The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXV

[MagisterCultuum]

Taking communion in both elements was one of the points of contention between the Catholics and the Hussites. Catholics fought a crusade to keep the wine away from the laity, and lost.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

Are there any services that provide global clouds like xplanet at sourceforge, but contain historical global clouds as well? (Preferably free, because I'm a cheap bastard and because I'm morally opposed to freemiums, since xplanet is a freemium)

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

You know, I've been wondering what Monarch Power represents in EUIV. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way about the concept, with everything from buildings to military movement needing it. Why is the will of the ruler the key driving force behind a nation's advancement? Does everyone just sit on their hands until the leader tells them what to do?

 

[Flying Pig]

Surely large public building and military matters do need monarchical power, or at least state power. If the monarch is weak and the country disunited, with the largest meaningful organisation the village with its local strongman, the country is hardly going to be able to build pyramids or raise legions.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Let me clarify: I don't have a problem with the concept, but I find it strange that it seems to be the most important resource in the game. If said power is paramount, wouldn't that mean that a despotic government would be the strongest one?

 

[Flying Pig]

I presume that the game is set in a period in which monarchy is the only form of government? In which case, a despot able to enforce his will on his territory is going to be more able to accomplish large-scale projects than an enlightened but ineffective ruler.

EDIT: The J is of course correct: even if Parliament has strong control of the country, the despotic player can't necessarily make them vote for massive spending on his vanity projects!

 

[The_J]

If said power is paramount, wouldn't that mean that a despotic government would be the strongest one?

Isn't it?
Only one opinion, no working opposition, no delays, no organizational conflicts, no debatting...it should be a very strong one, effective in what it is doing (under the assumption it knows what it is doing).
(with all its drawbacks)

 

[Dachs]

Isn't it?
Only one opinion, no working opposition, no delays, no organizational conflicts, no debatting...it should be a very strong one, effective in what it is doing (under the assumption it knows what it is doing).
(with all its drawbacks)

The last thirty years of scholarship on the fiscal-military state has shown that it is not.

 

[Cutlass]

Isn't it?
Only one opinion, no working opposition, no delays, no organizational conflicts, no debatting...it should be a very strong one, effective in what it is doing (under the assumption it knows what it is doing).
(with all its drawbacks)

One problem with that type of government is that the dictator can't really know or control all of what is going on. There is simply too much information, too much complexity, and too much incentive for the underlings to tell him what he wants to hear, for the system to really run efficiently.

 

[GenMarshall]

Why do some people avoid pessimistic people?

 

[Tee Kay]

Why do some people avoid pessimistic people?

'cause they bring down the general mood and make people feel crappy.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

^ This. My case is particularly bad; I sit down in a medium to big group of people at an event or party or even family gathering, literally just seconds later absolutely *everyone* gets up and migrates elsewhere, even if I haven't done or said anything negative or pessimistic.

 

[Mise]

Does frozen mercury burn skin?

Sent from a phone, apols for any mistakes.

 

[The_J]

I'd say anything which goes below a certain temperature will burn your skin.
(but I don't really know; edit: Let me think...I think the general "burn effect" is caused by the effect that the touched material absorbs heat from the warmer material, and in case the temperature difference is high and the density of both materials is also high, then this will occur rapidly, damaging the warmer material...or something like that)

The last thirty years of scholarship on the fiscal-military state has shown that it is not.

Ah, 'kay, didn't know .

One problem with that type of government is that the dictator can't really know or control all of what is going on. There is simply too much information, too much complexity, and too much incentive for the underlings to tell him what he wants to hear, for the system to really run efficiently.

Does despotism exclude a working bureaucracy?

^ This. My case is particularly bad; I sit down in a medium to big group of people at an event or party or even family gathering, literally just seconds later absolutely *everyone* gets up and migrates elsewhere, even if I haven't done or said anything negative or pessimistic.

I'm pretty sure you're missinterpreting something.
Not even my aura is *that* bad, and I get to hear it from people all the time that I'm terribly negative.

 

[Cutlass]

Does despotism exclude a working bureaucracy?

Probably not in the theoretical sense. But it typically does in the practical. The thing to keep in mind is, how did the despotism come into place, and how is it maintained? The despot does not come into power, nor remain in power, alone. It takes an organization. And the despot has to maintain that organization. He does so with a combination of bribery and terror.

Now the key is, both government by bribery and government by terror have extreme negative effects on both good policy, and good administration of policy. When a despot sets a goal, people are afraid to tell him that that goal cannot be met, or can be met only with severe negative consequences elsewhere. Like Stalin with copper and Mao with iron. And they are even more afraid to tell the despot that they failed to meet the quotas, which is why the most effective thing the Soviet Union ever produced was "creative accounting". So to a large extent the despot is being the victim of his own creation in not getting what he sets out to get, because the incentives to get it are wrong. If people are severely punished for failing to achieve goals that could not have been achieved, then they're going to lie about it. And how does the despot know if he's being lied to? He gets a secret police, and then a secret secret police to watch the secret police, and then a secret secret secret police to watch the secret secret police. Rinse and repeat.

None of which lends itself to effective administration or the achievement of goals.

 

[The_J]

That actually totally makes sense, thanks .

 

[Mouthwash]

How can I get my hands on books that are unavailable through Amazon? I've been wanting to read John J. Reilly's books eventually, but he's been dead for a year or two and I doubt more will be printed. Is there a way to order some?

EDIT: I do not own a Kindle or anything like that and despise eBooks with every fiber of my being.

 

[Flying Pig]

Ask at a rare book shop?

 

[sophie]

How can I get my hands on books that are unavailable through Amazon? I've been wanting to read John J. Reilly's books eventually, but he's been dead for a year or two and I doubt more will be printed. Is there a way to order some?

EDIT: I do not own a Kindle or anything like that and despise eBooks with every fiber of my being.

Doesn't look like it if you don't want to get eBooks. Speaking of which, why the hell don't you want to read eBooks? You come on here all the time; it's basically the same thing.

 

[timtofly]

He may need an eBook that lets him edit in his own comments as he reads.