The New World - OOC IS UP

[LloydTurquoise]

@Cyclone Can I ask, what exactly will the rolls determine? I understand that population and other numbers are determined, but do they also affect anything else?

[Lone Wanderer]

As the many before me, interested!

[FoxFire]

@Cyclone I can also work on a map if you still need someone to apart from @TheArhive. Also, shoutout to him/her if he/she want to collaborate.

[Archetype Zero]

I am skilled in the arts of Photoshop, should you ever need that.

Also, interested.

[ArenaSnow]

Throw me a PM with roles and stats if you've got stuff set up. Or a PM to inquire how to do that if you need someone to bounce with. Whatever works.

[Skylar]

Ready to generate a nation sheet whenever you want GM. Give me an outline, I'll give you Gremlins/Elves. Still can't make up my mind just yet.

[FoxFire]

PM with some rolls relating to population, please. I'll design my story wround it though I already have a general idea ready.

[Cyclone]

@Cyclone Can I ask, what exactly will the rolls determine? I understand that population and other numbers are determined, but do they also affect anything else?

@LloydTurquoise

It's my intent to allow one or two of the individual rolls to be changed (or perhaps to get a whole reroll if you're really unhappy with it) so I think it's fair to have them more or less determine everything except for stuff like your nation's race.

For instance, if I were to give you a roll that says your country is some sort of theocracy and you don't like that, it's not a big deal. These are meant to be more like a loose guideline to help formulate a nation rather than some rigid requirements that you must adhere to.

@Cyclone I can also work on a map if you still need someone to apart from @TheArhive. Also, shoutout to him/her if he/she want to collaborate.

@FoxFire

I am skilled in the arts of Photoshop, should you ever need that.

Also, interested.

@Archetype Zero

I believe Arhive already started on it, but by all means PM him and offer to help if you'd like. Maybe once everybody posts nation sheets one of you could add border lines.

[Commodore]

@Cyclone I would greatly appreciate it if you pm'd me with the rolls. :)

[Cyclone]

@Commodore@FoxFire@ArenaSnow

Within the next few hours I intend to deliver completed rolls to those of you that have already asked. Still writing up all the options and their flavor texts.

[Commodore]

@Cyclone Thank you. :)

[LloydTurquoise]

@CycloneAh okay cool. In which case, I will have some rolls please!

[Skylar]

@Commodore@FoxFire@ArenaSnow

Within the next few hours I intend to deliver completed rolls to those of you that have already asked. Still writing up all the options and their flavor texts.

@Cyclone

Me too please! Looking forward to it.

[Brithwyr]

@Cyclone I'm not the biggest fan of rolls, but meh. Maybe this'll be the one to change my mind.

[Lauder]

YOU GET A ROLL. YOU GET A ROLL. EVERYONE GETS A ROLL.

[Murtox]

Expressing Interest and willing to help with stats, Also gib rolls.

[Cyclone]

Alright, first few rolls that I promised are ready. I might get around to a few more tonight but some will probably be put off until tomorrow.

Remember,

It's my intent to allow one or two of the individual rolls to be changed (or perhaps to get a whole reroll if you're really unhappy with it) so I think it's fair to have them more or less determine everything except for stuff like your nation's race.

For instance, if I were to give you a roll that says your country is some sort of theocracy and you don't like that, it's not a big deal. These are meant to be more like a loose guideline to help formulate a nation rather than some rigid requirements that you must adhere to.

Ye Glorious GM

The "flavor" elements like government type can be changed if you really want to, and I'm totally fine if two people want to trade their rolls. I'll iterate once more than these are meant to be something of a guideline and source of inspiration and not a mandate that MUST be followed to the letter, so I'm flexible.

@Commodore

Rolls 1

Rolls

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
5. Your nation is "blessed" with a significantly larger than average amount of land. While you may have a great deal of opportunities to utilize both your ample farmlands and wilderness, your borders are hard to defend and your settlements are spread out which can impede communications.
Population:
5 million (above average)
Urbanization:
3. Your nation has the typical ratio or rural folk to city dwellers: that is, there's probably about 8 or 9 in the countryside for every one in the cities. What is there to say? It takes a lot of farmers to support those craftsman and merchants in the city!
Government Type:
4. Your nation is ruled by one great emperor with essentially unlimited power and a large bureaucracy that serves beneath him. Under this imperial system there is a form of meritocracy. Your magistrates and administrators have been tested and found competent; therefore, they earned their positions rather than simply inheriting it from their fathers as is the case in many other nations.
Political Stability:
5. You enjoy the benefit of having a serene and peaceful nation. There's barely any crime and you don't have a rebellion brewing, so rejoice!

