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Love it. Although I'd find some personal PoVs interesting alongside this would give a fuller view, if you are framing this as a fraction of a documentary on post-war republic and bulrathi relations. I dunno, something like interviews or donated/recovered journals, or cameras "on the ground" with the occupation forces. I- am I being a bother? I'm just adding my ideas on how to improve the narrative, sorry.
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May 29, 2017 04:05
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Siegkrow posted:Love it. Although I'd find some personal PoVs interesting alongside this would give a fuller view, if you are framing this as a fraction of a documentary on post-war republic and bulrathi relations. I dunno, something like interviews or donated/recovered journals, or cameras "on the ground" with the occupation forces. Not being a bother at all- if you're willing to provide an individual point of view I'd love to have your contribution, but otherwise I'll try to consider something for myself. If you want to contribute, feel free to ask me for help making sure things are consistent with the world. E: To reiterate- I like being asked for material. It helps raise my morale and keep me productive. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 04:29 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 04:21
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When did the first McDonald's open on Ursa?
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May 29, 2017 04:29
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Crazycryodude posted:When did the first McDonald's open on Ursa? No McDonald's has opened or will open on Ursa, by virtue of the corporation long since having gone out of business, between the increasingly sclerotic economy of Earth in the 21st and 22nd centuries and the general social collapse that went with the Great Blight. That said, the first Mighty Good Burger franchise was opened near the 'Blue Zone' in Imperial City on Bulra in 2616, a mere year after the occupation of the planet. E: At first, of course, the primary customer base for that Mighty Good Burger was Human military and governmental personnel based in the Blue Zone, although eventually this has changed. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 04:45 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 04:37
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Wasn't the death toll in the war in the billions, instead of hundreds of millions?
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May 29, 2017 04:37
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Montegoraon posted:Wasn't the death toll in the war in the billions, instead of hundreds of millions? It's hard to estimate, but I sincerely doubt it got as high as 'billions'. Bear in mind that not all losses in ground fighting are even 'casualties', properly speaking. Logistic expenditures, occupation forces, damage to materiel, and the collapse of military units through retreat, desertion, and surrender are major factors in planetary invasions.
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May 29, 2017 04:44
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nweismuller posted:It's hard to estimate, but I sincerely doubt it got as high as 'billions'. Bear in mind that not all losses in ground fighting are even 'casualties', properly speaking. Logistic expenditures, occupation forces, damage to materiel, and the collapse of military units through retreat, desertion, and surrender are major factors in planetary invasions. Also worth remembering that 'casualties' includes injuries too severe to permit further fighting.
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May 29, 2017 05:05
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nweismuller posted:It's hard to estimate, but I sincerely doubt it got as high as 'billions'. Bear in mind that not all losses in ground fighting are even 'casualties', properly speaking. Logistic expenditures, occupation forces, damage to materiel, and the collapse of military units through retreat, desertion, and surrender are major factors in planetary invasions. Yeah, but wasn't there an espionage attack that reduced Earth's population by a billion at one point? E: found the discussion of this point from page 22 onwards. Montegoraon fucked around with this message at 05:27 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 05:10
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I don't think it was literally a billion people that died, but between the actual deaths, the chaos and collapse of order, refugees leaving, damaged infrastructure, and all sorts of other nastiness it's as if the planet lost the output of a billion productive citizens. Not that a billion people were literally and directly killed.
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May 29, 2017 05:12
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Aerdan posted:Also worth remembering that 'casualties' includes injuries too severe to permit further fighting. I was taking that into account, but yes. Not all casualties are fatalities, and not all losses to fighting units on planets are casualties. When ships in space are lost, as a rule casualties approach 100%, with perhaps a few lucky evacuees, but things are very different for mass formations of surface forces fighting on the ground, which can have entire fronts collapse due to poor morale, retreat, and desertions, or have wings of the fighting surrender when their defeat is clear. That said, yes, taking into account the death toll on Earth, total deaths did probably exceed one billion over the course of the war, with the majority of those on Earth itself. The vast bulk of that death toll on Earth was not direct deaths by violence, but rather deaths from disease and deprivation in the wake of collapsed transportation and power networks, particularly in the form of vastly elevated infant mortality until planetary infrastructure was restored. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 05:38 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 05:34
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So ships always explode catastrophically, with little chance of reaching escape pods huh? Sounds like hell.
