On another note, my last Final was finished today.
My first is tomorrow!
The Firestorm: A crossover invasion game. Looking for a 40k faction player.
- Thread starter Spartakrod
- Start date
- OOC
My first is tomorrow!
samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
Only war means that not only are you unable to engage in diplomacy and trading, not only do all NPC factions start off as viewing you as hostile at best and an existential threat at worst, but factions that normally hate each other will team up with each other to fight you.
Basically, your faction is going to sound like this to a bunch of people. Nobody will trust you. People will kill their own before they let you put them back in places of power.
You sure you didn't mean this?
I also finished the last final I will take unless I decide later to go for grad school.On another note, my last Final was finished today.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Not really no. Dwarven Mines IMO fits the more grim, hardened feel of Warhammer Dwarf, and it gives me at least a major sense of "power on the rise", which fits in with the Dwarfs going through a rebirth and rebuilding of what they once had.
- Location
- Canada
I'm playing Ravnica, not conshelf. Which might put my position in perspective. To me, throwing nuclear missiles at me is as much an unstoppable knockout attack as teleporting attacks would be to a faction unprepared to deal with teleporter attacks. And I'm okay with that. Every faction is going to have to deal with outside context problems, and there are a plethora of ways to deliver strategic attacks in this crazy setting. Between attacks from the underdark, invisible commando units, orbital strikes, stealth aircraft, and long distance magic attacks most factions have options. Sure, no limits teleportation is obviously the best possible delivery system for strategic attacks, but it's the difference between maybe having a tenth of my assets intact and none of them.
Now, I agree with you that teleportation can be very powerful at very high levels of development, but I don't think that it's necessary to outright hand out teleportation denial equipment like candy to reign it in. Teleporting only gets broken if:
-There is little to no cost in resources to use it
-It has strategic range-thousands of kilometres from the nearest friendly emplacement
-It has near perfect precision over said range
-The faction doing the teleportation has near perfect intel on the destination.
Without all of those factors coming together, it's just a powerful delivery system, and a useful tactical trick, not an I win button. And if the I win button concerns you, just add "Teleport Cheese" besides "Time travel and Invincibility Shenanigans" to the list of things that are banned by GM fiat, and roll back the anti-teleport fields to somewhere thats fairly high in most esoteric paths and expensive enough to save for vital strategic assets-like anti missile defences, stealth plane detectors, orbital defence emplacements and countermeasures for other high end delivery systems.
Jebusman
The Unknown One
This probably works well too.
EDIT: @Jack Hansan , I don't think I know enough to be optimal; something about the world's resources drying up and super PMC's popping up?
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HoratioVonBecker
Imperfectly Aligned
@Mental Omega, the Only War text in the intro post is vague. Can my faction be Only War and still basically ignore anyone it no longer has a use for, having applied the Minimum Upgrades from my Disadvantage and convinced them to sign a magical nonaggression treaty?
Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
Jebusman
The Unknown One
Souls are a lie constructed by religions to attempt to enslave people into some form of subservience towards a false god.
/PremierWordsOfWisdom
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samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
I'm not one of the GMs, so my word isn't binding, and neither is my interpretation of the rules, but here goes:
Pick one. Only War means that NPC factions will not remain neutral, and will not sign treaties with you. Only War means you are a threat, you will always be a threat, and you will only be a threat. Being Only War means that people will not willingly accept your Minimum Upgrades. You will have to force them on people. And other people will see your faction raping people's souls while claiming it is for their own good, and think "At least the demons are honest about it, unlike these scum."
Only War means that other PC factions are heavily encouraged to shoot first, shoot second, and ask questions never.
willyvereb
Migratory Thinker
Ah, pardon me for that.
I was talking in a general sense, though.
Without TADs protecting the most important strategic assets an abuse of teleportation sheanigans would hurt them far more in general because as you say realistically developing a defense against it would be hard. Much harder than defending against a classical ICBM.
For example I easily see you developing a magic crystal or whatever which looks out for rockets in the sky and another magic device linked to it to unleash some kind of light based spell to destroy the missile.
Granted, given your nation maybe developing anti-teleport fields even easier for you since at least you know what teleport magic is while you have no idea how ICBMs work.
That's why I said dubiously effective and realistically when teleport abuses could come into play the target might be already boned because having so many things stacked against it.
But well, as you can see with Sinsystems' idea, most consider teleport to be almost automatically this good.
