Roleplaying Code

[mrmitchell]

Now that I simplified my Einstein-stumping [rp] rules, let's move on to RP (no brackets) rules.

1. Stuff said during RP is (usually) not a personal attack on the person, just on their character .
2. Ancient, talk. Like this must. Og want meat.
3. We shall talk in these Midieval Ages as though we have something up our behind and need to act all dignified. (Couldn't come up with example, probably for the good of the team )
4. Industrial Talk=?
5. Us modern age dudes gotta talk like our rappaz
(Really, modern age talk can just be just like we are talking in non-rp.)
6. Argh. Just forgot it. Figures,

(note: I just got digital cable, expect my posts/day to drop like a rock after a few more posts)

[Ninot]

Not everyone can pull of speach according to time period, and often.

i personally dont speak like a rapper in this modern age, and i doubt the Spannish do it that much.

Standards should be a little lax to keep it fun.

[History Guy]

I have problems with Mr. Mithcell's list.

1) Ancient Age. OK, we can sound like ape men for a while, yes, but what about the Classical Age? By 1000 BC, we should start sounding more civilized! Remember, Phoenicia, Carthage, and Rome ruled over Spain, and civilized it by 100 BC.

2) Medieval is OK.

3) Industrial, speak like Victorians.

4) Not going to speak like a Rapper. Forget that.

[Arnelos]

I agree with History Guy... the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc... none of them, throughout the "Ancient Age" said stuff like "Gog want meat. Gog kill animal." Once we have Alphabet (which WE start with, btw...), we've already progressed to the point of using a complex language with grammatical rules, etc, etc, etc.

As for rhetoric, the ancients were quite fond of it... rhetoric/public speaking skills were an integral part of the education of most members of the nobility/elite. Since we ARE the highest eshelon of the elite in our society, it would not be unusual for us to be educated, including literacy - even VERY early in our society's development.

That said, however, there's still quite a variation in what we might role-play between the ancient, middle, industrial, and modern ages...

SPANISH HISTORY AND OUR ROLE-PLAY (?)

Ancient Age- History:
We are the "Iberians", later the "Visigoths". The Visigoth Kingdom (Spain). In real history, we were partially conquered by Rome and Carthage, then ruled by Rome for several centuries before participating in Rome's final destruction as an empire.

Ancient Age - The Game
In this GAME, we obviously don't ever intend on being ruled by Rome or anyone else The Visigoth Kingdom will remain independent and powerful, studying the arts of war, religion, and commerce and becoming our own great power. That said, we can still integrate in some of the Carthaginian and Roman influences which entered Visigoth/Spanish culture at this time. As for how we would SPEAK, the style would be pretty care-free (unless someone happens to KNOW how formal or informal the Iberians and Visigoths spoke with each other). I'd expect everything to be pretty informal.

Middle Age - History
The Visigoth Kingdom was, in real history, partially conquered by the Moors and the Caliphate of Andalus (Muslim Spain) was founded. The Christian remnant of the Visigoth Kingdom still exsited in NW of the country (in the regions of Galicia, Leon, and Asturia), while the Franks (Charlemange's kingdom of modern France, Germany, and the Low Countries) ruled over Cataluna, Aragon, and Navarre. Starting in about 1000 A.D., the Reconquista started (the reconquest of southern Spain from the Muslims back into Christian control). The kingdom which eventually became "Spain" was the Kingdom of Leon and Castile (at this point controlling Galicia, Leon, Asturia, and Old Castile). By the 1300's, Spain had been almost completely reconquered from the Muslims (all that remained was a tiny piece of Southern Spain around Grenada) and was split into three major kingdoms: the Kingdom of Castile, the Kingdom of Aragon, and the Kingdom of Portugal and Navarre (the Basque country). Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon married and united their two kingdoms in 1469 A.D. This made "Spain" a country. By the early 1500's, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was the monarch (due to marriage of different lines) of the largest empire in Europe - including Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, southern Italy, the city-state of Milan Austria, France Comte (part of traditional Burgundy), and the Netherlands (as well as much of the New World). This was, unarguably, Spain's "Golden Age" if you had to pick a time. It was also the time of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation and thus of the SPANISH INQUISITION. It was later in the same century that the Spanish Armada was humiliatingly defeated by England. Due to internal and external wars over the next several centuries, Spain's power dwindled to the point that it was a minor naval power and its colonies had mostly won independence by the 19th Century. Spain was allied to Napoleon during his wars to conquer Europe and what was left of Spain's naval power was largely squandered in this series of conflicts (Spain's fleet was almost entirely decimated by the British).

