The Spartan Chronicles: Bureaucracy at work

[Atreus]

I hereby declare this thread the primary governmental organ of the Spartan Chronicles. Let's try to keep disputes at a minimum, and only bring them forth if they will require a major change in the story.

Proposition one--the first issue at hand--is whether or not to introduce a Civil War into the story. There is one vote per person for every Chronicler--not counting doubles.

Voting for Veracitas and Atreus:

Yay: 1
Nay: 0
[This message has been edited by Atreus (edited August 05, 1999).]

[Kuruk]

My understanding was that the civil war idea was proposed as an event that would tie various storylines together, and breathe some new life into the story. I think the attack on Deep Clustering and the Planet Buster issue will take care of that for the time being. A civil war can always be introduced later if it is needed, but the assault should keep people busy for a while. I also think that the story should stay within the confines of SMAC as much as possible.

Yay: 1
Nay: 1

[Googlie]

A civil war is OK by me. The greatness of the story is in being swept along wherever it leads and being fast enough with the pen to respond before someone else has taken it iff on another tangent.

As SMAC allows custom factions, and as someone has already played a game with the Spartans and Vel's Honshu splinter faction, we could have a civil war, a splinter, and a redrawn map with it in.

So I vote yes


Yes: 2
Nay: 1

Googlie & Slats

[Paula Forbes]

I just report what's happening, so I'll abstain (and Rynn's just along for the ride)

Yay: 2
Nay 1
Abstain 1

Paula & Rynn

[korn469]

i vote yes for a civil war but i vote it happens later...like near the end of the hive conflict. my thoughts are this.

honshu-is an isolationist wants the war to stop. he is the most hardcore of the "survivalist"

santiago-is flexable she wants to win the war but doesn't neccesarily wants it to spread. honshu thinks she sold out.

imperialist-this is a small group of officers who wants to conquer the world. they are past survial and want glory and conquest. they won't be happy until all factions are under their rule. they think santiago is too weak.

here's some scenarios

honshu doesn't like santiago descions he breaks off. spartans try to reunite him
like the american civil war.

honshu leads a movement to stop spartan expansion it succeeds then we have angry imperialist insurgents

santiago wins presses the war but the imperialist decide they could do better launches a coup...then we fight to restore santiago

those are just some suggestions but lets get this hive war established before craziness breaks out and plus i'd like to see lots of foreshadowing before it happens

korn469

[Hydro]

In my mind a civil war, while a wonderful plot device with fascinating possibilities, does not fit reasonably into SMAC. I vote no.

Yea 3 (including Korn)
Nay 2
Abstain 1

[Tokek Belerang]

I'm in between korn469 and Hydro, but I'll go with korn - I think that brings it to:
Yea - 2
Yea, but not yet - 2
Nay - 2
Abstain - 1
Which is a wonderfully mixed bag, of course . Unless you count Veracitas' mail, which seems to bring him into the 'not yet' camp.
How many civil wars break out while a nation is at war with another? Going to war is often the way out of a civil war / revolution threat. Let's go yea on the idea, but start after the battle, whichever way it turns out, for example while Santiago is at the negotiating table with Yang.

Later,
Kek

------------------
Numquam turbae misceri

[Velociryx]

Hmmmm.....well, since Honshu is my brainchild, I guess I'm all but obligated to vote yes for the civil war, but I agree that it probably should not be right now....a thing like that needs a solid reason to occur, and so far, there really isn't one. Now, if we can make the argument down the line that there is a gross mishandling of the war effort, or if in our writing we can demonstrate that there is a diametric pull between two methodologies (i.e., Honshu's isolationism vs. Santiago's "win-at-any-cost" way of thinking), and we can gravitate the main characters we've invented thus far towards one of those two camps, then we'll be in good shape to write about an epic internal conflict....

-=Vel=-
(and yes, my post on the 47th is coming, but everytime I try to write something down, I have to tweak it on account of the ever-shifting storyline....can't keep up with you guys!)

[Googlie]

Kinji hasn't voted.

Where are you, Kinjiru?

The little project you started a month ago has grown until it is consuming every waking moment of some of our lives (and threatening to dominate Apolyton's SMAC site) and a movement is afoot to absorb more megabytes - yeah even gigabytes - of plot twists and turns.

You are strangely silent, Oh Kinjiru.

We crave your wisdom.

Speak to us.

Googlie

[Dcole78]

I vote yes, but let's build up to it. In a society where survival is paramount some people (those not as strong) are bound to be pushed to the side, when there are enough of them they might consider revolting and creating a more humanistic government...just my 2 cents

[Veracitas]

Generally, it seems that the provisions Proposition One is supported by most, though the time of the event still remains ambiguous. True, Tokek, some people use war to get them out of civil problems (does Clinton come to mind?), however, in certain cases, it can also destabilise the government. This is especially true if the leader of the country actually goes on the expedition. Even if Santiago doesn't go--which I expect--the logistics can still be weaved through. I'll have a suggestion ready sometime when I actually have time to spare (gasp)

--Veracitas

[Kuruk]

I think that whether or not the war leads to civil conflict depends on how the war with the Hive plays out. A well planned war with clear objectives will probably bring people together more than it drives them apart, whereas a long, drawn out, Vietnam-like conflict could lead to civil strife.

In any case, I think we should focus on the Hive for the time being. Feel free to forshadow a civil war and build tension. I think most of us have learned, though, not to get too attached to any particular storyline .

[Kinjiru]

First, I want to apologize to everyone for my absence. My job has just consumed me - 110 hour weeks simply suck.

My thoughts as to civil war:

In general the idea is intriging and could certainly form the basis of some new stories.

However, as intriguing as the idea is, I have reservations. It would mean by necessity that either A) many of the current characters will be 'lost' or B) most every writer will have to handle two plot lines (their old established chars and the new ones that will spring up in one side or the other). I just worry that we will get overly ambitous.

So I guess my vote is yea, but not quite yet. Let us have somethings happen in the main story which we can later use as the 'breaking point'.

My vision is a courtmartial for Santiago and her 'core' of aides. She get cleared, but Honshu (maybe as the prosecutor) quits the proceedings in disgust and takes off. But of course, y'all will be doing most of the writing so I am willing to bet it plays out differently! =)

Carry on!

[Googlie]

^

[edgecrusher]

are we hinting at something...?