SD.net: Lords of Darkness (RAR!) Mk-II

[Havok]

DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVE!!!!



So I can't come up with a name... any suggestions?
Also, I'm kinda a visual guy; could you post some images of the creatures we will be commanding?
And why isn't there a human unit we can purchase?

[Starglider]

Also, I'm kinda a visual guy; could you post some images of the creatures we will be commanding?

On that note, those giant mammoth things from the LotR movies would be awesome. And it should be possible to mount orcs on giant wolves and goblins on giant spiders. All horribly impractical (huge canids eat a lot more than horses for negligable tactical advantages, huge spiders are going to move very slowly after you've finished redesigning their skeletal structure to work at all), but cool. Plus it is really funny to imagine you people using giant spiders as draft animals.

And why isn't there a human unit we can purchase?

We're supposed to be lords of darkness. If you want humans, relocate to Europe (or if you want a slightly easier time of it, Africa) and start enslaving some of the local population.

Personally assuming I get my force of hideous anthroid waterfowl I am going to put them on the South Island of New Zealand. Human habitation at this point in history consists of at most a few thousand hunter gatherers, almost all on the North Island.

Crossroads can I assume that you're using your preferred 'only people who post in the thread actually appear' rule, so we don't have to imagine the effects of a few thousand random people flailing about?

[Samuel]

Crossroads can I assume that you're using your preferred 'only people who post in the thread actually appear' rule, so we don't have to imagine the effects of a few thousand random people flailing about?

That was stipulated in the OP.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Ill try and find some "Standard" Images of said creatures... Big problem with mythical beasts, everyone draws them differently, and usually "Fantastically" IE not something u'd base a realistic Interpretation off of. None the less I shall begin scanning my files.

[Solauren]

Instead of Harpies, how about Giant Eagles or the like?

Specifically; Argentavis. The largest known flying bird to date
Yes, it actually flew...
(Actually, a Giant relative of th emodern Condor)

Just say they have human level intelligence and speech capabilities, and make them worth as much as minotaurs. No combat value, but would be useful scouts and couriers.

While not stritckly fantasy, they would be giant talking birds

[Zor]

I am somewhat flattered that people are restarted my ideas, even if this is a bloody rip off.

Anyway, as to my force, i am setting up shop on the Northern Island of New Zealand on where Auckland would be. My force will be as such.

A Single Mob of goblins (500 points)-For breeding for more long term projects

Two Legions of Orcs (24,000 Point)-My main fighting Force, each legion divided into two Maniples of Swordsmen, one of Crossbowmen and one of Pikemen. I am planning on keeping two full maniples on duty at the start, all male.

200 Satyrs (1,000 Points)-Education and engineering. In praticular i am going to use a hoof of them to create a university, a hoof for public schooling and the rest for various public works. I am also getting every possible book on the history of technology i can from the Winnipeg Public, U of M and U of W libaries that i can for them, as well as filling up my computer on this stuff.

1,500 Naga (4,500 Points)-Fishermen, Sealers and whalers, as well as providing archer support if combat arises, with about 250 of them serving my cause at the begining of this.

250 Centaurs (5,000 Points)-Light Cavalry, Herdsmen, Gendarmes and Messengers

A Brotherhood of Ursoid (15,000 Points)-Elite Soldiers and eventually elite marines. 75 Male Ursoids will be on duty at the start.

First goals are to be the development of agriculture (I am trading half my cattle in for Pigs, Goats and Chickens, if any Moa survive at this point, i hope to snoot them out for domestication) and my plan will involve the conquest and subugation of the local Maori while encouraging population growth amongst my forces. The Maori are to be educated into my version of thinking, with all children under ten for twenty years being distributed amongst my tradesbeings for various training and adults who decent will work in mines. At the same time i plan on establishing shipyards for longterm naval expansion while encouraging reproduction amongst my military. I will work hard to establish a maritime trading power using tall ships based on those of the age of sail. As soon as possible, i plan on setting up a stronghold on the Southern Island, as well as setting up bases on pacific islands.

