Strunkriidiisk
THE LEGEND
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] Tell them about rail development in the UK and disastrous privatization policies under Thatcher.
The City (Another World Might Mean A Job In My Field)
- Thread starter Exhack
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
IIe: Going Off The Rails In The City
Exhack
We Won't Build The Plane!
- Location
- Montreal, Canada
[x] Smile at the gesture.
[x] Tell them about rail development in the UK and disastrous privatization policies under Thatcher.
You step up and walk up to the dark wood lectern. The thing is incredibly intricate, with gleaming birds setup on either side. Below you, spread out, are a panorama of colourfully dressed people of importance. Silk robes of various styles, gloves and small tokens held on charms for purposes you're not quite sure of.
You've spoken at lectures before, but never anything like this. Everyone is looking at you. You're drunk and you're not prepared, but talking to a room full of laymen about one of your specialities is pretty much easy mode.
"Hello." You manage after a long moment, then feel terrified. "My name is Mariya Sutton, I'm a double-major graduate of Urban Planning and Economics at McGill university. That's on another world." Try to make them laugh. They oblige you by doing so.
"Tonight, I want to tell you about the Kingdom of Great Britain on my homeworld, and how it completely messed up its public transport system."
You start by outlining the history of post war Britain, how after world war two, a government came to power which wanted to create a nation fit for the veterans who had fought in that war, to give them housing, healthcare, and transport, and to put vital industries under state control so they could be run most efficiently.
Gauging your audience, they don't seem that unhappy with these suggestions, so you warm to your topic. "Unfortunately, the post war government lost power quickly, and Great Britain, already impoverished by the war, entered a period of long imperial decline. Several colonial ventures that failed, and the continuing need to maintain large armies against their external enemies did not help, but much of the nation's decline was also caused by bad," you almost say aristocratic, but correct "authoritarian management of enterprises, even state enterprises. Unfortunately, after about thirty years, governments had instead raided the companies for operational costs, and underfunded them. Once the industries didn't work, the nation's prime minister, the Lady Thatcher, ran a program by which many of the old state owned industries were sold off, this gave a short term boost to the national balance sheet, but in the long term failed to help anyone."
You pause for effect, gratified to see how much you've got them. You added the lady she didn't get till later in because they're all nobles so why not give them what they want?"
"Even Prime Minister Thatcher however, wasn't foolish enough to privatize the train." You've set the scene, now to go onto the good stuff. This is almost a standard spiel. Why is private mass transit difficult and problematic?
You start by outlining the fact you can't run multiple rolling stock on one set of tracks, that having multiple sets of track is very inefficient, then hit the kicker, the anti-monopoly argument. "In the event that a single private company owners all of the track, some of these inefficiencies may be prevented, but it comes at the cost of putting them in a position where they can charge what they like, effectively having control over how much a customer pays to travel. However, none of this was enough to stop the heir's of Thatcher from pulling through with it."
Now, how to end this? You don't just want to peter out, and you realize they're probably jingoistic enough to buy a line about foreign interests. "Under Sir John Major, her successor, the rail network was privatized and sold off in segments. The bidders won based on promised operating costs, but failed on nearly all counts. While the alleged intention given to the nation's estates was to create an innovative and competitive environment while lessening the tax burden, the result was entirely the opposite."
"The nationalized rail companies of other powers, including the former colonial possession of Hong Kong and the realms of France and Germany, Great Britain's historical rivals and enemies, owned slices of what was previously a singular network. A national service was put in the hands of foreign interests, which through local intermediaries extracted value and required subsidies to continue operations. The costs of travel rose exponentially as each line become a de-facto regional monopoly, and loss-averse companies cut corners by resisting modernization and reducing trips, leaving some townships to wither on the vine."
"At every possible level, the privatization of rail was a failure. Every objective set out by the government, from engendering a more innovative market to lowering the tax burden on the country were failed. Because the network overstressed and unprofitable, it requires constant subsidies to maintain operations in defiance of the promised lower costs. The towns and cities served by the rail network became underserved, overcharged for services rendered and beholden to the profit-seeking motives of foreign-owned companies."
