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nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

GenericFootwear posted:

I like Solar Republic.

On an unrelated note, I'm not super familiar with this game or this series, but I've always found them interesting. This LP has been a great way to check out a thing I find interesting but can't play because I'm very bad at them and as a result have trouble holding my interest. I'm curious about the other races in the game that aren't in this instance. What are their respective deals/play styles/whatever? Not looking for full Xenorelations write-ups like here, just curious about what else is in the game that we're not seeing here.

OK, so, in the base game, we're missing... Silicoids and Sakkra. Both are worse at diplomacy than almost all other races, and so get along with others poorly. Silicoids are inorganic rocklike beings that are native to a volcanic world (yes, the worst planetary class in the game). They don't need food to support their life or grow, they're tolerant of all sorts of gravitational extremes, and they can terraform volcanic worlds to 'inferno' worlds with a higher population cap than terran worlds, making them the ONLY race that can terraform volcanic worlds. Sakkra have rapid population growth, start with both biology and physics research for a rapid start, are native to a swamp planet, and can eventually terraform swamps to 'tropical' planets.

The Terrans were a pre-order bonus and can be purchased via DLC. They are, essentially, hyper-militaristic gits and silly edgelord versions of Humans. I'm not much of a fan of having a second alternate Human variety in the game, find the Terrans... silly, and find their freaking +15% to morale to be... well, I suspect I know what they're trying to say with that, but allowing them to inspire such fanatical devotion in everybody via propaganda is a Silly Thing.

A recent DLC added the Trilarians, Gnolams, and Elerians to the game.

The Elerians have mighty telepathic powers and a militaristic feudal society. They get some military bonuses, can see the whole galaxy, and get some bonuses to espionage and Instant Mind Control of Conquered Planets from their telepathy.

The Gnolams are all about ludicrous amounts of money. They get an inherent bonus to income from population, get bonuses to trade treaties and trade goods, and have the luck to never get hit by bad random events (and more frequently get good random events, to boot). They come from a small, low-G world, like the Psilons.

The Trilarians have bizarre space-warping capabilities from their minds, and are a native aquatic race that starts on an ocean planet. Fast-moving ships and a watery home, as far as I know.

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The Deleter
May 22, 2010
I don't understand how people in Darth Vader masks stand out as silly to you next to cat people, rock tits and GNN.

CommissarMega
Nov 18, 2008

THUNDERDOME LOSER

The Deleter posted:

I don't understand how people in Darth Vader masks stand out as silly to you next to cat people, rock tits and GNN.

To be fair, nweis is a much more peaceful player than the rest of us. I personally liked the Terrans, simply because Space Hitler is how I usually play.

Koorisch
Mar 29, 2009
One thing to remember about the three new DLC races is that they were originally sold separate for about 10$ a piece before they changed it to a pack of all three for about 12$.

Koorisch fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Feb 8, 2017

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

The Deleter posted:

I don't understand how people in Darth Vader masks stand out as silly to you next to cat people, rock tits and GNN.

1) Cat people- not really a big issue for me.
2) Rock tits- dumb, but something it's easy to ignore when I'm not playing Silicoids.
3) GNN- silly, yes, but also something easy enough to not regard as actually part of what's 'happening'.
4) Terrans- why exactly is there a second Human species out there that appears to have been designed by an edgy teenager? I do not want to deal with two 'Humanities' in my game, that's stupid.

Libluini
May 18, 2012

I gravitated towards the Greens, eventually even joining the party itself.

The Linke is a party I grudgingly accept exists, but I've learned enough about DDR-history I can't bring myself to trust a party that was once the SED, a party leading the corrupt state apparatus ...
Grimey Drawer

nweismuller posted:

4) Terrans- why exactly is there a second Human species out there that appears to have been designed by an edgy teenager? I do not want to deal with two 'Humanities' in my game, that's stupid.

In my opinion, it would have been far better to call them "Golgathans", give them swords as main weapons and huge ground combat bonuses because they make everyone stand still and monologue while they cut you down. Your political leader is Owen Deathstalker, your science advisor is some guy named Wolf who instead of techs will give you more and more elaborate drugs as the game goes on.

