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It would be terribly complicated, relative to how much time people can actually invest in running/playing Hegemony...

Watching Industrial Revelations...had an idea for Hegemony. When you start a project, train troops, ect ect...There is a 66% (2 in 3) chance that the cost will double. If it does double, then there is a 66% chance (2 in 3) that the cost will increase by half again. (Or trebles relative to the starting price) If it does increase again, there is another 66% chance it will increase by a third. You HAVE to spend the money up until you succeed, or until you give up, and lose all the money invested so far. So there is some ebb and flow...Having large amounts of money doesn't mean you can do anything you like and never run out of money.

Oh, and one thing I noticed. Animals have a Max Int of 2 during creation. So Bobo would have to gain levels after the campaign started, to be legal. [hide] They do and this is an intentional change we are making. The rules leave no room for an animal to gain intelligence without somehow transforming into a magical beast, which comes with a whole host of changes. There has to be room here for corner cases and exceptions, which this absolute rule does not allow. [/hide] Interesting aside: People argue about how their moneky should be treated as a sapient creature, but in the very next paragraph say that the monkey shouldn't make any choice other than their, as the player, own. The middle ground would be you either got: A greatsword wielding ape as an NPC-GM-Controlled character (under-awakened rules) Or you got a normal ape as a PC (Under handle animal rules). Or...You taught the monkey the 'Hold Greatsword' trick, the 'Draw Greatsword' trick and the 'Wield Greatsword' trick. As your 3 extra tricks at level 3 intelligence. Or, if you have a weak GM you just make the case that at level 3 the chimp gets unlimited tricks, and you taught them all the neccessary ones.

Its a game? And they aren't 22nd century engineers, they are a 20th century librarian... Kinda like saying 'And nothing explains why I found myself sitting at my computer, rather than on the Unity.' I think it is fairly obvious why it hacked you... You had no significant defences, and access to a ship, which it could use to travel to Earth, where it could either: A) Complete its mission of destroying all AIs. B) Find its maker and get itself released C) Hack the internet and become ruler of Earth Or any combination. (Since this is extrapolating from the data you collected in mission) Comparatively, communicating with you would be like...Asking a small child to write something...it is unnecessary, worthless and you will almost certainly have to write it yourself in the end. I mean, in all honesty, what can you provide which it does not already have? Extra processing power? No, it has taken over your computer system. Access to your knowladge base? No, it has taken over your computer system. Access to anything that belongs to you? No, it has taken over your computer system. It could be explained as it being turned off. Indeed it could, not saying that it couldn't...saying what it actually was.

Gotta agree with Res. If you are gonna create a sever you need to actually lay down specific rules and make sure people understand them...not freak out when people break rules they didn't even know existed.

Lets analyse, shall we: Tauros/VIs- First generation AI, fairly low powered, is restricted to controlling a single client, can code a simple program is about 40 minutes(same as human speed). The AI- Second generation AI, moderately powered, designed to control a network, can code simple programs in about 5 seconds. The OI- First generation OI (10th Generation AI), extremely powerful, designed to be better than any and all AIs, can recode an entire AI in a few minutes. The SI- Fifth generation AI, powerful, designed to control the Unity, codes complicated systems for breakfast. The general situation was, the crew were incapable of controlling the ship, without resorting to hours of waiting for code. The AI was the go-to solution, risky, yes, but was one of the practical solutions. The other solutions I envisaged: Launching a shuttle, using the comms relay to call Earth, ask for a link to Swiss Command (This would have been an EPICALLY bad move) Using a shuttle VI to control parts of the Unity. Bypassing the control modules, and powering systems manually (About a 4 in 5 chance of blowing up related system). Me changing my name to 'File_Name_Missing' should have been a clue that the SI program no longer existed. Oh, and Mather, the AI, stupidly(But realistically), assumed living was high on your priority, and that you accepted the reality of being incapable of controlling the Unity by yourself.

So, one Century in, The Archi Dynasty reports: Morroco has colonised South America, but is suffering rampant inflation and is at the mercy of Portugal. Japan is united, but no one wants to be, so rebels EVERYWHERE And Bohemia is larger than ever it was, but there are rebels everywhere...again... So, to summerise...I don't do a good job as a expansionalist =P

