INES II: Gone is the Old Guard

[Kozmos]

“The FEAR Leader later appeared on air to condemn the vicious assassination attempt and terrorist attack on the motorcade. He seemed completely unshaken and promised a swift retribution and total obliteration of all remaining anti-Bolshevik elements in FEAR lands.”

*click*

Dr. Rocard turned on his swivel chair to face Renard who was sitting on the other side of the desk. Tapping a few commands in his PDA, he gently laid it down on the table and shoved it over to the doctor who nimbly picked it up with his long slender fingers. His eyes quickly went left-right-left while reading it.

“Yes…without a doubt….he’s a clone. But it’s a stock template. We are beyond that….we passed that border long ago.”

“Interesting. Usually it’s not our business to delve into such matters, but I was rather curious. It’s of no consequence in the grand scheme of things.”
“Ah speaking of grand things, would you like a tour of this new facility? It’s one of the five just built.”

“While personally I’m always glad to see and learn about new biotech I’m running a little behind schedule so I’ll just take my PDA and go. Another time perhaps doctor.” He said grabbing his PDA and then leisurely walked out of Rocard’s office. Two MiBs waiting outside followed him. Glass walls were always a delight.

*drrring*

Rocard eyed the phone on his desk. Not many people had a direct number to his office. Maybe it was the call he was waiting for so long. He picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Good evening Dr. Rocard. How are your children?”

“My children? They are great…the final alterations are completed. We have taken the finest soldier on the world, enhanced him and multiplied him a thousand times. Only 6% showed genetic aberration from the set parameters.”

“Mhm…and can you guarantee their loyalty?”

“We have worked extensively with psychologists to determine what the best memories to implant are. It has resulted in a Loyalty Estimate of 9.66 on the Quisling Scale.”

“Meaning?”

“You could order them to charge across a minefield with enemy snipers and machine guns in waiting and they would do it. No questions asked.”

“And in the off chance they go rogue?”

Rocard opened a file on his computer named GenoKill and smiled devilishly.

“I made a convenient ‘drop dead’ switch just for that unlikely event. It’s not instantaneous but it will do its job should the worst come. ”

“Good…you have my permission to activate the Les Enfant Terrible project. I’ve got to go now. This better work Rocard.”

“Yes. Goodbye Mr. President”

Putting down the telephone he cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. With a grin of the winner he typed his username/password and gave the central mainframe the command to execute the Grande Armee program.

 

[germanicus12]

If Armed forces are Ground Forces, then Deseret should be above Alaska and the American Federation, as we have 39 divisions. Or if conscripts were included it would be 51.

If not, what did you use to create that list?

 

[Abaddon]

Also, how are you calculating special units? 1 of my Instigator units is equal to 5 "grunts"

 

[Shadowbound]

OOC: Not necessarily, the value of special forces is that they can do stupid things that other soldiers can't. If they're doing the same groundpounding as other infantrymen, then they die the same way.

 

[Abaddon]

True, but in bare economics, I get 1 for every ASP, compared to 5 Grunts.

 

[Imago]

As the debate between Abaddon and Shadowbound has pointed out, there are different systems one can use to come up with military strength, though I do believe Agent 89 counted total number of units without consideration for designs.

In any event, I've been thinking a lot about my strategy for this NES, as well as any NESes I might mod in the future. I created this game to be rather free-form, and I somehow lapsed into a dasian updating system without much thought. I don't really want to derail the in character stuff that's been going on in the thread, but if any of you would like to mention how the game could be more intuitive/fun/epic, I would be interested in hearing your suggestions. Maybe you could combine every rules of the game related comment with some uncereberal IC battle cry. Note that I probably wouldn't do a whole lot to implement your thoughts right now, but I'm truly interested in feedback. No earnest comment is too stupid, and if this conversation goes on for too long or gets too general, we can always move it to While We Wait or somewhere else.

In other news, 10/26 orders in.

 

[Abaddon]

This game IS epic.

It was helped considerably with the creation of the different technology pacts. That caused a lot of diplo and fun.

Also, playing outlandish characters is also fun.

Improvements?

I don't know how you'd do it, and it is kinda screwed with the join funds.. but I don't like how we are merely advancing along a scale.. I mean, we should be researching a certain tech, and you say

"Oh for that, you'll need G3,X2 and T1.

Hmm.

What i'm bumbing about at is that I dislike that the tech level is just numbers, i'd like a list of what we can expect at each tech level.

I mean, some people are talking about incredible genetics stuff.. an we are only level 3.. what level do you imagine successful human cloning is? 5? 10?!

..loses track of thoughts an stops.

