Hullo there. I'm doing a dead is dead type thing with the aim of teaching myself (and hopefully a few noobs) how to set up a decent trade empire. In all my previous games in the X universe I have played the combat game, only setting up stations for my own use in closed loops and NPC's have not been allowed to trade with them. I don't know how to trade very well, but since the build station missions are about to be nerfed I think it's high time I learn. I've been trying to come up with rules that would force me to trade and build to get a decent income and since it's not the best documented thing on the forum, I figured that it might make a decent DiD story. I'll apologise now for my grammar. My skills in written English are poor; I left school near illiterate and basically learned to write from watching subtitled Japanese cartoons.
Rules:
1)Humble Merchant Start (because it's in the manual)
2)Dead is dead
3)No station or escorting freighter missions, apart from corporation missions.
4)I can only move one sector away from my own built infrastructure. This does not include Xenon or Khakk sectors...no way am I going to even try building stations there. If I live long enough to get to the terran sectors, I will build stations straight after getting access to whatever sector the missions take me. Satalites don't count as infrastucture in my game.
Following the footsteps of the Galaxy's Biggest Egos
Herron's Nebula. I like it here...it's always been a safe haven. After everything thats happened recently I need a safe haven. Although nowhere really feels safe anymore. For now at least, Herron's is home out of necessity not choice.
I'm broke. After all I went through as a mercenary for Julian, and all that cash we wasted on Avarice together all I'm left with is a smegpot discoverer and this heap - the worst mercury you can buy. I haven't even got a damn gun. I've been hanging about waiting for Julian to turn up here for too long and, damn it, he promised he'd be back. He can't die before paying me the fifty credit billet I lent him - he always pays his debts. Even if he does come back now, he's in for a hell of a shock though.
Avarice is in ruins, and everything in his name has been auctioned off and that includes all my gear. I shouldn't have kept everything in Julian's company name, but there's no use crying over spilt milk now. I'd better get the ball rolling so at least when Julian comes back he has something to come back to. Whatever Julian's done to lose everything, I just don't know. As things stand now, he'll struggle to find a safe port to land, his rep is that bad.
I was in the slammer with Julian and Brett, before they got pulled out on some fools errand. When I finally got parole, I left gaol to find my old mates were heroes but sadly Brett didn't survive. Julian was loaded, and needed a "right arm;" that was me. With his left arm (and most of his time) being occupied with that mental boron Bala Gi, we were to make the gate network ours. We were doing good too, maybe a little too good in the eyes of "the races."
I'm more than annoyed at the races recent actions. Look, they want me to work for them. They KNOW I'm capable. They KNOW I'm broke. After what they've done to Julian, they're not getting the sweat off my brow. I might be a baka when it comes to trading, but you learn things when working for the galaxy's finest. I will crush the races with commerce. Then I will reclaim what they stole...a phoenix from the ashes of Julian's empire I am. The races shall pay greatly for their acts, and God forbid if Julian's dead, they will pay greatly indeed. Duh, Hark at me...thinking of running before I can walk.
First stop, Julian's old Cahoona joint. I used to turn things into meat; I'm not happy about actually having to buy it. I need cash for a trading system extension urgently, so I can get in the seat of something a bit quicker than this tub....maybe it'd go a bit quicker if I got out and pushed. At the Cahoona Bakery I feel sick as my account is emptied in exchange for 274 units of steak. I receive a message from the station manager; two words - "what happened?" He must think he's being watched if he's being so cagey, and this from a guy who worked for Julian longer than I have. Doubt and paranoia creeps into my mind. Chances are if he's being watched so am I. As I leave I send a reply of sorts that I hope he understands.
Next stop, the high yield complex...A joke of a place. You can't land here on autopilot because they built the damn place in the midst of a debris field and autopilots can't cope. I really miss having a docking computer. A passing trader laughs at my clumsy attempts to line up my freighter with the green docking lights and a wry smile comes to my face as I wonder who'll have the last laugh. Safely docked, the steaks make a good profit and I've more than doubled my credit balance. Now I've enough for a full load of ore at it's cheapest, and I know there are plenty of places south in Argon Prime that need ore.
I can't believe I've been reduced to hauling freight. Two trade runs and I'm up to just over 80,000 credits though. Two trade runs and it's the last time I'm sitting in the seat of this freighter, that's for sure. Time to call in the Discoverer and get it kitted out a bit....So now I'm scouting ahead in the neighbouring sectors of Herron's Nebula, looking for an opportunity to make credits while the freighter does the actual work.
I spent the day trading and buying the odd second hand ship (some were ex-employees of Julian, and they gave me a pretty good deal.) All my paranoia has vanished - if I am being watched I can't see them. I've swapped the plain Discoverer for a Discoverer Raider (it has fight commands 1 and 2 built in, and a triplex scanner) and I've bought a new mercury with a full set of 5mj shields. My original mercury is now joined by a 1mj shielded demeter and two shield-less mercury tankers. I've placed advanced satellites in the sectors next to Herron's Nebula and I've built a wheat farm, but I don't have the credits spare to automate it. I could have bought a cattle ranch, but I've had enough of trading meat for one day....still not got a gun though.
Foundations and Empire (Another DiD...with spoilers maybe)
Moderator: Moderators for English X Forum
Day 1 cont...
Julian had big plans for Herron's Nebula. With me running the combat arm of Gardcorps (Julian's corporation,) I wasn't really told about what those plans were. One of the reasons I was sent up here was to keep an eye on the traffic passing through Herrons and the surrounding sectors, and to "make sure" the authorities were on their toes with the pirate factions' activities. I figure I had better check the asteroids out in Herron's using a mineral scanner to give me a better idea of Julian's plans here. While I'm doing this, I lose a freighter in a collision with a station I'd just built in Argon Prime...it was one of my better freighters too. "Schoolboy error" I say to myself. I have just built two stations in Argon Prime, almost on top of each other - certainly too close for anything to dock at the uppermost station...and then I commanded one of my own freighters to dock at the uppermost station, not the lower one. Baka! This wouldn't be a problem if I had the rep to buy a "construction kit."
Angry at myself, I head down to Home of Light. Julian had connections to Terracorps, so I might find some info there. I also need at least another jumpdrive since my last one went up in smoke. On the way down, I spot an old friend in a TP express. Almost apologetically, he sells me the beaten up TP "cheap;" his definition of cheap isn't the same as mine. I target his drifting space-suit and pull the trigger...hmmm...no guns. I really must sort some guns out soon. As the silly old sod is happily waving me on my way, (probably glad to be rid of the shed of an express) I send the TP to Terracorps HQ for a bio-scanner, and continue on my way.
