A Robbery never to be Forgotten[DiD]

[Master of the Blade]

With the issue of IBLs, I think you would find Cluster Flak Arrays at least as effective

Um, what? The CFA is a potent antifighter weapon, my favourite one actually, and the IBL is the typical anti capital weapon of frigates, a job which the CFA certainly can't take over unless I get a Griffon. You getting your guns mixed up? Y'see, I can't rely on just my Gauss cannons to kill capitals when I'm flying the Shrike: I reckon battles would go by far quicker if I got some IBLs.

But right now it seems that the first goal i would be to find more crew members, mostly because you can't have a working destroyer with a crew of 2

I can't cajole people who aren't reading to join in. In other words, the Phoenix is staffed by NPCs upon purchase. Handwaved.

[Argon tactican Justin]

Um, what? The CFA is a potent antifighter weapon, my favourite one actually, and the IBL is the typical anti capital weapon of frigates, a job which the CFA certainly can't take over unless I get a Griffon. You getting your guns mixed up? Y'see, I can't rely on just my Gauss cannons to kill capitals when I'm flying the Shrike: I reckon battles would go by far quicker if I got some IBLs.

I can't cajole people who aren't reading to join in. In other words, the Phoenix is staffed by NPCs upon purchase. Handwaved.

Err.. Sorry about my misunderstanding of the IBL's purpose, but it seems I got it mixed up with the Fragmentation Bomb Launcher (just one word difference) . It sounds like the IBL is the pirate's version of the Photon Pulse cannon (I hope I'm thinking correctly this time), which can be about as hard to find in large numbers. As for the Phoenix having a NPC crew, what would be the fun of only two people in this thread? It would still be fine, but there would be a long, awkward silence between updates

[Master of the Blade]

Yeah, the IBL is basically a marginally weaker PPC made in a select few pirate sectors. The Yaki have 2 forges (which happed to be friendly) in Weaver's Tempest. I'd rather not lose them.

As for other participants, it'd be nice, and I nag every so often, but with the demise of the legendary NUKLEAR_SLUG's DiD career due to RL stuff, the Creative Forum's become a lonely place.

[Argon tactican Justin]

Perhaps the people just forgot or they haven't been on lately. There probably aren't many people that would look in the Creative Universe forum unless they were bored or curious, so things like this probably don't get much attention unless it catches someone's interest. If people forgot, a simple "hello" might remind them . Either way, if you keep going, eventually people will find this and follow it to the end if it gets interesting. Of course, things like this get more suspenseful the longer it continues, so it hasn't reached its peak yet. Good luck on the next part

[Master of the Blade]

Y'know, I've just had an idea: I'll PM the people who volunteered originally to see if there's still interest, and perhaps give some of the other join-in regulars a message. Worth a try, I suppose. Not now though, 'cos I'm going to bed.

[travisdh1]

I'm still reading, tho I don't think I actually signed up as a pilot in this one. The creative forum became one of my favorite reading pages once these got moved here.

[Argon tactican Justin]

I was just thinking about the.... "issue"... with the Yaki. Right now they're reverse engineering the weapons on your Carrak, right? This may seem biased when said by someone that almost got killed by the Yaki in one of the most cowardly ways possible, but I don't trust that they won't just scuttle it or refuse to return it when they finish reverse engineering the weapons. Once they've finished studying the weapons and you've done what they demanded (at the cost of your relations with the Argon and Paranid) they won't need the Carrak any more- for research or a bargining chip- and might just destroy it.

Of course, if you could secretly get someone on the station where the Carrak's being studied, they could steal the Carrak back.The problem is that they would need time to get the jumpdrive active and escape, so it might require the right timing and a bit of support. I'd advise monitoring their patrols for a pattern (if you have the patience), stealing the Carrak when the fewest patrols will be in the sector or entering the sector while its jumpdrive powers up, and keeping your destroyer between your Carrak and the Yaki, but it might be best to bring more ships with you in case a large fleet shows up.If we find the Superior before then, we could have it jump into the sector right when you get the Carrak, use it to keep the Yaki busy while the Carrak escapes, and then activate its jumpdrive and get out of Yaki space.

