ljNES - Nessos Universalis

[Angst]

Reserve 1 of 3

Introduction:

I was sick and tired of no real world fresh starts showing up at the moment, since that's really what I've got an itch to do at the moment. So I thought it would be a very, very good idea to start one myself instead of complaining. I'm making an example here. Yes, I'm the mod - that means I have no idea how well this will be managed. However, I will do my best for the community and my own enjoyment.
(Random thought: The title subtitle should totally be a real game. If you don't get any of the references, look up on it. )

Information on how exactly the NES is going to be run is going to be up at the end of today. It should become a noninnovative, traditional NES with lots of fun. Of course, if I get an itch underway to do something crazy, I'll do it. But I'll promise you it'll be great.

Rules

- these actually apply as usual. I'm too lazy to type them in right now, but for clearance, let's take a look at the nation stat template... I'm going to keep it somewhat simple, since it's easier to moderate.

Nation name//player
Government:
Culture/Group:
Economy (Domestic/Trade):
Bureaucracy:
Stability:
Military:
Navy:
Projects:
Addendum:

Nation name//player: The name of your mighty state.//The player whom you are.

Government: Your type of government. The government's effects on your nation won't be listed here, but I'll try to apply them based on reason.

Culture/Group: The core culture of your nation, subcultures present within, etc. A list of main cultures are present on the first page. Also, when it becomes relevant, state religion will be listed here. A list of main religions are present on the first page. The group - read; tech group - is something I realized might be necessary, especially when it comes to military requitment. European tribes couldn't requit proper military when the whole Mediterranean could.

Economy: This is how well you're doing with money. But it also represents all other sorts of income; through agriculture, industry, service, trade... Everything that allows you to act. Your nation can act on whatever economy you have available - for NESing purposes, the term shalt be EP (Economic Power), which you can invest into anything. I'm going to seperate into both Domestic EP and Trade EP, mostly for nostalgia's sake. Examplary stats are: Economy (Domestic/Trade): 3/4

Bureaucracy: I needed some sort of word that described the effeciency of national establishments, so I went with this. The higher your bureaucracy rating is, the more effecient your establishments are. They could be hospitals, schools, and it also includes anything you'd actively want to do - for example, declare war. It has a maximum value of 10.

Stability: Good ol' rebel scum are back in business. I will punish unstable decisions quite a lot, and a mediocre stability is absolutely no guarantee to be safe from revolts - although you still are pretty safe, of course. Reason is that in most NESes, 7/10 stability didn't differ at all from 8/10. Here, it will. I'll figure out some interesting interactions other than revolts. Mind you, I'm coming to get you. The lower stability you have, the higher the chance you will crumble into rebellion. I think most acts will change stability a bit, be it one way or the other.

Military: The armies you use to smash your opponents. I will write a military section below.

Navy: The navies you use to broadside them landlubbers. See the military section.

Projects: Any larger projects that take more turns to complete and have a large effect - such as wonders or greater cultural reforms or changing religion somewhat peacefully etc. etc. - will go here. An investment/project can be promoted and/or demoted to a investment/project.

Addendum: Here I will write special modifiers that don't go elsewhere, such as "Inflation is very high," or "The military is attempting a c'oup d'etat."

Military

You have an army and a navy to defend your own nation, these things having a cost. Armies fight and die for the preservation of your country. I must add that even though there is no size stat nor an upkeep, having a too big army has a good chance of punishing your nation's economy - I think a decent amount is when the would-be full price of your army is twice your turnly income, above that and I will punish you with a gentle smirk on my face. Also, I will have line of supply in mind when I remember it exists.
Some military notes:
It is assumed that rivers do not require flotillas to cross, as river vessels are assumed to be available to everyone at an indifferent cost. However, crossing a river to attack an army on the other bank is usually suicide and might be backed up by a little EP. It goes for all warfare though; remember to fund it.
You can easily recruit military and fight with it during the same turn, but if not supported somehow, either by other soldiers or additional EP, they will suffer greatly in organization.