BTW, my teleport already meets all but the intelligence portion. It's cheap enough we use it instead of Fultons nowadays, even outfitting all my units with bailout for it. It has no range limitations so long I know the position well enough (to avoid accidents... BTW mother base is having hamburger for the next three months, wanna join?
), and precision is no issue so long it's either short range or one of the points is a fixed and huge wormhole control tower.Sinsystems goes even further and can make gates anywhere on the map. Granted his method is much less widespread.
That's why TADs were made, I suppose.
It exactly only really works against abuses. As I said with sufficient equipment it's possible to negate TADs in all but the most abusive uses.
@HoratioVonBecker
I still stand by the position that strategic nukes killing entire hexes would make them way too powerful even for this setting.
Also it makes nuke-resistant defenses borderline impossible which could be another issue. Besides when I last got into an argument with @Mental Omega about this we only talked about actual nukes and their damage. Focusing on how a nuke can mess up a nation even if it only destroys the central part of a city and so on.
Ordinatus and Nova Cannons can technically destroy entire planets if they are used such. Well, in case of Ordinatus it depends on which kind it is.
But I think for the sake of a more balanced game it'd be better if you assume both are just like a nuke or somewhat more powerful.
You can have big booms made by the Nova Cannon (killer of light starship fleets is its purpose among others) but if we emphatise powerlevels this NRP would never come close to balanced.
Mind it I still think it's a mess in that front but at least try to not break it more than it already have been.
Yup, if an Only War faction could buddy up with neutrals or make anything close to real alliances then there'd be no point of them receiving such a massive army bonuses.
They might team up momentarily against a stronger foe or have the neutrals or anyone else not prioritize them because another asshole is much greater threat but that's about it.
No tech trade is another one of their drawbacks. Though it puts no limitation on you trying to steal tech or utilize what you have been conquered.
Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
Basically what @Sandamandias said
Being only war means you have invested everything into your military and military industrial complex with the hopes of achieving what Civilization would deem a domination victory; locking yourself out of any other route to power and victory. And because of this, you will always be seen as a threat, a danger. The only alliances you'll receive are alliances of convenience against something worse; and these are generally of the "we're not going to shoot you right now because of the other guy, but you better be ready when the guns fall silent" sort.
Silvan Eldar
Delinquent Heir to Makai
- Location
- Here and There
The Drow would laugh long and hard at anyone would made that claim near them.
I mean, most of their tech is in some ways powered by souls or the energy they attract.
willyvereb
Migratory Thinker
@Mental Omega
Can I get a clarification on the "hex-killer" nukes we were talking about with Horatio?
Simple yes or no will suffice.
Similarly, can War Engines wield tactical nukes? I mean think of the equivalent of a nuclear SRBM. Not something you can easily spam in battle but can have uses.
I have the equivalent of REX's railgun and that's why I am asking. They also sound like a decent way to fend off hostile starships. At least decent enough to at least have an effect.
Again, yes or no should suffice.
Can I get a clarification on the "hex-killer" nukes we were talking about with Horatio?
Simple yes or no will suffice.
Similarly, can War Engines wield tactical nukes? I mean think of the equivalent of a nuclear SRBM. Not something you can easily spam in battle but can have uses.
I have the equivalent of REX's railgun and that's why I am asking. They also sound like a decent way to fend off hostile starships. At least decent enough to at least have an effect.
Again, yes or no should suffice.
Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
I'll let the other GMs talk this out.
willyvereb
Migratory Thinker
Okay, I needed something to revitalize the GM corners anyways.
Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
Some more gods before I edit them into the Almanac
Totenkopfs:
Mindy von Totenkopf: Waldemar's "little angel" and among the youngest of the Totenkopf family, Mindy von Totenkopf joined with Waldemar's plans of ascension at a very early age, and still appears as a twelve year old girl. Infamous for being a "cosmic brat", Mindy von Totenkopf's twin pigtails and love of fancy dresses certainly make her stand out among the often monstrous Totenkopf family. Her temper tantrums have shattered worlds and while she can be a very generous patron to her worshippers, she can just as easily be the worst thing that ever happened to a follower who disappoints her. Waldemar and Evangeline for their part mostly give Mindy whatever she wants, and if she is some form of undead, nobody has been able to identify it; as she looks like she did before her ascension. Most people however, recognize the folly of getting on her bad side, it is never a good idea to get on the wrong side of a deity throwing a hissy fit; even if she looks like a small child. And there are as ever, rumors that the face she wears is not her real face. Mindy is a patron of children, domination, wrath, and scorpions.
