CS NES Development Thread

[Rand Al'Tor]

Fatha sounds swell, we'll go with that.

[bipolarbear]

Preliminary Round

Alright, the preliminary round is going to begin. Pm your answers to me, do not post your answers the thread.


Millions of years ago in a world far removed from that which we call home a gracile australopithecine figure wanders the lonely surface of the virgin planet oblivious to its seminal role in the balance of power in the millennia to come. It has eons of instinct, and the capacity for innovation upon which to draw in its perpetual struggle for survival.

This is the progenitor of your populace. The following decisions will affect the evolution of the people who inhabit your land and will grant you a variety of traits. There is no wrong answer, but each affects the outcome of your people and how they learn to adapt to and effectively deal with their surroundings.

1: It has been two days since your last meal. You are wandering through a forest in search of food. At last you find a large bush full of berries, the only problem is that it is located across a deep and wide river flowing quite fast. There is an old tree near the river which you could push over and use to walk across. There is a section of dry dead wood which you could use to float across. You can also simply swim.
Which do you choose?

2: A rabid ravenous beast with gnashing teeth and a ferocious guttural growl is chasing you across the plains. You realize that it is quickly gaining ground and will soon be upon you. Your only choice is to fight. You scan your immediate surroundings for a possible weapon. There is a pile of sharp rocks, perfect for throwing at the beast. There is a fair sized tree limb lying next to you perfect for bludgeoning. Your fists have always served you well in fending off rival hominids and may just do the trick. Which do you choose?

3: Winter is coming and it is time to begin stockpiling your food supplies for the coming season. You can gather nuts and berries in the forest, or you can hunt and set traps for meat. Which do you choose?

4) You look to the sky, the sun has become suddenly blackened by some unknown force. Surely this must be the work of the gods! You can interpret this as a demand for sacrifice and slaughter a boar in its honor, or you can interpret it as a sign of Armageddon and begin praying. Which do you choose?

5) One day on the beach you meet another of your species whom you have never seen before. You can perceive it as a threat and kill it, or you can cautiously approach and try to make contact.

[Rand Al'Tor]

answer sent in PM.

[Micha]

answer sent.

Nice idea!

[Cyclotron]

Sent.

[foolish_icarus]

Early Singidunum

[bipolarbear]

Alright! The results have been tabulated and so ends our preliminary round. I'm pretty sure this means that you can expect a full thread to pop up soon, but there hasn't been enough inter-mod prattel on the subject.

Till then, questions comments etc. are welcome and encouraged.

[foolish_icarus]

3 weeks march = 330 miles or so

distance from Singidunum to Damballa (crow flies) = 157 pixels

real march would be somewhat longer, perhaps 180 pixels or thereabouts.

so 1 pixel (roughly equatorial, I presume) = about 1.83 miles.

The continent has a diameter of about 530 pixels, for very roughly 970 miles across, about the size of mainland Alaska.

the entire map is 1509 pixels across, for about 2760 miles.

At that scale, either the world is tiny or the map doesn't show the whole world.


Anyway, if you can't add more forest, I'd like to request a different starting position, somewhere on a river in the forest, such as between Sul and Kuru, or on the river that flows west out of the SE mountains or in that giant forest in the NE. Forests are a pretty crucial element to the attributes and lifestyle of my people.

[appleciders]

The map does not show the entire world, which does add one slight wrinkle for anyone who assumed it did- you can't keep sailing east and wind up in the west. I mean, you can, but no one knows what's out beyond the borders of the map given you, and any efforts are likely to be fruitless.

The areas on the map label "forest" and "grassland" are not simply extensive tracts of one landform, they're just the most common terrain in that area. Grassland areas have small to medium forests; nothing you couldn't cross in a day, though. Likewise, forests do have clearing that can be quite substantial. If you're worried about lumber supplies, Singidunum has enough lumber to maintain one of the largest navies around, and does not currently need to import lumber.

[foolish_icarus]

OK. As long as there are plenty of wooded areas around. It's not the lumber supply I'm concerned about, it's the defensive properties of forests. The Singidu are skilled skirmishers small-group fighters and rely a great deal on ambush and the confusion and mobility issues of fighting in thick vegetation. Plus forests have some effects on their culture, social organization, et al.

EDIT:

The Singidu are not very fond of cavalry. May I trade in most of my light cavalry for Infantry and Archers?

[appleciders]

Yes, if you state in your battle orders to focus on those kinds of ambushes, you'll be able to pull that off to a reasonable extent.

[bipolarbear]

IIRC switching your unit type is the same as moving them. 5% may be changed without a pay and/or time penalty.

[appleciders]

As BP says, you can trade in 5% of your army for a different type of army each turn for free, or pay to speed up the process. There's no set fee for changing unit types, but as a rough guess, 800 gold for two turns running might trade in all your light and heavy cavalry for light infantry. Changes between similar units (light to heavy infantry, light cavalry to light infantry) may be cheaper because fewer new weapons and armor may need to be crafted.

[foolish_icarus]

Are we in the southern hemisphere?

[appleciders]

I hadn't given it much thought. Why? I suppose most of the map is warm but not tropical; think Georgia or souther Europe.