Campaign selection: (Gonna launch a, hopefully, 6 session plus, campaign mission, based at a specific location. For this purpose you will be leaving the Unity.*) Zero Jump: The home of the Unity's Extra-Solar Engines, as well as numerous faster than light research projects, which are now more or less defunct, with only a trickle of funds going to them and perhaps three scientists on each project, compared to the Golden Age of Exploration, where there were literally tens of thousands. Zero Jump is also home to almost all of the Human Psionics research projects, the notable exception being the Swiss, who conduct all their research on Earth. Pro: Zero Jump is the home to various high tech groups, allowing you to skip 1 upgrade in the upgrade tree. EG: You can get the Hypokit without the medi-scanner. Con: Zero Jump is remote(beyond Neptune), so all upgrades cost 5 merits more. -Primary Mission: Zero Jump has called for the best of the best to try a new psionic tactical simulator, to find out if non-psions can beat the simulator. The Martian Question: The Terran and Russian bases on Mars have always been a source of major friction between the two powers, and the situation is continuing to escalate, edging close to open war. Pro: Military hardware is plentiful in this area, resulting in a number of military upgrades being avalible that would not otherwise be accessible. Con: The area is not exactly stable, and failing missions could result in losing your starting location, and even open warfare. -Primary Mission: The current problem revolves around a trade dispute. Two Chedder Knights have been sent in to calm the situation, but now they are missing. Europa Dreams: With the ever present threat of genocide from the Swiss, Japanese, Americans, Soviets...well, everyone really...missions to colonise the rest of the Solar System have been running thick and fast ever since 2072, when people were finally allowed into Space. While most efforts were aimed within the rocky planets-Mars, Luna and Venus to name the three-some few missions were aimed out into the the Gas Giants and beyond. While only Zero Jump, a non-colony mission, established in the original space rush of the 2040s, ever recieved any major attention, the Europa mission has made some significant advances, and is now prepared to crack the surface. Primary Mission: The mission has only a small garrison, if anything goes wrong...as it innevitably will...it will be the Unity's crew's job to solve them. *The Unity, without the SI, is non-functional, and suffered a lot of damage when being controlled by the MS AI, so needs to be repaired over the course of a few months.

......................... Accomodation offers are like Buses...You wait ages for one, then two come at once <_<

Ok, merits: Earth: 6 Ico: 11 Tauros: 3

Fins ceeded the Karelian Ismus and some other bits http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Finnish_areas_ceded_in_1940.png

/Join #space2 tavern

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Comic I was reading just caught up with the present...now I have to wait a week between issues...like all the other schmucks. On an unrelated note: Most roleplayers have little to no practical experience in military strategy and tactics. So when it comes to playing massed combat situations, one way to decide what to do is to take guidance from historical military campaigns. Emulating the victor is the easy way. If attempting to defend an impossible position with bowmen and knights on foot against Genoese crossbowmen and tens of thousands of armoured, mounted knights, make sure you are heavily outnumbered. If attempting to repel a force of cavalry and men-at-arms with longbowmen on St Crispin's Day, make sure you are vastly outnumbered. If defending a hospital stockade against Zulus, make sure you are enormously outnumbered. You can choose a different, and more creative, path by doing the opposite of what the losers did. If you field an overwhelming force against a paltry number of defenders, whatever you do, make sure the defenders are not English!

Prejudice is alive and well in the modern world... Had to take photos on a children's fun day: "Excuse me, are you are paedophile, or do you just like taking pictures of little kids?" Fortunately I am fairly diplomatical and didn't point out: Those two are one in the same (the fomer and latter, not the latter and the former). If I was a woman we wouldn't be having this conversation, despite woman being up to 20% more likely to be Paedophiles(according to some data) Your complete lack of tact or subtly The fact that you are Scouts, and all you have done is build an umbrella fortress against the rain, and huddled all the children close to you. But I digress.

Well...its like this: Hacking, sometimes, needs to be done in a hurry. If a whole adventure is required to open a set of doors, then the story will have moved on, rendering the hack unimportant. So I would adopt the 1 hour = 1 minute in cyberspace. Matrix=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulated_reality No.

Yeah, it would count. Just want to get people used to the idea of leaving the Unity for extended periods. Hacking is EITHER: Roll-wait OR Matrix Just when only one person goes a-hacking, it is easier to do roll-wait.

