Royal Terran Hegemony - An Aurora AAR

Started by Jarhead0331, December 07, 2020, 03:51:29 PM

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Jarhead0331

Not sure where this will end up going, as I tend to get to a certain point in Aurora games and after learning new tips, tricks and concepts, restart. This is such a complex game with so much nuance and new ideas to learn that restarts happen fairly regularly.

Still, I've been playing in my current game for almost a century (in game time  O0) and I've been trying some new things.  It's a pretty nice galactic set-up so far and some interesting events have transpired. So, I figured I'd just write a little bit about it with the hope that putting my thoughts, plans and strategies on paper will help me stay focused, and might be of interest to one or two of you in the process.

First, some background.

My race is human and the current ruling order is known as the Royal Terran Hegemony. The date is presently the 7th day of June, in the 2101st year of our Lord.



We are, of course, located in the Sol System ("Home Sector"), on the planet Earth. The Royal Navy completed the near galactic survey of all geological bodies and gravitational locations of note within the solar system many decades ago. There are two standard jump points located in proximity. One is approximately 2.09 billion kilometers from Earth and leads to Alpha Centauri, where the Hegemony has established two colonies. The other is approximately 6.35 billion kilometers from Earth and leads to WISE 0350-5658, a system devoid of anything of meaningful value. Within Home Sector, the Hegemony possesses two developed and stable colonies. One on Luna and the other on Mars. Both colonies performed nominal mining of Duranium, Neutronium and Corundium, and while Mars still sends the bulk of these raw mineral resources back to Earth via mass driver, all mineral resources have been exhausted on Luna. It is worth noting that most of Earth's natural mineral resources have been stripped and although stockpiles are stable, the Hegemony is in the process of relocating Earth's mining industries to new systems for fresh exploitation.

Here is Earth and it's immediate surroundings. Several vessels of various class, including freighters, tankers, tugs and Defense Monitors, are docked in Earth orbit.



Despite having trans-newtonian technology for more than 75 years, our empire is still very much what I would describe as "fledgling". We have populated three (3) systems, in addition to Sol and possess a very small navy useful for little but providing local orbital security and peace of mind to colonists. The backbone of our Royal Navy is the Antium Class Orbital Defense Monitor. She is admittedly obsolete, having served as our empire's sole form of local space security for decades. As shown below, she is has a tonnage of 5,418, is quick, with a maximum speed of 3,461 KM/S and is armed with six (6) 30 cm C3 Plasma Carronades manufactured by Bourbeau Weapons Systems. She has a crew of 149 and is equipped to operate for 24 months without requiring shore leave and resupply. Her hulls are laid down by the Warnell Systems Naval Shipyard Complex.



Antium ODMs are also responsible for patrolling holdings established in Core Colonial Territory ("Core Sectors").  Core Sectors are those sectors nearest to the Home Sector, and which will be defended, as if part of the home territory. They also happen to be mineral rich with developing industry, and are, as a result, extremely valuable territory.

The Royal Navy, although small, conducts a variety of operations in addition to maintaining stability and security. Some of these missions include transportation of colonists, transportation of minerals, installations and infrastructure, Salvage and towing operations, Jump Point Stability, Refueling, Sorium harvesting and tanker responsibilities. Finally, the Royal Navy is also responsible for intelligence, reconnaissance and survey operations. This display shows our current Naval Organization and various administrative commands.



Here is a chart of the known systems, displaying the Home Sector, Core Sectors, and other discovered systems of varying strategic value.  Also displayed on this chart at a glance are unexplored jump points, populated systems, systems with Naval Headquarters, as well as refueling and resupply capability.



With respect to Core Sectors and populated colonies, the Hegemony has established bastions as follows:

Lalande 21185
- Reach Colony with a population of 58.27 million souls

Alpha Centauri
- A II with a population of 16.85 million souls
- AIV with a population of 15.52 million souls

Barnard's Star
- A II with a population of 11.71 million souls

In addition to Royal holdings, commercial enterprises span throughout the Hegemony, representing mostly mining interests and transportation, both cargo and passenger lines.  These civilian enterprises are granted wide latitude and independence, but are taxed accordingly on profits. In exchange for granting rights to mine planets, moons, asteroids and comets, civilian enterprises must be prepared to contribute mineral wealth when necessary and provide logistical capability for Royal Naval operations on request.

