Creation of Centuries: A civilization RP. (Chronic backstabbing disorder prevalent) - Games

Creation of Centuries: A civilization RP. (Chronic backstabbing disorder prevalent)

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[QUOTE=Griffster26;43956887]We got a start date?[/QUOTE] 1840?

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;43959486]1840?[/QUOTE] Sounds good

Is everybody wanting to do 1840, five years per turn then?

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;43964585]Is everybody wanting to do 1840, five years per turn then?[/QUOTE] Alright, yes, fine, but I still want a new CoC at some point.

The following turns are due in: Mallow234 – Phoenician Federation Satansick – Zulu Empire Crossu88 – Xerxes Mackalda2k6 – The Eastern Empire VOSK – La Plata CapLaPorte – The Kingdom of Romania Bumbanut - Khoffler Republic [Seed Eater] – Laurentia

im in

[B]IT BEGINS[/B]

[QUOTE=KingArcher;44556345][B]IT BEGINS[/B][/QUOTE] Good fucking luck coming back as the Caliphate

MMMM BOI

The merchant is back

[QUOTE=Mallow234;44559139]The merchant is back[/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT5OO3eCv5w[/media]

Crossu88 – Xerxes Mackalda2k6 – The Eastern Empire VOSK – La Plata CapLaPorte – The Kingdom of Romania Bumbanut - Khoffler Republic

Give me a little bit more time to write the turn, I screwed up some of my fingers so it takes a little more time to write.

Only these guys left: VOSK – La Plata CapLaPorte – The Kingdom of Romania Bumbanut - Khoffler Republic Idk if they are still playing or not.

I am. Ill send it today.

La Plata es in.

Whoa, didn't realize this was going to be revived so soon. Perhaps I should actually rejoin this time around.

[QUOTE=kamikaze470;44580844]Whoa, didn't realize this was going to be revived so soon. Perhaps I should actually rejoin this time around.[/QUOTE] [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIhCLMIRZUE/Uk1n7dSat3I/AAAAAAAAH-E/eHifkOKhkpo/s1600/mormon-missionaries.jpg[/img] Don't forget to convert into Waifuism!

Sobot said it should be out tonight.

Today, on the 18th/19th of April, we will witness the resurrection of Sobotnik's Creation of Centuries. Today on the date of Good Friday/Good Saturday. If it was Easter Sunday, then it would all fit together. It has been 3 months since the last turn. Let us celebrate the resurrection of CoC from the dead!

Turn is almost done, just finishing up the map and music now.

[QUOTE=Damian0358;44583008]Today, on the 18th/19th of April, we will witness the resurrection of Sobotnik's Creation of Centuries. Today on the date of Good Friday/Good Saturday. If it was Easter Sunday, then it would all fit together. It has been 3 months since the last turn. Let us celebrate the resurrection of CoC from the dead![/QUOTE] Praise our lord Brian

