'Squids of War'. Loses a little something in the translation, perhaps.
2246-47
It Begins ...
2246.09.02 -- So war it is. The news was delivered to the Kroll ambassador, and the die is cast. For those unfamiliar with it, Stellaris(and other Paradox titles) work on a wargoal system -- we must define what we wish to accomplish. This also limits the scope of wars to a total of 100 points. This is an arbitrary limit of course, but it prevents losing a single war from being fatal, except for very small empires. Aggravatingly, taking all four Kroll planets would result in a total of 101 -- just one point too many! We set as our goal taking the three closest to us. If successful, we will conquer the lion's share of Kroll space.
Other types of wargoals that may be of use to us in the future:
** Make Tributary -- a Tributary remains indepedent, but must pay 25% of its energy and minerals to its Overlord.
** Vassalize -- Vassals have independence in their internal affairs but must join their masters in any war.
** Humiliate -- Inflicts happiness and influence losses for 10 years, while the attacker gains 100 influence
** Open Borders -- Forces this for 10 years
** Liberate Planet -- Forms an independent empire in this system with the attackers' ethos
** Abandon Planet -- Forces the controlling empire to remove all traces of itself at this world
We're using the Cede Planet wargoal, the basic 'conquer and annex territory' option. Their official response was that we may have started this war, but they will finish it. We'll see about that.
10.06 -- First set of debris from the crystalline elites analyzed. Two new technological applications are apparently possible; Crystal-Infused Plating and Crystal-Forged Plating. Both require the Engineering Dept. and can significantly enhance the survivability of our ships. We'll take a closer look at them down the line.
11.04 -- Basic science lab finished on Humboldt, and begins the upgrade process to a Physics Lab.
12.14 -- The combined fleet departs Liram, our closest system to the Kroll Border, heading into enemy space. It's two jumps to Deteenal, our first target.
2247.01.22 -- The fleet begins its assault on the first target, the Roknin Mog Spaceport in Deteenal. 10 Assault Army transports, with
Gen. Eola Eusrim in command, follow from the Liram system.
02.01 -- Engineering Facility upgrade finished on Agglor. It still needs a Planetary Capital but that will wait until the war is well in hand.
02.28 -- Roknin Mog Spaceport eliminated, and the fleet moves in to bombard the planet. One destroyer was badly damaged but not eliminated, and will return to Mag Rutosch(Dastamon system) for repairs.
03.01 -- A mining station at a nearby planet opens fire on the fleet. This should be quick.
04.01 -- The second colony in Haribas, now called
Siggwal, is up and running.
04.02 -- Mining station eliminated.
04.07 -- Last of the debris in Cipollan has been analyzed. More progress on the crystal plating options but further development will wait for the time being.
05.01 -- It appears it will take a few months of bombardment to eliminate planetary fortifications. In the meantime, more assault armies are being recruited on the border worlds of Micaw and Mag Rutosch. Fleet reinforcements as well when resources allow.
05.04 -- Physics Lab upgrade finished on Humboldt which is up to date again now.
07.26 -- Planetary Capital finished on Eskogg.
08.07 -- Gen. Eusrim lands 14 Assault Armies on Roknim Mog.
10.09 -- After two months, the defenders of Roknim Mog have been defeated. The fleet will move on to Krolldar, the seat of the Kroll homeworld, where there will certainly be at least somewhat more resistance. Eusrim's forces lost almost half their number in the battle here, and will remain until the strength is replenished. The experience gained boosts him to **.
11.22 -- The fleet arrives in Krolldar ... and finds no combat ships waiting. Where is their fleet? Well no matter. Losses are expected in the assault here as Krolldar Prime Spaceport is twice as powerful as the one in Deteenal. Still, there is no reason to delay ...
The above is how we track overall progress in the war. You can see that we gained 3 'points', or Warscore, from taking out the spaceport and mining station, and 16 more for occupying Roknin Mog. This essentially knocks that planet out of the war. Population growth is halted and it produces nothing. We have to keep a minimal amount of armies there to keep the Kroll garrisons from taking it back, but it produces nothing -- for us, or for them. There's a long ways to go yet, but its been a good start and we are clearly winning.
11.24 -- Or perhaps there is. A Kroll fleet of 26 corvettes is detected heading towards the Deteenal system. The fleet powers up hyperdrives. It's two jumps away for us, but they will be delayed with the warp cooldown once they arrive. It's a race now ...
11.26 -- Debris analysis of the Deteenal battles produces some minor knowledge of Ion Disruptors.
12.04 -- The Kroll 1st Stellar Fleet arrives in Deteenal.
12.11 -- Our fleet reaches Theggian, still one jump away.
12.29 -- The fleet is now in Deteenal again. The Kroll started up their sublight drives to head for Roknim Mog and the undefended troops of Gen. Eusrim about a week ago, and
Adm. SirFozzie moves to intercept.
How's that for a cliffhanger? And a perfectly natural, year-ending one as well. I won't be cruel -- I'll put together the next year, taking us to where I've played up to, later tonight.