Flying Blind - A world-building exercise

[Seon]

No reason why you couldn't, although the locals might get a bit mad at you.

This assumes that there are, indeed, locals.

 

[CivOasis]

Orders due in 48 hours.

 

[mrrandomplayer]

How come the areas of the map I annexed (Irakleio and Treviso for the first update) are not shown on the map? I don't know how to edit it for my orders.

 

[Seon]

Spoiler Moral Authority Constitution :

We pre-date the Architects.

It is true. We are the first office that the founders of the Belltower created, before the city was divided into districts and the oppressive walls of this dystopia was erected, we were there.

You'll notice that I did not hesitate to call this nation a dystopia. This is because in the Moral Authority, everyone must speak what is on their mind. We expect nothing but complete honesty among members and in our discussions.

What are we? That is an excellent question. If the Architects are the ones who built the Belltower from the ground up, we are those who ring it. Eventually, the time will come when the organization of the Belltower will no longer be necessary for the greater good of the world. That is when we will recommend it to the Architects and begin taking steps to safely dismantle the bureaucracy of the Belltower so that the normal civilian government can take power.

Yes, the Belltower has never lost its original aims, no matter what the general populace may think. The Architects and the Moral Authority is selected from good men and women. Those who are found to be not good are shot.

You will notice that I said shot, not executed or terminated. That is because in the Moral Authority, we do not use euphemisms.

So remember this. The Belltower is not evil. This means that no matter what the general populace may think it wants, what the Belltower does for her people is in the overall best intrest of the general population. We are against unnecessary cruelty which means that somebody has to decide when cruelty is necessary. This is what the Moral Authority does.

You may have consoled yourself by believing that all these oppression and murders were for the greater good. This implies that there is a greater good. It implies that there is a lesser good. It implies that there are multiple distinct goods and that these can all be quantified and compared. This is what the Moral Authority does.

We balance the moral cost of everything that Belltower does. For us to do this, we must know these costs. This means that we are constantly aware of everything that the Belltower has done, is doing, and will ever do. Everything that has been expunged, been rendered confidential, or buried. Every last detail.

You will no longer be reporting to anyone but your fellow Authority members. You may consider yourself an agent at large, going from place to place. You will ask questions wherever you go, both to others and yourself. You will constantly wonder whether or not everything that you see is necessary, and once you find something to be excessive or plain wrong, you will report them to us. We will send our investigators known for their meek and ineffectual demeanor, and those who have been found unethical will be given reprimands which will be noted on their permanant record.

Or they will be shot for crimes against humanity.

Belltower serves to protect. The Architects will continue to protect the citizens from the hostile world that we now live in. We will continue to protect the Belltower from itself. We balance evils so that in the long run, evil is minimized.

 

[SamSniped]

The Pentarchy of Manchester
20 EP
-1 EP (Dublin, Ireland)
-1 EP (Galway, Ireland)
-1 EP (Cork, Ireland)
-1 EP (Wexford, Ireland)
-1 EP (Calais, France)
-1 EP (Norwich)
-1 EP (London)
-1 EP (Bangor, Wales)
-1 EP (Cardiff, Wales)
-1 EP (Glasgow, Scotland)
-3 EP (Increasing the size of the Manchester Navy)
-1 EP (Increasing the size of the Manchester Army)
-1 EP (Increasing the size of the Manchester Air Force)
-5 EP (Repairing, updating, and reopening coal mines across England, mainly in the Manchester and Wales areas)
-----
0 EP left

 

[Arrow Gamer]

TFA: 49 EP

20 EP into army
12 EP into navy
2 EP into airforce
15 EP on claiming:
-Charlotte
-Charleston (South Carolina)
-Jacksonville
-Buffalo
-Savannah
-Raleigh
-Trenton
-Dover
-Hartford
-Wilmington (North Carolina)
-New Haven (Connecticut)
-Providence
-Atlanta
-Daytona Beach
-Norfolk
(Note: any cities which cannot be realistically reached should instead use their EP towards the army).
___________

Military orders:

1/2 the military is to march to NYC and its holdings.
1/3 is to march on Baltimore and its holdings.
Their main goal is to contain the threat to provide safe passage for settlers, but taking of cities is also very important.

Same allotments for the navy, except to blockade.
The remaining sixth of the navy should facilitate settlement.

Amnesty is to be granted to all who take it.

