StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Crossroads Inc. wrote:I am assuming that by "Machine guns" you mean the crank turned Multu gun style guns?

no, by 1885 there were real, water-cooled machine guns. Big heavy motherfuckers, usually mounted on carriages.

Check out this bad boy.

Adopted by the British Army in 1888.

Thirdfain wrote:

Agent Fisher wrote:Question, whats the level of small arms, are semiautomatic weapons the norm or is bolt action still the way? Just curious, cause as a pirate, small arms are a bit important for me.

Bolt or lever-action rifles with single shot magazines are the weapons of the better armies in the area, but there are also a few magazine-fed rifles floating around- also bolt action (Like the earliest variants of the Mosin-Nagant.) As Pablo said, semi-automatic pistols are around the corner, but at this point none are being mass produced. Revolvers are very common. Machine-guns are precious commodities, with the Maxim gun being the most common- it's heavy and requires a crew to maneuver it and keep it firing.

Ah, I was hoping that stuff might have advanced. What about lever action rifles, such as the winchester repeating rifles?

As I said, "bolt or lever-action" rifles. Single shot, for the most part. Why are you so concerned with having semi-automatic weaponry? You've got the fucking Maxim gun!

Being safe in having Borneo (for now) Perhaps some more outlines would be well for developing my stance.

Crossroadias Manifest Doctrine

As a Corporate minded nation, Crossroadia seeks, above all, friendly business treaties with any and all nations that wish to enter into a mutually beneficial arrangement of trade of goods.

The ruling class of Crossroadia, The Executive Aristocracy, hopes never to engage in war outside of Economic measures. However they will fearless defend the borders and seas surrounding Crossroadia should they be encroached.

While trade of goods and products are welcomed, Culture is less so. Any citizen visiting from another nation found to practicing missionary work or distributing anti Crossroadia material will be harshly dealt with.

Agent Fisher wrote:

Thirdfain wrote:

Agent Fisher wrote:Question, whats the level of small arms, are semiautomatic weapons the norm or is bolt action still the way? Just curious, cause as a pirate, small arms are a bit important for me.

Bolt or lever-action rifles with single shot magazines are the weapons of the better armies in the area, but there are also a few magazine-fed rifles floating around- also bolt action (Like the earliest variants of the Mosin-Nagant.) As Pablo said, semi-automatic pistols are around the corner, but at this point none are being mass produced. Revolvers are very common. Machine-guns are precious commodities, with the Maxim gun being the most common- it's heavy and requires a crew to maneuver it and keep it firing.

Ah, I was hoping that stuff might have advanced. What about lever action rifles, such as the winchester repeating rifles?

Those types of Winchesters date to 1860 or so, IIRC...

Wikipedia says 1866 for the first Winchester lever-action.

Thirdfain wrote:As I said, "bolt or lever-action" rifles. Single shot, for the most part. Why are you so concerned with having semi-automatic weaponry? You've got the fucking Maxim gun!

A single shot weapon isnt the most useful thing when you are boarding a ship.

Agent Fisher wrote:

Thirdfain wrote:As I said, "bolt or lever-action" rifles. Single shot, for the most part. Why are you so concerned with having semi-automatic weaponry? You've got the fucking Maxim gun!

A single shot weapon isnt the most useful thing when you are boarding a ship.

Tell that to Dread Pirate Roberts. Rifles aren't the most useful thing in boarding a ship anyway. Too long and unwieldy.

Eh, true. Oh, and I forgot about shotguns. Just saw the barrel down and boom, nice boarding weapon.

Agent Fisher wrote:

Thirdfain wrote:As I said, "bolt or lever-action" rifles. Single shot, for the most part. Why are you so concerned with having semi-automatic weaponry? You've got the fucking Maxim gun!

A single shot weapon isnt the most useful thing when you are boarding a ship.

Revolvers? And single-shot bolt action rifles like these can fire something like 20 rounds a minute in the hands of an experienced soldier. These aren't fucking civil war weapons, bro...


-edit- And PS, this is the 1890's. Boarding actions are pretty much not going to happen in any real sense. This is the period of history where the major navies were all cutting boarding training out of their curriculum. Ships were too fast and heavily armed for that sort of hullabaloo. You sweep a 37-mm quick-firer across the enemy's deck a couple times, there ain't *nothing* left.

I have a question. The Great Eastren Was built far back in 1858. At the time she suffered greatly from being underpowered and unwieldy, yet at nearly 650 ft long, she was massive and a true titan.

Setting myself up as a large Industrial nation and shipping company, a ship of such size would naturally carry an immense amount of Cargo. Plus it could be used to haul large prefabricated sections of machinery for settling new areas.

