Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
and the ETA is this week, sometime!
-
Civilization 7 has been announced. For more info please check the forum here .
DaftNES 3: Alternate-World Fresh Start
- Thread starter Daftpanzer
- Start date
and the ETA is this week, sometime!
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Abaddon
Deity
I will hunt you down and destroy you for taking pleasure in that announcment.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Sigh. Just keep plugging at it Daft.
Abaddon
Deity
found any plugs?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Not dead! But yes, many apologies for this pause. I am experiencing some upheaval in RL.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
OK guys, I really am experiencing upheaval in RL. Such that spending hours tinkering on my PC is not fun right now. In fact it suddenly has painful asociations. I am realising my inner power and awakening to how much I've been limiting myself in life (aka Quarter Life Crisis).
I don't expect to be in this state forever. You sent orders and I will update, eventually... However I understand people losing interest, so no obligations or anything, we'll see how it works out.
PS psychology is everything, really. My advice to everyone is to challenge yourself and confront things NOW. Speaking as someone who avoided things as much as possible, and then suffered.
@Ekolite I remixed some of the icons, but I got them all from Civ2 scenario graphics. Most, if not all of the units (including the april fool's starwars invasion
) are by someone called Fairline. I really like that style, and it helps that he's done sprites for just about everything up to the modern age.
I don't expect to be in this state forever. You sent orders and I will update, eventually... However I understand people losing interest, so no obligations or anything, we'll see how it works out.
PS psychology is everything, really. My advice to everyone is to challenge yourself and confront things NOW. Speaking as someone who avoided things as much as possible, and then suffered.
Where did you get all the little icons on the map? Did you make them yourself Daft? They're pretty cool. Especially the chariots.
@Ekolite I remixed some of the icons, but I got them all from Civ2 scenario graphics. Most, if not all of the units (including the april fool's starwars invasion
) are by someone called Fairline. I really like that style, and it helps that he's done sprites for just about everything up to the modern age.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
You have our moral support for as long as you need it, Dafty.
Vylinius
College Student
I agree with Thlayli also I double as a therapist if need be. Anyways good luck with real life.
Abaddon
Deity
Enjoy your quarter life chrisis.. mine lasted about 6 months? Or perhaps its ongoing with weaker symptoms?!
PLEASE bring back your NES when you can.. or NESLife
PLEASE bring back your NES when you can.. or NESLife
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
FOREWORD:
Although I do not intend to continue with this NES as-is, I have updated in honour of the last set of orders, including stats. This is also an attempt at concise writing. I believe the trick is to cover the main events, not inventing ways to mention player nations just for the sake of it, even if players have been waiting three months for an update... I hope you can live with that!
Many thanks to all who participated for allowing me to explore this format and learn from it. I think there are some great nations here, but the system is just too unwieldy for a world of this size (duh!). I've just shifted more of the workload to fiddling about on the map. I think it would've been better to have a single cradle... Anyways, this world is now on hold, joining my list of projects that are scheduled for eventual continuation with some modifications.
UPDATE 6:
Years 2350 to 2600
CRADLE ONE:
The Middle Sea sees nothing like the great sea battles of the previous age. While the Loxequistrans focus inland, the Ongen fleet expands again - placing a burden on the treasury - and remains supreme, at least in the waters west of Cria. There is also a growing religious divide between the two power blocks, between the followers of Antar (led by al-Qahira), favoured by the Loxequistran rulers, and the hedonistic cults of the Idovai, mostly favoured by the Ongens; in some cities in Etua, this translates into deadly riots. The Novai sit on the fence for now, an ancient culture long since overshadowed by more powerful neighbours, but one that still has the potential to influence them.
The federation of al-Qahira has success in the south, their disciplined cavalry forces finally helping to establishing peace and prosperity across the lands of Chari and Qan-ma, boosting the prestige of the al-Qanta Antar'ah and the true faith, albeit without a final defeat of the hated Gattra; stubborn mountain-men prove adept enough at guerrilla warfare to frustrate the al-Qahira invasions for generations. And with al-Qahira influence reaching all across the middle sea, there are worrying signs of divides appearing over some old disputed doctrines. Meanwhile the kings of Rhu, friends of the Ongens, build on the successful raiding expeditions of their ancestors, this time with the aim of lasting conquest. In the northern lands of Yodan, the Rhuhia easily overrun the old kingdom of Yaneid, and now share borders with the Loxequistrans; more tension is caused but at least the Ongen islanders do not have to feel surrounded by enemies.
