NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: I have rp'ed quite awhile on nations states. my first nation, Green Moon, was way back when the forums were hosted directly on nationstates. I've played past tech, I've played modern tech, I've played post modern tech, hell I've even played furture tech. Each has its own level of fun, but now I find I want something else. But what?

The problem is....I'm in the mood for a mix of all three. Victorian Science Fiction has always been a favorite of mine, and H.G. Welles' writes so well it seems as if he was there. So, I've decided the Horde of Doom's main genre shall be Steamtech.

I won't rely on steam alone, but plan on mixing many steam-esque technologies. But here lies the problem: Who will rp with me?

Do I play alongside the fantasy folks? My forces will be quite strange, but I do believe I could hold my own against even Modern tech folks. So, if you guys could give me a little feedback, I'll do an intro.

I'd be interested, as I'm willing/enjoy to Rp in any tech level.

But if I was to make it my main genre of rp, would anyone else permit me to rp with them?

But if I was to make it my main genre of rp, would anyone else permit me to rp with them?
I would Rp in the same tech, magitech, and most other techs.

I might be intrested, and might know a few others.

hmm I'm intrested

My idea would be that a steam tech civilization would be living inside the moon, and make contact with the modern world.

I guess I could always play a fantasy version of my nation, and actually have the moon invade a past tech earth.

Any other thoughts?

Since we seem to have some interest...do I see the beginnings of a steam tech earth?

I'm into the fantasy ploys but not so much the Moon ideas.

Earth is good with me.

Not so much into the Earth idea(and the moon idea seems a bit off), but perhaps the steam tech group could have been isolated(due to whatever reason) and is finally entering the rest of the world.

Think War of the Worlds or First men In The Moon and you might agree to the moon idea.

Think War of the Worlds or First men In The Moon and you might agree to the moon idea.
Never read FMitM, but WofWs type would work.

Not so much into the Earth idea(and the moon idea seems a bit off), but perhaps the steam tech group could have been isolated(due to whatever reason) and is finally entering the rest of the world.

But eventually modern tech would began to over shadow them. With the moon idea I have a seperate race that has it's own technological norms. The moon itslef is what may be confusing you so let me clear it up.

I would rp the earths moon but...
1. There WOULD be oxygen on the moon, however as much oxygen as a everest's summit.
2. Various Lunar Animals would exist inside the earth.
3. The structure of the moon would be quite different, a central sea on the inside and various other changes. The First Men In The Moon explain this further.

I could explain that earth governments had a moon coverup, and as such the common man knows nothing of the real moon.

Never read FMitM, but WofWs type would work.
Free Copy of The First Men In The Moon (http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/H_G_Herbert_George_Wells/The_First_Men_In_The_Moon/index.html)

New Moon (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Galaxy/3773/waroftheworlds/selenites/index.html)

Will work on reading, but will likely take a while, a quick summery might be best.

Wikipedia on: The First Men In The Moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Men_in_the_Moon)

But eventually modern tech would began to over shadow them. With the moon idea I have a seperate race that has it's own technological norms. The moon itslef is what may be confusing you so let me clear it up.

I would rp the earths moon but...
1. There WOULD be oxygen on the moon, however as much oxygen as a everest's summit.
2. Various Lunar Animals would exist inside the earth.
3. The structure of the moon would be quite different, a central sea on the inside and various other changes. The First Men In The Moon explain this further.

I could explain that earth governments had a moon coverup, and as such the common man knows nothing of the real moon.
Interesting. Would they visit the earth? Because the 1/3 gravity might be a problem. Perhaps a (either molten or solid) core of some superdense material like lead or Uranium? (That might be interesting, a mining rights debate.) Neutron bombs or cobalt bombs might be interesting as weapons, as I believe they are banned on earth...

Did I mention I would be incredibly interested? And bump?

Interesting. Would they visit the earth? Because the 1/3 gravity might be a problem. Perhaps a (either molten or solid) core of some superdense material like lead or Uranium? (That might be interesting, a mining rights debate.) Neutron bombs or cobalt bombs might be interesting as weapons, as I believe they are banned on earth...

They might visit for exploration, or for sheer imperialism, maybe mercury?( Mercury would be a solid on the moon, and would be to them as steel is to us.) Neutron and Cobalt bombs are way out of the Steam Tech line, however a massive artillery cannon might have an equally devstating effect.