Economy

Overall Wealth:
2. Your nation was once in good enough shape, but recent events have caused a large recession and now your economy is shrinking. If this isn't resolved soon, major issues will arise. The people are used to a higher standard of life than they are currently experiencing, and as food supplies contract there may be mass starvation and the collapse of industry, commerce, or even government.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
8. Your government requires tributes from the various nobles and cities, which leaves them up to their own discretion in finding a way to procure these taxes. In some manner, it's probably the peasants that actually end up paying for these taxes, but at least the job of collecting all that is delegated to a handful of people so that your central government doesn't have to worry about it.
Technology:
1. Slow Modernization, your nation does somewhat lags behind the rest of the world, with many of your people stubbornly clinging to traditions and conventions.
Agriculture:
4. Your nation has its farmlands, but you aren't blessed with particularly fertile land nor regular rainfall. As such, seasonal famines are a common thing.
Natural Resources:
Iron, salt, furs

Military
Military Size
3. Volunteer militias supplemented by some additional levies in wartime. An average sized army all around, but lacking in elite units.
Military Focus
4. Decent navy; heavy archery focus in army with massed spearmen standing in a line to protect the archers behind them; a fair amount of magic users for battle
Military Leadership
3. Generals are pretty competent; however, they are corrupt and play at politics
Military Reputation
3. Popular domestically; considered capable by foreigners

@FoxFire

Rolls 2

Rolls

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
2. Your nation is certainly small and could use some breathing room. Land is an expensive and highly sought after commodity here.
Population:
3,250,000 (about average)
Urbanization:
4. Your nation is unusually urbanized. You might have a lot of towns or a few really big cities, but either way a fair amount of your people have migrated to the population centers. This opens the door to much more industry and commerce but also leaves more of your people vulnerable to the dangers of city life: organized crime, filth, and disease.
Government Type:
2. Your nation is ruled by that shine of gold and silver. In a society where money is power, the wealthy elite form a plutocratic government. Bloodline is still important (because of course a person born into a wealthy family is worth more than some pauper!) but your ancestry becomes irrelevant the moment that you run out of coin. At least there is some degree of social mobility in that a poor merchant can perhaps work his way up into the elite; in more traditional and aristocratic countries, rising up might not even be possible.
Political Stability:
3. There's some mild urban unrest with criminal gangs and corruption, but nothing threatening to overthrow your country.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
4. Your nation has a solid and rather stable economy. You have the means to finance most of the projects that your government wants to undertake, and most of your people enjoy a good standard of living.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
4. Your government has a way of having wealthy patrons voluntarily give their money, mostly in the form of bribes and political donations. You might have a small issue with corruption...
Technology:
3. Rapid Modernization, your nation does not lag behind the rest of the world, and even sets the standard on some levels. No doubt there's some Commonwealth influence behind this.
Agriculture:
7. With mighty rivers, vast lakes, and/or a sizeable coast on the bountiful seas, your people primarily rely upon fishing for their food. As such, your port cities are unique in that they don't necessarily depend on the countryside to supply them with food.
Natural Resources:
Pearls, glassware, fish

Military
Military Size
1. A small number of city guards, constables, and the personal retainers of nobles are the only standing armies. In wartime, vast (albeit seasonal) armies are mobilized via levying the peasants.
Military Focus
1. Decent navy; decent and well rounded army with some cavalry. Very well rounded, but lacking in the magic department.
Military Leadership
4. Generals are incompetent; often appointed without military experience; largely decadent
Military Reputation
4. Popular domestically; considered weak by foreigners

@ArenaSnow

Rolls 3

Rolls

Basic Demographics & Geography

Territory Size:
4. Your nation has an average sized expanse of land. There's enough for agriculture, cities, and then some wilderness. Your border is large enough that smugglers can sometimes make it through, but by and large it's still defensible.
Population:
2,500,000 (a bit on the low side)
Urbanization:
2. Aside from your capital and perhaps one or two urban centers, you have a very highly rural population. There is likely some system such as serfdom, in which knights or other minor nobles inhabit estates that oversee a region and its people.
Government Type:
5. Your nation is ruled by the sword, and the cogs of its "political system" are oiled with blood. Though they might put it more eloquently in order to conjure an image of legitimacy, your nation is quite frankly ruled by whatever warlord(s) are currently at the top of the food chain. This chaotic military dictatorship has the potential to perhaps transform into something more like a monarchy, but for now birthright means nothing and the man with the most soldiers at his back is always the man that lays out the law.
Political Stability:
2. Your people are growing increasingly discontent, but so far it hasn't boiled over to the point of violence. Or if it has, your government has found a way to suppress it before it erupted into anything major.