The northern lands of Odda are now a cultural melting pot and border between competing powers, including barbarian tribes now based in Boda. And yet, there are no major wars to speak of. The Kaerlan invasion of En Taithan serves to release some tension in the region, but this attempt to reassert Kaerlan dominance and restore the Torecan kingdom ultimately fails. Many of the finest Torecan warriors are actually fighting as mercenaries for the Shahanar in the great invasion of Hurud...
The massive war preparations of the Shahanar do not go unnoticed, but still, after unbroken centuries of peace and prosperous trade, the Hurians are caught somewhat by surprise. With a multitude of allies and mercenaries from different cultures, the Shahanar may have assembled the largest army ever seen up to this point in history - much of it mounted and mobile, inspired by encounters with the Tieros and their ancestors in the east. Fortunately for the defenders, there are some early setbacks for the invaders; an attempt to use fireships against the major ports of Hurud backfires spectacularly, and the Shahanar fleet fails to gain control of the southern sea. Hurian cities hold out as they are encircled by masses of Shahanar cavalry and camelry, but the deployment of siege weapons and the entry of Naraman warbands into the war on the side of the attackers forces the defenders into open battle, which they are destined to lose; Shahanar speed and shock win the day against the disciplined Hurian infantry. Both the victor and vanquished, sharing a sense of pragmatism, then negotiate a swift change in political scene that allows the great cities and the exceptional Hurian economy to survive mostly intact and, for a brief moment, the famous High Patriarch Ephrasim to rule over the empire of Shahan, Hurud and Boro - the greatest collection of people and riches ever held under one ruler. However, this situation does not last; a little Shahanar corruption and a lot of Hurian pride combine to erode the peace agreements over time, until a new Hurian dynasty arises in Boro, with allied cities inside Hurud openly fighting against the Shahanar garrisons; the Hurians also adopt cavalry warfare from their enemies. The descendents of Naraman and Torecan mercenaries still lurk in Hurud, with uncertain loyalties to the Shahanar...
Notably the Tharnites refuse to fight alongside the Shahanar army; there are Tharnite followers native to both Hurud and Shahan. Instead the Tharintes send great caravans of food and medicine to aid the suffering peoples of the war. Or at least, that is the idea - in reality it is a token gesture, but one that earns a few more points for the Tharnite faith.
The rest of the Great Continent is peaceful by comparison. The states of En Corthan, Nartozieroni and Halkska all expand their influence, mostly at the expense of the Teiros empire, which is now heavily under the influence of its Sa'ad Danab pleasure-priestesses; something of a ripple effect, as the Teiros simultaneously expand into the barbarian lands of the south. Meanwhile the Halkska tribes explore mysterious lands in the far north and east; although little-known in the west, the Halkska are now a match for any power on the continent, that is if the various tribes can be held together - the pervasive Halkska mysticism seems to achieve that for now. And new stories spread of the great wealth, peace and enlightenment of Ka Molo...
The Manaltu and Noidi reach out across the waters but find little sign of the legendary empires at the southern edge of the world; events on the southern continent had weakened the already-tenuous trade contacts with the north. The island of Barja still threatens to break from the old homeland of Mlano; both are independent entities in many ways, united more by their shared commercial interests than efforts towards political unity - Mlano influenced by the spillover from the Hurian-Shahanar wars, Barja influenced by the vibrant Ka Molo culture of the eastern mainland.
CRADLE TWO:
The coastal cities of Jalatu Taej come under attack by the Korajara, while Vakar horsemen plunder the inland trade centre of Tarakan for all it is worth. The result is the strangling of north-south trade. Noidi and Manaltu seafarers would eventually reach the island of Yorju, but for now the southern continent is left to reflect in isolation again, stories of 'Great Shan' and 'Kamolu' becoming ever more fanciful myths.