Ferdinand von Kriegskind: Not a true member of the Totenkopf family, though part of the pantheon all the same, Ferdinand has been Waldemar's faithful chancellor for a very long time. Fond of using odd similes and metaphors and playing cruel and twisted jokes, Ferdinand has invested heavily into the mystic arts. With a robed form bearing a grinning but largely featureless white mask and clawed fingers; Ferdinand is rather enigmatic, as even in life he never showed an inch of his skin to any but the most trusted of friends and aides and seemed to be a master at maintaining a consistent tone with his voice and his emotions; disguising what he may actually be feeling at nearly all times. Believed to be some form of wraith, though no one can prove it, Ferdinand always has plans inside his plans. Disliked by Dietrich and Ishild, Ferdinand makes sure to keep an eye on Waldemar's potentially least loyal children to ensure that they continue to follow Waldemar's vision for the salvation of the Ostereiksch and the advancement of the Dusterreik. Ferdinand is a patron of arcanists, the incorporeal and intangilable, comedy, and schemes.
Tirpitzes: The Von Tirpitz family and their Cabinet have been the masters of the Ostereik ever since the banishing of the Von Totenkopfs and all those allied to them. While they present themselves as the saviors of the Ostereik from becoming the undead slaves of Waldemar, many would argue that the constant state of religious rapture that the Ostereiksch live under; devoting every day of their lives to their celestial cabinet and their beloved Imperial Family; is another form of slavery. But if it is a kind of slavery, it is one done in happiness. The Ostereiksch have had thousands of years to become adjusted to this new norm, and they are very happy to live in a society where all their needs are taken care of by their highly active deities. And at the end of their lives awaits a great paradise; and even those who fail are allowed to try again and again until they get it right via reincarnation. What more could any pantheon's servants ask for?
Sturmhund von Tirpitz: The Patriarch of the von Tirpitz family, head of the celestial cabinet pantheon, and Holy God Emperor of the Ostereik, Sturmhund overthrew Waldemar in a long past age after discovering Waldemar's plans to turn the Ostereik into a nation of the undead; rallying the army against their former Emperor and claiming the throne and title of Kaiser for himself. A military man whose family had a long history of military service, Sturmhund believed that it had been the allowance of the civilian sphere into the highest realms of power that had allowed such corruption to nearly destroy Ostereik. Thus he decreed; the civilian sphere would be no more. All affairs were now those of the military, the Reikswehr was now Ostereik and Ostereik was the Reikswehr. He also believed that the Ostereiksch needed close at hand deities to protect them and their souls, and so cultivated a cult of personality around himself and his followers and family. So successful he was at this; that he and his house and cabinet ascended to godhood. Sturmhund appears as a figure in a baroque suit of powered armour with a similarly baroque rebreather equipped faceplate with two green eyepieces that allow him to gaze out into the world. A pickelhaube helmet sits atop his head, which is adorned with his holy crown; and a great cloak conceals much of his body at all times. Sturmhund is the godhead of the Ostereiksch pantheon and patrons the military, loyalty, duty, sovereignity, canines of all sort, and the scourging power of the storm.
Genevie von Tirpitz: Sturmhund's wife and his closest companion, Genevie is the Matriarch of the Tirpitz pantheon. She strongly supported Sturmhund's coup against Waldemar and being a military woman herself, helped to champion his reforms that made Ostereik into an army-state. She and Sturmhund collaborated to draft the new vision of Ostereikch society. Couples would be encouraged to pair off to produce new soldiery for the Reik. They would receive time off and stipends to raise their children to the age of five, at which point they would head off to boarding schools to be trained into good citizens and soldiers for the Kaiser. By the age of ten, they were expected to be at least as proficient in battle as the professional soldiers of any peer opponent of Ostereik. Those who showed special skills and desires for the arts, the esoterics, or the sciences would go off to do other work for the Reik, while the rest as per Genevie's vision; would serve in the Reikswehr proper. Some of course; would go onto officer school or become teachers for the next generation. As someone who studied education herself, Genevie was convinced that this system was Ostereik's future. She appears rather similarly to Sturmhund, though she is noticeably shorter. Genevie patrons education, the officer corps, the nation's academics, the might of the sea, and the family.
