StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Setting

1890. It has been thirty years since the Great War. Thirty Years since the kings and queens of Europe threw aside reason for madness. Thirty years since the flower of civilization wilted in a hail of grapeshot, under billowing clouds of lethal gas. It has been thirty years of decline and violence, as every upstart nationalist on the Dying Continent knit himself a flag and launched his people into bloody revolt. Thirty years since the sanity of imperialism and civil rule was replaced with an orgy of technological destruction the likes of which the world has never seen. Thirty years of pretenders, and usurpers, and assassinations. The star of Europe has been plunging for thirty years, dragging a split America down with it. The great fleets of the old powers make their homes in graveyards of twisted steel, iron, and warped lumber at the bases of Brest, and Portsmouth, and Helgoland. An entire generation of the best and brightest moulders beneath the soil of Flanders, at the walls of Krakow, atop the cliffs of Dover.

There is no end in sight. As the revolutions continue, and overlap, and collapse, there is no peace on the horizon.

In the distant Orient, however, the world is changing. Conquered peoples across Asia have found their shackles to be rusted and ineffective, and have cast them off with scant effort. The new learning brought by the Europeans can make men and nations strong- the Nipponese Mikado's ashigaru march deeper into the lands of the Manchu every year, and his steel ships sail further and further under plumes of smoke. The Arabs have sacked Ankara and built a new Khaliphate, first with English weapons, now with their own. Everything from Afghanistan to al-Afriquiyya lies within their Umma.

It is an age of new nations. Forgotten garrisons, fallen trading companies, penal colonies, and the fleeing heirs of deposed monarchs all seek to build new lives for themselves in the East. Millions of expatriates with no home to return to are making new lives and forging new nations on the shores of lands they once ruled absolutely. There is great wealth to be had for those who step carefully, great profit and glory for those who use the tools of diplomacy and war with care.

Once again, machines of steam and steel sail the oceans.

Mechanics

Up for negotiations, of course. From the outset, though, the technology level will be late Victorian- ships are powered by coal, are armoured in steel, and duel with cannon and simple torpedoes. Submarines are experimental and extremely unweildy to say the least- certainly not oceangoing. Powered flight is as of yet, an impossibility. Clipper-Ships still ply the seas, and railroads are amazing tools of commerce and industry without peer.

Some thoughts:
1. A resource system. Each player is given a handful of natural resources; industrialization and construction will require more than just the resources you start with. The precise mechanics are up for grabs.

2. A point system for construction, with 3 specializations for capital ships: speed, protection, firepower.

3. All nations start at the same power-level, no graduated system. This is to avoid a pre-set "great power" system. Besides, such a system would not make sense, considering the setting.

Here's the map I've put together. I added extra islands so as to give some room for players who want to set up in the Arabian region. Nations can be placed on any islands, except for the Nipponese ones, and on any of the coastlines outlined in red. Other areas are either too barren, or are held by major NPC nations.



Thoughts? interest?

Sounds interesting... As always, I would be naturally interested

But shouldn't we finish the current ones? Or that looong-dormant Fantasy-STGOD?

Long live the science of Ether! Well, something like that.

This could be fun.

I'll call the Maldives!

New players are welcomed and encouraged...

I've got my eye on Ceylon island myself...

I'd go for the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, I think.

It might be interesting to play a revived Kingdom of Dai Viet.

*raises hand*

New player here. No idea what I'm doing. Help!

I'd be interested.

I'm interested.

I'd like Java or Sumatra.
Or, as other option, the Hongkong/Macao-area. Would it be possible to play as splinter group of the East India Trading Company?

I preffer sci-fi STGODs with continent-destroying battleships, but this looks interesting.

Adrian Magnus claims the Philippines, all of them.

A re-read and a long think is making me reconsider. While the age of steam interests me, it's more from the sci-fi of it's era; the Ether, the Nautilus, Tesla's wireless transmission of energy, signals, and perhaps even matter. Since that would almost definately not be on the menu, I should decline.

SirNitram wrote:A re-read and a long think is making me reconsider. While the age of steam interests me, it's more from the sci-fi of it's era; the Ether, the Nautilus, Tesla's wireless transmission of energy, signals, and perhaps even matter. Since that would almost definately not be on the menu, I should decline.

Unless I read the OP wrong, I don't think there's any fictional technology at all. Pre-dreadnought battleships, maxim machineguns, and bolt action rifles are our weapons of war.

