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Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 06:26pm
by Alyrium Denryle
Simon_Jester wrote:Gotta say, Flash Stalin has a pretty kickass 'stache.
That thing's probably worth five or ten points in naval warfare by itself...
Alyrium Denryle wrote:Well, I mean reaching the other embassy staff. IIRC the distress signal relayed that the embassy was being attacked by the Shepistanis. Including "and is under psionic attack from within" would have been included had a telepath been there to jam said attack for even a few seconds--even on the comms operator only, and warn them of the assault. They have had had someone there who WAS telepathic, but if there was, he was quickly overwhelmed.
In light of FL's latest, they may not have- since (as Ranoideans well know) it is nigh-impossible for espers of any kind to operate in Shepistan under normal conditions, it would be an incredibly unpopular posting for telepaths, and also a bloody useless place to send them because they can't leave the embassy. The only reason to bother is to have a defense against telepathic infiltrators... and Shepistan is the last place in the galaxy you'd expect to see your embassy come under telepathic attack.
It may be that the Centralists rely so heavily on their own espers that their standard anti-psi defense is simply to have lots of experienced telepaths around; if an Amplitur tried such a stunt on their home territory said craboid might just get swarmed by weaker but numerous combat espers. But in Shepistan their normal defense isn't present... and they have no doctrine for how to defend an installation against psychic attack other than "put some of my own psychics there."
I think that would explain what happened.
Yep, that seems about right. We dont even have an embassy--we dont bother. It is not as if there is a hope of reasonable relations with the shepistanis anyway. We could not even rely on our own couriers. If we did have an embassy, we would not inflict it on our psionicists. The difference is, we also know how Vulnerable a non-psionicist is to telepathic intrusion because training in psionics and the ethics thereof etc is mandatory in school. The reason for that being that Ranoidean society, while paradise (
), still has nasty individuals. Imagine telepathic rape would not be unheard of. Said training would be the equivalent of driver's ed and self defense rolled into one.
Null fields would be everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 08:07pm
by Simon_Jester
Alyrium Denryle wrote:...The difference is, we also know how Vulnerable a non-psionicist is to telepathic intrusion because training in psionics and the ethics thereof etc is mandatory in school...
I would honestly think that while this awareness might no be totally common among all citizens in a human society... it's not going to be nonexistent. Espers may be rare, but they're common enough to be a commonly used tool of the state- like, say, tanks. The average citizen might well be ignorant about the details of what tanks are capable of, what their limits and weaknesses are, and how they affect a battlefield. But the guys responsible for using them won't be.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 08:18pm
by DarthShady
Siege wrote:Force Lord wrote:SUDDENLY FLASH STALIN
Wildspace pileup syndrome strikes again!
Siege you evil
magnificent bastard. This will be fun.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 08:32pm
by Alyrium Denryle
Simon_Jester wrote:Alyrium Denryle wrote:...The difference is, we also know how Vulnerable a non-psionicist is to telepathic intrusion because training in psionics and the ethics thereof etc is mandatory in school...
I would honestly think that while this awareness might no be totally common among all citizens in a human society... it's not going to be nonexistent. Espers may be rare, but they're common enough to be a commonly used tool of the state- like, say, tanks. The average citizen might well be ignorant about the details of what tanks are capable of, what their limits and weaknesses are, and how they affect a battlefield. But the guys responsible for using them won't be.
True. However that does not necessarily mean that they will have a tactical doctrine for dealing with the problem when their usual means is not available. For example: The US had (and I would argue still does not) a very poor tactical doctrine for asymmetrical warfare at the beginning of the Iraq war, despite supposedly having had ample opportunity to learn from Vietnam, and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 08:45pm
by Simon_Jester
Yes; that's going to vary from nation to nation and time period to time period. What I'd expect is this:
The societies liable to be best at anti-psi defense are the ones where espers have a very high continuous presence (like Ranoidea or, in my opinion, the Centrality)... or a very low continuous presence, feeding national paranoia and making each individual instance of esper infiltration much more damaging and high-profile (like Shepistan).
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 09:18pm
by Alyrium Denryle
Simon_Jester wrote:Yes; that's going to vary from nation to nation and time period to time period. What I'd expect is this:
The societies liable to be best at anti-psi defense are the ones where espers have a very high continuous presence (like Ranoidea or, in my opinion, the Centrality)... or a very low continuous presence, feeding national paranoia and making each individual instance of esper infiltration much more damaging and high-profile (like Shepistan).
