Pre-SparkNES

Milarqui · Aug 3, 2012

Well, let's hope that this NES actually gets somewhere.

If you have been around here long enough, you may have actually played in one of my NESes. Hopefully, it will have been MilarNES I and II, which were well welcomed in the start, but unfortunately most players did not show enough enthusiasm. If it was Raw & Stock, it is a pity. If it is Battle for Wegener-2, the only pity is that players didn't get involved, because it was a very interesting idea. Then, there is Evil Genius (a failure because I realised it lacked a lot of things for it to work well) and Tropico (not bad, although the fact that only 1 player could send orders meant not much enthusiasm from all players), as well as the myriad of projects I have worked along the time (X-COM, Homeworld...)

Now that I am finally finished with University (well, until I start the Master, but right now I have finished both of my degrees) I feel up to try starting a new NES. Hopefully, people will like it and play.

This is a NES based on the Girl Genius universe, a world in which Sparks, which are mad scientists due to a quirk that allows them to enter a state of super-concentration. This allows them to build great things in any scientific or artistic field of their choice, although unfortunately this has the problem in that they cannot control themselves when they enter "the madness place" and can damage other people and themselves while in there. Due to their charisma, they tend to attract loyal minions that aid them in their experiments. However, their abilities and charisma come at the price that they eventually lose awareness of practical and even ethical concerns related to their pursuit of knowledge.

If you have read the comic, good. I am sure you laughed a lot. If you haven't, do it, and then tell me how much you laughed.

The NES will be established in a period of time around a century after the comic itself. Europa has been consumed by war for many years after the final battle between the Empire, led by Gilgamesh Wulfenbach and Agatha Heterodyne, and The Other, a demon that had possessed Agatha, who had the means to control the minds of many people through the use of devices called slaver wasps. This battle destroyed the city of Mechanicsburg, the Heterodyne family's headquarters, as well as Wulfenbach Castle, the greatest airship ever built.

The players take control of a Sparky family. Their objective is to attempt to bring peace to Europa, just like it had been in the times of Gilgamesh's father, through their use of their Spark to create new machines that will give them the edge, as well as engaging in the tortuous field that is post-Imperial Europa.

Any of you that play, will see that the idea is similar to EQandcivfanatic's BOTWAWKI, in which players take control of a city-state in the Fallout universe and attempt to survive all the problems that arose after the Great War of 2077.

Here, instead of mutants, ghouls and raiders, you will have to survive revenants, pirates... and raiders.

Here are several of the things I have already suggested for the game.

Nation:

Spoiler :

Kinds of settlements

Spoiler :

Family:

Spoiler :

List of possible styles

Spoiler :

Basic Units:
Spoiler :
- Militia: formed by the normal people of Europa, they are armed with rifles and wear clothing that allows them to move fast and yet protects them from the inclemency of the weather.
  
  Stats: 1 Attack, 1 Defense, 2 Maneuver
  
  Cost: 20 Militia need 20 people, 1 Wood and 1 Metal to be recruited.
  
  Maintenance: 50 Militia cost 1 Metal and 1 Gold per month.
- Infantry Clank: a basic clank that uses a steam drive to impulse itself. It has an intelligence able to follow orders from a determined superior, and is armed with a gun more powerful than that of the Militias.
  
  Stats: 2 Attack, 1 Defense, 1 Armour, 1 Maneuver
  
  Cost: 5 I. Clanks need 1 Gold, 2 Wood and 2 Metal to be built.
  
  Maintenance: 10 I. Clanks cost 1 Metal and 1 Fuel per month.
- River Steamship: a steamship of small size, it can go up and down a medium-sized river without any problem. Useful for crossing a river until a bridge is built, as well as protecting soldiers doing a landing.
  
  Stats: 5 Attack, 2 Defense, 1 Armour, 1 Maneuver, 1 Penetration
  
  Cost: 1 R. Steamship needs 15 people as a crew, and 10 Gold, 20 Wood and 10 Metal to be built.
  
  Maintenance: 1 R. Steamship costs 3 Gold, 3 Metal and 3 Fuel per month.
- Airship: a basic airship can be used for the double purpose of scouting and of attacking other airships and land objectives. It is very useful if you can get to fight an enemy that lacks an aerial component or anti-air weaponry, but if the enemy has airships too, only the best army (or the more numerous) will win.
  