Not one name I know at Terracorps. Where the hell has everyone gone? It seems at Terracorps, that I'm not entirely trusted either and they'll only help me if I help them. I promise to return, when I'm armed better - then, and only then, I will be at their service. They have promised to put out the word to any Avarice veterans with scrap ships to look me up, but that's all. I'm crestfallen. I expected at least a rumour of Julian's whereabouts or exploits. I feel alone, but not lost. Time to get some company I think...maybe some homicidal marines might cheer me up.
I spend the rest of the day trading; many of my freighters now have jumpdrives which makes the process much faster; sometimes so fast I have a queue of freighters needing orders. I'm now an "Argon Trusted Ally" which in itself opens a lot of doors, so at last I can now buy "construction kits" (and fix my mess in Argon Prime.) I've built and ore mine m and mozzy missile complex in Ringo Moon with automated freighters to buy and sell wares for it (with two equipment docks in nieghbouring sectors it's doing well and should pay for itself in half a day or so.) My fleet of freighters, most of which are unshielded, tallies to fourteen not including a fully shielded and armed magnatar. I've ten marines whose company I could only tolerate for long enough to find what they're good at; three are four star fighters (two of those are 2 star mechanics.) I'm very nearly a financier...I am also harmless.
At the end of the first day I am no closer to finding Julian, but I have established a presence in Argon space; three sectors covered. I have ghost of an idea what Julian was planning in Herron's Nebula, but before I can that idea to form I have to get access to more shipyards. My head and my eyes hurt from all this trading, and the only gaps in the market currently available to me to build are way out of my price-range. Today was hard work. I expect tomorrow to be harder.
I'm trading under my old nickname, "Fearnought." It may come across as arrogant, but I was called it in jest by my subordinates (because I had so many grunts to do the dying under my command, I had nothing to fear.) How wrong they were. Maybe the only monument to the good men who died in Avarice will be what I create now. After hearing my testament, Julian might understand the irony of my chosen name. I understand the irony all too well. After what I've seen, I have a lot to fear. Avarice tought me a stern lesson, and I doubt I'll ever sleep soundly again.
Julian had big plans for Herron's Nebula. With me running the combat arm of Gardcorps (Julian's corporation,) I wasn't really told about what those plans were. One of the reasons I was sent up here was to keep an eye on the traffic passing through Herrons and the surrounding sectors, and to "make sure" the authorities were on their toes with the pirate factions' activities. I figure I had better check the asteroids out in Herron's using a mineral scanner to give me a better idea of Julian's plans here. While I'm doing this, I lose a freighter in a collision with a station I'd just built in Argon Prime...it was one of my better freighters too. "Schoolboy error" I say to myself. I have just built two stations in Argon Prime, almost on top of each other - certainly too close for anything to dock at the uppermost station...and then I commanded one of my own freighters to dock at the uppermost station, not the lower one. Baka! This wouldn't be a problem if I had the rep to buy a "construction kit."
Angry at myself, I head down to Home of Light. Julian had connections to Terracorps, so I might find some info there. I also need at least another jumpdrive since my last one went up in smoke. On the way down, I spot an old friend in a TP express. Almost apologetically, he sells me the beaten up TP "cheap;" his definition of cheap isn't the same as mine. I target his drifting space-suit and pull the trigger...hmmm...no guns. I really must sort some guns out soon. As the silly old sod is happily waving me on my way, (probably glad to be rid of the shed of an express) I send the TP to Terracorps HQ for a bio-scanner, and continue on my way.
Not one name I know at Terracorps. Where the hell has everyone gone? It seems at Terracorps, that I'm not entirely trusted either and they'll only help me if I help them. I promise to return, when I'm armed better - then, and only then, I will be at their service. They have promised to put out the word to any Avarice veterans with scrap ships to look me up, but that's all. I'm crestfallen. I expected at least a rumour of Julian's whereabouts or exploits. I feel alone, but not lost. Time to get some company I think...maybe some homicidal marines might cheer me up.
I spend the rest of the day trading; many of my freighters now have jumpdrives which makes the process much faster; sometimes so fast I have a queue of freighters needing orders. I'm now an "Argon Trusted Ally" which in itself opens a lot of doors, so at last I can now buy "construction kits" (and fix my mess in Argon Prime.) I've built and ore mine m and mozzy missile complex in Ringo Moon with automated freighters to buy and sell wares for it (with two equipment docks in nieghbouring sectors it's doing well and should pay for itself in half a day or so.) My fleet of freighters, most of which are unshielded, tallies to fourteen not including a fully shielded and armed magnatar. I've ten marines whose company I could only tolerate for long enough to find what they're good at; three are four star fighters (two of those are 2 star mechanics.) I'm very nearly a financier...I am also harmless.
At the end of the first day I am no closer to finding Julian, but I have established a presence in Argon space; three sectors covered. I have ghost of an idea what Julian was planning in Herron's Nebula, but before I can that idea to form I have to get access to more shipyards. My head and my eyes hurt from all this trading, and the only gaps in the market currently available to me to build are way out of my price-range. Today was hard work. I expect tomorrow to be harder.
I'm trading under my old nickname, "Fearnought." It may come across as arrogant, but I was called it in jest by my subordinates (because I had so many grunts to do the dying under my command, I had nothing to fear.) How wrong they were. Maybe the only monument to the good men who died in Avarice will be what I create now. After hearing my testament, Julian might understand the irony of my chosen name. I understand the irony all too well. After what I've seen, I have a lot to fear. Avarice tought me a stern lesson, and I doubt I'll ever sleep soundly again.
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Ravenholme
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Sat, 18. Nov 06, 15:54
That's the plan, but with the character being both at a low rank and only having Argon Prime to buy stations from atm, I think it's a little early to be explaining things... plus he isn't supposed to know what he's doing yetAl wrote:Like the sound of this. one thing that might be worth doing is concentrating a little more on the factories you build, the location and choice of station etc seeing as its trading based. Could serve as a guide to others like squiddy's was for boarding.
By highlighting the restrictions in what I can buy when ideally something else would be more appropriate: explaining then, should keep things engaging enough that the story doesn't become tedious....I hopeYeah, I like Asimov, but only his earlier works and short stories. I remember he invented google (the number not the search engine.)
I can't see a satisfactory way forward, apart from building a few "M" cattle ranches. This doesn't make me happy at all. It'll take forever to recoup the money back off a cattle ranch, but since the resources available to me at the moment are limited at best, cattle ranches will have to do...at least I can connect them to other things later for a more profitable return later. Waiting for Julian is holding me up,and having no news of him is making me impatient. So I buy a couple of cattle ranches and place one each in Red Light and Cloudbase SW; doing this at least gets me access to Ore Belt.
