[OOC] States of Evolution

[ClocktowerEchos]

I'll admit I wasn't expecting this kind of response >_>
It probably doesn't help with the fact I'm actually looking at pictures of soldiers to be used as fluff either >_>
I'm such a goddamn hypocrite. I almost feel like the Catholic Church >_>

[Shorticus]

Dude, no worries. We're all hypocrites at some point.

I'll also say that I never, ever go into a roleplay trying to make a one-trick nation, or even a one-trick character. Focusing solely on war would make for a boring nation. I intended from the start to eventually phase out of the "raider" mentality and toward something different. I don't know when, and I'm not sure what it is yet, but cultures evolve. The Vikings became the Scandinavian nations we know today: very socialist and very progressive and very much not pillaging your lawns.

I only found one picture of soldiers I considered using before I switched from the Mesoamerican theme to the Berber theme. I doubt I'll find any pictures of awesome Arabian lizardfolk wearing turbans.

My original concept for the saurians looked something like this:

[ClocktowerEchos]

@Shorticus Don't see why you can't just use mesoamerican with a raider aesthetic, you could then use lizardmen from warhammer for pics.

[TheSovereignGrave]

Yeah man, and if it makes you feel any better my nation isn't going to be a particularly warmongering one. :D Hell, the ayels would probably give even your people a run for their money when it came to the sheer amount of intercourse they have. Of course, with the ayels they only do it with each other and it has nothing to do with pleasure but rather entirely with procreation, but that's not the point.

[Shorticus]

@Shorticus Don't see why you can't just use mesoamerican with a raider aesthetic, you could then use lizardmen from warhammer for pics.

@ClocktowerEchos

Well, there's a pretty straightforward reason for that:

Everyone makes lizardfolk Mesoamerican.

Seriously. Warhammer is a good example. So is Warlords Battlecry 3. Lizardfolk in Age of Wonders were Mesoamerican. They wear loincloths in Heroes of Might and Magic 3. They run around butt naked sometimes in D&D, and when they're not? Loincloths.

It's overplayed, and monitor lizards are the smartest lizards in the real world, and you can find a lot of them in desert climates and on islands... so, I went with a Berber aesthetic instead.

Also: I think I may have given my nation too many people. I just glanced at the character list again and realized 700,000 is waaay more than the population of other cities. ...Should I reduce this?

[TheSovereignGrave]

<Snipped quote by ClocktowerEchos>

Well, there's a pretty straightforward reason for that:

Everyone makes lizardfolk Mesoamerican.

Seriously. Warhammer is a good example. So is Warlords Battlecry 3. Lizardfolk in Age of Wonders were Mesoamerican. They wear loincloths in Heroes of Might and Magic 3. They run around butt naked sometimes in D&D, and when they're not? Loincloths.

It's overplayed, and monitor lizards are the smartest lizards in the real world, and you can find a lot of them in desert climates and on islands... so, I went with a Berber aesthetic instead.

Also: I think I may have given my nation too many people. I just glanced at the character list again and realized 700,000 is waaay more than the population of other cities. ...Should I reduce this?

@Shorticus

Huh, I didn't realize Mesoamerican lizard people were so common. Interesting...

You should made them British, though.

See? British lizard. Perfection.

[ZB1996]

Also: I think I may have given my nation too many people. I just glanced at the character list again and realized 700,000 is waaay more than the population of other cities. ...Should I reduce this?

@Shorticus

I don't mean to criticize, but I think you should. The 200,000-300,000 we've been doing is already larger than actual ancient cities were.

[Shorticus]

<Snipped quote by Shorticus>

Huh, I didn't realize Mesoamerican lizard people were so common. Interesting...

You should made them British, though.

See? British lizard. Perfection.

@TheSovereignGrave

Yeah, Mesoamerican and just a general "they nekkid and werr loincluth witt spearz" thing is common to all lizardfolk in your typical medieval fantasy setting. They often ride or are servants to dinosaurs, dragons, or turtles as well.

<Snipped quote by Shorticus>

I don't mean to criticize, but I think you should. The 200,000-300,000 we've been doing is already larger than actual ancient cities were.

@ZB1996

That's not criticism, that's an honest answer to my own concern. I'll go for 300,000, thanks!

[Sigma]

For my case actually. The city of Zhodul/Gurak is overpopulated, it's not exactly in the best shape, also add in inter-tribal warfare and you got one crapsack of a city.

