SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV

[Akhlut]

With the extended weekend coming up next week for us USicans, I'm going to try to get my head back in the game.

[Simon_Jester]

With the extended weekend coming up next week for us USicans, I'm going to try to get my head back in the game.

Hurrah! Friendly dinosaurs! This evening I will PM you a series of all posts I've made mentioning your nation, just in case you want to skim.

Well, that's pretty much ridiculously accurate insofar as I'm concerned.

Heh. Hence my Superiority references in my Suicide SPACE Police story, which (in very vague terms) tells the story of the war. Remember the Apexai's Spheroids of Annihilation, Battling Analyzers, Exponentiating Fields?

Since I am at least partially back in, can someone please give me the TLDR version of what has happened up until now so I can make some semi-informed decisions until I get a chance to read 30 something pages of the story thread?

OK. Let's see... events that are 'common knowledge' enough that you might plausibly react to them.

The Pendleton affair wrapped up with the Collector Monolith launching a brief attack, then breaking off as a result of interactions with its captives, having destroyed a few ships and damaged several more. There was a general "view with alarm" reaction to this event, both because it openly revealed the Monoliths as very powerful units (~10000 points) and because it made their objectives unclear.

Another international incident involving the Collectors saw a major war mobilization in the "Koprulu Zone," the region of space encompassing the Imperium of Man, the United Solarian Sovereignty, the Bragulan Star Empire, the Karlack Swarm, and the Collectors. This led to a climactic standoff at Shinn-Hokkaido; the incident was resolved peacefully.

A Chamarran stealth ship screwing up while spying on the Shinn-Hokkaido standoff resulted in another international incident between the Sovereignty and the Chamarrans, also involving major fleet mobilization, also resolved more or less peacefully.

Currently, a large number of players on the 'upper' (coreward) side of the map are involved in a major coalition operation to suppress piracy in and around the sectors H-6 and H-12.

There have been no major interstellar wars, only skirmishes (mostly in the Koprulu Zone).

Five nations have been added to the map since you were last active:
-The Humanist Union, an all-human state undergoing political problems, at the 'top' (coreward) edge of the map. They have 'always' been there, but were busy fighting a civil war until recently.
-The R'Nish Aggregate, a nomadic hybridized biomechanical society in your general vicinity that are recent arrivals to this region of space.
-The Prussian Star League, a nation of neo-Germans up by where me, Shep, and Steve are, who have been basically retconned in.
-The Technosocialist State of Ranoidea, a nation of froglike aliens up by where me, Shep, and Steve are, also retconned in; their inactivity since January was explained by their spawning season, during which basically the entire species was heavily preoccupied by giant frog orgies and thus had no time to worry about minor problems beyond their borders.
-And, finally, The Refuge, a nation of recent arrivals to this region of space, on the far 'lower right' (rimward-spinward) side of the map. The Refugees are fleeing some unknown catastrophe and have VERY STRONG opinions about interactions with reality-warping entities. They will probably want to have some pointed words with your nation.

In other news, so far I believe a total of six planets have been severely bombarded:
-Two by the Prussian Star League, because of who the fuck knows why.
-Two by the Byzantine Imperium, one because of Karlack infestation and one because the admiral was in a bad mood on account of not getting to fight the Collectors.
-One by the Bragulan Star Empire, because it was hopelessly infested by zombies with a horrible and perverse love of '80s dance music, led by an undead Michael Jackson; this may be the best justification for destroying all life on a planet that I've ever heard.
-One by the Shepistanis because they were bored and had a new type of nuke to test out.

[Akhlut]

With the extended weekend coming up next week for us USicans, I'm going to try to get my head back in the game.

Hurrah! Friendly dinosaurs! This evening I will PM you a series of all posts I've made mentioning your nation, just in case you want to skim.

That will be most appreciated; danke, Herr Simon.

[Agent Sorchus]

I find it most interesting the priority that various people put to the events of the last several dozen pages.

EDIT: I notice that neither of the above summaries note that the Centrality had an internal Coup after the Events of Pendleton and that is actually one of the more major events to happen to an active government yet.

[RogueIce]

I find it most interesting the priority that various people put to the events of the last several dozen pages.

Well, they are recent memory.

EDIT: I notice that neither of the above summaries note that the Centrality had an internal Coup after the Events of Pendleton and that is actually one of the more major events to happen to an active government yet.

There was no prior Centralist government, and anyone saying otherwise is a dirty liar.

[Simon_Jester]

Ah, Akhlut, about your most recent note...

I honestly think that a breakdown of communications would have drawn more attention than just "nothing happening." "Holy shit we've lost contact with our allies!" is bigger news than "tum te tum te tum..."

For all the time since you left, I'd just assumed that no major news-attracting issues had taken place and that our favorite dinosaurs had just kept carrying on business as usual during your absence.

