Topic: Primer to Age of Chaos (Read 77423 times)

Knightmare · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2011, 03:52:35 PM »

I'm still working out the dates, but this will be a major reason as to why the Inner Sphere really falls to pieces.

Behind the scenes:
ComStar is really inadvertently the antagonist of the whole fracturing process when a break among ComStar's ruling elite takes place and then filters down through the rank and file. While Jerome's policy of assistance to budding rebellion movements both in the former Hegemony and aboard has been successful to a certain extent, there are those among the Order who believe the Inner Sphere should consume itself in a violent orgy of destruction and only after could ComStar reorganize the Terran Hegemony and the Star League from the ashes. (Seeds of the canon Word of Blake)

This split in the ranks has everything to do with Blake's direction of the Order, which change over a period of time thanks to advances made in rebuilding proto-Terran nations throughout the former Hegemony. By the time of his death in 2819 Blake's journal is a journey from despair to hopeful optimism, but is extremely vague in its final directives. This ambiguity is quoted as the source of the Order's troubles. When Conrad Toyoma assassinates Blake and attempts to rewrite both history and the Order he's only partially successful. While the Order's ranks swell, homogeneous reorganization of ComStar is almost impossible. You could roughly categorize ComStar into three types: Jerome-types who believed in the old corporate strucutre and Blake's overt assistance programs. Conrad-types who are closest to the early religious ComStar phenotype and those in the middle. Most of the Toyoma doomsday adherents would be responsible for most of the HPGs lost during the Interdiction, taking advantage of the Order's directive to execute their own plans.

These are some canon dates that may need tweaking to take into account some of these changes.

Dates to Consider:
Jerome Blake d. 2819
Toyoma d. 2837

First Succession War 2786-2821; from 2788 mostly raids
Second Succession War 2830-2864

ROM b. 2811 - Fundamentals Branch heavily feared

Toyoma replaces much of the rigid corporate structure imposed by Jerome Blake with a monastery religious mentality after Blake's death.

I figure we'll have to shorten the span of time between the First and Second Succession Wars and to axe that bit about the later half of the First Succession War being mostly raids. I think we want to really hit the Inner Sphere's technology and industrial base with an (excuse the pun) atomic hammer. We might also want to rewrite the First Succession War to make it easier for some of the old Terran state to create breakaway nations?...

Thoughts?

Knightmare · « **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2011, 07:48:58 PM »

So I was playing around with the FedSuns map today. Of all the Successor States, this seems to be the easiest one to rip apart. It's not perfect, nor have I labeled the regions, but you can kinda get the gist of what we're going for...

Hessian · « **Reply #17 on:** February 03, 2011, 02:16:49 PM »

Quote from: Knightmare on February 02, 2011, 03:52:35 PM

I'm still working out the dates, but this will be a major reason as to why the Inner Sphere really falls to pieces.

I figure we'll have to shorten the span of time between the First and Second Succession Wars and to axe that bit about the later half of the First Succession War being mostly raids. I think we want to really hit the Inner Sphere's technology and industrial base with an (excuse the pun) atomic hammer. We might also want to rewrite the First Succession War to make it easier for some of the old Terran state to create breakaway nations?...

Thoughts?

Seems plausible to me(at least in certain realms). If say the Isle of Skye is hit hard on all fronts, and the central government on Tharkad is seen as ineffective and unable to defend the Isle's borders, this might fuel secessionist tendencies. If furthermore homegrown troops like the Skye Rangers are destroyed fighting somewhere else in the Lyran Commonwealth this could further aggravate the situation.
A more destructive First Succession War would also weaken the respective central governments by simply complicating the ability to effectively wage war and thus to defend the border and to repulse attempts of secessionism.

Just my interpretation however.

Ciao
Hessian

P.S.: I like the idea of Independent Worlds like Hesperus II or Northwind.

Knightmare · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2011, 02:30:55 PM »

Thanks Hessian. I figure a more destructive First Succession War will help set things up nicely. It'll also give us greater flexibility playing with the borders of the Great Houses.

I think some independent worlds will work depending on some very specific criteria being met. While a world like Northwind could go indy if the Highlanders survive with enough strength to make them a power to reckon with, I can only see a planet like Hesperus staying indy if a great deal of its manufacturing strength is destroyed and the remainder can be justifiably left alone while being protected by a mercenary command, etc.

Otherwise, it's just too great of a prize to be left unattached.

Ice Hellion · « **Reply #19 on:** February 03, 2011, 03:52:54 PM »

Quote

While ComStar may have consolidated its hold over Terra, the rebellions in the Tikonov Region, around Skye and the stalled absorption of former Terran worlds have bolstered Blake’s confidence in the possibility of a renewed Terran state.

This is why I stated that ComStar might not try to support too much these States.

Regarding the Fed Suns map, the Crucis state might be a bit too big, no?
Perhaps the Periphery border could rebel because of high fiscal pressure or too much forced conscripts?

And for the nukes, simple: "everything is falling apart, I must finish this war quickly to overcome the internal strife, so let's use nukes."

Knightmare · « **Reply #20 on:** February 03, 2011, 04:48:43 PM »

Quote from: Ice Hellion on February 03, 2011, 03:52:54 PM

Quote
While ComStar may have consolidated its hold over Terra, the rebellions in the Tikonov Region, around Skye and the stalled absorption of former Terran worlds have bolstered Blake’s confidence in the possibility of a renewed Terran state.

This is why I stated that ComStar might not try to support too much these States.