In Ore Belt I start the tedious process of scanning asteroids. I'm looking for a silicon asteroid with a 60+ yield...a future proof investment. The basis of any big self sufficient complex is a L silicon mine on a large yield silicon asteroid. Julian wouldn't build an "M" size mine on any asteroid, in fact he wouldn't build a mine of any size on any asteroid that had a yield of 25 or less. He wouldn't really approve of the mozzy complex I built in Ringo Moon; for that I used a M ore mine on a 13yield asteroid - just enough ore for a mosquito missile factory, but nothing more. At the time I couldn't buy a L ore mine, which would have supported two mozzy factories there...now I'm kicking myself because there is a visible queue of customers wanting to buy my missiles, and the complex can't cope with the demand. Back in Ore Belt I build a "L" silicon mine on the 64 yield asteroid to prevent anyone else using it, and to gain access to Cloudbase SE and the better options it's shipyard brings.
I've just been informed that I've gained recognition and I've been promoted to Nomad status with the Paranid. This is something of a surprise to me since I haven't seen sight nor sound of any Paranid since I started rebuilding Julian's empire. Julian used to say "most deadly mistakes arise from obsolete assumptions," and this was especially true of the Paranid. The assumption that I, as an Argon, am inferior to a Paranid due to only having two eyes (not seeing three dimensionally) is flawed since I can think in four dimensions at least, most Paranid think in one dimension - one way, their way, and their way is usually obsolete by the time they thought of it. Now what's going on?!?! I've been promoted again! I can only think the Paranid are short of mosquito missiles, and they're buying up what my little complex is making. I've just gone up a Teladi rank too, which almost confirms my assumption. I've had doubts how I would get into Paranid space since I started; but unlocking their door wholly by accident now puts me in a buoyant mood....I'm suddenly a Split Creature too.
The mozzy complex has been "open" for about six hours, and it's nearly halfway to paying itself off. I'm selling the missiles at 160 credits a piece, a little below average and buying E-cells and cahoonas at +1 of average. I've just lost another freighter though due to collision and since visiting Terracorps I've not seen a single scrap ship for sale either. Trading is going well though, and all my manually operated traders are jumpdrive equipped although many still lack shields.
Looking at the cattle ranches I built earlier, I've decided that I need to cobble something together in Cloudbase SW. Money is tight, and I'm still a little restricted to what I can buy, so the next complex is going to be something of a bodge job. I nip over Cloudbase SW and start scanning asteroids, when I realise I've made another "schoolboy error." The cattle ranch I've built is a good way off the asteroid I'm going to use. This complex is going to be a mess looks-wise, but as long as the hub is accessible and I can keep the trade lanes clear it should be ok.
I don't want this complex to be energy hungry and I want to keep costs down, so I'm going to use another "M" ore mine on a 25 yeild asteroid, which produces exactly the right amount of ore for two factories. With the "M" cattle ranch already there I need to add a "M" cahoona bakery to make exactly the right amount of food for two factories. I just have to choose the factories to complete the complex. I've broken most of Julian's rules for station building so far, but I'm not going to break them on choosing factories. I am building weapons factories thats for sure, and the reason for that is the sector is poorly defended so if I can entice a few weapons dealers into the sector, then they'll have to be a poor mans sector defense. Unfortunately, my options for purchase are still quite limited so I end up with another mosquito missile factory and a firefly missile factory. I'm going to manually instruct one of my freighters to every now and then to drop off E-cells at the complex (because I've lost another freighter from the cattle ranch in Cloudbase SW in ore belt,) while another freighter sells the mosquito's for best price. I don't think you can sell fireflies to anywhere around here; I'm not too concerned about that because I want to see how long it takes before people start visiting the complex and my current guess of six hours may be wrong.
After building the complex I go looking for the TL that is usually for hire in Argon Prime, but when I exit the gate I'm greeted by an old friend who wants to hang up his wings. He should have packed in years ago, even if he was good at holding a defensive position. He's offering his trusty war-horse for a shade under 500,000....but it's Teladi: I hate Teladi ships. This ship is wierd, even by teladi standards. It's slower than my TM, and uses a 200mj shield...that explains why the old git was so good at holding position - he couldn't really go anywhere. Since the only decent shielding I can get is 200mj I buy the ship and start patching it up, when another interesting proposition comes up. The fastest TP I know of is the Iguana Vanguard, and I've only ever seen one of those before - that was one of Julian's safety ships that he hid all over the gate system. Frantically I comm the Iguana to find it's not Julian but some petty Split lord who has had far too much to drink. From what I could make out, he'll happily sell his ship to me, so he can get something better suited to killing the asteroid that has declared war on him - and insulted his families pride. 170,000 and the Iguana is mine. Not much good now, but it will be very useful when fully equipped.
Back in the cockpit I look at my credit balance. After outfitting the falcon vanguard I haven't got enough to build anything. Looks like I'll have to make good on my promise to Terracorps earlier than I expected. It'll be nice to take my frustrations out on something more substantial than blank space, and the "harmless" badge on my right arm is starting to insult me.
In Ore Belt I start the tedious process of scanning asteroids. I'm looking for a silicon asteroid with a 60+ yield...a future proof investment. The basis of any big self sufficient complex is a L silicon mine on a large yield silicon asteroid. Julian wouldn't build an "M" size mine on any asteroid, in fact he wouldn't build a mine of any size on any asteroid that had a yield of 25 or less. He wouldn't really approve of the mozzy complex I built in Ringo Moon; for that I used a M ore mine on a 13yield asteroid - just enough ore for a mosquito missile factory, but nothing more. At the time I couldn't buy a L ore mine, which would have supported two mozzy factories there...now I'm kicking myself because there is a visible queue of customers wanting to buy my missiles, and the complex can't cope with the demand. Back in Ore Belt I build a "L" silicon mine on the 64 yield asteroid to prevent anyone else using it, and to gain access to Cloudbase SE and the better options it's shipyard brings.
I've just been informed that I've gained recognition and I've been promoted to Nomad status with the Paranid. This is something of a surprise to me since I haven't seen sight nor sound of any Paranid since I started rebuilding Julian's empire. Julian used to say "most deadly mistakes arise from obsolete assumptions," and this was especially true of the Paranid. The assumption that I, as an Argon, am inferior to a Paranid due to only having two eyes (not seeing three dimensionally) is flawed since I can think in four dimensions at least, most Paranid think in one dimension - one way, their way, and their way is usually obsolete by the time they thought of it. Now what's going on?!?! I've been promoted again! I can only think the Paranid are short of mosquito missiles, and they're buying up what my little complex is making. I've just gone up a Teladi rank too, which almost confirms my assumption. I've had doubts how I would get into Paranid space since I started; but unlocking their door wholly by accident now puts me in a buoyant mood....I'm suddenly a Split Creature too.