But a coup attempt/minor civil war is interesting. Will draft reply shortly.

I find it most interesting the priority that various people put to the events of the last several dozen pages.

Major international incidents, new nations appearing, and planets getting bombed would seem to top the list... what did I leave out, aside from the Centrality coup?

EDIT: I notice that neither of the above summaries note that the Centrality had an internal Coup after the Events of Pendleton and that is actually one of the more major events to happen to an active government yet.

I had my reasons for not listing it:

1) Anyone not already familiar with the irrational behavior of Enduvos (which Dark Hellion is probably not) won't see his replacement by a saner, more competent triumvirate as major news unless they are closely concerned with the Centrality.

2) You and I are closely concerned with the Centrality since it's a relatively near neighbor; the Emissaries of XylyX have no reason to be similarly concerned.

3) Given their limited understanding of human/near-human behavior as portrayed by DH, the Emissaries might well not react at all to finding out the coup had occurred.

[Akhlut]

Ah, Akhlut, about your most recent note...

I honestly think that a breakdown of communications would have drawn more attention than just "nothing happening." "Holy shit we've lost contact with our allies!" is bigger news than "tum te tum te tum..."

For all the time since you left, I'd just assumed that no major news-attracting issues had taken place and that our favorite dinosaurs had just kept carrying on business as usual during your absence.

To be fair, haven't there been major events that should have kept me in the loop?

But a coup attempt/minor civil war is interesting. Will draft reply shortly.

Well, much more interesting than "the major political parties are completely deadlocked, so nothing has happened at all because no one can agree to do squat."

Edit: I can retcon if need be and can go with "Legislature squabbling, military forced into sitting around" if my alternate idea violates SOD.

[Agent Sorchus]

I find it most interesting the priority that various people put to the events of the last several dozen pages.

Major international incidents, new nations appearing, and planets getting bombed would seem to top the list... what did I leave out, aside from the Centrality coup?

It isn't that you leave anything out, it is just that you think of things in groups while steve has a memory that is more in a timeline. Just a little interesting observation.

EDIT: I notice that neither of the above summaries note that the Centrality had an internal Coup after the Events of Pendleton and that is actually one of the more major events to happen to an active government yet.

I had my reasons for not listing it:

1) Anyone not already familiar with the irrational behavior of Enduvos (which Dark Hellion is probably not) won't see his replacement by a saner, more competent triumvirate as major news unless they are closely concerned with the Centrality.

2) You and I are closely concerned with the Centrality since it's a relatively near neighbor; the Emissaries of XylyX have no reason to be similarly concerned.

3) Given their limited understanding of human/near-human behavior as portrayed by DH, the Emissaries might well not react at all to finding out the coup had occurred.

But of the events you listed one of them (Imperium bombarding a planet out of pique) is really almost not news, since it wasn't a priority in story posts. So... if you are thinking of Worlds less as a game of politics and more of a interactive story the coup is far more important than the idle amusements of the Imperium Navy. Even then with the recent Esper Olympics and international pirate hunt both involving post coup Centrality the politics of the Centrality are far more important than you might think.

[MKSheppard]

I'd like to make a point, force lord:

Sheppard was about to ring up Colonel Winter when the Double-Red tabbed folder landed on his desk with a thud. Looking up, he saw the stern face of the Grand Dominion's Secure Courier.

Note the terms:

Folder.....secure courier.

As in actually physically delivering hard copy across the light years. No tight beam transmissions, no nothing.

[Simon_Jester]

To be fair, haven't there been major events that should have kept me in the loop?

...Sort of. But nothing that's happened that demanded a NenAltKik response; it would not surprise anyone to learn that your nation had chosen of its own free will not to become involved in any major storyline that's happened since Bannerman. The issues most likely to draw your attention (which I will flag for you) are affairs in the Feelipeens star system (between you, me, and Shep) and what Baerne's been up to in the Voyageur star system (which I will also flag for you).

That's going to wait till I get home though.

Edit: I can retcon if need be and can go with "Legislature squabbling, military forced into sitting around" if my alternate idea violates SOD.

Naaaaaaah.

What you've got is more fun. The only part that causes SOD problems is the "communications blackout." If nothing else, Umeria has business interests and an embassy in NenAltKik space, while the NenAltKik have citizens who work and (for short term periods) live in Umeria. So you guys mysteriously 'vanishing' (making communications impossible) would cause enough weirdness that we'd almost have to investigate.

Whereas if there's a coup/secessionist movement/civil war on, it may simply be that Umeria is maintaining neutrality in the conflict, or that the government forces have specifically said "do not intervene it will make the situation worse."

But of the events you listed one of them (Imperium bombarding a planet out of pique) is really almost not news, since it wasn't a priority in story posts.

