SD.Net World Redux Comment Thread VII

[Darth Coyotus]

Then lets add some more landmass for conquest additional game play and just handwave them as 'uninvolved so far'. We can always increase the size of this world and include areas that have been 'ignored'.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Would Japanistan be interested in a student exchange program?

[PeZook]

Heh, Japanistan has lousy intelligence people. The deal with Katangwa was announced via public media, it wasn't a secret at all

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Heh, Japanistan has lousy intelligence people. The deal with Katangwa was announced via public media, it wasn't a secret at all

Maybe in their rabid paranoia, they decided to seek third, fourth, fifth etc. party confirmation.

[Coyote]

Bingo. Think about it-- why would the contentious and antagonistic MESS and CATO suddenly be swapping major weapons systems for pennies among themselves, and a client state that is in the middle of their own colonial holdings? But it's apparantly true, the photos prove it, etc.

I mean, really, unless there's something else going on elsewhere in Velreia, the appearance of 90 high-end fighters in Katangwaland will be alarming and odd to the paranoid Japanistanis. Especially since the Canissian Legion Etrangere will be seen openly helping to hangar and guard them. This is probably the mightiest native air force on the entire continent, now, and to fight... who? Dinosaurs?

Japanistan is become more paranoid as their fears are 'confirmed'. This can be nothing more than a prepatory strike force against them in Veleria, after all.

[K. A. Pital]

Yeah, remember - Japanistan's pretty isolated and paranoic.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Bingo. Think about it-- why would the contentious and antagonistic MESS and CATO suddenly be swapping major weapons systems for pennies among themselves, and a client state that is in the middle of their own colonial holdings? But it's apparantly true, the photos prove it, etc.

I mean, really, unless there's something else going on elsewhere in Velreia, the appearance of 90 high-end fighters in Katangwaland will be alarming and odd to the paranoid Japanistanis. Especially since the Canissian Legion Etrangere will be seen openly helping to hangar and guard them. This is probably the mightiest native air force on the entire continent, now, and to fight... who? Dinosaurs?

Japanistan is become more paranoid as their fears are 'confirmed'. This can be nothing more than a prepatory strike force against them in Veleria, after all.

Actually, Byzantium is interested in ... re-expanding the ties after the period of Isolationism. Would Japanistan be interested in sending generals to visit Byzantium and vice versa? I'm also interested in having Student exchange programs. If you are cool, I'll go write up the posts.

[Coyote]

I'll have to think about that. As I'm playing them now, they're much more paranoid but much more cautious. Doing the 'Veleria invasion' these days would be unheard of except in the most dire of circumstances.

The way I'm seeing them is a people who were stunned that they actually got called on their brinksmanship games with the destruction of Shepistan. That was a serious wake-up call that told them that they can only push the Imperialist powers so far before they strike back, and strike back mercilessly. With Shepistan gone, they don't feel so squirrelly.

But they have to do something-- Shep is gone, and now there's CATO and MESS all over the world, colonialism ("hey, wasn't that what we were punished for years ago, dammit!?") and enhanced militarism in Veleria...

Japanistan sees the big picture from their perspective. Remember, not only has there been the MESS-CATO division of Frequesque, but one of the biggest 'villains' behind Shepistan's destruction (Old Dominion) has gone on further 'unchecked rampages' through the ruins of Shepistan, and turned the Impact Archipelago into a series of puppet states.

For a nation that has historically been concerned (and convinced) about plots of foreign encirclement, the MESS and CATO both seem to be falling all over each other to confirm all their worst fears. So now they're interested in delaying and disrupting encirclement but by more subtle means, since apparantly overt conflict will get you WMD'ed into oblivion.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Well, I'll go write up the posts, just to get something of an official response.

[PeZook]

If Japanistan is really that paranoid, they should probably withdraw from the manned overflight agreement with FASTA, shouldn't they?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

If Japanistan is really that paranoid, they should probably withdraw from the manned overflight agreement with FASTA, shouldn't they?

Well, it allows them to peek at our technology, so...

[Ryan Thunder]

Does anybody have the circumference of Nova Terra handy?

[phongn]

It's in the Wiki under "Astronomical Parameters"

[Coyote]

If Japanistan is really that paranoid, they should probably withdraw from the manned overflight agreement with FASTA, shouldn't they?

I've considered that, and right now the benefits they get from it outweighs the risks. They have the chance to not only look at tech, but see for themselves whether something is or isn't a spy mission.

[Shroom Man 777]

FASTA should open up a little bit more to Japanistan, just to ease them out and stuff.