[i]I think God's going to come down and pull civilization over for speeding.[/i] [img_thumb]http://i.cubeupload.com/Umz5hn.png[/img_thumb] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dazGL3lydo[/media] Events of the years 1060 to 1080: Europe: -As the world continues to move forward into the modern industrial era, it is becoming increasingly clear that an old world has been permanently lost. The growth of the moneyed middle classes and the labouring factory workers has led to whole new cultures and new social and economic inequalities. Trade unions, social clubs, tea rooms, libraries, coffeehouses, cooperatives, and a great deal of other social organisations have exploded in number, while the number of newspapers continues to proliferate. In some countries (the ones which adopted democratic institutions), there has been a move towards greater political participation and awareness. Parties are growing in size and appeal to ever growing numbers of voters. Politicians begin to be selected for sociopathic traits instead of wealth or land ownership, resulting in political institutions becoming gradually able to deal with the rapid social and economic change currently underway as more difficult decisions are taken. Academia and the civil service have stepped in and begin to exponentially grow, slowly building the new order that the industrial revolution has made possible. This is most evident in Greece, Wapan, Phoenicia, and Bohemia, where modern state apparatus have begun to expand rapidly in scope and scale. -Another great calamity of diseases has begun to spread once more. Industrialization has forced vast scores of people together into dirty and smelly cities, filled with all sorts of breeding grounds for nasty diseases. The often unregulated nature of construction, the lack of policing forces, poverty, and industrial misery has of course led to the problem getting even worse. Brothels are aplenty, along with criminal networks, petty violence, venereal diseases, cholera, smallpox, plague, flus, and dysentery. Some countries have responded to these with alarm, by starting to work on ambitious sanitation systems and metropolitan police forces. The changes wrought by the industrial revolution dig deeply, and many worry if people can ultimately adapt to and survive in this new world they have created. -New political ideologies have sprouted up like mushrooms, all finding excellent readership and loyalty in the papers and academic institutions. In the chaos created by the industrial revolution, they all clamour for one thing – power. It does not matter the colour of the flag, or the message of their songs. Most of these new parties and groups seek increased clout, autonomy, or their share of money generated via taxation. By promising their chosen supporting demographic that they can manipulate political institutions enough that they can ensure good returns, there is a clear way to power. Titles gradually grow into agencies, growing and having a bigger impact on people’s lives. The state is beyond being merely a few buildings and an army. -Weissen continues her expansion of influence over the Germanies. By this point, all German states (with the exception of Lugii and Arhonia) are under some form of direct influence. Even Lugii is fiercely contested between Bohemia and Weissen, both countries trying to take advantage of the ambiguous ethnic composition of the country. Fortifications and military camps are being built on either side of the border, and large numbers of advisors and specialists head into various countries to entice them to join their side. France is still deeply hostile, but is unwilling to move into a major conflict with Weissen again, unless they have the support of an ally. Weissen too is unwilling to go to war, for fear of a war on several fronts. They make moves through the German Customs Union and other intergovernmental organizations, in the hope of achieving unification peacefully. In 1079, the German Confederation is formed, consisting of all German states (with the notable exceptions of Arhonia and Lugii). Weissen is pressing heavily for Lugii to join, and threatens military action if Bohemia blocks Lugii applying to join the German Confederation. -Refrigeration continues to develop, but due to the energy expenditure and the size of the machinery involved, they are only used in few food processing plants and ships, or in hospitals. Keeping cool is something essential, because due to a recent increase in solar activity and concentration of greenhouse gases in the skies, the world is gradually starting to warm up. For now, it is relatively slow, but over the course of a lifetime the main effects so far is in the gradual moving of the treeline north and retreat of glaciers. -The ailing Spanish have gradually lost control of the peripheries of their empire. Misiryaban erupts into rebellion, and the underpaid and homesick soldiers are outmanoeuvred and often besieged or captured by revolutionaries. The Spanish government is beset by a crisis of authority as arguments with the church and other religious matters come to the fray. The state eventually turns back to the Iberian pope once more after flirting with Aquinism. Unfortunately, this does not placate the populace. With protests and widespread strikes, the country stagnates and sees little in the way of development. Relations with Portugal are hardly improved, and radical political groups are popular. Far right ultra-traditionalists stress the need for an authoritarian ruler to restore order to Spain, while those on the left argue for freedom and/or equality. Political divisions deepen and violence slowly grows. [img]http://i.imgur.com/E0QwGpW.jpg[/img] [i]An early Bohemian Airship.