  Stats: 1 Attack, 1 Defense, 2 Maneuver, 2 Strafe
  
  Cost: 1 Airship needs 10 people as a crew, and 15 Gold, 15 Wood and 5 Metal to be built.
  
  Maintenance: 1 Airship costs 2 Gold, 3 Metal and 10 Fuel per month.
Unit Stats:
Spoiler :
- Basic
  
  Attack: the unit's attack value. Depends on the weaponry it uses, as well as on the training. The higher it is, the more powerful its attacks will be.
  
  Defense: the unit's defense value. Depends on its ability to protect itself and use natural defenses. The higher it is, the likelier it is to survive an enemy attack.
  
  Maneuver: how fast it moves. The higher the maneuver ability, the faster it can travel between cities and in the battlefield.
- Special:
  
  Armor: for those that have something stronger than cloth between the enemy's weapons and their bodies (steel-plated ships or clanks, for example), it helps to protect them from most normal weapons.
  
  Anti-Air: for units that can strike at airborne units (airships) from ground level. The higher it is, the more likely the attack is to strike the enemy.
  
  Anti-Sub: when a submarine unit is built, you can also start to develop methods to fight against them.
  
  Penetration: for units whose weapons are powerful enough to penetrate through an enemy unit's armor.
  
  Strafe: only for air units, it determines their ability to attack ground and sea units.
Stories would be important to show the character development of a family, as well as to create powerful artifacts when a Spark's spark is initiated.

Some important things:

Spoiler :

- Population needs Food to survive every year.
- Wood and Stone are used mainly in the construction of buildings.
- Army units can be divided in three kinds: Human, Clank and Mixed.
* Human is normal infantry and cavalry. They count as part of the population, so they need food. They will also require Gold (to pay for their salaries) and, in certain circumstances, Metal (bullets, swords...)
* Clanks are units made of metal, with internal mechanisms that make them move. Depending on their "intelligence", they might need to be built by a Spark. They require Metal to be built, and Metal and Fuel to work.
* Mixed are units with human-controlled Clanks. For example, a mecha or a tank.
- Ships are initially made of wood and have a tripulation, so they will need Wood to be built, and Food, Metal and Gold to work. When things evolution, Metal will be used for construction.
- Airships need Fuel and a tripulation to move around.
- The game will initially be restricted to Europe.
- Diplomacy will be important, because you cannot take over Europe on your own. You can make allies, force others to become your vassals... Take advantage of that charisma!
- The Americas are inaccessible for some unknown reason. The only known thing is that any that tries to cross the Atlantic (some point past the Azores) never comes back.
- The British Islands were submerged after a Spark's experiment went awry, but they are protected by a special bubble. The Queen of England is an immortal being that leads her nation and makes sure no Sparks go rogue within there (so no luck there, gents)
- Most of Africa is completely unknown, as the efforts to explore the Dark Continent have been stymied by the chaos provoked by Sparks in Europe, as well as the existence of Sparks in Africa.
- There is trade with Asia thanks to land connections (the Silk Route) but the nations there are quite mysterious.

Nintz · Aug 3, 2012

Seems interesting enough. I have a lot of questions though, such as:

1. You make our own 100% fictional families?

2. You mention Sparks in Africa, but they are not playable or intaractable with as Europe. Why?

3. What is the deal with the Middle East? Are they like the Africans, Asians, Europeans, what?

4. Tech advancement. Considering the premise behind this NES, I am remarkably confused on this. I assume tech does advance, how could it not, but I don't know how.

5. The possible style list seems exteremly short, considering the possible scientific diversity that could exist.

6. I am confused what the current political situation in Europe is. A map would be helpful.

I had other questions too, but I can't remember them. Anyway, I might join this later. Don't know for sure yet.

Milarqui · Aug 3, 2012

Nintz said:
Seems interesting enough. I have a lot of questions though, such as:

1. You make our own 100% fictional families?

2. You mention Sparks in Africa, but they are not playable or intaractable with as Europe. Why?

3. What is the deal with the Middle East? Are they like the Africans, Asians, Europeans, what?

4. Tech advancement. Considering the premise behind this NES, I am remarkably confused on this. I assume tech does advance, how could it not, but I don't know how.

