Oolite Bulletins

OK it's difficult to see but I think I've worked out the battle lines.

I might shift into yellow actually, so it stands out a bit more.

I hope this doesn't cause trouble, I know people have some fairly fixed ideas about this map.

GALAXY4

Fanastic job - are you going to share your fixd ideas with us before we start stepping on your toes...

DaddyHoggy wrote:

Fanastic job - are you going to share your fixd ideas with us before we start stepping on your toes...

:-)
@ClymAngus: Nice work, indeed.

DaddyHoggy wrote:

Fanastic job - are you going to share your fixd ideas with us before we start stepping on your toes...

ok, point taken.

To recap from all the sporadic threads out there:

https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?t=6309
DaddyHoggy
Wondered about the strange organization of the system. Doesn't mind the the cold war theory.

KZ9999
Suggested throwing the Thargoidns into the mix.

Ahuman
Suggested some frontiers and choke points (still working those in)

PhantorGorth
Came up with some good background for the cold war, dividing sentiment along political and race lines. (Need to do some detailed checking of this)


The vector map thread (this one, doh!)
Much the same kind of stuff discussed.

PhantorGorth
expanded on the cold war hypothesis. Reasoning that it would be enough to explain the turmoil in the galaxy. Which indeed it does.

That said, Nemoricus pointed out that this hypothesis doesn't actively exclude the possibility of Thargoid involvement at the very least in an opportunistic capacity.


OK so what have we done?

Well, If you take a close look at the map you'll see some areas of red. These are the current extent of Thargoid encroachment on the system. They stick to opportunistic attacks steering clear of more heavily defended systems and ones with back up.

Despite this they've still done some serious damage.

I've located a big block of democratic systems at the bottom.

We'll be renaming the centre battle front "the razors edge". This is expanding on daddy hoggy 's suggestion.

What do we need to do?

The lower battle ground need a name.
We need a Communist centre.
Further explore PhantorGorth's cultural regions.
trade routes (possibly cut in 2 by the fighting)
a small galcentre (I see them having a reduced influence in this map)
explore Ahuman's choke point systems (great gates)
Executive space ways hub.

Anything else people fancy.

Oh, dear. My brief glance reveals that this is one nasty place.

Let's see if I can't dig out any trade roots from this cesspool.

EDIT: Okay, I found one. It's long, risky, but potentially profitable.

Starting in the southeastern corner of the Unified Democratic Star League:

Zaonbi-Quitius-Biabi-Geusqubi-Ensoza-Rionxe-Ermala-Raeddi-Beedenri-Biante-Useri-Quonso-Usgeat-Querorza-Isxelave-Soed-Atdice.

Three way war possibilities (ignoring symmetrically the same combinations):

1) Factions A, B and C all decide to fight each other. (Unlikely.)

2) Factions A & B fight each other then C comes in on one side. (C wouldn't be Thargoids in this scenario in my opinion.)

3) Factions A & B fight each other then C comes in when both are weaken to try to finish them both off. Three way ensues.

4) Factions A & B fight each other then when C comes in at them both they stop fighting each other and fight C together. (I like this best)

5) Factions A & B fight C together then when they "win" turn on each other. (Reasonable.)

6) Factions A & B fight C together but as C starts wining A turns on B.

There are obviously further iterations and higher order possibilities ( 4 followed by 5 for example) but these should do for starters.

Phantor Gorth

PhantorGorth wrote:

Three way war possibilities (ignoring symmetrically the same combinations):

1) Factions A, B and C all decide to fight each other. (Unlikely.)

2) Factions A & B fight each other then C comes in on one side. (C wouldn't be Thargoids in this scenario in my opinion.)

3) Factions A & B fight each other then C comes in when both are weaken to try to finish them both off. Three way ensues.

4) Factions A & B fight each other then when C comes in at them both they stop fighting each other and fight C together. (I like this best)

5) Factions A & B fight C together then when they "win" turn on each other. (Reasonable.)

6) Factions A & B fight C together but as C starts wining A turns on B.

There are obviously further iterations and higher order possibilities ( 4 followed by 5 for example) but these should do for starters.

Phantor Gorth

So for mapping purposes the general agreement is the a 3 way war in some variant is (as the Myth-busters would put it) plausible.

Sweet! Well that's all I need for the map, fine details, are for the oxps.
Although at the strage the map is in at the moment and from the OXP's point of view. I would see option 3 when you arrive moving more towards four as you complete missions there and start "making a difference."

Right! I've got some updates to too regions to define routes to look at. and vector logos to install (SQUEE!) Should have a prettier map up by this evening.

If you have option 3 at start moving to 4 after missions then those missions would need to be about getting the two factions to work together.

If we go with my idea of 2 species in the space near Galaxy 4 then what we are seeing in Galaxy 4 is a spilling over of the war between the two species in to GalCop space. Something that would cause GalCop authorities serious problems politically (like: "Unable to control their own"). Escort missions to get representives of both sides together with possible ambush by thargoids etc. all come to mind.

Not that this impacts the map making.

Phantor Gorth

Still, items for discussion and food for thought that may well yeald some rather cool oxp's in the fullness of time.