[Sigma]

@Shorticus Also, may have found something to your liking, not sure though if they are what you're looking for. But they certainly don't have a Mesoamerican look.
finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Bangaa

[SavOrhchid]

This looks interesting, mind if I join or...?

[Frengo]

@ZB1996 Looks good to me, accepted.

@Shorticus Ah, nothing like ultra-macho female lizards to add some flare :D

---

<Snipped quote by Shorticus>

God fucking dammit.
I made the Regulii as they were since I specifically wanted not to have to fight but fuck it, might as well go be militaristic as fuck then.

EDIT: I think I came off as snappier than I meant to >_>

@ClocktowerEchos

Let's talk about getting deaded.

I doubt anyone here is really interested in forcing another player out of the RP by military conquest, that's just mean, and everyone here seems like lovable little sheeplings.

Throughout the course of history, peoples have been conquered, but rarely made extinct from the experience. If your civilisation does come under threat, consider the possible scenarios that may result in your capitulation. Perhaps the end result could be the merging of the defeated and the victor, allowing you to become a subordinate in the co-running of an empire...

And then influence events towards your peoples' eventual revolution or integration :P

More than likely, in the interests of the RP and people's feelings, I will personally intervene to ensure a reasonable conclusion results from a war in which someone loses badly.

<Snipped quote by Shorticus>

I know. But the thing is, I made the Regulii so sexually inclined as to try and discourage people from attacking me and try to use some fucking diplomacy and yet here I am again with everyone automatically going on the warpath towards someone over something. Because in literally all the other NRPs I've been in, everyone is literally only focused on make a nation dedicated to war or industry and want to go charging in at the first sign no matter how noble they may be. Like seriously, Rome did more than just fuck barbarians with legions, Japan did more than make samurai armor and katanas and there was more to the Age of Sail than fucking pirates and colonial wars. Everyone ignores the fact that civilization has more than just guns and factory and decides that's what important about a nation instead of, I don't know, the fucking economy or the culture of it or its people. Everyone loves writing soldiers and heroes and leaders and completely forgo the average citizen or the artist or even the guy trying to start up a factory or discover something new.

Jesus fuck this got more ranty and rambly than I would have ever accepted it to be but fuck it. I guess all the cough medicines are fuckign with my head or soemthing and making me snappy. I'm going to go an cool my head for a while now. >_>

@ClocktowerEchos

Steady on bro, let's give things a chance, shall we? It's not written in stone that this world is destined to end in an "hour of wolves and broken shields".

I understand your concerns, I really do - it's why I never really embroiled myself in NRPs on the guild, because on other sites WW3 always erupted from the get-go. End of the day though, I can either impose peace, or let players forge their own path - and imposing peace would just be wrong. People have to be free to do what they want.

Have faith though, at least wait for the Evolution Phase before judging the conclusion of this RP.

@ZB1996 On the subject of population sizes, I know from experience this is always a sore spot for people that are vaguely familiar with the history of Earth, and I'm surprised it hasn't come about sooner... but I guess I'm glad that it has.

If we were mirroring Real World progress, then it would take thousands of years before we finally did away with our flint and loin cloths, and moved onto bronze. Thousands of years before we did away with bronze, and moved onto iron. Establishing empires would also be a long-winded affair.

To help explain the rapid spread of our peoples in all areas, I saw it necessary to have large unified populations as a starting point.

That's my logic, and I'm going to stick with it, right or wrong. Adapt or moan at someone who will listen - not that you were moaning of course, I'm just warning off any future moaners.

@SavOrhchid Yeh, come on in, but be quick if ya can, this will be starting today.

That's right folks, by today we'll have a fully updated map, and the Evolution Phase will begin.

[Frengo]

I was planning on have a focus on culture, and was hoping to avoid the wars that will inevitably occur in the west. I was hoping to expand, but through colonialism. Also...

<Snipped quote by Frengo>

I'm not criticizing, but the time you seem to be describing (300 bc) was fairly late in human history. This means this world's equivalents of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid et cetera should be emerging immediately.

@ZB1996

Missed this. Just don't worry about it, focus your energies in letting go of these benign details. We're here to play, not to make similarities between Earth and some fictional world I created in an afternoon. We're in an "ancient" setting, as long as you've understood that much, then we're good.

[SavOrhchid]

@ZB1996 Looks good to me, accepted.

@Shorticus Ah, nothing like ultra-macho female lizards to add some flare :D

---

<Snipped quote by ClocktowerEchos>

Let's talk about getting deaded.

