Stas Bush wrote:The CSR will be present. Valery Zorin is our ambassador.
P.S. Hey Raj, are you trying to kill the Operation Judith?
Not really. Beowulf asked me if I could help with the refugee's, thus reminding me that there should be a huge refugee problem in Frequesue.
Also, having a working relationship with people (even the imperialist aggressors ) is always a good idea.
Edit: The refugee thing also lets me show off the two main factions in Indhopal's government: the hard line nationalists and the more pan Frequesue group that thinks Indhopal should take the lead on issues affecting the continent.
Airforce Order of Battle: Strategic, PVO, Front (Army) and Naval aviation, including Maritime Patrol CSR Airfleet OOB
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Raj Ahten wrote:Not really. Beowulf asked me if I could help with the refugee's, thus reminding me that there should be a huge refugee problem in Frequesue.
This might be a good time to clarify in San Dorado there is no such thing as an 'illegal immigrant'. Anyone's welcome to come in and stay and make the best of it. (Of course that usually means you'll end up working in a sweatshop, but it might just beat indefinite detainment in a huge desert refugee camp somewhere).
I've drawn up a list of Astaria's diplomatic and trading links with the outside world. Let me know if I got it right. If I haven't mentioned your country please let me know what relations with Astaria are like.
Diplomatic Representation
Alaska - None, passport not recognised.
Arabia - Consulate
Baerne - None, passport not recognised
Border Republics - Consulate
Bysantium - Embassy
Canissia - None, passport not recognised
Cascadia - None, passport not recognised
Cialan - None, passport not recognised
Coilerburg - None, passport not recognised
CSR - Consulate?
Egypt - Consulate
Frequesque - Embassy (diverse minor states)
Indhopal - None, passport not recognised
Japanistan - Consulate
Khitan - None, passport not recognised
Klavostan - None, passport not recognised
Langley - None, passport not recognised
Old Dominion - None, passport not recognised
Pezookia - None, passport not recognised
San Dorado - None (passport recognised?)
Serenity - None, passport not recognised
Shepistan - Consulate
Shinra - None, passport not recognised
Shroomania - None, passport not recognised
Tian Xia - None, passport not recognised
Tonkin - None, passport not recognised
USSR - None, passport not recognised
Velaria - Embassies with most states.
Vineyards - None, passport not recognised
Vulpesia - None, passport not recognised
Wilkonia - None, passport not recognised
Zoria - None, passport not recognised
[1] Although neither country is likely to refuse trade, the simple fact is that they have nothing to offer Astaria, and vice-versa. As a result trade between the two are non-existent, and has remained so for at least four decades.
[1] Diplomatic staff, merchants, and some tourists.
[2] Diplomatic staff.
[3] Diplomatic staff, merchants, students, and tourists. Estimate is probably too low.
Last edited by Norseman on 2008-09-11 11:53am, edited 1 time in total.
^Well, if you want me to establish an embassy, I'm open to it.
STGOD: Byzantine Empire Your spirit, diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face... and whatever wreckage you leave behind you.
Kreia
Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:^Well, if you want me to establish an embassy, I'm open to it.
Probably best to consider it an established one, but that's fine. As things are going you're probably the only Old Continent nation where I have diplomatic representation.
DarthShady wrote:So is the MESS going to crush Shep, or does he have some kind of OOC deal with Lonestar?
Because I can't see this ending well for him.
To be frank and honest, I'm not sure what's coming next.
STGOD: Byzantine Empire Your spirit, diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face... and whatever wreckage you leave behind you.
Kreia
I've only raised the alert levels for the forces stationed in the Old Dominion. I don't really know what's next.
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
DarthShady wrote:So is the MESS going to crush Shep, or does he have some kind of OOC deal with Lonestar?
Because I can't see this ending well for him.
I'm in Floribama on a company laptop with no IM software...so what you see is what you get.
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."
I think, given the Slavocracy, that Zoria should keep Astaria considered as a rouge state.
Zor
Last edited by Zor on 2008-09-11 02:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
HAIL ZOR!WE'LL BLOW UP THE OCEAN!