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May 29, 2017 05:45
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Artificer posted:So ships always explode catastrophically, with little chance of reaching escape pods huh? The energy levels of weapons used in space warfare are such that any compartment compromised by ship to ship fire is basically an instant death sentence for everybody in the compartment, and once ships begin getting torn apart, they tend to fail catastrophically. Crew in compartments spared from direct weapons fire have a chance to survive, at least if they were suited for vacuum ops when things start to break apart. Even then, a ship ripping apart and failing is not a healthy environment, and casualties from splintered debris, radiation exposure, and exposure to vacuum are common. For example, a compartment breached by a mass driver slug tends to spray much of the interior of the compartment with superheated fragments of ship material and the slug and experience massive pressure fronts that are entirely capable of shattering every bone in the Human body, not to speak of what they do to blood vessels and other soft tissues. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 06:24 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 05:49
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Yay! More writing on this. I'm interested in something on the thoughts of how earth went to war with the Darloks - what the justification for it was or the general strategic plans.
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May 29, 2017 06:57
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Earth's war with the Darloks was driven by a mixture of imperialist sentiment, territorial greed, a political desire to strengthen relations with the Meklar Combine, and a general sense that the Darlok Administration was a fundamentally unfree regime that presented a potential long-term threat to the Republic. Notwithstanding the fact that the Darlok Administration is clearly less unfree than it initially appeared, it nonetheless is a state that is fundamentally ideologically uncomfortable for the Human population under the Republic. When the Meklar Combine offered substantial incentives to the Republic for intervening on the Meklar side in the war between Combine and Administration, the sitting administration was happy to negotiate the treaty, which was then approved by the Senate and the Popular Assembly. The war's justification, as presented to the public, is to assist the government of the Meklar Combine against the threat presented by the Darlok Administration, and to liberate Darlok populations from the Administration, bringing them into the Republic. Human leaders, flush with pride at the destruction of the Bulrathi Empire and confident in Space Fleet's strength, anticipated a short, victorious war. The reality is that although the Darlok Administration has a small population and economy relative to the Meklar Combine and the Human Republic, it has a powerful fleet equipped with advanced graviton cannon, with battleships anchoring the fleet and a significant force of fast frigates capable of closing range, and although Space Fleet was able to secure landing for surface forces on Udun, it has been forced into retreat, having suffered heavy damage from fixed fortifications and Darlok mobile forces. Whether the Republic will be able to hold Udun, which is even now under blockade, remains an open question. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 07:40 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 07:21
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Oh dear. That's an ominous teaser.
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May 29, 2017 07:24
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Nice summation nweis. And sounds like we got our nosies bloodied. Love the lore you do for things like these!
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May 29, 2017 07:25
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But what about the cats!!
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May 29, 2017 07:27
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Artificer posted:But what about the cats!! The Mrrshans plot to collect souls for Great Cthulhu obviously.
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May 29, 2017 07:30
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Out of curiousity, what are people's initial reactions to the 'Reds', 'Greens', and 'Blacks' as Bulrathi resistance movements? (The pro-Imperial resistance is Red, of course, given that red is the traditional color of the Empire.)
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May 29, 2017 08:13
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I was down with it.
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May 29, 2017 08:16
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Rather liked. Gave me an image of the Russian Civil War and the disparate resistances that fought one another almost as much as they did the Entente.
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May 29, 2017 08:44
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Artificer posted:So ships always explode catastrophically, with little chance of reaching escape pods huh? You also have to remember that surviving in space after your ship is destroyed is probably a lot like surviving after the HMS Hood was sunk - you're in an extremely hostile black 'ocean' that's nearly limitless in size with one key limited resource. And you're hoping that SAR has time to find you.
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May 29, 2017 14:08
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wedgekree posted:Rather liked. Gave me an image of the Russian Civil War and the disparate resistances that fought one another almost as much as they did the Entente. whistles innocently It's similar to the Russian Civil War? I'm shocked, shocked by this news!