I doubt anyone here is really interested in forcing another player out of the RP by military conquest, that's just mean, and everyone here seems like lovable little sheeplings.

Throughout the course of history, peoples have been conquered, but rarely made extinct from the experience. If your civilisation does come under threat, consider the possible scenarios that may result in your capitulation. Perhaps the end result could be the merging of the defeated and the victor, allowing you to become a subordinate in the co-running of an empire...

And then influence events towards your peoples' eventual revolution or integration :P

More than likely, in the interests of the RP and people's feelings, I will personally intervene to ensure a reasonable conclusion results from a war in which someone loses badly.

<Snipped quote by ClocktowerEchos>

Steady on bro, let's give things a chance, shall we? It's not written in stone that this world is destined to end in an "hour of wolves and broken shields".

I understand your concerns, I really do - it's why I never really embroiled myself in NRPs on the guild, because on other sites WW3 always erupted from the get-go. End of the day though, I can either impose peace, or let players forge their own path - and imposing peace would just be wrong. People have to be free to do what they want.

Have faith though, at least wait for the Evolution Phase before judging the conclusion of this RP.

@ZB1996 On the subject of population sizes, I know from experience this is always a sore spot for people that are vaguely familiar with the history of Earth, and I'm surprised it hasn't come about sooner... but I guess I'm glad that it has.

If we were mirroring Real World progress, then it would take thousands of years before we finally did away with our flint and loin cloths, and moved onto bronze. Thousands of years before we did away with bronze, and moved onto iron. Establishing empires would also be a long-winded affair.

To help explain the rapid spread of our peoples in all areas, I saw it necessary to have large unified populations as a starting point.

That's my logic, and I'm going to stick with it, right or wrong. Adapt or moan at someone who will listen - not that you were moaning of course, I'm just warning off any future moaners.

@SavOrhchid Yeh, come on in, but be quick if ya can, this will be starting today.

That's right folks, by today we'll have a fully updated map, and the Evolution Phase will begin.

@Frengo

@Frengo Mind if I ask a few quick questions? Every post a player makes will consist of 100 years, and at the fifth post, you do a recap? I'm just a bit confused on that and ways players would interact. :P

[Frengo]

<Snipped quote by Frengo>

@Frengo Mind if I ask a few quick questions? Every post a player makes will consist of 100 years, and at the fifth post, you do a recap? I'm just a bit confused on that and ways players would interact. :P

@SavOrhchid

You'll see from my first post what to do, but basically it'll go like this:

Every post covers a hundred years, as if written by a historian. At the base of each post, will be a brief summary outlining the various changes and advances that your civilisation has undergone. At the end of the phase, the map will be updated with all the new territorial bounds of each city.

This way, you can react to, compete with or collude with other civilisations on the fly.

[SavOrhchid]

<Snipped quote by SavOrhchid>

You'll see from my first post what to do, but basically it'll go like this:

Every post covers a hundred years, as if written by a historian. At the base of each post, will be a brief summary outlining the various changes and advances that your civilisation has undergone. At the end of the phase, the map will be updated with all the new territorial bounds of each city.

This way, you can react to, compete with or collude with other civilisations on the fly.

@Frengo

Gotcha.

Working on my sheet now, good thing I'm a mega dork and have two species already premade.

[Frengo]

The RP hasn't started yet, but I've put up the Evolution Phase intro for you guys to have a little look at -start gathering ideas. Hopefully it answers some questions, and sets the general tone.

Technology-wise, the phase ends at 400 A.D. I've allowed for gunpowder, but disallowed its widespread use, along with metals stronger than iron.

I understand that some of us may develop technologies unique to our own peoples and civs, my Dwarves for one will be looking at the cultivation of fungus. All I ask is that your peoples do not invent anything that might launch them centuries ahead of the rest.

[ZB1996]

@Frengo
How will expansion work? I was hoping to expand eastward rather than west.

[Frengo]

@Frengo
How will expansion work? I was hoping to expand eastward rather than west.

@ZB1996

You'll simply state that your peoples settled somewhere, set up a city, killed or drove off whatever inhabited the land and BOOM.

Either update your map at the end of each turn, or the fifth - unless of course you think you may be conflicting with someone else's' designs.

Looks like your peoples wanted to establish complete control of their island, and begin preparing for colonial expansion by establishing the right infrastructure for it.

[Shorticus]

@Frengo Just to be safe and sure, that's approval for Zaqir? I want to make certain I don't post in the Characters section too quickly. And do you want any edits made?