LINESII- Into the Darkness

[das]

I think you have grasped my stratagy Das.

I don't think so. That was the outline of present world situation and an extrapolation of future events, not a strategic analysis.

I believe it is somewhat of a self-defense mechanism amongst NESers. No one wants any individual nation to become too strong or else they begin to threaten everyone's safety, so NESers will ally against major powers to bring them down.

Its only natural, really. The same had happened in the real world time and again; great empires only rise when their potential enemies are too weak to effectively oppose them. Prefferably it happens after their most probable enemies are tired out by wars against OTHER potential hegemons, especially if the actual future hegemon power is left unnoticed for too long, as was the case with Rome or USA. Another good example is UK that cunningly played its most probable enemies against each other and prevented the formation of an united front against it on numerous occasions. A good example to the opposite is France, which on several occasions was on the brink of attaining hegemony but was always thwarted by coalitions that realized its strenght all too well.

 

[Symphony D.]

I believe it is somewhat of a self-defense mechanism amongst NESers. No one wants any individual nation to become too strong or else they begin to threaten everyone's safety, so NESers will ally against major powers to bring them down.

Lurker's Comment: I'd say it's sometimes smarter to ride the gravy train to the top for one's own shot to victory later, being as how defeating the hegemon will exhaust virtually all resources and make the ensuing scramble to be the next hegemon all the more difficult and convoluted, and leave everyone further exhausted, including that new hegemon. Being least weak amongst the weak is no great triumph, especially if the conflict is not, in fact, global, and somebody else on the sidelines comes out of it totally unaffected.

It is far more likely that whatever power the smaller nations rally around (usually the second strongest) will then knock them off after their victory to set itself up as the next great power. Then the cycle repeats. Unless you are amongst the top tier powers, you gain nothing from this except weakness, as you are played like a pawn against the other side, and possibly crippled or destroyed. It is a far better strategy to present yourself as an ally to the greatest power, who, likely not having quite so vast a collection of smaller powers, will treat you as a somewhat more valuable piece. It's better to be a Bishop, Rook, or Knight than a Pawn.

There's always exceptions, sure, but the logic of a coalition of the weak against the singular strongest isn't always smart from an individual perspective. It depends on who, exactly, is the strongest, that determines what the course should be, I think. A Balance of Threat is a much more useful perspective than a Balance of Power...

 

[Cuivienen]

Lurker's Comment: I'd say it's sometimes smarter to ride the gravy train to the top for one's own shot to victory later, being as how defeating the hegemon will exhaust virtually all resources and make the ensuing scramble to be the next hegemon all the more difficult and convoluted, and leave everyone further exhausted, including that new hegemon. Being least weak amongst the weak is no great triumph, especially if the conflict is not, in fact, global, and somebody else on the sidelines comes out of it totally unaffected.

It is far more likely that whatever power the smaller nations rally around (usually the second strongest) will then knock them off after their victory to set itself up as the next great power. Then the cycle repeats. Unless you are amongst the top tier powers, you gain nothing from this except weakness, as you are played like a pawn against the other side, and possibly crippled or destroyed. It is a far better strategy to present yourself as an ally to the greatest power, who, likely not having quite so vast a collection of smaller powers, will treat you as a somewhat more valuable piece. It's better to be a Bishop, Rook, or Knight than a Pawn.

There's always exceptions, sure, but the logic of a coalition of the weak against the singular strongest isn't always smart from an individual perspective. It depends on who, exactly, is the strongest, that determines what the course should be, I think. A Balance of Threat is a much more useful perspective than a Balance of Power...

The problem with this strategy is that it inevitably leads to being the second-strongest power (unless every other player is so foolish as to destroy themselves), which is an exceptionally poor place to be: even if you are allied, the strongest power will never trust you, and you will always be at risk of invasion from them.

However, this discussion is way OT, and I'm ending it now.

Also, Symphony, you do know that there are tags for "Lurker's Comment", right? ([delurk.][/delurk])

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Shouldnt Japo dude write the study?

Ah, but this way the study is accurate, and I don't have to write it...

