could help for peacekeeping if it's possible) it's a steal.

20 RP is spent for modifying all of the Sonic Mechs. Since they will all retain the ability to use their sonic attacks, might as well give them all arms.

Quote:>Get some report on the situation of Region 4 now that most of it (petty much all of it exept Pioneer and maybe Falcobeak in fact ?) is under our control. once we take pioneer out, the region should be entirely under our control so we should make at least make plans to consolidate it as soon as possible and turn our gaze to region 5, 2 and of course number 1
Here are a few situation we should get updates on:

-The removal of the stock of combat gases in Cobalt

Easily done by the locals themselves. You had your concerns, but former factory workers have stepped up to help with that.

Quote:-Lt Hayes and his divisions (you know the smith troops that were more like glorified PR people than soldiers and whose commander). I think it's about time the good lieutenant officially made a choice whether he's ready to defect with his unit to our side for good.

Lt. Hayes: At this point, the Saramis Alliance seems the saner choice. I’ll keep tabs on what’s going on, I still have some access to Centricom’s communications. Right now it’s just routine chatter.

Ghulls: Why don’t you just give us the decryption keys?

Lt. Hayes: Oh, right. Here you go.

HQ receives the decryption keys and verifies them. There are still a few frequencies using the old codes, but just like Hayes said, the chatter is just routine reports going along the lines of “No enemies in sight” and “Unit checking in.”

Quote:-No stirring or reaction from 'Nadir' in Cyrano to the presence and death of intruder ?

Nadir’s memorial remains completely inert. Thankfully, it does look like he’s completely dead.

Quote:-Whats left of the Servant of Saramis. Even if they were desperate and manipulated and we disbanded the cult and told father Raimi to do his best to rein in what's left... the fact is that there are still thousands of cannibalistic and slightly confused if not brainwashed people now roaming region 4 with no more purpose in life. That's a .. pretty volatile mic, would be nice to keep an eye on it.

Lt. Hayes: I can round them up for you. I got contacts in the old police who can help us with that.

You: Very well. Consider this your chance to prove yourself.

Lt. Hayes and his division is now tasked with finding the cultists and keeping them under control. Expect to hear from him soon.

Quote:-Er.. is anything left of the rockethearts, y'know the surviving one of the three big gangs that were once the big problem in this region (i think it was the motorcyclist ones, yeah ?) Because we haven't heard of them like.. at all. Not complaining but might as well make sure they're dealt with.

Ghulls: Locals are telling us they’ve gone into hiding.

You: Any intel on where they could be?

Ghulls: Nothing right now, Vora. We got rumors that they’re just waiting to see what we’re going to do to Region 4, but that’s it. They might be regrouping. Should we send in human spies?

You: Definitely. Ventica and Leon, keep your eyes open.

Leon: You got it, chief.

Quote:-And finally, let's get all the information we have about Pioneer base, tunnels, anti enderfist strikes protocol and start making plan on how we can crack this nut with both our conventional forces and all the new toys we will be able to buy

Ghulls: We’ve got Region 4 mostly under our control now. All the enemy forces that didn’t leave for Region 5 have gone into Pioneer Base.

[Image: HRd2Msc.jpg]

Ghulls: Pioneer Base has some kind of anti-Darangium countermeasures, so Enderfist orbital strikes won’t work unless we take out their defenses on the ground first. They also have the Red Note at their disposal along with hovertanks in the base armed with anti-armor missiles. Last but not least, they have remote-controlled cars armed with explosives, small enough to move through grass.

You: Troop numbers?

Ghulls: Um… uncertain.

Lagan: What do you mean, ‘uncertain’?

Ghulls: We, uh… Encountered an anomaly on our latest recon. The troops are shimmering in and out of view.

Rainhar: Sounds like they got a cloaking device.

Lagan: A direct assault on Pioneer looks risky. Vora, we should send in a recon team first.

You consider what to do with Pioneer Base.

- Send in Spec Ops to scout the base.
- Send in Human Spies to infiltrate.
- Use Keymaster and drop a bomb right into the base.
- Use Keymaster to send in an infantry force.
- Have vehicles provide a distraction while sending in Spec Ops.
- Send in Grenda the Doomcat.
- Something else.

>_

Units available:

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smuchmuch · 08-25-2017, 04:56 AM

I have a plan but it depends of three questions:

1) The SID (swarm inteligence drones) Rheynar research project is due the the day right after this one (week 7, day 1, we're on week 6, day 7).Could he rush it to have a prototype we could deploy today ? because this is EXACTLY the kind of situation these things are made for.