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=462795&dateline=1358155119[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/1TkTwz.png[/img] [b]Damian0358 – Kingdom of Bohemia Capital: Praha Culture: Bohemian (Slavic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -With continued advances in science and technology, at last some of the wildest dreams of early humans have been fulfilled, as humans begin to ascend into the heavens like gods. A particularly eccentric engineer worked on a hot air balloon model in order to make it possible to fly regardless of where the wind blew. By filling the balloon with hydrogen and making it into the shape of a giant cigar, followed by putting a small steam engine with propellers underneath, he created a weak but functional airship. His first flight takes him from Vrocislav along a railway line, before setting down after running out of fuel. It takes him an hour to cover a distance of nine kilometres, but the concept is sound. The Bohemian military immediately hires him and begins to set up workshops to manufacture them. Due to the heaviness of steam engines, and due to the Carbon Dioxide cylinders being too difficult to replace in battle, pedal power is used for these blimps. A team of 8 men will pedal the balloon through the skies with a payload of bombs. Besides observation and dropping a few firebombs, they are little much else use. -With the Empires continued expansion into the New World, many have felt the Wapanese name of “Hanajia” is lacking. It is officially renamed "Emerika", named after the man who colonized Brazil, Emerik Gelerovic. This creates somewhat a problem for many cartographers. To further put the new acquisitions on the map, the colony of Teksas is established, while the one in Southeast Asia is called Papuja. -Teksas itself is the newest of the colonial acquisitions. Situated North of the Mexica and to the west of Plaquemine, it is in good land for pasture. Unfortunately, being in the area where both native countries have little authority, and where trade is common, there are a lot of criminal and vigilante gangs, raiders, skirmishing armies, and occasional outbreaks of warfare. The Nahutal and Taensa dispute this region already, and the arrival of several hundred Slavs had compounded the situation. The Bohemians immediately set to work on rearing livestock and growing cash crops such as cotton. Livestock is often stolen, forcing the Bohemians to rely heavily on the new forts being built or on vigilante groups. Some Bohemians find that selling firearms is easier than growing crops, and shortly conflict escalates even more. Finally, a Bohemian company planning on construction of a railway is horrified to find their surveyors murdered and scalped, and demands that the colonial army intervene. -With tensions between the Empire and Xerxes rising, fortifications are built at great expense throughout the colonies of Brazil and Teksas. Most of these fortifications are built with sweeping and wide areas with no obstacles, so as to provide a clear line of fire for rifles. This is also hoped to prevent guerrillas using vegetation cover. -With the recent and severe depression of European agriculture, the Empire has taken a number of steps to alleviate the woes of the peasantry and to revive her stagnant economy. Firstly, a new act is passed to halt rural emigration. By subsidizing smaller farms and providing low interest rate loans, along with intervening more in legal disputes between landlords and tenants, the worst crisis is ended. Smallholder farmers stop moving away and begin to gradually diversify by moving into different areas. The improvement of infrastructure means that those able to cling on until now can reap the profits of selling fresh dairy to nearby cities, while fruit orchards, wineries, vegetable farms, etc are set up. While not a recovery, the policy is slowing down the proliferation of slums and sweatshops in the major cities. -The armaments industry has received a massive boost too. Eager to expand the colonial military and to have stockpiles of firearms ready in case of war, the Bohemians have set up contracts with many businessmen to set up factories to mass produce rifles. Of course, being businessmen, many of these guns end up being sold in Emerika, while narcotics, sex slaves, and chocolate bars end up flowing in the other direction. -Slavicisation of Lugii is made a priority. Using political pressure and some well-timed loans, Lugii begins to reform their education system, most notably only providing materials in Slavic languages and discouraging children from using German. Somewhat unpopular, it is deeply detested by the German minority in the country, who protest the decision. For now however, they are