Also, if Starglider and his Duckmen exist i have longterm plans for their eventual subjugation.

Zor

[Starglider]

Also, if Starglider and his Duckmen exist i have longterm plans for their eventual subjugation.

We shall see if you are still smiling when only a third of your invasion scouts make it back from the south island. If you foolishly chose to pursue the matter, you will quickly find every single one of your farms burnt to ash by nocturnal raiding parties. Perhaps it is better that way, as your forces would do much better to abandon their false, weakling god and accept their true role as servants to the new Anseriform ruling class. If that has to be encouraged by your assassination, so be it.

[TimothyC]

No one else wants the great plains?

I'm setting up near where the Queen City is - Cincinnati. Easy transit, up to the mountains of eastern Ohio for Coal and such, and I can go downstream all the way to the Gulf.

I'm still looking looking at my force structure.

[Zor]

Also, if Starglider and his Duckmen exist i have longterm plans for their eventual subjugation.

We shall see if you are still smiling when only a third of your invasion scouts make it back from the south island. If you foolishly chose to pursue the matter, you will quickly find every single one of your farms burnt to ash by nocturnal raiding parties. Perhaps it is better that way, as your forces would do much better to abandon their false, weakling god and accept their true role as servants to the new Anseriform ruling class. If that has to be encouraged by your assassination, so be it.

Your time will come. Maybe the forward base is a bad idea, it would be better just to make full use of my manpower advantage and push development to shipbuilding and gunpowder weapons till i can produce sloops of war with Ursoid Marines and deny you the sea.

Mind you, i would not mind having flying creatures like Tengu about as an option.

Zor

[CaptainChewbacca]

(unless Chewi knows of an Iron mine in the Cali area)

I guess I'm the only one familiar enough with California geology to know about Iron Mountain in northern California. About a two-hour walk from Redding.

Perhaps we should be relocating to the Chesepeake area, if we want more coal and iron? Or to interact with Europe sooner?

[Solauren]

The N.A.U's best bet for World Domination is to get North America (and possibly South america) as completely under our control as possible before we make contact with the rest of the world.

Once Europe makes the mistake of knocking on our door, then we beat the holy hell out of them. Just make sure, for irony's sake, we PROPERLY Crucify the leadership of the Catholic church

[Samuel]

No one else wants the great plains?

I'm setting up near where the Queen City is - Cincinnati. Easy transit, up to the mountains of eastern Ohio for Coal and such, and I can go downstream all the way to the Gulf.

I'm still looking looking at my force structure.

I'm pretty sure there are large numbers of settled people living there.

The N.A.U's best bet for World Domination is to get North America (and possibly South america) as completely under our control as possible before we make contact with the rest of the world.

Once Europe makes the mistake of knocking on our door, then we beat the holy hell out of them. Just make sure, for irony's sake, we PROPERLY Crucify the leadership of the Catholic church

Actually, the best bet would be to take control of China. They had a thing for immortal life... and we are offering it. Or you could try to become Emperor during on of the interdynasty periods.

Of course, not being Chinese or speaking Mandarin prevents this from going anywhere.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Of course, not being Chinese or speaking Mandarin prevents this from going anywhere.

Oi, do you people ever read?

Additional additional, Q has gifted you the ability to Speak, understand and write in any language you choose ala an Internal Babblefish. Further you can 'gift' all of your minions to speak two languages, presumably your primary tongue and one other. IN time your troops can learn other languages as well, but you will have to find proper teachers to teach them

Meanwhile, on the topic of Flyers, I have decided to go with Starglider's "Duckmen" flyers at the cost of 150-points a Flyer. Makes them expensive but still useful for scouting and recon an such as stated by Starglider.

(unless Chewi knows of an Iron mine in the Cali area)

I guess I'm the only one familiar enough with California geology to know about Iron Mountain in northern California. About a two-hour walk from Redding.

Perhaps we should be relocating to the Chesepeake area, if we want more coal and iron? Or to interact with Europe sooner?

