SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread V

[Ezekiel]

Hey Ezekiel are you going to be in the EFG, Lower Teens region, where most of the United Sectors are now? Or are you going to be someplace different? I believe I remember discussion of your location as being in that general area, am I correct?

Here is what I worked out with Simon & Steve via AIM, taking into account Wilkens' absence and Vyraeth's return;


*Red denotes Turian space (capitol sector is D16).

*Brown denotes ruined (not shoal), almost post-apocalyptic-style space that used to be the heart of something vaguely resembling Carthage. That race's implacability, indefatigability, and stubborn unwillingness to surrender even in the face of ruin led to authorization of ultima ratio tactics and munitions, up to and including orbital bombardment with dreadnought-scale particle accelerators firing carbon-14 hard enough to inflict forty-kiloton impacts (thanks be to Simon for that brutally brilliant idea) and their reduction to eking out life on their self-ruined homeworld.

Needless to say, the rest of once-Not-Carthage has been taken over by the Turians. More on this bit of history later.

*The slightly squashed Servian Republic has the same number of sectors, just rearranged to make room, per mod suggestion.

*Everyone else in the neighborhood is untouched.

[Simon_Jester]

*Brown denotes ruined (not shoal), almost post-apocalyptic-style space that used to be the heart of something vaguely resembling Carthage. That race's implacability, indefatigability, and stubborn unwillingness to surrender even in the face of ruin led to authorization of ultima ratio tactics and munitions, up to and including orbital bombardment with dreadnought-scale particle accelerators firing carbon-14 hard enough to inflict forty-kiloton impacts (thanks be to Simon for that brutally brilliant idea) and their reduction to eking out life on their self-ruined homeworld.

I think if you really want brutal brilliance, you fire at high repetition rates and small impacts. You don't want deep punches into the surface, because that's liable to stay put without contributing to your Doomsday Shroud.

This is more or less what the Umerians did to Jagga after the Jaggan War, though they left sooner and didn't do as thorough a job of it because the logistics strain of keeping the bombardment fleet fueled and the barrels changed out was prohibitive.

Predictably, the orks were back into action within a century or two.

[KlavoHunter]

This is more or less what the Umerians did to Jagga after the Jaggan War, though they left sooner and didn't do as thorough a job of it because the logistics strain of keeping the bombardment fleet fueled and the barrels changed out was prohibitive.

Predictably, the orks were back into action within a century or two.

Dude, I pretty much guarantee you SOME enterprising surviving Ork had a roast-squig stand set up the very next day after you left...

[Simon_Jester]

This is more or less what the Umerians did to Jagga after the Jaggan War, though they left sooner and didn't do as thorough a job of it because the logistics strain of keeping the bombardment fleet fueled and the barrels changed out was prohibitive.

Predictably, the orks were back into action within a century or two.

Dude, I pretty much guarantee you SOME enterprising surviving Ork had a roast-squig stand set up the very next day after you left...

Nope. Took a few years, at least.

Yes, we bombarded the planet that heavily. We were fucking pissed. It really takes something to get a basically modern and civilized society to the point where they present the head of the enemy leader on a pike as a gesture just how pissed they are. Umeria, at the time, was that pissed.

On the other hand, the cost of maintaining the bombardment (plus some other factors) helped tip us over the edge into near-total economic collapse that we only escaped by a combination of brilliant, ruthless, and above all desperate economic management.

Of course, nowadays the place is back to normal as far as orks are concerned. Just remember your filter mask and lead-lined jockstrap if you want to visit.

[Shroom Man 777]

I am sorry Thanas but I really couldn't control my impulses so I had to post it!

[Mayabird]

I am so proud of this dream sequence. It's also foreshadowing, because I am a writer!

But I will say while I'm here, as I'm likely the only person in this game who has ever been bitten by multiple chickadees, that it freaking hurts a lot even if it doesn't break the skin. Holy crap, little guys. It's difficult enough getting them out of the nets because they struggle so hard that they get really tangled. As I was told by a master bander, "They're fighters, tough little guys. It's a good thing they don't weigh twenty pounds each and decide that they don't like us humans."