Army costs:
Levy - very poorly organized military with poor strength and armament. However, due to this nature, they can be recruited and fight the same turn with little to no loss in morale or power. 100 soldiers for 1 EP.
Spearmen - while levies actually wield spears more than often, but the spearman unit represents a simple form of professional soldiers. These are more cost-effecient too. 50 soldiers for 1 EP. Not available to Cenopeans.
Archers - usually consisting of skilled hunters, but professional military training allows for powerful range strikes. 50 soldiers for 1 EP.

Navy costs
Galley - catch-all term for the somewhat advanced ships of this time. One such vessel may carry 25 soldiers. 1 of such costs 1 EP. Not available to Cenopeans.

Watch the starting map in awe:

Spoiler :

Join Template
The game will begin at an unknown point of history - but it's about 4,000 BC in our world. I will use the template "Years X-Y" each update. Also, if a culture is sufficiently influential, I will add in its calendar as well.
- Each of the below entries are actually not very necessary. :3 But it'll add a lot of flavor to the game and further the enjoyment for us all. I urge you to try out playing with an interesting culture.

Culture name: Write here thy culture name.
Culture history: Short or long history of the culture.
Values
Individual values: What is expected from a young man? What about a woman?
Family values: How do the families work together? What are the positions of the different genders? What are traditional jobs?
Government values: At this point of history, 'Government' is mostly villages, or city states. But you can still type in how your nation is organized. I'm very curious on whatever you think is a good idea.
Design
Economy: What do your people mainly eat? Where do they harvest interesting stuff, if they harvest at all? Do they like amber or any other commodity? What kind of animals do they herd, if any?
Creativity: What things does your nation paint? Are their houses interesting in any way? Do they make nice pottery for architects to lick in six thousand years?
Religion: What religions are present? How does it influence your culture? What gods do you have? (Also, myths of your potential pantheon make for very easy stories if you're out of ideas in the future. Just a by-the-way.)

 

[Angst]

Reserve 2 of 3

Cultural groups:

Cenosian
Cenodian
Cenoterranean
Cenogyptian
Cenopean

Cultures:

Fu//Luckymoose

Spoiler starting point :

 

[Angst]

Reserve 3 of 3

It should be added that I *am* going to be a tough mod. If someone starts in Greenland, the culture will probably have a very, very hard time. Same goes for most of the European cultures that always seem to be plentiful at the beginning of fresh starts.

I am considering making some sort of lineage mayhem-system that will annoy those who doesn't pay attention to whenever their territories are promised away to some far away prince through marriage. But it'll all depend on how the world will develop.

Update Zero will be up next Sunday at the very latest. You may now post, possibly including some background info on whatever civilization you will be running - you may choose either a real world or a custom one. You can also wait for the rules to be posted. It's your choice. They will be completely online 00.00 tomorrow, +1 time zone.

 

[Luckymoose]

Claiming this spot:
More to come later.

Culture name: Fu
Culture history: The culture is very similar to the others in the region, based on close family ties and agriculture.
Values: Family, community, cooperation
Individual values: To follow in the communities footsteps and assist in the communities growth and prosperity.
Family values: Men and women both share agricultural jobs but all government/military roles are male dominated.
Government values: Small government that mostly keeps the communities of farming villages protected and organized. Led by an oligarchy.
Design
Economy: Rice, fruits and other cereal crops are the main diet. Some livestock such as chickens and pigs. Some metal mining is also observed.
Creativity: The most creativity is in the form of pottery and luxury clothing.
Religion: Ancestors worship is very important.

 

[Angst]

Whoa, a whole player. Good to see you aboard Lucky.

FIRST UPDATE

Join Template
The game will begin at an unknown point of history - but it's about 4,000 BC in our world. I will use the template "Years X-Y" each update. Also, if a culture is sufficiently influential, I will add in its calendar as well.
- Each of the below entries are actually not very necessary. :3 But it'll add a lot of flavor to the game and further the enjoyment for us all. I urge you to try out playing with an interesting culture.