It would be a great deal more geologically stable... I had always thought of setting up in Cali mostly because Id wanted to form a civilization near where San Francisco would eventually exist. That, and well, Cali is a nice place, love the forests and the coast and the ocean an all that... But you DO have a point, going to the east coast Puts us closer to more of the Countries resources, as most of the Coal and Iron IS on that side.

What would you Recommend Chewie? Havok seems content with the Bay area, and while i'd like ot go there, I'd also liek a place where I can plan long term industrialization down the road.

[Raesene]

I'll not get a lot of troops and infrastructure, but some caribean island would be nice. A far eastern spice island, Madagascar or Mauritius would also be nice spots.

Positioning myself on islands, I'll need a lot of nagas so that they can rescue the crews of my failed attempts to build ships

Details to follow...

[Solauren]

I'll not get a lot of troops and infrastructure, but some caribean island would be nice. A far eastern spice island, Madagascar or Mauritius would also be nice spots.

Positioning myself on islands, I'll need a lot of nagas so that they can rescue the crews of my failed attempts to build ships

Details to follow...

Take Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Absolutely wonderful area for fishing and farming.

You could become a major food supplier for the N.A.U

[Starglider]

Meanwhile, on the topic of Flyers, I have decided to go with Starglider's "Duckmen" flyers at the cost of 150-points a Flyer. Makes them expensive but still useful for scouting and recon an such as stated by Starglider.

At 75 times the cost of an orc they had better be able to carry some payload. In that case mine are going to look like giant swans with a roughly humanoid torso where the neck would normally be. That fits in with the human-top animal-bottom theme you have going and it's easier to make the aerodynamics and the physiology work. They should have a nominal weight of 180 kg, a length of 3.5 m (including tailfeathers), a wingspan of about 9m, a stall speed of about 20 knots, a top speed of about 100 knots, intercontinental range, and a payload of about 30-60 kg depending on how much they've eaten recently. Probably still need organic carbon fibre in the bones though. They will be quite intelligent and utterly convinced of their own superiority.

I will take 300 of these, 240 naga, 160 centaurs and 1080 goblins. Frankly I doubt anyone else is going to afford a viable breeding population. This settlement is going to be too small for even New Zealand, they will have to go somewhere relatively obscure and defensible, e.g. the Seychelles archipelago (the Azores would be nice if the Portugese weren't planning to send a significant invasion force in 100 years time). I'll invade/settle Madagascar once the population has built up a bit, plenty of easily mineable resources there. Of course if Raesene goes there maybe we can ally and try conquering bits of South Africa (again, after some population build-up).

[Crossroads Inc.]

You are the expert when it comes to the "Math" of Avian creatures, so I shall let you dictate their size, payload and weight. Given what you have already typed I find no problems in it.
Also, to those thinking about spreading out in America, I found some maps That may help.

COAL


IRON


OIL

[Solauren]

Looks like I'm the iron baron of the N.A.U for now...

[Almightyboredone]

I'd say it looks like you're closer to any coal fields than to the iron ores in Detroit, by those maps. Here in PA, though, I'm sitting right on some of the richest iron deposits in the US, and I'm not far from quite a few coal fields either. You're more than welcome to set up shop nearby, though; could always use more labourers.

[Raesene]

I'll not get a lot of troops and infrastructure, but some caribean island would be nice. A far eastern spice island, Madagascar or Mauritius would also be nice spots.

Positioning myself on islands, I'll need a lot of nagas so that they can rescue the crews of my failed attempts to build ships

Details to follow...

Take Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Absolutely wonderful area for fishing and farming.

You could become a major food supplier for the N.A.U

When looking for this island, one of the hits I found was an artcle in a german magazine, characterising the island as 'two beaches, and potato fields inbetween'.
Climate seems to be ok, a drawback is the lack of natural resurces except gas (not really relevant yet), agriculture and forests.
But as I don't have the man-, eh goblinpower to embark for a tour of conquest, I'll take it and trade food and ships. With forests, I should be able to build at least some experimental galleys and become the N.A.U. seapower

I'll reserve Newfoundland and Labrador for further expansion if they aren't taken yet.

