Of Steam and Ambition - A Steampunk Nation Roleplay - Interested Check

[Kilo6]

Honored Brother said
There goes my plan of world domination. Guess I just start WWI for giggles.

Oh you! Alright! Who shall play the Prince? XD

[Tatsua Aiisen]

*Redacted due to inaccuracy*

[Honored Brother]

Kilo6 said
Oh you! Alright! Who shall play the Prince? XD

Well there's only one monarch so far and they're not really in power. I guess I'll just invest in another nation currently at civil war. Hope they like their communist and nationalist riddled with bullet holes and burned to cinder though.

[Pepperm1nts]

I feel like most of the sheets assume the setting is industrial and closer to the 20th Century. That's fine, but why am I hearing '18th Century'? Judging based on the sheets, it's clearly not 18th Century technology. The Steampunk setting allows for airships, but it doesn't automatically allow for metal ships and bolt-action rifles. Or gas masks, for that matter.

This looks interesting, but it needs a little more clarification. It feels like everyone has a different image of what the world and the timeline/setting is like.

[Tatsua Aiisen]

The front page states that this is supposed to be late-1800's technology level, in a steampunk setting. There is currently a bit of debate going around regarding the fact that certain nations are more advanced than they should be, and that is the source of the time line confusion.

Ironclad ships would probably be just in the process of arriving in naval warfare, and I could see some of the most air-focused folks imagining ironclad airships, but it isn't something that can be so easily realized. Whoever has Ironclad Airships is going to completely dominate the air war, and air superiority in a setting where air travel has just reached its golden age completely breaks the balance of the game.

[Slamurai]

Bolt-actions technically were around at the very tail end of the 19th century (Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield), so they're not wholly out of place. But all the massive, cannon-laden behemoth airships and tanks in the NS depot don't seem to hold fast to a very Victorian setting, which is what I think Rare intended by limiting tech to the late 1800's, as on the first page.

For example, if we were to stick to a more Victorian setting, we'd be seeing artillery like this:

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBL_12_pounder_8_cwt_Armstrong_gun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RML_9_pounder_8_and_6_cwt_guns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_BL_12_pounder_7_cwt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_gun

Not the WWI & II-esque siege engines in the NS sheets.

-Agrees with Tatsua-

[Pepperm1nts]

Tatsua Aiisen said
The front page states that this is supposed to be late-18th century technology level, in a steampunk setting. There is currently a bit of debate going around regarding the fact that certain nations are more advanced than they should be, and that is the source of the time line confusion.

The technology I'm seeing would still be out-of-place, in that case. Metal ships didn't come around until (about) the late 19th Century.

Aristo said
Well, bolt-actions technically were around at the very tail end of the 19th century (Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield), so they're not wholly out of place.

There is a huge leap between the late 18th Century and the late 19th Century (which was when bolt-action rifles began to see widespread use.)

Wikipedia:

The first bolt-action rifle was produced in 1824 by Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse, following work on breechloading rifles that dated to the 18th century. Von Dreyse would perfect his Nadelgewehr (Needle Rifle) by 1836, and it was adopted by the Prussian Army in 1841. It became the first bolt-action weapon to see combat in 1864.

All of the links you posted point to weapons that were developed in the mid-19th Century to late 19th Century. There is a significant gap between that and the late 18th Century.

I agree with the rest of what you said, though. If this is supposed to be 18th Century, or even 19th Century, there shouldn't be tanks and giant metal ships. The latter would only be acceptable if we were talking late 19th Century, when they became a thing. And even then, they'd be just starting out, so they wouldn't be too crazy.

EDIT: Tatsua ninja'd some stuff into his/her post so I didn't address it here.

[Slamurai]

I don't know where 18th century came up; The RP is supposed to be equivalent to late 1800's. 1801-1900 = 19th century.

[Tatsua Aiisen]

Ah, it was my mistake for accidentally saying 18th century. I'm half asleep, cut me some slack.

[Slamurai]

Oh, it was you!

[Rhymer]

Guess I'll nerf my armies.

[Pepperm1nts]

@Rhymer: That's why pictures should probably be more accurate.