You bow, step back from the podium as Nadir steps forward. "Thank you, Mademoiselle Sutton, for your educational and inspiring speech." He looks over at Isidore, who is waiting off to one side, fiddling, you now see, with a small note pad, a pen hovering above it, apparently without his touch. Making notes.
He stands, bows to you and steps up to the lectern, laying a hand on one of the rune-studded posts to benefit from the sound-augmentation field. "Thank you for your presentation Madame (Madame!?) Sutton. If I may sum up your argument, it is that transport utilities like rail are natural monopolies and that the ideology of liberalism is not always able to generate positive outcomes by creating markets?"
You compulsively form a thin, tight smile and bristle at being called 'Madame' and 'Mademoiselle' back-to-back, like they're feeling out for your age or relationship status. The stage is very large and the curtains behind you are thick velvet, patchy in places and weighed at the bottom by chain. Balconies full of patrons and guests run above backrooms at the sides of the hall, all eyes on you. Inhale. You can do this. Everyone is still paying attention. "I wouldn't make the argument. I'm just presenting the facts as I know them. And based on these facts, how would you implement these policies here?"
Nadir steps up on the other side of you. It's bad enough to have all this attention. You find yourself distracted by having two guys quite this handsome, the lithe and long haired Nadir, and the more brusque and muscular Isadore on either side of you.
"I would not wish to dispute facts of a world I know so little of, but I cannot agree that a centralized system is the only way to solve a problem of monopolies, even natural ones." Nadir's expression warms as he speaks, posture straight and voice clear, like he doesn't need magic or a microphone to be heard in the hall. It's par the course for him, really, to be good at everything. "Rather seems then the best solution for all would be for the crown to issue charters by contiguous geographic regions. This would regulate the bad conduct of a monopoly while allowing for local interests and conditions to be addressed. Certainly the idea has been mildly popular in some provincial cities, and there has been agitation for it in Lutheq proper. Subdivision by territory in the strictest sense will obviate the concerns of patchwork lines and foreign interests, and ensure every area of the Empire is well-served. There are good families in every province, with the resources and knowledge of the territory to make the enterprises work best."
"Issuing regional charters is the exact problem we've been presented with. Patchwork networks of private rail will only undermine the utility of the network as the operators compete to cut corners and maximize the time riders spend on their portions of the whole. Regionalism will only accelerate De-standardization, it could even force transfers between networks, for example in the circumstances of different rail gauges or cart lengths, to maximize the time and money a carrier claims from their riders. A national service under the Estates-General, under the remit of a new Ministry of Transportation, is the only way forward. Rail lines operated under strict standards, with standardized training and uniform equipment to improve interoperability and ease of transfer." Isidore's style of argument seems more polished and cool than Nadir, he stands tall, a serious man making a serious point, where as Nadir is more animated.
"Perhaps so, but a fragmented network at least allows each region to have its own good rail. A centralized service will serve Lutheq primarily, to the detriment of the many smaller cities and towns across the Empire. Worse still, we'd be beholden to a new minister who would most likely be appointed from the current spate of rail companies in the capital, rather than any of the brilliant inventors and industrialist in the provinces."
The audience seem to be more easily swayed by Nadir's suggestions of regional division and ceding contracts to the nobility.
Isidore's brow twitches and the inner corners of his eyebrows push together, furrowed in deep concentration. Although he makes the effort to be clean and trim, you can already see lines lingering around his forehead after he relaxes. He turns to Nadir and sets to attack immediately after the reply. "Alas my dear friend, I must disagree. We must have a rail service which is at once functional and accountable, without any illusions of what's necessary to achieve it. The national service would hire everyone and anyone, able willing. Even with subsidies, any regional service would ultimately be run for a profit, and that would leave open the possibility of malfeasance. If we're to continue to imply corruption without saying the word brazenly, the provincial nobility clearly are no more immune to the wiles of easy fortunes than the court nobles and newly moneyed."