I agree. However, how each one deals with it will be different. Those with a high continuous presence will have... organic defense. Those without it will cover everything in null and Blitzschlag fields... or use !SCIENCE!
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-23 11:34pm
by Simon_Jester
You know things are getting wacky when you've got to worry about goddamn dinosaurs pushing drugs on your fringe worlds.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:01am
by Simon_Jester
Well, my new post is up, and...
Wow. Very Shroomy. I guess Hillery must have replaced the previous Secretary of State, Mandrake, after poor Mandrake had an acute OSMS breakdown.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:21am
by Shroom Man 777
Hillery Clitnone is way more manner and draker than any Mandrake.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 05:06am
by Fingolfin_Noldor
Is the Sirta Foundation a front for the Collectors?
*The Inquisition makes notes to investigate, and if necessary, purge the K-Zone of Sirta*
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 05:17am
by PeZook
Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:Is the Sirta Foundation a front for the Collectors?
These are entirely unfounded rumors and conspiracy theories unworthy of mention.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 05:19am
by Fingolfin_Noldor
PeZook wrote:Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:Is the Sirta Foundation a front for the Collectors?
These are entirely unfounded rumors and conspiracy theories unworthy of mention.
Some among the Inquisition favour a "shoot first, then investigate later" strategy when dealing with possible threats.
But seriously, why Sirta?
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 05:32am
by Alyrium Denryle
Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:Is the Sirta Foundation a front for the Collectors?
*The Inquisition makes notes to investigate, and if necessary, purge the K-Zone of Sirta*
That was my thought...
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 07:15am
by Force Lord
Shrooom, you bastard.
I never knew a Feelipini could build so fast. But then, we did not place time limits.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 11:19am
by Shroom Man 777
Force Lord wrote:Shrooom, you bastard.
I never knew a Feelipini could build so fast. But then, we did not place time limits.
Da, but Shepistan couldn't meet the other demands in a timely fashion - such as solid evidence of the Amplitur, and promises not to be assholes or some such - and with the international community growing impatient, they
had to do something soonish. So the task that looked like it would be finished last, the reconstruction of a whole embassy, was done first and fastest insteads! Now everyone will think Shepistan is doing 'something'.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 11:19am
by Simon_Jester
Heh. To borrow the top-page quote: "We must do something; this is something; therefore we must do it."
Say, Steve, are we ever going to make official the revised building time rules? It doesn't seem like there are any objections; I'd love to see some input on it but that's about it.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 12:15pm
by MKSheppard
And whoever said the shepistanis were meanies? Some of our best imports are from the Umerians!
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 12:17pm
by Lonestar
Man Dawg we would help out with bioengineering and whatnot.
I assume the NDBs are limited to Monetgomery and not other planets, right?
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 12:17pm
by Lonestar
Also, I'm going to have to figure out a numbering system for the off-map sectors. Maybe AA-(-1)?
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 12:23pm
by MKSheppard
Lonestar wrote:I assume the NDBs are limited to Monetgomery and not other planets, right?
Yes; because the Amplituroid has not managed to escape it yet; and strict export/import bans have been put in regarding craboids.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:17pm
by Force Lord
You can't have a dictatorship without parades!
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:37pm
by Steve
Simon_Jester wrote:
Say, Steve, are we ever going to make official the revised building time rules? It doesn't seem like there are any objections; I'd love to see some input on it but that's about it.
Sure, it's official.
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:43pm
by Force Lord
Steve wrote:Simon_Jester wrote:
Say, Steve, are we ever going to make official the revised building time rules? It doesn't seem like there are any objections; I'd love to see some input on it but that's about it.
Sure, it's official.
What are the new build times, anyway?
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:48pm
by Steve
Force Lord wrote:
What are the new build times, anyway?
Simon_Jester wrote:
10-29: 2 months
30-54: 3 months
55-99: 4 months
100-149 point: 6 months
150-199 point: 9 months
200-299: 12 months
300-449: 18 months
450-599: 24 months
600-799: 30 months
800-plus: 36 months, possibly with special mod-modifications for cases of REALLY FREAKING RIDICULOUS ships
Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread IV
Posted: 2010-11-24 02:49pm
by Force Lord
I see. Editing time.