2)Up to how much inorganic matter can someone transport with them as part as their 'clothes' ? Would, say, a suitcase worth of electronic be acceptable ? How about a stealth suit, does it count as part of the clothes ?

3)How visible are Keymastyer portals ? Are they conspicuously visible ?
Also do they show the other end of the portal ?

gloomyMoron · 08-25-2017, 06:31 AM

I think... a double bluff would be the best bet for getting troops in there. Use vehicles and a non-Darangium Enderfist bombardment as a distraction to portal a Spec Ops team close to Pioneer so they can scout. Close it once they're through, and reopening it at set intervals (unless an immediate request is made) at different pre-designated spots. Probably just 3 portal locations would be good enough, and one should probably open every two hours or so in a set progression. The portal is likely visible or otherwise obvious, so we shouldn't have it appear to close to Pioneer directly. If we had a layout of Pioneer, that'd be another matter, as we could get some sort of accurate measurement for a location that would likely be secluded.

> Use harassment tactics and non-Darangium bombardment, first as a distraction and then to keep them pinned down. Send a Spec Ops team to scout the location. Use the Portal Wagon to routinely make "bugout" portals (that also kind of act as decoys) for our Spec Ops in two hour intervals at set locations.

smuchmuch · 08-25-2017, 07:39 AM

Quote:I think... a double bluff would be the best bet for getting troops in there. Use vehicles and a non-Darangium Enderfist bombardment as a distraction to portal a Spec Ops team close to Pioneer so they can scout. Close it once they're through, and reopening it at set intervals (unless an immediate request is made) at different pre-designated spots. Probably just 3 portal locations would be good enough, and one should probably open every two hours or so in a set progression. The portal is likely visible or otherwise obvious, so we shouldn't have it appear to close to Pioneer directly. If we had a layout of Pioneer, that'd be another matter, as we could get some sort of accurate measurement for a location that would likely be secluded.

> Use harassment tactics and non-Darangium bombardment, first as a distraction and then to keep them pinned down. Send a Spec Ops team to scout the location. Use the Portal Wagon to routinely make "bugout" portals (that also kind of act as decoys) for our Spec Ops in two hour intervals at set locations.

If i may I have two problems with that.

First you assume there's might even be an opening for our spec ops to inflitrate the forteress from the outside.
The reason it has a moat is because our spec ops can't go through water without dropping stealth and i'm pretty it's not the only countermeasure against our stealth op that were specificaly taken to stop our infiltration teams. And I think they were smart enough not to put more opening that strictly necessary.

So unless we make a hole (which isn't very stealthy and this look like it has thick walls), I dodn't think we'll be getting in from the outisde. Unless of course we use Keymaster portals whose whole interest is that ot bypsses wall int he first place

But and that's my second point, portal tech is a huge advantage that we'd better keep secret the longer that we can.
The more we open portal blindly, the more we get the risk we'll do it were a security camera or a crowd could see it. (A single or couple of enemy soldier, all our stealth agents can ... deal with that pretty quickly.).

Creating multiple pôrtal as decoy seems unesecassary. I'd rather take the risk of opening the portal inside only Once.

so if i may propose a hybrid plan:

-Start orbital bombardement and fake vehicular attack outside

-Send Grenda from the outside. She uses a different kind of stealth, so counter masures desinged for our stealth ops may be less likely to work on her, and if they do, she's better armored making her more likley to survive

-Have Grenda plant some explosives on the forteress door in the chaos of the battle. (Or just find another stealthier way in if she can but this thing look like a giant bunker so i'm not getting my hopes up.)
If it works have her enter and .. ah.."clear" a spot for opening a portal

-Open portal inside on coordinate.
If grenda couldn't make it in, we'll have to take a gamble and open it at random while hoping our distraction outside will be enough to clear some aera of Pioneer.

_Grenda moves out, we Sneak a couple of spec ops.

-Spec ops the deliver some small exploration drones. Drones fan out, map as much of the base as possible then our spec ops bug out through the portal.

-Order vehicles poutside to retreat. Close portal.