None of the songbird Avians are the actual size of the species I'm posting pictures of, but are bigger. Phoebe-o is a giant chickadee!

[Thanas]

Contrary to what shroom posted, the Sassanids are neither melange users (said drug does not exist), nor is there a weirding way, Gene Besserit priestesses, worm pools on board of ships. Nor are Sassanid ships controlled by a spacing guild, nor are highliners used at all. (For a nation that has 1.8m troops, having large transport ships is just not feasible).

A general point which I would just like to throw out there:
The Sassanids are not Dune. I use Dune imagery, but that is it. The fremen do not exist, there is no spice, worms are a delicacy and a luxury and there is no wierding way, nor Bene Gesserit, nor worm/human hybrids, nor Guild highliners. That ship, insofar as it does exist, is a one-off. The economy of the sassanids is not any different than any other nation, our transport ships do not dwarf warships of other nations nor do our ships not have sublight drives. They are also controlled by computers, not psykers.

[fgalkin]

Aw...pooo, Dune-Sassanids were kind of funny.

Can you at least have the Heighleiner use this opportunity to escape and strike out on its own? I want to read about that thing's adventures in the galaxy, damnit.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Shroom Man 777]

Well, a lot of the attributes of the Heighliner in my post are meant to be unique to that ship. Its lack of sublight drives was due to its design, emphasizing cargo capacity above all things, to the point of ditching STL drives and relying on tugs.

[Thanas]

Aw...pooo, Dune-Sassanids were kind of funny.

Can you at least have the Heighleiner use this opportunity to escape and strike out on its own? I want to read about that thing's adventures in the galaxy, damnit.

As Shroom invented the thing, I do not hold any rights to it. So....basically whatever Shroom wants to write about? He can have it.

(The Sassanid government would probably shrug and go *Eh, who cares* if that thing were to...shall we say, not return from its assignment?)

[Shroom Man 777]

It will be issued letter of marquee! Uh, what about the Sughdians in it?

[Thanas]

The Bragulans can offer to purchase the ship wholesale (due to liking huge phallic white elephants that serve no purpose besides being HUGE and PHALLIC), to which the Sassanids will most likely agree. So we could easily have the Bragulans purchase the thing - it is not like the Sassanids can use it for anything as it is such a huge target (and well crewed by insane maniacs and an insane psyker).

Just write some fluff how the Bragulans wrote the Sassanids a huge check and shipped the Sughdians back home. As they are only one legion of 30.000 men, the Sassanids could easily sent one of their regular transports to pick them up.

[RogueIce]

Contrary to what shroom posted, the Sassanids are neither melange users (said drug does not exist), nor is there a weirding way, Gene Besserit priestesses, worm pools on board of ships. Nor are Sassanid ships controlled by a spacing guild, nor are highliners used at all. (For a nation that has 1.8m troops, having large transport ships is just not feasible).

Welcome to SDNW, specifically: the Potential Perils of Collaborating with Shroom.

Don't let him ever describe your nation and you should be okay.

[fgalkin]

I am so proud of this dream sequence. It's also foreshadowing, because I am a writer!

But I will say while I'm here, as I'm likely the only person in this game who has ever been bitten by multiple chickadees, that it freaking hurts a lot even if it doesn't break the skin. Holy crap, little guys. It's difficult enough getting them out of the nets because they struggle so hard that they get really tangled. As I was told by a master bander, "They're fighters, tough little guys. It's a good thing they don't weigh twenty pounds each and decide that they don't like us humans."

None of the songbird Avians are the actual size of the species I'm posting pictures of, but are bigger. Phoebe-o is a giant chickadee!

Oh wow, there are actual UWOs in this universe and they're coming after the birdies to rub their heads and ring them! Noes!

Great post!

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Shroom Man 777]

Hmmm... if the Bragulans just buy the Heighliners for MORE MINERALS... then this means the psychotic crew and criminals of the Heighliner can't revolt, and we won't see those blue-eyed desert-dwelling knife-wielders engage in well-choreographed knife fights against the Sughdians with lots of blurry special effects.