in a minority, and most of the population is indifferent. The Bohemians follow up by building heavy fortifications along the border that Lugii and Bohemia share with Weissen, and also sending military reformers to the country. Weissen reacts very poorly to this, and begins to interevene even more, using more diplomatic threats and economic sanctions to force Bohemia to back off. When this does not go as planned, Weissen conducts large military exercise on the border of Lugii. They then pressure Lugii into applying to the German Confederation, and tell Bohemia that if they block the ascension, then they will escalate the matter. -Bohemia then declares the Spanish decision of converting to Aquinism as an "attempt to rid themselves of their Communist Pope". In the eyes of Orthodox Aquinism, the Spanish Aquinism is seen a sect of Iberianism, controlled by the state church. Eyes then later look upon the Bohemians when they are discovered supporting missionary activity in Misiryaban, souring relations with Muslims. -As relations with Xerxes worsen, the Parliament goes over numerous debates. The modernizing and rapidly expanding Native Emerikan Empire is hampering colonial efforts and creating a threat to the whole of Brazil. War plans are discussed, and propaganda leaflets distributed throughout Xerxes (unfortunately, due to translations errors and poor literacy rates, the leaflets do not work as intended). The colonists of Brazil are angry enough, and after a final debate, they decide to declare war on Xerxes. -A number of the new airships are brought over to Brazil to assist in the war, although due to logistics problems they have a small range of around 10 kilometres. They sail gracefully around the borderland areas of Xerxes, dropping firebombs on people’s houses, farms, plantations, warehouses, any railway lines, and patches of forest or grassland. While causing few casualties, the first initial attacks are successful at destroying a lot of crops and buildings. Unfortunately, when the Xerxes army begins to take potshots at the airships with guns (imported rifles are later brought down) and to mitigate the threat posed by the bombs with firefighting teams, the airships quickly become unable to repeat their earlier success. They revert to an observation role. While effective at scouting areas with low or little vegetation, they have become not worth much else in the conflict. Occasionally they still support skirmishing forces on the ground, where several of them in tandem can completely destroy a base or a village, with towns becoming heavily damaged. Again, the limited range also limits their effectiveness. -The “war” with Xerxes is still pretty limited. Although there are official embargoes in place, merchant shipping regularly flouts this, often by trading in the growing boom town of Tensas, where both Bohemians and Xerxan traders meet. In Brazil itself, most conflict is limited to small scale raids, with both parties using skirmishers, vigilantes, criminal gangs, natives, and civilians in the war. It is limited as well, mostly to the borderlands where populations are low. The Bohemian strategy of trying to flush out the enemy with airships largely fails, while Xerxes is unwilling to conduct a major campaign into Brazil. Despite this, the rapidly growing Xerxan military presence is pushing the raids closer to the developed parts of Brazil, although this has brought them in the range of the airships. -Xerxes decides that an invasion in response to the Bohemians is a good idea. Using tricks to inflate the apparent number of soldiers on the march (by pitching extra tents, lighting more campfires, etc) they are able to initially trick the Bohemian army into thinking that a major assault was to take place on the capital of Brazil. However, to get the mock invasion force nearby, this required taking out or bypassing several outposts. At the first outpost however, an airship team was able to take off before the Xerxes soldiers could catch them, the airship carrying vital information on Xerxen army movements. Realizing that letting them go would ruin the plan, an advance guard chased after them to stop the crew before they reached a telegraph station. This lasted for several days, with the airship team taking turns and dodging bullets. Leakage of gas became a major problem towards the end of the flight, with two men landing to sacrifice themselves. They reached the telegraph station in time and messaged back about the phony invasion plan due in three days. The Bohemians quickly put their men back onto the railways and sent them to the border outposts. -Xerxes invades a wide stretch of land in the northwest of the colony, unaware of the reinforcements. Many of the frontline soldiers are gunned down by Bohemians, and their cavalry devastated. Forced to retreat, the Bohemians press the advantage by moving out of their trenches and fortifications out into open sugarcane fields. There, the Xerxen forces shell the Bohemians with their famous Relámpago strategy being employed. Cavalry and infantry forces broke through shortly afterwards and pushed back the Bohemians, although with severe losses. The war comes to a stalemate, although the borderlands are suitably devastated. The Xerxen attempts to break through are often foiled by the Bohemians use of railways and airships to give forward information. The Xerxen focus on decentralized warfare and rapid movement is good for warfare in the homeland, but as a way to push the fight into enemy lands it is exceedingly lacking. The plan requires that the Xerxen forces can resupply and convey orders faster than their foes, and unfortunately, the Bohemians have superiority in both. Railways and telegraph favour the defensive, and the use of airships is cited by many as helping to save the Bohemian colony. [img]http://i.imgur.com/cs9FzHQ.jpg[/img] [i]The Greek colonial army in Indonesia, testing their new machine gun.