The Citadel is becoming the standard source of knowledge. Another step in my evil plot is complete!

 

[Kentharu]

so whos the second most powerful nation currently?

 

[Cuivienen]

Well, we have a very crowded top:
Lengels, Gorin and Guangfei, followed closely by Khemri, Shalamari, Kehexou and Nurmafer

Last turn, though, it looked very different:
Lengels, Gorin, Shalamari and Khemri, followed closely by Guangfei and Swade

Things are still changing very rapidly in this NES. The Lengels will either settle down or eventually stagnate within five turns. Shalamari and Khemri may strengthen dramatically this turn, or they may go down in utter defeat. The same is true of Kehexou and Nurmafer. (IMO, Swade has been too badly defeated to recover in one turn.) Guangfei has only recently begun making foreign contacts, and they have had very limited interaction with other nations so far; we do not know how well their power will hold up.

To be honest, in the long term, Kentharu, I would put Gorin at the front of the pack. However, we shall see...

 

[Kentharu]

crap.... i don't want to be there

 

[Lord_Iggy]

It ain't easy at the top...

I agree fully with Sym's argument. I happened to trust France in NES2 VI. France wouldn't be accepted as a large-scale ruler of Muslims anyway, so they needed Muslim states as their allies.

Of course, my trust has cost me in the past...

And Ironman, could you send orders for your nation for the update? Add your stats too please, so I don't have to dig through the thread.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

You are working on the update, right?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Haven't gotten much done, unfortunately. Visiting relatives and the likes. Plus me trying to finish my entire school course in the next month before school starts.

 

[Kentharu]

The Admiral looked at the list of supplies as tendrils of smoke slowly drifted out of his mouth. His eyes moving rapidly over the scroll, every now and then putting a check next to a word to remind himself to get more. Around him was a rather small and cluttered tent, filled with several odd objects of vastly varied sizes. The tent was rather dark, except for the small flickering light generated by a candle and the light filtering in from the slightly opened tent flap. The Admiral’s desk was just as cluttered as his tent, many quills and ink bottles strewn across it and piles of scrolls to his left. Underneath it all lay a massive map of the known world, with lines drawn all over it to show trade routes and various ports, as well as the Admirals planned route of exploration. The Admiral himself looked just as exotic as his surroundings, an absurdly large hate with feathers sticking out of it dawned his head and a bright multicolored robe covered the rest of him. All this gave him the appearance of a rather flamboyant man, which he could be, at times. He was rather young, to be an Admiral of anything, being only 35. He had made his way up to this position, mostly due to luck, but also largely impart to his knack for aggressiveness.

The tent flap opened and a head poked in.

“Admiral” said a guard. “We have a late recruit, shall I show him in?”

The Admiral looked up from his scroll, chewing on his pipe that hung out of his mouth as he brewed over both the scroll and this “new recruit”. Not many people had shown up for the navy, not many Gorinese thought the navy was a proper way to serve the Empire. It was after all, a rather small department. Well, for now it was.

“Show him in”

The guard’s head slipped back out of the tent. Moments after a teenager entered the room, his face hidden in the darkness. He wore simple robes, with a large sack of sorts that had patches all over it. Clearly this boy was poor.

“Move closer please” The Admiral said, not looking up from his scroll yet.

The boy obeyed and moved into the light, blinking furiously as his eyes adjusted to the light.

“Name, Age, Place of birth” The Admiral said in a rather mundane and bored tone

“Jonak Ortiski, 17, Gorin City”

The Admiral scribbled the information down on a scroll to his right and then finally looked up at the boy. A smirk came to his lips when he saw the sweat running down his face. This boy had ran all the way.

“I hope you had a good run uhh...” The Admiral searched for the boys name on the scroll “Jonak is it?”

“Yes sir, sorry for being late sir the wagon I was on, it got delayed the wheel broke and and...”

“And a flying pig attacked you to” The Admiral said with a smirk “Why are you joining the navy? Why not the army? I am sure General Kingroski would love to have a new zealot like you”

“I want to explore sir” Jonak said, standing at attention and shouting “I wish to sea the world, and spread the glory of Dula and the Gorinese Empire I wish to...”