5. The possible style list seems exteremly short, considering the possible scientific diversity that could exist.

6. I am confused what the current political situation in Europe is. A map would be helpful.

I had other questions too, but I can't remember them. Anyway, I might join this later. Don't know for sure yet.

Hey, someone finally answers! Thanks for being the first. Now, the answers to your questions:

1. No, it is you who make them. Of course, I may impose some limits on your families, but for the most you are the ones who have control over what happens.

2. The idea is to test what happens in Europe as things calm down a bit and Spark families attempt to create stable nations. If you checked EQ's BOTWAWKI, you might have seen that the players had no interaction with anyone out of North America. If I opened Africa, then players would take a lot of time to contact people in Africa.

3. It exists, and there are Sparks. Ethnically, they are the same as in RL.

4. Tech advances through projects developed by the player and devices developed by Sparks when they enter their madness place (which is something that happens randomly)

5. Never said that was the entire list, although most things that your Sparks will work on are covered by it. Of course, if you think a Spark geologist has something to offer, you are welcome to try it.

6. A map would be almost useless (although you can see one in here). There are no nations in all of Europa. The only thing that can be called a nation is England, which is partially sunken under the waters of the North Sea and controlled by Her Undying Majesty, Queen Albia, who has closed the nation to anyone from the continent, although she does take interest in what happens there. After the Battle of Mechanicsburg, every Sparky family took the chance to attempt to take over the Empire, but it all went up to flames and the Empire was broken, as did the few nations that remained alive: the Long War from the times of the Heterodyne Boys became small when compared to the Great War that followed Mechanicsburg's destruction. It became a free-for-all between the Spark families. Many were destroyed, but that allowed for other Sparks to surge and take control of other cities. It is in the middle of this situation that the NES starts.

Hope that answered your questions.

Nintz · Aug 3, 2012

I am guessing this will get more fleshed-out as time goes on, and make more sense. Still, I think I'll give this one a shot.

What exactly do you need from the players in terms of an application?

Milarqui · Aug 3, 2012

Hmmm...

Nation name
Capital (must be a city settlement)
Second settlement (farm or mine town)
Family's name
Family structure (matriarchal, patriarchal, who cares)
Common characteristics (could be hair color, eye color, some non-Sparky quirk...)
Small story behind the family's rise to power within the Capital
2 to 5 family members, including the Head (age and style important (style only for teens and older), description good, if you can make a good story they may get some retinue already)
If you can make a flag and a symbol, perfect

Seon · Aug 3, 2012

So in this thing.

Nintz · Aug 3, 2012

Skaneland

Capitol: Skane

Second Settlement: Farm settlement, Vornholm perhaps?

Family's Name: af Vornholm

Family Structure: Complete Primogenitic Seniority. (Oldest child of previous head, male or female. Monarchy, essentially.)

Common Characteristics: Blond hair, blue eyes, above-average height, fair skin, large birthmark that runs from forehead to left cheek, tendancy to go insane

. Thought to be caused by excessive interaction with corpses and death-related places such as graveyards. The current family has stayed away from such practices recently, but their history implies another will wander back sooner or later.

Small story: The family of af Vornholm had always maintained a presence in Skane, ever since anyone could remember. Shortly after Albion sank beneath the waves, a large number of people appeared in their traditional hometown of Vornholm. These were not actually people of Albion, just random immigrants. The result was that most of the country-dwelling farmers fled to their city kin. With drastically more manpower available to work with, the long-standing family managed to install itself in various positions of power all throughout Skane. Sometimes honorably, othertimes not so much. Either way, they stood the obvious and long-standing rulers over Skane after the Great War.

(Direct) Family Members:

1. Head, Svend. 28. Has the usual traits of an af Vornholm member, though he is rather weak compared to his relatives. Has a tendency to seperate himself from the world in thought as well as creation, though he has very good social skills. Highly respected, though not feared by many. Animal Kingdom, Optics.

