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I'd really like to see some loops forming, giving us a second route into the rich pickings of the Spinward systems.

Yes, I've been actively looking for back-doors, but no luck so far. We have three more Grav-Survey vessels under construction, so when they come out we can ramp up the search effort by 50%.

I am assuming that as we stand to develop now we don't stand a chance if Charlie ends up hostile anyway. Therefore, I'd recommend to just go for it to try and build up our base a bit more before the almost inevitable encounter with a psychotic race. (more psychotic than our own compatriots that is)

Hard to say... if Charlie attacked Earth directly, I think we could give him a pretty hot reception, since the combat would take place within range of our Missile Bases, RADAR/Point Defense Bases, and Fighter Bases. A general fleet action fought far from Earth might be dicey, though.
 
MSG ESN Schoch @ Sol to Fleet Ops Operations
Hot Flash Hot Flash
Charlies in the Sol system
Sitting on Ross 248 jump point
Will investigate.
- Cmdr NotYetAssigned out
MSG ends XXXXX
 
Yes, about +127. But they may be about to go down again. Check my most recent post.

Oh, I just noticed. Interesting.

As a member of the Fleet HQ I urge that we don´t engage until we learn Charlies intentions. If he´s already in the system we don´t gain anything from shooting him down. A single ship is hardly a threat to Earth.
 
Oh, I just noticed. Interesting.

As a member of the Fleet HQ I urge that we don´t engage until we learn Charlies intentions. If he´s already in the system we don´t gain anything from shooting him down. A single ship is hardly a threat to Earth.

I strongly suspect... almost to the point of certainty... that this is a Gate Construction ship. The only time we've ever seen this class (code-name: Chakri Naruebet) they have always been parked on a jump point, remaining stationary for months.

The Gate that he's undoubtedly building is a threat to Earth... but it's also an opportunity. I recommend that we take no action beyond close observation, and that we allow him to build it.

The Battle Fleet has been ordered to abort their training exercise and return to Earth for refueling.
 
MSG ESN Schoch @ Ross 248 to Fleet Ops Operations
No sign of Charlie in Ross 248 system
Jump points to Sol and Groombridge 34 have Gates on this side
Heading through Mu Cassiopiae to Gliese 48 to scan class-0 world
- Cmdr NotYetAssigned out
MSG ends XXXXX


I hope poor Commander NotYetAssigned will be OK...

I'm sending our Battle Fleet out to watch Charlie set up that Gate. Active Sensors OFF. Tough choice... but I don't want him to think that we've locked our fire control onto him.
 
The Gate that he's undoubtedly building is a threat to Earth... but it's also an opportunity.

What is the opportunity? Surely letting them build a gate just means they have a direct route to Earth...
 
Captain's Log 141421

It seems my suspicions were correct, the Charlies have apparently built a jump gate highway leading directly to our doorstep. I've withheld that particular piece of information from the men for now, until the situation becomes clearer. At the moment all they need to know is that Charlie has made it to Sol, and we must be prepared to do our duty.

I sincerely hope that this is some attempt by the Charlies to establish a trade link. While we have courage, we lack the means to do anything more than fight tooth and nail for survival if that is what it should come to. If only we had the time to extract the secrets from the ruins of Dravar XV, if only we had the time to finish building up our fleet, if only we had the time to determine what is motivating Charlie and where their weaknesses lie. I can only hope the diplomatic core show the necessary spine and tact to buy us that time, letting us come out of this either as victors or with strong allies in a hostile universe. Still, if this does lead to war, the Sirius will give a good account of herself.

Captain Rackham
ESN Sirius
 
Sir, with all due respect, I have a very bad feeling about this! :mad:
 
What is the opportunity? Surely letting them build a gate just means they have a direct route to Earth...

It also means that we have a direct route in the opposite direction... for Freighters, Tankers, Colony craft, Venture-class Troop Transports... out of that list, only the Colony craft have jump drives, so a jump gate would simplify our logistics tremendously. Think of all the valuable worlds that are waiting for us beyond Ross 248. Check the map.
 
Sir, with all due respect, I have a very bad feeling about this! :mad:

What do you suggest, Admiral? Should we fire on unarmed, peaceful ships? Start the first interstellar war on sheer suspicion? We cannot prevent him from building the Gate without destroying that ship... and then we are at war.
 
It also means that we have a direct route in the opposite direction... for Freighters, Tankers, Colony craft, Venture-class Troop Transports... out of that list, only the Colony craft have jump drives, so a jump gate would simplify our logistics tremendously. Think of all the valuable worlds that are waiting for us beyond Ross 248. Check the map.

I thought jump gates were built one way?
 
In this case, the system we need to keep, and keep locked dwon if necessary, is not SOl, but the one the gate will lead to. The gate is no use to Charile if we surriound the exit with guns.

Can you build armed space stations? Can you build them around gate points?
 
Things are heating up! We must be ready to defend ourselves!
Or send them cookies.
Either option would be a good idea.
Let's send them cookies, and then, if they're hostile, we'll just poison the cookies!
 
I thought jump gates were built one way?

Yes, but he's already built one on the other side of that jump point. And another pair bracketing the Ross 248 => Groombridge 34 jump point.

In this case, the system we need to keep, and keep locked down if necessary, is not SOl, but the one the gate will lead to. The gate is no use to Charile if we surriound the exit with guns.

Can you build armed space stations? Can you build them around gate points?

Yes, but not at our tech level. We're working on it, believe me.
 
Where is the JG compared to Earth? Could it be possible to quick set up an ambush at the Jump Gate if they turns hostile?

Edit: Oh, you just sorta answered it above.
 
Where is the JG compared to Earth? Could it be possible to quick set up an ambush at the Jump Gate if they turns hostile?

Beyond the orbit of Saturn, and it doesn't rotate with the planets, so there is no nearby body that we could use as a base. I have sent out the Battle Fleet with orders to observe but not to interfere. Active Sensors OFF... we don't want to alarm him the way he alarmed us at Groombridge 34.
 
Wait a minute... There's a habitable world in V547 Cassiopeia, neighbouring Glies 48, and a jumpgate leading from Glies 48 to Mu Cassiopeia.
Wouldn't there be logical to find a jumpgate from V547 to Glies 48, implying either that this habitable world has advanced aliens on it, or had Precursors eons ago?

Whatever, I wouldn't go with blind colonization of all the world around the Charlies, but at the very least I would send a ship to survey V547 Cass., to see if there's life on this world. And if it's not sentient, then to send some basic colonizing fleet.


What is the opportunity? Surely letting them build a gate just means they have a direct route to Earth...
Which can mean only one of two things:
- they're sneaky and plan in invasion
- they intend to be friendly and are building a major trading route between our homeworlds

The apparent lack of any Charlie ship around their other jumpgates would be weird if they're hostile. Undefended gates can be ambushed by our fleet, wouldn't that be a bit risky if they have hostile intentions? Because apparently they're not acting as if the farther systems are militarily occupied.

Besides, this would imply that they were probably building jumpgates and scouting Groombridge when we met them. It's just that we hadn't time to survey this system and didn't find their entry jumpgate - which might lead to their actual homeworld. If we can send some small ships to survey worlds beyond Ross48 and they don't look pissed off, we definitely should send a ship to scout Groombridge and go beyond the other probable jumpgate, as soon as we have 200+ relations with Charlies.

Any thoughts on this?