 

[TheLizardKing]

This game is epic. It's easy to play, (in a goodway), is straight forward, etc.

I love the free-formedness (is that a word?) you've allowed, etc.

As for improvements, I really can't think of any haha.

And, I agree. The EC is encompassing both Comintern and Dar-Al-Islam, and my loyaltly lies with The Eastern Coalition, before Dar-Al-Islam. It is the greater alliance.

And Imago, expect my orders either later tonight, or tommorow morning!

 

[Imago]

This game IS epic.

It was helped considerably with the creation of the different technology pacts. That caused a lot of diplo and fun.

I agree with your complaints about the tech system. When/if this NES continues over the summer, I will try to make sure it comes back with a system where you know more specifically what scientific things your nation is studying. A tech tree would be the most obvious answer to the problem, but such a thing seems overly constraining for this NES, so I'd be interested in suggestions for a midpoint between that and what we have now.

As for the tech trading agreements, I've felt that they monotonized tech stats, which I thought would be much more interesting. In any continuation for this NES, I wouldn't want to get rid of tech trading, but I would like to come up with a system where the trading doesn't seem so complete, where some sort of stat-recordable advantage goes to the nation that researches something first or in more detail.

As for the genetics stuff that's popping up left and right, I probably should have made it harder to make clones, but now that the cat's out of the bag, I'm not backing down. In this world clones might become as important as OTL nukes. We shall see.

free-formedness (is that a word?)

Yay for free-forminity! However, I do think that a lot of what you're saying is true for NESes in general, which is one of the reasons why this forum is so great.

 

[Abaddon]

Well, my suggestion is that for ANY advance from year 2010 technology, you have to submit it to YOU as a project.

You then tell us what science stats will be required to construct it.




With this, the idea drives the improvments.
At the moment it feels like we are just pumping money into tech so we can say "im more advanced than them, so i win!"

Tech levels should mean NOTHING, unless you have a project which uses them.

 

[germanicus12]

Perhaps you could include a form of reverse tech study?

During a war, a well developed nation could learn the secrets of a better tech from an invading nation when they are forced to leave tanks behind, or ships and planes are captured etc...

It would not be at par, but it could help increase a country's tech level where it is lacking without paying too much. (This could also prevent some countries from sending a very technologically advanced weapon to war in another country for fear of said country learning their secrets.)

I am not saying that the country doing the reverse tech would match the country who has the better tech, just go up a level or two. Depending on how advance said tech is.

I.E

Deseret invades the American Federation, the American Federation has equipment level of 5, Deseret 3, upon capturing some tanks, Deseret learns some secrets and their level goes up to 4, or even 3.5. For example.

 

[Imago]

Well, my suggestion is that for ANY advance from year 2010 technology, you have to submit it to YOU as a project.

At this point, what you're saying is generally the way I consider tech, with the exception that Equipment, Nautical, and Aeronautics tech levels by themselves have a fairly large impact on the fighting strength of your divisions, squadrons, and groups, respectively. However, since what you mentioned is a clear summary for most of what I'm looking for, you just gave me an idea on how to make the rules easier to understand.

Deseret invades the American Federation, the American Federation has equipment level of 5, Deseret 3, upon capturing some tanks, Deseret learns some secrets and their level goes up to 4, or even 3.5. For example.

Ah, half levels. The gist of this idea is one of those free-form things I would always allow in one way or another regardless of what the rules actually said, but when I revise the rules, I'll try to mention your idea explicitly.

 

[Abaddon]

That does make sense.

Also, has anyone bothered to steal techs yet?

I suppose they are beginning to get more expencive, we might start seeing it.

----------------------------

Who agrees with me it is better to NPC nation, rather than let it collapse due to lack of orders. I find it infuriating when a NES turns on its head, just because someone didn't get orders in.

 

[Commando_34]

This was a great NES for me to start up on. All ways interesting

 

[TheLizardKing]

^I agree, it should NPC

Also, orders in.

 

[bestshot9]

The man known as The Cougar approached the masses gathered in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. He cleared his throat and approached the microphone. The suit he wore felt foreign to him, he was used to the fatigues he had been wearing for the past few years while hiding out in foothills of Mt. Hood. Today, however, he could finally come out to the public with relative safety and show people the leader of the revolution, the man who believed in them all.

"My fellow Cascadians!" he began, throwing his arms out wide and smiling. He had never been much for public speaking, but he owed it to the people here now, especially those who had suffered in Portland, to address them as the man he truly was. "I am the man you have all known as 'The Cougar'. I come here today to show you my true face, the face of the man who believed in you, and believed in democracy. I, Harold Sampton, am your Cougar. Though I helped lead the OLF, I know my true power lies in the hands of you, the people of Cascadia who fought, bled, and died for our freedom. Though everyone doubted us, we were successful in the end. Deseret has seen the light, has pulled out, and given us the land that is ours.