Imagine if I said I had "aircraft" in an early 20th Century RP, and then posted a picture of an A-10 Warthog as visual aid. Wouldn't that be a little misleading? The A-10 looks badass, but it wouldn't be accurate for the timeline. So the lesson is: Post accurate pictures, not ones you think are badass.

EDIT: Or don't post pictures at all, just a description.

[Rhymer]

Pepperm1nts said
he Steampunk setting allows for airships, but it doesn't automatically allow for metal ships and bolt-action rifles.

HMSAnson circa 1897

Ironclads existed during the victorian era. Bolt-Action rifles however were post 1900 so that's out.
EDIT: Just saw your post above. Nevermind!

[Pepperm1nts]

@Rhymer: I know that.

The issue has been rectified. People were wrongly referring to the late 1800s as the 18th Century. That is where the confusion came from, since metal ships wouldn't be a thing in the 18th Century.

That said, bolt-actions were a 19th Century invention but didn't see combat (for a number of reasons) until the later half of the century (1860s). If the RP takes place in the late 19th Century, then it's fine to have bolt-action rifles. Just realize that they wouldn't be like the ones you see in WWII movies. Tanks, however, were a 20th Century invention and therefore should not be in the RP.

Anyway, I skimmed over the latest nation sheet and... it's very, very Dishonored-y. Looks like someone downloaded it off Xbox Live and really liked it :P

EDIT: Read some more. Must have really, really, really liked it....

[SyrianHamster]

I think I just confused with how advanced steampunk was supposed to be.

I thought steam mechs, giant floating battleships etc were the modern day technological translation, as opposed to a heavily beefed up 1890+ time period. For example, in the real world 2014, Britain relies on the Challenger 2 main battle tank to power its way through an enemy line, but steampunk world 2014, Britain relies on huge crawling tarantulas and floating sky castles.

My bad. Please excuse me whilst I fast forward my nation by a century or two.

[Pepperm1nts]

You mean 'remind' :P

EDIT: Or not..

[Tatsua Aiisen]

SyrianHamster said
I think I just confused with how advanced steampunk was supposed to be. I thought steam mechs, giant floating battleships etc were the modern day technological translation, as opposed to a heavily beefed up 1890+ time period. For example, in the real world 2014, Britain relies on the Challenger 2 main battle tank to power its way through an enemy line, but steampunk world 2014, Britain relies on huge crawling tarantulas and floating sky castles. My bad. Please excuse me whilst I fast forward my nation by a century or two.

I actually liked your nation as is. Also, you're in a state of political turmoil from what I read. Your technology would likely be more stunted than, say, the Free City of Goug, where creation and innovation are all that really matters on a day-to-day basis.

[Katabasis]

Well, until a solid decision is made on how advanced the technology in this RP will be I suppose I'll delay my progress on my FS, as I only have the military section left. Honestly, I'm alright with going for basic or advanced steampunk, but the original post made it seem like we were going for a more basic, realistic, 1860s-ish vibe. I may be wrong, as I obviously can't read the GM's mind, but that was just the impression I got.

Anyway, yeah, I'll wait for a decision to be made and then tailor my nation to fit in more. No matter what, though, I'd really like to have bolt-action rifles, even if they're relatively new and not widespread.

[SyrianHamster]

Tatsua Aiisen said
I actually liked your nation as is. Also, you're in a state of political turmoil from what I read. Your technology would likely be more stunted than, say, the Free City of Goug, where creation and innovation are all that really matters on a day-to-day basis.

Yeah I guess you're right. I'll leave things as they are, It would make sense that my country boasted third-world technology.

Okie dokie :D Thanks.

[Tatsua Aiisen]

Katabasis said
Well, until a solid decision is made on how advanced the technology in this RP will be I suppose I'll delay my progress on my FS, as I only have the military section left.

Similarly to this, I'm going to focus on developing my non-military sections and wait to add the military section when things have cooled down a little.

SyrianHamster said
Yeah I guess you're right. I'll leave things as they are, It would make sense that my country boasted third-world technology. Okie dokie :D Thanks.

No problem! I was just expressing my opinion~