| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Paul
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 447
Location: Chicago
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:16 pm Post subject: New Prussia |
|
|
The New Prussian systems were founded even before the War of Humanity by truculent 7th Reich zealots. Although not as technologically advanced as the Empire, because of their early start they were able to avoid assimilation. The New Prussian government has few friends, and keeps pretty much to itself. Pirates are treated very harshly here, and consequently stay away for the most part. New Prussia tolerates Alliance traders, but despises the Empire.
_________________
Differentiation is an integral part of calculus. |
|
| Back to top » |
|
 |
redshift9
Joined: 28 May 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Carrboro, NC, USA
|
| Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 12:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
(Disclaimer: this is how I personally imagine the New Prussians. I sound as if I'm describing them with authority, but I don't have any. It's just easier to write without a lot of "maybes" and "what ifs".)
These guys are scary. 7th Reich. Ugh.
This kind of extremism brings out the absolute worst in people. Their government is paranoid, often to the point of being self-defeating. Endless internal power struggles, motivated by fear, suspicion, or outright greed. The citizens are constantly swimming in propaganda, and mostly unaware of the feuds at the top - one of the few things that those in power can agree upon is the importance of maintaining at least a facade of unity and stability.
Since it's mostly a facade, though, they're not as successful or thorough as the government portrayed in Orwell's "1984". An achievement like that requires a lot more cooperation and organization than the New Prussian government is capable of, because the officials are too busy dealing with each other's various plots and power grabs. Still, they've got a very firm grip on the population.
It makes sense that their technological advancement lags - almost anyone with the intelligence to contribute something useful would also be smart enough to see what's going on. They would devote more than a little bit of their thought into ways to get the heck out of New Prussian space!
The New Prussians use ships exclusively of their own design and manufacture. Relying on ships from the outside would mean that others knew the strengths and weaknesses of their fleet. Plus, who knows what kind of subhuman scum had built the thing? That's what they left Earth to get away from.
For similar reasons, their trading is largely limited to raw materials. The NPs only import a small amount of high-tech items... just enough for them to reverse-engineer so they can make their own versions (or try to, anyway). They buy and stockpile resources that they're low on, and keep mining of their own resources to a minimum. This puts them in a good position in the event of war, which is something this paranoid bunch worries about all the time.
The size and sophistication of the bomb shelter in your back yard is pratically a New Prussian status symbol. Of course, your average citizen can barely afford their tiny concrete apartment, never mind a personal bomb shelter - or a yard to put it in, for that matter.
To finance their stockpiling, the NPs export renewable resources, like food and medicine. Being of distant European descent, they make some pretty good beer, too. And we've always got pirates. The NP's hate them with a passion... but only when they're complicating things in NP space. Selling U-Boats to pirates for use in other systems is perfectly fine. In fact, it's good military policy. Besides being profitable, it's a nice way to keep systems bordering NP space weak and unstable. You've also got a great way to test your ship and weapon designs in actual combat conditions, without sacrificing a drop of NP blood. |
|
| Back to top » |
|
|
Game Mogul
Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 241
Location: Neenerneener Land
|
| Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 5:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hmmm... sounds familiar... where have I heard this one 
I like this one a little better because it´s based on actual facts of historical events. They obviously didn´t study history because they repeated it!
-Mogul
_________________
"Never sneak up on a turtle while he's welding" |
|
| Back to top » |
|
|
redshift9
Joined: 28 May 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Carrboro, NC, USA
|
| Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 5:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Heh heh... yeah. And thanks.
I absolutely hate the idea of these people existing, but it's going to be interesting to see how we can extend the idea of a fascist government. My initial idea is pretty simple, and it's nice to have some history to use for inspiration, but we don't simply want "Nazis in Space". People will be waiting for Iridium Jones to show up with his photon whip.
Something that really freaks me out is a government where those in power can do anything they want. Okay, wait a minute. We've had that for decades... but these 7th Reich guys are absolutely sick. Hitler's staff members were into torture, all kinds of sex crimes, and the the occult (and the sacrifices that went with it). Oh, yeah - let's not forget genocide. That's much heavier than we'll want to get into in the game, but it's worth keeping in mind when we're trying to decide how these freaks would act. They are capable of anything. They've got the resources of ten star systems behind them, and they live in an environment that requires paranoia and ruthlessness.
They're much worse than pirates. At least pirates are sane. |
|
| Back to top » |
|
|
|
|
