Posleen vs TBO

[TimothyC]

DO I want to know what I missed?

I'll make it short for you. In the TBO 'verse there are unusually long lived humans. They're called "demons", but they aren't really, it's more like a weird mutation that gives you glowy eyes and a thousand year life-span, many thousands of years in some cases.

The red eyes are a female only trait in TBO, and roughly two out of every three demons are female. Interesting fact from TBO - Exactly one Brother-Sister demon pair have been mentioned, and the (brother IIRC) died before DNA was discovered, so a very useful avenue of research was lost (I believe a character even points this out).

[Samuel]

Oh, I thought it was Posleen universe. Still weird, but I guess we can give Stuart is creative lisence.

Mostly because it allows characters to live through multiple books.

And so, with some logic in hand and a vague series of images I set out to write a book. It was not intended to be published (indeed, until about three months before I sent Hymn Before Battle off to Baen Books I had never considered becoming a published author), but rather it was a book for me, something that I wanted to read, an alien invasion where the "good guys" (that's us) got to really sink their teeth into the bad guys (that's the Posleen). No gray areas, no ambiguity. Victory or death. Vive le morte! Once more unto the breach! Take that bunker or die trying!

That would be any war of extermination. Armaggedon does that well, and making the Demons have higher tech (gunpowder) would make a good example.

Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that this backfired? He managed to put the Posleen in a gray light, and his political opponents in the baddie one.

I mean, if it isn't victory or death, what's the point? (Oh, Art? Excuse me while I laugh. Go read some of the reviews of Dickens.)

Well, he doesn't really understand the whole point of warfare. God, talk about not doing the research.

Take care and just remember; the good guys always win in the end.

I'm sorry... I shouldn't really talk- I mean I am young and stupid. Still, the fact that members of the board have come up with better stories using ground warfare in future hard sci-fi that aren't this stupid...

Did he actually bother to do the research or is the entire series based of Sci-fi cliches?

[CaptainChewbacca]

I know they never performed a sustained orbital bombardment, but didn't the Posleen hammer the Maginot line and Alpine defence centers in "Watch on the Rhine"? Was that from orbit or within atmosphere?

I believe it was atmospheric. Of course, it only happened about 3 years into the war, so it is rather irrelevant if the opponet can prevent them from gaining a foothold.

ALL of earth's planetary defense installations were taken out in the initial orbial passes of the first wave, along with a lot of other targets, including the pyramids at Giza and in the Yucatan. It was not atmospheric, it was orbital bombardment.

[Samuel]

I know they never performed a sustained orbital bombardment, but didn't the Posleen hammer the Maginot line and Alpine defence centers in "Watch on the Rhine"? Was that from orbit or within atmosphere?

I believe it was atmospheric. Of course, it only happened about 3 years into the war, so it is rather irrelevant if the opponet can prevent them from gaining a foothold.

ALL of earth's planetary defense installations were taken out in the initial orbial passes of the first wave, along with a lot of other targets, including the pyramids at Giza and in the Yucatan. It was not atmospheric, it was orbital bombardment.

We were refering to the tactical bombardment during the war. Only things that shot at the Posleen and things that looked like God-King HQs were targeted in the beginning. For the entire rest of the war, the Posleen didn't bother targeting things from space. The "support" they had was close enough to be taken out by the Shiva in Hell's Faire, meaning it was probably atmospheric.

Honestly, how sgupid do you have to be to not target enemy rail lines or roads? it isn't like that would be permanent damage, but it would cut supplies. Nope, they never do that in the entire war!

[Darth Hoth]

As for harsh environments... I get the feeling we are going to have The Roughneck Chronicles wank. Nothing I saw showed they were exceptional, only the Galactics say-so who know jack shit about combat and are probably lying. Honestly, 40K codex narrorators are more reliable.

Numerous sources state that they cannot stand winter climate - unless it happens to be Russian - though Yellow Eyes does show them as capable of enduring it in the short term if they eat a lot; the same source shows them to be eminently ill suited to the jungle. Anyone remember anything on how they handled desert climates?

[CaptainChewbacca]

As for harsh environments... I get the feeling we are going to have The Roughneck Chronicles wank. Nothing I saw showed they were exceptional, only the Galactics say-so who know jack shit about combat and are probably lying. Honestly, 40K codex narrorators are more reliable.

Numerous sources state that they cannot stand winter climate - unless it happens to be Russian - though Yellow Eyes does show them as capable of enduring it in the short term if they eat a lot; the same source shows them to be eminently ill suited to the jungle. Anyone remember anything on how they handled desert climates?

