Ryyrk
Chronic Underposter
Yeah, I just started it yesterday and I'm only on page 4!
On another note, lets see the GNS (Or just plain GSS) [Greek Naval Ship or Greek Space Ship] Argo!
Or, not....
After all, there be borg out there!
Conquest of the World
- Thread starter Quintillus
- Start date
Yeah, I just started it yesterday and I'm only on page 4!
On another note, lets see the GNS (Or just plain GSS) [Greek Naval Ship or Greek Space Ship] Argo!
Or, not....
After all, there be borg out there!You will thoroughly enjoy it. It has beautiful imagery, descriptive language, compelling stories, and Vanadorn has a penchant for creating characters that is unmatched by most major authors. You really care about his characters. Sadly, updates slowed to a trickle and recently stopped all together. The last update was early November. During this drought, I explored other stories and was lucky enough to find Hail Caesar by Zeeter and this wonderful story by Quint, among others.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Messages
- 9,312
April, 2050 AD - The King wore a heavy cloth jacket as he walked along the north shore of the Black Sea on a cold, cloudy day in April. He had traveled often throughout his reign, and had now visited one hundred and ninety eight of the three hundred and fifteen major cities in his empire, as well as countless other scenic locations. That he had never been to Adrianople before was somewhat surprising, but now that he was here he found it a most excellent city - in fact he enjoyed visiting nearly every city. The ride on the icebreaker to New Orleans in the middle of winter seventeen years ago hadn't been too fun, but all in all most voyages were thoroughly enjoyable.
Alone for a change, the King had time to think, wind gusting every now and then and waves crashing against the rocks. What an amazing reign he had had. He remembered his nervousness upon finding out he would be king - how silly that seemed now! But his success wasn't guaranteed. Many Americans and Sumerians were indeed quite opposed to Greek rule of the world when it began. Yet now the rule was thought by almost everyone to be a great success. Thirty-five years ago, the world couldn't have imagined this kind of prosperity, but ever since then growth had been nothing short of incredible.
A particularly strong wave dusted the King with water, and the sudden chill reminded him that there had been a few downturns. He had been quite surprised in 2027 to hear that some residents of Adana were still resisting Greek rule a decade after his father had finished the conquest. Turns out there was no military in the city to quell the resisters - military had been an afterthought after the conquest.
Another moment that the King was unsure about was the decision to go ahead with nuclear weapons development in Entremont, completed in 2028. Such work could have been done decades earlier, but had been delayed due to concerns of antagonistic use. It was still possible the weapons would be used for evil, but thus far the research was secure, and proliferation was extremely limited. At this point, it appeared the deeper research into nuclear weapons and energy had been well worth it - it already was being put to good use on scientific expeditions to Mars and, more recently, a voyage destined for Mercury.
Indeed, scientific research had continued unabated. There was no reason not to - even with four-turn Future Research the Treasury was inexhaustible. More than a hundred billion drachmas had been poured into industry, education, and the arts over the past thirty-two years, and still the treasury overflowed with tens of billions of drachmas.
The King paused and glanced back towards the city. Three and a half million people lived in Adrianople. At the beginning of his reign, it would have been the third-largest city in the Empire. Now, three and a half million put it in eleventh place. Camulodunum, on the Nile, was still the world's largest city, but had grown by two million, to six million, seven hundred thousand people. There was certainly more competition now - as a whole, the Empire had been growing at a consistent average of five million people per year for the past thirty-five years. And if the past three years were an indication, the pace was not slowing down yet.
Three hundred and eighteen million people - more than double the world's population just thirty years ago. For decades the population had been more or less steady at a hundred million, then a slow increase, and after the war, an amazing development across the world. And that was even without many new technologies Greece had perfected since them - imagine what could be done with the latest technology, the King thought.
He was jolted from his thoughts when his phone rang. His domestic advisor - not a surprise. She was a Spaniard, the first non-Greek to fill the post in all history, but had done quite well at the job over the years.
"Elodia, what is it?" asked the King.
"The governors of Punjab request eight hundred and forty million drachmas for the construction of their factory, sir. Do they have your clearance?"
"Certainly. Can hardly find enough takers for our money these days," replied the King. With over five thousand gold per turn flowing into the treasury, it had been decades since fiscal restraint had been necessary - and the arts had flourished as a result. So, for that matter, had industry and the economy, making it even more of a cash cow.
The only dip had been when scientific funding had been decreased a notch and entertainment funding increased - but lower science still being more than enough for four-turn research, there had been no reason not to lower it.