2. Sister, Frida. 24. Slightly bulkier than her family members, Frida is not much like her brother. She is very gregarious, and one of the best diplomatic members of af Vornholm's direct lineage. She still is a Spark, though tends to refrain from science much more than her family. Veterinary, Generalist Human.

3. Uncle, Erik. 53. Though grower older, Erik has some of the best this family has to offer. After the relatively early death of his brother and Svend's father Leif, Erik took the position as mentor and guardian of his children. He physically breaks some of the sterotypes, such as having red hair and brown eyes. However, his scar still marks him as a true af Vornholm. He also has a unquenchable fondness for ale. Metallurgy, Steamwork

4. Wife, Ygritte. 26. While not an af Vornholm, her marriage with Svend united her own Estridsen family with his. This family was previsouly the second most powerful family in Skane, and the only possible threat to them. The marrige ensured they would move forward as allies, not enemies. While a political marriage, Ygritte has grown to love Svend in her own way. He spends much time away, so she has taken to poetry and literature while he is gone. While not her passion, she has also become adept as a writer. She has a thin build, red hair, and green eyes. Non-Organic Chemistry, Electricity.

5. Son, Stenkil. 8. A young boy still, the only current child of Svend and Ygritte has blond hair and blue eyes like his father. He has a more robust build, though not unusual in general. His intrests have not fully developed yet, but he has shown a incredible aptitude for a handful of abilities such as languages and animal husbandry. For example, he already is competent is two different languages (German and Russian) not native to him, as well as owning his own horse and wolf. His uncle thinks that is great for public relations. Either way, this particular child has the makings of greatness, if only anyone could figure out where.

Flag/Symbol: Coming Soon

theDright · Aug 3, 2012

I am so in Milarqui. I was hoping that you'd start this soon. I'll try to get something up this weekend. Would you prefer that I put it in this post, or a later one?

Grandkhan · Aug 3, 2012

Nation name: Pirate Kingdom of Sardinia
Capital: Togliacci
Second settlement: Cagliari (Farm town)
Family's name: de Togliacci
Family structure: direct Patriachy
Common characteristics: The entire family is known for its predeliction to immense, unweidly krakens and raiding the seas of the Mediterranean for sport. On a physical note, they tend to have black hair, grey-blue eyes and are generally quite tall and thin. The de Togliacci's have a habit of wearing black as their house colours.
Backstory: The first de Togliacci Pirate King, one Palmiro, came to power during the chaos of the collapse of the Pax Transylvania. Formerly a minor vassal of the Wulfenbachs, he managed to seize control of Cagliari from the current rulers with the power of the Superkrakenclank. de Togliacci held the island of Sardinia for many years, and supported and... amused himself by raiding the Mediterranean sea with his clanks and his mechanical constructs. He then expanded to raiding the skies as well, with the construction of the infamous Krakenballoon. Upon his death when the Superkrakenclank spontaneously exploded - the installation of a gigantic thundercannon was blamed, especially when someone, most likely Palmiro himself, decided to fire it underwater - his son Leonardo took over the Pirate Empire, although the Krakenballoon and the Superkraken were destroyed in the ensuing struggle between the other three de Togliacci brothers. Four generations on, the de Togliacci family is led by Alazaro, who seeks to build a Pirate Empire across the Mediterranean.
Family members:
1. Alzaro de Togliacci, Pirate King (42)
Alzaro de Togliacci is the current Pirate King of Sardinia, a long and noble title. He has inherited his family predilection for piracy and wanton destruction, and seeks to make the name of de Togliacci feared throughout the Mediterranean. He is assisted in this endeavour by the current patriach of the Londri family, Caro, who have traditionally always been the assistants and button pushers of the de Togliacci's since the days long before the Pirate Kingdom, and rightly proud of their position too. Alzaro seeks to rebuild the Superkraken, but if that is impossible, he will spread terror across the world from sea and sky, and amass the greatest treasure hoard known to man through theft and piracy. Electricity, Mechanics

2) Elmiro de Togliacci, first son (20)
Elmiro has inherited his father's love of piracy and mayhem. Slightly different, he seeks to destroy Europa from the air - why bother with the sea, when an airship can go over both? Elmiro secretly plots to lay waste to the entirety of the world, with an airship fleet unmatched by anyone in Europa, and cement the de Togliaccis as the Pirate Kings of the World. He is noted in managing to destroy a rebellious family vassal with only 15 casualties by simply flying over the rebel's castle and deploying his infamous napthe liquid from the air, burning the castle to the ground. He is assisted by the son of Caro Londri, one Armonto, in typical Londri-de Togliacci dynamic fashion. Non-organic Chemistry, aeronautics (not on the list, but it should be ok, right?)