Heros of Cybertron-HAB-Keeper of the Vicious pit of Allosauruses-King Leighton-I, United Kingdom of Zoria: SD.net World/Tsar Mikhail-I of the Red Tsardom: SD.net Kingdoms WHEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE ON EARTH, ALL EARTH BREAKS LOOSE ON HELL Terran Sphere The Art of Zor
How many modern nations would have open and cordial diplomatic relations with a nation that has legalized chattel slavery?
Astarias is effectively the CSA in the modern day in a lot of ways.
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:^Well, if you want me to establish an embassy, I'm open to it.
You do know he has very public and legal slavery in his country, right? There's a reason he lacks many of the "auto-embassies/consulates" of most everyone else.
"How can I wait unknowing?
This is the price of war,
We rise with noble intentions,
And we risk all that is pure..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, Forever (Rome: Total War)
"On and on, through the years,
The war continues on..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, We Are All One (Medieval 2: Total War)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
Stas Bush wrote:Why the hell are people spamming 5th generation fighters?
Well we're manufacturing F-22s now (at something like 6 per month) but then the USAF already has them in operational service (just not very widespread). So we're not exactly spamming.
My F-35 project is still in the prototype stage, FYI.
"How can I wait unknowing?
This is the price of war,
We rise with noble intentions,
And we risk all that is pure..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, Forever (Rome: Total War)
"On and on, through the years,
The war continues on..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, We Are All One (Medieval 2: Total War)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:^Well, if you want me to establish an embassy, I'm open to it.
You do know he has very public and legal slavery in his country, right? There's a reason he lacks many of the "auto-embassies/consulates" of most everyone else.
Not only that but most countries won't even recognise an Astarian passport, which makes things particularly difficult.
Contemporary Astarian culture has roots well into the 19th Century. Astaria has in fact always been isolated from mainstream society, any mainstream society. This is partly due to extreme distance, their status as an exporter of agricultural goods, and more lately foreign distaste for their politics.
Film and TV
The Astarian movie industry had its birth in the 1910s, primarily producing movies for the home market. Initially the Astarian movie industry grew in sync with the rest of the world. Right from the start Astarian movies were known for large casts, lavish costuming, and elaborate settings. Until the 1930s it seemed that the Astarian movie industry was established as one of the finest, and most profitable, in the world. However due to increasing embargoes, and popular boycotts, the Astarian movie industry began to falter. It had a brief resurgence during the second world war, due to the absence of several movie stars, and the lack of resources to make movies. By the 1950s though, the export of movies was effectively over.
The difficulties with selling movies was often followed by difficulties in importing them, so since the 1950s the Astarian movie industry has worked in near isolation. Many of the movies it made were, and are, rather parochial. That said technical aspects such as cinematography, costuming, and setting remains excellent.
In recent years historical war movies such as "The Heroes," and the romantic comedy "Aliana" have had considerable success abroad. Despite that most Astarian movies are at best shown in small movie clubs, if they're available at all.
Television
During the 1940s Astaria was briefly a leader in the technical field. This was mind you due to other countries shutting down their television broadcasts during the war. This also meant that Astarian television was very independent right from the start, and so the increasing pressure during the 1950s did not affect television as much as cinema.
Astarian television is often considered peculiar, the language is English, but the content and presentation is strangely alien. Part this is due to Astarian culture, but the lack of foreign inspiration has its effect. There are no foreign franchises, imported serials, and stranger yet no attempts to make domestic copies. There are of course many cases where Astarian television is very similar to foreign television. However this is mostly due to convergent evolution.
Animation
One area where Astaria was and is in the forefront is in terms of quality animation. This is a result of ample cheap labour. Dozens of animated features are released every year, many of whom end up outside Astaria's borders. Animation is also a minor export industry, and there's been a few scandals where movie companies were caught using Astarian animators.
Literature
Since the 17th Century Astarian literature was intimately linked to the Old World, though mostly to Shroomia and Canissia. An Astarian literature proper rose out of the mid 18th Century; partly due to the sheer isolation of the island, and partly due to the peculiar conditions there. One popular genre was the Isolation Story, dealing with the suffocating isolation of the mountains, the jungles, and the hostile landscape.
