StarDestroyer.Net BBS

SirNitram wrote:

Matt Huang wrote:Now tell me that my jawbone-club wasn't cooler than yours.

Fool. My jawbone was given to me by father, Ogg the mighty, who received it from Throgg the Unhygenic, who received it from...

*Several hours later...*

...From Edgar the Flatulent, who tore it from the last Sand Dragon of his homeworld! It is a mighty jawbone full of history! Now I must tell you the full saga.

*Yawns and uses the time to compile a formal 31e45926 word document on why the Avalonian-designed jawbone club is inherently superior to all others.*
*presents document to Nitram*
(note: document is contained in a Avalonian mental-interface data repository that would certainly make your head explode if you tried to access the material contained)

The Hekartes are a proud people. Unfortunately, the most advanced civilization within the alliance is steampunk era. This means most of the pride comes from defending their people from ravaging high-techers, and of course, long, absurdly detaild sagas. They are rarely accurate, often embellished, and in one instance, anatomically impossible even if the woman was a genetically modified pleasure slave.

Or so I'm told.

Matt Huang wrote:(note: document is contained in a Avalonian mental-interface data repository that would certainly make your head explode if you tried to access the material contained)

*Gnaws on it*

SirNitram wrote:

Matt Huang wrote:(note: document is contained in a Avalonian mental-interface data repository that would certainly make your head explode if you tried to access the material contained)

*Gnaws on it*

*document activates & latches onto Nitrams face.*
boom

Matt Huang wrote:

SirNitram wrote:

Matt Huang wrote:(note: document is contained in a Avalonian mental-interface data repository that would certainly make your head explode if you tried to access the material contained)

*Gnaws on it*

*document activates & latches onto Nitrams face.*
boom

*Beats the infernal metal demon into pulp with the jawbone previous mentioned.

'lo, I must add another fifty-seven verses now.

Do these stgod's on this board usually go in spurts like this? Slow or stopped for a week then 2 or so days of rapid posting then back down again?

Anyways, is the diplomacy thread a specific breathing space before any major wars are allowed to be started or is it just a "chapter" name that goes on until the thread hits its size limit and gets locked?

Traditionally, the Diplomacy thread is replaced with the Game Thread after a couple weeks. However, a direct transmutation of the Diplomacy Thread into a Game Thread is not unknown.

SirNitram wrote:

Matt Huang wrote:

SirNitram wrote: *Gnaws on it*

*document activates & latches onto Nitrams face.*
boom

*Beats the infernal metal demon into pulp with the jawbone previous mentioned.

'lo, I must add another fifty-seven verses now.

Tizona walks up, and pulls out a straight, double edged sword. "This is Tizona, sword of the Sayyid, second Battlemaster of King Jermaiya. The Sayyid used it in 43 battles. From him, it was given to his squire, Diaz. Diaz was the Battlemaster of King Weisck, son of King Jermaiya. ...

*1 day later*

... It was found in the ashes of our masters' homeworld, after the Scouring was completed. My namesake is a sword rich in history, and I have only recited portion of it. "

"These are 500,000 Civil Marines with full artillary, armor, air, and orbital support."

Uhpeace.

Stormin wrote:Do these stgod's on this board usually go in spurts like this? Slow or stopped for a week then 2 or so days of rapid posting then back down again?

Yes, that's pretty normal, actually

ASVS STGOD2 sat there for 2 years, then burst off again, then sat.

Thirdfain wrote:"These are 500,000 Civil Marines with full artillary, armor, air, and orbital support."

Uhpeace.

*yawns and waits for Nitram to one-up Beowulf.*
*Thirdfains Civil Marines die of old age*

Thirdfain wrote:Traditionally, the Diplomacy thread is replaced with the Game Thread after a couple weeks. However, a direct transmutation of the Diplomacy Thread into a Game Thread is not unknown.

As long as everyone's keen to pick up their political machinations where we leave off I'm keen to start the official thread so we can start moving forces around.

Sounds good to me.

Here's a little question to put on the table. I was wondering how long people think that there's been interstellar commerce going on in the Cluster, and how much information I would have about the Gaians just from conversation with the handful of traders and explorers, independent and otherwise, who would have found my nation.