While the Vakar show little interest in taking over as the traders of the desert, they find themselves with an empire carved out far to the north of their adoptive homeland in Zhunun, where they have an increasingly confused relationship with the Xitaan. For the invasion of the Houlau kingdom in Zhailin, the Xitaan assemble an army equal to that of the great Shahanar, and in this case enjoy more lasting success as the scholarly Houlau are simply overwhelmed; the Xitaan play to the local Vauri peoples, offering them greater freedoms in return for supporting Xitaan overlordship in the region. Both the Vakar and Xitaan now field large numbers of skilled horsemen; technically the Vakar are still vassals of Xitaan, with a token force serving the Xitaan army, but the Xitaan rulers have long since stopped asking for tribute. During this era, both Vakar and Aquen religious sites appear in the Xitaan homeland of Kiin, and it is not clear who influences whom.
The east of the continent remains at peace, home to some of the wealthiest kingdoms on the planet, freed from the burden of supporting large armies. The decline in some of the trade routes is not a huge blow; mountains of goods continue to pass through the fabulous capitols of Tarezisis, Aquen and the Haiu. The Tarezisis absorb the remnants of the native Tarakans, as seen in their grand new royal elephant guard, while the Aquen leaders receive countless pilgrims and envoys at the grand new Palace of Oltac. The perpetual peace in the region can mostly be blamed on the role of the Oltic religions and the careful diplomacy of the Haiu; the Haiu leaders play subservient roles so long as their land continues to profit as a centre of exchange. Meanwhile the steady expansion of Sagu-Ra-u, with the unofficial backing of the Tarezisis, threatens to upset Aquen influence in the far east; prophets warn of catastrophe and epic wars to come, though after centuries of nothing more than formalised skirmishing between the Tarezisis and Aquen there is a sense that no-one would actually know how to fight such a war.
CRADLE THREE:
Endless Agrian expansion results in their people facing wars on all sides. Under a brave new chief, the free Halachamo make a desperate attempt to beat back the Agrians and invade the region of Nalko. This catches the Agrians while most of their local warriors are away fighting the stubborn Angar-Ulum heresy. Nonetheless the Agrians eventually gain victories on both fronts; Halachmao invaders are enslaved, and Agar-ulum exiled to the treacherous mountain-island of Kalar, though the conquered regions offer little reward in terms of wealth, and the Agrians are a little distracted when they begin their great invasion of the northern mainland...
In the land of Maltik, a new spirit animates the High Lords of the Hulukap, who decide to end the status-quo and crack down of the rogue lords and independent armies that had been flourishing for generations. A loyalist army is raised for this purpose, some armed with heavy bronze weapons. Simultaneously, no expense is spared in rooting out corruption and establishing new systems of law and order. Seeing the odds stacked against them, roughly half of the Hulukap lords accept new order, but the other half do not wish to give up their palaces, nor their control of the great central city of Maltik. A tough fight ensues, but the Hulukap loyalists have overwhelming numbers and their bronze-armed soldiers breach the rebel defences...
Thus the great Agrian invasion arrives to find the Hulukap loyalists exhausted, but with few allies to be found. Although the Agrians have free reign along the coast, the army raised from Sollo islands - with plentiful funding from the Harao - is not strong enough by itself. But with the aid of their Shamans, the Agrians are able to inspire the slaves of Maltik to rebel, and make contacts with other undesirables. The Agrians and their faith then begin to overrun the countryside, practicing the kind of skirmish warfare that suits their lighter-armed troops. After countless indecisive battles, the balance of attrition is in favour of the Agrians. The Hulukap loyalists gradually abandon the old cities, falling back to their new ceremonial and political centres, hastily-fortified but still defended by formidable garrisons of veteran warriors. This leaves an ongoing contest for Maltik which will likely hinge on the independent factions - tribesmen, former slaves, rebels and bandits who roam the jungles. Meanwhile, amidst all the turmoil, there are signs that the terrible plague of ancient times is returning; the great central city of Maltik is already reduced to a shadow of its former self. Vultures may be circling, but for now the greater Hulukap empire continues to exist, with faraway outposts sending back taxes, and foreign tributaries continuing to venture through the Maltik warzone to pay tribute to the Hulukap leaders there.