Culture name: Write here thy culture name.
Culture history: Short or long history of the culture.
Values
Individual values: What is expected from a young man? What about a woman?
Family values: How do the families work together? What are the positions of the different genders? What are traditional jobs?
Government values: At this point of history, 'Government' is mostly villages, or city states. But you can still type in how your nation is organized. I'm very curious on whatever you think is a good idea.
Design
Economy: What do your people mainly eat? Where do they harvest interesting stuff, if they harvest at all? Do they like amber or any other commodity? What kind of animals do they herd, if any?
Creativity: What things does your nation paint? Are their houses interesting in any way? Do they make nice pottery for architects to lick in six thousand years?
Religion: What religions are present? How does it influence your culture? What gods do you have? (Also, myths of your potential pantheon make for very easy stories if you're out of ideas in the future. Just a by-the-way.)

 

[Adrogans]

Menesi
I claim near the Nile Delta. Cant do a map at work.

More info later, when not at work.

EDIT (or I will write an entry on my break, though still need to go home to do the map):

Culture name: Menesi
Culture history: Over time the various tribes along the Khaba River came to settle along it due to the obvious benefits it provides. During this period through inter marriage and trade the various deities also travelled between the tribes and have solidified into the Menesi Pantheon. During the settlement of the Khaba the abundant land along the river and the ease of travel allowed by the river itself served to unify the culture and at the same time break up the tribal aspect so that nuclear families became more important than a clan.

Values

Individual values: In general they focus more on the nuclear family as opposed to an extended clan. Children are given the opportunity to learn a trade, and if possible they can choose which one as there is no view of a hereditary job (aside from the Royal Family of a given city state), and then expected to generally strike out on their own as soon as they are able. There is only a very small Aristocracy which is composed primarily of decedents from the original Royal family which still rules.

Family values: Families operate more on the nuclear scale than on a clan scale. Obviously children will inherit from their parents, both male and female can inherit and both can own property. Aside from the natural pull of people to their relatives there is no limit to how families can work together as it is more individual than familial relationships that are important (again aside from the ruling class). On an individual basis they tend to adhere to a few traditions but they all mainly boil down to my word is my bond. Break your word and it can and will lead to legal repercussions even possibly duels. Marriage is a purely secular institution designed to safeguard property to found a household and form a family.

Government values: The Menesi culture has developed into “city” - states along the Khaba River (Nile). They are in a loose confederation with each city state ruled by a hereditary monarch (the title differs depending on the city’s tradition, though they can all be loosely translated as King or Prince). These city states have begun to consolidate power and compete with each other for leadership of the whole of the Menesi culture. They will band together against any non-Menesi invaders though as they see themselves as superior. Right now while there is no “King of the Menesi” the northern city of Ptah (Alexandria area) has currently consolidated the most power and is seen as the strongest city-state and will likely rise to control the Menesi.

Design
Economy: Their diet would essentially be the Ancient Egyptian diet (which I can post but since this is real world start that is what is in the area). They have begun basic agriculture along the Khaba. They tend to have cows, goats, horses, pigs, and chickens though generally only the wealthy eat meat on a regular basis, the rest tend to fish, bread, and vegetables. The wealthy also enjoy rare spices which are grown either on their own land or some farmers will grow small plots of them as a trade commodity. They make jewelry using polished shells and precious stones primarily.

Creativity: They make very beautiful jewelry for the time and also tend to make very nice textiles. For artworks they usually focus on carvings and tapestries using various local ingredients to produce a variety of colors with the color of blue being the most important.

Religion: The Menesi religion is polytheistic with the gods and goddesses having both natural phenomenon and ideas attached to them. The religion is not focused on telling people what they can and cannot do so much as providing patrons for human endeavors and reasons for natural occurrences. This is one thing the Menesi all take seriously and they all recognize the same divinities with little variation. The religious orders are independent of the city-state politics (for the most part).

 

[LightFang]

Claiming a spot! Details to be edited in.

P.S. I don't actually know very much about history so prepare for a SUBPAR PLAYER.