"But, by the same token. There is nothing that prevents your demands from being realized by them. Standardization, a Ministry of Transportation and the prevention of corruption are all possible. The regional carriers would have to form a chamber to coordinate construction of lines, and interoperability, as you described it, would be necessary to drive down costs. The provincial nobility alone have the trust and regional knowledge necessary to make the project work. Moreover, keeping the fruits of this stimulus within the provinces is necessary for its success. With all of the nation's culture, industry, knowledge and political power concentrated so tightly in a single city, the provinces have languished and seen little of modernization. For the future of the Empire, they should become more than mere accessories to the imperial Heartland." Nadir looks back at you with a twinkle in his eye, leaning on his portion of the lectern with the willowy posture of a flag on a pole. Unlike the sharply focused Isidore, his attention seems to drift and wander, like he isn't really entirely there, though he's still holding his own on the floor. He addresses you. "Perhaps the learned Mademoiselle Sutton could comment on our disagreement."
"Well, this is a little more rough and improvisational than I'm used to. Can you summarize your arguments for the benefit of the audience?"
"Of course, Madame Mariya." Isidore nods quite seriously, running his fingers across his cheekbones in a moment of contemplation that immediately draws your gaze to his sharp, icy-blue eyes. They seemed grey under the dull candlelight of the main hall, but brighter and livelier with the glow of the magical furnishings on the stage. "I state that if the rail service is to connect the organs of our state, it should be a single, unified entity that is operated with the standards and precision of centralized administration. Run by appointed officials, and accountable to the land's highest legislative and judiciary bodies."
"And I believe that if the rail service is a symbol of the nation's future, then we should consider what that symbol means when it looms over the nation as a tool of the state. Not of the crown, or the land's people, but of the bureaucrats of the capital who favor their friends over the surfeit of talent. Provincial crown charters will allow the flexibility necessary for a project of this scale." Nadir straightens just a slight to deliver his concluding statement, smiling over to his self-declared friend and opponent on the stage. His gaze darts over to the entrance a few times and he finally stands up, one hand to his belt.
Who do you most agree with?
[ ] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
[ ] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
Before you can fully vocalize your answer though, there's a clatter, and the doors at the back crash open. Looking, you're startled to see a wave of waxy figures pour into the hall. It takes you a moment to realize what they are: walking corpses, moving in erie synchronicity. The guests look around, then start to scream, scrambling back, some drawing weapons. Behind the zombies, several well dressed, but somehow lower class men step in.
"Well now! What bed of sedition do we have here!" One calls, waving a short brass tube with a horn handle, a weapon that even at this distance you can recognize as a pistol. "Take them all! Kill the ones who aren't worth a thing!"
"Get back! Take her to safety!" Nadir immediately pushes you behind him and draws his pistol, shooting the man leading the invaders in the chest in a great gout of noise and choking smoke. The other guests start to panic, fleeing to the exits- where the waxen corpses are waiting with weapons.
You reflexively look away, but hear terrible noises. Amid the chaos you realize you're being pulled away from the stage, through the curtains, by Isidore. Bedencourt drops in besides you, winking, and steps ahead to cut a swathe through the advancing dead.
What do you do?
[ ] Stay back with Nadir and fight! You'll surely demonstrate the special powers every arrival in a fantasy world is given.
[ ] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[ ] Why are you going along with any of this nonsense these guys are telling you to do? Find a different exit.
[x] Tell them about rail development in the UK and disastrous privatization policies under Thatcher.
You step up and walk up to the dark wood lectern. The thing is incredibly intricate, with gleaming birds setup on either side. Below you, spread out, are a panorama of colourfully dressed people of importance. Silk robes of various styles, gloves and small tokens held on charms for purposes you're not quite sure of.
You've spoken at lectures before, but never anything like this. Everyone is looking at you. You're drunk and you're not prepared, but talking to a room full of laymen about one of your specialities is pretty much easy mode.
"Hello." You manage after a long moment, then feel terrified. "My name is Mariya Sutton, I'm a double-major graduate of Urban Planning and Economics at McGill university. That's on another world." Try to make them laugh. They oblige you by doing so.
"Tonight, I want to tell you about the Kingdom of Great Britain on my homeworld, and how it completely messed up its public transport system."
You start by outlining the history of post war Britain, how after world war two, a government came to power which wanted to create a nation fit for the veterans who had fought in that war, to give them housing, healthcare, and transport, and to put vital industries under state control so they could be run most efficiently.