3. Aliara de Togliacci, 1st daughter (16)
Aliara is the teenaged daughter of Alzaro, and though a gifted spark, is currently in her rebellious phase. Rather than plot with her father and brother, the thoughts of burning ships and crying sailors bore her. Rather, she prefers to stay in her room, brooding about dashing young airship pilots with tragic pasts, writing bad poetry, and listening to unbearable modern music on her gramaphonic setup. Her (appointed) best friend and companion, Lucinda Londri, tends to partake in these activities as well, much to the annoyance of her father Caro Londri. That said, Aliara's spark powers are considerable, and she is shaping up to be a worthy scion of the de Togliacci family, as shown by when she built a thundercannon specifically to burn down the house of a romantic rival of hers. Electricity, thermodynamics.

4. Arcano de Togliacci, brother of Alzaro (36)
Arcano is the younger brother of Alzaro de Togliacci. The younger scions of the de Togliacci family are generally expected to spend their lives plundering the Mediterranean as raiders or to return to Togliacci and die trying to arrange 'accidents' for their older siblings. Arcano, the black sheep of the family, did neither - unlike their brother Artoro, who died at 25 being murdered by his own monster created singlemindedly to kill Alzaro, when he forgot that as Alzaro's brother, they looked very much alike. Arcano has instead elected to remain on Sardinia, as he dislikes both the sea and the sky, preferring to run his own experiments on energy weapons and boiling the sea. Alzaro thinks Arcano's experiments are silly and that a good de Togliacci should love the water, but he recognises the potential of Arcano's work and lets him be. Optics, Thermodynamics.

Flag may come at some point, I want to come up with something that isn't stealing the sigil of House Pyke from Game of Thrones.

__________________

Omega124 · Aug 3, 2012

Nation name: Neo Serene Republic
Capital: Venice
Second settlement: Eraclea (Farm settlement)
Family's name: di Barone
Family structure: Fitting with the fact that they live in a Noble Republic, the structure of the family can be best explained as Elective. While their one seat in the Casa dei Nobili is secured by birthright, the family has to face election to keep their position as Doge. In fact, this is the first time in 12 years they had held the title as Doge. Besides that, the family has a slight Matriarchal bent to it. While women are not necessarily preferred over men, lineage is based on the mother's side and the females are more encouraged to run than males.
Common characteristics: The main characteristic shared by the family is green eyes. All those born into the family have them, despite the recessiveness of the gene. Black hair is also common, but not standard compared to the green eyes. Outside of genetics, the family is known for being great speech givers, and are naturally charismatic.

Family Members:

Maria di Barone, 33, Doge of the Neo Serene Republic: Maria's first election into mainstream politics led to the Barone family securing the position of Doge since Claudia's choice to retire from politics 12 years ago. While being from a noble family, she is often regarded as representing the common person, tending to their concerns rather than those of the landed. Her most radical policy is to end the isolation of the republic, which brings new opportunities, but also new threats. (Organic Chem, Thermodynamics)

Enzo di Barone, 35, Husband of Maria, Councilman: Enzo currently holds the family's seat in the Casa dei Nobili. While holding more traditional views than his wife, he is still extremely liberal compared to the traditionally reactionary aristocracy. He was one of the biggest supporters for the end of isolation in the Nobili, and is considered one of the biggest reasons it was passed in that house. Enzo, due to being married into the family, does not have the traditional green eyes. Instead, he has a deep brown, which causes him to stand out. (Thermodynamics, Specialized Medicine)

Claudia di Barone, 53, Mother of Maria, Retired: When she stepped down from politics 12 years ago, the Barone grasp on the title of Doge also fell away from her. There was no regret on her part for doing so; she felt that she already accomplished everything she ever sat out to do. She does not always see eye to eye with her daughter, being part of a much more conservative generation. However, she still supports her daughter in her career. Since her retirement, she focused on Clank working. (Electricity, Steamwork)