--


Culture name: The Cant (plural: Cantii)
Culture history: Situated along what in our time would be the Saxon shore, the Cantii are fishers of fish. They are what passes for this era's seafarers, with primitive boats scooting along the shore. Small coastal villages are also present and agriculture has barely started to develop, for the times when the fish due to the wrath of the gods do not come. As a whole, though, the people are largely independent and family-reliant.

Values
Individual values: Young men are expected to eventually become the captains of their own boats. Women do farming, which is of course easy and a feminine job. What, were you expecting some sort of egalitarian utopia?
Family values: Family units seem to be the main social unit. Great importance is placed on the man of each family because he is the "captain of the family," and their language reflects this. The villages generally have weak chieftains who are recognized only because he is the best fisher or some other such reason, and he can be deposed should he develop illusions of grandeur.
Government values: It's more like a show-offy title really, but there are chiefs of each village. If there is a strong enough threat, the villages may band together, but it's more likely that they'll just ignore what happens to other villages.

Design
Economy: Revolves around fish. The women of the households generally keep a small farm and also go out into the forest for berries and such. There's nothing really too extraordinary.
Creativity: At the moment, the Cantii are generally too busy having a good time to make any art. Sometimes the men find pearls and shiny rocks to bring home to their wives, but art at the moment is rather primitive.
Religion: There is a pantheistic religion revolving around the Ocean King, who presumably rules the ocean. He's asleep for the moment, as the ocean waves are caused by his snoring. When he awakes, the oceans will stand still and the end of days is nigh, although right now there are differing interpretations about whether utopia is ushered in or the destruction of Earth.

 

[Azale]

Claiming a spot in around modern day Kyoto, details soon.

 

[Omega124]

Claiming Copenhagen, details later.

 

[Lord of Elves]

Culture Name: Heiregunnd

Culture History: Previously a nomadic people, the Heiregunndi settled many years ago at the fork of two rivers leading out to the great and blue sea. The Kingdom or Riogtil of Heiregunnd was early on a city-state, a center of trade, commerce and learning. Competing with other city-states for power in its small region of the world, Heiregunnd was for a time a backwater beyond its ability to influence the tides of wealth. However, with the rise of a legendary Riogith or King by the name of Gisrund, Heiregunnd entered a period of expansion. Gisrund united the squabbling merchant families through use of diplomacy and the sword, and created a strong front against the threat of the nearby city-states, always seeking to strike down the weaker of their number. In the Wars of Unification, Gisrund crushed the various city-states and formed the Kingdom of Heiregunnd. Since then, life has been a question of maintaining the unity of the city-states and the control of Heiregunnd over them, and the continuing prosperity of the Heiregunndic people.

Values/Customs
Individual: Strength and wisdom are equally respected in Heiregunndic society in the individual, and the power of arm or mind that the individual contributes to his or her family is the driving force of the Kingdom. The roles of the individual vary based on their class in society, age and gender. Noblemen are expected to be learned of politics and warfare, and to marry well. Noblewomen are expected to be beautiful and wise, and good wives and mothers to their husbands and children. The peasant is to serve the Kingdom in peace or war, either as a porter or farmer, or as a soldier.

Family: The Heiregunndic family is patriarchal, with the man in control of the household. It is the wife's responsibility to raise and teach the children. The purity of the family is greatly respected and ordained in society, and families with impure heritage are shunned by the greater public. In the nobility, dynastic family lines are obsessively marked and traced, so that all can be aware of a family's weaknesses and strengths. Children are expected to marry well, and bring honor to the family.

Government: The Kingdom is a monarchy, though the city-states are relatively autonomous. The King or Riogith rules from Heiregunnd itself, and maintains his rule through force of arms if necessary, though usually the other city-states are accepting of the rule of the Heiregunndic Riogith. Theoretically, the line of the Riogith can be traced directly back to the legendary Gisrund, First Riogith of the united Heiregunnd, though it is known to the Heiregunndic royalty and their confidantes that this is not necessarily true on the whole. The family tree of the Heiregunddic royals is a mix of closely-guarded secrets, hearsay, and bombastic, self-serving propaganda.