And to answer one obvious question of why i'd rather have the spec ops enter thought he portal rather than say, follow Grenda through the door if we manage to blow it open. well I assume that as soon as the door will be blown open it will attract immediate attention. A single cloacked agent has a much better chance of escaping detection anf get further into the base than a whole squad then

I also suspect that any communication in or out of the base may be heavily monitored or jammed, so any agent we get in may get cut off or detected as soon as they get a signal radio, (Not a problem for the plan per se because all they have to transmit is a set of coordinate once so we cna open the portal there) so better to send an infiltration agent that is used to operate with little oversight from HQ.

gloomyMoron · 08-25-2017, 08:27 AM

I don't want Spec Ops inside the fortress? The idea was never to get Spec Ops inside Pioneer. That's risky and more dangerous than needed. The idea was prolonged, discrete observation. If I wanted to view inside, I'd argue for human spies to do it. The only reason I mentioned a portal inside is, well, if we had a layout of Pioneer (maybe the AIs have access to blueprints, actually) we could find a spot to stealthily make a portal and drop Spec Ops... and even then I'd be sort of cautious about doing that. The portals would be well outside of range of Pioneer. I fully intended the Spec Ops to hoof it, as it were. I suppose I should have been clearer. My idea was not an infiltration, but an observation. Watch for patrols. Watch for troop movements. Look for apparent weaknesses. Look for improbable weaknesses. This wasn't going to be a "Wetworks" mission for Spec Ops, but an intel one.

Mayu_Zane · 08-25-2017, 08:33 AM

(08-25-2017, 04:56 AM)smuchmuch Wrote: »I have a plan but it depends of three questions:

1) The SID (swarm inteligence drones) Rheynar research project is due the the day right after this one (week 7, day 1, we're on week 6, day 7).Could he rush it to have a prototype we could deploy today ? because this is EXACTLY the kind of situation these things are made for.

2)Up to how much inorganic matter can someone transport with them as part as their 'clothes' ? Would, say, a suitcase worth of electronic be acceptable ? How about a stealth suit, does it count as part of the clothes ?

3)How visible are Keymastyer portals ? Are they conspicuously visible ?
Also do they show the other end of the portal ?

1) Rainhar: We could send a prototype out, but only one.

2) Keymaster: It counts as clothing if they are all touching each other and connected to a part that touches a living person.

3) Keymaster: They glow green and make a noise like water splashing. Yes, you can see the other side and vice-versa.

smuchmuch · 08-25-2017, 08:42 AM

Oh. fair enough; My apologies, shouldn't have assumed.

I don't think there's much you'll be able to see just from outside, the whole thing is a gigantic bunker as far as can be seen.

So I maintain my plan as I'd spec ops or at least something to get inside.
We need intell of the inside. What systems are there are inside, maybe a general estimate of the headcount in there and more importantly, Pionner has been described as a a 'mini region 1' on some ways., any glimpse of any yet unknown surprise there could be in there.

Yes it's risky but we'll have to assault this monstrosity soon anyway, and I suspect that thing is a meatgrinder. I'd rather take the risk of loosing a few spec ops rather than hundreds if not thousands of troops because of some yet unknown horror unleashed or jsut a defense even tighter than we suspected.

Dalmationer · 08-26-2017, 08:36 PM

If only that big ol factory was still around. We could just, use the portal wagon to make a portal between the nightmare factory and the bottom bit where the monsters came out, to feed it forever.

Mayu_Zane · 09-03-2017, 01:32 AM

(08-25-2017, 08:27 AM)gloomyMoron Wrote: »My idea was not an infiltration, but an observation. Watch for patrols. Watch for troop movements. Look for apparent weaknesses. Look for improbable weaknesses. This wasn't going to be a "Wetworks" mission for Spec Ops, but an intel one.

WEEK 6 DAY 7

12 15 hours

Spec Ops were transported 500 metres away from the base, and have been observing Pioneer Army Base for 3 hours. They transmit everything they see and hear, and confirm the base is shifting in form. The entire R&D team believe that it isn’t cloaking technology at all; it’s three different buildings occupying the same space.

Feathers and Francoise, the two AI analysts, have crunched all the facts and numbers. They believe that there are, in fact, three versions of Pioneer Base:

- ‘Normal’ version, which functions as an army base, with soldiers patrolling and intermittent radio chatter.

- ‘Vanished’ version, which is just some concrete foundation. No buildings, nothing. Just a floor.

- ‘Decoy’ version, which looks like the ‘Normal’ version, but has no vehicles and there are upright mannequins dressed in army uniform.

These three versions switch places every 10 minutes. It starts with ‘Normal’, then ‘Vanished’, then ‘Decoy’, and goes back to ‘Normal’.

You: Talk to me, scientists. Can we even assault this place at all?