This window displays Royal and civilian holdings, as well as a detailed summary for the present state of Earth.



On or about 19 May 2081, a Hawkeye Class survey vessel discovered a deserted intact alien city located on the surface of the mineral rich world, Lalande 21185 A II. This terrestrial Planet consists mostly of cold desert, contains 5% water and an atmosphere of nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor.  Temperature is just outside of preferred habitable levels at -12.5C, but both gravity and pressure are acceptable. Vast quantities of duranium, neutronium, corbomite, titanium, mercassium, vendarite, sorium, uridium, corundium and gallicite are present and for the most part, easily accessible.  Given the presence of structures of alien origin, as well as the natural mineral wealth, high priority was set on establishing a colonial operation, which by now, is both mature and stable.

Here is a detail of the status of our occupation on Reach.



In order to research the alien structures, as well as to decipher their language and script, the 1st and 2nd Xenoarcheology Companies, as well as 1st Geosurvey Company, were assembled and dropped onto the planet. Rapid progress was made and it was learned that the aliens were known as the "Franklin", at least, that is the closest approximation in the prevailing tongue of the Hegemony. 

By way of example, a Xenoarcheology Company consists of medium vehicles with sensitive xenoarcheology equipment, a platoon of light infantry for security, logistics personnel and an HQ component so that officers may be attached. Here, we see that the current commander of the 1st Xenoarch Company is Major Dennis Callan.



Once our scientists were successful in unlocking the alien language, we were able to deploy construction companies to reclaim the alien structures, facilities, wealth and technology. We have recovered ordnance factories, research labs, fighter factories, command modules, infrastructure, maintenance supplies and millions of liters of fuel. We have also recovered advanced engines, survey equipment and weapons.

While these discoveries have been exhilarating, the existence of advanced alien artifacts has also sent shockwaves through the Hegemony, confirming to us that we are most likely not alone.  Therefore, the Royal Colonial Marine Corps was established and although we are still in the process of establishing the order of battle and table of distributions and allowances, the building blocks of the CMC company has been created.



The CMC is to be a light, highly mobile strike force, capable of deploying rapidly in emergencies. Soon, we will begin the framework for creating armies with various specialties and capabilities, including those with specialized training, enhanced capabilities through genetic modification and power armor.



Our plans for the immediate future include developing the Royal military, both the ground forces and the Navy. These forces will be needed as we expand beyond the Core Sectors and these concepts, ideas and strategies will be shared in future posts. Presently, our most important Colonial Sector is Barnard's Star with a rapidly developing colony on the planet designated as BS A II. This world holds vast mineral wealth and has an already robust construction, mining and and commercial shipping industry.



Also, our immediate plans will consist of expanding our operations beyond the Core Sector of Lalande 21185 into the newly surveyed system of EZ Aquarii. This is a trinary star system with two worlds of extraordinary mineral wealth orbiting the second star. Unfortunately, these worlds are extremely inhospitable to human life. One of the worlds could support life, but at extreme costs. I believe the most cost effective means of mining these worlds will be through the use of orbital habitats and forced labor mines. Workers will reside in orbit and be forced to work on the surface. For the greater Hegemony!



To be continued.

By the way, please let me know if this is of any interest...




Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


W8taminute

Very nice and detailed AAR.  I prefer this documentary style of AAR vs. the standard personal story of some character in the midst of gameplay AAR.

Aurora reminds me in some ways of Space Empires IV only much more deep and complex.  I might have to pick up this game if the price is right. 

Definitely interested in seeing more AAR of this game.   :bd:
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

Jarhead0331

Quote from: W8taminute on December 08, 2020, 10:58:31 AM
Very nice and detailed AAR.  I prefer this documentary style of AAR vs. the standard personal story of some character in the midst of gameplay AAR.

Aurora reminds me in some ways of Space Empires IV only much more deep and complex.  I might have to pick up this game if the price is right. 

Definitely interested in seeing more AAR of this game.   :bd:

LoL...Aurora is FREE!

