SDNWorld Redux - Casting Call & Planning MK II

[MKSheppard]

He's just going to keep doing this.

May I point out that the mine barriage was defensive in nature? I could have used pure offensive weapons; but I didn't.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Then he'll launch a first strike after getting 'intelligence' from an IM conversation and basically end the game?

Damn it, and I thought giving Shep a Turd World country would actually make this game playable. Mein mistake.

This not-so sudden realization, plus the fact that on Sunday I'll be going off for two weeks, really makes me a sad hippo

Huh... what possessed you to even think that?

Why do you think some of us are still so guarded with regard to Shep?

Or knowing Shep, so that he can then trigger the nuclear war.


BTW, my characters are going tbe mad as hell (Adm. MacCallister's primary regret will be not trying to have her fighters engage them) but for me, I just keep coming back to this mental image of a Third World town with a lone building in the town square converted into the local Shepistani HQ, complete with flag.... and then CRASH! Big mine-dud comes flying through the front door! And as the dust settles and dust-covered Shepistani officers carefully approach, they see "Item defective, returned to sender" written on it!

Might be more interesting to mail everything to General Sheppard all the duds... each with that stamp.

[Steve]

Oh, there'll be no more of that kind of mischief making, I think. Or rather they'll come with the warning that further incursions by Shepistani military aircraft will result in Cascadian "escort", with the language made clear that the instant the first mine starts to come out the missiles will fly.

[Shroom Man 777]

Marina...


Thank you.

[Coyote]

Okay, I haven't had time to get to the story posts yet, but here goes--

the way I picture al-Akharabat:
Towards the south is the civilian "elected" leader, Farih Adeed. Former "general" (warlord), got into power through thugs, vote rigging, and having his hands in all the things like slave rings, drug trafficking, etc. But, since he has brought "prosperity" at least to his people in the capitol of Kivangali (prosperity means $7 a month instead of the previous $5 a month) he is popular. He is of the Caravo tribe.

In the north is Colonal Johan S'vimbi, who also happens to be a big man in the Katangwa tribe that is historically the second fiddle in the region, even thought there are slightly more of them. Back when al-Akharabat actually had something like a government, he was a military officer (no one remembers what his real rank was) who was, by local standards, fairly competent. He was educated in Khitan and returned to his homeland to overthrow Adeed and install himself as leader-- eventually, of course, to hold elections when the period of emergency is over...

The civil war has dragged on for 15+ years, and the only thing these two men agreed on was to bring in outside mediators. They were willing to work with Canissia, and there was talk about this for some time before Japanistan came onto the continent, but Japanistan;s sudden re-claiming of the mine area lit a fire under Canissia's military to move before they got shut out.

Now, Canissia and Japanistan are "working together" to solve the humanitarian problem and bring stability. Canissia welcomes any interested parties who have the al-Akharabati interests at heart.

Story post soon.

[Shroom Man 777]

Is Mayor Christopher Walken, a MacMillan businessman ending up getting himself elected as mayor of a handful of towns, alright with this plan?

[PeZook]

Cool! With Setzer's and PeZookia's contribution to the FASTA, we can be on the Moon in 10 years. In 2010, our contribution will probably rise once I get government finances in order.

How much will Shroomania contribute? Remember, we need a total investment of 150 to 200 billion to make the landing, then a stady strem of finances to establish a base and some semblance of industry.

Who else will chip in? Coyote, how about your awesome Francospanish robots?

Also, PeZookia will formally request an integrated air defence deal now.

[Shroom Man 777]

I'll pitch in $50 billion for FASTA. That's the initial budget. Um, subsequent years could see #20-30 mil contributions?

Hrm...

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I'll pitch in $30 billion for FASTA. That's the initial budget. Um, subsequent years could see #20-30 mil contributions?

Hrm...

I will put down 50 billion, per year.

[Shroom Man 777]

We can still use the Comona Islands as a space center, right? Though... we'll have to ask the Japanistanis for permission and all. But we'll be alright!

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

We can still use the Comona Islands as a space center, right? Though... we'll have to ask the Japanistanis for permission and all. But we'll be alright!

Erm.. I'd rather launch my rockets from Crete or somewhere near Jerusalem, or Arabia.