If you talk to them when the AI controls them, they will claim the other Humans are secretly lead by someone named Lionstone XIV and evil.

If you go schlock, go full on 100% schlock.

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
There's the Empire from Star Wars, the Terrain Empire (the Khanate is pretty explicitly a shout out to Star Trek as us every tropey 4X ever), and multiple human factions in other 4X games. If you somehow can't deal with the idea of the trope of the evil counterpart in a game draped in the corpses of every campy sci-fi series ever written, I honestly don't know what to say to you.

Also their design owns and they're just as campy as the rest of the game. Their pops all wear the dumb mask and their leader manages to defy that mask to chew the scenery in diplomatic conversations. The only thing wrong with them is that, iirc, they don't have unique ship models, just recoloured Human ones.

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

The Deleter posted:

There's the Empire from Star Wars, the Terrain Empire (the Khanate is pretty explicitly a shout out to Star Trek as us every tropey 4X ever), and multiple human factions in other 4X games. If you somehow can't deal with the idea of the trope of the evil counterpart in a game draped in the corpses of every campy sci-fi series ever written, I honestly don't know what to say to you.

Also their design owns and they're just as campy as the rest of the game. Their pops all wear the dumb mask and their leader manages to defy that mask to chew the scenery in diplomatic conversations. The only thing wrong with them is that, iirc, they don't have unique ship models, just recoloured Human ones.

I think you're missing my point. The game mechanics present a universe where the dawn of FTL exploration is just happening as the game starts. Finding a whole seperate Human society on another far-separated star system strains my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. (Stars in Shadow actually sets things up correctly for 'multiple different Human societies scattered across the stars who aren't initially aware of each other', but Master of Orion does not.)

The Deleter
May 22, 2010
Well I guess that's the problem then, because I don't care about the greater lore or setting of Moster of Orion beyond the very broad strokes. You're free to dislike them - I was trying to explain/defend them without resorting to "in-universe" stuff.

Libluini
May 18, 2012

I gravitated towards the Greens, eventually even joining the party itself.

The Linke is a party I grudgingly accept exists, but I've learned enough about DDR-history I can't bring myself to trust a party that was once the SED, a party leading the corrupt state apparatus ...
Grimey Drawer

nweismuller posted:

I think you're missing my point. The game mechanics present a universe where the dawn of FTL exploration is just happening as the game starts. Finding a whole seperate Human society on another far-separated star system strains my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. (Stars in Shadow actually sets things up correctly for 'multiple different Human societies scattered across the stars who aren't initially aware of each other', but Master of Orion does not.)

I'm just saying, the existence of the Madness Maze could explain fuckery like this.

JamieTheD
Nov 4, 2011

LPer, Reviewer, Mad Welshman

(Yes, that's a self portrait)

nweismuller posted:

I think you're missing my point. The game mechanics present a universe where the dawn of FTL exploration is just happening as the game starts. Finding a whole seperate Human society on another far-separated star system strains my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. (Stars in Shadow actually sets things up correctly for 'multiple different Human societies scattered across the stars who aren't initially aware of each other', but Master of Orion does not.)

Although I would mostly agree, I would present two possibilities for consideration (despite the fact they're not in this game, not gonna be in this game, etc, etc. This is just a discussion point.) Firstly, the "Orions/Antarans are Jerks - Chariots of the Gods" scenario, in which nascent humanity was split. That one's fairly common. It's also within the character of both the Orions and the Antarans, who are jerks.

Secondly: The Terran Khanate as a dark past returned. Yes, dawn of FTL exploration, yada yada yada. But you're forgetting that, even today, some folks would seriously consider taking a generation ship or a cryo slowboat if they thought it would work. What if (And this is spitballing here), humanity went through a very bad phase where it was militaristic, tyrannical, etc, but didn't really have any outlet for that (I know, totally unbelievable, right?) , then sense began to prevail, the tyranny got mostly crushed, except the fanatical core, who... As quietly as possible, slowboated their way to the stars.

