Sixty-four Pixel Colonists

TURN 3

Construction Drone: COMPACT ALGAE TANK
Compact Scouting Drone: IDLE

Projects:
Design - Simple Hydroponics Vat: COMPLETE

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Spoiler
SIMPLE HYDROPONICS VAT
(10 Plasticarbon)
A container for growing plants in the absence of proper soil by partially submerging the roots in nutrient-rich liquid.
Requires 200 W power
Requires 1 Fertilizer/Turn
Generates 8 Food Units/Turn
Vulnerable: Blight

The colonists notice an incoming object from space. It crashes to the ground next to the painted prefab shelter. It's the supply pod!



The colonists discuss rationing amongst themselves. They agree that if it comes to it, they'll all be willing to eat short rations for as long as is necessary - none of them expected the life of a space colonist to be easy! Some of them joke about how they should have left some of the specialists behind in favor of cattle, but of course it would be prohibitively impractical to keep the cattle alive and fed on a barren, mostly-airless asteroid, even if they could have afforded the extra fuel, and somehow found room for the beasts aboard the deep-space transport vessel during the long voyage out. But maybe once they're better established, they can persuade GFP to find a way to send them some livestock?

The biologist, having completed the design for a simple hydroponics vat, realizes that some of the concepts they used in that design might also apply to a design for a bigger algae tank. They shift their research in that direction.
New project: Design - Small Algae Tank (2 Turns)

The construction drone is directed to build a compact algae tank next to the existing one, costing 10 plasticarbon.
New project: Build - Compact Algae Tank (1 Turn)

The scouting drone is sent to the northeast. It moves 3 spaces, reaches the edge of the asteroid, and stops. Along the way, it crosses an ice field covered in mysterious stalks. The biologist and geologist get into another argument about whether the formations could have been created by lifeforms of some kind, but the data gathered so far is insufficient to settle it.

The artist, whose name is Shiva, decides they're not satisfied with their art project. They begin chipping patterns in the paint. They also steal a little more time on the algae tank to get some green paint, which they'll mix with what's left of their red paint to get a dark brown - the closest they can manage to black at the moment (-1 Food Production this turn). The other colonists are starting to give Shiva some nasty looks for this continual tampering with food production.

Some of the colonists, including the medic, are concerned by how little time the colonists had to react between when they first spotted the incoming supply pod and when it landed. What if its landing guidance systems had misfired?

Food Consumed: 10 Units
Food Generated: 3 Units
Total Food: 6 Units

THE NUMBERS:

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Spoiler
You currently have 1.2 kW of power.
Powered:
1 Compact Algae Tank (400 W)
1 Compact Scouting Drone (200 W)
1 Construction Drone (200 W)
Unpowered:
Ansible (Send Mode: Requires 800 W)
Unused:
400 W

Algae Tank is generating:
Food (4 units/Turn)

Supplies:
6 Food
0 Plasticarbon

Population:
10/20

The other colonists decide that if Shiva wants to make paint instead of food, Shiva can eat paint instead of food.

(Or eat nothing. They're not going to force them to eat paint. But don't feed Shiva this turn.)

shiva decides that if the other colonists won't let her have food, they're just going to eat their fellow colonists and paint with their blood

also can we send a request for terraforming materials

Let's have Shiva do something more productive, like design a flag or an emblem. Their experiment was an experiment, and part of science is learning from our mistakes. Or, we can have our idle specialists try to pass their knowledge to the other colonists.

Start splitting rations now. It will buy us more time, and we can use that time to produce plasticarbon on future turns - we need it almost as much as food at this point.

We could use the ansible, but it takes quite a bit of power that we can't afford to squander; we can't use it unless we power down the algae tank or the construction drone, and we need both of those.

What is in the supply pod?

(also let me know if I'm taking too much control over the discussion, it just so happens that this adventure is my kind of shit)

Let's have Shiva do something more productive, like design a flag or an emblem. Their experiment was an experiment, and part of science is learning from our mistakes. Or, we can have our idle specialists try to pass their knowledge to the other colonists.

shiva is not a scientist. there are no mistakes, or productivity, in art!

Let's ask the central command to supply with, uh, supplies while we're setting up to be more self-sufficient. We need three compact algae vats to feed everyone, and at least one more to provide hydrocarbons for construction materials. (Small hydroponics would be more efficient, but we can't produce fertilizer atm). This in turn requires at least one solar array's worth of power, so we should queue these items for the construction drone.

eat shiva

Design a flag to boost morale. Check supply pod's guiding system to make sure it has not been tampered with. Bring in a sample of rock for analysis.

A true artist is one that manages to sneak meaning to every crevice of their art. A great artist is one that creates art that is pleasant and understandable.

Check the supply crate.