It might seem like an insane strategy, but that would mean underestimating the Superior's abilities. Most of the funds I allocated for research went into improving the Superior's engines, maneuvering systems, and reactor core (to power the advanced engines), making it the fastest carrier ever built, while still being classified as a Colossus-class carrier . Chances are that if the advanced reactor hasn't already received enough damage to lower its capacity, and reduce the strength of the improved engines, it probably won't be operating at full strength after recovering your Carrak . And as I said earlier, the traitors in the Argon military would reinforce Argon Prime so that it would be extremely difficult to transmit the files on the Superior and expose the traitors.
(I hope the first suggestion is useful or seems interesting, since nobody offered any imput about adding the Superior to this and you've already said the Yaki would scuttle the Carrak if you faced them while commanding the Superior and demanded that they give you the Carrak)

[Master of the Blade]

I'm still reading, tho I don't think I actually signed up as a pilot in this one. The creative forum became one of my favorite reading pages once these got moved here.

Please sign up - it's not like I'm pressed for ships to offer you. I'll do anything! (within reason, of course.)

Once they've finished studying the weapons and you've done what they demanded (at the cost of your relations with the Argon and Paranid) they won't need the Carrak any more- for research or a bargining chip- and might just destroy it.

If I know one thing about the Yaki, it's that no matter how double-crossing, murderous and unscrupulous they are, they value mutual agreements above all else. Of course, once both sides have completed their obligations, they immediately double-cross, murder etc. So I'll have some grace time before they try to destroy the Carrack after they hand it back over - which they will, but probably missing its jumpdrive. I doubt you need to be told why.
We'll work something out, but it'll probably end up boiling down to 'run like hell, don't get shot.'

[Argon tactican Justin]

If I know one thing about the Yaki, it's that no matter how double-crossing, murderous and unscrupulous they are, they value mutual agreements above all else. Of course, once both sides have completed their obligations, they immediately double-cross, murder etc. So I'll have some grace time before they try to destroy the Carrack after they hand it back over - which they will, but probably missing its jumpdrive. I doubt you need to be told why.
We'll work something out, but it'll probably end up boiling down to 'run like hell, don't get shot.'

Or take a TM (or another small ship that can carry fighters) that has a jumpdrive and a fighter with its own jumpdrive (and probably a transporter) docked to it. Undock the fighter, bring it in range of the Carrak, transfer its jumpdrive and some energy cells to the Carrak, redock the fighter, and use the jumpdrives to get out of there. Simple

[Master of the Blade]

You reckon they won't have thought of that? I've been subject to a jumpdrive jammer before, and I expect the Yaki have such a device. It's going to be engine power and liberal use of asteroids, I think. But we're getting ahead of ourselves: I'm nowhere near finishing the Yaki demands.


Also, gameplay update: I have officially DONE the Teladi convoy escort mission in O:FF for the first time EVAR! W00T! That mission is usually so damn hard for me... More on that in the chapter I'll post tomorrow.

[Snowship]

Hic... Grumble....
Krek wakes up and looks around from the longest bender he's ever had.
"Where the Hell are we?"
Checks weapons systems on this ship he's in, "PPC's, nice. Lets see what these'll do!" Warms up the firing systems whilst looking for 'targets of opportunity'

-Krek Asimar


[ooc]Sorry after the story stopped for a while I forgot about it, thought the move to the CU section and bumps were something other than the resumption of the story, plus forgot I was actually part of it .
Also had a hiatus from the game myself, still not back to full steam with it but building up... Damn I need to get the superbox, but pay and an available english version are dragging it out (wants to play X-tension )
Now that I know the DiD's back I'll get more involved [/OOC]

[Master of the Blade]

Hell. Yeyah! I didn't even have to pm you. Anyway, welcome back onboard after your little sleep. I'm afraid we're on the Shrike for a while. OFF is sending me on proper raids now though, so you'll get your PPCs soon enough. I'll transport you over.


Oh god, the Boredom!

