N4verse restart setup

[P3D]

The "mods" (to be precise, Ctwaterman, Guinness, Miketr and myself) have the following plan for the restart.

The N4verse world would be using OTL Earth geography to avoid issues, and it gives players some familiar references. Resources won't be tracked. It is assumed that resource distribution is somewhat different from OTL. Every industrial nation would have coal and iron deposits for the domestic industry. There will be enough nitrate deposits under Moderator control that blockade won't be effective stopping the flow of strategic materials - there is no Royal Navy.
Blockades, however, would still affect trade.

The preferred starting point is OTL 1880 - the first "pre-dreadnought" battleship was just commissioned, and everyone else is hurrying to catch up. But, if people loath designing predreadnoughts, game start could be moved closer to the "Dreadnought era".

Industrialized nations would be placed in Europe, North America and East Asia. Each would accommodate four or five player nations with unhindered sea access, and a few smaller nations (similar power to OTL Sweden or Spain) in between.

There would be some semi-civilized nations between the Mediterranean and Indochina, mainly to trade with and to sell weapons to. Some NPC/moderator nation with powerful army would be blocking direct land access to these countries, so nations without a weak semi-civilized neighbor won't be at a disadvantage.

On the other hand, South America, Africa, and Australia-Indonesia would be open for colonization. These would be filled with uncivilized states, tribes and remnants of previous failed colonies.

Exception: A Mediterranean/Adriatic nation will control the just finished Suez canal and the Sinai peninsula.

Country selection process:
As a guideline, Europe should be "quasi-historical". The "US Atlantic/Caribbean coast" at least "European origin".  This is mainly for people who wants to play a historical nation, or at least base their country on one.
Please don't insist on selecting nations with limited sea access, e.g. Poland or Russia. "Major" player nation would be of similar size (GDP, population), even those located in areas that have high population density OTL.

Everyone selects four starting locations in an order of preference. The first three must be from different continents. For example, 1. Italy 2. California 3: Korea/Manchuria 4: Scandinavia.
"Italy" here is only a geographic reference. Call it Imperial Rome, The Republic of Venetia, or the Holy Roman Empire if you will.

A mod will try to assign starting locations, giving everyone their first or second pick preferably. Small islands would be assigned similarly at the next stage. After this is done, players can start making stuff up writing the alternative history of the world.

[Valles]

Should our selection requests be 'public', or PM'd?

[Darman]

I was wondering the same thing.

[P3D]

Well, if everyone is in a hurry, PM me, I guess.


Edit: or other mods

[Delta Force]

For application purposes do the Ottomans count as European or Asian?

[miketr]

For application purposes do the Ottomans count as European or Asian?

Europe

[Korpen]

Am I the only one that feels that too much focus on an "equal" start risk just making RISK out of the sim?

[miketr]

Am I the only one that feels that too much focus on an "equal" start risk just making RISK out of the sim?

What decides who gets a better nation vs. a lesser nation?

There is going to be fighting and conflict we want that to a point.  Might as well give people a level playing field to make their own destiny.

Michael

[snip]

As it seems by what I am hearing (those with more knowlege can correct me if I am off base), we will only start with a "homeland" and have to forge our colonies once the game starts. In my eyes, the fair start will soon be offset by colonial wars

[miketr]

In my eyes, the fair start will soon be offset by colonial wars

Its the fair start, once the game start events move forward and some will do better or worse.

Michael

[snip]

So is colonial potential going to be solely based on the amount of money put into it, or will location play a factor?

[Nobody]

Am I the only one that feels that too much focus on an "equal" start risk just making RISK out of the sim?

I see no problem if someone would want to start with less.

[Korpen]

Am I the only one that feels that too much focus on an "equal" start risk just making RISK out of the sim?

What decides who gets a better nation vs. a lesser nation?

There is going to be fighting and conflict we want that to a point.  Might as well give people a level playing field to make their own destiny.

Michael

It is just that when one makes a level playing field by making everyone in effect identical is at risk of feeling more then a little flat.
Perfect balance is really only necessary if everyone is going for the same objective. An idea could be for a player creating a country to state say the top three strategic objectives for it. After all, allot of countries were not expansionistic in this era, and many of those grew richer then the ones that were.

[miketr]

Am I the only one that feels that too much focus on an "equal" start risk just making RISK out of the sim?

What decides who gets a better nation vs. a lesser nation?

There is going to be fighting and conflict we want that to a point.  Might as well give people a level playing field to make their own destiny.

Michael

It is just that when one makes a level playing field by making everyone in effect identical is at risk of feeling more then a little flat.
Perfect balance is really only necessary if everyone is going for the same objective. An idea could be for a player creating a country to state say the top three strategic objectives for it. After all, allot of countries were not expansionistic in this era, and many of those grew richer then the ones that were.

If you don't want to expand than don't, if you do, then do.  Differentiation will occur soon enough.

There is talk of making Mod Nations more powerful than others and we have gotten a few requests for smaller nations.

Michael

[miketr]

So is colonial potential going to be solely based on the amount of money put into it, or will location play a factor?

Fair question, my SUGGESTION to the other mods is a random factor.  You explore a uncivilized province and see whats there and are given a income figure.  You then take it over and spend cash.  Terrority from Semi-Civilized nations would be different in that they wouldn't be explored and would be more valuable.

Michael