The mozzy complex has been "open" for about six hours, and it's nearly halfway to paying itself off. I'm selling the missiles at 160 credits a piece, a little below average and buying E-cells and cahoonas at +1 of average. I've just lost another freighter though due to collision and since visiting Terracorps I've not seen a single scrap ship for sale either. Trading is going well though, and all my manually operated traders are jumpdrive equipped although many still lack shields.
Looking at the cattle ranches I built earlier, I've decided that I need to cobble something together in Cloudbase SW. Money is tight, and I'm still a little restricted to what I can buy, so the next complex is going to be something of a bodge job. I nip over Cloudbase SW and start scanning asteroids, when I realise I've made another "schoolboy error." The cattle ranch I've built is a good way off the asteroid I'm going to use. This complex is going to be a mess looks-wise, but as long as the hub is accessible and I can keep the trade lanes clear it should be ok.
I don't want this complex to be energy hungry and I want to keep costs down, so I'm going to use another "M" ore mine on a 25 yeild asteroid, which produces exactly the right amount of ore for two factories. With the "M" cattle ranch already there I need to add a "M" cahoona bakery to make exactly the right amount of food for two factories. I just have to choose the factories to complete the complex. I've broken most of Julian's rules for station building so far, but I'm not going to break them on choosing factories. I am building weapons factories thats for sure, and the reason for that is the sector is poorly defended so if I can entice a few weapons dealers into the sector, then they'll have to be a poor mans sector defense. Unfortunately, my options for purchase are still quite limited so I end up with another mosquito missile factory and a firefly missile factory. I'm going to manually instruct one of my freighters to every now and then to drop off E-cells at the complex (because I've lost another freighter from the cattle ranch in Cloudbase SW in ore belt,) while another freighter sells the mosquito's for best price. I don't think you can sell fireflies to anywhere around here; I'm not too concerned about that because I want to see how long it takes before people start visiting the complex and my current guess of six hours may be wrong.
After building the complex I go looking for the TL that is usually for hire in Argon Prime, but when I exit the gate I'm greeted by an old friend who wants to hang up his wings. He should have packed in years ago, even if he was good at holding a defensive position. He's offering his trusty war-horse for a shade under 500,000....but it's Teladi: I hate Teladi ships. This ship is wierd, even by teladi standards. It's slower than my TM, and uses a 200mj shield...that explains why the old git was so good at holding position - he couldn't really go anywhere. Since the only decent shielding I can get is 200mj I buy the ship and start patching it up, when another interesting proposition comes up. The fastest TP I know of is the Iguana Vanguard, and I've only ever seen one of those before - that was one of Julian's safety ships that he hid all over the gate system. Frantically I comm the Iguana to find it's not Julian but some petty Split lord who has had far too much to drink. From what I could make out, he'll happily sell his ship to me, so he can get something better suited to killing the asteroid that has declared war on him - and insulted his families pride. 170,000 and the Iguana is mine. Not much good now, but it will be very useful when fully equipped.
Back in the cockpit I look at my credit balance. After outfitting the falcon vanguard I haven't got enough to build anything. Looks like I'll have to make good on my promise to Terracorps earlier than I expected. It'll be nice to take my frustrations out on something more substantial than blank space, and the "harmless" badge on my right arm is starting to insult me.
I awake, startled by an incoming enemy alarm. Hastily, I rub my eyes while checking the map to see what's up. A khakk swarm, and a big one at that is bearing down on me. I quickly engage the jump-drive, praying the next ten seconds will not be my last. Thankfully I'm in my Magnatar, but I'm a hell of a long way from anywhere, not even appearing on the map. Betty's having trouble informing me of how many missiles are coming my way there are so many. I try to return the favour, but I've no missiles equipped so only only one gets launched back before the jumpdrive cuts in. I'm ashamed of myself for running and angry at myself for succumbing to sleep. I hate the Khakk with a passion, probably more so than most. They're the cause of all my woes.... if it hadn't been for the Khakk, patrols in ore belt wouldn't have increased, and I wouldn't have gotten myself caught smuggling space weed. If it wasn't for the Khakk, my family and friends wouldn't have died trying to escape Omicron Lyrae, or fighting in Omicron's defence. If it wasn't for the Khakk I wouldn't have met Julian and I wouldn't be here - now ....and I wouldn't have come back from hell. One day, the Khakk will pay heavily for their mistake. They will feel the pain of the fire in my heart. I demand it.
In a rage I clear the cockpit of all it's clutter. Any plans I've made are cast to the floor.
"To hell with this foolishness!" I scream at the universe that has taken so much from me. "I can tidy up the loose ends later."
I need space to manoeuvre, and I need it quick. I realise I'm not as safe as I thought, and Julian could be in a worse condition. I've got to find him, or at least provide a haven for him soon. All this messing about I'm doing isn't helping either of us quickly, I am pandering to the needs of "the races" rather than the safety of my friends and I've lost sight of the goal. It feels like I've had a revelation, and the weight of the world has been taken off my shoulders. I'm not in a position to manipulate my surroundings as I wish, so I'll have to settle for laying the foundations of something bigger. The idea pleases me. By buying simple infrastructure, "the races" will not notice what I'm doing; they'll think me a "humble merchant" and not the war-monger I am.
I check the state of my marines, who I've been lax in training. They're not ready to launch against a TM let alone anything else. All my thoughts of suddenly rushing forward are drawn to a halt; dreams of conquest shattered. I'm going to have to get out of the habit of making mistakes....
Hmmm, Let's see...what have I got?
Fighters:
Falcon Vanguard "Bon Jovi's armoured moped"
Nova Raider "Blatant Warning" - needs shielding
Discoverer Raider "Emperors new clothes"
TM Magnatar "Wagon R"
Iguana Vanguard "Piccato"
Express
23 Freighters of various sizes buying or selling automated or being equiped to do so.
10 JD equipped MORT's various sizes
Three worlds - 1mj shield fact (recent)
Cloudbase NW - Cahoona M (recent) auto
Ringo Moon - Mosquito + ore mine M (13) complex (does well) auto
Red Light - cahoona M + cattle M complex (does ok) auto
Cloudbase SW - Mosquito + Firefly + cahoona M + cattle M complex (mozzy good, firefly poor)
Emporer Mines - Wasp fact (does well, slow start though)
Herrons Nebula - wheat M (does well) auto
Paranid Prime - soya farm M (very slow, as expected)
Argon Prime - cahoona M + cattle M complex (does well) auto
Ore Belt - Silicon Mine L (64) MORT
Cloudbase SE - Ore Mine L MORT
Presidents End - 1mj shield fact (does well, even though recent) MORT
1 ore mine M bought in error unplaced
3.4 million Master Broker
In a rage I clear the cockpit of all it's clutter. Any plans I've made are cast to the floor.