Design
Economy: Heiregunnd itself as a port-city benefits from the fruit of the sea, trade and fishing, though outside of the walls of Heiregunnd and the other city-states, farming is the lay of the land. The farming of wheat particularly benefits Heiregunnd, and it is the staple of the peasant's diet. Sea food is particularly expensive for all but merchants and the Heiregunndic nobles, and is considered a delicacy outside of their halls.

Creativity: Individual creativity among the peasantry is rare. The nobility is known to partake in the drawing of pastoral scenes, depictions of nature and the like. Pottery is also common. Heiregunndic, although a written language, is not one often spoken. The peasantry are almost entirely illiterate, and the only place the nobles write is in the law-books.

Religion: There are two dominant religions in the Kingdom. The Heiregunndics of Heiregunnd proper worship the Goddess Saeixin, who represents the sea. However, the inhabitants of the other city-states under the yoke of Heiregunnd on the whole worship Diaphilium, who is a goddess of nature.

Location: Aquitaine, requesting dark green or blue-ish

 

[Abaddon]

Why chose that map?

Oh well, start we on the west coast of India... Khambat

 

[Ninja Dude]

WAI HELLO THAR LUCKAI


Kyen
Culture history: While many of the Kyen believe that they have always dwelt the earth, the Kyen culture has only emerged 200 years ago, after wars in the north pushed many nomads to the south, where they intermarried with the locals and their traditions and cultures combined. The word Kyen means "He who runs", which is a sign of their heritage (although their foes like to interpret it as a sign of their cowardliness )
Values
Individual values: From an early age, children are encouraged to be independent, working by themselves, studying by themselves, and sometimes living in a small hut by themselves. As they get to be teenagers, boys are allowed to live in the house for a short while, working on the farm or learning their father's craft. Girls, once they hit the age of 15, are to stay in the house and work with their mothers. The only time they may leave, is to find a husband. At which point, all ties to her old family are cut. Boys also leave the house, never to return, usually to find a job. Self-reliance is key in Kyen society.
Family values: Well, I kinda already covered some of the family stuff up there , but I can say what the traditional jobs are. Most men simply farm, while along the coast fishing is rather popular. In the cities, pottery is very common amongst artisans. Merchants usually come from the coast, and are viewed as swindlers and tricksters.
Government values: Most villages and city-states believe hold it true that the less they have to depend on the outside world, the less conflict they will have with their neighbors. Therefor, isolation is fairly common, and military conflict only emerges when one state is in desperate need for resources. This however, can mean that a drought or famine could throw an entire region in a bloody fight over what little resources or wood are available.
Design
Economy: The Kyen mainly just farm rice. Occasionally tea is grown, fetching a handsome price on the market. Pearls are highly valued amongst the Kyen for religious reasons. Pigs are commonly raised on farms, as are chickens. Horses are raised by the nobility, although they wouldn't dare trade them away.
Creativity: The Kyen are very well known for their beautiful pottery, which is designed just as much for looks as it is for practicality. Nobles are also known to take this logic and apply it to their flags, creating gigantic flags filled with symbols telling the clans history. Often times numerous flagpoles are required to hold them up.
Religion: While beliefs amongst the Kyen vary a great deal, there are some commonly held beliefs. One, is that the world was created by Qen Shi, the Sun Spirit. He made all of creation, and populated it with all manner of creatures. But when he got near them, they burned up and perished. In his sadness over not being able to interact with his beloved creations, Qen Shi flung himself into the sea, where he broke up into smaller suns (pearls). However, a large pearl rose up from the water and took Qen Shi's place, keeping the world just the right temperature.

So lj, are there gonna be multiple countries for each culture?

 

[Cull]

Claiming Fujain. WHY HELLO THERE LUCKY!

More to come later.

 

[ZeletDude]

Culture name: Klesten

Culture history: More on this later.

Individual values: Women are expected to work and home and have babies etc.. while men are supposed to get a women, hunt and learn all that.