Hmm simple question but is oxygen a potential factor in this ? (There's been no mention of it as far as i can read unless I missed it, but it'd make sense what with being on a small asteroid in the middle of deep space...)

Because if it is, that give that much more importance to algae tanks, assumig they're photsynthetic algae, they can recycle air

For that matter, speaking of alga tanks, that reminds me.. what about water as well ? At least the drinkable stuff. Because it feel that too is an important resource that is soon going to be at a premium.

A great artist is one that creates art that is pleasant and understandable.

spoken like a true engineer

grow weed in the algae tank haha

grow weed in the algae tank haha

seconding. it will be good for art

grow weed in the algae tank haha

seconding. it will be good for art

Shiva Sativa

(this is me thirding Shiva growing weed in the algae tank for art)

shiva salvia

grow weed in the algae tank haha

This is a very silly suggestion !

....I mean, canabis need soil, so at least it needs to be grown in hydroponics.

weed would unironically be a good idea if morale dips to a certain point and we can afford the potential hit to productivity

But then again we're dealing with SPACE WEED and the perfect strain for performance enhancement probably exists.

(REFERENCE)

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BUILDING INFORMATION

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Spoiler
PREFAB SHELTER
(20 Plasticarbon)
A simple, bare-bones housing unit with air filtration, liquid recycling, heat management and pressurized door seals. Holds 5 colonists.
Requires no power.
Vulnerable: Low Morale

SMALL STORAGE CRATE
(5 Plasticarbon)
A small but durable plasticarbon box.
10 unit capacity.
Requires no power.

COMPACT ALGAE TANK
(10 Plasticarbon)
A portable, space-efficient algaculture tank for farming food and other organic substances.
Requires 400 W power
Can generate one of:
4 Food Units / Turn
5 Plasticarbon / Turn
1 Fuel / Turn
4 Biopaint (red, green, yellow) / Turn
4 Fertilizer / Turn
Vulnerable: Contamination
Vulnerable: Low Morale (if used for food)

ANSIBLE
(???)
A device for transmitting and recieving messages in real-time at interstellar ranges.
Requires 800 W to send a 128-char message once per Turn
Requires no power to recieve messages

SOLAR ARRAY
(10 Plasticarbon)
A simple array of solar panels.
Generates 1.2 kW

FUEL-POWERED GENERATOR
(20 Plasticarbon)
A power generator that burns biofuel or other combustible substances.
Requires 1 Fuel/Turn
Generates 2.5 kW
Vulnerable: Breakdown

BASIC COMMON ROOM
(25 Plasticarbon)
A simple space for colonists to socialize and hold community meetings.
Requires no power.

SIMPLE HYDROPONICS VAT
(10 Plasticarbon)
A container for growing plants in the absence of proper soil by partially submerging the roots in nutrient-rich liquid.
Requires 200 W power
Requires 1 Fertilizer/Turn
Generates 8 Food Units/Turn
Vulnerable: Blight

DRONE INFORMATION

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Spoiler
Drones must remain within a certain radius of a signal antenna to function. All standard landing craft are equipped with a built-in signal antenna.

CONSTRUCTION DRONE
A mobile, self-driven framework capable of printing plasticarbon building foundations onto any flat, solid surface.
Sight 1
Move 2
Range 3
Vulnerable: Nozzle Jams

COMPACT MINING DRONE
A small drone equipped with a weak laser-saw for cutting through solid rock. Programmed with algorithms for identifying and excavating valuable minerals. 1 unit capacity.
Sight 1
Move 3
Range 5

COMPACT SCOUTING DRONE
A small drone equipped with recording and measuring devices. Can take soil samples and capture signals across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Sight 2
Move 3
Range 6

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TURN 4

Construction Drone: IDLE
Compact Scouting Drone: GATHERING ROCK SAMPLES

Projects:
Design - Small Algae Tank: 1 Turn
Build - Compact Algae Tank: Complete



This turn, the colonists are forced to go on half-rations. Since they all agreed already that they'd be willing to do this, there is minimal grumbling. But after eating through 5 of the remaining food units and only generating 4, the colony only has enough food left for one turn at this rate!

Shiva overhears the biologist lamenting the fact that the colony has no seeds for use in a hydroponics vat. "Actually," Shiva tells them after pulling them aside, "I have a few seeds I brought in my personal belongings. I mean, I didn't bring the seeds, I brought the buds. The seeds just came along for the ride. But I have them, is the point." The biologist asks some sharp questions about oxygen safety and tampering with smoke detectors, whereupon Shiva reminds them that they all went through the same training, that they, Shiva, are not an idiot, and that THC is still psychoactive when ingested instead of inhaled. The biologist then points out that this particular crop will be the opposite of helpful when it comes to dealing with the food situation, which Shiva agrees is true. Finally, the biologist admits that they really want to try the hydroponics with something, and that the option to get high from time to time is actually pretty appealing. They just need enough plasticarbon to build the vat.

