Contemplation: Belfast Production Facility faux pas

[jammi]

A'ight, I did say join me next week last time. Turns out I lied. Here's my next annoyingly wordy analysis thread. Next up in the spotlight (or on the platter, depending on perspective) is Belfast Production Facility in the Newcastle system. First, here's a bit of background on the place.

Belfast has always been a Molly station so far back as .84 or so when Newcastle was submitted by Angel. The lore fluff says that it used to be a BMM station before the Mollys cracked out their "pickaxe to the skull" shtick and took the place the over. In .86 the system received a re-design, updated infocards and rumours for the first time. These rumours have set a lot of the more nuanced details that apply to the place currently. Nothing has been changed since then either, at least in relation to Belfast specifically.

So, lets get cracking! What am I looking at and what am I suggesting? Well, first up lets take a peek at Belfast's infocard, as well as Planet Middlesborough that it orbits.

Belfast Production Facility, IDS - 525027

Belfast has had a grim and bitter past. Built in 726 A.S., the facility has been mining resources from the crust of the nearby planet Middlesbrough, and refining them in orbit. The base suffered some casualties in the wake of the Founders Day Revolt, but unlike the Graves massacre, station security was able to subdue the revolting workers on Belfast by sealing the station down until the Bretonian Police Authority could send extra forces. Still, Molly sentiments remained high among it's workforce, and Molly raids against the station steadily increased.

After several years of preparation and planning, the Mollys launched a second attempt to take over the station, using a number of improvised Gunboats and a large portion of their fighter force. The initial attack quickly overwhelmed the stations defense perimiter and allowed the Mollys to take the fight to the station interior. Within an hour, the Mollys seized the station and ejected the BMM management officials out of the top airlock.

The Armed Forces and Police Authority responded by restricting all traffic to the station, officially declaring it "Abandoned due to severe radioactive contamination", while the battleship Ark Royal was tasked to gather a fleet and boarding force to subdue the Mollys. The outbreak of war in the Tau borderworlds prevented the Ark Royal from making a move however.

The Mollys are currently running the facility, using the mined resources to manufacture ship components and various other goods that can be bartered on the black market. With the Gallic attacks on Bretonia taking up all of the Armed Forces military capacity, Belfast is not likely to be retaken any time soon.

Planet Middlesborough, IDS - 525036

A hot, arid planet with no atmosphere, Middlesbrough nevertheless has significant quantities of raw materials, from titanium and copper to beryllium and silicon. The planet has a considerable amount of volcanic activity, so there have never been any attempts at planet-side settlements. However, the Mollys have automated mining platforms on the surface, although they only ever use the materials onboard the orbiting Belfast Production Facility for their shipbuilding projects, and the goods are virtually never sold to anyone outside of the Mollys.

Right, so a fully intact Ship Hull Panel manufacturing plant that is actively mining from an immensely mineral rich planet. You know, since Leeds fell, taking both its planet and Stokes with it, this sounds like exactly the sort of thing Bretonia needs! So it's fair to say that the majority of the Molly's industrial output and mineral resources are invested in this station (N.B Londonderry is an abortion of logic that doesn't count and needs deleting). Seizing the station - or at the very least destroying it - would cripple Molly activities on an organisational level, and give Bretonia a much sounder strategic position.

But surely the BAF has already considered this and something is stopping them? Probably. Lets look into the rumours relating to military operations and see how the situation currently lies:

IDS - 513415

Belfast is a blight on Bretonia. I can't understand why the Ark Royal failed to boot those ruffians from the station when they took it in the first place. The fleet must have been caught off-guard, for even that entire station isn't a threat to a Battleship. With the loss of Leeds and the Mollys not exactly in a cooperative mood, I dare say it may be time for some... agressive negotiations concerning the return of that station to Bretonian control.