Gauging your audience, they don't seem that unhappy with these suggestions, so you warm to your topic. "Unfortunately, the post war government lost power quickly, and Great Britain, already impoverished by the war, entered a period of long imperial decline. Several colonial ventures that failed, and the continuing need to maintain large armies against their external enemies did not help, but much of the nation's decline was also caused by bad," you almost say aristocratic, but correct "authoritarian management of enterprises, even state enterprises. Unfortunately, after about thirty years, governments had instead raided the companies for operational costs, and underfunded them. Once the industries didn't work, the nation's prime minister, the Lady Thatcher, ran a program by which many of the old state owned industries were sold off, this gave a short term boost to the national balance sheet, but in the long term failed to help anyone."
You pause for effect, gratified to see how much you've got them. You added the lady she didn't get till later in because they're all nobles so why not give them what they want?"
"Even Prime Minister Thatcher however, wasn't foolish enough to privatize the train." You've set the scene, now to go onto the good stuff. This is almost a standard spiel. Why is private mass transit difficult and problematic?
You start by outlining the fact you can't run multiple rolling stock on one set of tracks, that having multiple sets of track is very inefficient, then hit the kicker, the anti-monopoly argument. "In the event that a single private company owners all of the track, some of these inefficiencies may be prevented, but it comes at the cost of putting them in a position where they can charge what they like, effectively having control over how much a customer pays to travel. However, none of this was enough to stop the heir's of Thatcher from pulling through with it."
Now, how to end this? You don't just want to peter out, and you realize they're probably jingoistic enough to buy a line about foreign interests. "Under Sir John Major, her successor, the rail network was privatized and sold off in segments. The bidders won based on promised operating costs, but failed on nearly all counts. While the alleged intention given to the nation's estates was to create an innovative and competitive environment while lessening the tax burden, the result was entirely the opposite."
"The nationalized rail companies of other powers, including the former colonial possession of Hong Kong and the realms of France and Germany, Great Britain's historical rivals and enemies, owned slices of what was previously a singular network. A national service was put in the hands of foreign interests, which through local intermediaries extracted value and required subsidies to continue operations. The costs of travel rose exponentially as each line become a de-facto regional monopoly, and loss-averse companies cut corners by resisting modernization and reducing trips, leaving some townships to wither on the vine."
"At every possible level, the privatization of rail was a failure. Every objective set out by the government, from engendering a more innovative market to lowering the tax burden on the country were failed. Because the network overstressed and unprofitable, it requires constant subsidies to maintain operations in defiance of the promised lower costs. The towns and cities served by the rail network became underserved, overcharged for services rendered and beholden to the profit-seeking motives of foreign-owned companies."
You bow, step back from the podium as Nadir steps forward. "Thank you, Mademoiselle Sutton, for your educational and inspiring speech." He looks over at Isidore, who is waiting off to one side, fiddling, you now see, with a small note pad, a pen hovering above it, apparently without his touch. Making notes.
He stands, bows to you and steps up to the lectern, laying a hand on one of the rune-studded posts to benefit from the sound-augmentation field. "Thank you for your presentation Madame (Madame!?) Sutton. If I may sum up your argument, it is that transport utilities like rail are natural monopolies and that the ideology of liberalism is not always able to generate positive outcomes by creating markets?"
You compulsively form a thin, tight smile and bristle at being called 'Madame' and 'Mademoiselle' back-to-back, like they're feeling out for your age or relationship status. The stage is very large and the curtains behind you are thick velvet, patchy in places and weighed at the bottom by chain. Balconies full of patrons and guests run above backrooms at the sides of the hall, all eyes on you. Inhale. You can do this. Everyone is still paying attention. "I wouldn't make the argument. I'm just presenting the facts as I know them. And based on these facts, how would you implement these policies here?"
Nadir steps up on the other side of you. It's bad enough to have all this attention. You find yourself distracted by having two guys quite this handsome, the lithe and long haired Nadir, and the more brusque and muscular Isadore on either side of you.