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=193052&dateline=1296445519[/img][img]http://u.cubeupload.com/Mackalda2k6/EasternFlag.png[/img] [b]Mackalda2k6 – The Eastern Empire Capital: Byzantium Culture: Greek (Hellenic) State Religion: Christianity (Aquinism) [/b] -While firearms have existed for centuries, and numerous attempts have been made to improve them, until recently nobody has really thought about the wasted energy of the recoil action in the gun. While the laws of motion have been developed years before as well, (every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction) and incorporated into firearm design, it has taken until now for somebody to think of a way to exploit that energy. By using this energy to eject the spent cartridge and then to chamber another round before firing, it reduces the labour intensive task of reloading a gun. In turn, if sufficiently designed, one can fire indefinitely as long as the gun has a steady supply of bullets and the barrel kept cool. The first such model developed can fire around 600 bullets a minute. It is initially treated as a light artillery piece, being mounted on a gun carriage and used in conjunction with light field guns and requiring a team to maintain and operate the machine. However, it is lightweight and mobile enough to mount on-board a ship, railway wagon, or a cart if so desired. -Contests are launched among military contractors to develop improved rifles, artillery, and ships. They do manage to introduce a number of various improvements, but few overhaul the already existing equipment. Telegraphy equipment, navigational aids, mechanical calculators, telescopic sights, carbines, sniper rifles, electrical lighting, torpedo belts, etc are some of the many recent improvements. The ships of the Empire proceed to then patrol the seas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, protecting trade and being readily available in case of a political crisis, rebellion, or war that needs attending to. The Greeks have also bought most of the islands of the Pacific currently held by Phoenicia, in return for free access through the Suez and naval bashing rights. This in turn helps the Greeks to possess a nearly global presence, if at a significant cost. -A colonial military force, armed with the new Hiram gun, lands in Timor. Using Majestic class SS Justinian, they island hop throughout Indonesia, using these new firearms and rifles to mow down and terrify the natives, before claiming the land and installing a colonial administration. In such a way they gradually add all of the islands between Timor and the new possessions bought from Phoenicia to their Empire. -To try and revive the sluggish economy, the government undertakes several measures. As Greek and Anatolian agriculture is lagging behind and poor, the government decides to buy up all of the land held by banks and rent out the land directly. The state also bails out several banks and tries to encourage venture capitalists to rent the land from them, with many of them using the land to build housing or industry or mining on. The state also shifts industrial subsidies to incentivize further investment in capital goods and weaponry production inside the country itself, and encourage the export of capital goods (which are immensely profitable). It is quickly discovered that being one of the few relatively developed economies, the Greeks can export capital goods to developing ones for high profits. Skilled workers are trained and hired to help develop these new industries too, and the Greeks begin to slowly diversify away from a focus on military ends. -Realizing that Egypt holds immense potential as well, several large public works projects including advanced irrigation are now underway, along with various large-scale urban projects aimed at cleaning up slum like conditions and providing better sanitation and transportation throughout the cities. Tram networks and suburban railways are built for the first time, while multitudes of horse-drawn bus companies, taxicabs, paved roads, street sweepers, etc are all introduced to make the streets clean and well built. Many of the older cities have slums and old housing demolished to make way for the new developments (including wide streets and council housing), with a lot of archaeological studies being conducted as well. Many artefacts from the days of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Israelites, and Turks are discovered, with many museums set up to hold these ancient objects. The old Phoenician city of Tyre is