And for that matter, what nationality would these traders be? USS, maybe? Or Avalonian? Any trading powers in particular think that they would have at least casual contact with the other players in the game before the thread started?

Hekartes would be traders to a point; that is, people would know when a wrecked hulk seems to be under power and approaching, goods are coming. Not high tech ones, but raw materials for good prices.

What would be traded anyways? Star systems would have plenty of natural resources and exotics/manufactured goods would be more energy effecient to make where needed.

You might as well ask why the United States bothers to trade in things other than petroleum. Really, that is the only resource it needs from the outside at the moment. Yet it still buys stuff from China, Europe, Japan, etc.

Stormin wrote:What would be traded anyways? Star systems would have plenty of natural resources and exotics/manufactured goods would be more energy effecient to make where needed.

Novel goods that you do not possess the technology, nor even the understanding, required to make. And it's very unlikely that somebody would just hand over the infrastructure needed to you.

Thirdfain wrote:Here's a little question to put on the table. I was wondering how long people think that there's been interstellar commerce going on in the Cluster, and how much information I would have about the Gaians just from conversation with the handful of traders and explorers, independent and otherwise, who would have found my nation.

And for that matter, what nationality would these traders be? USS, maybe? Or Avalonian? Any trading powers in particular think that they would have at least casual contact with the other players in the game before the thread started?

Well, here's what I was thinking.

I'd imagine it would have been going on for some time, exactly how long would be impossible to determine as no one's doing any record keeping. All traders would be totally unregulated. As to nationality, I don't think trade is something that until now would have been managed at the national level. You'd probably encounter lots of stations or other small settlements not belonging to a particular nation. Mostly people bartering for basic neccessities and then not actually with the larger nations but rather the odd traveler or explorer. Kind of like firefly in a sense.

Bering this in mind, some nations may have had limited contact with each other through private back channels but not continuous communication or trade. They'd possibly know of the existence of the other nations but have not actively approached them for a variety reasons; deeming it unneccessary, xenophobia and isolationism, internal political complications, safety concerns, technical difficulties, bad memories from past wars, the list goes on.

It is also still possible for nations to not know very much at all about each other, also for a variety of reasons: travelers uncomfortable visiting, being outside the unnoficial channels of the interstellar community, explorers putting little notes on maps saying "system where Bob exploded after encountering ships of * type", established no fly zones, take your pick.

As for what we all know about each other, I'd expect that some of us would have people running intelligence through the privateer community, gathing bits of information where possible. Others would probably consider such activities a waste of time on the lesser peoples.

The big nations seem to have forgotten about the Republic, or at least there has been little contact. Mostly because most of the folks in the upper half of the cluster have been wiped-out. If there are any small nations in that large gulf between the Mekidar Republic and everyone else, it is likely that the Republic trades often with them.
Here is a list of powers with whom the Republic traded, dealt with, and maybe fought, with or against, during the Great Wars:

Nurus Federation (with Beowulf's approval)
Precursors (ditto, real name unknown)
Great Enemy (ditto, real name unknown)
Corombion (my invention)
Khar (with MRDOD's approval)
Ghosthead Empire (I haven't asked Thirdfain, but I don't see why not)
Cornish Hurling Empire (with Glimmervoid's approval)
Probably many other powers that have left nothing but ruined planets and spaceship debris.

The Republic might also have dealt with: Whoever it is that made the Orcs, and probably the Orcs themselves (if there was war). As well as the Pfhor, back when they were a giant evil empire. I'd have to contact Pablo Sanchez and 3rd Impact respectively to see if they want to create a little backstory (could be anything from a few sentences to a few paragraphs). Thought there is little point in doing that until our nations meet in-game.

Sounds good to me.

Adrian Laguna wrote: Khar (with MRDOD's approval)

That'd be fine, during the Age of Steel and perhaps some of Silver. However, during the early Age of Silver, certain meddling bastards (you know who you are ) were interfering with the Khar a bit too much for open trade to be useful.

MRDOD wrote: That'd be fine, during the Age of Steel and perhaps some of Silver. However, during the early Age of Silver, certain meddling bastards (you know who you are ) were interfering with the Khar a bit too much for open trade to be useful.

"(with MRDOD's approval)" meant that you had already given it. It was during an AIM conversation.

I had? Damn you, Amnesia! Damn y- hm? What was I talking about?