While We Wait: Part 2

[Kozmos]

Well, basically, Cleric set up a large number of secret bases in the western half, launched a raid on Reykjavik to test weapons there during the outbreak of the WWII using certain technologies stolen from me, and I eventually figured this out and, with the assistance of the EUA government, sent a fighting expedition across the ice and proceeded to lay waste to everything he had set up there and went over the remains with a fine-toothed comb. Then the NES ended.

Essentially there was a terrorist organization operating out of your territory and you didn't have a clue about it, or the intervention of 50,000 GEAR soldiers to end its operations there.

*snicker* Replace large number with one multi-purpose base. Even though the comb was supremely fine-toothed I reckon you missed a few things. And I wouldnt call myself a terrorist organization. But that's the standard term I guess.

 

[Symphony D.]

@Sym- Ah. How much of that was in the written updates?

The clue that the airships came from "the west" and didn't retreive their attack troops (who used previously unknown technology) was in an update, as was the battle in the region, hidden under a Polar Bear and Penguin story.

And no, I didn't pay anyone to keep anything quiet; I flattened the local area and then made it look like some sort of terrible accident had occured by setting forest fires in the surrounding region to make sure nothing was left of my presence. In short, there weren't any witnesses, not that I imagine anyone but maybe some Eskimo were in the general area and most of them probably had the good sense to leave as we went south.

Replace large number with one multi-purpose base.

das wasn't quite clear on it.

To be honest though I had initially thought it to be the British, and it took me a bit to figure it was Canada. My thoughts then were you were working with Iggy and his whole peaceful Canada thing was a front while you did something or other nefarious which would threaten regional peace (hence EUA approval). Again, I cared at all because I was ticked you'd taken anything at all of mine. My mean streak is vast and dark.

That's why there was a story about my European agents blowing up a random warehouse in England before going on to question old fishermen in Iceland (although I must say that warehouse wasn't quite random either and involved something else entirely).

In short, yes, I knew lots of things about lots of other things in NES2 VI.

 

[Kozmos]

Ah all is well that ends well. I'll leave it at that

 

[Lord_Iggy]

To be honest though I had initially thought it to be the British, and it took me a bit to figure it was Canada. My thoughts then were you were working with Iggy and his whole peaceful Canada thing was a front while you did something or other nefarious which would threaten regional peace (hence EUA approval). Again, I cared at all because I was ticked you'd taken anything at all of mine. My mean streak is vast and dark.

I was aware of Cleric's continued existence, for the first 3 turns of Canadian independence, then I stopped corresponding. I imagine I'd have been rather indignant about being invaded, especially as I had sworn off a military to make way for social development.

 

[silver 2039]

Damn...now my operations in Burma, and Karachi, and Persia seem lame.....

 

[Disenfrancised]

I was aware of Cleric's continued existence, for the first 3 turns of Canadian independence, then I stopped corresponding. I imagine I'd have been rather indignant about being invaded, especially as I had sworn off a military to make way for social development.

This is how it would have been played if you made a fuss; either a) you were aware of Cleric's organization and did nothing to stop it, thus actively working to destablise the region and the EUA would have beaten you around into being a client state, or b) you weren't aware, thus your government is incompetent and ineffectual and the EUA would have required the placing of our bases to secure your borders, and you would become a client state . Your only option would have been to shut up and help destroy cleric's organization root and branch.

 

[Kozmos]

Argh must resist temptation. Failing...

 

[Lord_Iggy]

This is how it would have been played if you made a fuss; either a) you were aware of Cleric's organization and did nothing to stop it, thus actively working to destablise the region and the EUA would have beaten you around into being a client state, or b) you weren't aware, thus your government is incompetent and ineffectual and the EUA would have required the placing of our bases to secure your borders, and you would become a client state . Your only option would have been to shut up and help destroy cleric's organization root and branch.

Meh, I was a client state to someone anyway. HRE [OTFN] and EUA, no real difference unless I got outright annexed. And not knowing about a secret organization doesn't show governmental incompetence, it shows incompetence in military intelligence.

 

[Symphony D.]

For your viewing pleasure, recently declassified from the GEAR Ministry of Defense, Limited Edition Legends Map 01:

Spoiler :

Alternately available unlabeled.

Also going to prove that the Americas and (especially) Asia are way underrepresented in terms of cities vis-a-vis Europe, given relative populations.

 

[Disenfrancised]

Meh, I was a client state to someone anyway. HRE [OTFN] and EUA, no real difference unless I got outright annexed. And not knowing about a secret organization doesn't show governmental incompetence, it shows incompetence in military intelligence.