"I would not wish to dispute facts of a world I know so little of, but I cannot agree that a centralized system is the only way to solve a problem of monopolies, even natural ones." Nadir's expression warms as he speaks, posture straight and voice clear, like he doesn't need magic or a microphone to be heard in the hall. It's par the course for him, really, to be good at everything. "Rather seems then the best solution for all would be for the crown to issue charters by contiguous geographic regions. This would regulate the bad conduct of a monopoly while allowing for local interests and conditions to be addressed. Certainly the idea has been mildly popular in some provincial cities, and there has been agitation for it in Lutheq proper. Subdivision by territory in the strictest sense will obviate the concerns of patchwork lines and foreign interests, and ensure every area of the Empire is well-served. There are good families in every province, with the resources and knowledge of the territory to make the enterprises work best."
"Issuing regional charters is the exact problem we've been presented with. Patchwork networks of private rail will only undermine the utility of the network as the operators compete to cut corners and maximize the time riders spend on their portions of the whole. Regionalism will only accelerate De-standardization, it could even force transfers between networks, for example in the circumstances of different rail gauges or cart lengths, to maximize the time and money a carrier claims from their riders. A national service under the Estates-General, under the remit of a new Ministry of Transportation, is the only way forward. Rail lines operated under strict standards, with standardized training and uniform equipment to improve interoperability and ease of transfer." Isidore's style of argument seems more polished and cool than Nadir, he stands tall, a serious man making a serious point, where as Nadir is more animated.
"Perhaps so, but a fragmented network at least allows each region to have its own good rail. A centralized service will serve Lutheq primarily, to the detriment of the many smaller cities and towns across the Empire. Worse still, we'd be beholden to a new minister who would most likely be appointed from the current spate of rail companies in the capital, rather than any of the brilliant inventors and industrialist in the provinces."
The audience seem to be more easily swayed by Nadir's suggestions of regional division and ceding contracts to the nobility.
Isidore's brow twitches and the inner corners of his eyebrows push together, furrowed in deep concentration. Although he makes the effort to be clean and trim, you can already see lines lingering around his forehead after he relaxes. He turns to Nadir and sets to attack immediately after the reply. "Alas my dear friend, I must disagree. We must have a rail service which is at once functional and accountable, without any illusions of what's necessary to achieve it. The national service would hire everyone and anyone, able willing. Even with subsidies, any regional service would ultimately be run for a profit, and that would leave open the possibility of malfeasance. If we're to continue to imply corruption without saying the word brazenly, the provincial nobility clearly are no more immune to the wiles of easy fortunes than the court nobles and newly moneyed."
"But, by the same token. There is nothing that prevents your demands from being realized by them. Standardization, a Ministry of Transportation and the prevention of corruption are all possible. The regional carriers would have to form a chamber to coordinate construction of lines, and interoperability, as you described it, would be necessary to drive down costs. The provincial nobility alone have the trust and regional knowledge necessary to make the project work. Moreover, keeping the fruits of this stimulus within the provinces is necessary for its success. With all of the nation's culture, industry, knowledge and political power concentrated so tightly in a single city, the provinces have languished and seen little of modernization. For the future of the Empire, they should become more than mere accessories to the imperial Heartland." Nadir looks back at you with a twinkle in his eye, leaning on his portion of the lectern with the willowy posture of a flag on a pole. Unlike the sharply focused Isidore, his attention seems to drift and wander, like he isn't really entirely there, though he's still holding his own on the floor. He addresses you. "Perhaps the learned Mademoiselle Sutton could comment on our disagreement."
"Well, this is a little more rough and improvisational than I'm used to. Can you summarize your arguments for the benefit of the audience?"
"Of course, Madame Mariya." Isidore nods quite seriously, running his fingers across his cheekbones in a moment of contemplation that immediately draws your gaze to his sharp, icy-blue eyes. They seemed grey under the dull candlelight of the main hall, but brighter and livelier with the glow of the magical furnishings on the stage. "I state that if the rail service is to connect the organs of our state, it should be a single, unified entity that is operated with the standards and precision of centralized administration. Run by appointed officials, and accountable to the land's highest legislative and judiciary bodies."