Leonardo di Barone, 17, Son of Maria, No Position: The first of two children, Leonardo is extremely passionate and charismatic. This would be good, but a strange idea has hit his head ever since he was 15. Subscribing to a strange notion that the nobility is too entitled and doesn't represent the wishes of the people, he wants to end the aristocracy and replace it with a true republic. Leonardo also speaks about the end of private enterprise, and a creation of a "worker's state". His speeches bring constant embarrassment to the rest of his family, and is by far the black sheep of it. (Thermodynamics, Electricity)

Gaia di Barone, 9, Daughter of Maria, No Position: Gaia, while only a child, displays a potential for intelligence unlike any other member of the family. However, she has no social skill whatsoever, which worries her parents in their sleep. It is thought that she will make a great Spark, but will have no hope in continuing the politics in the family.

Bio: Many believe that Venice has sunk into the sea, much like England, as a student rebellion went on. Simply gone, never to be seen again. However, what truly happened is the city turned internally. Much like what happened to the region during the Fall of Rome, the people turned into the islands, hoping to be secluded from the ravage and fire outside. Unlike then, it worked. Too well. Venice became isolationist, and became just a mere rumor; a fantasy that was destroyed.

In the new city, a new constitution was drafted. The Wulfenbach Empire, on its conquest of Venice, completely destroyed the position of Doge while severely limiting the authority of the Grand Council (Maggior Consiglio). After independence was declared, a whole new system was put into place. To alleviate the liberal masses, the traditional Grand Council was expanded upon. The traditional 480 seat Council, filled with the aristocracy and based on brith, still exists as the Casa dei Nobili (House of Nobles). However, a second house on the Grand Council was formed as well. The second house, also with 480 seats, is democratically elected by the people and is known by the Casa del Popolo (House of the People). Terms last for four years, with 240 seats being voted on every other year.

The position of Doge was also recreated as the executive branch of the new republic. The Doge's power is only limited to the Promissione, the pledge he or she is required to give to be sworn in, and by the approval of the Grand Council. The Doge serves a six year term, and is also elected by the general populace.

This is where the Spark family known as di Barone steps in. Maria Di Barone is currently serving her first year on her first term as Doge of the Neo Serene Republic. This is not the first time they held this title; a political dynasty of this family

Flag and Symbol:

Spoiler Flag and Symbol :

I never read the comic, but I did search around the wiki, especially about Venice. It doesn't give any dates on anything, so I have no idea how much I botched the canon up, so excuse me if I did. However, one of my biggest regrets was not joining BOTWAWKI, and if I understand right, this is basically a steampunk version.

Also, if you don't mind me asking, what is the state of Internal Combustion in this timeline? I'm totally not planning on making a Dieselpunk family or anything.

bonefang · Aug 4, 2012

Reserving a Post.

details coming up

Milarqui · Aug 4, 2012

I am happy to see so many people already showing their enthusiasm and putting up their nations. Thanks! Now, let's hope I can find the way to work with the map like EQ did...

One thing for you all: the only city that must be left untouched is Paris, which is the only city that has remained neutral in all of the mess that happened after the Battle of Mechanicsburg. They are basically the Switzerland of this world, and many rich Sparks go there to study in the Paris Institute of the Extraordinary.

Also, when I said common characteristics... well, it is my fault for not being clearer, although what you have posted is quite good. My idea for the "Common Characteristic" was that you made something interesting that would mark someone as a member of their Sparky family. For example, one of the Heterodyne's greatest characteristics is their ability to heterodyne (a real word): they hum absently in such a way that the frequencies they generate mix themselves with the background to isolate themselves from the rest of the world when they work.

Also: the flag is supposed to represent the nation, while the symbol represents the family.

@Seon: you know what to do.

@Nintz: a family of Norwegian people descended from, ahem, necrophiliacs? Interesting, and curious. At least you did not try to put Oslo as your capital. I wonder what you plan to do with the combination of Animal Kingdom and Optics. Stenkil gets one retinue member, the wolf (hope you can give him a good name. I'll put your common characteristic as the forehead-to-left-cheek birthmark (tendency to go insane is already the mark of a Spark)

@theDright: whichever you feel is easier for you.