Thanks for posting...I was beginning to think that my effort and interest was all for naught.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Pete Dero

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 08, 2020, 11:48:53 AM
Quote from: W8taminute on December 08, 2020, 10:58:31 AM
Very nice and detailed AAR.  I prefer this documentary style of AAR vs. the standard personal story of some character in the midst of gameplay AAR.

Aurora reminds me in some ways of Space Empires IV only much more deep and complex.  I might have to pick up this game if the price is right. 

Definitely interested in seeing more AAR of this game.   :bd:

LoL...Aurora is FREE!

Thanks for posting...I was beginning to think that my effort and interest was all for naught.

I was getting just text in Firefox but then I loaded the page in Edge and there are pictures !

Something must be wrong on my side (are the pictures linked to something on Facebook ?).


The first time I played Aurora I spend more time on line looking for answers than actually playing the game ...

I look forward to the sequels.   I quit back then after many hours when the micromanagement got the better of me (and I still hadn't encountered any combat).

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Pete Dero on December 08, 2020, 12:01:43 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 08, 2020, 11:48:53 AM
Quote from: W8taminute on December 08, 2020, 10:58:31 AM
Very nice and detailed AAR.  I prefer this documentary style of AAR vs. the standard personal story of some character in the midst of gameplay AAR.

Aurora reminds me in some ways of Space Empires IV only much more deep and complex.  I might have to pick up this game if the price is right. 

Definitely interested in seeing more AAR of this game.   :bd:

LoL...Aurora is FREE!

Thanks for posting...I was beginning to think that my effort and interest was all for naught.

I was getting just text in Firefox but then I loaded the page in Edge and there are pictures !

Something must be wrong on my side (are the pictures linked to something on Facebook ?).


The first time I played Aurora I spend more time on line looking for answers than actually playing the game ...

I look forward to the sequels.   I quit back then after many hours when the micromanagement got the better of me (and I still hadn't encountered any combat).

Yes. images are on facebook. I'm on firefox too though and they are embedded for me.

If you get back into Aurora again and have any questions, please don't hesitate to post and ask away. I've also made a handful of conventional start videos that are on youtube. I can repost links if interested. I think Aurora can be a boring game to watch someone else play though, and is actually more engrossing to read about.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Pete Dero

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 08, 2020, 12:19:40 PM
Yes. images are on facebook. I'm on firefox too though and they are embedded for me.
It is a local thing in Belgium (can't access anything Facebook related unless you have a Facebook account, combined with a Firefox privacy setting).
You don't have to change a thing.    I can make the missing pictures show but first I need to know I'm missing the pictures  :).

My government decided to tackle Facebook because it followed everybody online (including non members - using cookies and Facebook like buttons).
A judge told Facebook it couldn't track non members online.
Facebook responded by blocking all Facebook content for non members in Belgium.

https://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/belgium-facebook.15ei

The decision follows a so far fruitless attempt to strike a deal with Belgium's privacy watchdog after it lodged a legal complaint over Facebook's tracking of Internet users when they visit pages on the site or click "like" or "share", even if they are not members.
Once the court order is officially received, "people without Facebook accounts in Belgium will have to log in to Facebook before they can see Facebook pages and other content," the California-based firm said in an emailed statement.
"This means people without a Facebook account will need to create and log into a Facebook account to view this content," it said.

W8taminute

Haha!  Shortly after I posted here I found out that Aurora 4x is free.  I'm definitely downloading this game and going to try it out.
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

Jarhead0331

#7
In furtherance of our goal of expansion beyond the Core Sectors into EZ Aquarii, the Cumae Class Jump Stabilization Station has begun to perform its task of stabilizing a network of jump points leading to and from Lalande 21185.  Through jump point stabilization, conventional military and commercial shipping will be able to move between the systems without the need for jump drives. This, of course, is a tremendous savings in mineral costs, wealth and tonnage in vessel design. Jump stabilization technology is one of several miraculous discoveries of the Royal Hegemony Science Academy, which has in large part led to human expansion among the stars.