They might visit for exploration, or for sheer imperialism, maybe mercury?( Mercury would be a solid on the moon, and would be to them as steel is to us.) Neutron and Cobalt bombs are way out of the Steam Tech line, however a massive artillery cannon might have an equally devstating effect.
Ah true. Hmm. Lighter gravity would make an artillary cannon deadly. How would they travel to earth? Using the aformentioned cannon?

Ah true. Hmm. Lighter gravity would make an artillary cannon deadly. How would they travel to earth? Using the aformentioned cannon?
Perhaps, a la War of The Worlds, but I was thunking of staying along the lines of The First Men In The Moon and have a sphere using Cavorite.

"The object of Mr. Cavor's search was a substance that should be 'opaque' - he used some other word I have forgotten, but 'opaque' conveys the idea - to "all forms of radiant energy." 'Radiant energy,' he made me understand, was anything like light or heat, or those Roentgen Rays there was so much talk about a year or so ago, or the electric waves of Marconi, or gravitation. All these things, he said, radiate out from centres, and act on bodies at a distance, whence comes the term 'radiant energy.'

" [...] Now all known substances are 'transparent' to gravitation. You can use screens of various sorts to cut off the light or heat, or electrical influence of the sun, or the warmth of the earth from anything; you can screen things by sheets of metal from Marconi's rays, but nothing will cut off the gravitational attraction of the sun or the gravitational attraction of the earth. Yet why there should be nothing is hard to say. Cavor did not see why such a substance should not exist, and certainly I could not tell him. I had never thought of such a possibility before. [...] Suffice it for this story that he believed he might be able to manufacture this possible substance opaque to gravitation out of a complicated alloy of metals and something new - a new element, I fancy - called, I believe, helium, which was sent to him from London in sealed stone jars."

- H. G. Wells, The First Men in the Moon

The unusual metal alloy dubbed "Cavorite" was invented by the equally unusual Mr. Cavor, a scientific researcher whose forte was molecular physics. First manufactured on the 14th of October, 1899, Cavorite has the effect of shielding objects from the effects of gravitational attraction, making anything shielded by the Cavorite in this way effectively weightless. Cavorite is also completely opaque to light, heat and electric waves. The practical applications of this remarkable substance are almost limitless, from flying machines to interplanetary craft.

Also i am well awre that the lower gravity would make them physically weaker, but I'm willing to rp it.

So modern steamtech?

Im still deciding. If you had an modern rp going, and I was using the whole moon steam tech thing, would you allow me to rp?

Well if I was to do modern (I am not active in any atm, but Asbena was modern) and we had a 'steam' colony that never went any farther...it would be interesting lol.

And if you were in a war, would you allow my Cavorite Spheres to crash into earth and my steam powered forces to fight?

Steam FT....that doesn't make much sense. I'd have steam tanks and steam ships and all...nothing way advanced....unless I was going all Steam Castle on you. I'd be slaughtered without any chance of winning or denting. Since most of my tech would be frozen at 1900 tech.

That is what I kind of find problematic with the idea. Steam FT on the Moon. I know H.G. Wells is a Brilliant writer like say Jules Vern, but still, I find it strange

It is not possible to go to the Moon on Steam power. The systems would be too large and too massive for it. Steam Castle proved that.

It's less FT as it is a strange MT. Time still passes, and they'll have to wait for quite awhile to reach earth. If it makes more sense, I'll ditch Cavorite and use what the martians did in War of the Worlds. Here are a few technologies, tell me what you think.

Lunar steam
Throughout the Horde’s time on Earth, one consistent element of their engines and machines has been the presence of green smoke or flame, and flashes of green light. A distinctive property of the cylinders as they fell to Earth was the trail of green vapour they left as they passed through our atmosphere, and as has been mentioned previously, flashes of green light and clouds of green smoke have been associated with their industrial activities. This green gas has been labelled ''Lunar Steam''. As noted before, it has the peculiar property that, when subjected to an electric current, it undergoes expansion. It seems that the individual particles of the vapour become highly charged, repelling each other with great force, and fluorescing at the same time. A subsequent property of this relationship between the pressure of the gas and electrical charge is that when the pressure of the gas is changed, it generates an electrical charge.

This pressure change can be accomplished mechanically, for example by compressing the gas in a piston, or thermally, by heating or cooling the gas whilst holding the volume constant. The nature of the charge depends upon the nature of the pressure change. An increase in pressure generates a negative charge, whilst a decrease in pressure generates a positive charge. It appears that the Horde generally used the former method of electrical generation, heating the gas in a container of fixed volume, which, according to Boyle’s laws, increases the pressure inside that container and causes the viridigen to generate a negative charge.