 

[Terrance888]

The Xing Dynasty of Neo-Imperial China

Economy 67EP
Military: 0/0/0

Spoiler Faction Stats :

Capital Wuhan
Color Imperial Yellow/Gold
Government "Constitutional" Monarchy
Economic Military-Industrialism
Social Nationalism, Militarism, "Liberalism"
International Expansionism, Imperialism, (Client Civilizations vs Rival Barbarians Diplomacy)
Domestic Authoritarianism

Spending
67EP
25EP for Settling Cities
7EP to Kingdom of Shanghai as a gift: IIRC they need food
10EP for Army
10EP for Air Force
5EP for Navy
10EP for Renovating Roads and Railroads

Cities to be Settled (25)
Chiu-Chang (Current Xing-Shanghai border)
I-Ch'ang
Ch'ang-Sha
Chungking
P'ing-hsing
Shao-Yang
Huang-Chiang
Kuei-yang
Hsiang-fan
Sian
Han-Ch'eng
Cheng-Chou
Han-Chung
Ch'eng-tu
Li-fen
Peking
Shi-Chia-Chuan
Pao-t'ou
Wuhai
Kunming
Wu-Chou
Canton
Maoming
Amoy
Mei-ohou


Cities owned by our Vassal, the Kingdom of Shanghai
Hangzhou
Nanjing
Nanchang
Xuzhou

OOC: All of East China Sea/Yellow Sea coast is granted to Shanghai

Role Play

With their eastern front anchored on Shanghai, the Xing Dynasty spread throughout China, using their large surplusses and massive reserves to quickly expand throughout the heartland of the Central Kingdom. Although a military force is established, of greater importance are the roads which will knit the reborn empire together.

The Army

Unlike some other revival states, the Xing Dynasty recognizes some mistakes of the past, namely the over reliance on scarce resources needed for a truly modern military. Thus, other than highly specialized units used for assault and for reinforcement, most infantry units of the Xing Dynasty are levies wielding everything from heat-treated bamboo spears, gunpowder muskets, or even military-surplus or defect rifles and machine guns. Horses are prized in the Xing Dynasty's New Model Army, as are Bicycles.

Regardless, infantry support vehicles, heavy rocket artillery, automatic rifles and other items of modern warfare are used, as well as industrial tools like tanks, repeating rifles, and mobile artillery. As stated, these are carefully conserved, greatly trained, and manufactured with grave solemnity.

The Airforce

The Airforce runs on the same philosophy as the Army. Although Jets and other engine-powered aircraft do exist, the vast majority of the Xing Dynastic Airforce are various kites, balloons, blimps, and gliders (launched via catapult, or another aircraft).

The Navy

Unlike the former two, the Xing Dynasty barely places any modern technology for their naval vessels. Sailing riverboats might sport gatling guns and automatic grenade launchers. Then again, they might sport ballistas or muzzle-loading artillery.


EDIT: On Biofuels.

The current policy of the Xing Dynasty is that Biofuels is a reliable replacement for nonrenewable resources that itself must be managed. The waging of war should not leave to the starvation of the people. Although the population is carefully managed to try to ensure optimum production and consumption, currently the greatest trend they seek is growth, to fill the empty spaces of the world with Neo-Chinese flesh and blood.

 

[Seon]

Spoiler Dissent :

After 3 hour discussion, the Moral Authority have come to a plurality 2-4-3 vote to force the Germanic people who lived in isolation from the Belltower into dominion, by military might if necessary. In summary, the deciding party found the following points to be in favor of a forced integration into society:
-The people living in archaic era strongholds with an agrarian culture lack the medical and military support that the organization such as Belltower can provide and thus it is in their greater interest to join the dominion.
-The values represented by many indigenous tribesmen represent a dangerous return to a feudal monarchy and other assorted outdated philosophical views. The majority party has noted the existence of slavery, lack of racial equality/racial conflicts, lack of religious tolerance, and lack of female rights in many of these post-collapse societies to be inherently unjust values.
-The fractured nature of the tribes that dot Germany is a threat to long-term peace of Germany.

Despite the clear reason present in the above sentiments, we must dissent.

Many of these societies have so far been pliable to diplomacy especially when confronted by overwhelming force. Many of them have accepted Belltower dominion and steps have been taken to welcome them back into modern society. Even so, the 400 years of relative isolation have meant that the languages commonly used by those outside of Stuttgart have evolved to such an extent that communication between an indigenous tribesman and Belltower operatives have proven difficult in provinces with small to no previous contact with the Belltower. The languages commonly used in such provinces have been analyzed extensively by our linguists and have been found to be a portmanteau of English, German, French, and Polish.

Even the writing system, although still unquestionably German, has undergone a massive change during the last 400 years of isolation.

What this represents is an extraordinary event: an evolution of human civilization. We of the dissenting party reject the notion that there can be a digression of human civilization, merely changes and adaptations. For the past 400 years, these people have defied our every expectation, not only surviving but even thriving under the circumstances that they were given. One must only look at the current plutarchian dictatorship of Venice, the Kingdom of Cyprus, Kingdom of Leon, and the Caliphate of Cordoba in order to see the potential that these so-called archaic societies may have.

Furthermore, historical records show that melding of culture; mutual assimilation is a well-documented fact. Instead of destroying their culture outright and reeducating them as proper “German,” as the term goes, it is definitely possible for the people of Stuttgart, officials of the Belltower organization, and the indigenous tribesmen to cooperate in order to form a new identity. Our failure to do so and our subsequent decision to forcibly reintegrate them into ‘our’ society is a colossal breach of human rights and a significant loss of cultural heritage.