"To hell with this foolishness!" I scream at the universe that has taken so much from me. "I can tidy up the loose ends later."
I need space to manoeuvre, and I need it quick. I realise I'm not as safe as I thought, and Julian could be in a worse condition. I've got to find him, or at least provide a haven for him soon. All this messing about I'm doing isn't helping either of us quickly, I am pandering to the needs of "the races" rather than the safety of my friends and I've lost sight of the goal. It feels like I've had a revelation, and the weight of the world has been taken off my shoulders. I'm not in a position to manipulate my surroundings as I wish, so I'll have to settle for laying the foundations of something bigger. The idea pleases me. By buying simple infrastructure, "the races" will not notice what I'm doing; they'll think me a "humble merchant" and not the war-monger I am.
I check the state of my marines, who I've been lax in training. They're not ready to launch against a TM let alone anything else. All my thoughts of suddenly rushing forward are drawn to a halt; dreams of conquest shattered. I'm going to have to get out of the habit of making mistakes....
Hmmm, Let's see...what have I got?
Fighters:
Falcon Vanguard "Bon Jovi's armoured moped"
Nova Raider "Blatant Warning" - needs shielding
Discoverer Raider "Emperors new clothes"
TM Magnatar "Wagon R"
Iguana Vanguard "Piccato"
Express
23 Freighters of various sizes buying or selling automated or being equiped to do so.
10 JD equipped MORT's various sizes
Three worlds - 1mj shield fact (recent)
Cloudbase NW - Cahoona M (recent) auto
Ringo Moon - Mosquito + ore mine M (13) complex (does well) auto
Red Light - cahoona M + cattle M complex (does ok) auto
Cloudbase SW - Mosquito + Firefly + cahoona M + cattle M complex (mozzy good, firefly poor)
Emporer Mines - Wasp fact (does well, slow start though)
Herrons Nebula - wheat M (does well) auto
Paranid Prime - soya farm M (very slow, as expected)
Argon Prime - cahoona M + cattle M complex (does well) auto
Ore Belt - Silicon Mine L (64) MORT
Cloudbase SE - Ore Mine L MORT
Presidents End - 1mj shield fact (does well, even though recent) MORT
1 ore mine M bought in error unplaced
3.4 million Master Broker
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Targ Collective
- Posts: 2708
- Joined: Wed, 4. Feb 09, 21:42
Awesome read!
...Hoping you haven't stopped writing this (Noticed the last post was a few days ago), but then again, the sheer amount of actual story instead of listing of mundane stuff doesn't exactly give much room for daily updates
Anyway, looking forward to read more, if you haven't grown bored of writing already
...Hoping you haven't stopped writing this (Noticed the last post was a few days ago), but then again, the sheer amount of actual story instead of listing of mundane stuff doesn't exactly give much room for daily updates
Anyway, looking forward to read more, if you haven't grown bored of writing already
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. There should be an update tonight, just had a graphics card overheating problem to deal with, and a bunch of assorted screw ups in real life that have had to be put first. I really shouldn't be put into the same sentence as N-S; the guy's a legend, and a damn sight better player than I am. If it hadn't been for "Squiddy" I wouldn't be playing TC yet either; I'd have played through Reunion first.
There has been a problem though. A friend came round and was having a look at my game while I was in the bath (he stole my copy of Reunion) and he did a mission for me. I only noticed this myself last night, and it's hardly game breaking since it was at a pirate base, and the reward was tiny. Actually it kind of is game breaking, because I was testing if pirate rep could be gained by trading alone and now I don't know the answer, but the only save I have before the git did the mission was a day and fifteen hours ago and there's no way I'm going back that far!
There has been a problem though. A friend came round and was having a look at my game while I was in the bath (he stole my copy of Reunion) and he did a mission for me. I only noticed this myself last night, and it's hardly game breaking since it was at a pirate base, and the reward was tiny. Actually it kind of is game breaking, because I was testing if pirate rep could be gained by trading alone and now I don't know the answer, but the only save I have before the git did the mission was a day and fifteen hours ago and there's no way I'm going back that far!
Getting my rep rank up with the Boron and Paranid is tough and slow work. This has been made even harder by the addition and removal of a few stations here and there; It seems "the races" are trying to counter my aggressive trading by either flooding the market with a product, or by reducing the availability of a product to increase it's price. I'm countering this by buying all the races missiles, weapons and shields cheap then selling them to Terracorp, where they disappear into their bottom-less vault. Since I have done that, stations seem much more stable. I've been mainly trading ore and e-cells (silicon has been a waste of time because the races seem to use unmarked civilian ships to move silicon about, getting there seconds before my freighters) because they are both fairly easy to come by and just as easy to get rid of. However, the fact that it is taking so long to gain recognition through trading alone, has made me realise that I'm going to have to create a lot bigger empire than I first thought to keep my rank high enough to reclaim Julian's "stolen" fleet, without damaging my reputation.
At long last I've made it to "Friend of Priest Duke," meaning I can finally buy some 25mj shields for my Nova Raider. I can finally get rid of "Bon Jovi's armoured moped," the falcon vanguard which just don't get on with - it's just too slow. In my last engagement in the falcon, I managed to kill a kha'ak fighter easily, but couldn't get a bead on any of the scouts because the falcon doesn't turn well.....it's like a bulldozer trying to fight a butterfly. My shields took a right hammering off the scouts before they beggared off after a more interesting target, leaving me screaming obscenities in their wake; flat-out at and at 98ms all I could do was watch them fly off while I shot at empty space.
On my way to sell the falcon I see one of my freighters straying perilously close to a small group of pirate ships. Concerned, I jump over to them in the hope I'll shepherd my freighter past them safely. Of course the pirates have a pop at me, and after a nice little fight I cap my first ship...but I'm disappointed. It's another falcon vanguard, but this one is the same in name only as the falcon I've already got. This one uses 3x 25mj shields, goes a nearly 40ms faster, and has really small cargo hold. Perhaps this is a pirate variant, or maybe "Bon Jovi's" is some kind of custom job. Either way, I've decided to retain the pair of them until I have time to examine the matter, and I'm hoping "Bon Jovi's" will fire some of the more interesting missiles or something. I've no time to check now though; I have twenty odd messages to deal with.