(Little Note on Propulsion)
The peculiar arrangement of disks that provides much of the motive force in Horde machinery is one of the idiosyncrasies of their engineering design. Composed of small metal disks arranged like a stack of pennies, and of approximately the same dimensions, held in a sheath of synthetic material, and with a thin layer of a substance similar to India-rubber, yet electrically conductive, between each metal disk and the next. The metal disks effectively have no resistance to the passage of electricity, and on application of an electrical current become very strongly magnetised, drawing tightly together.

As well as this pseudo-muscular system, they make large use of pneumatics, utilising a green vapour, dubbed ''Lunar Steam'' by investigators of Horde technology, of which more below. Suffice to say that this vapour has the property of significant expansion upon application of an electric current. This rapid expansion greatly cools the vapour in accordance with Boyle’s laws of gas behaviour, with the result that, if the Lunar Steam is held in a container insulated from heat, on removing the electrical current, Boyle’s Law once more takes effect, causing the gas to contract to its normal volume. In this way it is possible to build efficient reciprocating engines without need for the wheels found in comparable terrestrial devices; these engines are not used for the purposes of generating electricity, but rather for the conversion of electrical energy into movement.

This mechanism was used to provide the greater part of the motive force required to move their engines, with the previously described pseudo-muscular system being used in conjunction with pneumatics for more precise control. Apparently they could not completely insulate the pneumatic systems from heat, requiring them to periodically vent excess Lunar Steam from their machines, due to its failure to contract to its original volume.

It won't match us....we'd be crushed. No synthetic metal, no special systems. Think 1900's in uber steam ships and set ups.

It is not possible to go to the Moon on Steam power. The systems would be too large and too massive for it. Steam Castle proved that.
Hence the Cavorite. You could even coat the bottom of war machienes with it, make something effectivly weigh almost nothing. It has major possibilities. I'd let someone join an RP with it, but I'm easily sold. ;)

It seemes a bit too far fetched, but I do have to admire you because mixing tech levels here seems to be an NS faux pas

The Lunar Steam would power everything from our guns(more really muskets) to our ships to....everything.

On the Cavorite I must add a few notes:
To use it, I would set up a blind system. The Blinds would normally be over the Cavorite, rendering it useless. But with a lever, I could retract the blind, revealing the Cavorite and sending me upwards. Many Cavorite blinds would be needed for good control, hence the sphere design of the "Space Ships" if one could call them that. For the most part, on the moon airships would be used, rather then Cavorite.

*bump*

I'm still interested, and can see a way to play merry hell with your 'space ships'.

Are you intending a 'first contact' type rp?

As soon as I decide what exact genre ST can play with, I will.

As soon as I decide what exact genre ST can play with, I will.
Would think, Viet era to early 90s , steamtech, fantasy steampunk

Really that broad? Sounds great! I'm thinking of having my intro rp somebody's(maybe you Theao) moon landing. They encounter the Horde and perhaps we have a skirmish. From there...who knows. What do you think?

Really that broad? Sounds great! I'm thinking of having my intro rp somebody's(maybe you Theao) moon landing. They encounter the Horde and perhaps we have a skirmish. From there...who knows. What do you think?
What tech level are you looking for?
Also may be utilizing a 'non-canon' varient of Theao, as the NASA(of 'canon' Theao) or our varient thereof, never put anything into manned spaceflights.

Think Apollo mission tech. Space suits, little rovers, and plastic flags. It wouldn't have to be your country as well, perhaps a private moon landing.

Think Apollo mission tech. Space suits, little rovers, and plastic flags.
So Viet era.
Also, I just realized that this is a fairly Steampunkish type rp.

Also, I just realized that this is a fairly Steampunkish type rp.

I would hope so...or...did I misunderstand you?

I would hope so...or...did I misunderstand you?
No, don't think you did.
So how do you want to start it?

The basic outline of the rp(may change as we go)
1. You land on the moon with a small crew, and plant your flag. You do tests and all that. However one of your crew goes exploring and finds...
2. Me. I'm battiling a rivial group. After their defeat my soldiers notice him, and capture the earth man.
3. Your crew notices him missing, and go out to find him. We encounter them and I capture them.
4. In a holding cell I learn your language and bring you to meet "The Grand Lunar." He will learn about man and you(and evryone who reads this) we will learn about the horde.
5. From here I do not know. Do I kill them? Let them go? I do not know.

Note on Lunar enviroment:
1 Lunar day is equal to 14 earth days, 1 Lunar night is 15 earth days.. Average "day" temp is 224.6 °F. Average night temp is -243.4 °F.

