anyone up for another Chiron Chronicles?

[Mellian]

mart, where would you like to have the Peacekeepers?

Hive is near uranium flats canon wise, what?? where does it say that?

if your going to sub-author the believers then....where do you suggest to have them?

just because the Hive may be adversarial, doesn't they should be in conflict all the time or etc... they could be in one of their period of isolation, with Yang only popping his head occasionally in Planetary Council meetings, and whenever there is the usual Free Drone inspired rebellions/civil disorders.

way i currently place them on the draft map, Free Drones could be a pain to both the Hive and Morganites.

-mellian

[Mart]

From the recently posted map, if I read colors correctly, PKs start somewhere between Planetneck and Great Dunes. To north-west there is Hive which probably will take over the Monsoon Jungle, and to the north there are Spartans. Not the best starting location, but with a little luck it may be an excellent place still. If Lal is succesful to take over Cape Storms Peninsula after sending colonists through Planetneck, that will be ok place. There is also one more Landmark nearby - Fossil Fuel Ridge. If Spartans are fast enough, they will take it over, otherwise Lal will use it for his sea bases as soon as possible. Other Lal's priority in that location would be colonization of Isle of Dexamenus. If all of this is succesful, PK may be real power.

[Mellian]

sooo are you saying you like the planetneck continent location better? second option i thought up would to have the Peacekeepers and Spartans around Freshwater Sea, with of PKs to the east of it and the Spartans where the Unity Crash Site was (the modified map doesn't have it, as it was to huge...so i just assume it missed the continent and crashed into the sea between the continent and the great rift....so whats left could possible be plundered by the spartans or some other faction at some point.)

Caretakers will be moved up in to the middle of pholus ridge, or basicly exactly in the middle between the cult and spartans, and the Usurpers will be relocated to the planetneck continent around the dune desert area.

-mellian

[Mart]

That second location is good too. There is a lot of interesting land east from Freshwater Sea. I should be fine with both. The Fresh Sea location might be though safer for Peacekeepers. Certainly nutrients would be better there.
Any of these two locations are ok, and the better for the story should be chosen, so you can decide.

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by GeoModder


That I'm a busy but constructive poster MOTT, I remember 20+ unworthies to Tass in the CC private forum...

Out of 1200+ constructive? Just a drop in a sea. Join us Geo, you could author CyCon or some faction, or even subauthor it like Franky.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Frankychan
Hmmm, well. If we are going by canon, it is generally assumed that Domai and the Free Drones are an offshoot faction of the Hive. Although not specifically stated anywhere AFAIK, everyone seems to agree that Domai comes from the Hive.

I have no idea what the consensus is on this topic, but I always thought that the Free Drones could have been renegade Hive or Morgan Industries workers. I tend to think they'd be more likely to be MI but, at least for my Planetary Year 50 Timeline I made the Free Drones a Hive offshoot - although only because I had the Data Angels as a Morgan offshoot already.

[Mart]

Maybe Drones are just both from MI and Hive. Domai may be from one of them only, but he may have his closest advisors from both factions. That would make sense to me.

[Mellian]

maybe later on, but the Free Drones started off as a split off from the Hive, canonly. just read the alien crossfire story blurs in its small manual, of where Domai is in this 'cafetaria' with other drones eating nutrient sticks, with Hive guards watching over them.

-mellian

[Frankychan]

Thanks Mell for reconfirming my assumptions.

As for your previous questions,

For Believer placement, I'm not really picky. I'm thinking that they should be semi-isolated but within a reasonable distance of other factions so that disillusioned members can join the Believers.

For the Hive, true they could be in an isolationist period. But due to their nature, it's only a short period before they decide to CONQUER. For the placement, ppl here have said some good things that maybe the Free Drones are from the Hive AND Morgan. How you've placed all three on the map is convenient to everyone's assumptions and ideas.

I think that your map placement is rather good Mellian. Of course, ppl will probably want to make some minor adjustments, but I don't see that much of a problem with it.

[Mellian]

that map is just starting areas. once we agree with it, then we'll start the base placement stuff, how bases a faction would have by 2250, and etc.

-mellian

[Mellian]

here is the next draft of the starting locations of factions.

is everyone okay with this one?

-mellian

[Illuminatus]

with one question - won`t this mean that Usurpers and Progenitors are just on opposite shores, so there is no real need to attack humans.

[Mart]

Excellent for me

[Mellian]

i notice that as well, but doubt they will simply go straight for each others throat, despite their mutual animosity. there can always be a need to attack humans... for resources, for being allies to the other proginator faction, to have access to some unique landmarks like the Ruins, the Manifold Complex and the Borehole Cluster, if the humans are simply in the way, or etc.

Caretakers and Cult of Planet would make natural allies, considering both their pro-planet views, and caretakers would be interested on the Ruins...so why not make a friend at the same time?

anyway, i doubt the proginators would know right away that they have both survived the battle in space, and will be sometime before they both can create both an army and a navy strong enough to invade each other. well, they could also try to nuke each other...but i think they would of thought of that possibility and attempt to raise defences against such possible attacks.

eventually in the future, if either of the proginator factions starts building their subspace centres to eventually contact the rest of their faction in space somewhere, the humans would really have to get their butt in gear and attempt to stop them anyway they can.

-mellian

[Sovereign]

Damn. A whole page of new posts I gotta wade through, after just 36 hours.

