Red Kings: A Total Martian Conversion

[Parha]

How about something less blatantly rip-off-y but still pretty much based on the same premise:

Maybe there could be a religion-like Transhumanist movement that is considered too radical and unethical by everyone else and is heavy with AIs and augmentations. Something that aims to reach the "Singularity" that will lead Humanity to its next incarnation, or something equally cyberpunky. They could even have a unique culture. However I'm not really sure about what technology level this setting has, so I can't tell if they would fit on Mars.

That actually could be a great counterpoint to the UN's Humanism. While they try and keep the Human race alive and in check 'morally', this other movement pops up saying that modifying yourself with machinery is just the next step in evolution. About the whole Lojban issue, I'll have to do some more research into it and the Eastern religions.

 

[Cuporly666]

Is Japan not meant to be one of the countries that colonized Mars? Wondering since I don't see a Japanese culture or Shinto religion

 

[IamOzymandias]

First of all I would like to ask are the oceans of Mars salt water or fresh water? I ask because the salinity of earth's oceans relies primarily on minerals released from under sea vents and the tears of misunderstood sharks. Seeing as Mars lacks both extensive tectonic activity and depressed aquatic life, it stands to reason that any salt water would have to come about due to earth intervention, perhaps with the aims of creating farms for salt water fish.

Now, as for this tech cult idea, I proposed in the last thread that earth despite not being able to contact the colonie might seek to send care packages to Mars with the hope that the Martians will receive it, resulting in cargo cults. The Martians might not know how to use the items sent, but they would recognize the style of the vessel which delivered the cargo as similar to that of the ruins of old Mars. Try come to the conclusion that either their ancestors sent them the care package, or some kind of God or gods built the old ruins and sent them the cargo as a sign that they are the chosen ones. Maybe a character with exceptionally high stats would be able to figure out how to work the technology, resulting in a shift in the economic and political landscape of Mars.

 

[Parha]

Is Japan not meant to be one of the countries that colonized Mars? Wondering since I don't see a Japanese culture or Shinto religion

Seeing as they are mainly Islander people it would make sense for them to be included as refugees. I think I accidentally removed them whilst updating the front page, I'll try and change it back tomorrow.

First of all I would like to ask are the oceans of Mars salt water or fresh water? I ask because the salinity of earth's oceans relies primarily on minerals released from under sea vents and the tears of misunderstood sharks. Seeing as Mars lacks both extensive tectonic activity and depressed aquatic life, it stands to reason that any salt water would have to come about due to earth intervention, perhaps with the aims of creating farms for salt water fish.

Now, as for this tech cult idea, I proposed in the last thread that earth despite not being able to contact the colonie might seek to send care packages to Mars with the hope that the Martians will receive it, resulting in cargo cults. The Martians might not know how to use the items sent, but they would recognize the style of the vessel which delivered the cargo as similar to that of the ruins of old Mars. Try come to the conclusion that either their ancestors sent them the care package, or some kind of God or gods built the old ruins and sent them the cargo as a sign that they are the chosen ones. Maybe a character with exceptionally high stats would be able to figure out how to work the technology, resulting in a shift in the economic and political landscape of Mars.

I'm afraid I haven't been able to put that much effort into research on terraforming Mars, so consider the ocean issue up in the air for now. The problem I have with your cargo idea is that in the current Lore, Earth is basically Fallout in most areas and they've mostly given up Mars for dead. There are a few who still know that the colony survives, such as the Lord Commander of the NASAns, but they don't really have the resources to send a care package. That said, the Eartherns will eventually get their stuff together and start looking back towards the Moon and Mars as a new home due to Earth being seriously F-ed up.

Tales of Red Lands update: Currently working on fixing up the last one (I'm looking back on it and feeling kinda' bad about posting writing so crappy. Please forgive me, I stayed up the night before studying.). I'll edit it tonight with my changes and new parts, and I have a NASAn one I'm working on. Hoping to get it and a dev diary about the Esperanto system out this weekend.

EDIT: Can't finish the Tales tonight, I'm sorry. Currently keeping my eyes on the news.

 

[IamOzymandias]

I'm afraid I haven't been able to put that much effort into research on terraforming Mars, so consider the ocean issue up in the air for now. The problem I have with your cargo idea is that in the current Lore, Earth is basically Fallout in most areas and they've mostly given up Mars for dead. There are a few who still know that the colony survives, such as the Lord Commander of the NASAns, but they don't really have the resources to send a care package. That said, the Eartherns will eventually get their stuff together and start looking back towards the Moon and Mars as a new home due to Earth being seriously F-ed up.