I wonder, at this early phase, if a ship of such size is feasible in terms of resources. That the original was built in 1858 would mean it should be easy, technologically speaking, to build such a ship. And if so, I would ask for rights to build them as a Large Cargo hauling vessel.

It certainly is feasible, however, the cost would be huge.

Thirdfain wrote:It certainly is feasible, however, the cost would be huge.

True that, and a tempting target for pirates to boot... But in the long run I'd imagine there could be a huge payoff. For now I'm content with knowing I COULD do it....

Just a quick, Zeppelin-based question: How advanced are they? You mention them being around, but the first isn't flown OTL until 1900. Then again, the war's come early.

Thirdfain wrote:Revolvers? And single-shot bolt action rifles like these can fire something like 20 rounds a minute in the hands of an experienced soldier. These aren't fucking civil war weapons, bro...


-edit- And PS, this is the 1890's. Boarding actions are pretty much not going to happen in any real sense. This is the period of history where the major navies were all cutting boarding training out of their curriculum. Ships were too fast and heavily armed for that sort of hullabaloo. You sweep a 37-mm quick-firer across the enemy's deck a couple times, there ain't *nothing* left.

Oh, yeah, I wasn't really thinking about that for hte weapons.

And the boarding actions arent going to be against other naval warships, its going to be freighters, transports and cargo ships. I'm not a crazy pirate.

Can I plant a bunch of German aristocrats and educated types on Madagascar and make a "naval superpower"? I didn't see the island as claimed.

After a slight change, we have the Batavian Comglomerate.

As the Netherlands were more and more consumed in the Great War, interest in her colonies waned, and couldn't afford its colonies. Local merchantmen, the governor, the military, and remnants of the former Dutch East India Company plotted and planned to take over. It was fairly easy as the former mother had other problems at that time. The newly founded Batavian Conglomerate has a vital interest in trade, though imperialistic, expansionist ideas float the upper ranks of Batavians.

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Can I plant a bunch of German aristocrats and educated types on Madagascar and make a "naval superpower"? I didn't see the island as claimed.

I'm fairly sure Nit claimed it.

EDIT: Never mind. Looks it's still open and avaliable.

I snagged East Africa, not Madagascar.

Dahak wrote:Well, to keep everyone happy (and me alive), I could take Java, if not already taken...

I was warming-up to the idea. That is, assuming you added Hainan to Hong-Kong and Macao.

Anyway, Java is free, you're the only one who has mentioned it so far.

Adrian Laguna wrote:

Dahak wrote:Well, to keep everyone happy (and me alive), I could take Java, if not already taken...

I was warming-up to the idea. That is, assuming you added Hainan to Hong-Kong and Macao.

Anyway, Java is free, you're the only one who has mentioned it so far.

And, if you take notice of 4posts above, I have already done so

SirNitram wrote:Just a quick, Zeppelin-based question: How advanced are they? You mention them being around, but the first isn't flown OTL until 1900. Then again, the war's come early.

There are powered airships, unfortunately, no rigid-hulled aircraft at this point. And example:

In 1883, the first electric-powered flight was made by Gaston Tissandier who fitted a 1-1/2 horsepower Siemens electric motor to an airship. The first fully controllable free-flight was made in a French Army airship, La France, by Charles Renard and Arthur Krebs in 1884. The 170 foot long , 66,000 cubic foot airship covered 8 km (5 miles) in 23 minutes with the aid of an 8-1/2 horsepower electric motor.

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Can I plant a bunch of German aristocrats and educated types on Madagascar and make a "naval superpower"? I didn't see the island as claimed.

IT's not, and it's verra verra open.

Hey Thirdfain, I've been doing some reasearch. Why don't you add petroleum to the resource list? By 1890 Kerosene was widely used for heating and lighting. Karl Benz invented the first automobile in 1885. At the time Gasoline was only available commercially as a cleaning fluid, but some industries did use it to run internal combustion engines and power their machinery. Standard Oil was able to keep prices low because, among other things, they used their gasoline, thus saving on bills to the power companies (other refineries dumped it in rivers).

It would make air-ships a bit more effective once someone figures-out that gasoline is more efficient than electric motors and puts some internal combustion engines on an air-ship.

I just did a quick search through, but is Japan claimed yet? It'd be interesting to play Meiji in this time period, and if it isn't claimed I call dibs.

Straha wrote:I just did a quick search through, but is Japan claimed yet? It'd be interesting to play Meiji in this time period, and if it isn't claimed I call dibs.

NPC. You didn't really think you were going to get to play a fully industrialized naval superpower amongst a bunch of refugee camps with delusions of grandeur, did you?