In order to exploit EZ Aquarii, construction factories on Earth have begun in earnest to construct orbital habitat stations, which as previously noted, shall be towed into orbit around EZ Aquarii B-II and eventually, B-I, as well.  The surface of these worlds are hostile, and not conducive to human existence. As a result, our workers shall live in low orbit. This is a costly and time consuming undertaking, but the appetite of Hegemony industries for raw mineral resources is bottomless, and through ingenuity and fortitude, the minerals will be mined. Toward that end, we have designed two classes of habitat; the larger Pisae and the smaller Ravenna.  The Pisae supports 400,000 colonists, but weighs over 1,000,000 tons.  The Ravenna, on the other hand, can support 200,000 colonists and is half the weight. 



The beauty of space stations is that they may be constructed on the surface of our worlds by construction factories, rather than the more costly and time consuming method of construction from ship yards.  At 1,000,000 tons, for instance, the shipyard complex would have to be host to slipways of monstrous size, well beyond the maximum tonnage of our current capacity. Here, the shipyard complexes at Vancil International, Kocik Marine and Filyaw Marine Industries are in the process of expansion. This is to support a new class of tug that will be necessary to tow the Pisae class of habitat into orbit above EZ Aquarii B-II.



Fortunately, our 25,000 ton tugs, Vermilion County and Butts County are powerful enough to transport the lighter Ravennas. Of course, progress is relatively slow going at only 166 KM/S. The first habitat is expected to arrive in approximately 56 days.



In the meantime, our survey and exploration of EZ Aquarii continues. Two Hawkeye Class survey vessels, Loyal and Persistent, are tasked with this mission.





Finally, the creation and expansion of Royal ground forces continues with ongoing research into improved weapons and armor. Soon, the first generation of gene-enhanced drop troopers will be ready for field operations.



Stay tuned for more!
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


nelmsm

Thanks for posting this. Just saw it today. Been wanting to get into this again.

W8taminute

I downloaded the game yesterday and spent about half an hour with it.  At first glance I can already tell this game is rich in detail and complex but approachable. 

I think I'm going to really love this game.  Look forward to more AAR updates from you.  There are a few really good YouTube let's plays as well that do a great job explaining the game. 
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

Jarhead0331

Quote from: W8taminute on December 09, 2020, 09:42:47 AM
I downloaded the game yesterday and spent about half an hour with it.  At first glance I can already tell this game is rich in detail and complex but approachable. 

I think I'm going to really love this game.  Look forward to more AAR updates from you.  There are a few really good YouTube let's plays as well that do a great job explaining the game.

On the Youtube front, look at the stuff put out by SpaceMarine...his youtube page is called Defran Strategy. His strategies aren't the best, he doesn't explain the logic behind doing certain things and he mumbles, but the videos are great for learning the basics. His mastery of the game is impressive, and he is like only in high school.

Working on the next update to the AAR now. Should be up soon.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Pete Dero

DasTastic is a good source for tutorials and these are the ones he has made for Aurora :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGB6RkFB7ZmNoVz2VwaE6f3adPzTNdqC4

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Pete Dero on December 09, 2020, 11:01:52 AM
DasTastic is a good source for tutorials and these are the ones he has made for Aurora :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGB6RkFB7ZmNoVz2VwaE6f3adPzTNdqC4

I wouldn't rely on those. They are all for Aurora VB6. The new version of Aurora in C# has many important differences.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


W8taminute

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 09, 2020, 11:10:22 AM
Quote from: Pete Dero on December 09, 2020, 11:01:52 AM
DasTastic is a good source for tutorials and these are the ones he has made for Aurora :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGB6RkFB7ZmNoVz2VwaE6f3adPzTNdqC4

I wouldn't rely on those. They are all for Aurora VB6. The new version of Aurora in C# has many important differences.

Doh!  I downloaded the VB6 version.  I'll get the C# version tonight.  I mistakenly thought the VB6 version was the newer revision.
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

Pete Dero

Quote from: W8taminute on December 09, 2020, 01:22:55 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 09, 2020, 11:10:22 AM
Quote from: Pete Dero on December 09, 2020, 11:01:52 AM
DasTastic is a good source for tutorials and these are the ones he has made for Aurora :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGB6RkFB7ZmNoVz2VwaE6f3adPzTNdqC4

I wouldn't rely on those. They are all for Aurora VB6. The new version of Aurora in C# has many important differences.

Doh!  I downloaded the VB6 version. 

I knew that and that's why I suggested the old tutorials  :coolsmiley:.