Even in Fallout they have left over rockets. In New Vegas there is a quest line about sending a group of ghouls into space, and I think they had left over missiles as well, and in Star Trek lore, the first warp engined vehicle was built in the aftermath of the Third World War. I don't think it should be something technologically advanced, simply something like a Mercury capsule filled with seeds and fertilizer. It could be a one time event (maybe heralding earth's invasion of Mars, like when the Aztecs show up and try to trade), or an event that is extremely unlikely to happen ( a la the devil spawned event in the base game). After all, if humans on Mars are thinking about earth, it stands to reason that humans on earth would wonder about the remnants of the old Martian colony.

 

[Castorem]

I'm curious how this turns out, looks promising.

 

[richvh]

After decades of bombardment with iceballs mined from Saturn's rings had flooded the low-lying Martian northern hemisphere and more decades of solar powered electrolysis plants releasing oxygen, Mars finally had a breathable atmosphere and colonization could proceed in earnest. However, hardly had the various national and international colonization programs gotten more than a foothold on Mars than two events occurred that no one had anticipated.

First, a well-financed terrorist group managed to take control of, and reactivate, the mass drivers in Saturn orbit. This time the target was Earth itself. The devastation and political repercussions would at first accelerate the colonization process, as refugees from low lying coastal areas devastated by ocean strikes were shipped to Mars (many in overburdened and undersupplied vessels, resulting in many deaths in transit) and later cut off all support for the nascent colonies.

Second, the decades long bombardment had awakened a magma plume under Olympus Mons. The devastation from its eruption had long term consequences nearly equal to the refugee influx and cut off of all aid.

Encyclopedia Martis, Helium, 2525

 

[Parha]

I'm curious how this turns out, looks promising.

I am too! The mod is very much a work in progress, and there are just so many tiny details that have to be fitted in.

After decades of bombardment with iceballs mined from Saturn's rings had flooded the low-lying Martian northern hemisphere and more decades of solar powered electrolysis plants releasing oxygen, Mars finally had a breathable atmosphere and colonization could proceed in earnest. However, hardly had the various national and international colonization programs gotten more than a foothold on Mars than two events occurred that no one had anticipated.

First, a well-financed terrorist group managed to take control of, and reactivate, the mass drivers in Saturn orbit. This time the target was Earth itself. The devastation and political repercussions would at first accelerate the colonization process, as refugees from low lying coastal areas devastated by ocean strikes were shipped to Mars (many in overburdened and undersupplied vessels, resulting in many deaths in transit) and later cut off all support for the nascent colonies.

Second, the decades long bombardment had awakened a magma plume under Olympus Mons. The devastation from its eruption had long term consequences nearly equal to the refugee influx and cut off of all aid.

Encyclopedia Martis, Helium, 2525

If you wrote that yourself, great job! If you didn't could you tell me where you got it from? It looks very interesting, and I would like to read more from its source. The terrorist angle is cool. and there are a lot of possibilities there. What were their motivations, religious or ideological? Where did they get that money? What were their plans after destroying earth? I think if we could flesh them out, they would be a great edition to the Earthern invasion. Also, perhaps the province of Helium could be somewhat like a great Alexandrian library, where information like that comes from.

 

[richvh]

I wrote it myself.

As for where they got their money and what their motivations were, I'll leave that up to you as it's your world. It could be religious fanatics (Islamic, Christian or other), anarchists, revolting Belters... chances are the compilers of the Encyclopedia Martis do not know, due to the loss of communications with Earth and the Dark Age of Mars that followed the disasters.

 

[Parha]

I wrote it myself.

As for where they got their money and what their motivations were, I'll leave that up to you as it's your world. It could be religious fanatics (Islamic, Christian or other), anarchists, revolting Belters... chances are the compilers of the Encyclopedia Martis do not know, due to the loss of communications with Earth and the Dark Age of Mars that followed the disasters.

Thank you very much for contributing that, It is defintley something I would like to expand upon. Perhaps it could even be an ingame decision to search through it and read the stories, somewhat similar to AGOT's white book I guess. It would help with the story/lore driven events planned.

 

[ju44]

Thank you very much for contributing that, It is defintley something I would like to expand upon. Perhaps it could even be an ingame decision to search through it and read the stories, somewhat similar to AGOT's white book I guess. It would help with the story/lore driven events planned.

That might be the best idea I've ever heard. I wish I could like your post more than once!

 

[Parha]

That might be the best idea I've ever heard. I wish I could like your post more than once!

<3. Currently updating the front page to match the new story plans and include Transhumanists. You guys can probably check back on it in five minutes.

EDIT THOUGHT: Why is it exactly that we have combined Islam, yet Orthodox and Catholicism stay separate? I personally think that Shia and Sunni have much more differences, so should we switch the situation around? Perhaps we could have a new Chalcedonian, which could split again into the two.