[CaptainChewbacca]

It seems to me we'd probably do best to not do west coast or east coast, but the Great Lakes area. Plenty of fresh water, arable land, and resources.

Northern California/Bay Area is find, the earthquakes there generally are on a 1 bad one every 10 years schedule, which is managable.

Personally, I think if we're going long term, we start at the Great Lakes and gradually expand east to the chesepeake and south along the mississippi and tenessee river valleys.

[Crossroads Inc.]

It seems to me we'd probably do best to not do west coast or east coast, but the Great Lakes area. Plenty of fresh water, arable land, and resources.

Northern California/Bay Area is find, the earthquakes there generally are on a 1 bad one every 10 years schedule, which is managable.

Personally, I think if we're going long term, we start at the Great Lakes and gradually expand east to the chesepeake and south along the mississippi and tenessee river valleys.

Much as I'd still love the Bay area and its climate and 'prettiness' You do have a point. So ok, If you want to draw up a good layout, I'll toss in my Forces to work together, taking a quick glance at Google earth, the site of Moderen Day Sandusky
Might be a good location, its the furthest South of the Great Lakes, so hopefully less cold then any other location, and its next to a large natural bay which will eventually be good for shipping. Also the Natives in the area are the Seneca who were part of the Iroquois League (though that may not have existed way back in 1350)
Though if you know of a better location Chewie, I'm still open.

That said, it still seems a good location and I'll look to build my Fortress on the highest outcropping of rock in the area, though the area by the bay seems pretty flat all around. not that its a bad thing, it seems perfect for farming and we will have plenty of fresh water. When the time comes we won't be too far from Coal fields, and it even looks like there is Oil near by as well. If Solauren stays at his original location, and depending on how successful HE is in the long term, we may eventually set up trade with him for Iron.

I'll retain the same amount of forces as my original post, Naga are still going to be very useful here, though we'll have to get them used to the colder climate, traditional serpents need heat, and someone whose half serpent will still want to stay as warm as possible... Hm, maybe theres some natural hotsprings in the area?

[TimothyC]

Looks like I'm the iron baron of the N.A.U for now...

Sitting on the Ohio, I'm closer to most of the coal iron and oil fields than you are (the Ohio is navigable to the southern end of most of the fields).

While it would be a 20+ year project I'd also start building the Miami and Erie Canal, and most of the Natives along the route [The Fort Ancient People] were at the time Farmers, and Mound Builders. I imagine that by building in darn near the Center of their land, I might not be the most popular guy around, but I'd present myself as a trader, and use that angle to stay in one piece.

[Starglider]

Assuming I have the same amount of building materials (in cubic feet of brick and wood) for my force of 1800 as Zor does for his 15,000 or so, I will be able to set up small keep/watchtowers on a few outlying islands and still have plenty for my Temple of Doom (tm) on the central Evil Swan Island (r). Assuming about mid 19th century construction capabilities, it should consist of lots of angled brick spires (clad with white ceramic tiles, probably some cast iron external reinforcement) which rise from a shallow lagoon and impale assorted open (wooden) platforms and curious egg-shaped structures. Utterly impractical for resisting bombardment or indeed most other purposes but it will look awesome, and that's what counts. I mean, is this 'SDN plays Civ with funny unit descriptions', or is this EVIL OVERLORDS?

and someone whose half serpent will still want to stay as warm as possible... Hm, maybe theres some natural hotsprings in the area?

Hot springs are only going to be useful for sanitation and R&R. Just cover them with thick furs and hope they don't lose too much heat through ground conduction (or prepare to wear through a lot of leather snake-tail-covers).

P.S I humbly request that Q polymorphs me into the same species as my flying troops, because it's going to be really hard to do a convicing Prince Vultan impression shouting up at them from the ground.

[Samuel]

P.S I humbly request that Q polymorphs me into the same species as my flying troops, because it's going to be really hard to do a convicing Prince Vultan impression shouting up at them from the ground.

You truly have the makings of an evil overlord. I, on the other hand, intend to set myself up as a God to the natives. The fact that I have the ability to grant practical immortality doesn't hurt