@Grandkhan: fun! A pirate kingdom! That is seriously going to be fun.

And don't worry about the aeronautics, it is acceptable. Also, I had a good laugh at Aliara's description. Though, I wonder what happened to Elmiro and Aliara's mother... for the good story, Alzaro, Elmiro and Aliara get a retinue member.

@Omega124: interesting ideas, these you have. Transforming Venice into a pseudo-democratic nation is quite good, but I have to say that Leonardo becoming a communist is hilarious, and I wonder what you plan to do with Gaia (is she autistic?). The status of internal combustion is not good: the Great War has destroyed any attempts to advance in that field, as when a Spark made something similar, it was immediately put into the task of fighting in the war. So, if you can make it believable, you can try to create an ICE. And I guess most of your family is mostly charismatic.

@bonefang: whenever you are ready.

bonefang · Aug 4, 2012

Nation name: Pustiny (Wastelands)
Capital: Stare Brany (Old Gate)
Second settlement : Tvrdej vila (Village of Wheat)
Family's name: Gavrilovic
Family structure: Patriarchal
Common characteristics : Wheatish Complexion with Black hair and eyes.

Small story behind the family's rise to power within the Capital

Master of the Family : Darko Miloje Gavrilovic, 62, Retired. The master of the house is a person of high prestige, its with his advice and suggestion that the royal court will take most of his decisions on; Though its not a compulsory thing to do, but the court holds the old man in high esteem.
King : Vuk Drago Gavrilovic, 43. The current ruler of the empire, son of Darko. He is known for his open mindedness and acceptance of current progresses made throughout the land.
Master of the House: Emil Stanislav Stefanovic, 55. The wily old man has been known to have served his country well with his legions of Housegaurds, his loyal band of followers who has served the country well with their simple spears and shields. The great man has been known to make odd mechanical stuffs at his own time.

The wastelands, as presumed, by most people to be desolate and charred ruins, are not really the same. The Gavrilovic family rose to power by uniting the common villagers who were trying to escape the land at all cost. The Gavrilovic's have taught the people that this yet may be another chance to live in peace, away from the quirky experiments and the mad scientists that conduct them.
The experiments have made certain mutations to the wild animals in this zone, catching these aberrations has become a festival in this zone. The heads and preserved in the local taverns and showed off as special prizes.
The local tavern is a humdrum of rumor these days about how some of them "witches" have been invited by the king himself in the royal quarters.

If you can make a flag and a symbol, perfect
Flag : Some one tell me how to make one.
Symbol:

Spoiler :

Grandkhan · Aug 4, 2012

Thanks Milarqui. I'm glad you liked it

The symbol of the de Togliacci family.

Omega124 · Aug 4, 2012

@Omega124: interesting ideas, these you have. Transforming Venice into a pseudo-democratic nation is quite good, but I have to say that Leonardo becoming a communist is hilarious, and I wonder what you plan to do with Gaia (is she autistic?). The status of internal combustion is not good: the Great War has destroyed any attempts to advance in that field, as when a Spark made something similar, it was immediately put into the task of fighting in the war. So, if you can make it believable, you can try to create an ICE. And I guess most of your family is mostly charismatic.

Coming from you, saying my ideas are "interesting", "good" and "hilarious" means a lot.

Yes, Gaia is supposed to be autistic. I wanted all my characters to be unique and have an easily identifiable trait (Except for Enzo. He really only exists so Maria can have kids, but I can think of something). While my stories as of right now will focus mainly on Maria and Leonardo, I do have a direction I'm planning with Gaia later on in the game, when the initial chaos dies down and inventing resumes. She might even be the one who invents the ICE I so desperately want. However, that is a long way, and I'm not going to worry about that now.

