Queen Raidne

Point of Departure: World War II

@Voltus_Ventus You're accepted. Note that you're Navy's over-specialized, though. It's kind-of like the RP equivalent of min-maxing; while you'll be really great at submarine warfare, you've got weaknesses in other areas, like your air force and surface ships (landing and support craft come to mind especially). However, that's not an OOC issue, that's one that will end up being worked out IC.

I expect, in other words, that someone will at some point complain about how completely imbalanced your Navy is, and I'd like to point out to that future person that said imbalance can be leveraged against said Navy.

Anyway, yay! Posts! Things are progressing and that makes me happy! Cupcakes for everyone!

Point of Departure: World War II

"Hello there, USSR. It's the German Empire. No hard feelings?"
"Um. What is this USSR you speak of?"

Even if it were still our USSR:

"Hello there, USSR. It's the German Empire. No hard feelings?"
"Oh, look. A Nazi ship broadcasting its location. How convenient."

On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about your application, Voltus. It seems okay, but I need to look at it more closely when I'm home.

[1x1] Stellvia: A Modest Enterprise

Yeah! Alright! <3

Point of Departure: World War II

|Atlantic Ocean, 400 mi. WNW of Glasgow

The 900 ft. long USS Tulsa, based in Iceland, drifted above low clouds at an easy 10kts. They were nearing the end of the current babysitting mission and were oh-so-eager for their next interminable period of drifting along the Atlantic. While the Tulsa normally operated with two other ZRCV's (nominally four, but one of the lumbering ships was always grounded with some problem or essential upgrade or another), the Tulsa was alone for this mission. Anchorage was undergoing repairs to her tail after "strong" winds led to a mooring accident, and Tulsa had been held up in port waiting for fuel. Ironically, the fuel was delayed because the convoy transporting it had been attacked by a Nazi U-boat. Their current escort mission had been quiet. The 38-ship convoy's escort consisted of five Flower class corvettes and the Tulsa.

"Descend to 2,000 feet," Cdr. Owens ordered.
"Descend to 2,000 feet, aye, sir." Lt. Cdr. John Cross, the ship's XO said. "Five degrees down angle. Inflate ballonets."

The elevatorman dutifully responded, and the ship gradually began to descend, nose down, through the clouds. As the mist outside the control car's windows cleared, the Tulsa's bridge crew were astonished to find empty ocean.

"What the hell?" one of the bridge crew muttered. Cdr. Owens mulled over the sudden disappearance. Tulsa had been above the overcast clouds for a few hours, searching for enemy aircraft. The ship had been switching from above to below to search for aircraft, then submarines, then aircraft again. Mostly it was something to keep his crew occupied that wasn't another drill - Cdr. Owens had promised two drill-free days for the crew's performance in the latest loss-of-lift drill (yesterday had also been, coincidentally, movie night. The effect had the crew a bit too relaxed for Owens' comfort). The convoy's speed of 10kts couldn't put them very far from Tulsa - in fact, they should still be visible.

"Mr. Griffith," Cdr. Owens said after a moment, "get me our current position and the convoy's last known heading. Mr. Cross, launch the Seafins on a search mission to find the convoy.

An hour later, it was apparent that the unthinkable had happened - Cdr. Owens had lost a 40-ship convoy. There was nothing for it.

"Contact Liverpool. Message is as follows:

@Iluvatar

FROM: USS Tulsa, ZRCV 1
TO: Liverpool

Unable to contact convoy HX-161 or escort ships. Convoy and escort position unknown. No enemy action to report. Please advise.

Point of Departure: World War II

You can do it yourself, because you're accepted. One hour!

Point of Departure: World War II

I see the map key has slashed lines for disputed and occupied territory, but yet neither Japanese-occupied China or German-occupied Kataylabinsk (USSR) have those lines?

@Mihndar

Ah, yes. Thank you.

Point of Departure: World War II

---

★-★-★

---

I'm officially closing the RP to new Allied nations, excepting those who have already posted something in the OOC.

Right now, we're waiting on @Willy Vereb, @Voltus_Ventus, and @Thang. You have 24 hours before we get started - not that you can't finish up and join later than that, but I'm officially starting the RP 24 hours from now.

---

★-★-★

---

Edit: Interesting point: Bali and Mindanao are still from our timeline, @SgtEasy. And @Thang, I'm assuming you still want to be the Afrikakorps? I put you in the map under that assumption, but feel free to contradict me.

Point of Departure: World War II

My plan is to blunder into UK airspace, going, "where the hell is the convoy I was escorting? I'm so freaking fired." And then report back to the USA. You know, after refueling at the nearest allied airship-friendly base. Which is, what, Cardington? Inchinnan?

Just about to update the map. Let me know if anyone notices mistakes.

Expect another update shortly. And then us starting shortly.

Point of Departure: World War II

@Deaddlife

Cool. So Tulsa is from an alternate timeline then. I guess that in aforementioned timeline, airship usage was expanded and developed to a greater extent or something.

@Iluvatar

Basically, Akron and Macon never crashed, and the US passed “An Act for the Establishment of a Commercial Airship Transportation Industry in the United States” - something briefly brought up and failed as a bill in our timeline as the "Transoceanic Merchant Airship Bill" (I think; I actually have zero information about that bill besides its name). Then airships slowly prove that they're not completely worthless in a fleet exercise.

So, we end up with more airships. They only last until planes get longer range. And then helicopters fill their ASW role. Airships are awesome, but even in alternate timelines they can't last.

Or, if you want to read the whole thing, it's here.

Point of Departure: World War II

I'll take the silence as a no and take my leave.

Bye all, good luck with the RP.

@Voltus_Ventus

No, just me being disorganized, hang on.

Edit: The only problem I'm having is with your submarines. I grant that, in focusing on submarines rather than surface ships, your submarines will necessarily end up more advanced. However, I think they're a bit too well-off. I also think submarine aircraft carriers unwieldy for both pilot and submariner, less maneuverable, and with generally poorer performance compared to a standard sub. So it might make more sense to have three classes, one a dedicated carrier, and then have your subcaps and subprefs. Especially when you consider how much room two (even small) gyrocopters would take up that could be dedicated to weapons.

Now I'm reading all about submarine aircraft carriers (which is a marvelous development, save for my lack of free time), so thanks for that. :P