“Yes yes enough with the shouting” The Admiral said quickly, letting out a large puff of smoke. “I hope you didn’t join the navy because it’s easier than the army”

“No sire I would never...”

“Because it is easier than the army, in a way” The Admiral said with a chuckle. “You won’t be sent forward as confetti to greet the enemy, but you will, with any luck, drown or suffer a painful and horrible death at the hands, claws, or tentacles of some hideous and terrifying monster”

The boy stared at the Admiral, taking a gulp of air and tightening his fist, as if reassuring himself.

“Sir I will serve you to the death, you have my word of honor”

“Yes yes very valiant of you” The Admiral said, waving his hand as a dismissal “Everyone says that, now, what are your talents”

“Talents sir?”

“Yes talents, what can you do? Can you fight? Shoot a bow? Steer a ship? Throw a spear? Come on lad, out with it”

“Well... I can fight with a sword alright... and” Jonak scratched the back of his head “I can tie a mean knot”

“Well your perfect!” The Admiral shouted “Tying knots is what sailing is all about lad!”

“It is?”

“Of course it is! Now I have a special assignment for you Mr. Knotter, ha ha I like that Mr. Knotter, cute little name isnt’t it? anyway I want you to take that” The Admiral pointed to a huge pot in the corner. “Carry that to ship # 2 ok? Ship # 2, not very hard to remember is it? Good good, well get on with it don’t stand around”

“Yes sir!”

 

[IronMan2055]

The Formation Part I
A wandering group of weary nomads slowly advances up a large hill what we would consider a mountain at the top they stoped to take a well deserved yet short brake
: Priest(aproaching) Almeno! Almeno!
:Almeno Jacues Yes. What do you want.
: Priest I think you're going too fast your father neve....
:Almeno Jacues MY FATHER WAS A CRAZY OLD MAN!
: Priest Old certaintly, crazy anything but. He would have never made the people march this fast to more and more unknown lands.
:Almeno Jacues You speak as if it matters now.(rests hand on wooden support puts head on hand and gazes ahead.)
: Priest of course it matters now what do you mean.
:Almeno Jacues (slowly puts up other hand and points in the distance)
: Priest Ahh.. But.. but.. is that what I Think it is.
: Almeno Jacues yes it's the promised land.
To Be Continued In
The Formation Part II ​

 

[Kozmos]

Get back to updating Iggy, dont make me write another story!

 

[Contempt]

I'll be gone from tommorrow until saturday. I'll send orders as soon as I return, but do diplomacy for me, using what I've said in the past as a guide to my plans.

 

[Oruc]

Ah, but this way the study is accurate, and I don't have to write it...

The Citadel is becoming the standard source of knowledge. Another step in my evil plot is complete!

well I wouldnt say they were accurate, they usually become egotistical rants about how great they are.

 

[Silver Steak]

emu is right, but that is what all games are, really. Competitions.

OMG, my orders are more than 1 PM long. Just wrote an addendum that I hope/fear will be triggered...

 

[IronMan2055]

To the Wise leader of Arcadia, Bishop Joel ruler of the grand city of Vael Dash
From The Grand Leader Of Nontin, Almeno Jacues ruler of the great city of Tinitopia
Would you agree to a 5 turn N.A.P.

 

[Disenfrancised]

IMO, if historical leaders had been so farsighted as to be able to see such threats, we may have ended up with nations more akin to those of NESes. However, unlike NESers, real historical leaders were not always particularly capable or conscious of consequences.

And of course some of them were more conscious of consequences, what with having to live through them and all - the historical world saw far less fighting to the bitter end than NESes do.

 

[Oruc]

And of course some of them were more conscious of consequences, what with having to live through them and all - the historical world saw far less fighting to the bitter end than NESes do.

I think that mostly has to do with the peace treaties people are presented with.
They always seem to be asking for too much.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

The fact that we are far more farsighted, less greedy (excerpt from RL orders- spend all the money on another massive palace for meeeeeee!) and more willing to lose everything is why NESes differ from real life.