IDS - 513438

With all the Armed Forces now in this system, the lanes have become a lot safer. Well, except the ones south of Scarborough of course, but even the Mollys seem to keep quiet in Newcastle. They're probably wondering if they'll need to defend Belfast again before soon. It's small comfort though, considering the threat of invasion looms over this system like a shadow.

IDS - 513452

Scarborough and Belfast were initially intended to be a chain of stations - resources mined from Middlesbrough would be converted to Basic Alloys and Hull Panels on Belfast itself, then shipped over to Scarborough for shipbuilding. That all went to hell when the Mollys managed to take it over. I do hope the Mollys decide to side with Gallia - that'd give the government all the reason they need to forcefully take that station back from them. Even without it, they'll have to sooner or later - without Leeds, we'll need the resources from Middlesbrough to keep the fleet operational.

IDS - 525315

Belfast used to be owned by the BMM, a mining and production platform that used the abundant resources on Middlesbrough to supply Bretonia. Ever since the Mollys captured it, we've had requests from BMM to build warships here for an assault on Belfast, but Scarborough isn't equipped for military ship production. Besides, the government would never allow it. With all the forces in the system however, I think the Armed Forces stand a good chance to take Belfast back if they wanted to.

IDS - 525333

Mull is a fallback point for the Mollys in this system. Holding Belfast and it's production facilities is nice, but realistically, if the Armed Forces move against us now, we'll have no choice but to fall back a bit. There's just no way for us to muscle off a capital fleet like the ones they can manage. Unless we get ourselves one to defend that station.

IDS - 525342

With all the Armed Forces in the system, I'm getting a wee bit nervous. Sure, they might be gunning for Gallia, but I'm sure Bretonia hasn't forgotten about Belfast either. Wonder what they're planning - both the clanheads and the Bret military. There's gonna be trouble here, that's for sure.

IDS - 525348

We're probably on borrowed time here, now that the Bretonian military has rolled about half it's troops in here. Way I see it, one of two things happens. The clanheads throw an accord with Gallia, and Bretonia is forced to seize Belfast before it becomes an enemy base, or we don't throw an accord with Gallia and Bretonia is forced to seize Belfast for the resources it produces. Those talks of peace were the only thing holding the Queen's men back. Belfast doesn't have an asteroid field protecting it, we got no cover against the Bretonian heavies. No way we can hold. I'm leaving next week, before that'll go down.

IDS - 525374

There seems to be some method to the madness here in Bretonia. I was wondering why Bretonia had two battleships stationed here. Now there are three, and one Molly-held BMM station. You do the math. 20 credits says there's going to be a lot of Mollys floating around Belfast before the year's over. Not our problem though, holding a base like that in the open against a house navy was foolish to begin with.

Okay, there are a few key points that can be drawn from this. Bretonia has the majority of its forces currently stationed in Newcastle, either mustering or holding defensive lines. There are three Great Fleets stationed there, which is higher than any other system in Bretonia. Several rumours indicate that the only thing stopping an offensive on Belfast is political wrangling - in .86 it was unclear which way the Mollys would swing with regards to Gallia and Bretonia. Now that they've clearly turned on Bretonia, several rumours state it would be expedient to take Belfast out.

Then there's the Molly rumours, which are equally interesting. They universally state that Belfast could not be held in the event of an attack. This is because the Mollys are primarily a very small ambush based force, that relies on surprise and misdirection to pull off its operations. This can be seen in their textbook operations in Dublin, using mines and the cover of asteroid fields. At Belfast, the Mollys have no-where to hide - it's open space, and ground that massively favours their enemies. They don't have the numbers or strength to contest that battle.

So, to tie this in to current server events - what has happened recently that could result in a lull in Gallic attacks and free up one of the Newcastle defence fleets? I'd suggest Royal Flush. After a surprise attack, the GRN are temporarily reeling, and that breathing space could be used to clear house and launch an offensive on Belfast. Another chain of events would be wonderful, instead of an abrupt transition during a mod release. So, what are the actual benefits of re-taking the station in any case?

