Sorry folks. Got a bit busy yesterday and couldn’t post this. I’m actually doing quite better on the backlog now – the Discord cut down on forum traffic significantly, though emails are always, well –

Look below for an idea of some of the odder questions I get.

I have a fairly long list of questions to go over. I find the whole idea of a magic floating base kind of absurd – cool, but absurd. For starters, why does the USN put all of its eggs in the same basket? There seems to be a lot of research that goes on at Avalon. So wouldn’t that be super dangerous if it is attacked?

Yes. It is. However, that’s a choice made by STEC.

Reason one: fairy density. While STEC has other research assets scattered around the globe, but the reason why things tend to happen in Avalon is because of the large concentration of fairies. When fairies are around magic-like things tend to happen, and there is a greater tendency for critical breakthroughs – e.g. new models of planes for the shipgirls and the likes – to occur, greater tendency for ace fairies to show up, and far greater production efficiency in the fairies themselves.

Reason two: defensibility. Conceivably, STEC could scatter its production facilities around the globe. However, that would simply render the facilities far more susceptible to sabotage. Direct Abyssal attacks on these facilities (STEC is mindful of the possibility of human-sized Abyssals or “anti-shipgirls” or their equivalents) would also cause large amounts of damage, particularly as STEC currently lack the shipgirls to actually cover them when the shipgirls also have to defend the US coastlines and the world’s oceans at large.

Reason three: tactically suitable. In fact, the whole idea of Avalon came about after STEC raised the question of “what happens if the Abyssals concentrate their forces and attack our HQ?” STEC (correctly) deduced that it is very likely for the Abyssals to mass their forces and force a showdown. The obvious risk of grinding down a significant shipgirl force via attrition aside, this type of battle plan essentially forces STEC to maintain a large enough reserve force on hand – severely curtailing its ability to take the fight to the enemy. This is something that stealth won’t be able to help with, either, since stealth on a stationary object is useless after the location is identified?

So then someone had a crazy idea. What if the HQ was mobile?

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For that matter, why would a mobile military base even have research facilities on it?

Fairies. See above.

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Why is there no civilian oversight on STEC’s operations with Avalon base?

Should there be more civilian oversight on the operations of say, the Delta Force?

Pacific’s America isn’t running a military dictatorship, and the President has the ultimate say over STEC’s operations – as befitting his status of the CiC. However, the relationship between the non-military and the military elements of STEC is strictly laissez-faire. Thus far STEC has been able to focus almost exclusively on its goal of fighting the Abyssal fleet.

The military generally appreciates it if you could let the military do its job. STEC is no different.

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Mike seems to call the shots on everything, including R&D. What makes him an expert in anything? He’s just a naval officer. How does he understand technology? Is his staff even qualified?

I mean, not to be rude or anything but none of your shipgirls seem to have any formal education. None have been trained as a scientist. I, with my Msc in Women’s Health, likely have far more experience coordinating and planning large research projects than anyone on STEC’s roster.

First of all, you must have missed the part where I mentioned that STEC has an oversight committee and an advisory body. Mike has a boss, you know? Multiple ones. His bosses just happens to be very happy with the direction he’s taking to increase STEC’s fighting capabilities.

Secondly, this question is in effect stating: “soldiers shouldn’t get to decide what weapons they go to war with. I, with my infinite degrees of wisdom, knows exactly what’s best for the men going out to fight.”

… In case you missed it, STEC isn’t in the business to mass-produce counter-Abyssal equipment. It doesn’t exist yet. They’re testing prototypes, but this isn’t a Super Robo anime. STEC is interested in mass-production since it is acutely aware that if the Abyssals strike 99% of the conventional military is going to end up being literal fodder without any real ways to fight back.Thus, research and development in STEC focuses on several major categories, many of which deal with the basic principles behind how fairies and fairy tech is supposed to function.

This assumption that just because Mike is an ordinary naval officer that he’s incapable of understanding technology is pretty problematic. Everyone can understand scientific principles. It’s the jobs of the scientists and engineers to understand the mechanisms of action and subsequently transform those mechanisms into concrete products. Mike is not the one figuring out say, how to transform X into Y. As the overall commander of STEC’s shipgirl forces, he knows what sort of things he need to get the girls to help them fight better, and those are the tasks he delegates to the research division to carry out.

So, a simple example. Mike understands how sonar works. Even without being a nuke he understands the principles behind sonar operations. Does he seriously need to know the effects of ocean currents on wave-oscillation functions and how to derive at an appropriate calculation or the density of the materials in question? No. He does, however, need to weigh in on decisions such as what elements to focus on and what to sacrifice based on the objectives. If it’s a sonar installed on Avalon base he doesn’t care about the power cost – Avalon’s engine is functionally infinite energy insofar as STEC is concerned. If it’s a sonar meant to integrate into Tautog’s equipment for a stealth kill or something, then he will rightfully consider things like “battery life.”

As for the last bit?

STEC is a meritocracy. If the people are good STEC’ll use them.

You also forget that shipgirls are functionally immortal. They haven’t been observed to age. A shipgirl would actually be the ideal researcher since their mental capabilities would not deteriorate with age, and have literally decades to build up expertise. We’re talking potentially LOTR elves type level of skill here – if the world lasts that long.

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In Japan, where women are oppressed on a daily basis, the shipgirls in Kantai Collection are relegated to secondary and non-leadership roles. No doubt the fanbase gets a hard-on from having “secretaries” serve the commander, which 99.9% of the time is a male. Fine. Whatever. It’s a Japanese thing. But why do you do it?

Your shipgirls are super-powered! You said they are strong enough to lift tanks! Why are they sorting index files and doing paperwork? Not a single one of the “STEC Archives” or the history posts have an archivist that’s not a shipgirl. Why is New Jersey a glorified secretary who answers emails?

…What.

 

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Perhaps your team would be better served with having more women on it. That way you can find out just how capable women truly are.

I like being God-Empress of the Pacific team, thanks.