Simultaneously in the west, the Holuc and Kamalec cultures clash head-on, each seeking a crushing victory over the other, their hatred built up over countless generations. The fighting is brutal and costly as ever, spilling across both sides of the borders. The Holuc lose many men over many years, but finally succeed in vanquishing the Kamalec, pillaging their cities and temples and all but annihilating their culture from the region of Retiki; the intimidated Aretiki traders make no effort to intervene. Streams of loot and slaves return to the cities of Zakat, while Kamalec exiles make an arduous journey into the far north...
MAPS:
Faction names written like ~this~ are the NPC's.
NOTES:
So yeah that's it for now! Many thanks yet again, any comments or suggestions are very welcome.
Although I do not intend to continue with this NES as-is, I have updated in honour of the last set of orders, including stats. This is also an attempt at concise writing. I believe the trick is to cover the main events, not inventing ways to mention player nations just for the sake of it, even if players have been waiting three months for an update... I hope you can live with that!
Many thanks to all who participated for allowing me to explore this format and learn from it. I think there are some great nations here, but the system is just too unwieldy for a world of this size (duh!). I've just shifted more of the workload to fiddling about on the map. I think it would've been better to have a single cradle... Anyways, this world is now on hold, joining my list of projects that are scheduled for eventual continuation with some modifications.
UPDATE 6:
Years 2350 to 2600
CRADLE ONE:The Middle Sea sees nothing like the great sea battles of the previous age. While the Loxequistrans focus inland, the Ongen fleet expands again - placing a burden on the treasury - and remains supreme, at least in the waters west of Cria. There is also a growing religious divide between the two power blocks, between the followers of Antar (led by al-Qahira), favoured by the Loxequistran rulers, and the hedonistic cults of the Idovai, mostly favoured by the Ongens; in some cities in Etua, this translates into deadly riots. The Novai sit on the fence for now, an ancient culture long since overshadowed by more powerful neighbours, but one that still has the potential to influence them.
The federation of al-Qahira has success in the south, their disciplined cavalry forces finally helping to establishing peace and prosperity across the lands of Chari and Qan-ma, boosting the prestige of the al-Qanta Antar'ah and the true faith, albeit without a final defeat of the hated Gattra; stubborn mountain-men prove adept enough at guerrilla warfare to frustrate the al-Qahira invasions for generations. And with al-Qahira influence reaching all across the middle sea, there are worrying signs of divides appearing over some old disputed doctrines. Meanwhile the kings of Rhu, friends of the Ongens, build on the successful raiding expeditions of their ancestors, this time with the aim of lasting conquest. In the northern lands of Yodan, the Rhuhia easily overrun the old kingdom of Yaneid, and now share borders with the Loxequistrans; more tension is caused but at least the Ongen islanders do not have to feel surrounded by enemies.
The northern lands of Odda are now a cultural melting pot and border between competing powers, including barbarian tribes now based in Boda. And yet, there are no major wars to speak of. The Kaerlan invasion of En Taithan serves to release some tension in the region, but this attempt to reassert Kaerlan dominance and restore the Torecan kingdom ultimately fails. Many of the finest Torecan warriors are actually fighting as mercenaries for the Shahanar in the great invasion of Hurud...