Ah, the luxury of wealth, thought the King. His reign had been that of Midas. His promise of 95% literacy had been more than broken in recent years, in no small part thanks to seemingly unlimited funding. Greeks also enjoyed the greatest lifespan ever, at 84 years, and top-notch entertainment. Some areas still were less fortunate than others, but overall the citizens lived in great prosperity.
And, thanks to the training of over eighty brigades of workers, they also enjoyed a great environment. The King had become only more dedicated to this with his travels, and had managed to keep pollution from becoming a huge problem again despite the doubling of industry.
Looking out at the sea again, the King sighed. It was good to be King, especially at this time. Greece was without rivals, without threat, and the effect was tremendous. It was a golden age that far eclipsed the one of ancient times. Yet Greece had, in a way, gone full circle - just as in the last golden age, Athens again led Greece in commerce. Amsterdam was quite close, but fittingly, the first city in the Empire was first once more, with one hundred and seventy-six billion drachmas per year in commerce.
In production, Istanbul had, as predicted at the beginning of his reign, overtaken the crown from Madras. At one hundred and twenty three shields, it had not quite eclipsed the legendary cities of myth, but it was nothing shabby, either. Alesia, site of the Iron Works, came in a mere seven shields behind, and with both still having room to grow, it was anyone's guess who would be first later. Nine cities currently exceeded one hundred shields of production.
What would the Empire be like in fifty or a hundred years, wondered the King. More and more of the world was developed every year. Eventually the whole world would be developed the maximum extent currently possible - but then there would be new technology. Perhaps even new worlds? It seemed far fetched, but in only months a spacecraft was to land on Mercury. Several teams had already explored the surface of Mars; perhaps the stars were in the future.
Raindrops began to fall, and the King walked onward. Quickly the rain picked up, but still the King walked. Being King, he rarely had time to himself, and did not wish to give it up now. He reached in his pocket, gave his party at the hotel notice not to wait for him for dinner and to let his top advisors make any immediate decisions, and turned off his phone. The rain gave him freedom, freedom from the rule that, though rewarding, was nonetheless quite limiting. He felt liberated, disconnected from the world, limitless. And with the liberation, the thoughts of his life's work, the Greek Empire, faded as they so rarely did from his mind.
Alone for a change, the King had time to think, wind gusting every now and then and waves crashing against the rocks. What an amazing reign he had had. He remembered his nervousness upon finding out he would be king - how silly that seemed now! But his success wasn't guaranteed. Many Americans and Sumerians were indeed quite opposed to Greek rule of the world when it began. Yet now the rule was thought by almost everyone to be a great success. Thirty-five years ago, the world couldn't have imagined this kind of prosperity, but ever since then growth had been nothing short of incredible.
A particularly strong wave dusted the King with water, and the sudden chill reminded him that there had been a few downturns. He had been quite surprised in 2027 to hear that some residents of Adana were still resisting Greek rule a decade after his father had finished the conquest. Turns out there was no military in the city to quell the resisters - military had been an afterthought after the conquest.
Another moment that the King was unsure about was the decision to go ahead with nuclear weapons development in Entremont, completed in 2028. Such work could have been done decades earlier, but had been delayed due to concerns of antagonistic use. It was still possible the weapons would be used for evil, but thus far the research was secure, and proliferation was extremely limited. At this point, it appeared the deeper research into nuclear weapons and energy had been well worth it - it already was being put to good use on scientific expeditions to Mars and, more recently, a voyage destined for Mercury.
Indeed, scientific research had continued unabated. There was no reason not to - even with four-turn Future Research the Treasury was inexhaustible. More than a hundred billion drachmas had been poured into industry, education, and the arts over the past thirty-two years, and still the treasury overflowed with tens of billions of drachmas.
The King paused and glanced back towards the city. Three and a half million people lived in Adrianople. At the beginning of his reign, it would have been the third-largest city in the Empire. Now, three and a half million put it in eleventh place. Camulodunum, on the Nile, was still the world's largest city, but had grown by two million, to six million, seven hundred thousand people. There was certainly more competition now - as a whole, the Empire had been growing at a consistent average of five million people per year for the past thirty-five years. And if the past three years were an indication, the pace was not slowing down yet.
Three hundred and eighteen million people - more than double the world's population just thirty years ago. For decades the population had been more or less steady at a hundred million, then a slow increase, and after the war, an amazing development across the world. And that was even without many new technologies Greece had perfected since them - imagine what could be done with the latest technology, the King thought.
He was jolted from his thoughts when his phone rang. His domestic advisor - not a surprise. She was a Spaniard, the first non-Greek to fill the post in all history, but had done quite well at the job over the years.
"Elodia, what is it?" asked the King.
"The governors of Punjab request eight hundred and forty million drachmas for the construction of their factory, sir. Do they have your clearance?"
