Alpha Centauri 2 - New Faction Concepts Inspired by Beyond Earth

[Trenacker]

Ridiculous.  Qin originated in the mountains.  Their major engineering plans consisted of irrigation, not mere flood control.  Chinese unification may be unique but imperial consolidation is not.

Irrigation is a form of hydraulic engineering. The Qin built many canals to support their military campaigns, including the Wei River canal.

Building projects of the scale pursued by the Qin required a bureaucracy that was essentially absent from medieval Europe. The emperor's control of canal revenues partially enabled him to stifle alternative industries.

You should read the Dusan Code and get back to me.  Change of hands at the top is hardly indicative of instability elsewhere, anymore than a temporary fever in the head indicates a problem in the bowels.

You may be assured that Orthodoxy was imposed on all Byzantine territories throughout the middle-east and Africa, a feat not achieved by Islam even today, save by Turkey when the Christians left in the 1900's.

The very reason that the Byzantine empire lost so much ground so quickly was the absence of unity and common sentiment. The Byzantines ruled over many constituent peoples, many of which were essentially antagonistic to their rule, including Armenians, Jews, and Lombards, to name just a few.

The empire wasn't merely unable at the top; it was unstable as a general rule, facing constant rebellion and fragmentation at the margins that reflects precisely the lack of effective control.

What, exactly, is your argument? What are you trying to prove?

[BlaneckW]

The very reason that the Byzantine empire lost so much ground so quickly was the absence of unity and common sentiment.

They lasted more than a thousand years, when overthrown by the Latins were restored by their own constituents, and the territories conquered by the Turks remained Christian.

[Trenacker]

They lasted more than a thousand years, when overthrown by the Latins were restored by their own constituents, and the territories conquered by the Turks remained Christian.

What does that have to do with totalitarianism?

The Byzantine Empire was, by 1096, so weak that it could not enforce terms on the incoming Latins. Like the Crusader States, its survival owed in large part to the fractious character of intra-Arab relations.

The Byzantine Empire once ruled over Egypt, Syria, Palestine, North Africa, the Balkans, and much of Italy.

Egypt, Syria, North Africa, and Palestine did not remain Christian. In the Balkans, the Croats became Catholics. So, too, the Italians.

[BlaneckW]

Egypt, Syria, North Africa, and Palestine did not remain Christian. In the Balkans, the Croats became Catholics. So, too, the Italians.

Do not boast to me of the Italians.  The Glory of Byzantium lives on in the Ottoman Empire and Russia.

[NewAgeOfPower]

This topic is very interesting, but off topic.

[Trenacker]

We welcome your on-topic contributions. 

[Trenacker]

Does anybody have any advice on where to go to find additional techs for the tech tree?

[BlaneckW]

Does anybody have any advice on where to go to find additional techs for the tech tree?

Just nuke everything, everything will blow up long before we reach singularity.

[Buster's Uncle]

Does anybody have any helpful advice on where to go to find additional techs for the tech tree?

[BlaneckW]

Nuclear weaponry should be an early tech.  Nuke scout, nuke rover, nuke tanks, etc.  At least if you want to be realistic; nuclear weaponry is already well-researched from earth times.  It would make combat more interesting too.  One hit, two hit, three hit, KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZWSMoE3A5DI#t=195

[Geo]

Does anybody have any helpful advice on where to go to find additional techs for the tech tree?

 

It depends on the setting, era, and direction to take. Without those, helpful advise is nearly impossible.

[NewAgeOfPower]

Nuclear weaponry should be an early tech.  Nuke scout, nuke rover, nuke tanks, etc.  At least if you want to be realistic; nuclear weaponry is already well-researched from earth times.  It would make combat more interesting too.  One hit, two hit, three hit, KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZWSMoE3A5DI#t=195

On Earth, Uranium is over 200 times more common than gold. Almost every nation can get yellowcake.

On Alpha Centauri or some other world, it may be far more difficult to mine Uranium and make nukes.

That being said, a nuclear warhead itself is pretty cheap. The W56 nuclear warhead cost less than half as much as a main battle tank, although the delivery vehicle (missile, aircraft, or submarine) cost quite a bit more.

[Vishniac]

If you want to go off topic with nukes, do it with style!

In my dedicated thread in exemple:
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=7285.0
 

(This post was brought to you by the Comitee for Nuclear First Strike)

[Buster's Uncle]

We just ain't right in our heads sometimes...

[Trenacker]

I'm talking mostly about plausible, "near-term" futures and technologies proposed by leading futurists. I'd like to focus on the next 50 years, if at all possible.

I like the nuke idea.

As you know, SMAC usually assigned technologies to one (or, very occasionally, two) "bucket(s)" linked to gameplay imperatives: Build, Discover, Explore, and Conquer. I've added Command, reflecting the need to effectively manage one's own society as well as influence others. I'd be open to further suggestions.

New technologies added to the tech tree so far: Informatics (Discover, Level 1), Doctrine: Counter-Insurgency (Conquer, Level 1), C41 (Command, Level 1), Doctrine: Fear (Command, Level 1), Centauri Biology (Discover, Level 1), Centauri Geology (Discover, Level 1), Peltier Plates (Build, Level 2), "Self-Healing" Solids (Build, Level 2), 3D Printing (Build, Level 2), Ablative Coatings, (Conquer, Level 2), Cell Therapy (Discover, Level 2), Network Warfare (Conquer, Level 2), Doctrine: Awareness (Explore, Level 2), Digital Surveillance (Command, Level 2), Centauri Chemistry (Discover, Level 2), Centauri Hydrology (Discover, Level 2), Small Modular Reactor (Conquer, Level 3), Combat Composites (Conquer, Level 3), "Self-Healing" Solids (Build, Level 3), Reactive Armors (Build, Level 3), Hydraulic Fracking (Build, Level 3), Microfission (Conquer, Level 4), Predictive Surveillance (Command, Level 4), Sousveillance (Command, Level 4), Centauri Aquaculture (Discover, Level 4).

Any further suggestions? I figure that SMR's and Microfission cover the "miniaturizes nukes" space.