Map looks good.

I'm a little confused with Franky. What exactly does he mean by sub-author?

Also, what other factions still don't have an author?

So far I know...

Drones
Spartans
Cyborgs
Unsurper
Caretaker
Cult ***


*** I'm not sure if Obstructor is gonna write for both the Cult and the Gaians. Or is he just gonna write for the Gaians?

Will authors be allowed for the Progenitors? Or will they remain independent of all authors?

Also, I think we should disable the "Supreme Leader" and "Ascent to Transcendence" victory conditions. IMHO, in an author stroy such as this, these will be cheap cop-outs.

[Sovereign]

In addition...

Mellian, I'd like an enlarged map of the Garland Crater so I'll know where to put down my bases and stuff. Your Chiron is slightly different from the SMAC-X map I have on my hard drive.


I like the map. It recives the Academician's seal of approval!

[Illuminatus]

I am subauthoring Cult, just for certain story twists with Gaians, because no one took them.

Also map gets Medal of Running Naked through the Trees!

[Sovereign]

Obstructor, you crack me up.

So I take it sub-author basically means writing for a faction merely for story arcs with other factions. No directing, building up, etc. of that particular faction, right?

Please enlighten me on this. Since Franky said he would sub-author the Believers, and my University faction is practically next door and mortal enemies of the Believers, I'd like to know what to expect.

Thanks!

[Illuminatus]

I believe you are correct Sovereign, but Franky may have other ideas.

[Sovereign]

Mucho Gracias, Obstructor.

Now there's one less thing I have to my poor head about.

[Frankychan]

I was thinking that I would just steer the Believers around until another author took them over....or that I would provide minor characters to the Believer plotline, while the main author steered the direction that the faction was going.

I'm not totally sure, but I guess I could be the main author until someone else wants to join, then I would resume my role as a "sub-author". With the Believers and University practically on each others doorstep, I think it would lead to some kind of altercation....Overt or Covert. But things can always be discussed and reviewed.

[Sovereign]

Wouldn't that be confusing, Franky?

Suppose an author decides to step in and lead the Believers, then how or what would you deal with it? How would a sub-author work with the main author?

My head is spinning trying to understand how that system works.

[GeneralTacticus]

Also, I think we should disable the "Supreme Leader" and "Ascent to Transcendence" victory conditions. IMHO, in an author stroy such as this, these will be cheap cop-outs.

The Ascent to Transcendence, yes, although I think we're highly unlikely to actually reach that point - the whole supreme LEader thing, however, is something that might be talked about periodically, or might eventually become a serious issue, but with so many factions with differing views, I don't think it would ever happen. The most it would come to (unless some incredibly charismatic leader managed something really heroic, like preventing a Progenitor invasion) would be an excuse for certain factions to go on a conquest drive - e.g. "I have been proclaimed Supreme Leader! Bow down before me now or we will destroy you!".

And that, of course, might be interesting, so we shouldn't ban it outright.

[Sovereign]

Well, technically, from what I remember, if a faction gets 3/4 of the votes, he / she can declare Supreme Leader.

If Peacekeepers built the Empath Guild, and the two other Wonders that give even more bonus votes. Then the high population growth and bonuses, then factor in the Peacekeeper's 50% Planetary Council votes bonus...

If Peacekeepers grow big enough, they can vote themselves Supreme Leader.

Say...

Peacekeepers end up with 7600 votes.
All the other factions votes combined comes up to 2400 votes.

Peacekeepers automatically win if they vote themselves Supreme Leader.

This is the kind of cop-out situation I want to avoid in cooperative story writing.


I suggest a compromise and a few ideas how to try to modify this Supreme Leader thing.

1. Remove Peacekeeper's 50% Planetary Council vote bonus

2. Increase votes needed for Supreme Leader to 90% of all Council Votes.

3. Disable the "Victory" condition. But keep the concept of "Unify behind me, or Vendetta!". This way, our story can keep going, rather than an abrupt end like in the actual SMAC-X games.


I simply don't want "I won! I won! HAHAHAHA!" kind of thing happening.

[Mellian]

not in the peacekeepers nature to declare themselves 'supreme leader'. we should keep in mind of how other factions are, and how they would realistic respond to such a declaretion. rest of chiron would have to be pretty beating up and etc to simply bow down to one leader, to one faction.

i see the peacekeepers simpyl being content to being planetary governor and the rest of the factions properlly abying to the UN Charter. also, if Chiron was ever to unite, they would have a kind of constitution where there is the potential for a leader of any faction could get voted in.

-mellian

[Sovereign]

Well, I just want to make sure that there won't be any cheap cop-outs.

I want things to be fair, and if we have Victory conditions, then perhaps some new authors would try and step over each other in a mad dash for victory.

I want this to be a saga, something that can keep on going, and doesn't have to end like in the actual SMAC games.

[GeneralTacticus]

Sovereign: the thing is, as Mellian says, no-one would accept such a vote even if it was entirely legal... they'd just say 'screw you' and quit the Council.

[Sovereign]

Gotcha. Thanks for putting my fears to rest.

[Mellian]

also, this is a story, not a game where we are actually trying to win.

-melanie

[Sovereign]

Except in a war with aliens, Mellian.


Any ETA on starting up the story and establishing bases and timelines?

I've been waiting almost 2 or 3 months already.