Middle Age - The Game
We won't have to play the Reconquista unless we actually LOSE TERRITORY and need to reconquer it. If so, the Reconquista - with its wealth of religious rhetoric of performing a Crusade for Christ and God to retake the lost land from the infidels... is entirely possible for role-play. The conquest of the New World would be great, as well as the conquest of many principalities and other areas throughout Europe (Spain was the ruler of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France Comte, the city-state of Milan, southern Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia for a few centuries). When it comes time for the "Reformation" we can, of course, have our "Counter-Reformation, which in the case of Spain would be the infamous Spanish Inquisition... burning all sorts of "infedels" at the stake, etc, etc, etc. We obviously have no need to role-play Spain's decline as a world power unless it happens (and let us pray that it does not)

Industrial Age - History
Spain, like the rest of Europe, remained at peace for almost the entire 19th Century. The exception, in the case of Spain, was the humiliating Spanish-American War, in which Spain lost its remaining colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States and had both its Pacific and its Atlantic fleets completely sunk by American forces in naval engagements off of the Philippines and Cuba, respectively. Spain never recovered as a world power or even as a regional power in Europe. Spain did retain colonial interests in what is today called the "Western Sahara" as well as partially in Morocco (though France largely pushed them out and took over there). The Spanish Civil War between the Nationalists (backed by the Soviet Union) and the Fascists (backed by Nazi Germany) is considered by many to have been something of a dress rehearsal for the Second World War. The Fascists won the civil war, but did not participate with Nazi allies in WW2 (Spain remained officially neutral, though they had a similar status to Vichy France).

Industrial Age - The Game
As long as we're still doing well, there's little need to role-play as the Spanish were during this phase of history at all other than more stylistic elements. For instance, while much of the rest of the world is moving away from religiosity, Spain remains as heavily attached to very strict Catholicism as it ever did... and the Spanish Civil War only reinforced this due to the Fascist victory (though our political history in THE GAME may go quite differently... we'll see). Spain did industrialize and use weapons such as tanks and planes during its Civil War, things which can be easily taken for use in game EXTERNAL WARS instead Spain was still a monarchy during this entire time. However, once again, our political history may be significantly different.

Modern Age - History
After WW2, Spain remained under the rule of the heavily conservative regime of Franco until after his death. Spain DID work on getting itself nuclear power and perhaps even nuclear weapons. Spain ended up in a cooperative agreement with France for a supply of uranium and plutonium as well as technological cooperation concerning nuclear power. Spain had the capability to develop nuclear weapons on its own, but did not do so because it was unecessary once they joined NATO. Spain finally democratized in the 1970s due in large part to the new King's support for a democratic transition (as well as the influence of NATO membership). Spain became a Constitutional Monarchy (in practice, a federal democracy) that gave significant autonomy to its various regions for the first time since probably the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella (The Spanish monarchy had long attempted to suppress the autonomy of the various regions - each with their own language and culture). Spain also eventually joined the European Economic Community (eventually re-named the European Union) and receved considerable economic aid from the other members. Spain eventually became one of the second-order leaders of the EU (behind the main powerhouses of Germany, France, Britain, and Italy). Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, is a Spaniard (so they aren't doing so bad). Socially, Spain remains heavily influenced by the power of the Catholic Church, but its power has significantly reduced in the past few decades. The regions have increased in power and autonomy and parties exist in multiple regions which demand for outright indepdendence. As a matter of regional pride, the various regions fly their regional flags rather than Spanish national flags on public buildings, they teach their regional languages in public schools alongside Castilian Spanish, and other such measures. Also from a social standpoint, Spain is a fully integrated member of the EU.