"And I believe that if the rail service is a symbol of the nation's future, then we should consider what that symbol means when it looms over the nation as a tool of the state. Not of the crown, or the land's people, but of the bureaucrats of the capital who favor their friends over the surfeit of talent. Provincial crown charters will allow the flexibility necessary for a project of this scale." Nadir straightens just a slight to deliver his concluding statement, smiling over to his self-declared friend and opponent on the stage. His gaze darts over to the entrance a few times and he finally stands up, one hand to his belt.
Who do you most agree with?
[ ] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
[ ] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
Before you can fully vocalize your answer though, there's a clatter, and the doors at the back crash open. Looking, you're startled to see a wave of waxy figures pour into the hall. It takes you a moment to realize what they are: walking corpses, moving in erie synchronicity. The guests look around, then start to scream, scrambling back, some drawing weapons. Behind the zombies, several well dressed, but somehow lower class men step in.
"Well now! What bed of sedition do we have here!" One calls, waving a short brass tube with a horn handle, a weapon that even at this distance you can recognize as a pistol. "Take them all! Kill the ones who aren't worth a thing!"
"Get back! Take her to safety!" Nadir immediately pushes you behind him and draws his pistol, shooting the man leading the invaders in the chest in a great gout of noise and choking smoke. The other guests start to panic, fleeing to the exits- where the waxen corpses are waiting with weapons.
You reflexively look away, but hear terrible noises. Amid the chaos you realize you're being pulled away from the stage, through the curtains, by Isidore. Bedencourt drops in besides you, winking, and steps ahead to cut a swathe through the advancing dead.
What do you do?
[ ] Stay back with Nadir and fight! You'll surely demonstrate the special powers every arrival in a fantasy world is given.
[ ] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[ ] Why are you going along with any of this nonsense these guys are telling you to do? Find a different exit.
Last edited:
Exhack
We Won't Build The Plane!
- Location
- Montreal, Canada
As a note from FBH and myself:
We're very sorry about the two-week delay.
A prototypical version of this post has existed for essentially 10 days, after a bunch of reading research and consulting various videos. This turned out to be much more work than we expected, which is reflected in the size and quality (trying to not be self-depreciating) of the post.
We're very sorry about the two-week delay.
A prototypical version of this post has existed for essentially 10 days, after a bunch of reading research and consulting various videos. This turned out to be much more work than we expected, which is reflected in the size and quality (trying to not be self-depreciating) of the post.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That took way to long.
We're rethinking how we do the big political speech debate posts from now on.
We're rethinking how we do the big political speech debate posts from now on.
Rockeye
Plausible Engineer
- Location
- Midwestern U.S.
[x] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
Yeah, not trusting the plot armor.
[x] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
And I'm mostly leaning on my capitalist and Small Government sensibilities on this one, though both sides had interesting arguments.
Yeah, not trusting the plot armor.
[x] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
And I'm mostly leaning on my capitalist and Small Government sensibilities on this one, though both sides had interesting arguments.
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- Location
- Somewhere in the LMC.
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
Karlito
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
This should be Nadir, I'd think.
When you shout your intention to kill some people, of course they'll use lethal force to resist.
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
- Location
- PA
*crosses arms*
...Soo here's my take on things.
centralize, and we risk the fringes getting worse.
Divide, and the country fragments naturally due to the individual rail systems...
[X] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
Because if it's needed for a central system to exist, then you guys can do some teeth-clenched teamwork then, or do something clever.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
...Part of me genuinely does want to try standing and fighting, if only because it'd be neat to have the power fantasy alongside the politics and general complicated situations...
But Nadir himself sent us away, I'd like to honor that, especially since our protag doesn't seem like much of a fighter as is...
...Soo here's my take on things.
centralize, and we risk the fringes getting worse.
Divide, and the country fragments naturally due to the individual rail systems...
[X] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
Because if it's needed for a central system to exist, then you guys can do some teeth-clenched teamwork then, or do something clever.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
...Part of me genuinely does want to try standing and fighting, if only because it'd be neat to have the power fantasy alongside the politics and general complicated situations...
But Nadir himself sent us away, I'd like to honor that, especially since our protag doesn't seem like much of a fighter as is...