As the 19th Century came to an end Astarian literature began to part ways with the rest of the Old World. Themes remained the same, but many Astarian authors of the time write of disappointment and disillusion with the outside world. Such themes grew stronger up to the 1950s, after which they vanished remarkably quickly.
Current Astarian literature is strong in parochial terms, not necessarily supportive of the current regime, but generally written from a firmly Astarian perspective. The theme of the Isolation Story also continues, but with an idea of befriending what had previously been seen as the inevitably hostile Velarians. Currently Velarian themes show up more and more, and indeed many Velarian authors are very popular in Astaria.
Music
Until the 1920s Astarian music was more or less the same as Old World music. Composers like John Hayworth, Isaac Green, and Harold Miller wrote in the same style as their Old World counterparts. AT the time the local folk music, be it white or Velarian, was generally considered beneath notice by the upper and middle-classes.
At the same time the 1920s was a time of great national romanticism, and new composers began to challenge the old norms. In 1937 Nicholas Ainsley published the first compilation of Astarian folk songs, he also wrote several new songs in the same style. Oddly enough it wasn't before 1954 that his son, George Ainsley, went to South Velaria to study the local music there. What he found was a vigorous mixture of Astarian and Velarian styles, which some considered obscene. In fact a similar mixture had arisen in Astaria proper, but the national romanticists tended to ignore it in order to concentrate on "pure Astarian folk music."
The rejection of new foreign influences, growing stronger since the 1920s, also meant that many genres night extinct abroad continued in Velaria. Several of these genres evolved, mixed with others, and so forth, but some remained untouched. This means that big band music, swing, and so forth still exist in various parts of Astaria.
Current pop music is a wide variety of sub-genres gathered under the heading of Asteru. A melange of Astarian and Velarian influences, mixed without concern for sources. Generally played very loud. Asteru is virtually unknown outside of Asteria, as even movies supposedly set there doesn't use it.
Food
It's hard to pigeonhole Astarian cuisine. It has elements of Old World cuisine, developed over a long period of isolation. This isolation period was mainly responsible for adding a lot of rice and spice to the diet. Later long contact with Velaria brought back Arab style foods. The mixture of these tradition has made Astarian cuisine rich in cheeses, hummus, skewered meat, stuffed pastries, and eggplants. There are also several interesting local pizzas and pizza look-a-likes.
Even the poor can afford to eat out in restaurants almost every day, and everyone expects quality. This is in part due to low labour costs in the restaurant business, but also due to the very low costs of raw materials.
Gentle Living
The Astarian ideal is sometimes called Gentle Living, sometimes compared to the idea of the La Bella Figura. Superficially this is consists of slowing down, taking time to enjoy things, being able to make your own decisions, and generally acting properly. On the other hand acting properly also includes defending your rights, and your honour. Nowadays it's usually done without much violence. More importantly you should be seen acting this way, and look good doing it.
This is partly emulating the upper-class plantation owners, especially by the middle-classes. However it is also in part a simple concession to the weather.
Due to cheap tailoring and textiles even the relatively poor can afford surprisingly good clothing. In some cases poor people will miss meals, or even starve themselves, in order to afford good clothing. The saying goes, "It is better to have good clothes than to eat, for people can see your clothes, but not your empty stomach."
Stas Bush wrote:And Greenpeace buying a Foxtrot sub? Really? Can they even do it? I think no sane nation would give them a possibility to buy such an asset. Also, why did they attack Shep and say not my nuclear bulkers travelling the Arctic waters? Sounds like ad-hoc reason to "increase our military presence". Well, well
I'd say it's about as legitimate as that "pirate attack" Skimmer pulled off, myself.
"How can I wait unknowing?
This is the price of war,
We rise with noble intentions,
And we risk all that is pure..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, Forever (Rome: Total War)
"On and on, through the years,
The war continues on..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, We Are All One (Medieval 2: Total War)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
Shinn Langley Soryu wrote:Just $40-50 million for the upgrades? Doesn't sound like too much, so I'll take them.
While we're here, you were also trying to sell me K2 Black Panthers, Puma IFVs, and F100 frigates, right? I'm going to propose a package deal.