While I'm definitely not that familiar with this format of game, I'd gladly join in as a minor power. Are any parts of Afganistan available (like an area around the North West Frontier? I'll gladly be an annoying leader of a bunch of mountain villagers. Not a world shaker, but still fun.

Jalinth wrote:While I'm definitely not that familiar with this format of game, I'd gladly join in as a minor power. Are any parts of Afganistan available (like an area around the North West Frontier? I'll gladly be an annoying leader of a bunch of mountain villagers. Not a world shaker, but still fun.

As per the OP, nations can start on islands or on the red-outlined coastal areas- Afghanistan is roight out.

*raises hand*

New player here. No idea what I'm doing. Help!

Not an issue. Basically, an STGOD is a free-form strategy game/RPG, played without dice or other such things- it's managed by a GM who handles conflicts, but it's as much a co-operative writing project as anything else. It can be a lot of fun- most STGODs have been sci-fi stuff, so this is a little new. Check out the sticky at the top of the Games@Comps forum for some older ones, you can read some of the text to get an idea of how it's done.

A re-read and a long think is making me reconsider. While the age of steam interests me, it's more from the sci-fi of it's era; the Ether, the Nautilus, Tesla's wireless transmission of energy, signals, and perhaps even matter. Since that would almost definately not be on the menu, I should decline.

As with all STGOD's, the tech-level is flexible and effects-based, not fluff-based. There's plenty of room for Victorian Sci-Fi stuff. Anything is permissible.

Thirdfain wrote:

Jalinth wrote:While I'm definitely not that familiar with this format of game, I'd gladly join in as a minor power. Are any parts of Afganistan available (like an area around the North West Frontier? I'll gladly be an annoying leader of a bunch of mountain villagers. Not a world shaker, but still fun.

As per the OP, nations can start on islands or on the red-outlined coastal areas- Afghanistan is roight out.

Whoops. Didn't read this bit

Then I'll take an area around Perth if this is available (it is right at the limits of the Austrlian part of the map, so I'm not sure how far down the Western Australian coast you are interested in going) or the area around Port Hedland if not as this is definitely on the map. I'll draft up a plausible backstory to explain why anyone would inhabit this part of Australia rather than the eastern part. Maybe the Maori's have a mini-empire in Eastern Australia and New Zealand that no one wanted to challenge.

I'm rather shaky about joining, considering my terrible track record on staying in STGODs without floating away, but then again, the Kingdom of Somaliland does beckon...

Sign me up. I'm not quite as neurotic or lazy as I used to be, so I think I could keep up.

Thirdfain wrote:As with all STGOD's, the tech-level is flexible and effects-based, not fluff-based. There's plenty of room for Victorian Sci-Fi stuff. Anything is permissible.

Oh good, that means that I don't need to concern myself with the Philippines' complete lack of natural resources.

Thirdfain, will you be running the NPC nations?

I would like some land near the Gulf of Oman.

Thirdfain wrote:

A re-read and a long think is making me reconsider. While the age of steam interests me, it's more from the sci-fi of it's era; the Ether, the Nautilus, Tesla's wireless transmission of energy, signals, and perhaps even matter. Since that would almost definately not be on the menu, I should decline.

As with all STGOD's, the tech-level is flexible and effects-based, not fluff-based. There's plenty of room for Victorian Sci-Fi stuff. Anything is permissible.

Works for me. Even assuming Etheric tech works, I'd realistically be extremely limited by it's experimental/advanced nature and resources.

Hmmm. Where is the hard part. Will post more.

I've made a decision on where: Western Australia.

As for who, still working that out. May see madboys from me.

With the continuing decent of what was once a mighty Europe, many
great corporations finding themselves without a functioning homeland
bind together to carve out a nation of their own. A crossing of business
plans, corporate ideas, and nationalistic goals are born, a crossroads of
industry.

Long may the Nation Of Crossroadia Reign!

A nation founded on a corporate ethos, bounded by the Iron will of a
mysterious leader known only as "The Lord High CEO." Industry is its
religion and the exploration of Science it's vision. No scientist is too
brash nor too visionary for the leader to consider. The High Scientists of
Crossroadias’ Elite ruling class already studies the works of Tesla day
and night to better advance their own ideas.

Airships take to the sky as the Ironclads utilizing the new mobile Turret
are being constructed.

Moving far to the East, settling in the Island of (maybe Borneo?) they
seek to tame it into a Nation to be respected!


Long may the Nation Of Crossroadia Reign!