Iamitryna von Tirpitz: A child of a union of Ytaliana and Sturmhund von Tirpitz, Iamitryna is a zealous crusader who combines her mother's love of the light and Sturmhund's love of war and conquest. Thus, she is a deity who is always looking for something evil to fight. She calls forth paladins, crusaders, knights, anyone who would fight against injustice and evil, any who would seek to bring the rays of the stars down on the heads of the undead, the fiendish, the dark fae, the fractals, the harmful elementals, the frost-folk or just about anything she thinks needs fighting. Appearing as a fiery, spunky girl in her late teens/yong adulthood, dressing in the blue, grey, and black armor of ostereik, she lets her literally burning red hair free, and her eyes have irises like suns, while her ears and overall features speak of half-elven origins. She is one of the few deities of Sturmhund's get who finds common worship outside of Ostereik and its expatriates, as she appeals greatly to those who seek to do good by fighting evil, such as by taking more proactive stances by attacking evil in its lairs rather than waiting for them to come to you. Impetuous and highly righteous, Iamitryna vascilates between her two parents constantly and has long struggled with whom she really owes her loyalties to and which parent she wants to emulate more.
Totenkopfs:
Mindy von Totenkopf: Waldemar's "little angel" and among the youngest of the Totenkopf family, Mindy von Totenkopf joined with Waldemar's plans of ascension at a very early age, and still appears as a twelve year old girl. Infamous for being a "cosmic brat", Mindy von Totenkopf's twin pigtails and love of fancy dresses certainly make her stand out among the often monstrous Totenkopf family. Her temper tantrums have shattered worlds and while she can be a very generous patron to her worshippers, she can just as easily be the worst thing that ever happened to a follower who disappoints her. Waldemar and Evangeline for their part mostly give Mindy whatever she wants, and if she is some form of undead, nobody has been able to identify it; as she looks like she did before her ascension. Most people however, recognize the folly of getting on her bad side, it is never a good idea to get on the wrong side of a deity throwing a hissy fit; even if she looks like a small child. And there are as ever, rumors that the face she wears is not her real face. Mindy is a patron of children, domination, wrath, and scorpions.
Ferdinand von Kriegskind: Not a true member of the Totenkopf family, though part of the pantheon all the same, Ferdinand has been Waldemar's faithful chancellor for a very long time. Fond of using odd similes and metaphors and playing cruel and twisted jokes, Ferdinand has invested heavily into the mystic arts. With a robed form bearing a grinning but largely featureless white mask and clawed fingers; Ferdinand is rather enigmatic, as even in life he never showed an inch of his skin to any but the most trusted of friends and aides and seemed to be a master at maintaining a consistent tone with his voice and his emotions; disguising what he may actually be feeling at nearly all times. Believed to be some form of wraith, though no one can prove it, Ferdinand always has plans inside his plans. Disliked by Dietrich and Ishild, Ferdinand makes sure to keep an eye on Waldemar's potentially least loyal children to ensure that they continue to follow Waldemar's vision for the salvation of the Ostereiksch and the advancement of the Dusterreik. Ferdinand is a patron of arcanists, the incorporeal and intangilable, comedy, and schemes.
Tirpitzes: The Von Tirpitz family and their Cabinet have been the masters of the Ostereik ever since the banishing of the Von Totenkopfs and all those allied to them. While they present themselves as the saviors of the Ostereik from becoming the undead slaves of Waldemar, many would argue that the constant state of religious rapture that the Ostereiksch live under; devoting every day of their lives to their celestial cabinet and their beloved Imperial Family; is another form of slavery. But if it is a kind of slavery, it is one done in happiness. The Ostereiksch have had thousands of years to become adjusted to this new norm, and they are very happy to live in a society where all their needs are taken care of by their highly active deities. And at the end of their lives awaits a great paradise; and even those who fail are allowed to try again and again until they get it right via reincarnation. What more could any pantheon's servants ask for?
