[Casual] 122112: The Return of the Age of Magic (Post-Apoc and Fantasy Mix)

[El Noche]

I'd like to get in on this, if there is still room.

[Goldmarble]

See, there's a slight reason I'd advocate against Cali in general at least: What happens when all of California's electrical devices suddenly...no longer work?

Much of California is naught but a desert supported on the back of a massive irrigation system and pumping systems. Take that away...and people tend to run out of water, fast. Especially in somewhere like Los Angeles. Take away the water? You have 18 MILLION people exploding out of the city as fast, and a far as they can get. At this point, you basically have to start looking at it as a earthquake propagation...except with people acting like locusts of death.

You can't go east. Period. Get to the mountains and then into the real desert. To the north you are going to run into the idiots who fled south out of San Fran (7.5 million), Sacramento (2.6 million), Fresno (1.1 million) and all the other places in between, who've eaten and drank everything in their path south. Go South? San Diego (3.3 Million) has people pushing north. And you have to start thinking....by the time 2 weeks after this "change"...people are going to get desperate for food and water. Most of these people are idiot city people who haven't got a clue how to hunt, trap, or discern safe drinking water.

What is the easiest prey to catch?

Other idiot city people.

....California has utterly no appeal to me for this scenario. It sounds more like a gigantic, hot as hell coffin...only following Nevada.

[Ommanipadmehum]

If I may, here are my two cents on the matter.

California's Central Valley has two extensive river systems that would be exploitable for farming without electric-powered irrigation. It isn't one of the most fertile regions in the world solely because technology, after all. Directly east of the valley the Sierra Nevada, which contains extensive national parks that get quite a lot of annual rainfall, to boot. That isn't to say that the region won't devolve into a hell-hole; quite the opposite! If artificial electricity became impossible, it wouldn't be surprising if anywhere from 90-99% of the entire planet's population would be dead in a year.

All things considered, the Central Valley has some of the best odds, compared to the eastern USA. Just look at this slightly out-of-date population density map, and see how empty the west is. The people are clustered together, meaning most will starve before spreading out, increasing the odds of survival for those on the periphery. If we follow this source's statements that there are at least 22,600 food stores in California, and assume the average store could feed one person for a whole year, that gives a total of ~8.3 million food-days. That can't feed 38 million people, even if you could magically spread it all out.

Having done the math myself, there's only three food-days per person on a national scale. Every way you look at it, people will die off like flies, no matter where they are. The first question to be answered isn't where this should be located, but exactly how much harsh realism Cassie would like in this. It is fantasy, after all.

[Holeypaladin]

Actually, you've just answered the question of why people would be drawn to LA.

The California Aquaduct ends there. Sure there'd be no running water, but the aquaduct is basically a big canal that runs the width of the state. Best place to get fresh water in SoCal, make your way to the aquaduct.

And there is plenty of drinking water in it. For millions. Very little of that water is currently used for actual drinking.

[Goldmarble]

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm getting at, is that there are spots in Cali that would be habitable once the 38 million is cut down to 1 or 2 million, or less. People used to live there long before industrialization, but Los Angeles itself only supported an average population of 5000 through fishing and seed gathering for the most part. Add agriculture, and gravity irrigation, and the area could support more, but it would not be easy. Ever.

The "easiest" to support areas would be the prairies and farmlands of the midwest. Especially depending on what time of year, you either have grain silos stocked full, or fields waiting to be harvested. Lots of small towns would have "historic museums" where you can get farming implements that could be worked again, or at least have new versions made.

The biggest problem is....how very few people would know how to do anything, period, without electricity. Hell, many people in a city don't even know how to light a fire, let alone how to tell a carrot, from an onion, from a parsnip. Hell, start harvesting parsnips in the sun...really good way to get a brutal chemical burn. Lets ignore all things we eat that grow from poisonous source (Potatoes, Tomatoes, Cherries, etc...).

End result is that Iowa is pretty much the best place in the US to be if electricity dies. More farmland than people to run it without machines, grain stored by the silo and warehouse full.

Northern Cali/Oregon/Idaho and Washington would be viable, but cross the Rockies, and you're in harsh terrain again.

Canada? Lot less people for starters. BC offers a ridiculous amount of food sources. Alberta offers some, but is working on the population issues, and some areas currently require irrigation. Saskatchewan....most of it is irrigated, but valleys are fine. Then from the East on, you start running into overflowing populations rising from the states, in addition to our few major metropolitan areas.

One thing though: Thank christ we aren't looking at Europe. That would be like putting this game on "IMPOSSIBLE!! mode....

[Silverback]

I like this idea. Would be up for it and wouldn't be terribly worried about where we start as long as it's in the States or Canada.

[Holeypaladin]

Well, I think the universal consensus is that we're all in favor of a single city. So it's up to Cassie to decide which city. Pick your favorite!

[ArchangelUriel]

Wow, I learned a lot just now, thanks guys. Anyway, I'm not one to blow of the difficulties of life, even if it were post-apocalyptic, so I don't really mind where it is. Impossible mode? Bring it on. It does help that this is only role playing.

[Talonkid13]

I would be very interested in this rp. Especially seeing the number of interested people and their devotedness to it. Also Someone made the point of Iowa being the best place to be when you don't have electricity and we're all in the general idea of one big city. So(having lived in Iowa and knowing the general area around it that would be good for this rp) I suggest Des Moines, Iowa for the city(large enough to provide city setting but not enormous). There are many small towns around it as well that could be tacked on and considered part of Des Moines giving rural and city advantages. Anyway food for thought and I'm hoping this is still open.

[CassieLovely]

Goodness gracious, everyone. I am so sorry I have been absent. I haven't had any time to myself for nearly a week and am finally back. I will try to answer each of your posts if I can today. I will also be putting up the OOC thread here shortly. I really do apologize for up and disappearing as I have.