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Was Russia's occupation of Eastern Europe after WW II justified? in General
Naldiin
Apprentice
Member # 5137
 written Thursday, May 18 2006 17:20 Profile #2
quote:
Originally written by Mouthpiece:

Russia argued that its occupation of eastern Europe after WW II was to prevent another European war from occuring on its home soil. After all, noone lost more than Russia in either world war. Acceptable position? better yet, a defensible position?
No. I reject the buffer-state theory. By that logic, the United States could conquer mexico as a 'buffer state'. And in all fairness, for a position to be defensible, it has to be applicable. And there simply arn't enough people folks to oppress for every country to have its own buffer state.

The Soviet Union had a duty to repair those countries she took, and then give them back to the popular soverignty of their people. Not install communist governments with the point of a bayonet and close the borders.

Consider, if you accept the position that Russia could hold Eastern Europe as a buffer...Mexico suffered a terrible defeat to the United States, perhaps she should seize and occupy the Southern U.S. While we're at it, China can occupy Korea as a buffer state, Taiwan can occupy China, Russia can occupy Central Asia, China, Mongolia, and Eastern Europe, Vietnam can occupy China, Poland can occupy Russia, and Germany can occupy France.

Buffer state theory doesn't work. There arn't enough states for everyone to have a people to oppress.

But it is an interesting debate point. I'd like to see a defense of it.
Posts: 4 | Registered: Tuesday, October 26 2004 07:00
Not really a bug, but odd effect in Avernum 4
Naldiin
Apprentice
Member # 5137
 written Thursday, March 9 2006 11:25 Profile #8
I might add, it's very nice, paticularly to have minor heal by default. One level of priest skill on any given character and you have an emergency healer.

Sure it's not going to heal a lot of damage, but it's great for when you hit a trap and it kills your designated priest, or some such nonsense.
Posts: 4 | Registered: Tuesday, October 26 2004 07:00
Speculating about Avernum 4's plot in General
Naldiin
Apprentice
Member # 5137
 written Thursday, February 10 2005 13:07 Profile #131
quote:
Originally written by Bad-Ass Mother Custer:

Probably like three different cities. The merchants wouldn't share a town with the soldiers, the soldiers wouldn't share a town with the thinkers, and the thinkers would want to be as far as possible from the government anyway.

The Empire is so staggeringly generic that I'd cringe to think of Jeff introducing its heartland. If I had any say, A4 would center around some new frontier -- space would be nice -- or a distant future.[/QB]
Not really, I don't think. Start with the Empress and the beaurocratic center she would need to actuall run the affairs of an entire planet. Thousands upon thousands of functionaries, secretaries and ministers. Her government would easily outstrip any on Earth in size. Second, consider that all money and power radiates from the Empress. Which means that the best paid people in the Empire, are going to be her Generals and Advisors. Those people will in turn, comission the magicians, priests, artisiens and thinkers, who will presumably, want to live nearby. In turn, that massive population will need services, thus bringing the merchents, willing or otherwise, into the Imperial City.

Finally, such a center would be huge, and more importantly, utterly vital to the Empire succeding. Taking the capital would crush the Empire as it would cut the head off the beaurocratic infastructure needed to keep the entire thing running. Imperial city would have to be the best defended city on the planet. And given that we're defending a city that is likely already pushing up into the millions of people , the garrison to defend (and maintain order) in such a geographically and demographically large locale would itself, have to be very large.

Finally, the military force present would again mean a new set of government payrolls, attracting still more merchents, and since they're soldiers, also a nightlife and a red-light district.

Finally, since all power would eminate from the Empress, anyone looking for a position in the Empire would want to be as physically close to the heart of the Empire as possible. Meaning that the rich-who-want-to-become-powerful would find that their first step is a summer home in the Capital, even if they didn't come from the Capital.

It would be one city, since the beaurocrats, merchents, artists/thinkers/mages, soldiers and artisiens all need eachother. Similiar to the Washington D.C. suburb-halo, excep tthat considering the decreased ability for the average person to travel, suburbs would likely not be an option.

Beijing became a massive city by being the administrative center for such a government, one that is admitably, much smaller than the Empire would be. The Imperial City would be similiar, I think, but just that much bigger.
Posts: 4 | Registered: Tuesday, October 26 2004 07:00
Speculating about Avernum 4's plot in General
Naldiin
Apprentice
Member # 5137
 written Wednesday, February 9 2005 16:10 Profile #129
Personally, I'd like to see the empire in a conventional war. Not sure how you'd dig up an opponent they could fight, but I would like to see Imperial troops fighting how they fight best.

What I would really like, is to see Vogel's vision of the imperial capital. I invisioned Imperial City as an absolutely massive metroplis. A roughly circular city, with multiple, thick towering wall-rings, streaching accross the horizon on a nearly totally flat plain, with a massive towering citidel of stone at the center.

I want to see Vogel's idea of what the center of economics, power and learning of an entire world would look like.
Posts: 4 | Registered: Tuesday, October 26 2004 07:00