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Love the research, love the debate. The alternating quiet absorption of familiar political struggles and amazement at these strange people and vistas makes for a fine contrast.
Also ha ha you had to do academic work and I didn't.
The zombies were quite the surprise. Not all is well in the land, unsurprisingly, but the interruption in a setting like this is very non-standard. Destroys the notions of stability that Nadir has so carefully laid out. In Mariya's perspective, at least.
The waxed bodies make me think a little of Stranger Remains.
Anyway.
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
The thrust of the argument against centralization seems to be that they'll leave the country out to dry in favor of the metropolitan capital. I'll contest that you see people and political power fleeing the countryside in every industrializing nation.
Further, if you want to avoid fracturing your nation, why are you working to empower local nobility?
But really I just want standardized rail.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.
The other options seem insane. Flat out horror-movie response to ditch your buddies and go alone into zombieland, or step forward and place your faith in your weeaboo memes. Cmon girl.
Also ha ha you had to do academic work and I didn't.
The zombies were quite the surprise. Not all is well in the land, unsurprisingly, but the interruption in a setting like this is very non-standard. Destroys the notions of stability that Nadir has so carefully laid out. In Mariya's perspective, at least.
The waxed bodies make me think a little of Stranger Remains.
Anyway.
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
The thrust of the argument against centralization seems to be that they'll leave the country out to dry in favor of the metropolitan capital. I'll contest that you see people and political power fleeing the countryside in every industrializing nation.
Further, if you want to avoid fracturing your nation, why are you working to empower local nobility?
But really I just want standardized rail.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.
The other options seem insane. Flat out horror-movie response to ditch your buddies and go alone into zombieland, or step forward and place your faith in your weeaboo memes. Cmon girl.
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
Exterminatus
Tsukumogami User
- Location
- Southern California
[X] Nadir: Regional railways under the control of nobles.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
- Location
- The Hague
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
looks like we're choosing Isidore Route
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
looks like we're choosing Isidore Route
Mechanical
Initiate Action: Buzz
- Location
- Somewhere Strange
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
- Location
- in the trash
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.
Yeah, it's not like we're some sort of light novel protagonist or anything, that would be ridiculous.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.
Yeah, it's not like we're some sort of light novel protagonist or anything, that would be ridiculous.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
It's just a better way to handle infrastructure of any type. Nobles, wealthy commoners and consortiums of poorer commoners are still welcome to construct branch lines if there are places they feel are underserved, but the trunk lines should be under the control of an authority that can acquire its operating funds by general taxes on the economic activity facilitated by good infrastructure instead of engaging in rent-seeking behavior that sucks wealth out of the economy and creates a hard wealth floor beneath which no person or organization that would need said infrastructure can function.
Also it would have a better chance of allowing the construction of separate lines for passenger and freight traffic to better suit their differing needs, since the government has more ability to acquire the needed property.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
Even if we did have special powers, using them for the first time in a crowded environment full of panicking civilians when we have no idea what the repercussions of having or using them would be is a really dumb idea.
It's just a better way to handle infrastructure of any type. Nobles, wealthy commoners and consortiums of poorer commoners are still welcome to construct branch lines if there are places they feel are underserved, but the trunk lines should be under the control of an authority that can acquire its operating funds by general taxes on the economic activity facilitated by good infrastructure instead of engaging in rent-seeking behavior that sucks wealth out of the economy and creates a hard wealth floor beneath which no person or organization that would need said infrastructure can function.
Also it would have a better chance of allowing the construction of separate lines for passenger and freight traffic to better suit their differing needs, since the government has more ability to acquire the needed property.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
Even if we did have special powers, using them for the first time in a crowded environment full of panicking civilians when we have no idea what the repercussions of having or using them would be is a really dumb idea.
- Location
- Sydney
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard
[X] Isidore: Centralized railways under the control of the estates-general.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.
Strunkriidiisk
THE LEGEND
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Of course not! The title isn't nearly unwieldy enough!
[X] Whoa whoa whoa, how many fantasy worlds have you seen have complicated politics regarding monarch power and civil utilities? Special powers? Doubtful. Go with Isidore and his bodyguard.