25mj shields....Julian told me of his "quest" for 25mj shields. In times past, there were only three factories in the entire gate network that sold 25mj shields, and they were nearly always sold out. Julian spent days flying from pirate base to pirate base, luring pirates out to try and cap their ships just to try to get hold of 25mj shields. By the time he'd obtained enough shielding for three or four fighters though, he had enough money from selling scrap ships that he ended up buying an Osprey (Julian was invincible in his Osprey, and it's said that the races redeveloped their fleets to counter his skill, thus the Osprey hasn't the power it had.) Today, there are 25mj shield factories all over the place and it gives me a dilemma. Do I buy shields now, or do I wait and make them myself? Then there's rep to consider too, so I decide to buy a few 25mj shields to test if it'll raise my rep....it doesn't raise at all. I've not been monitoring how rep raises because I simply haven't had time (what with ordering MORTs about) now I'm regretting that. I've noticed there seems to be a higher increase in rep when a "race" trader buys from one of my factories, but I haven't paid enough attention to be absolutely sure. Anyway, it's going to take a while before I'm able to buy a 25mj shield factory, there's two more ranks to go yet.
It was my intention to venture into pirate space (eventually leading to OTAS turf and onwards to the remains of Avarice) but pirates REALLY don't seem to like me, while the Yaki on the other hand seem quite pleased to see me. It should be the other way round since I used to work for one of the pirate clans before Julian saved me. I've thought hard about what Julian may do, and I think it is most likely he'd hide in an unknown sector, away from the prying eyes of "the races," but I doubt he'd try for Avarice because that would be too obvious. Now pirates are halting my way forward, so I'm going to have to go the long way round. I've not barred myself from doing a bit of work for the pirates since they have had little to do with my woes, but I'm really put out with them, and since I've not really got any time for them I am only going to do the pirates a favour if I don't have to be there all the time...I've too much to do elsewhere. For now I'm trying to trade space weed/fuel in the hope that keeps them friendly until I can find a better way of placating them.
I've built a little space fuel complex in Savage Spur and another in Farnham's Legend. They're good earners, and have made me think quite hard about going into the space weed market, so I've concentrated on going through Teladi space to access their shipyards. Moving forward this quickly may have been a mistake though. My MORTs are pretty much running the factories I've built on the way, and I haven't got the money to buy freighters yet; I'm spread a bit thin and my earnings seem to have gone down, since my MORTs are only buying for my stations instead of actual trading for profit.
I've finally managed to find a pirate base within my base of operations in Atreus' Clouds, but I can't find anyone to speak with there. After trading with the pirate station a few times, I notice a freighter that was registering as an enemy turns friendly....then almost as quickly goes back to being an enemy. This is worrying. It is paramount I can build in pirate space, indeed I already have, but I don't want to be worrying about pirate raiders on top of everything else. I need a plan quickly, and sitting here with my feet up tapping on the cockpit display isn't getting me anywhere at all.
----------------
"What's he doing?" she thought.
She watched him, slouched in his seat while he bit on his thumb nail. Unconsciously, she mimicked his nail biting. She was just as unsure of the way forward as him.
"A pathetic creature, this one is" She thought as she looked him straight in his eyes, knowing full well he couldn't see her, even though she was only a few meters away.
"Move" she commanded....and he moved!
----------------
I'm sat waiting for a hired Teladi TL with my cargo of a dream farm to arrive, I suddenly feel uneasy. That's not so surprising since I'm in Hatikvah's Faith and I'm fairly close to a rather angry looking Anarchy Port and it's lasertowers. I shouldn't feel so concerned though, as there is a large military presence from four of the races. I'm not far off OTAS turf, and I'm exited about getting there so I head to the west gate. All in all, things are moving along nicely. Once I get to Avarice I'll have to consolidate what I've built so far.....thinking about Avarice makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I'm not going there without a better ship. Not far to go now....
At long last I've made it to "Friend of Priest Duke," meaning I can finally buy some 25mj shields for my Nova Raider. I can finally get rid of "Bon Jovi's armoured moped," the falcon vanguard which just don't get on with - it's just too slow. In my last engagement in the falcon, I managed to kill a kha'ak fighter easily, but couldn't get a bead on any of the scouts because the falcon doesn't turn well.....it's like a bulldozer trying to fight a butterfly. My shields took a right hammering off the scouts before they beggared off after a more interesting target, leaving me screaming obscenities in their wake; flat-out at and at 98ms all I could do was watch them fly off while I shot at empty space.
On my way to sell the falcon I see one of my freighters straying perilously close to a small group of pirate ships. Concerned, I jump over to them in the hope I'll shepherd my freighter past them safely. Of course the pirates have a pop at me, and after a nice little fight I cap my first ship...but I'm disappointed. It's another falcon vanguard, but this one is the same in name only as the falcon I've already got. This one uses 3x 25mj shields, goes a nearly 40ms faster, and has really small cargo hold. Perhaps this is a pirate variant, or maybe "Bon Jovi's" is some kind of custom job. Either way, I've decided to retain the pair of them until I have time to examine the matter, and I'm hoping "Bon Jovi's" will fire some of the more interesting missiles or something. I've no time to check now though; I have twenty odd messages to deal with.
25mj shields....Julian told me of his "quest" for 25mj shields. In times past, there were only three factories in the entire gate network that sold 25mj shields, and they were nearly always sold out. Julian spent days flying from pirate base to pirate base, luring pirates out to try and cap their ships just to try to get hold of 25mj shields. By the time he'd obtained enough shielding for three or four fighters though, he had enough money from selling scrap ships that he ended up buying an Osprey (Julian was invincible in his Osprey, and it's said that the races redeveloped their fleets to counter his skill, thus the Osprey hasn't the power it had.) Today, there are 25mj shield factories all over the place and it gives me a dilemma. Do I buy shields now, or do I wait and make them myself? Then there's rep to consider too, so I decide to buy a few 25mj shields to test if it'll raise my rep....it doesn't raise at all. I've not been monitoring how rep raises because I simply haven't had time (what with ordering MORTs about) now I'm regretting that. I've noticed there seems to be a higher increase in rep when a "race" trader buys from one of my factories, but I haven't paid enough attention to be absolutely sure. Anyway, it's going to take a while before I'm able to buy a 25mj shield factory, there's two more ranks to go yet.
It was my intention to venture into pirate space (eventually leading to OTAS turf and onwards to the remains of Avarice) but pirates REALLY don't seem to like me, while the Yaki on the other hand seem quite pleased to see me. It should be the other way round since I used to work for one of the pirate clans before Julian saved me. I've thought hard about what Julian may do, and I think it is most likely he'd hide in an unknown sector, away from the prying eyes of "the races," but I doubt he'd try for Avarice because that would be too obvious. Now pirates are halting my way forward, so I'm going to have to go the long way round. I've not barred myself from doing a bit of work for the pirates since they have had little to do with my woes, but I'm really put out with them, and since I've not really got any time for them I am only going to do the pirates a favour if I don't have to be there all the time...I've too much to do elsewhere. For now I'm trying to trade space weed/fuel in the hope that keeps them friendly until I can find a better way of placating them.