Um, I should post some silly stuff soon. Before I disappear for another couple of weeks.

[RogueIce]

Is SDN-world Mk.-II already so grumpy that we're contemplating a SDN-world Mk.-III?

Actually, in a way, not grumpy enough. Especially if CATO and MESS get all friendly and non-antagonistic.

Not trying to be superdick here, but without some tension and conflict, what's left? Moon shots and the next shiny war machine? I'll give Coyote the benefit of the doubt on his Japanistan plans, but without some kind of global plot the game might as well be in fanfics with "Adventures of ABC from XYZ nation". It is a nation-state simulator at its core, after all.

Me and Steve have been talking, and we'll no doubt keep an open mind, but once the moon landings happen I'd be up for an SDN World III. Because that seems like the pinnacle of what we'd 'achieve' (I'd RP it as, we passed Q's test or some nonsense), and the technology developments are only going to get more esoteric and 'what-if' from here. Heck some of this body armor stuff is already starting to get to that point, IMO.

So it's a thought, and if everyone wants to keep at it post moon shots, I'm cool with that. Just throwing ideas out there. Plus, we would have the chance to fix a few stuff regarding OOBs, economies, the map, game balance, etc. We're still working out the kinks of all that (as evidenced by the arguments over OOB formation at the start of this game), and this is only version 2 of the Beta for SDN World: The Game.

So it's up to you all. I'm not going to quit or anything whenever somebody lands on the moon. Just considering possibilities for another SDN World game.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I think a point to note, is that when we start up the next game, some players may have to elect to be the bad guys and have to good at it.

But really, the moon in my opinion isn't the end all, really...

[Raj Ahten]

If having my intel man heading to the same town in the Costa's as the terrorists is too convenient for you guys just let me know. Right now I'm just trying to establish that my man is suspicious and thinks something unusual is going on, with the possibility of a small action scene in the future where Cortez desperately attempts to not get killed in an ambush .

Edit: As far as SDnet world III and so forth go I was surprised that the game soldiered on to this point after the biowar. I'm glad it did because things are certainly very interesting for Indhopal at the moment!

If and when we do a new game I always liked the idea of starting in the 1920's or 30's. That gives small nations a better chance of standing up to big ones in a war and gives us a really easy tech progression to follow rather than having to postulate about future weapons. It also makes the possibility of "primitive" areas to explore/conquer a lot more believable.

But for now I think this game still has a lot of life left in it yet.

edit mk2: we could also set goals at the start of a game, such as "it will go for 20 years" or the like just so they have a definitive end point so if people have a grand plot line if they want to do or something it can be all planned out.

[Shroom Man 777]

What the HELL are we gonna do in a Game 3? Start over from scratch? Race each other to the moon ALL OVER AGAIN? What the hell?!

Maybe we can make fair fair and turn the last game's dominant powers into midget nations, and the last game's midget nations into great powers then?

We could follow Shep's suggestion and make Shroomania a tsardom next-time round.

[RogueIce]

What the HELL are we gonna do in a Game 3? Start over from scratch? Race each other to the moon ALL OVER AGAIN? What the hell?!

Actually go with one of those "start it in 1930s ideas" because yes, restarting in the modern age would basically be us doing the same things all over again.

[Shroom Man 777]

We should totally go with working on a smaller scale than a global scale. We could roleplay companies, organizations, crime syndicates, individuals inside a greater SDNW.

[Coyote]

I'd be up for anything from the 1870's up to the 1940's. Or, barring that, a version where space flight within the solar system is just beginning to get 'routine'.

But really, I was thinking this morning that plots involving Colonialism, Dreadnoughts, Cavalry and Gatling guns would be fuckin' sweeeet.

[Coyote]

Raj, I think it is perfectly sensible for your guy to be there. Like you said, seeing both MESS and CATO at work is a grand opportunity, plus the agent-provocateur stuff is compelling for a concerned local gov't to check out.

[DarthShady]

We should totally go with working on a smaller scale than a global scale. We could roleplay companies, organizations, crime syndicates, individuals inside a greater SDNW.

That would be a completely different game, not exactly SD.net World, and not nearly as interesting. Besides, you can do that in SDNW too, so whats the point?

I think a point to note, is that when we start up the next game, some players may have to elect to be the bad guys and have to good at it.

I like this idea, could be fun.

But really, the moon in my opinion isn't the end all, really...

Yeah, I agree. There is plenty of life left in this game, no need to quit now.

[Master_Baerne]

I'm with Coyote. Dreadnoughts for the win!