anyone up for another Chiron Chronicles?

[Sovereign]

In addition...

Mellian, I'd like an enlarged map of the Garland Crater so I'll know where to put down my bases and stuff. Your Chiron is slightly different from the SMAC-X map I have on my hard drive.


I like the map. It recives the Academician's seal of approval!

[Illuminatus]

I am subauthoring Cult, just for certain story twists with Gaians, because no one took them.

Also map gets Medal of Running Naked through the Trees!

[Sovereign]

Obstructor, you crack me up.

So I take it sub-author basically means writing for a faction merely for story arcs with other factions. No directing, building up, etc. of that particular faction, right?

Please enlighten me on this. Since Franky said he would sub-author the Believers, and my University faction is practically next door and mortal enemies of the Believers, I'd like to know what to expect.

Thanks!

[Illuminatus]

I believe you are correct Sovereign, but Franky may have other ideas.

[Sovereign]

Mucho Gracias, Obstructor.

Now there's one less thing I have to my poor head about.

[Frankychan]

I was thinking that I would just steer the Believers around until another author took them over....or that I would provide minor characters to the Believer plotline, while the main author steered the direction that the faction was going.

I'm not totally sure, but I guess I could be the main author until someone else wants to join, then I would resume my role as a "sub-author". With the Believers and University practically on each others doorstep, I think it would lead to some kind of altercation....Overt or Covert. But things can always be discussed and reviewed.

[Sovereign]

Wouldn't that be confusing, Franky?

Suppose an author decides to step in and lead the Believers, then how or what would you deal with it? How would a sub-author work with the main author?

My head is spinning trying to understand how that system works.

[GeneralTacticus]

Also, I think we should disable the "Supreme Leader" and "Ascent to Transcendence" victory conditions. IMHO, in an author stroy such as this, these will be cheap cop-outs.

The Ascent to Transcendence, yes, although I think we're highly unlikely to actually reach that point - the whole supreme LEader thing, however, is something that might be talked about periodically, or might eventually become a serious issue, but with so many factions with differing views, I don't think it would ever happen. The most it would come to (unless some incredibly charismatic leader managed something really heroic, like preventing a Progenitor invasion) would be an excuse for certain factions to go on a conquest drive - e.g. "I have been proclaimed Supreme Leader! Bow down before me now or we will destroy you!".

And that, of course, might be interesting, so we shouldn't ban it outright.

[Sovereign]

Well, technically, from what I remember, if a faction gets 3/4 of the votes, he / she can declare Supreme Leader.

If Peacekeepers built the Empath Guild, and the two other Wonders that give even more bonus votes. Then the high population growth and bonuses, then factor in the Peacekeeper's 50% Planetary Council votes bonus...

If Peacekeepers grow big enough, they can vote themselves Supreme Leader.

Say...

Peacekeepers end up with 7600 votes.
All the other factions votes combined comes up to 2400 votes.

Peacekeepers automatically win if they vote themselves Supreme Leader.

This is the kind of cop-out situation I want to avoid in cooperative story writing.


I suggest a compromise and a few ideas how to try to modify this Supreme Leader thing.

1. Remove Peacekeeper's 50% Planetary Council vote bonus

2. Increase votes needed for Supreme Leader to 90% of all Council Votes.

3. Disable the "Victory" condition. But keep the concept of "Unify behind me, or Vendetta!". This way, our story can keep going, rather than an abrupt end like in the actual SMAC-X games.


I simply don't want "I won! I won! HAHAHAHA!" kind of thing happening.

[Mellian]

not in the peacekeepers nature to declare themselves 'supreme leader'. we should keep in mind of how other factions are, and how they would realistic respond to such a declaretion. rest of chiron would have to be pretty beating up and etc to simply bow down to one leader, to one faction.

i see the peacekeepers simpyl being content to being planetary governor and the rest of the factions properlly abying to the UN Charter. also, if Chiron was ever to unite, they would have a kind of constitution where there is the potential for a leader of any faction could get voted in.

-mellian

[Sovereign]

Well, I just want to make sure that there won't be any cheap cop-outs.

I want things to be fair, and if we have Victory conditions, then perhaps some new authors would try and step over each other in a mad dash for victory.

I want this to be a saga, something that can keep on going, and doesn't have to end like in the actual SMAC games.

[GeneralTacticus]

Sovereign: the thing is, as Mellian says, no-one would accept such a vote even if it was entirely legal... they'd just say 'screw you' and quit the Council.

[Sovereign]

Gotcha. Thanks for putting my fears to rest.

[Mellian]

also, this is a story, not a game where we are actually trying to win.

-melanie

[Sovereign]

Except in a war with aliens, Mellian.


Any ETA on starting up the story and establishing bases and timelines?

I've been waiting almost 2 or 3 months already.