Now, it's confession time: I'm mostly arguing this because I like Robert Englund and Sumalee Montano, not because I like the faction (ew) or the extra humanity that really wasn't needed (ew)

Second confession time: I have always thought of MoO as silly. I love it to bits. But I acknowledge that it has always been just a little bit silly.

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

JamieTheD posted:

Although I would mostly agree, I would present two possibilities for consideration (despite the fact they're not in this game, not gonna be in this game, etc, etc. This is just a discussion point.) Firstly, the "Orions/Antarans are Jerks - Chariots of the Gods" scenario, in which nascent humanity was split. That one's fairly common. It's also within the character of both the Orions and the Antarans, who are jerks.

Secondly: The Terran Khanate as a dark past returned. Yes, dawn of FTL exploration, yada yada yada. But you're forgetting that, even today, some folks would seriously consider taking a generation ship or a cryo slowboat if they thought it would work. What if (And this is spitballing here), humanity went through a very bad phase where it was militaristic, tyrannical, etc, but didn't really have any outlet for that (I know, totally unbelievable, right?) , then sense began to prevail, the tyranny got mostly crushed, except the fanatical core, who... As quietly as possible, slowboated their way to the stars.

Now, it's confession time: I'm mostly arguing this because I like Robert Englund and Sumalee Montano, not because I like the faction (ew) or the extra humanity that really wasn't needed (ew)

Second confession time: I have always thought of MoO as silly. I love it to bits. But I acknowledge that it has always been just a little bit silly.

I'll grant the slowboat explanation, although I would like that one better if you were able to force the Terrans to spawn near the Humans and the start date was a bit later to allow for slowboating and significant population growth. I'll even grant the Chariots of the Gods stuff, but frankly I don't like that one; I appreciated in general how Humanity was just one of the races emerging and not one with particular evidence of Orion meddling, and the Chariots of the Gods explanation weakens that significantly. And fair enough, there's a certain level of silliness to MoO, but I still attempt to approach these things with a 'how can I make this make sense?' outlook. But honestly, it's easy enough for me to 'not play with the Terrans' in my games.

Sorry I've not updated this week- my sleep this last week has been a mess and I've been tired as Hell. I'll try to get back on things.

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
The City of Glasstower: a Representative Meklar Society

Glasstower is a fairly representative Meklar society of the sort that had its own ruling council incorporated into the Main Combine Cycle, which continues under the authority of its own council and guided by its policies. Glasstower originated as a small industrial settlement in one of the expansion waves across the surface of Meklon Prime, consisting of an electronic components factory selling to other settlements, a ring of outlying farms, and some warehouses and a market serving to trade supplies from outside. The existing factory management, recognising that economic competition from other settlements may soon render their factory inviable, chose to construct a fixed AI to take over factory management. S-WN-083 was created as the Governor of Glasstower, and began reorganisation of factory operations once they were placed under its authority. The settlement became a major industrial complex with multiple industries supported within a decade, with population growing dramatically. S-WN-083, recognising the increasing workload it was subject to funded the construction of four more fixed intelligences, which established a Council in a central tower in the settlement remarkable for its decorative glass plating. S-WN-083 maintained authority as Industrial Manager of the factories of the settlement, overseeing production operations and new product research. J-FL-112 took on the responsibilities of Glasstower's Arbiter, judging disputes between citizens and protecting their autonomy. N-ST-250 became the Communications Manager of the settlement, running local telecommunications and networking infrastructure. L-EL-306 became the Commercial Manager of the settlement, responsible for negotiations with suppliers and customers for the factories under the control of Glasstower's Council. And, finally, D-CM-944 became the Commandant of the settlement, responsible for defensive plans, militia organisation, and fortifications. Decisions requiring the assent of the Council are settled by simple majority vote of the Council.