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May 29, 2017 17:29
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Near the city of Tarev, the planet of Tsovana, 2637: Turgek looked out the window of the 'deserted' lodge which formerly belonged to Validim, Baron of Tarev, contemplating the changes to the city sourly. Where previously the city had towered vertically, leaving the vast sea of grass alongside the river and the looming bluffs the Baron's lodge had been erected on nearly untouched save by the fields surrounding scattered farming villages or the occasional mine site in the bluffs, leaving the natural beauty of Tsovana clearly apparent to anybody travelling the roads cutting through the plains or flying the skies above them, now the city had begun to slump outward, the natural lands held in Imperial trust opened to development at the stroke of a Human pen. Bulrathi who should have known better scrambled into new homes outside the old city, and the development spread like a cancer across previously pristine nature. I could understand the five times blind Human aliens being so insensitive. But how could Bulrathi be so weak and foolish? Before the alien conquest of the world, Turgek had been a master brewer in Tarev, overseeing several other skilled brewers and renting a few serfs for unskilled labor in a small building near the riverfront, fermenting and distilling grain from the fields outside the city into powerful spirits that were sold across the city to its hardworking inhabitants. Now, however... When the Humans had come, breaking the armies of the nobility, Turgek's pious soul was outraged as he saw the lack of respect of Humanity for the glory of nature, in what must have been a willful blindness to the spirits of all things. He knew others who thought alike, some of whom could lay their hands upon weapons- and the Human grip over the city was dependent on supplies. The Green Field Militia of Tarev was slowly born, attempting to ambush vulnerable Human patrols, launching reprisals on locals cooperating with the conquerers, and fighting against the ruthless and savage Tarev Revolutionary Command, a local militia of desperate serfs with seemingly no higher goal than to establish their own reign of terror over the city. The Tarev Revolutionary Command held much of the city, although Human forces and their treasonous Bulrathi allies were slowly pushing them back. The countryside surrounding the city, however, belonged to Turgek and his comrades. The battle was not easy, and it seemed every year their numbers dwindled. The Tarev Green Field Militia kept in communication with other Green militias scattered across the planet, each locked in their own struggles with the Blues supporting Humanity, Blacks like the Tarev Revolutionary Command, or, occasionally, Reds seeking the restoration of the Empire. Turgek, like many of his comrades, believed that although the Reds could certainly be worked with, they seemed far too focused on restoring the old privileges of the nobility and the establishment of a new Emperor, where it was obvious to any decent person that more important than the nobility or the Emperor was the respect for nature and its spirits that had been taught to Bulrathi with their mothers' milk. Baron Validim's lodge, formerly luxurious, had been converted into an improvised garrison. Many of the fittings had been looted soon after the Baron's death, and shattered windows had been boarded over. Dried mud had been tracked over bare stone and wooden floors stripped of the rugs once softening them, and cots had been set up for militiamen in rooms once reserved for more cultured purposes. Few of Turgek's militia had access to the old military-standard rotary cannons used by the old Imperial military, instead relying on hunting rifles, shotguns, improvised explosives, and the occasional laboriously reconstructed Human neutron rifle modified for use by larger hands and arms. Spirits, I hope we will be enough to keep the aliens in check. If only more of us would remember our basic decency, no alien invader could control us all! But as time passed, Turgek's hope slowly dwindled...
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May 29, 2017 20:59
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How's that for a Point of View thing, then?
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May 29, 2017 21:00
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That's amazing mate.