I've built a little space fuel complex in Savage Spur and another in Farnham's Legend. They're good earners, and have made me think quite hard about going into the space weed market, so I've concentrated on going through Teladi space to access their shipyards. Moving forward this quickly may have been a mistake though. My MORTs are pretty much running the factories I've built on the way, and I haven't got the money to buy freighters yet; I'm spread a bit thin and my earnings seem to have gone down, since my MORTs are only buying for my stations instead of actual trading for profit.
I've finally managed to find a pirate base within my base of operations in Atreus' Clouds, but I can't find anyone to speak with there. After trading with the pirate station a few times, I notice a freighter that was registering as an enemy turns friendly....then almost as quickly goes back to being an enemy. This is worrying. It is paramount I can build in pirate space, indeed I already have, but I don't want to be worrying about pirate raiders on top of everything else. I need a plan quickly, and sitting here with my feet up tapping on the cockpit display isn't getting me anywhere at all.
----------------
"What's he doing?" she thought.
She watched him, slouched in his seat while he bit on his thumb nail. Unconsciously, she mimicked his nail biting. She was just as unsure of the way forward as him.
"A pathetic creature, this one is" She thought as she looked him straight in his eyes, knowing full well he couldn't see her, even though she was only a few meters away.
"Move" she commanded....and he moved!
----------------
I'm sat waiting for a hired Teladi TL with my cargo of a dream farm to arrive, I suddenly feel uneasy. That's not so surprising since I'm in Hatikvah's Faith and I'm fairly close to a rather angry looking Anarchy Port and it's lasertowers. I shouldn't feel so concerned though, as there is a large military presence from four of the races. I'm not far off OTAS turf, and I'm exited about getting there so I head to the west gate. All in all, things are moving along nicely. Once I get to Avarice I'll have to consolidate what I've built so far.....thinking about Avarice makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I'm not going there without a better ship. Not far to go now....
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EmperorJon
- Posts: 9378
- Joined: Mon, 29. Dec 08, 20:58
Yeah....was actually trying to think of a devious mission for you, I just need time to test if it's do-able or not!EmperorJon wrote:Bit of a building maniac aren't you, Rednoahl, very nice DiD story with much more imagination and background than mine...
Just wondering if you've looked at mine?
I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for your damn competition!
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....a more comfortable seat
I'm sat in OTAS shipyard looking at their ship's specs, trying to decide whether buying a skiron or not. I've already traded the Magnetar for a Zephyrus, and that move didn't require at thought at all since the Zephyrus is better suited to my needs at present - the loss in cargo space is a fair trade for more weaponry, shielding and speed. I'm a couple of million short of a skiron, but with a lot of frankly useless stations behind me I think it's time they're sorted out. I really need freighters badly, and with many of the freighters I already own having no shielding at all, I think I'd better sort that too.....no Skiron or Heavy Centaur for now then.
While I'm in Light of Heart, dropping off navsats while looking at the stations there I notice the most obvious and glaring station omission I've come across so far (at least in the cheaper end of station pricing.) There's no wheat farm, and there's five stations that demand wheat and they're all empty. As of yet I don't know what stations are in the sector to the south, but even if the sector is full of wheat farms, it's not getting here...I guess the Boron are buying it all; I know I'm close to Boron space here. Before I leave here I'd better set one up.
In Akeela's beacon, I'm starting part of what little I knew of Julian's plans for the future. He was going to build a couple of monstrous complex' specifically to power the jump-drives of his fleet. Since I was to supervise the security of the freighters assigned to running these complex' I actually know what he planned, which is:
1x XL SPP
1x L SPP
10x Crystal Fab
4x Cahoona Bakery
4x Cattle Ranch
...with Silicon to be brought in by freighter.
Setting up one of these will cost about as much as a destroyer which is a damn sight more than I have in my kitty, but I've laid the foundations with a pair of crystal fabs, a cahoona bakery L, and cattle ranch L's - and the crystals are selling well with the price set one below average, although I do expect that I'll need to sort a ship before long to sell them.
Still no word from any of Julian's ex-employees though. I've bought a few scrap freighters here and there which need sorting out today from random folk - another falcon (a sentinel, 2x 200mj shields on an M3...wtf) and a Centaur. While I've been piloting the Zephyrus I've managed to kill three innocents in collisions, and I'm hoping that in the Centaur it will be a little bit easier to avoid this kind of thing; I can do without the rep loss. I've not had a go in the new falcon yet, and quite frankly I don't want to. In numbers, I suspect the falcon sentinel would make a damn good escort for a slow frigate or destroyer, especially if kitted out with PBG's....as long as somebody else is flying the ugly thing anyway. The Centaur needs equipping properly yet, but in a few more hours I should be able to put some my of marines to good use. I'm sick of hiring TL's; I think it's time to get my own. My marines agree.
Ad Astra and all that
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Targ Collective
- Posts: 2708
- Joined: Wed, 4. Feb 09, 21:42
I've just had another collision with a ship, destroying it, which has lost me a full rank with Plutarch....in fact I'm awfully close to being an enemy with them. This is something I could really do without, since I was just about to set up a better operation in Ore Belt, Plutarch's home system. Restoring my reputation with Plutarch is going to conflict with the Pirate factions, so I'm going to have to be very careful how I tread. I don't think that trading with a corporation will alter the corporation's attitude, but I'm going to try it anyway since I've nothing to lose.....as I thought, no change.
Now I've watched my little empire grow, and I've traded quite a lot with "the races," and I can close my eyes and see patterns of what ware is needed where. Through MORTing a small fleet of freighters I've become so familiar with certain trade runs with certain stations I can guess before looking when that station will be short of a particular ware. Unfortunately, by pushing outwards a little too early, most of my JD equipped MORTs have been busy sorting my own factories out, so I need to build some automated factories to "plug the gaps" I've left behind me. This is costing quite a lot of money, so a lot of things have had to be left on the back burner, which is incredibly irritating. At least the Centaur's ready for combat, and a few marines are ready (...ish, they're lacking in engineering skills.)
Well, I'm ready to head into Avarice. The last day has worn me out, and I'm hanging on my last thread of patience because I'm waiting for a hired Mammoth to follow me to the gate, far west in Montalaar. If I'm not greeted by a familiar face when I get through the gate, then the Captain of the Mammoth will be the first to feel my wrath, although I'll probably persuade him that his ship needs a change in ownership instead of eliminating him. I feel like I'm being dragged here on a leash; something pulling me towards the gate. When I try to think of anything but Avarice my thinking becomes blurred, and my train of thought returns straight back to Avarice....The last time I left here I swore I'd never return.