Well, at long last I contact O:FF again, the Split fleet commander telling me I need to complete a mission of utmost importance... Scan the asteroids in the UK sector to the North. Dude, I'm flying a Shrike. They are many things, but fast is not one of them: Have you SEEN the size of that sector? *Grumble* I set off and launch my fastest fighter, an Advanced Perseus I picked up as a derelict during my travels, not far from one of the gates in Duke's Citadel if I remember correctly. The Stalker is set to follow behind, fragging the occasional Kha'ak Scout with its flak turrets. Finally, blessedly, I find three 'satisfactory' asteroids and a Boron Orca enters the sector to deploy some mines. I return to the Shrike and escort the TL as ordered. This is going to be a looong mission.

A distinct lack of enemies bigger than a scout prompts me to relax and just try to keep up with the Orca, which is almost 20m/s faster than me in forward velocity. I use the strafe drive to keep up, moving diagonally through the stupidly big sector as the TL deploys its cargo. Just before we reach the second asteroid, there is a bright flash of point-jumpdrives and a wing of Kha'ak Corvettes (Which I name Korvettes for posterity) appears a few kilometres off. I break away from the TL and intercept them, my turrets destroying one after another. One breaks through though and I scramble to stop it, succeeding in preventing it from damaging the Orca. The rest of the mission goes quietly, and the TL leaves, the captain thanking me for keeping him company. Or something, 'cos I barely did squat. Anyway, I'm congratulated and told to bugger off until Command can think of something else to bore me to death with. Turns out I'm barely a gate away before Fjuny T'scct or whatever his name is calls me back: There's a Nividium (Or, if you're a pilot of the old school, Nvidium. ) convoy from the Teladi flying through the same UK sector and I've got to escort it. What did I tell you? They're trying to bore me to death.

And, it appears, cause me to have a heart attack via raised blood pressure due to incandescent fury: They decided to bring a rookie TM pilot along who stops, launches all his fighters, stops, lets them dock again and carries on EVERY GODDAMN TIME a Kha'ak ship sneezes within 50 kilometres of his ship. This leaves him(or, more likely, her - they are Teladi) far behind the other ships. Again, it's fairly uneventful until we get about halfway across the sector, where a massive cluster jumps in nearby and decouples as I approach, most of the fighters jetting past me to attack the weakly-shielded Vulture the Teladi decided to bring with them. It pops in no time - the massed alpha Kyon Emitters were too much for its paltry shield generators. It drops 50 or so units of Nividium though, which I pick up. Profitsss... Anyway, the Kha'ak ships are no match for the Osprey the Teladi brought and die when I arrive to lend my flak. The Pelican is wayy back in the North East quadrant of the sector now, and has apparently been promoted to convoy leader, so the Osprey and I must fly all the way back to it, undoing the hard work - nay, toil - I'd been doing keeping the convoy safe.

Nothing else interesting happens until the convoy safely leaves the sector. The OFF commander paints a Kha'ak M5 in my scanners for me to follow and what seems like an entire expeditionary force of the Teladi Company Space Fleet turns up to 'help' me. Well, that ain't gonna happen: You brought like 20 bombers and how namy missiles? Whuzzat? Missilesss caussse losss of profitsss? So you brought bombers but no missiles. Brilliant. Pass on my (and, I suspect, Justin's) regards to the mission co-ordinator. They're obviously a genius. What could they possibly want 20 basically unarmed bombers to do? Headbutt the enemies into submission? Well, Teladi ships are certainly some of the best for that...

Anyway, I can spot a wierd construction which certainly wasn't there before in the distance, right in the middle of the sector by the looks. When did they put that there? I mean, it can't have been very long: I combed this sector for high yield asteroids not that long ago... Anyway, the KM5 shows incredible skill in piloting which would surely be exemplary to the TCSF ships by faceplanting repeatedly into its home station until it explodes. Is it something about this sector? Has it caused me to suddenly be surrounded by retards? Don't answer that. Anyway, I reach the station and my Gauss turrets open up. Eventually they stop firing, but the station hasn't blown up. Out of ammo. Looks like it's going to be the main cannons from now on, eh? Finally the station blows and I get 'mission complete'.