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May 30, 2017 00:14
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Mighty Good Burger, Imperial City, Bulra, 2620: John Albertson had been the night manager for the Imperial City Mighty Good Burger franchise for two years now, overseeing the automated kitchen and order-taking consoles and providing a Human face for the soldiers, contractors, and administrators in the seat of the military government of the planet. Although he frequently heard of violence against Humans, even further out in the city, the franchise was only a block from the walls set up around the 'Blue Zone', and there was essentially no point at which a Republican patrol was not in sight of the location. Still, he sometimes wondered what had driven him to accept such an insane position in the first place, until he reminded himself of just what sort of pay he was getting for the position, funded by the inflated prices the Humans in Imperial City were willing to pay for familiar Human food and the lack of any real competition. It had been a slow night, with only a pair of off-duty troopers coming in shortly after local midnight, but his eagerness at seeing the door slide open evaporated and his mouth went dry when he saw who stood there. A truly massive Bulrathi, perhaps half a head taller than the average Bulrathi, loomed in the threshhold, draped with heavy metal armor plates, striped across the bare metal with lines of flaking blue paint. The right side of the Bulrathi's face was a hairless ruin of burn scars, with the eye covered by a thick leather patch. Slung over his shoulder was a massive rotary multi-barreled cannon, of the sort used by Imperial troops in the fighting, and a credible threat to most lighter armored vehicles on its own. The Bulrathi's one good eye stared at and past John, who found himself utterly unable to speak. John's mind raced, numbly: I'm going to die. I'm going to die. Eventually, the hulking Bulrathi stepped forward, speaking in a deep, rumbling voice in broken, heavily accented English. "Want four Mighty Combo. Cola drink. Four." Helpfully, the Bulrathi held up four fingers on one hand. It was over a minute before John managed to respond, concluding the night shift's first sale to a Bulrathi customer.
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May 30, 2017 01:00
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Yeah, yeah that's really good.
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May 30, 2017 01:02
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Artificer posted:Yeah, yeah that's really good. Ah, but how about the other one I just posted?
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May 30, 2017 01:03
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nweismuller posted:Ah, but how about the other one I just posted? I was referring to the burger one, yeah. 
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May 30, 2017 01:09
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Now that's the poo poo I do like. Both of them, but Space McDonalds especially. Saw it coming from a mile away and still literally laughed out loud.
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May 30, 2017 01:10
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Crazycryodude posted:Now that's the poo poo I do like. I almost hesitate to ask, but how much do the burger patties at that outlet resemble meat? I guess you could locally source Bulrathi Cow Equivalent. Edit: this also implies some things about Occupied Territories Gun Control (there ain't)
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May 30, 2017 01:38
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GreyjoyBastard posted:I almost hesitate to ask, but how much do the burger patties at that outlet resemble meat? Well, vis-a-vis occupied territories gun control... trying to disarm the Blue militias is an excellent way to get loyalists killed, given the violence that has been ongoing. There are definite efforts to make sure armed individuals within secured territory are Blue-affiliated, though. Burger chain food in this future actually tends to be pretty good, given the generally high incomes and secure supplies of food- people are able and willing to pay for quality control. That said, yes, the supply chain for a new franchise on Bulra does mean much of the raw food they use is not as fresh as it could be, until viable substitutes for ingredients are sourced, integrated into recipes, and tested, or small-scale production of Earth crops starts up in biospheres on Bulra. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 01:57 on May 30, 2017 |
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May 30, 2017 01:54
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Would YOU try to take a giant bear-man's gun away from him?
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May 30, 2017 01:56
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Siegkrow posted:Would YOU try to take a giant bear-man's gun away from him? Is the Bear-Man named Fozzie and is the gun one of his jokes?
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May 30, 2017 05:34
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That's Racist!
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May 30, 2017 06:18
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Anyhow, I still have a number more days before I return home and I can start thinking about a 'real' update, so I'll take more suggestions for things to write if anybody has any, or answer questions as people have. I'm sorry to be irregular, but I hope the supplemental stuff I write at least helps.
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May 30, 2017 07:28
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What are the most common art and entertainment forms across the galaxy? Which do best in home market and which forms find more appreciation in other polities?
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May 30, 2017 08:16
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Has anyone started writing Bulrathi Fanfiction yet. More seriously, how are Human and Bulrathi members of the military dealing with their history with one another. Are there any interesting opinions within the Republic's various military branches, or any interesting quirks of Bulrathi/Human relations within government or the armed forces?
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May 30, 2017 11:31
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You've written about Bulrathi taking up Human culture, but is there any cultural exchange going the other way? Are schools on Human planets teaching the Bulrathi language(s)? Have Bulrathi animist missionaries had much success? Is there a Bulrathi Fine Arts Society on Earth?
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May 30, 2017 12:50
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