The majority are definitely correct that not taking a forceful and immediate action against some of the less-liberal societies is abetting continuation of human misery. But to avoid a minor breach of morality, we have authorized one large: a fascistic ideal of forced nationality and cultural genocide. It is not the Belltower, or any other partys’ rights to arrest the nascent development of a new Germanic identity for a greater good, no matter how great that good can be.

When we have signed our recruiting papers, we have agreed to take the burdens in order to rebuild human civilization up to a point where it can stand up on its own, no matter the cost. To refuse to take this burden now and to force it upon the shoulders of the indigenous Germanic people is a gross violation of the principles that found Belltower.

For these reasons, we dissent, reserving the rights to repeal the decision to the Architect’s Council.

Edit: Oh, and beware the fearsome Chinese bicycle hordes.

 

[Terrance888]

Yeah. We embrace our lack of sufficient technology instead of bemoaning it. The Eye of Heaven shall grant us the industrial capacity to spread efficient killing technology as far as it can see!

 

[Seon]

I imagine Stuttgart having mounted infantry fast-response force as well, with the big guns being activated only reluctantly.

 

[Mathalamus]

a Cypriot Caravel, poking around the Chinese sea asks to see if China can give Cyprus any hints so as to cope with a lack of resources.

 

[Seon]

You could also ask Belltower, you know.

 

[Terrance888]

Alcohol can be used as fuel. Biofuel. It's called. Too bad some people keep drinking all of it! There used to be something called denaturing, whatever that means, that helps.

 

[Seon]

Alcohol can be used as fuel. Biofuel. It's called. Too bad some people keep drinking all of it! There used to be something called denaturing, whatever that means, that helps.

Heresy. Lies. Falsehoods.

You cannot have a functioning nation without drinkable alcohol.

Who knows what people may do if they are sober? Anything.

It's the exact same reason why governments need obtrusive red tape and bureaucracy. There's no telling what people who volunteer for these jobs may do if they are allowed to wander freely.

Also mild drinksble alcohol is a perfectly valid way of transporting and storing hydration for long distances and fir long periods of time without the water becoming contaminated by pollutants and makes a decent trade resource. But that's mostly minor concern.

 

[Terrance888]

Biofuel alcohol is for the tanks to drink, not the tankers!

 

[mythmonster2]

If sign-ups are still open, I would like to join in.

Name: Japanese Confederation
Capital city: Tokyo
Color: Grey
Government: Plutocracy (Nominally a Democracy)
Economic policy: Capitalism
Social policy: Liberalism
Foreign policy: Interventionism, Expansionism
History: What was once a center of technology was now a ravaged wasteland. Japan was hit particularly hard by the Collapse, many of its people fleeing the country to survive in Siberia or China. At one point, the main island of Honshu was thought to be entirely unpopulated. Though some survivors lived in Shikoku or Kyushu, Hokkaido had become the haven for many Japanese, and when civilization began emerging once more, they left their once-sanctuary to return to Honshu. Specifically, Tokyo. The founders of the Japanese Confederacy envisioned a society in which all could live freely and have a say, leading them to establish a democratic society.

Unfortunately for their memory, certain families had other plans for the new Japan. These families were usually the ones who ran the bands of survivors after the collapse, holding their own tiny kingdoms. Now, to attempt to declare independence would lead to an alliance of the others with the goal of destroying the independent family. In a rare occurrence, several of the houses worked together to bend the democratic system to their whims, using their considerable amounts of money and influence alike.

The result was a system that may seem fair at a cursory glance, but closer investigation reveals all sorts of loopholes for the rich to escape from crimes scot-free, while the poor suffer harsh penalties and are at the whims of their employers. Politicians are elected, but ones that are not bribed by at least one family are far and few between. And now, they seek to extend their reach beyond the city of Tokyo and the surrounding areas, to the rest of Japan, and perhaps, the world.

 

[Terran Empress]

27

10 into army

5 into navy

5 into airforce

7 into converting the populous of Iberia to Islam

 

[W|M]

The Republic of Mali sends its Navy to blockade the ports and water-related activities (e.g. fishing) of the Niger Confederation, as well as the Air-force to destroy strategic points and the Army to launch a series of amphibious invasions at larger population centers and strategic points.

 

[The Loser]

Can I join as The Nordic Survivors?

Name: The Nordic Survivors
Capital city: Reykjavik
Color: Yellow
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Economic policy: Capitalism
Social policy: Nationalism
Foreign policy: Imperialism
History: Having a major breakdown in the economic and social area. Iceland's fishing industry made it a great target for refugees from Europe. They came in great numbers, and destroyed whatever was left of the economy. Therefor the real breakdown hit Iceland a bit later then most regions in Europe, but even hard. It didn't take long before there was no food, no electricity and total anarchy.

But when the worst was over, small communities in the far north organised themselves. They followed Björn Harlfson and his family, and eventually rebuild parts of Reykjavik and the fishing communities.

 

[Lord_Herobrine]

Republic of California

44 EP
---
-1 San Diego, California
-1 Coos Bay, Oregon

-10 Army
-8 Air force
-8 Navy

-1 of improvements for each city (11)

-5 into building many news wind and solar farms along the pacific coast.
---
0 EP