"Certainly. Can hardly find enough takers for our money these days," replied the King. With over five thousand gold per turn flowing into the treasury, it had been decades since fiscal restraint had been necessary - and the arts had flourished as a result. So, for that matter, had industry and the economy, making it even more of a cash cow.
The only dip had been when scientific funding had been decreased a notch and entertainment funding increased - but lower science still being more than enough for four-turn research, there had been no reason not to lower it.
Ah, the luxury of wealth, thought the King. His reign had been that of Midas. His promise of 95% literacy had been more than broken in recent years, in no small part thanks to seemingly unlimited funding. Greeks also enjoyed the greatest lifespan ever, at 84 years, and top-notch entertainment. Some areas still were less fortunate than others, but overall the citizens lived in great prosperity.
And, thanks to the training of over eighty brigades of workers, they also enjoyed a great environment. The King had become only more dedicated to this with his travels, and had managed to keep pollution from becoming a huge problem again despite the doubling of industry.
Looking out at the sea again, the King sighed. It was good to be King, especially at this time. Greece was without rivals, without threat, and the effect was tremendous. It was a golden age that far eclipsed the one of ancient times. Yet Greece had, in a way, gone full circle - just as in the last golden age, Athens again led Greece in commerce. Amsterdam was quite close, but fittingly, the first city in the Empire was first once more, with one hundred and seventy-six billion drachmas per year in commerce.
In production, Istanbul had, as predicted at the beginning of his reign, overtaken the crown from Madras. At one hundred and twenty three shields, it had not quite eclipsed the legendary cities of myth, but it was nothing shabby, either. Alesia, site of the Iron Works, came in a mere seven shields behind, and with both still having room to grow, it was anyone's guess who would be first later. Nine cities currently exceeded one hundred shields of production.
What would the Empire be like in fifty or a hundred years, wondered the King. More and more of the world was developed every year. Eventually the whole world would be developed the maximum extent currently possible - but then there would be new technology. Perhaps even new worlds? It seemed far fetched, but in only months a spacecraft was to land on Mercury. Several teams had already explored the surface of Mars; perhaps the stars were in the future.
Raindrops began to fall, and the King walked onward. Quickly the rain picked up, but still the King walked. Being King, he rarely had time to himself, and did not wish to give it up now. He reached in his pocket, gave his party at the hotel notice not to wait for him for dinner and to let his top advisors make any immediate decisions, and turned off his phone. The rain gave him freedom, freedom from the rule that, though rewarding, was nonetheless quite limiting. He felt liberated, disconnected from the world, limitless. And with the liberation, the thoughts of his life's work, the Greek Empire, faded as they so rarely did from his mind.
3Davideo
Chieftain
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2007
- Messages
- 74
Remember Childhood's End.
It's an Arthur C. Clarke novel. Basically aliens come and unify humanity in a utopian government, but don't allow space travel. As a result, humans got bored, and also something else happened which I cannot reveal. The point is, if you have everything on Earth, why not reach for the stars?
Or, to put it less eloquently,
Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship!
It's an Arthur C. Clarke novel. Basically aliens come and unify humanity in a utopian government, but don't allow space travel. As a result, humans got bored, and also something else happened which I cannot reveal. The point is, if you have everything on Earth, why not reach for the stars?
Or, to put it less eloquently,
Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship!
apallo333
Chieftain
You call that an ending?! my ending was magnitudes better than yours! (oh yeah the story that i did write huh guys? its called "Imagination" AKA "psychosis") JK I love your story, you could be an author! ( I would buy your books!)
bunny_lard
Chieftain
- Joined
- May 20, 2007
- Messages
- 93
apallo...you'd do well to shut your mouth. You're in enough trouble as it is.
Ultimate_Waffle
The soul devourer.
He said he was just kidding and that he would buy Quintillus' books if there were any...
Logitech
A Person.
At long last and after so long;
&, of cource, the 
!
Congrats, Q, on a world well conquered!
Any more green? j/k
&, of cource, the !Congrats, Q, on a world well conquered!
Any more green? j/k
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Messages
- 9,312
2050 save at the end of the post, so long as attachments still work.
Thanks.
At long last and after so long;
Congrats, Q, on a world well conquered!
Any more green? j/k
Technically we've only got 98% as of 2050. Some tundras in Alaska haven't yet been claimed.