The massive war preparations of the Shahanar do not go unnoticed, but still, after unbroken centuries of peace and prosperous trade, the Hurians are caught somewhat by surprise. With a multitude of allies and mercenaries from different cultures, the Shahanar may have assembled the largest army ever seen up to this point in history - much of it mounted and mobile, inspired by encounters with the Tieros and their ancestors in the east. Fortunately for the defenders, there are some early setbacks for the invaders; an attempt to use fireships against the major ports of Hurud backfires spectacularly, and the Shahanar fleet fails to gain control of the southern sea. Hurian cities hold out as they are encircled by masses of Shahanar cavalry and camelry, but the deployment of siege weapons and the entry of Naraman warbands into the war on the side of the attackers forces the defenders into open battle, which they are destined to lose; Shahanar speed and shock win the day against the disciplined Hurian infantry. Both the victor and vanquished, sharing a sense of pragmatism, then negotiate a swift change in political scene that allows the great cities and the exceptional Hurian economy to survive mostly intact and, for a brief moment, the famous High Patriarch Ephrasim to rule over the empire of Shahan, Hurud and Boro - the greatest collection of people and riches ever held under one ruler. However, this situation does not last; a little Shahanar corruption and a lot of Hurian pride combine to erode the peace agreements over time, until a new Hurian dynasty arises in Boro, with allied cities inside Hurud openly fighting against the Shahanar garrisons; the Hurians also adopt cavalry warfare from their enemies. The descendents of Naraman and Torecan mercenaries still lurk in Hurud, with uncertain loyalties to the Shahanar...
Notably the Tharnites refuse to fight alongside the Shahanar army; there are Tharnite followers native to both Hurud and Shahan. Instead the Tharintes send great caravans of food and medicine to aid the suffering peoples of the war. Or at least, that is the idea - in reality it is a token gesture, but one that earns a few more points for the Tharnite faith.
The rest of the Great Continent is peaceful by comparison. The states of En Corthan, Nartozieroni and Halkska all expand their influence, mostly at the expense of the Teiros empire, which is now heavily under the influence of its Sa'ad Danab pleasure-priestesses; something of a ripple effect, as the Teiros simultaneously expand into the barbarian lands of the south. Meanwhile the Halkska tribes explore mysterious lands in the far north and east; although little-known in the west, the Halkska are now a match for any power on the continent, that is if the various tribes can be held together - the pervasive Halkska mysticism seems to achieve that for now. And new stories spread of the great wealth, peace and enlightenment of Ka Molo...
The Manaltu and Noidi reach out across the waters but find little sign of the legendary empires at the southern edge of the world; events on the southern continent had weakened the already-tenuous trade contacts with the north. The island of Barja still threatens to break from the old homeland of Mlano; both are independent entities in many ways, united more by their shared commercial interests than efforts towards political unity - Mlano influenced by the spillover from the Hurian-Shahanar wars, Barja influenced by the vibrant Ka Molo culture of the eastern mainland.
CRADLE TWO:The coastal cities of Jalatu Taej come under attack by the Korajara, while Vakar horsemen plunder the inland trade centre of Tarakan for all it is worth. The result is the strangling of north-south trade. Noidi and Manaltu seafarers would eventually reach the island of Yorju, but for now the southern continent is left to reflect in isolation again, stories of 'Great Shan' and 'Kamolu' becoming ever more fanciful myths.
While the Vakar show little interest in taking over as the traders of the desert, they find themselves with an empire carved out far to the north of their adoptive homeland in Zhunun, where they have an increasingly confused relationship with the Xitaan. For the invasion of the Houlau kingdom in Zhailin, the Xitaan assemble an army equal to that of the great Shahanar, and in this case enjoy more lasting success as the scholarly Houlau are simply overwhelmed; the Xitaan play to the local Vauri peoples, offering them greater freedoms in return for supporting Xitaan overlordship in the region. Both the Vakar and Xitaan now field large numbers of skilled horsemen; technically the Vakar are still vassals of Xitaan, with a token force serving the Xitaan army, but the Xitaan rulers have long since stopped asking for tribute. During this era, both Vakar and Aquen religious sites appear in the Xitaan homeland of Kiin, and it is not clear who influences whom.
The east of the continent remains at peace, home to some of the wealthiest kingdoms on the planet, freed from the burden of supporting large armies. The decline in some of the trade routes is not a huge blow; mountains of goods continue to pass through the fabulous capitols of Tarezisis, Aquen and the Haiu. The Tarezisis absorb the remnants of the native Tarakans, as seen in their grand new royal elephant guard, while the Aquen leaders receive countless pilgrims and envoys at the grand new Palace of Oltac. The perpetual peace in the region can mostly be blamed on the role of the Oltic religions and the careful diplomacy of the Haiu; the Haiu leaders play subservient roles so long as their land continues to profit as a centre of exchange. Meanwhile the steady expansion of Sagu-Ra-u, with the unofficial backing of the Tarezisis, threatens to upset Aquen influence in the far east; prophets warn of catastrophe and epic wars to come, though after centuries of nothing more than formalised skirmishing between the Tarezisis and Aquen there is a sense that no-one would actually know how to fight such a war.