Should you start the rp, as you landing on the moon?

Sounds good, but will need you to start the Rp(make the intro post), alright?

ok.

It's started. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=11027577#post11027577)

It's started. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=11027577#post11027577)
Alright, will likely post shortly or tomorrow(it's it's after 12 here)

Will be replying tomorrow as was just hit by a wave of fatigue.

This would be an alternate history timeline if I am correct. It could be more advanced than MT in many ways. If you had steam tech, it would include several things possibly which would be very interesting. There is a wonderful comic book, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen which has quite a bit of interesting material along these lines. Another comic book by Bryan Talbot with an alternate time line you might look at is The Adventures of Luther Arkwright. These are not childrens stories.

1) Difference Engines-- a mechanical computer that was never built, but could possibly outstrip todays computers if they were built large enough.

2) Gun launchers-- which are actually being designed right now. You would have a successful space cannon to launch satellites into orbit, possibly even to the moon. With the separation, these could be very well developed. Superior artillery.

3) Cavorite-- an antigravity material.

4) Nemo Subs.

5) Balloon platforms.

*Bump*

oooh I love this sort of Tech, was gonne get round to converting my puppet to a similar design, is there still room in this earth and are you accepting Goblins?

[ Base it off the D'ni (ie, Myst)?

Also, difference engines were huge. The one Babbage designed was the size of a train engine, if I remember rightly. ]

Its not an earth at all. My main genre will be a strange steam tech nation on the moon. Your welcome to rp your goblins on the moon, which will become (hopefully) a haven for ST.

Or, have them live on Venus, maybe Mars. Our primitive ships could meet and from there who knows where we could go. Perhaps one day we could even invade earth together. If you choose Mars, I know an excellent site for Steamtech Martian Technology.

hmmm, the idea of Martian Goblins both intrigues and arouses me, but i'm really looking to use the stereotypical crude psuedo-steamtech Gobbo weaponary a la Warhammer, y'know blunderbusses and other such wonderful inventions, are these still oki?

[ Base it off the D'ni (ie, Myst)?

Also, difference engines were huge. The one Babbage designed was the size of a train engine, if I remember rightly. ]

Never played much of Myst. Most of my influence comes from Welles, "Space: 1889," and a game called Rise of Legends.

hmmm, the idea of Martian Goblins both intrigues and arouses me, but i'm really looking to use the stereotypical crude psuedo-steamtech Gobbo weaponary a la Warhammer, y'know blunderbusses and other such wonderful inventions, are these still oki?

Sure, but I was just suggesting Mars so that you could have a reason on why they are so different. If you want to rp them on Earth, go ahead, but be prepared to face Modern Tech armies. I'm off world for safety and to retain my ST.

You could keep the Warhammer Goblins, and just set them on Mars. Imagine what kind of Space Travel they would have! But once agin, all up to you.

oh that was the idea, Martian without Martian tech, of course I'ma have to make some changes to the Warhammer Goblin tech stuff but I'll run major things past you to see if they are koscher, good point I've had an idea, have ye seen the 40K Orky Dreadnoughts, would they work in the steam tech system?

As long as they don't shoot lazers or missles, sure. The Dreadnoughts could fire bullets or maybe bigger explosive rounds(but don't think traditional bullets, think musket technology) and also rip to pieces any infantry with their buzz saw hands.

Never played much of Myst. Most of my influence comes from Welles, "Space: 1889," and a game called Rise of Legends.

[ You really should read the books. They're quite good.

Unfortunately, there's really not a whole lot of information on their technology, other than it being retro-future-esque, with a touch of sort-of magic (Though, Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Charles C. Clarke). ]

Have you decided where your Gobbos will be located?

oh I was just gunna use Blunderbusses for everything, they perfectly suit Gobbo and ST tech, just one modification, in a Blunderbuss you can use practically anthing as a bullet (from nails to rocks) but the barrels break due to this, I was wondering if I might be allowed to use easy to replace replacement barrels...


I'ma be a Mars place

oh I was just gunna use Blunderbusses for everything, they perfectly suit Gobbo and ST tech, just one modification, in a Blunderbuss you can use practically anthing as a bullet (from nails to rocks) but the barrels break due to this, I was wondering if I might be allowed to use easy to replace replacement barrels...


I'ma be a Mars place

Sure, you could even have the tubes be recycalable, thus allowing for even more bullets.

If you have any other tech questions, go ahead and ask them here. Whenever you think you've got it down, just have an intro thread.

*Bump*

*Bump*
Replying presently