Jump to Ianamus Zura for double purpose: steal some GC ammunition from the Phoenix and bring Krek Asimar back onboard, after what seems to have been drinking spree so long it's a wonder he remembers his own name. I think he wanted a go with those PPCs. Well, I doubt it'll be too long before this wish is granted... Although, I think he needs the alcohol puging from his system before I let him anywhere near my weapons systems again, and I can only imagine the hangover. Anyway, I'm called back to OFF HQ urgently: The Kha'ak are attacking! With... 3 Korvettes and a Fighter. Yeah, about that... You called me over why? I mean, you have several M2s in the sector, plus the Shipyard's defence force, plus the mercenaries you have... Why call me in for this? Anyway, I'll be paid so I reluctantly go kill the small Kha'ak raiding party. Which prompts Fjuny T'scct to offer me another mission. I think I'll need the Phoenix for this 'un...


Property: Same as last time
~250Mcr - I've delivered the first batch of microchips to the HUB so now my complex East of Zyarth's Dominion is making pure profit! It's pretty much always empty and it's boosting my account nicely.



[OOC yet again]Also, I've just realised this, but I've never really told you about Improved Races' Sector Claim function. Basically I get sector ownership rights for 10Mcr (underpriced, I used the Script Editor to take an extra 40Mcr from my bank for each sector I claimed) and any stations in the sector pay me taxes every ingame hour. This tax is now 3Mcr/hr from three sectors: the compex one, the UK one near Getsu Fune and the HUB one. I think this is rather high, but can't go back on the decision. I reckon if I take away another 50Mcr per sector (making ownership rights 100M/sector) it would be less OP. What does everyone else think?[/OOC]

[Argon tactican Justin]

*Notes being left out of this chapter of the DiD*

what seems like an entire expeditionary force of the Teladi Company Space Fleet turns up to 'help' me. Well, that ain't gonna happen: You brought like 20 bombers and how namy missiles? Whuzzat? Missilesss caussse losss of profitsss? So you brought bombers but no missiles. Brilliant. Pass on my (and, I suspect, Justin's) regards to the mission co-ordinator.

Incompotent fools ! If I was allowed to take part in that mission, I'd have killed those idiots myself!

Jump to Ianamus Zura for double purpose: steal some GC ammunition from the Phoenix and bring Krek Asimar back onboard, after what seems to have been drinking spree so long it's a wonder he remembers his own name. I think he wanted a go with those PPCs. Well, I doubt it'll be too long before this wish is granted... Although, I think he needs the alcohol puging from his system before I let him anywhere near my weapons systems again, and I can only imagine the hangover.

I'll "help" Kret Asimar with his drinking problem. *locks away all the Argon whisky so Kret can't get to it* When he's gets the alcohol out of his system and he isn't busy manning the turrets, then he can have some.

You reckon they won't have thought of that? I've been subject to a jumpdrive jammer before, and I expect the Yaki have such a device.

That's a good question, one that I have to answer with another: do you think that an ex-Argon fleet officer with as much experience as ME wouldn't have thought of that? *points to a high- security cargo crate in the corner* That was meant to be a jammer for communications between sectors, but the "jumpdrive jammer" as you call it operates on a similar frequency as the subspace communications (and other modes of communication between sectors) that the device in that crate was meant to disrupt. It MIGHT disrupt the "jumpdrive jammer", but it might not. Either way, if the ship carrying the device is hit with ion weapons or an EMP, it could be permanently disabled. Just a few possibilities for countering the jumpdrive jammer.

[Master of the Blade]

*Notes being left out of this chapter of the DiD*

You WANT to be shot at by hitscan weapons when you have 75Mj of shielding? Fine, you can run support on the next mission involving Kha'ak.

*points to a high- security cargo crate in the corner* That was meant to be a jammer for communications between sectors, but the "jumpdrive jammer" as you call it operates on a similar frequency as the subspace communications (and other modes of communication between sectors) that the device in that crate was meant to disrupt. It MIGHT disrupt the "jumpdrive jammer"

Harrumph. I'll give it a go then, loathe as I am to trust in tech that may or may not work, and isn't even meant for what you propose to use it for.