Economy

Overall Wealth:
3. Your nation is rather weak economically, but you're developing. With a rapidly growing economy and likely a transition towards urbanization and industrialization, your people are happy. While you may not be an economic superpower yet, it's looking like you're beginning to enter a golden age that might catapult you there.
Government's Primary Means of Generating Income:
10. Your government is constantly minting new currency. Maybe they directly control a gold mine, or maybe they have a group of secret alchemists locked up in a tower always at work transmuting more lead into gold. Either way, they just put more money into circulation whenever they need to buy something. There's a fair amount of inflation because of this.
Technology:
4. Technological Parity; you're keeping up with the rest of Albion pretty well.

Agriculture:
5. You grow a variety of grains and vegetables and your farmers have developed a system of crop and field rotations. As such, they create a food surplus and your people are generally well nourished.
Natural Resources:
Copper, opiates or other "medicinal substances", wine

Military
Military Size
6. Medium-sized core of professional soldiers that mainly serve to keep order in peacetime and direct vast (but unreliable) armies of slave soldiers in wartime.
Military Focus
9. Decent navy; large but overall somewhat weak army; a few magic users
Military Leadership
6. Competence of generals varies greatly; they are usually powerful sorcerers; decadent
Military Reputation
2. Considered terrifying oppressors domestically; considered barbaric by foreigners

@Cyclone I'm not the biggest fan of rolls, but meh. Maybe this'll be the one to change my mind.

@Brithwyr

Originally I felt the same way, but after being in one RP that used this system I saw its merits. In any case, keep in mind what I've said above about trading rolls or changing a few aspects that you don't like. I don't think it'll be too bad; there's still loads of freedom in what race(s) make up your nation's population, exactly where you put it on the map (once we get the map, that is), fleshing out the military beyond the brief descriptions I give in the rolls, etc.

Edit: I'll try to make a template nation sheet soon and then for the Commonwealth sometime soon and then that can be held up as an example. But for now those of you with rolls can feel free to get started on sheets because I'm not the type of person to care much about the exact formatting.

[Commodore]

@Cyclone So sorry if you already stated this somewhere and I haven't seen it but I had two questions concerning the IC realm of this roleplay.

1. What exactly do you have in mind demographically for these nations? Are we mostly humans, standard Tolkienesque fantasy, or a more broad fantastic view?

2. What exactly do you have in mind in terms of magic for these nations? I assume that such magic would be limited especially considering a reference to the possibility of magic equal the technological power for now but where are the general limits of what the average mage can do and as an average is there some idea of how many mages there are per non-magically orientated person?

Again sorry if you've already stated this somewhere but it would help as I am building my nation. :)

[Cyclone]

@Commodore

I do imagine humans being the most prevalent race, but with this being High Fantasy I take no objection to elves, dwarves, even Warhammer-inspired orcs etc. Some aspects of the rolls might make less sense for other races but that can be adjusted if need be; I just don't want to see some super-race that is better than the others in every way. It bears worth mentioning that while I reluctantly would allow custom/original races, unless executed well I usually don't think they're a great thing to add to NRPs. People know what to think when they see elf, but not so much when they see "okidai" or something. Unless the "okidai" are genuinely unique and you do cool things with them, I just don't see the need.

As in for magic, you raise a good question and one that indeed has not been answered in this interest check's OP. It's something that I will need to elaborate upon in the actual OOC, but for now let's say magic is relatively rare, say about 1/100 people have it. It can take the mild and stereotypical form of stereotypical fireballs or Emperor Palpatine style lightning if they are a battlemage, which makes wizards somewhat analogous to artillery. Then the war medics might use healing magic of some sort, and the priests and shamans might have rituals to predict weather or some such.

The truly great and powerful wizards like Saruman or Gandalf should be a very rare thing. While similarly extreme forms of magic like necromancy perhaps are real, they should be rare almost to the point of fading into myth in most nations. After all, one of the big themes of this RP is magic fading away and being replaced with technology.

[Commodore]

@Cyclone Thank you so much. It will really help in just getting my nation done thematically. :D