Since the formation of the Council, three independent fixed intelligences have been constructed within the area of Glasstower's authority, each administering independent industrial ventures founded in the settlement for easier access to the settlement's own industries. These intelligences are not represented in the Council, and have authority limited to their own private ventures. The Glasstower Council takes petitions from the general populace, and makes its full proceedings a matter of public record. Immigration, emigration, and employment within Glasstower are not restricted, and small independent service businesses catering to citizen demands employ much of the population, even if the largest single employer in the settlement remains S-WN-083.

nweismuller fucked around with this message at 13:20 on Apr 25, 2017

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
Hopefully this provides a small amount of added insight into Meklar society. If there are questions, I'll take them.

Stephen9001
Oct 28, 2013

nweismuller posted:

Hopefully this provides a small amount of added insight into Meklar society. If there are questions, I'll take them.

What, exactly, is the general opinion amongst humanity of them? I would guess the very broad outline would be something like "a bit weirded out by the whole building your bosses thing, but in general cool with how they do seem to value independence (or at least, don't care if you want to leave) despite that" but I could be wrong, and even if I'm not, I'm sure most of us are interested in specifics.

I can have moments of... eccentricity and sometimes be quite curious about things. Please forgive me if I do something foolish or rude.

Rick_Hunter
Jan 5, 2004

My guys are still fighting the hard fight!
(weapons, shields and drones are still online!)

nweismuller posted:

Hopefully this provides a small amount of added insight into Meklar society. If there are questions, I'll take them.

1. Meklar society seems very ... production oriented? Like the purpose of the Meklar is to produce components, food, or supplies that can be traded. What determines when Meklar's make more of themselves?

2. Not a question but I can't believe you didn't slip some kind of leet speak or a dick joke in those Meklar names.

POOL IS CLOSED
Jul 14, 2011

I'm just exploding with mackerel. This is the aji wo kutta of my discontent.
Pillbug
The joke is only in machine readable format.

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
The general attitude in Human society towards Meklars seems to be broadly positive at the moment. Meklars are very unusual, but seem generally friendly and at least broadly compatible with the Republic's ideals. They certainly seem more appealing than the Darloks, at least. 'What determines when Meklars make more of themselves?' Can you elaborate on the question?

And as for Meklar dick jokes: has my record so far inclined you to expect me to indulge in Big Obvious Jokes in setting-building?

Rick_Hunter
Jan 5, 2004

My guys are still fighting the hard fight!
(weapons, shields and drones are still online!)

nweismuller posted:

The general attitude in Human society towards Meklars seems to be broadly positive at the moment. Meklars are very unusual, but seem generally friendly and at least broadly compatible with the Republic's ideals. They certainly seem more appealing than the Darloks, at least. 'What determines when Meklars make more of themselves?' Can you elaborate on the question?

Well Meklar are AI with some biological needs (sugar plantations) so I was wondering if they felt the same need to reproduce like humans or if they only constructed more of their kind out of need. 'I would like to have children' vs 'I need children to do more work'

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

Rick_Hunter posted:

Well Meklar are AI with some biological needs (sugar plantations) so I was wondering if they felt the same need to reproduce like humans or if they only constructed more of their kind out of need. 'I would like to have children' vs 'I need children to do more work'

Ahhh, OK. Meklars don't really have the same biological urge to reproduce as biological species, but 'building more Meklars' is very frequently the 'correct' response to challenges a particular Meklar or Meklar community might have, and some Meklars do have particular interests in education and care for younger Meklars. 'Reproduction' may not be a biological drive they are subject to, but 'companionship' is a thing they psychologically crave. (As a side-effect of this, they tend to have difficulty understanding sexual pair-bonding in biological species in more than an academic sense, and have difficulty figuring out how this is different from normal 'friendship'. This also means they tend to be faintly bemused by biological interest in sexual display tactics.)

nweismuller fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Feb 10, 2017

Siegkrow
Oct 11, 2013

Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting



Okay, I gotta know, what was humanity's reaction to the first inter-species marriage? It's been, what, over a century since we first met the Bulrathi? And a couple of decades since we met the rest of the galaxy? It must have happened by now. [I also assume that there's been a not insiignificant immigration, sure, WE may not see other species' pop points in our planets until we conquer them but by now we must have a virtual pop point of misc. aliens in our empire]

I'm mostly asking because, well, humanity hasn't reacted well to miscegenation in the past, and I imagine it may be more extreme when the other part isn't even human.