Again, I think this has everything to do with the state of ComStar during and after the First Succession War. ComStar is clearly not the "Order" as we know it today, nor does it have the manpower, organization or institutional memory that made ComStar so feared during the long years of the Third Succession War. ComStar during this time frame would probably work with budding resistance movements if they proved their viability. For example - ComStar wasn't in the position to help any Terran resistance movements in canon because, quite frankly, outside of individual worlds there wasn't a movement worth sticking its neck out for. Now if the Tikonov and Skye movements were more organized and successful early on - and viable to ComStar - then I can easily see the early Order helping them out. Remember, the best thing next to the order is a renewed Terran state. The Order wouldn't have even become the "Order" if the state had survived.

Quote from: Ice Hellion on February 03, 2011, 03:52:54 PM

Regarding the Fed Suns map, the Crucis state might be a bit too big, no?
Perhaps the Periphery border could rebel because of high fiscal pressure or too much forced conscripts?

Not really most of the worlds lack major industry and the Outback has always been more of a financial drain than economically beneficial. IF anything the additional worlds will hinder the FedSuns. I'll have to be careful with how I draw the lines, as long as most of the big military factories are spread elsewhere, the extra worlds won't matter.

Quote from: Ice Hellion on February 03, 2011, 03:52:54 PM

And for the nukes, simple: "everything is falling apart, I must finish this war quickly to overcome the internal strife, so let's use nukes."

Amen.

Blacknova · « **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2011, 05:41:15 PM »

Perhaps New Avalon can just cut them lossea and the regions officaly does become the Outback, with dozens of independent systems becoming a right haven for scum

Knightmare · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2011, 05:45:59 PM »

Also, as this starts to work itself out we'll need fresh write ups for a couple of new nations.

1. Tikonov Reaches
2. Federation of Skye
3. "Unnamed ex-Warlord Territory"
4. Capellan Marches
5. Robinson Freehold

Plus the good old...

1. Federated Suns
2. Outworlds Alliance
3. Taurian Concordat

And those are just the nations more or less decided.

If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

Knightmare · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2011, 05:46:21 PM »

Quote from: Blacknova on February 03, 2011, 05:41:15 PM

Perhaps New Avalon can just cut them lossea and the regions officaly does become the Outback, with dozens of independent systems becoming a right haven for scum

That's a good idea.

Knightmare · « **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2011, 08:19:11 PM »

I've been cutting up maps and they just don't seem right. I like what has happened to the FedSuns, but the Capellan Confederation and the old Terran Hegemony are proving to be difficult areas to tackle. Even taking the old Chaos March and the Dark Age as a basis still doesn't produce satisfactory results.

Thoughts?

Here's the latest that I've been ripping apart (thanks to Blacknova!) I'm really not sure what to do with all of the Confederation and certainly around the old Terran Hegemony.

If anyone wants to take a crack at breaking things apart, I'm all ears!

Takiro · « **Reply #25 on:** February 03, 2011, 09:44:08 PM »

Break the Capellan nation into its pre-Confederation states. Sarna Supremacy, Capellan Republic, Sian Holdfast, St. Ives Compact, Liao Republic, Tikonov Grand Union, etc...

I'd expect the new ComStar territory to be based on Terran predecessors with some losses.

Knightmare · « **Reply #26 on:** February 03, 2011, 09:47:04 PM »

Probably try to keep the Liao Republic (or parts thereof) with the Capellan Republic. The would leave the St. Ives Compact, Sarna Supremacy and Free Tikonov Reaches. I don't like the Grand Union, because it will also incorporate some ex-Terran worlds - plus we should mix it up a little.

Ok, so I need to find some old maps.

Thanks Tak!

Rainbow 6 · « **Reply #27 on:** February 05, 2011, 07:53:47 AM »

Like the idea behind the AU Knightmare, quick question, when you get the back story developed any chance of making it a playable AU like BlackNova's?

On the subject of the Outback how about moving the border a bit deeper into the FedSuns to include Filtvelt?

I think it'd be a good idea as, according to M&M, it was one of the more industrialized planets near the periphery at the start of the succession wars whose factories were stripped to re-build sites deeper in the inner sphere but if the balkinization has happened it'd be a viable industrialized capital for the Outback.

Takiro · « **Reply #28 on:** February 05, 2011, 08:48:57 AM »

Actually I believe Filtvelt is the old capital of the Outworlds March circa the five Principalty era of the Federated Suns. See Handbook HD. Six's suggestion would make sense if you have an Outback nation break away it would like be centered around its old capital.

Knightmare · « **Reply #29 on:** February 05, 2011, 09:16:54 AM »

That's a great suggestion. I was definitely planning on beating the serious snot out of the Inner Sphere and lending Filvelt to the Outback would be a nice touch. As for being playable, I wouldn't know where to begin to make that happen. However, it's not out of the question, I just don't want to overextend myself.

Lets get through the first book and then we'll talk!

Speaking of which, any suggestions on how we should break this thing up? I was thinking of exactly two books.

The first one takes us to 3025, the second to 3040. But I'd like to experiment with a really loose, free form-type of writing and book development. Something less stressful and fun, with a lot of creative latitude.

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Author Topic: Primer to Age of Chaos (Read 77423 times)

Knightmare

Re: Primer to Age of Chaos

Knightmare

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Hessian

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Knightmare

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Ice Hellion

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Knightmare

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Blacknova

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Knightmare

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Knightmare

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Knightmare

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Takiro

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Knightmare

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Rainbow 6

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Takiro

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Knightmare

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