SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread III

[RogueIce]

*takes aim and shoots Simon* It was not Messamerica, no matter what people said. It was, simply, America. Period, QED, finis, etc.

[staggers toward nearest meditank]

But... I just went by what the... maps... said.

[thump]

The maps were wrong.

No, good sir, it was most definitely called Messica in all the places of the world that actually mattered!

Frequese anyone?

EDIT: And Steve was the one to finally push America into common acceptance by all of us, though we'd been dancing around it. Are you saying Cascadia the Union of Pacific Republics didn't matter?

[Steve]

Honestly, in SDNW2, they didn't matter that much. We weren't in either political alliance bloc so people tended to not bother with our opinions unless, for whatever reason, we articulated them directly.

[RogueIce]

Phase 1 of Operation "What Happens On Jenova Really Isn't Our Problem" is underway.

[RogueIce]

Ryan, there are no Jenovan refugees.

[Ryan Thunder]

Ryan, there are no Jenovan refugees.

Ah, my bad. It was supposed to be facetious anyway.

[Zor]

In regards to Nova Atlantis's contribution to the anti-pirate fleet...

1-Akagi class carrier
2-Godslayer class destroyers
5-Tercio class Frigates
5-Xiongnu class Frigates

Zor

[Simon_Jester]

Thank you. It would seem most logical, however, for the Atlanteans to concentrate against H-6, where their forces have already scored a minor victory and where they are in a good position to push into the shoals from existing bases very close to their space.

[Ryan Thunder]

To whom it may concern (RogueIce)

[Shroom Man 777]

No, good sir, it was most definitely called Messica in all the places of the world that actually mattered!

Fixed for you, Siege.

Those were some nice updates. Very funnies, Ryans, can't wait to see more of Ryan Thundor's trip down memory lane.

And nice space battles, Simons. It was goods.

[Simon_Jester]

A note: I have decided that the best way to deal with the popularity of "plasma weapons" in SF in general and SDNW4 in particular, while not going too far against our host's objections to the idea is to posit that plasma weapons fire neutral particle beams. Thus, a plasma cannon would accelerate ionized gas atoms accompanied by an equal, balancing charge of electrons. Don't ask me how that works inside the gun, but the beam would at least have the advantage of low internal repulsion forces, making it a viable long-range alternative to other energy weapons.

The real trick is making it a "cold" plasma, one with minimal side-to-side thermal velocity, too...

Obviously, no one is required to honor this in their own pieces in the game, and I do not for a moment believe that they are. I am doing this only because of my own desire to keep my soft-SF from going all runny.

[Ryan Thunder]

No offense Simon, but really, who cares?

[Siege]

It's commendable to try and find a way to make this make sense, but really... My guys use plasma guns so I can say things like "phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range" and use it to blow people into charred chunks.



Like so.

That's pretty much all there is to it. Sure we could do some handwaving about 'exotic matter plasma' or somesuch but yeah... Who cares?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Yeah... as it is, space-warp weapons are around that can warp space-time and crack open planets.

[RogueIce]

To whom it may concern (RogueIce)

Excellent. They deserve to be denounced as the crazy hippies slightly misguided people that they are.

As far as plasma weapons, eh... I don't really like quantifying too much, mainly because I'm no math major anyway. I'll probably just use a mix of vaugely undefined "beam weapons" and "projectile weapons" if I feel the need to describe it.

[Simon_Jester]

It's commendable to try and find a way to make this make sense, but really... My guys use plasma guns so I can say things like "phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range" and use it to blow people into charred chunks.

That's pretty much all there is to it. Sure we could do some handwaving about 'exotic matter plasma' or somesuch but yeah... Who cares?

No offense Simon, but really, who cares?

Who cares what the name of a random continent on Nova Terra was?

If we're going to set the standard for posting in Commentary to "I personally care" and then expect every post to pass everyone's approval, we'd probably still only be about ten or fifteen pages into Commentary Thread I.

As far as plasma weapons, eh... I don't really like quantifying too much, mainly because I'm no math major anyway. I'll probably just use a mix of vaugely undefined "beam weapons" and "projectile weapons" if I feel the need to describe it.