Of course, maybe SPAAAAACE humanity is more socially evolved, what do I know.

thsgrn
May 6, 2007

Siegkrow posted:

I'm mostly asking because, well, humanity hasn't reacted well to miscegenation in the past, and I imagine it may be more extreme when the other part isn't even human.

Well, a big part of people's issues with miscegenation has to do with children and hangups around that... and that might not apply so much if it's actually impossible.

(On the other hand, think about how people think about furries, I guess.)

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
Well, regardless of personal opinions on whether interspecies marriage is disgusting or not- and I can certainly see difference of opinion existing there- commitment to personal freedom is very firmly rooted in the Republic, such that even those who find it repulsive don't want to take political action against it.

Trying to persuade people involved that they're unnerving perverts? That, perhaps, would be more likely for those who disapprove.

All that said, I imagine that most people see love for a fully-sapient member of a species with at least quasi-compatible ideas of romance as within the overall range of 'acceptable behavior'.

(For that matter, the commitment to personal freedom means that 'personal discrimination against aliens' tends to both be legal, with nobody wanting to ban it, while at the same time being subject to severe social disapproval by people who think you're being an idiot. Space-racism may exist, but it also is not very popular by a long shot.)

nweismuller fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Feb 11, 2017

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
On the subject of love and reproduction amongst aliens: Psilon women have, contrary to expectations by most, very wide, 'feminine' hips, and a fair degree of curviness (although Psilon infant nutrition strategies mean that Psilons don't have mammae, unlike Humans, Mrrshan, and Bulrathi). This is a necessary adaptation for the rigors of childbirth in a species with skulls the size of Psilon skulls.

Siegkrow
Oct 11, 2013

Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting



You know, you ssy that the Meklar don't quite understand romance, which is ripe for one of those star trek-like "what is this thing you call love" scenarios.

Question 2: what has been our highest biological scientific breakthrough? Psychic powers? No wait we got those in a trade right? I'm asking because I imagine that somewhere at the top.of the bio-science tree there must be a breakthrough that may potentially end up with species being able to hybridize, at least RP-wise. Since other species' biological breakthroughs (such as psychic powers) can be traded to any other species I mean, that seems really specific.

Question 3: what is the average human's views on the converted Bulrathi?

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

Siegkrow posted:

You know, you ssy that the Meklar don't quite understand romance, which is ripe for one of those star trek-like "what is this thing you call love" scenarios.

Question 2: what has been our highest biological scientific breakthrough? Psychic powers? No wait we got those in a trade right? I'm asking because I imagine that somewhere at the top.of the bio-science tree there must be a breakthrough that may potentially end up with species being able to hybridize, at least RP-wise. Since other species' biological breakthroughs (such as psychic powers) can be traded to any other species I mean, that seems really specific.

Question 3: what is the average human's views on the converted Bulrathi?