[Shroom Man 777]

We'll want to put our launches nearest to the equator. Where is the equator?

I think the Comona Islands are, once more, right on the equator. We can totally send the rockets flying westwards, so they'll overshoot MESSmerica first.

We'll have to come to an agreement or treaty with Japanistan (and the rest of the world) to allow free travel for civilian-use space satellites and all that.

[Lonestar]

We'll want to put our launches nearest to the equator. Where is the equator?

Very, very close to the OD...which is why that'll be the mESS launch facility.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

We'll want to put our launches nearest to the equator. Where is the equator?

I think the Comona Islands are, once more, right on the equator. We can totally send the rockets flying westwards, so they'll overshoot MESSmerica first.

We'll have to come to an agreement or treaty with Japanistan (and the rest of the world) to allow free travel for civilian-use space satellites and all that.

Ask someone in Frequese to put the launcher there.

[Shroom Man 777]

San Dorado. I have talked about it with Siege, we're cool with it.

Thankfully, San Dorado is on the same line as OD - so


It'll actually be safer in that anarcho-capitalist nuthouse (San Dorado), than in anywhere remotely near Shepistan like the Old Dominion.

Shep has also declared an infinity +1 boundary for his territory, hasn't he?

[Beowulf]

San Dorado. I have talked about it with Siege, we're cool with it.

Thankfully, San Dorado is on the same line as OD - so


It'll actually be safer in that anarcho-capitalist nuthouse (San Dorado), than in anywhere remotely near Shepistan like the Old Dominion.

Shep has also declared an infinity +1 boundary for his territory, hasn't he?

Merely the limit of the atmosphere (10,000 km). He changed it from the original infinity and beyond.

[Shroom Man 777]

Phew. Still, I'd advise against basing your space stuff in the Old Dominion. Shep will make you hate him forever.

[Coyote]

Cool! With Setzer's and PeZookia's contribution to the FASTA, we can be on the Moon in 10 years. In 2010, our contribution will probably rise once I get government finances in order.

How much will Shroomania contribute? Remember, we need a total investment of 150 to 200 billion to make the landing, then a stady strem of finances to establish a base and some semblance of industry.

Who else will chip in? Coyote, how about your awesome Francospanish robots?

Also, PeZookia will formally request an integrated air defence deal now.

Excellent. Canissia will, indeed, throw in our battle droi... errr... I mean, exploration robots, and we'll re-submit the Eagle lander as a inter-lunar craft with limited Solar System reach.

[Shroom Man 777]

To be fair, Raj, Shroomania's corporate asshole presence in Velaria is very muted. You just have Christopher Walken becoming mayor of a bunch of towns, and a diamond mine. Oh, and he also has the love and adoration of the locals since he's giving them booze and weed and pornography.

When the whole mess (haha) is sorted out, and the MESS gets things rolling, I guess we can also expand our presence. We won't have slave camps or anything inhuman, but it's a third world shithole. It's not gonna be happy fun place, unless years and years are invested in it, but it will do - and I think that the locals will be better off than they were before.

Unless stuff starts exploding.

[Coyote]

Is Mayor Christopher Walken, a MacMillan businessman ending up getting himself elected as mayor of a handful of towns, alright with this plan?

100%!

[Coyote]

BTW, in relation to the launch worries, why not use SEALAUNCH?

[Shroom Man 777]

I don't think you can put HUEG rockets on a boat and blast them off to Saturn. Only TINY missiles.


San Dorado, man. Those guys are even crazier than Shroomanians. Put the space center there! Comona can be the control station, again. It has nice beaches, so our space guys can relax and stuff!

[PeZook]

Try launching a 3000 tonne rocket from a sea platform

The Sea Dragon is about the only thing which can do that, and I'm not sure how viable that is.

So...San Dorado it is, I guess

Also, with such awesomely generous contributions, we'll meet the 150 billion mark in three years. So...we're basically limited by development times. Moonshot, here we come

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

BTW, in relation to the launch worries, why not use SEALAUNCH?

I'm working on that.

[Shroom Man 777]

Can we still keep Comona as a mission control thinggy, where Common Carter Connoway has a picture of Rock Ironbeef on his command console?