IDS - 461212

At least the Bowex boys know the value of keeping Bretonia alive. They've been a right blessing, bringing in those raw materials that we need to keep our factories going. Having to deal with Rheinland for Aluminium now that we've lost Leeds is not the preferred option - we really need Belfast back under our control. The automated mining rigs it controls would produce all the Aluminium we need.

IDS - 513452

Scarborough and Belfast were initially intended to be a chain of stations - resources mined from Middlesbrough would be converted to Basic Alloys and Hull Panels on Belfast itself, then shipped over to Scarborough for shipbuilding. That all went to hell when the Mollys managed to take it over. I do hope the Mollys decide to side with Gallia - that'd give the government all the reason they need to forcefully take that station back from them. Even without it, they'll have to sooner or later - without Leeds, we'll need the resources from Middlesbrough to keep the fleet operational.

Currently Bretonia is heavily reliant on external parties and paying exorbitant sums for resources such as Ship Hull Panels for construction and Aluminium for Super Alloy and fabrication. Belfast was originally designed to be a part of an integrated supply chain with Scarborough, greatly enhancing efficiency there, reducing Bretonia's overall overheads and making their survival marginally less fragile. But I mentioned events, didn't I?

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Event proposal:

The rumours say that BMM would be posting large bounties on the Mollys to soften them up before any offensives happen. So before any actual direct combat events pertaining to the station happen, lets reflect that. Before the next stage in the re-capture of Belfast can proceed, add a commodity tracker to the Battleship Arc Royal. 10,000 Molly Pilots are required, but here's the catch: they can only be dropped off by people with Bounty Hunter IDs.

So, the sooner the BHG complete their part, the sooner actual combat events could be launched directly involving the Bretonians, Mollys and possibly also Gallic allies. I mean, the Mollys themselves said they wouldn't be able to contest a Bretonian attack unless they had a capital fleet, and guess who has one of those? Amusingly, Gallic gunboat patrols already attack Scarborough from the Belfast lane, so it's not too much of a stretch.

Ideally, after the initial pilot event, I'd like to see some branching events that could have a number of different consequences. If people are interested in this is a general concept, I can spitball some further ideas as to how those branches might play out and add an 'optimal Molly win condition' as a counterpart to the Bretonian one of re-taking Belfast.

At the moment, I'm pretty much positive that the only reason the Mollys still hold Belfast is because the storyline forgot about it. I'd advocate correcting that, but in a way that's actually entertaining and engages with the involved players. So, thoughts on the concept? Yay, neigh, whinny?

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News article library, feedback and content requests.

[Thunderer]

A distinct, roaring yes of complete approval. I don't have a Molly char, though.

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Bretonian Treaty Database Bretonian Armed Forces Recruitment Center
Bretonian Charter of Interstellar Law Bretonian Secrets Act

[Kuduka]

It would make sense for BAF to retake the station, but definitely not to blow it up. Considering all the potential gains if they recaptured it (which shouldn't be all that hard to be hones), destroying it shouldn't be on the agenda at all. Considering the Mollys manpower at the moment at Belfast, mollys should just run in case of a large attack. They aren't numerous enough to just waste people when the battle is already lost.

[Blodwyn O'Driscoll]

I kinda agree with Kuduka, here :

In the event of a massive attack from the Bretonia armed forces ( including battleships ), the Molly would rather evacuate the place ( a place they cannot help in that very case, as the infocard are saying ), than waste lifes; and simply autodestruct the station in their flight, not leave any valuable assets behind them.


On the other hand, i wonder if freeing a whole fleet to attack Belfast, wouldn't be uncovering Newcastle flanc from an attack othe gallic forces in the North of the system.
But it might be a gambit that the armed force would willing to play, considering it might worth the price.




NB1 : also, i don't think Mollys would rely on GRN in Newcastle, they're not allies, remember.

NB2 : Londonderry has been degyarded, and added to the mod lore.