Dr. Ushah: Commander, it seems whatever object is within range will disappear into another dimension along with the rest of the base. If we were to attack it in its ‘Normal’ state, any units within range will not be able to communicate with us for twenty minutes if the cycle continues.

You: Do we know what’s causing this?

Dr. Ushah: All three ‘versions’ of Pioneer Base indicate minor tremors coming from beneath the base’s center. I’d say it must be some sort of generator powering whatever device is making this phenomenon possible.

HQ also sends you a relevant transcript of intercepted communications. It’s a conversation between a captain and a sergeant.

Quote:Cpt. Lute: So there’s an issue with the plumbing?

Sgt. Buffarin: We got fish coming up through the toilets, sir. Happens almost every time we phase in.

Cpt. Lute: I see. I’ll tell the professor we need to get rid of the fish in our moat. Maybe poison them?

Sgt. Buffarin: Uh, sir? Can’t we just put a grate over the sewage pipe?

Cpt. Lute: We could, but we’ll need diving gear to do that. And we’ll have to shut off the Phasemaker to get any work done.

Sgt. Buffarin: Oh, about the Phasemaker-

Cpt. Lute: Yes?

Sgt. Buffarin: A lot of the grunts are reporting hallucinations ever since we started using the Phasemaker. People are seeing, um, hair?

Cpt. Lute: What?

Sgt. Buffarin: I haven’t seen it myself, sir, but dozens have been telling me that when they wake up, they see really long hair just floating in front of them. Like a wig, but there’s nothing holding it up. It disappears after a few seconds.

Cpt. Lute: Does this… hair do anything?

Sgt. Buffarin: No, but it’s freaking a lot of people out. Maybe Professor Veriso knows what’s causing it?

Cpt. Lute: Hmmm. I’ll ask him next chance we get.

Rainhar: Great, now we got ghosts.

Lagan: It could just be an invisible person wearing a wig. Or maybe it’s one of the mannequins from the ‘Decoy’ version, partially phasing in?

You: No, I don’t think so. None of the mannequins have any wigs on them.

[Image: PjGD9Ty.jpg]

Your soldiers report that the ‘Normal’ version of Pioneer Base has constant patrols, looking in every direction. Estimated size of enemy forces is 30,000 soldiers according to Seeker drone scans.

How should we proceed?

- Order the Spec Ops to sneak in via the sewage duct while the base is ‘Vanished’, then infiltrate when it’s ‘Normal’.

- Investigate the tremors; dig a small tunnel and send a Seeker in during the ‘Vanished’ state.

- Place your forces around the base when the base is in the ‘Vanished’ state and then have them open fire as soon as the enemy soldiers phase back in.

- Send in Grenda to blast the front doors open. Her railgun can pierce it easily.

- Send up a bomb through the sewage pipe.

- Have Human Spies infiltrate the base and get more intel.

- Find Professor Veriso and abduct him.

- Something else!

>_

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Arcanuse · 09-03-2017, 02:49 AM

There might be some merit to infiltrate during the Decoy phase.
If were lucky, we could learn the interior layout for later infiltration during the Normal phase.
If we aren't, then it could turn out to be more dangerous than just infiltrating during the Normal phase.

Semi-related, perhaps we could steal a dummy? Make sure that, y'know. They really are just dummies.

smuchmuch · 09-03-2017, 03:22 AM

...Really this seem.... unescessary and so overelaborate a system

If it was like something they'd kept as a surprise, like activated once half our soldiers were in or in fact just before the assuault leaving us boggling in front of a decoy while airborne horrors came in from region 1, sure, i'd see the point.

If it was in a rythm of seconds, okay I could get that. Even better if it was done apprently randomly or at a rythm onl the people in the citadel would know. Not only be way more confusing, it'd also mean as a, intruder you have no idea if you are going to enter the decoy or the ream thing.

But this ten minutes rythm seems odd. It's big enough forthe base to be hit with, say, artillery strikes ansd jsut short enough it's gonna be hella disruptive for the people inside/

I guess this is their anti underfist strike measure ? You'd think linking it with motion sensor that detect something incoming fast from orbit and shift only them would be much simpler.

Oh well.
Do we have anyhting, that can explore the ground for us ? Might as well check those tremors if we can.

Mayu_Zane · 09-03-2017, 12:20 PM

(09-03-2017, 02:49 AM)Arcanuse Wrote: »Semi-related, perhaps we could steal a dummy? Make sure that, y'know. They really are just dummies.

Half an hour later, you get a report.