excavated too, shortly before half of it is flattened to make way for a new railway line. -Tariffs on steel are dropped entirely, encouraging steel manufacturers to export raw steel abroad. Of course, Weissen and Mann are also becoming major steel producers, this extra competition causing some problems as Greece tries to a major industrial power. -Greece hosts the World Series, inviting every other country to participate in the summer event throughout the Eastern Empire. They ensure that the event is well publicized and covered by the Eastern press, and expend a lot of effort on bringing the country together to celebrate the event and to support their national baseball team. Scores of people turn out for the events, and those that cannot attend see pictures of the game and articles in the newspapers the next morning. -The Greek Government purchases the Suez from the Egyptian devolved government, in the process helping to clear their debts, but becoming heavily indebted in the process. The Egyptians take advantage by going on a large spending spree, where they rapidly expand the miles of railway track in the country, reforming the army, and heading south into East Africa to claim more land and annexing the various Ethiopian chiefdoms that survived earlier wars with the Empire. -The number of trade partners continues to grow, with more contacts than ever established in Hanajia, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Since now the Eastern Empire has the strongest and influential navy, especially in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, they manage to coerce and bully most of India and Indochina into buying solely goods manufactured in the Empire. They sell them a lot of military equipment, capital goods, and other machinery and inventions so as to assist modernization. Drugs, alcohol, sugar, tobacco, and other luxuries often follow. In return, the Greeks often get various minerals, and start setting up plantations and factories in many of the major port cities. India sees the majority of investment and influence, with some cities swelling in size with Punjab, Bengal, Karnataka developing more modern armies and allowing the Greeks to build military forts and set up businesses (with preferential treatment) in their countries. The three powerful states have reached a stalemate however in their plans to dominate India, with Bengal and Karnataka both trying to take over Orissa. Tamil survives as a near puppet of Karnataka, that is, for now. India as a whole is of great importance to the Empire, for it produces a lot of raw iron ore and coal that can be manufactured into steel and sent back to the empire for export. The initial encouragement is for the businessmen in India to send the semi-processed iron to Greece, but with the influx of capital goods, they have begun to focus on native steel foundries. [img]http://i.imgur.com/xjegz08.jpg[/img] [i]Riga tower under construction.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=507230&dateline=1376613839[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/ijCHd9.png[/img] [b]StaleRye – The Baltic Entente Capital: Riga Culture: Livonian (Baltic) State Religion: Deism[/b] -A most curious invention has been introduced, the latest in the long line of developments in the science of physics. With this device, one can convert Morse code into electromagnetic radiation of the form of “radio waves”, which can travel considerable distances without the need for wires. We understand this to be the result of photons of differing energies having different frequencies and wavelengths. That is, the higher the frequency of some radiation source, the smaller the wavelength (and vice versa). Another recent experiment manages to begin shedding light on what we now call the “Electromagnetic spectrum”. On this spectrum, higher energies with short wavelengths have the ability to ionise atoms (removing electrons from the outer shell). The higher the energy, the more materials that the radiation can ionise, and also the more kinetic energy imparted to electrons. It is also discovered that by shining a high frequency light onto a charged metal sphere (from experimentation with radio equipment), that electrons will jump from the sphere. The first models of radio use large antennae to “catch” the waves, and use the energy of the waves themselves for the device. They are gradually improved upon, and eventually start to compete with the telegraph; with some models mobile enough to be building inside train carriages and ships. Of course, due to existing infrastructure and other problems with radios, they will not completely supplant the wired telegraph. -Being the progenitor of the bolt-action rifle and not to be outdone by the Eastern Empire's oddly named 98k rifle family, the Entente Army holds a contest for the fin-est engineering minds throughout the land to submit rifle designs for a promising reward and production contract. Many rifles in many different calibres and of many different designs are put forth, but ultimately the Entente decides to go with a rifle put forth by a duo consisting of an Estonian by the name of Olav Laar and a Finnish immigrant named Simo Häyhä. It is unique in that in comparison to most bolt action