But... a Heighliner! I want one! How much will it cost? A symbol of Brag-Nid Friendship?

[Thanas]

I don't really want any budget points or so for it. Just assume the Bragulans lowered tariffs on Sassanid trade products in return or something else. Fluff is fine.

[Simon_Jester]

Well, a lot of the attributes of the Heighliner in my post are meant to be unique to that ship. Its lack of sublight drives was due to its design, emphasizing cargo capacity above all things, to the point of ditching STL drives and relying on tugs.

I'm reminded of supertankers in the oil industry, which can't enter port fully loaded (and, in some cases, cannot enter bodies of water such as the English Channel) because they're too big...

The sheer scale of the sublight drives on something that large would require a great deal of mass- not just the engines themselves, but the power plant and fuel reserves to run them. It arguably wouldn't be worth it if you could make the loading-unloading process efficient enough.

I am so proud of this dream sequence. It's also foreshadowing, because I am a writer!

But I will say while I'm here, as I'm likely the only person in this game who has ever been bitten by multiple chickadees, that it freaking hurts a lot even if it doesn't break the skin. Holy crap, little guys. It's difficult enough getting them out of the nets because they struggle so hard that they get really tangled. As I was told by a master bander, "They're fighters, tough little guys. It's a good thing they don't weigh twenty pounds each and decide that they don't like us humans."

None of the songbird Avians are the actual size of the species I'm posting pictures of, but are bigger. Phoebe-o is a giant chickadee!

What about the eagle? Or the chocoabo? I should think they are large enough that they could reasonably be same-size...

Contrary to what shroom posted, the Sassanids are neither melange users (said drug does not exist), nor is there a weirding way, Gene Besserit priestesses, worm pools on board of ships. Nor are Sassanid ships controlled by a spacing guild, nor are highliners used at all. (For a nation that has 1.8m troops, having large transport ships is just not feasible).

Welcome to SDNW, specifically: the Potential Perils of Collaborating with Shroom.

Don't let him ever describe your nation and you should be okay.

I took the opposite approach, and collaborated with him on describing my nation. Remember Spozavik in Umeria? His humor is a powerful ally if you can convince him to use it with you instead of against you.

I don't really want any budget points or so for it. Just assume the Bragulans lowered tariffs on Sassanid trade products in return or something else. Fluff is fine.

Heighliners are unarmed merchantmen, so they don't have a point cost any more than anyone else's freighters do.

[Mayabird]

None of the songbird Avians are the actual size of the species I'm posting pictures of, but are bigger. Phoebe-o is a giant chickadee!

What about the eagle? Or the chocoabo? I should think they are large enough that they could reasonably be same-size...

Neither eagles nor chocobos are songbirds.


Thanas, stop being grumpy! We're trying to have fun here.

[Kartr_Kana]

What do they know Maya!? Also who are they?

[Simon_Jester]

What do they know Maya!? Also who are they?

Relax! I will tell you!

[Lonestar]

"Sir our intel suggests that this Sänger has married a hooker-bot."

[Thanas]

"Sir our intel suggests that this Sänger has married a hooker-bot."

Not married. And actually not identifiable as an AI unless people look real closely. But yes, she does play the role of retainer/confidante/concubine in public. After all, this is what Sassanid noble society expects of a women who is not a noble herself and does not keep personal distance from her principal.

Though I would love to write a reaction post about Dominion smear campaigns. Andy's reaction to the suggestion that she shares a bed with him should be fun. So by all means, go ahead.

[Simon_Jester]

"Sir our intel suggests that this Sänger has married a hooker-bot."

Not married. And actually not identifiable as an AI unless people look real closely. But yes, she does play the role of retainer/confidante/concubine in public. After all, this is what Sassanid noble society expects of a women who is not a noble herself and does not keep personal distance from her principal.

Though I would love to write a reaction post about Dominion smear campaigns. Andy's reaction to the suggestion that she shares a bed with him should be fun. So by all means, go ahead.

This is the flip side of the Dominion not actually knowing much of the details. What they don't know, they fill in for themselves... and they don't know a lot of things.

[Lonestar]

Well, we have known unknowns.

[Thanas]