Not asking anyone to quantify; you may recall the bit where I said "Obviously, no one is required to honor this in their own pieces in the game, and I do not for a moment believe that they are. I am doing this only because of my own desire to keep MY soft-SF from going all runny." (Capitalization added)

I tell no one else how to have their fun; I appreciate Rogue for not sneering at me for how I have mine.

Pursuant to that, I would like to point out that I haven't given a single hard number in the entire battle, and most certainly haven't given any for weapon firepower. I may have broadly quantified concepts of what the stuff being thrown around on my side of the map is capable of, at least on an order of magnitude level. I keep them to myself, because those numbers exist only as a subordinate guideline to my writing; I prefer to let the writing speak for itself.

I've got a proposed mechanism for plasma weapons so I can imagine how they work, and I decided to share it... in much the same spirit that Shroomy chooses to share penis jokes, and with no more expectation that others would feel obliged to do the same.

[RogueIce]

As far as plasma weapons, eh... I don't really like quantifying too much, mainly because I'm no math major anyway. I'll probably just use a mix of vaugely undefined "beam weapons" and "projectile weapons" if I feel the need to describe it.

Not asking anyone to quantify; you may recall the bit where I said "Obviously, no one is required to honor this in their own pieces in the game, and I do not for a moment believe that they are. I am doing this only because of my own desire to keep MY soft-SF from going all runny." (Capitalization added)

I wasn't sneering. I actually find it interesting.

I was just commenting that I probably wouldn't do that sort of thing as it is beyond my skillset. EDIT: Because I know people wait with bated breath for my next grand and magnificent contribution to the story thread, of course.

Well, that and I don't want to get too specific in the off chance I later see something and go "ooohh shiny!" and want to use it. So just boring ol' "and the weapons fired and it was awesome" out of me.

Who cares what the name of a random continent on Nova Terra was?

I care.

[Simon_Jester]

I wasn't sneering.

I know you weren't. That's why I appreciate your not doing so. Had I thought you were sneering, I would have said something more like "I do not appreciate Rogue for sneering" and less like "I appreciate Rogue for not sneering." On account of... well. You get the idea.

I was just commenting that I probably wouldn't do that sort of thing as it is beyond my skillset.

I'm honestly not sure how much it adds even if one does have the skillset. But by semi-random chance I happen to have followed a road in life that gave it to me, so I use it because why the hell not. It's part of who I am- just as making penis jokes and inserting "Shroom" into every fourth proper noun is part of who Shroomy is.

Who cares what the name of a random continent on Nova Terra was?

I care.

Perfectly fair. That was kind of my point to Ryan and Siege.

[Shroom Man 777]

Goddamn geostigma enormous swords huge bikes albino androgyne lifestream deformed cripples!

[Siege]

Who cares what the name of a random continent on Nova Terra was?

Nobody except the players, and even they didn't care much considering there were at least three variants for "Frequesue/Frequesque/Frequese" and "America/Messamerica/Messica" out there for the duration of the game. Which oddly is my point: I think you'll find nobody said anything about approval or the requirement therefor. I might not care enough to care about weapons mechanisms, but that don't mean you ought'n't still do whatever floats your personal boat. It just means that we might end up with three different plasma weapons but hey, at least there's precedent.

[Shroom Man 777]

Let's all be nices and kawaiis desus?


^______________________________________________^

[Simon_Jester]

I would prefer that option; it just bugs me when the first reply I get is a point blank "No offense, but who really cares?" Kinda rude, I would say.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

And so I have unleashed Shroom, the ultimate weapon to break all minds.

Now if only he worked a little faster...

[Shroom Man 777]

Man, Steve. That was pretty damn good. Haha, SEB. That's like TEO, but with RDA.

Wonder if certain people will bitch about how LARCs are VTOLs and that Steve wouldn't have gotten away with it if the RDA SEB used MiGs instead.

I'm sorry, I just can't get over it!

[Force Lord]

In regards to Nova Atlantis's contribution to the anti-pirate fleet...

1-Akagi class carrier
2-Godslayer class destroyers
5-Tercio class Frigates
5-Xiongnu class Frigates

Zor

Not bad. I presume your force arrives by early June?

And regarding Keldrog's plan, can I say, "It's a trap!"

[Simon_Jester]

Hope you liked it, FL. There'll be more, but I can't promise how much and when beyond "next few days-ish." Much depends on the muses.