rifles of the day that fire from a five round internal magazine, the rifle fires from a ten round extended box magazine utilizing a short magazine placed in front of the trigger group. The rifle features an exceptionally rugged, yet extremely smooth cock-on-close real dual lug action, and as a result, the shooter is able to operate the bolt extremely quickly due to the closeness of the operating handle to the shooter and as the all of the energy exerted in pulling the bolt back is exerted on extracting the spent cartridge, and allows the shooter to slam home another round in no time at all. The rifle is full-stocked to nearly the end of the barrel and features a blunt nose, with only a small button protrusion for the newly developed blade bayonet sticking out a small fraction beyond an inch and comes equipped with aperture type battle sights that go out to 1000m. The rifle is also made to fire a new, rimless pointed cartridge developed by Laar himself in 7.92×57mm (Also known as 8mm Baltic) using a cordite propellant, a cartridge the war department is so impressed with that they decide to adopt as well, and they soon develop charger clips that can be fed into the rifle to load five rounds at a time as, though the detachable magazine can be replaced with another filled with ten rounds, the process is somewhat complex due to the shape of lip of the magazine where it meets the chamber in addition to commanders fearing that soldiers may lose additional magazines when deployed in the field. The rifle is adopted as the Magazine Laar-Häyhä (MLH), and a shorter version is soon produced called the Small Magazine Laar-Häyhä (SMLH). -The Rifle becomes beloved amongst the soldiers who carry it into battle, and the general public at large. Infantrymen coming into the Entente are forced to perform a "mad minute" in training with the rifle, scoring a minimum of 15 hits with the gin onto a 12" round target at 275 meters in under a minute, though with the smoothness of the bolt, many often exceed this, with the average being about 28. The rifle is so beloved amongst the Entente that the king has a half scale model of the SMLH that shoots a half scale cartridge made for his young son so that the two can hunt and shoot together. To protect his sons head, the King also manages to arrange for a Medieval “Kettle hat” to be brought as well. The military, hearing of this, decides to conduct field tests where they shoot the Kettle hat with rifles. They are pierced at closer ranges, but by making them out of the stronger steel imported from Mann, they can provide protection from most forms of shrapnel and the occasional stray bullet. -As the Entente is still the head of the Baltic Union, they make several moves to integrate Sweden into the Entente and effectively annex this. This begins with stronger diplomatic pressure, and concludes with the military being sent in and enacting virtual occupation. The surprised Swedish are unsure of how to react but with strong words, and call the occupation illegal. Despite the spread of new propaganda leaflets encouraging Sweden to become part of the Entente and use of subterfuge in doing this, the inhabitants of Sweden react poorly. The rise of nationalism there comes at a bad time too, and heavy protesting and rioting later breaks out as the period wears on. Political parties advocating a strong Swedish nation grow in popularity, and soon the unrest spreads to other parts of the Entente. -The Entente purchases a Majestic class Greek steamship, and ends up retrofitting it with new equipment and making it the most advanced piece of equipment afloat. It has a radio telegraph machine onboard, allowing the operator to contact various locations on land instantly and accurately. A powerful advantage it indeed is, and soon the Entente is expanding shipyards and creating these ships in addition. Unfortunately, the capacity of the Entente to build these ships is limited, and the cost of doing so is especially high, mostly due to the use of the latest equipment (including radio telegraphy). -As the country begins to gradually import steel and iron for use in construction (mostly from Sweden), the architectural implications of this advance are starting to be exploited. Buildings have already been built with metal frameworks and reinforcement for some time now, but rarely has it been the case that buildings were deliberately built with the iron or steel skeleton taking up most of the stress instead of merely reinforcing the existing structure. Moves have been made towards using cast iron or steel girders to create a strong internal skeleton for the building, around which the floors and walls are built. Not only does it make the building stronger and cheaper to build, but it opens up space, meaning fewer walls and pillars are needed. In turn, better ventilated, well lit, and light buildings are better able to make use of the space in cities and to be built higher if so desired. The first such buildings begin to appear in Riga, and even have elevators inside of them to move people between floors. To commemorate recent advances in architecture, a project is commissioned for a giant iron framework tower to be built in Riga, intended to be the tallest building in the world. -A