1) Unlike those Star Trek scenarios, the Meklars have no particular desire to emotionally grasp the concept of 'love'- it's a weird alien thing that turns other species into social minefields, not something they want to emulate, as a rule. It's sort of like how many people want to emotionally grasp the 'why geese migrate' thing- they really have no reason to want to.
2) Our highest biotech breakthroughs have been genetic tinkering with Humanity to increase average intelligence, other medical breakthroughs, and the creation of telepaths. Given that other species, even with relatively compatible biochemistry, have entirely different gene encoding, creating of hybrids at all would require creating a new form of life ab initio which is spliced together to express traits from two different species, which is... insanely high-tech, beyond our capacity, and would involve a lot more 'dedicated lab work' and less 'traditional reproduction'. The species barrier between entirely unrelated species is not that easily breached. Even getting things to work like 'forcing the growth of human organs in pigs' such as we've done in the modern era are foundering on the sheer gulf of genetic difference between Earth life and Bulran or Yilerian life.
3) Assimilated Bulrathi are good citizens of the Republic. How could they be otherwise? It's not their fault there's still diehard resistance amongst other Bulrathi. People are individuals and should be judged as such. An interesting phenomenon amongst assimilating Bulrathi is that they breaking of the Imperial state religion as a state religion has greatly reduced its ability to enforce the very high-concentration development that has minimised Bulrathi environmental impact. That said, personal freedoms, political participation, and the growth of Human-style corporations in assimilated Bulrathi states have helped encourage patriotism, loyalty, and a generally productive economy.
The Bulrathi territory we've conquered has lost the 'Ecologist' trait which reduced their pollution, but has gained our 'Diplomat' morale bonus and gets the bonuses to trade revenue associated with our 'Traders' trait.

On the subject of things you've said earlier- there has been a certain amount of immigration and travel, so there are small alien minorities in the Republic, particularly of Mrrshan, who have the shortest, safest distance to travel and have known us the longest time of any sapient species outside the Local Quadrant. Darloks have notably not done any immigration despite also having a relatively short distance to travel.

nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Feb 11, 2017

Siegkrow
Oct 11, 2013

Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting



I suppose there must be a part of humanity that mistrusts the psilons.

Let me explain myself.
You see how the psilons are suspiciously similar to our depiction of "the grays", which popularly aren't seen as the kindest of aliens, what with the abducting and cow mutilating and anal probing. Is there any explanation for that? Maybe some rogue psilons?

Also, have depictions of the grays and Japanese catgirls become racist caricatures?

CommissarMega
Nov 18, 2008

THUNDERDOME LOSER

Siegkrow posted:

You see how the psilons are suspiciously similar to our depiction of "the grays", which popularly aren't seen as the kindest of aliens, what with the abducting and cow mutilating and anal probing. Is there any explanation for that? Maybe some rogue psilons?

I actually like to think that (assuming every MoO race got into space at the same time) the Psilons are some kind of genetic offshoot of the ancient Orions or Antarans, who were the real party behind alien abductions and stuff.

Nevets
Sep 11, 2002

Be they sad or be they well,
I'll make their lives a hell

Siegkrow posted:

Also, have depictions of the grays and Japanese catgirls become racist caricatures?

I think to really have the impact of a racist (or in this case speciesist) caricature, there has to be some history of conflict and/or repression.

Demon Of The Fall
May 1, 2004

Nap Ghost
Really enjoying the LP so far. Steam just put the game on sale at 50% off, thought people would like to know.

Danny Glands
Jan 26, 2013

Possible thermal failure (CPU on fire?)
I feel that when we rename our empire, we add a Latin motto to it for legitimacy.

How about "sidera pacem unitur" - "stars united in peace"?

Rick_Hunter
Jan 5, 2004

My guys are still fighting the hard fight!
(weapons, shields and drones are still online!)

Danny Glands posted:

I feel that when we rename our empire, we add a Latin motto to it for legitimacy.

How about "sidera pacem unitur" - "stars united in peace"?

Yeah, 'Sic Parvis Magna' and all that.

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker
I'm partial to "Inclina ad nos, alienati"

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
Sorry about delays- schedule has been really weird lately, but I'll try to get things written up over this weekend. In the meantime...