Anyways, I'm going to post the flag and symbol of the Neo Serene Republic and the di Barone. I might not have an image for the latter; I'll probably just make a description with words

Milarqui · Aug 4, 2012

@bonefang: are you sure you want that? I am asking because of several problems I see:
1. Who is the leader of the family? Instead of having one leader, you have three who could fight amongst themselves. Also, the Head of the family is supposed to be the leader of the nation. Here, you have the leader of the family and the leader of the nation being different people, which means potential problems when a choice has to be made between satisfying the family's direct interests and satisfying the nation's interests.
2. How do you expect the family to carry on without kids? Considering that the youngest in your family is 43 and there is no mention of him being married, I wonder what you plan for the family.
3. What are the styles of the family members? The only one mentioned to have anything related to that is Emil, who makes "odd mechanical stuffs at his own time". Sorry, but if you had planned to play with a non-Sparky family, you'd better think again, 'cause in this world there is no way a non-Sparky family is going to be accepted as the boss. You'd get smashed before the year is through.
4. Where are you supposed to live? I guess that it is the Balkans, but there is nothing that shows an approximate place. Besides, "Wastelands" as your nation's name? No one would take you seriously in universe. "I am an ambassador of the Wastelands." "Yeah, yeah, get out of here, you Lone Wanderer-wannabe."
5. You want your guys to look yellow? Because that's what "wheatish" sounds like. Now, if you meant "white-ish", then it is more believable.
6. The symbol is quite cool. As for a flag, I am not asking for too much. It is just a matter of thinking what are the colours that fit your nation the best and put them in lines.

@Grandkhan: that symbol is very, very good. It clearly symbolizes the importance of the Superkrakenclank in the family, and it is also a kick-ass symbol.

@Omega124: can't wait to see what you come up with, both in terms of stories and flag and symbol.

bonefang · Aug 4, 2012

actually i wanted to mention that the king is the son of the master of the family.

I will make some kids

I was planning to make a non clanky settlements. Was going through the wikia, there was a mention of Wastelands, which is devoid of any Spark intervention.

Slav people look like that isn't it ?

Milarqui · Aug 4, 2012

bonefang said:
actually i wanted to mention that the king is the son of the master of the family.

I will make some kids

I was planning to make a non clanky settlements. Was going through the wikia, there was a mention of Wastelands, which is devoid of any Spark intervention.

Slav people look like that isn't it ?

I had already read that the King is the son of the Master of the Family. My problem, as previously said, is that said disposition is very much a recipe for disaster, because of the potential conflicts between family and nation.

Still missing the mother. Though, the de Togliacci family does not have a mother, so not much of a problem.

Also, if you have read the Wastelands article, it clearly says "space between major settlements". I can clearly point out that the construction of a city worth being the capital of your nation defeats the purpose of being part of the Wasteland. I am also going to point out, again, that trying to be a non-Sparky family in a time and place politically, technologically and militarly dominated by Sparks is about as possible as Denmark (to put an example) trying to lay the law on 19th century Europe. It is also very, very complicated to create an advanced nation out of the Wastelands, without an actual access to the very much needed technology and information.

I do know they are Slavs. The problem is that Slavs live in many places, from the Balkans to Russia, so it is not very informative.

BTW, if you try to lay claim to the entire Wastelands (as you seem to be planning) the only thing you are going to get is:
- Laughed out of any other place.
- Smashed by other people that don't like your upstart family.

I am just trying to make sure that you survive past the first turn. That's why I am making these suggestions:
- Don't play a non-Sparky family
- Don't place your capital in the Wastelands
- Don't separate the Head of Family and Head of Nation roles
- Make sure that there is a younger generation to carry on with the game if the older ones die.
- A minor petition: make sure to correct the grammar/ortography mistakes.

bonefang · Aug 4, 2012

Please ignore my previous attempt at this.

i understand the problems involved.

Nintz · Aug 4, 2012

Star of af Vornholm:

Spoiler :

Motto: Familj, Plikt, Ära (Family, Duty, Honor. Swedish)

Flag:

Spoiler :

I'm not an artist, so I didn't get too creative it. Ah well, it works.

Pre-SparkNES

Deity

King of the Britons

Deity

King of the Britons

Deity

Not An Evil Liar

King of the Britons

King

Telvanni Master Wizard

Challenging Fate

Emperor

Deity

Emperor

Telvanni Master Wizard

Challenging Fate

Deity

Emperor

Deity

Emperor

King of the Britons

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