Family values: A family is run by the man. The women is a homewife and stays at the home and works, cleans and takes care of the kids, while the man goes out and hunts or farms.

Government values: There is a council of elders which decide on things.

Economy: What do your people mainly eat? Where do they harvest interesting stuff, if they harvest at all? Do they like amber or any other commodity? What kind of animals do they herd, if any? They eat a omnivore diet, berries, meat, farmed food. They don't have any currency but people trade one thing for another. They herd sheep, horses and cows mainly.

Creativity: They do the usual things such as painting images on pottery, using pottery for containers. They have a polytheistic religion with gods for about everything.

Location: Present day Athens.

 

[Angst]

Nice to see so many players rush in already! I was just about to edit in some rulings. I'll look into it in five minutes or so.

Also, holy poop, three cultures along East Asian coast. Joakim foresees conflict.

Why chose that map?

Oh well, start we on the west coast of India... Khambat

You don't like it? I thought I picked the latest... Was there another, more updated & possibly loved map somewhere? (I don't like the Symphony style myself.)

So lj, are there gonna be multiple countries for each culture?

Pooossibly. I'm not too sure, it really depends on the individual regional situation.

 

[Luckymoose]

I am going to be the one true emperor.

 

[Cull]

Culture name: Ziyang

Location: Fujain province of China

Culture history: The roots of the Ziyang comes from the agricultural farming communities of Southeastern China. As they began harnessing basic weapons of wood and stone, small "kingdoms", if they could be called such in their pitiful state, arose. These states rose and fell with the wind, as alliances fell apart and came together, such was the affairs of these area for a very, very long time. Even now, wars are still fought. However, the time now is a time of lull and peace within the Nine Kingdoms. The Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Han, Wei, Zhao, Ming, and Qing, each trying to help themselves, each about equal in population and power.

Individual values: Peasant men are expected to farm, and to fight when called upon. Women are for child and to stay at home, cooking and what not. The men lead, and the women are to assist as much as they can. Children are special, and they are treated as treasures until they come of age at 14, then which they are treated as full adult. Honor, loyalty, and respect to father, husband, son, and emperor defines relationships. Marriage is usually for love.

Nobles are expected to lead armies, and to advise the Emperor. Noblewomen are expected similar things to peasant women, taking care of children, husband, and father. Honor, loyalty, and respect to father, husband, son, and emperor defines relationships also. Marriages are usually for politics.

Emperor leads his kingdom. He respects his mother. His wife is expected to take care of him, and any children. However, unlike the nobles and peasants, who typically only have one wife, the Emperors may have as many as they please. The Emperor may sire bastards as he wills it, and has control over his affairs. Only his mother does he show the honor, loyalty, and respect so typical in the other two classes.

Family values: Covered above a bit. Family is important and the base of values. Blood runs thicker than water is true here. Men of the peasant typically farm and raise animals, fighting when his Emperor calls it, women take care of them, children treated as rare treasures. Men of noblehood play politics and lead the armies. Noblemen take care of them, and children are treated as rare treasures. Emperor leads his kingdom, with full control over all.

Government values: Currently in the time of the Ten Kingdoms, in a rare time of peace throughout the board. However, all know that this peace can not last. It remains to be seen when the wars will start again.

Economy: Pigs, dogs, and sheep are the animals raised. Rice and beans are the main crops. Run on agriculture, the entire society is. There is a minor lumber industry for housing and weapons, but is typically traded for food. Whatever metals are used by the Emperor as he sees fit, into superior weapons, or something else.

Creativity: Jade is a rare metal and is considered to be the most valuable used by the Emperor himself only. What is rare about them is that they show undieing loyalty to their Emperor, even the nobles, and all deaths of the Emperors have been natural or in battle, not by poison or by plots.

Religion: None

 

[Luckymoose]

LJ because of the insanity in China I have decided to move my efforts elsewhere. Namely Kyushu and south Honshu in the Japanese islands.

 

[Adrogans]

So there will be three cultures in Japan then?

Why not go to Korea?

 

[Ninja Dude]

Oh come on Lucky, don't wuss out on us.