[Argon tactican Justin]

*Notes being left out of this chapter of the DiD*

You WANT to be shot at by hitscan weapons when you have 75Mj of shielding? Fine, you can run support on the next mission involving Kha'ak.

*points to a high- security cargo crate in the corner* That was meant to be a jammer for communications between sectors, but the "jumpdrive jammer" as you call it operates on a similar frequency as the subspace communications (and other modes of communication between sectors) that the device in that crate was meant to disrupt. It MIGHT disrupt the "jumpdrive jammer"

Harrumph. I'll give it a go then, loathe as I am to trust in tech that may or may not work, and isn't even meant for what you propose to use it for.

I was just saying that I wasn't doind anything in this chapter. I spent the mission looking for that *again points at the crate in the corner*. And I know that it SHOULD work because the jumpdrive jammer was designed in my headquarters, but was abandonded just after completion. The subspace frequency jammer in that crate was being designed when I learned about the traitors and I immediately had the research team update it to counter the jumpdrive jammer by disrupting the frequency it operates at. Sadly, I never had a chance to test that feature before losing my fleet and I only have the team's assurance that it WILL work.

[OOC]Since I'm talking about the fleet, I'd like to state that nobody has even mentioned the idea of adding the Superiorto the DiD, while the entire "exposing the traitors in the Argon military" idea and most the the conversation in the last few days about a reward is almost entirely focused on the ship. If nobody saw Master of the Blade's post asking for someone's opinion on the idea, it was 2 pages back and I'm also asking people to give some imput on that idea because I'm extremely curious about everyone's view on this idea[OOC]

I'll get the device set up when you need it.

[Snowship]

I'll "help" Kret Asimar with his drinking problem. *locks away all the Argon whisky so Kret can't get to it* When he's gets the alcohol out of his system and he isn't busy manning the turrets, then he can have some.

Listen Argonaut, all good ships have to have a still, so if this baby hasn't got one I'll have to "find" it


Also captn I'd suggest a factory to supply those Gauss, never want to run short in the middle of a fur-ball.
Now a hangover is a terrible thing but those mission went way fast

-Krek Asimar


[ooc] Yeah, 40mil I'd say is cheap, owning and taxing a sector is a long-term investment with big returns, not something that's worth little more than a decked out M7. Is the payment 1 mil a gameday? should be no more than 10,000 per factory per game week imo, to keep it to some type of realism, but if payment can't be changed then yes- up the buying price [/ooc]

[Master of the Blade]

Yeah, 40mil I'd say is cheap, owning and taxing a sector is a long-term investment with big returns, not something that's worth little more than a decked out M7. Is the payment 1 mil a gameday? should be no more than 10,000 per factory per game week imo, to keep it to some type of realism, but if payment can't be changed then yes- up the buying price

[OOC]The payment of a sector depends on the stations in said sector. 5 stations is worth about 500k/hr for reasonably normal ones. The HUB seems to be worth about 900k on its own, and the complex sector gives about 1.4M/hr. Y'see, the NPCs build stations in the sectors you claim, which increases the tax/hr. So yeah, I'll subtract 150Mcr from my account to bring the total cost for all the sectors to 100M each.[/OOC]

I'll "help" Kret Asimar with his drinking problem. *locks away all the Argon whisky so Kret can't get to it* When he's gets the alcohol out of his system and he isn't busy manning the turrets, then he can have some.

I'm with Krek on this one: you can moderate the drinking within reason, but confiscating it completely is just plain mean. I think I'll set the limit on the taps to about a litre per hour, capping at a total of 4 litres per person, per 24 hours. Every not-entirely-law-abiding person needs their space fuel. Also, access to the stills will be denied during heavy combat: I need my people to be manning the ship, not having a drink somewhere.

[Argon tactican Justin]

I'm with Krek on this one: you can moderate the drinking within reason, but confiscating it completely is just plain mean. I think I'll set the limit on the taps to about a litre per hour, capping at a total of 4 litres per person, per 24 hours. Every not-entirely-law-abiding person needs their space fuel. Also, access to the stills will be denied during heavy combat: I need my people to be manning the ship, not having a drink somewhere.