They actually got seriously hurt by the Russian winter, whole globes that landed in central asia and Russia simply froze to death.

As for desert climates, their main difficulties were finding water. The Australians held out in Alice Springs for a few weeks while the Posleen figured out how to transport water. When they were attacking the middle east, they largely hugged the coasts and only went inland along rivers or roadways, which allowed them to take out all the various population centers. The heat didn't seem to affect them.

[Darth Hoth]

They actually got seriously hurt by the Russian winter, whole globes that landed in central asia and Russia simply froze to death.

My apologies; I was only adding my part to the general ridicule of the fact that they could conquer Russia, but stayed out of Canada and fucking Scandinavia due to cold weather.

[consequences]

As for harsh environments... I get the feeling we are going to have The Roughneck Chronicles wank. Nothing I saw showed they were exceptional, only the Galactics say-so who know jack shit about combat and are probably lying. Honestly, 40K codex narrorators are more reliable.

Numerous sources state that they cannot stand winter climate - unless it happens to be Russian - though Yellow Eyes does show them as capable of enduring it in the short term if they eat a lot; the same source shows them to be eminently ill suited to the jungle. Anyone remember anything on how they handled desert climates?

They actually got seriously hurt by the Russian winter, whole globes that landed in central asia and Russia simply froze to death.

As for desert climates, their main difficulties were finding water. The Australians held out in Alice Springs for a few weeks while the Posleen figured out how to transport water. When they were attacking the middle east, they largely hugged the coasts and only went inland along rivers or roadways, which allowed them to take out all the various population centers. The heat didn't seem to affect them.

This from Baen's bar discussions, or the Posleen d20 supplement that came on the Hell's faire CD? And if the first, got a link?

[Samuel]

The series.
It is from the third book.
http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/02-A ... Dances.htm

Scandanavia is noted to hold out in Watch on the Rhine.

[consequences]

Umm, horsecrap. The only thing in the third book was a timeline showing landings and when effective resistance ceased in assorted areas, a reference to the Chinese nuking themselves to try to delay the horde, and mention of scattered resistance forces in exceptionally inhospitable terrain. Jack shit was said about the nature of the Russian or Australian fight before being overwhelmed.

[Samuel]

Umm, horsecrap. The only thing in the third book was a timeline showing landings and when effective resistance ceased in assorted areas, a reference to the Chinese nuking themselves to try to delay the horde, and mention of scattered resistance forces in exceptionally inhospitable terrain. Jack shit was said about the nature of the Russian or Australian fight before being overwhelmed.

Oh, sorry. You wanted to know where the description of the campaign is from? I think it is from Yellow Eyes, but I can't confirm, not having read the book.

[consequences]

I reread Yellow Eyes fairly recently, and I don't remember that either(just a litany of South American countries getting eaten along with half of the US State Department), and as I recall, Watch on the Rhine didn't deal with anything East of Poland.

[CaptainChewbacca]

As for desert climates, their main difficulties were finding water. The Australians held out in Alice Springs for a few weeks while the Posleen figured out how to transport water. When they were attacking the middle east, they largely hugged the coasts and only went inland along rivers or roadways, which allowed them to take out all the various population centers. The heat didn't seem to affect them.

This from Baen's bar discussions, or the Posleen d20 supplement that came on the Hell's faire CD? And if the first, got a link?

There were two fanfic stories written, 'Yeoman of England' and 'Jihad', which were so detailed and well-done that they were deemed to be cannon by John Ringo. The second book detailed the invasion of the middle east, specifically Saudi Arabia. I don't recall where I got the stories, but I'm pretty sure I still have them on my computer.

[Darth Hoth]

There were two fanfic stories written, 'Yeoman of England' and 'Jihad', which were so detailed and well-done that they were deemed to be cannon by John Ringo. The second book detailed the invasion of the middle east, specifically Saudi Arabia. I don't recall where I got the stories, but I'm pretty sure I still have them on my computer.

Ah, Christopher Nuttall; I have had the pleasure of reading some of his stories. He shows himself as not too knowledgeable at times when it comes to military technology, but generally his stuff is rather professional.

Damned if I know where to look for those stories, though; I received my copies from a pal, and they went with the rest of my computer.

[Samuel]

It is linked on his page- anyone have an account can try to get in:
http://wiki.alternatehistory.com/doku.p ... opic/chris