With the collapse of the Temporal Anomaly, and with it any hope of discovering what caused it, the Unity is called back to the International Justice Courts in the Hague. While there, you are approached by a shadowy operative, identifying himself as part of the Order of the Cheddar Knights. While he doesn't reveal much, he gives you a callsign, so you can recognise future messages from the organisation. The trial at the Hague is relatively short lived. Angelo, of Italy, accuses Drake, of the Swiss, of destroying the valuable artifacts merely to spite him. The Hague rules against Drake, but Drake merely points at his badge saying 'Diplomatic Immunity', and walks out. With the court case at an effective impasse, and 'the UN'(read mod of the Hegemony game, in game) tired of the arguments, the case is thrown out. On returning to the Unity you find three messages flagged for your investigation. The first is a dossier on the Cheddar Knights, from your mother country, the second is a request by NASA to find the lost Space Probe, Voyager Three, the third is a request by MassiveSoft to transport one of their engineering details to their luna base. After much debate, it was finally decided that MassiveSoft's mission must take priority. NASA was less than pleased by this, and have revoked access from their shield technology (read no shield upgrades for 2 sessions). MassiveSoft have, however, given you 2 Merits each for accepting their mission. And so, before you take off, the MassiveSoft team board the Unity, introductions are made, and over the course of the discussion TAUROS negotiates himself a discount, worth -1 merit, on his next computer upgrade. A course is set for Luna, and is engaged.... Mission Summery: Objectives(s): Bring the MassiveSoft base online. (1 merit) Discover the cause of the shutdown. (1 merit) The base is still intact at the end of the mission. (1 merit) Steal the MassiveSoft research. (2 merits) Being the only person who has not left the Unity. (4 Merits) Make the moral decision. (secret, 5 merits) Destroy any/all hostile presence. (5 merits) Failure Critera: MassiveSoft base is destroyed. (-1 merit) MassiveSoft base is otherwise inoperable. (-2 merits) Dying during the mission. (Multiple, -1 merit) Not boarding/staying onboard the base. (-3 merits) Leaving without uncovering the truth. (-5 merits) Taking the hidden upgrade. (-10 merits)

Where as I have an unlimited fireball firing mace on a staff during the daytime... And a valid excuse for not going on night time missions.

Yes I know you saw me jump the red light, at 80 miles an hour, in a 30 zone... But if I had wanted to break the law I would have been travelling at 180 miles an hour-the theoretically maximum for my car-, in a pedestrian zone, with a suitcase full of pure Heroin, a loaded machine gun and several large bags, marked with Dollar signs, brimming with cash. Along with two illegal immigrants in my back seat and a small atomic bomb. Sorry, but the fact you aren't powergaming to your full potential, isn't a good argument for you not powergaming.

May play eventually(between everything else) Archimage: Xoex (Pronouced Zo-x) Human, age 31, Female: A long mace - Read Sigil of Helia The Mace of the Divine: +1 to all rolls in the daylight hours (even underground). +6(Automatic success) to all castings of Solar Strike, as long as the sun is not obscured. -2 to all rolls not in daylight hours.

God...Americans. Ok, so friend in America, called me to give some flavour to her Spy Themed party. Firstly, virtually no information on the role, despite 3 months planning. Secondly, was supposed to send me a webcam and such...does she? No. Thirdly, having left it to the day of the party, she finally thinks to tell me the date of the party. Forthly, she proceeds to try to get skype to work. Having logged on, after much difficulty, she doesn't want to test the connection speed. Four-point-fithly, she says half an hour till I will be called...an hour later she still hasn't called. Half an hour after that, I get a message saying '10 minutes'. Half an hour after that...two hours after we were supposed to start...she finally calls. Fifthly, when Skype innevitably fails, she calls me, from America, to deliever my 'Shakespearan dialogue' that I have spent three or so hours writing. Sixthly, me delievering the lines dramatically is 'too fast'. Seventhly, me delievering the lines in an accent makes it 'difficult to understand' Eightly, me talking too slowly makes it sound 'wooden' Ninthly, me talking without an accent makes it sound 'American' Having gone through four read through someone says 'Does he know he is on a cell phone' I mean COME ON! Are cell phones in America SO bad? Are they incapable of rendering speech normally? I mean, Rolf Harris sang a Number One Single from Australia to Britain...If Australia, with one of the lowest telephones per kilometer, across half the planet, then you would assume...wrongly...that America, with its leading edge in the technological revolution, would be capable of A DECENT CELL PHONE NETWORK! I mean, I have a cell phone...I can call other people, I can talk in a funny voice and have them understand me... Get your head in the game America! Use some of that super super tech to make something that the common man might find useful... I am vaguely reminded of the Soviet Union...Could drop a bomb to blow up a city, but couldn't provide basic technological benefits to their citizens.

Nah, the time frame only allows one or the other to take place (Since the Voyager mission is half a month out)

Hiho Archi, AWAY!!

Mission relevant stuff: Choice between two missions: Voyager Three The American space probe, Voyager 3, has mysteriously stopped transmitting, and the Unity has been requested to investigate what has happened. The probe is some 5 light days away from Earth, so going on this mission prevents any Earthly interactions, for the duration. Massivesoft The American Government, on behalf of the multinational company, Massivesoft, has sent a request to the Unity to transport one Massivesoft's engineering teams to one of their(Massivesoft's) Luna bases which has lost power. The crew have activated the emergency transmitter, but security measures mean that they can't reactivate the base on their own. (Further details will be provided on accepting one or the other)