Cpt. Selev: Commander, we've taken a few of the dummies. They're just wood and clothes. Nothing dangerous or unusual to report. Didn't even put bombs on them.

(09-03-2017, 03:22 AM)smuchmuch Wrote: »I guess this is their anti underfist strike measure ? You'd think linking it with motion sensor that detect something incoming fast from orbit and shift only them would be much simpler.

Francoise: Commander, after compiling and processing all the chatter, this Phasemaker device is not the anti-Enderfist countermeasure. We are not yet fully certain what that is, but it has to do with the antennas covering the roof.

You: So this is just something they’re doing… for what reason?

Francoise: Professor Veriso seems to have enormous clout over the administration of the base, and has a short temper. He created the Phasemaker and demanded they put it to use immediately, threatening to quit if they didn’t.

Feathers: Psychological analysis indicates that despite high creativity and engineering skill, he is obsessed with making a show of himself. He is very likely making these technological wonders for the sake of impressing his subordinates.

You: Are you telling me the soldiers in that base activated a machine that transports them into another dimension because they wanted to appease this professor?

Francoise: Yes. They placed a very high value on him. It is uncertain how many inventions he has made, but the anti-Enderfist defense system in place is definitely of his design. The antennas are sensors, that much we can deduce from both intercepted communications and examining the design. However, we do not know what kind of weapon they have in place to stop the Darangium shell from hitting them. A hypersonic missile, or a concealed cannon, perhaps. We need more intel.

smuchmuch · 09-03-2017, 05:40 PM

...I think we really need to abduct the good doctor if we can.
What information we have on him from intercepted coms ? (Also I was worried that their communication would be heavily crypted and watched over but seeing as how easily we seem to be able to get sniplets of..

I wonder how deep would we have to dig tunnels/burry bombs so they wouldn't be displaced during the phase shift ?
(Can we get some small drilling drones to test that ? Also locate that uderground generator)
Because it seems we might have the occasion to do some sabotage unopossed as long as we do it in twenty minutes there

It can't be that deep because as we learned with Cyrano, ....you don't want to dig too deep in Manava. (... Unless the 'generator' is litterlay a piece of Nadir at which point... uh, we probably /really need to put a stop to it)

Hypevosa · 09-04-2017, 01:04 PM

(09-03-2017, 02:49 AM)Arcanuse Wrote: »There might be some merit to infiltrate during the Decoy phase.

Dollars to doughnuts that the decoy phase has some really nasty traps and monsters, or that when it pops "out" it pops to somewhere that people inside will not return from.

That said, we could perhaps send a seeker drone in to do the mapping, or something else we may have that can do recordings and hopefully survive whatever is on the other side.

I'm inclined to keep soldiers away from the sewer grating, I'd wager that is is trapped and we won't manage to get anything through there in one piece.

Vanished phase is interesting to me - is there any way that vanished phase is actually some kind of facility with no visible entrance? Can we perform deep scanning of any sort to determine that it's literally just a concrete foundation vs something worth investigating?

Also, if whatever is allowing this constant phasing exists persistently, we could just dig during the vanished phase to get to it or more interestingly we have a portal wagon that can literally just open a portal to the apparent source area which we could use.

smuchmuch · 09-04-2017, 01:29 PM

Quote:There might be some merit to infiltrate during the Decoy phase.

Quote:That said, we could perhaps send a seeker drone in to do the mapping, or something else we may have that can do recordings and hopefully survive whatever is on the other side.

If the decoy base was an accurate replica of the 'normal' one, sure but why would it be so ?

Quote:I'm inclined to keep soldiers away from the sewer grating, I'd wager that is is trapped and we won't manage to get anything through there in one piece.

If they can't even keep fish from getting into their toilets because it's not even closed., it seems doubtfull it's booby traped.

I'm more worried about these flaoting hairs things and whateer onstrosity likely lurk when the whole thing is phased.

Hypevosa · 09-05-2017, 10:23 PM

The adventure has naturally made me somewhat paranoid. I don't think Vanished phase is just a foundation, but a containment unit for some nasties that need to be kept away from people - and they use that sewer for when they get deployed. These may or may not also exist in decoy phase, and the "hair" soldiers are seeing is a lingering effect of some sort that subsists temporarily through phasing.

I don't mind sending bots (do we have any water capable?), I'd just rather not use people if possible because I think they'll end up dead, insane, or in some other state we really aren't wanting for them.

I think it's worth investigating vanished and decoy phases, but it would be prudent to not send soldiers if at all possible.