Modern Age - The Game
Leaving aside the issue of the cooperative agreement with France to obtain uranium and work on nuclear weapons and power, Spain did have nuclear power and the capability to build nuclear weapons. As for the EU and NATO as well as the democratic transition, geopolitical and internal political history may go very differently in OUR GAME than in history... but we can always use these historical events as examples in role-play if something, by coincidence, happens to be similar in the game. As for style, regionalism is vastly more important in today's Spain just because it's now a federal democracy rather than a unified monarchy, but we don't HAVE to role-play that either (though we certainly can if we establish regions at some point). We're playing as the ruling elites of the society in every age, so I wouldn't expect us to start talking like rappers or anything like that in the modern age. We'd become technocrats, if anything (though there would still be an element of strong Catholicism...).

[GeneralTacticus]

The Spanish Civil War between the Nationalists (backed by the Soviet Union) and the Fascists (backed by Nazi Germany)

Weren't the Nationalists and Fascists essentially the same side? I though the warm was between the Nationalists and the Socialists.

[Arnelos]

Just as with the Chinese Civil War, the Soviet Union under STALIN made what others would have thought was an odd move by supporting a liberal republican rather than purely socialist/communist faction. The reason was the Josef Stalin was a realist who thought Trotskyism was a joke. He decided to support the Nationalists against the Communists in China and the Republicans in Spain (there was no powerful socialist faction there) because he thought it was in the Soviet Union's power interests to do so.

Interestingly, the faction the Soviet Union supported LOST in both of those Civil Wars... which is part of why both the Spanish regime and the Chinese regime (the Chinese despite being communists) eventually sided with the United States in the Cold War.

[Arnelos]

Originally posted by GeneralTacticus

Weren't the Nationalists and Fascists essentially the same side? I though the warm was between the Nationalists and the Socialists.

Oops. It's merely semantics.

The faction I called the "nationalists" were actually called the "Repbulicans" and were in favor of a liberal republic (as in a capitalist republic). The "Fascists" were also nationalists....

So it was, in reality, between the "Republicans" and the "Fascists".

Whatever...

[DAVOUT]

... entirely decimated... Hum... They would have been happy to be left with 90%. :
Having said that, I recognize that your study is superb.

[OliverFA]

Originally posted by GeneralTacticus


Weren't the Nationalists and Fascists essentially the same side? I though the warm was between the Nationalists and the Socialists.

No. It is like Arnelos said. The Spanish Civil War was some kind of training camp for russian soviets on one side and nazi germans on the other. And later on WWII Spain was suposed to help Germany, but Franco was able to convince Hitler that after the Civil War Spain had very few to offer to the most superior german army, so Spain remained "neutral" and sent the Blue Brigade to "roleplay"

[GeneralTacticus]

I got the socialists mixed up with the Republicans, and he got the Republicans mixed up with the Nationalists.

[GodKing]

go ahead and use it Dead Duck Man.

[ThePlagueRat]

Well GT, they had anarchists too...

Ok, I dunno about all of these Spanish things.
The real Spanish history is one thing, our history in this game is another. It will be determined as we play!

So may I suggest we all just use our own imagination and play our own role according to the upcoming situations?

[Arnelos]

I agree with ThePlagueRat on this one... we can borrow from real Spanish history in order to add color to the events that take place in our game of Civ3, but it will ultimately be the events which take place in our game of Civ3 that will drive our history.

[mrmitchell]

For example, if I opened up a Spanish history book and it said its national fish was the Squid, I would a)die lauging or b)die with a massive heart attack.



We can't just copy from history! We must roleplay our own history ourselves!

[History Guy]

I don't know...the real guys do like squid an awful lot...I tell you this with experience...