"The people of Deseret had no intention to carry on the war. They did not want to kill Cascadians. Do not hate the people of Deseret for what their government did, and be thankful that they were finally able to convince their government to set us free. As you can see from this, people have more power even than God. And you, gathered here before me or your TV's today, are the people with the power. The people who will help lead this new nation to greatness, glory. With a little bit of patience and hard work, we will be able to establish a lasting nation in the Pacific Northwest." He stepped back from the mic, adrenaline pulsed through him. Sweat poured out of him, but at the same time, happiness flew through his body. It was finally here, the nation that was only but a dream a few months before.

But now it was time to get to work.

EDIT: I present to you: The flag of Cascadia!

 

[Kozmos]

In the olden days all research was done in the form of projects and we had complete numericals of everything military related. Like this:

Nation: The Russian Federation (RF)
Player: Stormbringer
Government Type: Multiparty Democracy
Economy: Very Outstanding (5/19/0/0)
Military:
Army: 3,310,250 Infantry, 53,750 White Guard, 6,340 T-72s
Navy: 12 Berkuts, 4 Orlans, 8 Atlants, 8 Plavnik Subs, 6 Granit Subs, 16 Akula Subs, 5 Krechyets
Air Forces: 120 Mig-21B-s, 120 Su-25s, Fighters, 370 Mig-21s, 230 Tu-22Ms
Special/Strategic/Space Forces: 21,000 OMON, 3,500 Spestnaz/100 ICBMs, 50 MRBMs, 50 SS-N-17, 50 Temp-2S, 50 Tochka
Industry: 193
Current Projects: Spasiba (10), INTRESA (7), MTS/RF (10), Project Zerkalo (8/12, 3/4), Project Hios (1/7, 3/5), Project Luna (4/11, 2/4). Project Zveznaya Nakovalnya (3/7, 2/3), Vodorod (2), Holodnaya Voina (10/30, 1/5)
Completed Projects: Cosmodrome (Done!), T-72 (Done!), Strela (Done!), Project Perestroyka (Done!), Project Alaska (Done!), Project Solid (Done!), Project Wave (Done!), Project Positive Charge (Done!), Project Anti-Charge (Done!), Zmeya (Done!)
Education: 86
Stability: Normal (2)
Trade Routes: Yugoslavia (+1 eco/turn) Bulgaria (+1 eco/turn), Japan (+1 eco/turn), MCO (+1 eco/turn)
Nuked Cities:
Nuclear Effects:
Note: Russia is one of Four Superpowers
Colonies:
- (Cuba, 0/1, 10, 62, Normal(2))

Now obviously this is a lot more complicated than the current scheme but I have masochistic fondness for it. Projects took eco's and turns to complete. Industry was measure of how much stuff you could produce for an eco and Education affected military leadership as well as civilian/government research.

 

[Agent 89]

Very cool. Still, some of those numbers seem a little odd. How do the Comintern's 20 ASP plus Dar al-Islam's 18 ASP equal the Eastern Coalition's 41 ASP?

I only added India in the Eastern Coalition, as they are only affiliated with the Comintern, but are a full member of the Eastern Coalition.

If Armed forces are Ground Forces, then Deseret should be above Alaska and the American Federation, as we have 39 divisions. Or if conscripts were included it would be 51.

If not, what did you use to create that list?

though I do believe Agent 89 counted total number of units without consideration for designs

That's right. I didn't count special units for anyone, thus the numbers are for the nation's regular divisions. I did this partially because I didn't have enough time, and partially because I think some of the designs that people are making are strange, and they really haven't proven to be much better than regular infantry. For example, I'm fine with people making Marines and even Islamic Fanatics, as those aren't to strange for our time, but to me it seems silly that people are able to design genetically enhanced soldiers in the year 2003, especially when their research in that field may not be to high. And some of the designs can't really be counted the same as regular soldiers, as they do completely different things, and may not even fight on the battlefield, such as FEAR's giant-Chinese-massacring-lawn-mower-things.

 

[conehead234]

The People's Republic of Europe signs the Treaty of Zurich.

OOC: Orders are coming

 

[Agent 89]

To: World
From: ASEAN

We are saddened to announce to the world that the Chicago Pact has voted that the American Federation be expelled from the alliance. However, on a brighter note, we are pleased to announce a pact a cooperation and alliance which has been agreed upon between the Chicago Pact and the NADTA.