Question for the Community

[Desertfox]

What nations do you want to fill?

I would say a post-1900 start date is easier from the information POV, its easier to find information on those ships and most of us are more comfortable designing that period ships.

A two-tier economics system is definitely favorable. Its the one thing I don't like from WW. Also there should be a some increasing factory cost as nations get bigger otherwise the larger nations will enter a runaway phase leaving everyone else behind.

[snip]

Russia, Italy and Spain are the ones I have left on my list.

As far as Econ rules go, I would much prefer to adapt an existing system then to build a new one from the ground up. We know the N3 system works, and mine are based on the WW rules. I will make a poll about the Econ system so we can see what everybody thinks.

[Jefgte]

An other question about the map & Nobody;

Are Alsace & Lorraine French or German ?
Did we have the European Histories or are we free of the past (1870war) ?

(If Alsace & Lorraine are German @ the begining of our history, French & German relations will not be quiet...)

Jef

[snip]

Jef, that detail can be worked out when we get down to setting more IMO, as it is time period dependent. Of course, you two are free to horse-trade over it now if you wish.

[snip]

A two-tier economics system is definitely favorable. Its the one thing I don't like from WW. Also there should be a some increasing factory cost as nations get bigger otherwise the larger nations will enter a runaway phase leaving everyone else behind.

To further answer this, I feel that countries with a higher ability to produce ships and other war material will have additional commitments over countries that don't, and so would not be able to throw there industrial advantage behind out improving there industrial base relative to everyone else. Idealy, the final system would see some sort of approximent proportion between the area controlled and the industry that can be leveraged. Hopefully this would not need a rule or hard limit to accomplish.

Example: Russia has the lowest industrial output of any of the European nations. However, Russia does not have any overseas possessions to develop and defend. Therefor, Russia can concentrate on developing domestic industry to the same extend as the United Kingdom due to the possessions that it has to attend to.

[KWorld]

Before we worry too much about  the exact borders, we'll need to decide whether or how we want to do any leveling of economies.  If we need to do so, it may be that France, for example, will gain some colonial territory at the UKs expense, instead of getting Lorraigne (which would only weaken Germany, which is not at the top of the heap).

[Delta Force]

What about Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans? They are interesting major regional powers.

[Darman]

What about Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans? They are interesting major regional powers.

Both are interesting, I agree but I think it has been determined that neither is a true naval power during this time period.  As secondary powers they may well prove useful.  Especially since European diplomacy prior to 1900 spent a lot of time calming the waters between AH and OE, since the Ottomans are beginning to dissolve and both Russia and Austria can smell the blood in the water.  The Germans and English are attempting to prevent territorial aggression against the Ottomans because the Germans dont want Russia or the Austrians getting too powerful 9Russia) or too bogged down (Austria) and the English dont want the Russians getting easy access to the vital supply lines of the British Empire (Suez, et al) and they certainly want to keep the Ottomans alive as a counterpoint to Russian ambitions in India and southwest asia in general.  I'm going to regret volunteering for this I'm sure but if Snip is looking for a manager for those two countries (AH and OE) I'll do it if someone else designs their ships. 

[snip]

Well, I do have you penciled in a Japan. Do you want to change that?

[Darman]

Well, I do have you penciled in a Japan. Do you want to change that?

Oh no.  I meant in addition to Japan.  I kinda figure they are so far from Japan that they would have very little interaction with one another so if you needed/wanted a placeholder I could do it.  I loved the class I took in college about European diplomacy during the era of Bismarck and I still have the textbooks so I could always fall back on that if I needed to for inspiration.  I can really only design ships for one nation though.  I guess AH and OE could just buy their ships

[Darman]

....buy them from Japan....

[snip]

Well, I think AH comes first on the list for expansion nations if we manage to fill up the other powers first. Thank you for offering to do this.

[Delta Force]

I would consider the Austro-Hungarian Navy to be on par with that of the Italians as long as it stays within the Mediterranean Sea. They had smaller ships because they designed them specifically for that environment and because the navy was reliant on both the Austrian and Hungarian parliments had to approve naval funding because it was an imperial force belonging to the nation as a whole instead of a royal force funded and belonging to one of the kingdoms. Limited naval infrastructure and imperial funding did play a role in limiting the size of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, but I think those factors could have been overcome if someone high up had a vision for the navy (Franz Ferdinand did starting in the 1890s) and if the government structure allowed them to carry out that vision (which never happened). I would consider them to be the most powerful regional navy when you consider their coastal defense ships were essentially just smaller battleships from Radetzky on.

[Darman]

Delta Force, I think we need fewer "great powers" right now just because we want to keep them filled from start to finish.  Keeping AH as a second-tier, or regional, power, is not a bad thing.  It allows them to be covered by a volunteer when no active player has them under control.  That doesn't mean she can't have top-of-the-line ships or navy, it just means that she wont be played as a great power.  I'm planning on basically opening up the designing process to anyone who wants to contribute for AH and OE warships, hopefully some modern designs will come out in front.  If no design is forthcoming then they might be forced to purchase old or export vessels from the great powers. 

[snip]

Delta Force, I think we need fewer "great powers" right now just because we want to keep them filled from start to finish.  Keeping AH as a second-tier, or regional, power, is not a bad thing.  It allows them to be covered by a volunteer when no active player has them under control.  That doesn't mean she can't have top-of-the-line ships or navy, it just means that she wont be played as a great power.  I'm planning on basically opening up the designing process to anyone who wants to contribute for AH and OE warships, hopefully some modern designs will come out in front.  If no design is forthcoming then they might be forced to purchase old or export vessels from the great powers.

Exactly