In that case we can take a page out of GWBush's book. There are lots of different levels of clienthood as well.

Cleric:You::Al-qaeda:Iraq

Also going to prove that the Americas and (especially) Asia are way underrepresented in terms of cities vis-a-vis Europe, given relative populations.

The difference will not be nearly as high as OTL due to much higher standards of living early on, not to mention being a couple of centuries earlier - I wouldn't expect this China to have more than 400m people by now.

 

[Symphony D.]

And? Europe relatively would still be something like 1/4 to 1/3 of that, yet has approximately 3 to 4 times as many cities on the map. The city density particularly along the Rhine is ridiculous as regards population density when compared with similar density along any of the major Asian rivers. It's horribly lopsided for no reason. Also, some of the American city placement is really bad; eg: San Francisco is about 200 miles south of where San Francisco should be.

Also: ETA, YOUR NES, ELSE YOU WE HOUND FURTHER, YES.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Some of you have asked how I decide what goes in an update and why other things are left out. I will try and explain.

First, I think most players would like to see two things in an update: 1) their nation mentioned in significant manner and 2) their orders carried out in a way that substantially matches what they planned.

Clearly an impossible task, with 30 players I cannot give everyone a big part in the update and I cannot carry out everyone’s orders as the player planned.

So what I do is begin with a list of the wars with start dates. I go through the orders one by one and make two lists. One is about war and the other is other stuff that seems worthy of mention. They kind of looks like this:

Austria invades Hungary 1542
Poland Invades Hungary summer 1541
Hungary invades Greece 1540
Greeks defend
Ottoman defend in Europe
Ottoman attack Holy land 1541

Genoa circumnavigates world
Kalmar colony in NY
Pope dies 1542 New Pope is Bob XXIII
Rebellion in North Africa
Rebellion in Kalamr 1544
Silk Road project
Pirates active in Red Sea

From the lists I can decide what has to be included as more than a few simple sentences. Those are usually wars between players. In update 9 I had the England/Scotland war; Brandenburg’s invasion of Bavaria; the attacks on Hungary; Persia’s invasion of the Holy Land; the Mughals attack on Rajputana. I had already planned for the religious disorder and peasant revolts in Germany. Then there are the attacks on NPCs.

Next I see what is on the lists that really interests me or would make an interesting story. These can be long or short entries. In the last update, Andrea Doria’s voyage, the Aztec war with the Taracans, the attack on Constantinople, Mali’s continued expansion and the Portuguese march around Africa all were included for a longer writte up because they had my interest.

Then I usually start writing the House of Verner section. This enables me to include lots of small events from all over Europe and clean up lots of details not really suited for larger treatment. I can also set the stage of other events. It also gets me started writing. After that I don’t write in any particular order, just what I feel like at the time. I research as I write. I spent a couple of hours researching Magellan and other early voyages and an hour or so reading about Constantinople. I tend to leave the most complicated war for last. Once that is completed, I do the Traveler Notes section to handle everything left. Sometimes though, I will get inspired to take a left over item and expand it to a few paragraphs.

I don’t really like to write generic battle and campaign narratives unless I’m pressed for time. I prefer to find a way to tell the big picture story from a single character’s perspective. I find that if I can gather enough detail, I can keep it interesting (I hope) and then just tell the results.

I do like to spread the writing among as many players as I can, so for those of you who would like to read more about your nation, give me something interesting to write about. Seed your orders with a character or two, some events that are more than “invade Poland”.

Things get left out for several reasons:
I get careless and don’t add them to my lists
I forget to include them
I cannot think of a good way to include it
Its value is more for a single player than for everyone to know about.
Lack of time.

 

[Grombar]

Getting under 3 hours of sleep and sitting at work bored isnt a great combination, plus to top it off Ive finish with all my current orders and just waiting for updates that probably wont post until monday at the earliest (most likely later than that!)

 

[jeps]

SB, Azale, and Iggy (and maybe anyone else Im forgetting?), orders incoming.

 

[TheBladeRoden]

SB, Azale, and Iggy (and maybe anyone else Im forgetting?), orders incoming.

What about me?

 

[jeps]

Yours are for Sunday, right? THese are the ones due tonight.

 

[Nylan]

I've gotta stop nosing around here so late at night, especially since Nik's update won't be fore a while

*mutterstupiddetroitmutter*

Methinks perhaps I am turning Canadian

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Join the Nuck side!

Why though?

 

[Nylan]

Join the Nuck side!

Why though?

The exponential interest increase in hockey lately

that and laughing at Quebec

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Americans can be interested in hockey too. Just as much as Canadians can be huge soccer fans.