[Fluffyball]

Mollys and GRN aren't allies. They aren't even friendly. On the strangest side is the fact, that Gaians seem to be buds with GRN, what's ironic taking into account that Gaians were buds with Imperial Kusari Naval Forces (because of FA and Hogosha) during Tau Wars. If I was in place of GRN, I would go please Mollys rather than looking to be buds with Gaians - because I wouldn't risk backstabbing as Mollys have supplies from both Hackers(?) and Liberty Rogues.

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[Blodo]

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. One possible idea is to make this two way, if we can somehow make it that Molly BHG kills are counted too. And increase the price per pilot on Ark Royal to provide additional incentive.

[Highland Laddie]

Mollys and GRN aren't allies. They aren't even friendly. On the strangest side is the fact, that Gaians seem to be buds with GRN, what's ironic taking into account that Gaians were buds with Imperial Kusari Naval Forces (because of FA and Hogosha) during Tau Wars. If I was in place of GRN, I would go please Mollys rather than looking to be buds with Gaians - because I wouldn't risk backstabbing as Mollys have supplies from both Hackers(?) and Liberty Rogues.

I'm not exactly sure who/which faction of Gaians, if any, RP'd this out, but otherwise it just seemed like Gaian's got all of their stuff stampeded by GRN in the 4.86/4.87 releases and then TOLD that they were now operating under the GRN's good graces and would basically die horrible destruction if they attacked GRN at all.

However, since Faroe got deleted and all their bases re-purposed and re-positioned, I think ti would make more sense to revisit Gaian diplomacy in the region...especially in a post-Royal Flush environment.

[TheSauron]

Laddie pretty much nailed the topic of Gaian cooperation with GRN.


Also, I like this idea... Would love to see some action like that. From both sides. (bandit)

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One MD Admiral

[jammi]

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. One possible idea is to make this two way, if we can somehow make it that Molly BHG kills are counted too. And increase the price per pilot on Ark Royal to provide additional incentive.

What might be interesting is giving a very minor price rise, and then leaving it up to the Bret factions whether they want to subsidise things themselves to add an additional incentive. I can also envision tactics like storing Molly pilots on PoBs, and hiring a BHG prison liner to transfer them to the Arc Royal. Not sure if that would be in the spirit of the event or not, but hey ho.

Mollys and GRN aren't allies. They aren't even friendly. On the strangest side is the fact, that Gaians seem to be buds with GRN, what's ironic taking into account that Gaians were buds with Imperial Kusari Naval Forces (because of FA and Hogosha) during Tau Wars. If I was in place of GRN, I would go please Mollys rather than looking to be buds with Gaians - because I wouldn't risk backstabbing as Mollys have supplies from both Hackers(?) and Liberty Rogues.

I understand that they're not allies. I was using the phrase from a situational context, as in within the scope of that potential event. Gallia is already in Newcastle anyway, and staging from the Belfast area if you look at the NPC patrols. Regardless of how the Mollys feel about Gallia on a macro-level, no doubt they'd appreciate having a proxy they could use to give Bretonia a black eye. I also agree with you on the Gaian angle.

The only reason they were given the NAP with Gallia was because Igiss wrote the storyline into a corner and didn't really give himself any other choice. I made some proposals as to untangling that silly situation here. I would strongly contest the point that the Mollys would make for more reliable allies though. The Gaians remained relatively loyal for years, because they had a gun to their head. The Mollys are ruthlessly motivated, and will do whatever it takes to further their cause. The moment an agreement doesn't suit them, frog is back on the menu. Gallia doesn't really have any leverage over them, other than invading Dublin directly.

[Blodwyn O'Driscoll]

One possible idea is to make this two way, if we can somehow make it that Molly BHG kills are counted too.

I don't know if it's a good idea, i don't know if we have enough players for that kind of "npc farming" while Bretonia can field a lot of players.

Also 10 000 Molly pilots ?!
I'm not sure it's realistic considering the Molly Population in Newcastle.