@Clymangus>

I was away a bit. Busy RL (TM) and playing some other games as well as making music but now checking the maps I found some excellent progress on the maps. Thnx for the fix in Gal3 and the excellent warzone in 4. Should be a MEGA-OXP oppertunity there.

pagroove wrote:

@Clymangus>

I was away a bit. Busy RL (TM) and playing some other games as well as making music but now checking the maps I found some excellent progress on the maps. Thnx for the fix in Gal3 and the excellent warzone in 4. Should be a MEGA-OXP oppertunity there.

Ta Mr P!
Although I feel this is more of a group effort, I'm just providing the necessary O.C.D. Did you say music? Cool got any links?

OK, finished bits.

1) Vector logo up (in this map anyway, may need some scaling)
2) battle zones re-coloured for visibility
3) communist zone added (but not named)

tomorrow is trade routes and trying to wheedle out some more zones of influence.

GALAXY4

Nemoricus wrote:

Oh, dear. My brief glance reveals that this is one nasty place.

Let's see if I can't dig out any trade roots from this cesspool.

EDIT: Okay, I found one. It's long, risky, but potentially profitable.

Starting in the southeastern corner of the Unified Democratic Star League:

Zaonbi-Quitius-Biabi-Geusqubi-Ensoza-Rionxe-Ermala-Raeddi-Beedenri-Biante-Useri-Quonso-Usgeat-Querorza-Isxelave-Soed-Atdice.

You see I like that, it's got a baggage train, Truong Son Road feel to it.
there are a couple of places that could be added to pick up extras for the troops on the front but it's well cool, I'll put it in.

Any thoughts of a name?

@ClymAngus

I have a few questions regarding the maps (particularly Gal 4) which might be a bit dumb:

1) What does the red double circle around some of the systems on all the maps mean? I have had a look through this thread but can't find anything.

2) in Gal 4 why are Biusbi, Zavete, Birior, Esarqure and Beteona which are all industrial anarchy worlds with reasonable tech levels excluded from the Razor's Edge when similar worlds are included in the Lower Insurgency. Different wars, different effects?

3) Likewise question for Arriesen not being included in the Aninatorian Irruption?

Phantor Gorth

They indicate systems where a Navy Sector Command Station is located.

My path follows the Razor's Edge pretty close. Perhaps it could be called the Bleeding Path or something like that?

galaxy 1,2,3 and 4 updated with the vector logo.

An anarchic agricultural world, in a system already wracked with galactic civil war is less able to defend itself, or at the very lest scream for help.

The razors edge was a way in, a fracture through which the invading force could flow. They tried to make others but were stopped by higher tech systems.

My basic rule (working with a few exceptions for dramatic effect) was;
anarchic agri systems on the edge of the map will get taken if they can be daisy chained together then that is considered a path of least resistance.

industrial anarchies will get a distress signal out and the advance will be halted usually at their gates. Invaded systems would have a much higher chance of having thargons in system. Basically it's paving the way for some nice oxp's.

I'm thinking plausible eye candy. Suspension of disbelief. If you disagree and don't think it goes far enough then please lets discuss it.

PhantorGorth wrote:

@ClymAngus

I have a few questions regarding the maps (particularly Gal 4) which might be a bit dumb:

1) What does the red double circle around some of the systems on all the maps mean? I have had a look through this thread but can't find anything.

2) in Gal 4 why are Biusbi, Zavete, Birior, Esarqure and Beteona which are all industrial anarchy worlds with reasonable tech levels excluded from the Razor's Edge when similar worlds are included in the Lower Insurgency. Different wars, different effects?

3) Likewise question for Arriesen not being included in the Aninatorian Irruption?

Phantor Gorth

Nemoricus, I've put in a stand by name I can get that changed Thursday?
blood line sounds good.

Ok, what you are saying sort of makes sense, but if we have the three way war we need:

a) Who are the protagonists? We have Thargoids but the other two. I have suggested two races with Gal 4 and GalCop in the middle but that may not be best.

b) How come these two/three protagonists' war leads to the removal of half the government types? Anarchies proliferate due to chaos of war. Multi Govs. also could arise due to civil war or because coherent single government hasn't had time to arise out of anarchy yet. I see no reason for feudal to never occur or be removed unless they take too long to form. Democracy and communism could be as suggested ideological memes that spreads from world to world. Confederacies and Corporate States are quite sophisticated so would take too long to form. Dictatorships do seem easy to form so I can't see reason for none of them.

c) The Rift idea needs explaining. If rifts are Thargoid tech then why do we not see them in other galaxies.

I suggest the Lizard and Feline Empires have been at war that spills over into the GalCop Gal 4 sector that sits roughly between them. After years of war, both sides exhausted, an uneasy truces forms between them with a few limited battles now and then. GalCop is able to re-assert it's power over Sector 4 and a period of regrowth occurs. Large numbers of the worlds were reduced to anarchies. Some worlds rise again to multi governments and also ideologies spread democracy and communist on many worlds that rise out of anarchy first. (Something like the overthrow of many aristocracies/monarchies (loss of bloodlines) and dictators during the war prevents the return of feudal and dictatorship worlds.) The Thargoids see the weakness of these two races and GalCop in this region of the galaxy and chose to take advantage. They battle all and sundry with the strongest attacks in the regions worse affected during the "Lizard-Feline" war, i.e. the fronts in that war (including Razor's Edge) and least defended worlds (anarchies).

Phantor Gorth