CRADLE THREE:Endless Agrian expansion results in their people facing wars on all sides. Under a brave new chief, the free Halachamo make a desperate attempt to beat back the Agrians and invade the region of Nalko. This catches the Agrians while most of their local warriors are away fighting the stubborn Angar-Ulum heresy. Nonetheless the Agrians eventually gain victories on both fronts; Halachmao invaders are enslaved, and Agar-ulum exiled to the treacherous mountain-island of Kalar, though the conquered regions offer little reward in terms of wealth, and the Agrians are a little distracted when they begin their great invasion of the northern mainland...
In the land of Maltik, a new spirit animates the High Lords of the Hulukap, who decide to end the status-quo and crack down of the rogue lords and independent armies that had been flourishing for generations. A loyalist army is raised for this purpose, some armed with heavy bronze weapons. Simultaneously, no expense is spared in rooting out corruption and establishing new systems of law and order. Seeing the odds stacked against them, roughly half of the Hulukap lords accept new order, but the other half do not wish to give up their palaces, nor their control of the great central city of Maltik. A tough fight ensues, but the Hulukap loyalists have overwhelming numbers and their bronze-armed soldiers breach the rebel defences...
Thus the great Agrian invasion arrives to find the Hulukap loyalists exhausted, but with few allies to be found. Although the Agrians have free reign along the coast, the army raised from Sollo islands - with plentiful funding from the Harao - is not strong enough by itself. But with the aid of their Shamans, the Agrians are able to inspire the slaves of Maltik to rebel, and make contacts with other undesirables. The Agrians and their faith then begin to overrun the countryside, practicing the kind of skirmish warfare that suits their lighter-armed troops. After countless indecisive battles, the balance of attrition is in favour of the Agrians. The Hulukap loyalists gradually abandon the old cities, falling back to their new ceremonial and political centres, hastily-fortified but still defended by formidable garrisons of veteran warriors. This leaves an ongoing contest for Maltik which will likely hinge on the independent factions - tribesmen, former slaves, rebels and bandits who roam the jungles. Meanwhile, amidst all the turmoil, there are signs that the terrible plague of ancient times is returning; the great central city of Maltik is already reduced to a shadow of its former self. Vultures may be circling, but for now the greater Hulukap empire continues to exist, with faraway outposts sending back taxes, and foreign tributaries continuing to venture through the Maltik warzone to pay tribute to the Hulukap leaders there.
Simultaneously in the west, the Holuc and Kamalec cultures clash head-on, each seeking a crushing victory over the other, their hatred built up over countless generations. The fighting is brutal and costly as ever, spilling across both sides of the borders. The Holuc lose many men over many years, but finally succeed in vanquishing the Kamalec, pillaging their cities and temples and all but annihilating their culture from the region of Retiki; the intimidated Aretiki traders make no effort to intervene. Streams of loot and slaves return to the cities of Zakat, while Kamalec exiles make an arduous journey into the far north...
MAPS:
Faction names written like ~this~ are the NPC's.
Spoiler Cradle #1 AND Cradle #2! :
Spoiler Cradle #3 :
NOTES:
So yeah that's it for now! Many thanks yet again, any comments or suggestions are very welcome.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
STATS
Cradle One
Cradle One
Spoiler :
Abaddon
Deity
I THINK I just wet myself.. I don't care if this ruins a series of reservations! Nayah!
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Abaddon you are a vector of disorder in the universe!
STATS
Cradle Two
Cradle Three
STATS
Cradle Two
Spoiler :
Cradle Three
Spoiler :
Abaddon
Deity
Catastrophic end. What next from the Great DP? What went "wrong" with this one?