Sturmhund von Tirpitz: The Patriarch of the von Tirpitz family, head of the celestial cabinet pantheon, and Holy God Emperor of the Ostereik, Sturmhund overthrew Waldemar in a long past age after discovering Waldemar's plans to turn the Ostereik into a nation of the undead; rallying the army against their former Emperor and claiming the throne and title of Kaiser for himself. A military man whose family had a long history of military service, Sturmhund believed that it had been the allowance of the civilian sphere into the highest realms of power that had allowed such corruption to nearly destroy Ostereik. Thus he decreed; the civilian sphere would be no more. All affairs were now those of the military, the Reikswehr was now Ostereik and Ostereik was the Reikswehr. He also believed that the Ostereiksch needed close at hand deities to protect them and their souls, and so cultivated a cult of personality around himself and his followers and family. So successful he was at this; that he and his house and cabinet ascended to godhood. Sturmhund appears as a figure in a baroque suit of powered armour with a similarly baroque rebreather equipped faceplate with two green eyepieces that allow him to gaze out into the world. A pickelhaube helmet sits atop his head, which is adorned with his holy crown; and a great cloak conceals much of his body at all times. Sturmhund is the godhead of the Ostereiksch pantheon and patrons the military, loyalty, duty, sovereignity, canines of all sort, and the scourging power of the storm.
Genevie von Tirpitz: Sturmhund's wife and his closest companion, Genevie is the Matriarch of the Tirpitz pantheon. She strongly supported Sturmhund's coup against Waldemar and being a military woman herself, helped to champion his reforms that made Ostereik into an army-state. She and Sturmhund collaborated to draft the new vision of Ostereikch society. Couples would be encouraged to pair off to produce new soldiery for the Reik. They would receive time off and stipends to raise their children to the age of five, at which point they would head off to boarding schools to be trained into good citizens and soldiers for the Kaiser. By the age of ten, they were expected to be at least as proficient in battle as the professional soldiers of any peer opponent of Ostereik. Those who showed special skills and desires for the arts, the esoterics, or the sciences would go off to do other work for the Reik, while the rest as per Genevie's vision; would serve in the Reikswehr proper. Some of course; would go onto officer school or become teachers for the next generation. As someone who studied education herself, Genevie was convinced that this system was Ostereik's future. She appears rather similarly to Sturmhund, though she is noticeably shorter. Genevie patrons education, the officer corps, the nation's academics, the might of the sea, and the family.
Iamitryna von Tirpitz: A child of a union of Ytaliana and Sturmhund von Tirpitz, Iamitryna is a zealous crusader who combines her mother's love of the light and Sturmhund's love of war and conquest. Thus, she is a deity who is always looking for something evil to fight. She calls forth paladins, crusaders, knights, anyone who would fight against injustice and evil, any who would seek to bring the rays of the stars down on the heads of the undead, the fiendish, the dark fae, the fractals, the harmful elementals, the frost-folk or just about anything she thinks needs fighting. Appearing as a fiery, spunky girl in her late teens/yong adulthood, dressing in the blue, grey, and black armor of ostereik, she lets her literally burning red hair free, and her eyes have irises like suns, while her ears and overall features speak of half-elven origins. She is one of the few deities of Sturmhund's get who finds common worship outside of Ostereik and its expatriates, as she appeals greatly to those who seek to do good by fighting evil, such as by taking more proactive stances by attacking evil in its lairs rather than waiting for them to come to you. Impetuous and highly righteous, Iamitryna vascilates between her two parents constantly and has long struggled with whom she really owes her loyalties to and which parent she wants to emulate more.
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Not to mention the Loa eat something.
Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
Now who will be the first to run afoul of the Totenkopfs.
Where is Ostereik anyways?
Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
Not on this planet; same as all the old Suecellus factions. The Ostereik is a vast interstellar empire after all.
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Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
And the Legion has to put something in the soulforges.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Same for Nerubians, since if they sacrifice dudes to the former Drakkari Loa, the Loa give theme cool blessings and stuff.
Jack Hansan
Well, that happend.
- Location
- Inverness, Scotland
Guess I'm going to need to make a new sheet. In which case, here's a list of possible settings and the faction/s from them I might make a sheet for assuming anyone is familiar enough with any of them to GM them:
Sub Rebellion - The Empire or The Alliance
Naval Ops: Commander - Virshia or Navirshia
Seek and Destroy: Proton Kingdom
Lost Planet - EDN III
Killzone: ISA
Ace Combat: Emmeria
MGLN Strikers: TSAB
X-Universe: Terran Empire
Naval Ops: Commander - Virshia or Navirshia
Seek and Destroy: Proton Kingdom
Lost Planet - EDN III
Killzone: ISA
Ace Combat: Emmeria
MGLN Strikers: TSAB
X-Universe: Terran Empire
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Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
The only one there I'm even vaguely familiar with is the ISA.
Dust and echoes
Ghost of Shitposts Past
- Location
- Fortuna Penal Colony