Through the gate....nothing. Just a few wrecks and the ruins of stations. All I'm aware of is the heaviness of my breathing; my eyes are clouded by tears that I'm trying to fight back. The damn sector is barren. Although I feel little at first, a rage inside me is building and I'm trembling. When finally, the Mammoth comes through the gate I get him to drop off a large wheat farm, then quickly ask him to perform another task for me.
"Just move over here a ways, chief" I said quietly.
"This place is Gardcorps' you know. You shouldn't be setting stuff up here without their approval." The captain replied in a disapproving tone.
"Chief, you're being paid aren't you. I'll need you over there....now."
"Okay, okay" he chuckled "It's your funeral."
He looked back to the gate... I'm damn sure he looked back at the gate, I thought. My Zephyrus is already on it's way, so I'd better check if anything's coming. The map shows a large fleet, led by a Colossus moving toward the east gate in Montalar, but it's a got a fair way to go before it gets to the gate. I looked at the Mammoth realising it'd got to the position I'd requested, and was slowing to a halt. In my hold, five marines of various races prepare for their first sortie, as well trained as I can afford. I pray for their success and safety as I cruise under the Mammoth, turn off auto aim, and launch a few drones as I start chipping away at the huge ship's shields. The captain is so shocked by my sudden attack he doesn't even move the Mammoth; even with my marines floating towards him, he seems locked in stasis(....mind you, I am hiding in a blind spot, so maybe he doesn't see me.) My marines finally latch on to the mammoth and burn through the hull, leaving me free to re-check my surroundings as Betty informs me that I've lost recognition. My feral mood dissipates as the Mammoth falls under my marines assault, leaving me feeling hollow and empty because the ship was such an easy capture. I lost two marines in the assault, but at least their sacrifice wasn't in vain. Back in Montalaar, the Colossus and it's escorts have turned back.
The capture of the Mammoth has dropped my reputation to 89% Federation Guardian, which is a drop of around 20% (I was at 8% Federation Marshall.) My rank seems to have risen with the Paranid too, but I'm not sure whether the capture of the Mammoth, or the building of an ore mine in Priest Rings is the cause; I'm almost Priest Protectorate. The Mammoth itself, needs fairly heavy repairs because my marines enthusiastically blasted their way through the ship destroying virtually everything on-board....better get outside with the repair laser while it's freshly installed shields charge up.
Outside in space I start to remember......
Now I've watched my little empire grow, and I've traded quite a lot with "the races," and I can close my eyes and see patterns of what ware is needed where. Through MORTing a small fleet of freighters I've become so familiar with certain trade runs with certain stations I can guess before looking when that station will be short of a particular ware. Unfortunately, by pushing outwards a little too early, most of my JD equipped MORTs have been busy sorting my own factories out, so I need to build some automated factories to "plug the gaps" I've left behind me. This is costing quite a lot of money, so a lot of things have had to be left on the back burner, which is incredibly irritating. At least the Centaur's ready for combat, and a few marines are ready (...ish, they're lacking in engineering skills.)
Well, I'm ready to head into Avarice. The last day has worn me out, and I'm hanging on my last thread of patience because I'm waiting for a hired Mammoth to follow me to the gate, far west in Montalaar. If I'm not greeted by a familiar face when I get through the gate, then the Captain of the Mammoth will be the first to feel my wrath, although I'll probably persuade him that his ship needs a change in ownership instead of eliminating him. I feel like I'm being dragged here on a leash; something pulling me towards the gate. When I try to think of anything but Avarice my thinking becomes blurred, and my train of thought returns straight back to Avarice....The last time I left here I swore I'd never return.
Through the gate....nothing. Just a few wrecks and the ruins of stations. All I'm aware of is the heaviness of my breathing; my eyes are clouded by tears that I'm trying to fight back. The damn sector is barren. Although I feel little at first, a rage inside me is building and I'm trembling. When finally, the Mammoth comes through the gate I get him to drop off a large wheat farm, then quickly ask him to perform another task for me.
"Just move over here a ways, chief" I said quietly.
"This place is Gardcorps' you know. You shouldn't be setting stuff up here without their approval." The captain replied in a disapproving tone.
"Chief, you're being paid aren't you. I'll need you over there....now."
"Okay, okay" he chuckled "It's your funeral."
He looked back to the gate... I'm damn sure he looked back at the gate, I thought. My Zephyrus is already on it's way, so I'd better check if anything's coming. The map shows a large fleet, led by a Colossus moving toward the east gate in Montalar, but it's a got a fair way to go before it gets to the gate. I looked at the Mammoth realising it'd got to the position I'd requested, and was slowing to a halt. In my hold, five marines of various races prepare for their first sortie, as well trained as I can afford. I pray for their success and safety as I cruise under the Mammoth, turn off auto aim, and launch a few drones as I start chipping away at the huge ship's shields. The captain is so shocked by my sudden attack he doesn't even move the Mammoth; even with my marines floating towards him, he seems locked in stasis(....mind you, I am hiding in a blind spot, so maybe he doesn't see me.) My marines finally latch on to the mammoth and burn through the hull, leaving me free to re-check my surroundings as Betty informs me that I've lost recognition. My feral mood dissipates as the Mammoth falls under my marines assault, leaving me feeling hollow and empty because the ship was such an easy capture. I lost two marines in the assault, but at least their sacrifice wasn't in vain. Back in Montalaar, the Colossus and it's escorts have turned back.
The capture of the Mammoth has dropped my reputation to 89% Federation Guardian, which is a drop of around 20% (I was at 8% Federation Marshall.) My rank seems to have risen with the Paranid too, but I'm not sure whether the capture of the Mammoth, or the building of an ore mine in Priest Rings is the cause; I'm almost Priest Protectorate. The Mammoth itself, needs fairly heavy repairs because my marines enthusiastically blasted their way through the ship destroying virtually everything on-board....better get outside with the repair laser while it's freshly installed shields charge up.
Outside in space I start to remember......
I'm guessing her name is 'Betty'.Targ Collective wrote:....
I'm also curious about your strange passenger. I'm sure all will be revealed in time...
Have a great idea for the current or a future game? You can post it in the [L3+] Ideas forum.
X4 is a journey, not a destination. Have fun on your travels.
X4 is a journey, not a destination. Have fun on your travels.
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Targ Collective
- Posts: 2708
- Joined: Wed, 4. Feb 09, 21:42