Provost Gloats: I Am Right, It Is Saltpeter: Confirmed!

Provost Harrison · October 12, 2001, 19:03

Reading through the new civ of the week, I noticed the special unit is the cossack, an upgraded version of the cavalry.

I will now quote from the civ of the week:

Quote:

The Cossack is an upgraded version of the cavalry. Like cavalry, it requires both horses and saltpeter to build, but it also adds an additional point of defense to an already formidable set of combat statistics. With their high movement rates, deadly offensive capability, and solid defensive rating, the Cossack is a unit you don't want to tangle with.

So it looks like my educated guess was right, this mystery white powder most certainly is saltpeter

(see Gramphos's thread on resources in the game to see what I am talking about)

Thankyou, thankyou ladies and gentlemen

MarkG · October 12, 2001, 19:07

hmmm, it must be geting late....

Mars · October 12, 2001, 19:59

applauds; congradulations

October 12, 2001, 20:39

Saltpeter - required for gunpowder, but causes slowing in the rate of population growth!

Mars · October 12, 2001, 20:49

Quote:

Saltpeter - required for gunpowder, but causes slowing in the rate of population growth!

Why would it cause a slowing in the population growth.
isn't saltpeter just cow manure burnt and then grinded up into a powder?

squid · October 12, 2001, 20:55

Could pretty flowers be a resource required for building the french unique unit?

Provost Harrison · October 12, 2001, 20:56

Nope, saltpeter would be mined as it is a crystalline deposit. Quite as to why it effects population growth, it escapes me. Must be a cryptic joke...

sekong · October 12, 2001, 21:18

Could you give the link?

Provost Harrison · October 12, 2001, 21:20

Quote:

Originally posted by squid
Could pretty flowers be a resource required for building the french unique unit?

Nope, snails and garlic, obviously

Mars · October 12, 2001, 21:26

Quote:

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Nope, saltpeter would be mined as it is a crystalline deposit. Quite as to why it effects population growth, it escapes me. Must be a cryptic joke...

Oh, whoops, my source must be wrong.

Rakki · October 12, 2001, 22:26

well you can mine it or you can extract it from elsewhere... I do believe they used to use urine and crap for this purpose. Where the urine comes from, well, there always seems to be a lot of people around....

Urban Ranger · October 13, 2001, 06:23

Big deal.

So you got it right once for a change, Provost. Just ignore the times you were wrong.

You could become a professional psychic

Col Bigspear · October 13, 2001, 06:49

Quote:

Originally posted by squid
Could pretty flowers be a resource required for building the french unique unit?

LOL

Inverse Icarus · October 13, 2001, 07:10

i dont see how flowers could make a musketeer... oh wait, i missed the word french my first time reading

isnt Saltpeter that stuff they give the navy guys to refrain from homosexuality?

Gramphos · October 13, 2001, 07:23

As soon as you came up with the idea I thought it was right, that was why I added it to the list (followed by a '?'). Now you have proven yourself correct and the '?' is gone.

Dauphin · October 13, 2001, 08:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Rakki
well you can mine it or you can extract it from elsewhere... I do believe they used to use urine and crap for this purpose. Where the urine comes from, well, there always seems to be a lot of people around....

The French soldier collected crap from the regiments during the Napoleonic wars to make a saltpeter substitute. The other popular ingredient in that mix was seaweed, which incidently led to the discovery of iodine when they cleaned their vats with sulphuric acid.

But I digress..

Gyromancer · October 13, 2001, 08:08

From what I have heard, saltpeter has certain ....effects.... on the more libidinous impulses ......

Crouchback · October 13, 2001, 09:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Jingo
isnt Saltpeter that stuff they give the navy guys to refrain from homosexuality?

I think that's bromide, at least that's what I'm on to ease the reation to the countdown to Civ3 release.

Wait a minute, if saltpeter is a strategic resource then all gun powder units will require it. Damn, but that's going to be difficult.

David

KrazyHorse · October 13, 2001, 13:35

Saltpeter was used in the past, though, to keep the soldiers from humping their CO's leg.

LaRusso · October 13, 2001, 13:41

Quote:

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Saltpeter was used in the past, though, to keep the soldiers from humping their CO's leg.

did it work?

i remember that a litre of bromide could not get our boners down when i was in the army. still we managed to refrain from humping each other's legs

Jools · October 13, 2001, 14:01

who gets the Cossack?

Changmai Beagle · October 13, 2001, 14:02

If I remember, saltpeter was obtained from places with substantial manure. It crystallized out at the bottom and the crystals were dug out and collected to be used to make gunpowder. As is also reduces the ability to achieve an erec*tion (so there Net Nanny) - it could result in reduced population growth.

It used to be used in a number of places - army, prisons, etc.

to reduce various....complications.

I think it is still may be obtained from animal operations (for example see in RRT sheep farms) and used in making explosives.

Looking forward to CIII - unless it doesn't work, then I'll be CIIIPO'd.

October 13, 2001, 14:06

Where did you guys go to school? Saltpeter reduces libido. They used to use it in food served during basic training (illegal now if memory serves). Also, some cigarette manufacturers use it as a preservative.