Land Ownership Under the Bulrathi Empire and Mrrshan High Queendom

Both the former Bulrathi Empire and Mrrshan High Queendom are organised along recognisably feudal patterns, with nested layers of loyalty and pledges of mutual service binding their societies together. Notably different, however, is the precise form of these relationships. Mrrshan feudal society is built on land holdings in allodium held outright by owners whose feudal contract takes the form of pledged support and tribute in exchange for justice and protection. The holdings of land actually owned by higher nobles are frequently quite modest relative to their vassals, and there is a significant class of landowning freeholders who are not 'nobility', but nonetheless make upward pledges of support and tribute to a ruling noble. As Mrrshan land holdings are allodial, they are not subject to alienation at the desire of higher nobles, and failure of the contract on either side is held to void the contract, leaving the noble or freeholder at liberty to seek other arrangements. As such, such land seizures as have existed in Mrrshan society are functionally acts of war. Land holdings in Mrrshan society are alienable by sale, and so the membership of the class of freeholders is somewhat fluid. Non-noble owners of property in land who rent usage of land to landless commoners are generally considered 'gentry'; a usual condition of the contract of support is the requirement that one's renters pledge to accept one's lord's justice should such become necessary. Land rents in Mrrshan society generally take the form of fixed-sum payments as negotiated between owner and renter.

Bulrathi land ownership, however, was explicitly granted in fief from the Emperor, who was the sole lawful landowner of the Empire and whose rule was buttressed by the spiritual support of the Hag and the wise women of the Empire. The contract between the Emperor and his vassals, and the vassals of his lesser nobles, took the form of service in exchange for the conditional grant of land. In theory, the Emperor held the right at any time to withdraw the fief from any vassal. All landholders in Bulrathi Imperial society were members of the nobility, collecting rents from from the freemen or serfs working their lands. In theory, the Emperor could strip fief from any landholder if their service was judged unsatisfactory, as could any greater noble from a lesser noble. In practise, strip of fief was exercised relatively rarely, as overuse of the preogative could end with the Emperor's tragic death in falling down a flight of swords or accidentally shooting himself several dozen times. Rents for Bulrathi serfs and freemen tended to take different forms. For serfs, the product of their labor was presumed to belong to their lord, who then granted usage of a home and a stipend for the support of the serf and their family as compensation for their (mandatory) service. Bulrathi freemen paid rents as 'a certain number of days' revenue of their activities each year' in exchange for use of land, with each layer of nobility requiring a certain number of days of the revenues of the freemen under the governance of their vassals as a condition of service. Although freemen could and did move between jurisdictions in an effort to seek favorable tax rates, petitions by vassals to their lords to decree harmonisation of tax rates to short-circuit tax competition were frequently successful, making freeman rents under a given lord's vassals fixed between them by decree. Variance in treatment of serfs was more pronounced, as serfs had no legal means to change lords and no means to become freemen save by grant of their lords (which occasionally happened in a effort to cultivate the valuable commercial or technical services of freemen; the various historical attempts to develop servile classes who could serve the technical, commercial, and managerial role of freemen failed miserably). Some freeman enterprises in Bulrathi society also rented the use of serfs as unskilled or semi-skilled labor; the usual term of such arrangements involved the negotiation of extra days of taxes added to the freeman's rents calculated to try and provide more revenues to the lord than would have been achieved by keeping the serf in direct employment, with the freeman's use of serfs able to be dissolved at any time by their lord.

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
Any reactions to this are, of course, welcomed. :)

POOL IS CLOSED
Jul 14, 2011

I'm just exploding with mackerel. This is the aji wo kutta of my discontent.
Pillbug
Nice to read another lore update! O questions or pithy comments from this corner though.

Siegkrow
Oct 11, 2013

Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting



I didn't that Mrrshan land owning being on an honor system says a lot about their culture

GlassEye-Boy
Jul 12, 2001
Was really enjoying this LP, hope it continues!

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

Siegkrow posted:

I didn't that Mrrshan land owning being on an honor system says a lot about their culture

Er, pardon? I'm not sure I parse.

And sorry for delays, distraction and mild burnout reign. I'll be back soon enough. The SMAC LP I did is currently in the queue for the LP Archive; I procrastinated long enough on editing the thread locked and so only the primary updates will get up on the Archive. Sorry.

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Siegkrow
Oct 11, 2013

Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting



Yeah sorry, mixture of autocorrect and being real sleepy.

As far as I understood it, the Cat ladies use an honor system when it comes to land owning, not the way WE say honor by based on the personal honor of the people, right? I find that interesting.

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