A routine check of the colony's life support systems reveals that water reclaimation is well above subsistence levels and that oxygen replenishment is fully functional. Good discipline amongst colonists ensures negligible water loss. Granted, the situation is uncomfortable, and though redundancies are in place, it would be a serious situation if something were to break down.

The scouting drone moves to the west and begins taking rock samples from the rock formation.

The construction drone finishes building a second algae tank. The new tank is set to produce food.

The colonists decide they need a flag, and set Shiva to the task of designing one. Shiva grumbles about how the colonists don't understand what art is. They do it anyway, though. What should the flag look like?

Some of the colonists discuss some things that they need but don't have, such as plant seeds, terraforming equipment, more food... if someone takes the initiative to draft a 128-character message, the colonists can send it to the GFP by powering up the ansible's "send" functionality.

Eager colonists rush to the supply pod and unpack its contents. They find:

1 Compact Scouting Drone
2 Compact Algae Tanks
1 Solar Panel (BROKEN)

The two new algae tanks are a godsend! Alongside the newly-built tank, the colony now has a total of 4 algae tanks. That would be enough to solve their food problems with tank capacity to spare. Unfortunately, the solar panel that came with the tanks, presumably so the colony would have enough power to run them alongside the existing equipment, got damaged during the landing. It is completely nonfunctional.

On the bright side, the colonists don't find any signs of tampering. The supply pod operated as intended: Its cameras found a place to land that was near but not on top of the colony, and the thruster jets corrected the pod's descent course to guide it to that location. The colony's lack of warning was only because they have no equipment to detect objects falling from space.

Food Consumed: 5 Units
Food Generated: 4 Units
Total Remaining Food: 5 Units

THE NUMBERS:

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Spoiler
You currently have 1.2 kW of power.
Powered:
2 Compact Algae Tanks (800 W)
1 Compact Scouting Drone (200 W)
1 Construction Drone (200 W)
Unpowered:
Ansible (Send Mode: Requires 800 W)
1 Compact Scouting Drone (Requires 200 W)
2 Compact Algae Tanks (Require 400W ea)
Unused:
0 W

Algae Tanks are generating:
2x Food (8 units/Turn)

Supplies:
5 Food
0 Plasticarbon

Population:
10/20

@FlanDab or "Blandab" as I am going to refer to you from here on out, you do not deserve me quoting that awful disgraceful post. True art and great art are one and the same, you fool. Here, buddy, we have a little thing called "self respect" and we will not BOW TO THE MASSES. Our spirit will lead us through the troubling times and our vision will come to fruition. Mark my words.

I am confused. I just made that quote up on the spot. I do not see anything wrong with my statement. True art and great art may or may not be the same and you don't have to agree with me. It is okay to not bow to the masses; they didn't ask you to bow to them. Visions may mislead or misunderstood. Where are you even trying to go? As far as I know, we're trying to get to the same destination, and we all are walking on different paths. I'm just telling you so you may not break a hive of killer bees and doom us all.

Have the engineer, Mio, work on salvaging and/or repairing the solar panels. Even a little extra power, from whatever solar cells retain functionality, would be incredibly helpful.

Let's unpower the scouting drone and construction drone for now. Not that they're not helpful, but having 3 running algae tanks with the 1.2kW of power would let us grow enough food to have excess, especially if people are willing to go on half rations again. Once we have a little more lee-way, we can return to building things in addition to growing plasticarbon to build those things.

Can we have our biologist and geologist go on an expedition? If so, bring a few people to assist. Make a manual scout around the perimeter and see if they can't figure out what's with the stalks to the northeast. Back up immediately at any sign of trouble. Have one of the lackeys who isn't an expert poke it with a stick, in case it's explosive.

i agree with kilozombie

we should look into terraforming with our request, but to do that, we have to know about the soil first. i say hold off on the request until then.

the flag, of course, is a daring rebellion against staid block colors. it's abstract impressionism in light pastels, simply a few large overlapping dots. certainly recognizable. shiva will win awards for this.

Also, Shiva, excuse me? Vexillology is a perfectly legitimate form of design, which is a form of art. Plus, there are plenty of flags with emblems of high artistic quality emblazoned on their front. Whatever we end up going with, we definitely need some kind of neat emblem.

artists must blaze their own idioms and that means breaking from tradition. speaking of blazing is that weed done yet

smear the flag with dirt for that authentic, rural, BRitS feel. doesn't get more homey and unique than that. maybe smear some blood or other bodily fluids on it as well?

then paint a giant weed leaf on it.

if we wanted a brit feel we'd just use the union jack