 

[ju44]

Also, with humanists, will we see things to represent their political ideologies?

 

[Parha]

Also, with humanists, will we see things to represent their political ideologies?

Political Ideologies? I'm not sure if you mean the difference between the regulars and cyborg ones, but if so then they are separate religions. If you mean ancestral traits, then each person in the Humanist group gets a trait showing what their ancestors believed in. If a humanist is independent they can choose to revert to that group. Upon taking that decision, an event prompts them asking which specific religion to pick. Speaking of which, here's a simplified list of the religions. NOTE still fluid as a waterdancer, not like the hack and slash of the Westerosi.

Spoiler: List

Christian
Chalcedonain
Protestant
Sovite
Stellarum

Islam
Shi'i
Sunni
Wahhabism

Judaism
Judaisim

Persian
Baha'i
Zoroastrain

Eastern-Dharmic
Hindu
Buddhist
Sikh
Chineese

UN
Humanist
Transhumanist

New Age
Wicca
The Living Force
UFOlogist

Martian
Olympain
NASAn
Children of the Stars
Cyldonian
Cult of Mars
Athenite
Souls

Indigenous
Dreamtime
Andamanese
Shamanistic

 

[ju44]

What I mean is actual ideologies, i.g. conservative, socialist, liberal, fascist, etc., perhaps as other traits. I imagine the UN would have a parliamentary system and in a parliamentary system political ideologies form into parties rather quickly.

 

[Parha]

What I mean is actual ideologies, i.g. conservative, socialist, liberal, fascist, etc., perhaps as other traits. I imagine the UN would have a parliamentary system and in a parliamentary system political ideologies form into parties rather quickly.

Hmm, that's hard to consider. It could be interesting to do a vote like the Ironborn in AGOT have, or elections in COTC. This is just spitballing here as the system would be very complex, but say each nation under UN control had a province modifier to show its leanings. If these were tallied up (no plan how to do that), then however was holding the landless county title of party head would win the head of the UN, forgetting the name right now because brain don't work when sleepy.

 

[Alexmathss]

Hmm, that's hard to consider. It could be interesting to do a vote like the Ironborn in AGOT have, or elections in COTC. This is just spitballing here as the system would be very complex, but say each nation under UN control had a province modifier to show its leanings. If these were tallied up (no plan how to do that), then however was holding the landless county title of party head would win the head of the UN, forgetting the name right now because brain don't work when sleepy.

maybe tie it to a government so other democratic countries could get it. also add a similar system to the trade companies if you do this, or at least the more democratic ones.

 

[ju44]

Hmm, that's hard to consider. It could be interesting to do a vote like the Ironborn in AGOT have, or elections in COTC. This is just spitballing here as the system would be very complex, but say each nation under UN control had a province modifier to show its leanings. If these were tallied up (no plan how to do that), then however was holding the landless county title of party head would win the head of the UN, forgetting the name right now because brain don't work when sleepy.

That should probably be a future plan nonetheless since coding real elections are REALLY difficult.

 

[Parha]

Update: Currently fixing Esperanto systems and working on Humanistic Heritage

Showerthoughts

• Every two years or so, dust storms could come through and wreck havoc on solar power farms and food production, leading to massive province reductions in supply limits and taxes
• Radiation is going to be a big deal, so most people will have to be underground which could lead to them being much more prone to diseases due to such close quarters. To avoid this, the rich can afford to build compounds and such on the surface which have heavy plating to ward off the radiation
• Cannibals could be a fun group to include in the Red Plains
• The UN can have a set of decisions to show polices they want to enact
• The Olympians have established a monarchy, and are a generally Italian-Greek-Turkish melting pot. Their religion draws heavily from both Hellenic and Islamic theology, where they believe each King is a sort of Prophet. They say that monarchs are representatives of the multiple Gods forged together as one, and can set major theological decisions
• People should probably live longer, atleast to ~110 on average. This could be made fun if we reduced fertility and made more character flavor decisions, events, and traits.
• I defintley want to see if CotC's homosexual marriage system could be implemented, as it would help reduce childbirths overall in the game and compensate for longer life spans
• There could be a small amount of colonists from an old Lunar colony, possibly with unique cultures]
• Lifestyles need a minor overhaul; Perhaps diplomacy is Negotiation/Debating and Charisma (Replacement for seduction). Martial is Strategy and Brawling. Stewardship is Economics and Ruling (Pretty much same as vanilla). Intrigue is Networking (Working with criminal underworld) and Subterfuge (more personal). Learning is Philosophy and Historical Studies.

 

[ju44]

Defines.lua makes it possible to change when people die, however I'm unsure what numbers could be used to make most people live to 110.