I only listed it because it involved a planet getting the crap blasted out of it, and because I was already listing other planets that had been bombarded. That one was just thrown in for completeness, and because it amused me to do so.

So... if you are thinking of Worlds less as a game of politics and more of a interactive story the coup is far more important than the idle amusements of the Imperium Navy. Even then with the recent Esper Olympics and international pirate hunt both involving post coup Centrality the politics of the Centrality are far more important than you might think.

From the perspective of my own storytelling, the Centrality's new triumvirate is simply "ah, good, someone we can talk to is in charge now!" The Umerians tip their hats to the new constitution, take a bow for the new revolution, and just keep playing.

Dark Hellion might well take an interest in the K-Zone, because it's fairly close to him and can have direct effects on even his immediate neighbors. But since his AI civilization has no espers to send to the tournament, and he's very far removed from the participants in the Great Pirate Hunt, I wasn't sure that the coup (which itself has only a second-order effect on the Esper Tournament and Pirate Hunt storylines) really mattered much to him.

[Force Lord]

I'd like to make a point, force lord:

Sheppard was about to ring up Colonel Winter when the Double-Red tabbed folder landed on his desk with a thud. Looking up, he saw the stern face of the Grand Dominion's Secure Courier.

Note the terms:

Folder.....secure courier.

As in actually physically delivering hard copy across the light years. No tight beam transmissions, no nothing.

Eh, how did I miss that? I'll get on to it right away.

[Simon_Jester]

I must say... nice graphs.

[Lonestar]

Force Lord

There have been no unusual movements of GDN vessels, at least nothing that indicates that some kind of mobilization is going on. The Grand Dominion is sitting on the info, remember?

Hell, we went to pains to have vessels travel through hyperspace rather than use wormhole junctions during the Bragulan rescue-OP because we wanted to keep it secret.

[Shroom Man 777]

Man, here comes a potential evil existential threat and the Dominos just sit on it and pretend it doesn't exist because they're too cheap. Incredibles!

[Lonestar]

No money!

Maybe we'll run a few fleet exercises assuming some Monolith-sized vessels.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

I keep coming up with plot ideas faster than I can make progress on my existing storylines. I really should hit the brakes and try to sort myself out...

[Force Lord]

Looks like I had to delete the stuff about the Dominion.

[Force Lord]

Embassy crisis!

It's all up to Shep now...

[DarthShady]

Finaly got a post up. And yes ladies and gentle beings, that is a Karlack Mothership.

[Force Lord]

Well Fin, you wanted Shady to post something. There you have it.

[Mayabird]

Well, this is getting exciting.

And yes, that's right. With outdated and sketchy charts to the point that they might as well be traveling blind half the time, the Refuge sent a fleet to go around the southern edge of the map and travel the very long way across to the sectors of the Emissaries of Xylyx. I'm sure they're being very careful as they travel, which is further slowing their progress, but if the Emissaries hadn't sent a response, the task force would have gone all the way there. Probably would have taken two or three months.

EDIT: Also instead of being responsible I wrote up that little epilogue, just in case anyone was actually wondering what happened to Praneet.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Well Fin, you wanted Shady to post something. There you have it.

The post has been in the work for... a month?

But nice work Shady.

[Simon_Jester]

I like it, Akhlut, though I have to say that the extensive use of the NenAltKik language tends to detract from the story in some ways by populating it with nouns the audience can't follow. We wind up with "Admiral X, a member of the [noun], was lauded for his heroic victory over the [noun] in which he captured two [noun]" or some such...

[Akhlut]

I like it, Akhlut, though I have to say that the extensive use of the NenAltKik language tends to detract from the story in some ways by populating it with nouns the audience can't follow. We wind up with "Admiral X, a member of the [noun], was lauded for his heroic victory over the [noun] in which he captured two [noun]" or some such...

The eternal battle of immersion versus ease of following. Le sigh.

[Simon_Jester]

I think it's best to reserve immersion for proper nouns (personal names, ships, places, and the like) and behavior (eating raw meat), while using English for nouns meant to convey some concrete, describable concept (names of political parties, classes of warships, official titles).

I want to say that "Admiral Boogagax fought the Nibble-Pibblies to a standstill, destroying six star cruisers and earning a commendation from the Senate, in a motion led by the Militant Party." Not "Gavest Boogagax fought the Nibble-Pibblies to a standstill, destroying six Gazorninplatto and earning a Freglik from the Broooza, in a motion led by the Hippa-Baliki."

Because then you have to wonder: "What's a Gavest? Is destroying six Gazorninplatto impressive, or unimpressive? Is a Freglik an award, or a death sentance? What the hell's a Broooza? And whose side are the Hippa-Balik on anyway?"