The Strategist custom faction project

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Support: Gets caught up in Rumsfield theories about light footprints (Buster's Uncle or Hydro, can you rework?)

Took me a second to sort out what you meant, as I never heard of "Rumsfield theories about light footprints" before; but you're calling on the grammar nazi, aren't you? Okay, here goes.

-[#] Support: (Readily distracted by/bogged down in Rumsfield "light footprints" theories.)


Hydro?

[Ironwood]

It would probably be better if vyeh explained what is meant by Rumsfeld's "light footprints" theory, and then we can condense that to a one-line if it works.

lol @ Austrian Economists as potentially fascist. The Austrian School is actually known for free market fundamentalism, well beyond the corporatism of the Chicago School, and includes such names as Ludwig Von Mises, Fredrick Hayek, Murray Rothbard, and Joseph Schumpeter. (The "Austrian School", today, is more US based, with most of them having been driven from Austria by the Nazis.) What I was referring to was using the particular form of logic pioneered by Mises for things he never intended. They would be horrified by our chessmaster.

However, Austria is a good country to have him come from, I think. They do play Chess there, yes?

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I was only thinking that Austria has produced a somewhat notable fascist before...

Like your economists, the original of our portrait ironically doesn't exactly have Hitler on ice in the closet, waiting for der tag to revive him.

Read Vienna for Istambul in my previous remark about Turkey. They totally do play.

Austria is looking good. I think maybe I'll research an Austrian first name and a Turkish last one...

[vyeh]

It would probably be better if vyeh explained what is meant by Rumsfeld's "light footprints" theory, and then we can condense that to a one-line if it works.

I was referring to the run-up to the U.S.-Iraq war, when then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld insisted that Iraq could be conquered by a very small military force. An Army chief of staff was forced to leave when he told Congress that the U.S. would need half a million men.

I think Rumsfield's idea was that a light fast force could achieve objectives while avoiding casualties.

This is in direct contrast to the "Powell Doctrine," named after Colin Powell, when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, which called for overwhelming military force.

[vyeh]

I've taken a look at the StrategistRedux files attached to this post.

This is the part of the post that concerns the Strategist:
"BU: Here's a go at the Strategist file I found. If you send me the original I can do more edits with the pipes I added to the sides of the base. Otherwise you'll notice I added shadows and redid the water. I could cut the pipes out entirely; again I need the original you posted. For the life of me I can't seem to find it."

I also can't find the original. Which thread?

I'd like to see the bases crenelated, like on medieval castles.

For the logos, can we have a square with a chess knight inside?

It says bases with defense 1 and bases with defense 2. Is one perimeter defense and the other tachyon fields?

Nice work.

[skreeblios]

Sorry for double posting. I was interested in helping with some of the graphics edits; I'll do all posts relating to the graphics file here from now on.

[vyeh]

Double posting refers to saying the same thing twice in successive posts.

You said two things once in a single post.

I put a reference to your post and my response here so I could keep track of everything related to this custom faction.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I've only posted a draft of the portrait, graphics-wise. Haven't been to CFC yet this morning, so I'll pop over and try to catch up.

I agree completely about knight logo. Black, on a white square- the square wouldn't show well in-game the other way around. A bare Knight would look good, too, if the background doesn't- though a bare black Knight would need some sort of outline.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Okay, RL stuff has been very distracting today- I intended to make this post 14 hours ago.

skree, I had a terrible time figuring out where you got my Empathi stuff- that's what your .pcx is based from- Darsnan posted an unfinished version on the second page of the More SMAniaC parallel thread at CFC. Incidentally, it's gotten more downloads than any faction I've completed and posted to a forum myself.

What you used is close, mind you, but a different faction w/o the original logo I created for it, or my credits. The bases are even simular to what I've envisioned for the Strategist, but they don't look nearly enough like rooks.

Here is a very rough sketch of what I visualize:

pretty much all is open to discussion, save that it look like it’s a real building and enough like a rook to keep the chess theme, and we seem to like crenellation a lot.

Losing/reducing the widening at the top and/or bottom has crossed my mind, (or not,) and of course it needs more detail than I drew in a few minutes and better-looking crenellation. They'll still have some sort of building blocks in the future, so medieval keep is still a viable look. I’m not married to those proportions, either, though I personally dislike really skinny bases, and much broader wouldn’t be a tower.

It's best if there's no mistaking the size-change between the four stages- I've found that needs to be around 15-20%- much less isn't visible-enough growth, more yields a ridiculously tiny pop 1 base or a stage four base that won't fit in the box.



A .jpg of the portrait version I intend for the Strategist is about a third of the way down the first page of this thread, to give you an idea of the difference in size/crop and background. I plan to do that part myself, pending the approval of the others.

Some confusion is what I deserve for peddling the same original portrait image all over town...

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Back off-topic, but I think this thread might have bearing on the proposed Colonists faction. Pertinent passage:

"Michael Garrison
Major
Colonization Specialist/
Settler Representative
United States of America
01-31-2030

Service Record:
Born 2030, Bloomington, Indiana. Educated to a high school level, as a youth he was often discontent living in a city with one of the highest percentages of senior citizens in America, as well as one of the highest ratings for stability. Joined U.N. Resettling Program in Patagonia after graduating with a 2.5 GPA. Managed to demonstrate hardiness and ingenuity in a harsh environment. Promoted several times within program, eventually becoming ecologic adjuster.

After saving a settlement from a flood during the El Bestia cycle and expanding the colonies under his custody fivefold with no loss of threatened species, members of the Resettlement Commission designated him leader of the Antarctican Settling Program. Despite subzero conditions, he was able to resettle the refugees from the Crusader Wars with no losses, and had a knack to preserving the natural state around settled areas. After the United Nations/ International Federation of Countries armistice, he received an appointment to the post of Colonization Specialist from the U.N.-F.C. Trucial Alpha2 Committee.

Psych Profile: Pioneer Harmonist

Ability to create and maintain large communities within the wilderness shows a deep strength of leadership and resolve. Sense of wonder and appreciation of nature is enhanced by restlessness, a desire for new frontiers to explore and to claim. Strong survival skills create a sense of calmness in the face of a dangerous environment. Childhood records show an inclination for the “Settlers” gang-clique, a post-Boy Scouts organization stressing individual efforts and exploration rather than regimentation and discipline.

While claiming not to be “a sissy WorOrthChuGa,” subject shows a deep understanding of natural equilibrium despite rejection of the Gaian religion. Previous achievements demonstrate a keen ability to coexist with surroundings without causing harmful change. Coupled with skills and likeable, homespun personality, subject’s ability to harmonize with the environment make him a leader of considerable strengths."

[vyeh]

I like the second base better. It's "cleaner."

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I like the second base better. It's "cleaner."

Me too, for all it's flaws. It's closer to what I had in mind all along. I worry that it doesn't look quite enough like a rook, though. Maybe just lose the first base's base and keep a pixel or so of the flair at the top. I dunno. I don't like bases too narrow at the bottom, so maybe exactly version two.

[vyeh]

The second one is close enough to a rook. I like a cylinder rather than any flair.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I'm sold.

[vyeh]

I've started a thread on the new WePlayCiv forum and posted draft faction characteristics to get feedback from Darsnan.