Meh. If you think that he won't drink right before heavy combat, fine. Just know that if he DOES drink right before a major battle, he might start shooting at YOU instead of the Kha'ak fighters. Trust me: I've lost 10 wing leaders that way. And I said I would return it:

When he's gets the alcohol out of his system and he isn't busy manning the turrets, then he can have some.

See?

[Snowship]

Are we going to fight something or just argue about drinking limits

[sips liquid from hip-flask with a straw]

-Krek Asimar

[Master of the Blade]

Are we going to fight something or just argue about drinking limits

We get to do some fighting now, don't worry.


Purple Nebula Stuff
OK, I lied, this mission is actually pretty tame: jump into Kha'ak space, destroy a small battlegroup, leave. So, Krek has to settle with Gauss Cannons for now since there's no point bringing the destroyer. Speaking of which, now that we have reasonably large holdings, we should come up with a company name or something, a flag we can fly as we go to war, so to speak. Anyway, I jump into Kha'ak Sector whateverthenumberisIcan'tbebotheredtorememberit and meet up with a small group of mercenaries flying assorted craft, the largest of which is a Minotaur whose scan results really shouldn't be shown to Jusin ever - no missiles on an M7m. People. The Kha'ak are easily spotted: an M6 and assorted fighters nearby, which I kil quickly, wondering where the others are. I fly around scanning asteroids after the mission complete signal is sent, until the others turn up, instantly repopulating the sector. Wierd. Anyway, Fjuny t'Scct calls me back to HQ, just to send me on another misson similar to the last. Bah, how borin- Oh crap. Carrier! The mercenaries this time include a Boron Thresher and other Boron ships like a Hydra, which I just manage to see before it's chomped by the Carrier. Anyway, I've got to kill this thing somehow. I decide to try and outrange it with my side-mounted Gauss Cannons, letting Krek keep a bead on the small battleship, but this proves futile: the Kha'ak craft is too quick to escape using my lateral thrusters. My shields at 50%, I have no choice but to charge. My cannons start firing as we advance, and the Thresher adds its firepower to mine, easily defeating the enemy. Well, that wasn't too hard, was it? I mop up the remaining fighters and scan some more asteroids before leaving for my next mission: an escort which I won't recount due to it being as mind-numbingly boring as the last one. Eventually it's over and I'm left with nothing to do until I'm recalled.

When I am, it turns out to be a minor Kha'ak invasion: some Korvettes and fighters but not a lot else in ASM148. I call the Phoenix in now to stay at the military base for when I have another mission to attack the Kha'ak in their sectors. This proves to be a good idea, as the next task turns out to be exactly that, so I transfer over and charge the jumpdrive. The Phoenix was a good idea, not only because it satiates Krek's craving for big guns, but also because the Kha'ak have stepped up their game: they brought one of their own destroyers to the party. It is dispatched quickly and mercilessly by the Phoenix's PPCs, but not before it frags a Split Cobra which, you guessed it, has no missiles. With a little extra staying power, I fly around the Kha'ak sector exploring, and popping the fighters which jump in occasionally. Eventually the same happens as last time: a massive influx of Kha'ak bringing the population to a more normal level. I have great fun popping Kha'ak ships but go to pick up more missions at OFF HQ, t'Scct commenting on how impressive I am. Nice, recognition in comabt from a Split.

My reward? Two convoy escorts in a row, both of which I fail: The first a Split convoy which flies off ahead and gets fragged by a pair of Korvettes, the second a Teladi one with 3 Pelicans, the pilots all as stupid as the ones in the first convoy - stopping and deploying their fighters every time a Kha'ak ship appears, then stopping AGAIN and waiting for their fighters to dock. I give this one up in disgust, jumping out in disgust and cackling from Nathan's Voyage as I get messages as to the destruction of my charges. Well, back to HQ then...


Property: Same as last time
Funds: ~180Mcr after deducting the extra cost of purchasing sector ownership rights. I have now paid a total of 300Mcr for the sectors: 100Mcr each.