Mayu_Zane · 09-10-2017, 07:58 AM

(09-05-2017, 10:23 PM)Hypevosa Wrote: »I think it's worth investigating vanished and decoy phases, but it would be prudent to not send soldiers if at all possible.

You order your forces to send in a Seeker to examine the ‘Vanished’ and ‘Decoy’ phases more thoroughly.

The ‘Vanished’ version really is just a big slab of concrete. The only activity the drone can detect is coming from underground, and whatever it is, it’s not a living creature. The Seeker detects iron, carbon and copper, but that’s it.

The ‘Decoy’ version of the building looks exactly the same from the outside, but the interior is completely empty… except for a very small hatch, far too small for any human or saramis to enter. The drone, however, is narrow enough to fit, and goes in.

The Seeker discovers the basement, which houses this object:

[Image: MXMhBvs.jpg]

Iron, carbon and copper. It’s very quiet, but the ground underneath it is shaking.

Feathers: Commander, I believe this is the Phasemaker device. Let the drone wait.

As the next phase arrives, the room is unchanged, but there is now a lot more noise coming from above. It’s the ‘Normal’ phase, and the machine’s triangle now points to a different orb:

[Image: qTDXCVA.jpg]

You: Incredible. Is there a ladder that goes up?

HQ: None, Commander. There is still a hole, but that’s it. It looks like they just built this room and then left it empty… wait, there is a note on the back of the device. It’s a printed message, and it says:

Quote:No staff is permitted to stay in this room for longer than 600 seconds.

The Phasemaker emits constant radiation that will transform all living humans and saramis into monsters, and the effect is much stronger near the phase-shift intervals.

In the event of transformation, kill the staff in this room. Ignore everything they say. They only want you to join them in the Empty Grave. Region One created the Empty Grave as a prison. It is not a place you want to be.

Lagantis: Well that’s ominous.

Rainhar: Looks like we now have the option of setting up a real surprise attack. We can portal troops into this basement, then quickly have them blast out through the ceiling. No one will be expecting that. We’d be risking transformation, but if we time it just right…

You: Hmm… is there any way for us to alter the Phasemaker’s settings?

Francoise: Commander, we do not fully understand the mechanics of this device. Even touching it could cause a catastrophe.

Lagantis: We could just surround the base, then assault it as soon as it re-appears. It doesn’t seem like they’re in any sort of alert mode when they phase back.

>_

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gloomyMoron · 09-10-2017, 08:16 AM

We should portal in an Engineer Corp to set a bomb up on the device and get out. Then we can assault as they shift back into the "Normal" position, then setting off the bomb to create chaos in the base. This way, we can distract them or possibly outright destroy them. It has some risks to it, but we can mitigate the risks by having the Supercomputer AIs run some simulations based on the data we have about Author tech like this (from all the data we got from Region 1, the portal tech we just acquired, and whatever they know from working on Author tech in that Lab in R1). If the simulation has a positive outcome greater than, say, 75% of the time, I say we do it. Anything less, and I say we don't risk it.

Mayu_Zane · 09-10-2017, 02:17 PM

(09-10-2017, 08:16 AM)gloomyMoron Wrote: »We should portal in an Engineer Corp to set a bomb up on the device and get out. Then we can assault as they shift back into the "Normal" position, then setting off the bomb to create chaos in the base. This way, we can distract them or possibly outright destroy them. It has some risks to it, but we can mitigate the risks by having the Supercomputer AIs run some simulations based on the data we have about Author tech like this (from all the data we got from Region 1, the portal tech we just acquired, and whatever they know from working on Author tech in that Lab in R1). If the simulation has a positive outcome greater than, say, 75% of the time, I say we do it. Anything less, and I say we don't risk it.

Francoise: That plan has a high chance of success, as long as the timing is done right. The bomb would have to be detonated AFTER the enemy is aware of our soldiers outside for maximum confusion and shock. If the bomb explodes after the enemy troops take their designated defensive positions, it will force them to change their positions and weaken their overall defense.

Feathers: Keep intercepting enemy chatter; we believe Professor Veriso will inadvertently reveal his position the longer the fight continues.

Rainhar: Is the sewer drain still a viable entry point?

Feathers: Yes. You could send a small strike force to enter through there, and their actions would confuse the enemy even further. However, there is a chance they will end up being surrounded once they emerge. We recommend Grenda for this task, as she is armored and carries heavy weapons along with extreme speed. The sight of a real Doomcat in their midst might cause panic among the lower ranks.