Since the thread was bumped I decided to go ahead and do the analytics to see what a "real-size" Earth map would require. Using U.S. Census predictions on world population, I obtained this data:
U.S. Census Estimates (for entire world): 2050
Population: 9,392,797,012
Area (mi^2): 51,083,073
Density (mi): 183.87
Conquest of the World, 2050
Population: 318,614,976
Area (mi^2): 751,836
Density (mi): 423.78
If we keep the same scale for each tile as is currently in Civ, we get:
Required Multipliers
Pure Area: 67.94
Per Side: 8.24
Resultant Map: 1483x1483
That's a big map!
But you'll notice in the original stats that the density in Civ is quite a bit higher than in the real world. So let's look at population rather than area.Required Multipliers
Pure Population: 29.48
Per Side Req'd for Pure Pop Multiplier: 5.43
Resultant Map: 977x977
That's a little bit smaller. Still impossible, but less so. Now I recalculate the area per tile:
Area at 977x977 = 29.48*(area at 180x180) = 22,164,125
Multiplier to get actual area (51,083,073) = 2.30
Increase each tiles to 230 square miles
Each tile's side length increases from 10 miles to 15.17 miles
Double-checking, at 180x180, 7518 of 32400 tiles are land = 23.20%. At 977x977, 221,641 of 954,529 tiles are land = 23.22%. Slight error due to rounding but it is pretty close.
So a 977x977 map with 954,529 tiles and 221,641 land tiles, at 230 square miles per tile. That's huge! It would be a nightmare to colonize! And imagine the IBT times...
City-wise, I have 315 cities. On the 977x977 map, I would have 9286 cities. A little over the 512 limit. I think I'd skip micromanagement.
There's other error than just rounding as well. My Greek planet is growing at a much faster rate in 2050 than is predicted for the Earth. It's probably at a lower percentage of its maxium supportable population (even without irrigating everything) than the Earth is going to be in 2050. So we may get, say, 750x750 instead of 977x977 using 2100 statistics. But that's too far out for accuracy on the Earth side.
On the other hand, a 977x977 Civ map would probably have more entirely useless desert and tundra cities, as opposed to half-useful ones growing suspiciously large due to fish harvests, than a 180x180 map. So even if we get 750x750 with maximum population comparisons it may have to be bumped up a bit due to Civ map idiosyncracies.
Maybe some day we'll be able to see 977x977 maps with thousands of cities, hundreds of thousands of tiles, and billions of citizens. And hopefully in between turn times quicker than the two hours that are the quickest we could hope for on that map given today's computers and trade route calculations!
(side note: On the whole I've been a bit of of the Civ mood lately, hence my playing, writing, and CFC'ing less recently than in the past. It's been close to three weeks since I last played Civ. I'm sure this will change eventually, but there's no point in playing Civ during those rare times when it isn't fun)
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Messages
- 9,312
I know. 360x360 map size (ish), 512 cities, 8092 units (I think). The city limit is the big one. But there's a movement out there for a patch/release of source code. Some optimization would be needed, too. I can't imagine trying a map even of 350x350 without the city limit, but maybe TheRat or another Monster Mapper would.
civverguy
Emperor
Great job Quintillus! Its amazing that some people have the patience to finish a super long game like this. I know I can't.
Logitech
A Person.
It's 362 X 362 map limit for me. And I know it's been over a month, but in case you forgot me, I haven't exactly been around for a month. Better late than never!
D0NIMATRIX
Full of drivel
I'm pretty sure it's 364x364...
D0NIMATRIX
Full of drivel
Well I can tell you that on my old PC it was 364x364...
Quint you continue the tradition of very nice After action reports with this story though my only feedback to you is that you should have done this on Monarch at least.
You have a nice writing style, and know how to use screencaps to enhance your story, but I never felt the Greeks were in any danger, nor were there any real challengers. Having 31 civs and Using a real world map probably didn't help and the AI didn't have the room and the right geographic configuration to create a runaway somewhere while you're still playing in your neighborhood. The no corruption rule change probably benefited you disportionately and just kept accelerating as you acquired a vast empire pretty quickly. Would have been fun to see how an AI power on another continent might be like with this, but again, none were able to develop into a superpower in parallel to the rise of the greeks.
Would have loved to see the Greeks go up against an AI superpwer runaway and see the ensuing slugfest.
You have a nice writing style, and know how to use screencaps to enhance your story, but I never felt the Greeks were in any danger, nor were there any real challengers. Having 31 civs and Using a real world map probably didn't help and the AI didn't have the room and the right geographic configuration to create a runaway somewhere while you're still playing in your neighborhood. The no corruption rule change probably benefited you disportionately and just kept accelerating as you acquired a vast empire pretty quickly. Would have been fun to see how an AI power on another continent might be like with this, but again, none were able to develop into a superpower in parallel to the rise of the greeks.
Would have loved to see the Greeks go up against an AI superpwer runaway and see the ensuing slugfest.
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