The terms? Flat $8 billion for 8 Formidables modified to my specifications and 6 baseline F100s, along with licenses to produce the K2 and Puma and enough of said vehicles to equip three mech infantry brigades, one armored brigade, and my entire Marine Corps (whatever numbers those may be; if a platoon has 4 vehicles, a company has 4 platoons, a battalion has 4 companies, and a brigade has at least two battalions, I'm probably looking at a minimum of 384 Pumas and 128 K2s, plus an additional 30 K2s for the Marines).
Does that sound good, or do you want more cash?
Sounds good enough. You want to produce the vehicles locally? I guess I will send the engineers down.
I'll get the frigates produced in about 1-1.5 years then.
Don't forget that you also have to send down some complete K2s and Pumas to me for study and evaluation purposes; I'll build the rest myself.
I ship Eino Ilmari Juutilainen x Lydia V. Litvyak.
Phantasee: Don't be a dick.
Stofsk: What are you, his mother?
The Yosemite Bear: Obviously, which means that he's grounded, and that she needs to go back to sucking Mr. Coffee's cock.
"d-did... did this thread just turn into Thanas/PeZook slash fiction?" - Ilya Muromets[/size]
Stas Bush wrote:And Greenpeace buying a Foxtrot sub? Really? Can they even do it? I think no sane nation would give them a possibility to buy such an asset. Also, why did they attack Shep and say not my nuclear bulkers travelling the Arctic waters? Sounds like ad-hoc reason to "increase our military presence". Well, well
I'd say it's about as legitimate as that "pirate attack" Skimmer pulled off, myself.
You clearly never watched Sea Quest.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Raj Ahten wrote:A question for Sea Skimmer here: Earlier you were talking about how Japanistan had diesel subs that could launch a couple of SCUDS. Indhopal is very interested in relatively cheap submarines with a missile capability. Would Japanistan be interested in selling Indopal subs or partnering with Indhopal to produce a new class of subs?
If not (or even if we do) what sort of real life sub class should I be looking at for inspiration for a capable, but "inexpensive", submarine?
I have Zulu V and the Golf series, which happens to be the only subs of that type around unless you count deck launched V-2 trials in the USN. The ballistic missile capability gained is not that great, Japanistan maintains them as part of its arsenal of special shock and terror weapons. I don’t see much reason to build new ones. If you want a new class of diesel boat though I could help out with that and whip up something cheap in the way of a cruise missile launching submarine. Maybe with provisions for an auxiliary nuclear reactor.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Stas Bush wrote:And Greenpeace buying a Foxtrot sub? Really? :? Can they even do it? I think no sane nation would give them a possibility to buy such an asset. Also, why did they attack Shep and say not my nuclear bulkers travelling the Arctic waters? Sounds like ad-hoc reason to "increase our military presence". Well, well ;)
I'd say it's about as legitimate as that "pirate attack" Skimmer pulled off, myself.
You clearly never watched Sea Quest.
*giggles like a lunatic* Fuck yes!
The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. -- Wikipedia's No Original Research policy page.
I only saw the one where they went into the future and humanity was on the verge of extinction because teenagers played video games instead of fucking in the future.
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."
Raj Ahten wrote:A question for Sea Skimmer here: Earlier you were talking about how Japanistan had diesel subs that could launch a couple of SCUDS. Indhopal is very interested in relatively cheap submarines with a missile capability. Would Japanistan be interested in selling Indopal subs or partnering with Indhopal to produce a new class of subs?
If not (or even if we do) what sort of real life sub class should I be looking at for inspiration for a capable, but "inexpensive", submarine?
I have Zulu V and the Golf series, which happens to be the only subs of that type around unless you count deck launched V-2 trials in the USN. The ballistic missile capability gained is not that great, Japanistan maintains them as part of its arsenal of special shock and terror weapons. I don’t see much reason to build new ones. If you want a new class of diesel boat though I could help out with that and whip up something cheap in the way of a cruise missile launching submarine. Maybe with provisions for an auxiliary nuclear reactor.
Indhopal would definitely be interested in a new class of diesel's with cruise missile capability. I'm willing to shell out funds and design teams for research and developement, or just buy the things if Japanistan if uncomfortable with a joint project.
) is always a good idea.