patent office is officially established, protecting the intellectual rights of various patentees and generally making it possible for inventors to profit from their work. Various inventions begin to slowly proliferate as a result, including the gramophone, the elevator, the typewriter, radio, the safety razor, the aerated shoe, the cholera belt (a belt which prevents you from getting cholera and doesn’t work), the shoe umbrella, the bra, the fish walker (a fishtank on wheels), a miniature golf set for use when on the toilet, a sleeping bag which the user can walk in, a hat with a wig glued to the top, a necklace to hold wine glasses, the rotary ice cream cone, and the saxophone. A new soft drink, flavoured with cola nuts and cocaine, with carbon dioxide dissolved in it, is also invented. It is granted a monopoly and begins to sell well throughout the entente, providing a suitable “kick” to those feeling down or tired. -To aid industrialization and to make patenting simpler, the metric system is made standard throughout the country, while shipbuilding and metalworking sees investment. Unfortunately, agriculture is still severely lagging behind, and while heavy industry is growing steadily, light industry and commercial services are still doing quite poorly. Consumerism is low and most of the new inventions brought in so far are little appreciated or sold widely. Even then, some foreigners have begun to use them more or even produce them themselves, much to the disappointment of the residents of the Entente. People continue to move to the cities to work in heavy industries or to join the army, causing the military-industrial complex to grow. Otherwise, economic growth and development is stagnant. -The colony in Greenland expands, backed by the efforts of various fishermen, fur trappers, hunters, and whalers seeking to make a living there. Pasture is having some success, although the ecology is considerably weak and unable to support a great number of grazing animals. Growth is slow, and surveyors and explorers continue to move across Greenland, discovering mostly river valleys or ice sheets. The warming climate does help incrementally, although humans are largely unaware of the change in warming or care much for it. The first study of ice sheets is published, a series of reports stretching back over forty years, reporting that yes indeed, some of the ice sheets have retreated several hundred metres and calve more frequently. [img]http://i.imgur.com/IQFqYCs.jpg[/img] [i]Phoenician soldiers in Nigeria.[/i] [img]http://imageshack.us/a/img832/6236/ko5b.png[/img] [b]Mallow234 – Phoenician Federation Capital: Malta Culture: Phoenician (Semitic) State Religion: Canaanite[/b] -As the industrial revolution matures in the great Phoenician Empire, labourers have swarmed cities in search of work. For Phoenicians, they have one of the most rapidly improving living standards, marked by increased wages and a plethora of more goods to consume. Unfortunately, as the price of labour rises, many industries have to find ways to keep down costs, and one of these is automation, and to use unskilled workers. Into the breach steps a clever inventor by the same of Harrison Jones, who manages to take several manufacturing processes and integrate them all together. He manufactures rifles, and introduces a system whereby the rifles are moved along a conveyer belt. Along the belt, workers add pieces to the gun in simplistic steps, gradually building it up and producing a finished product at the end. Not only does it cut down on production costs, but production can be kept constant and individual steps are carefully examined and later automated. Thus begins the process of semi-automation. The process begins to be expanded out from just rifles, into making biscuits, steam engines, electrical equipment, and an assortment of many other goods. -In return for clearing a lot of La Platas debts and sending a lot of railway equipment and machinery to help build up their railway networks, they have been sent blueprints and designs to the internal combustion engine and oil drilling machinery as well. The excited military gets to work, setting up several wells in the colonies and refining the oil. The first automobiles, crude and weak machines, trundle around the streets of some Phoenician cities and military bases. The Phoenicians are keen on building vast fleets of these automobiles, but many engineers are still taking the time to perfect and develop these things. The civilian market is almost non-existent, with much of it composed of gentlemen and engineers who build their own cars, often for fun. Even by 1080, they are still not widely popular. Their numbers are low, the miles of paved road low, their suspensions are terrible, the coverage of petrol stations low, and they tend to be slow. The first accident caused by a car is when a group of people were told to get out of the way of an incoming automobile. The crowd slowly walked out of the way, not taking it seriously, when a local politician happened to run out in front of it without realizing the car was there. He was knocked down and suffered an injury that later killed him. -The military efforts to replace horses with automobiles have largely failed so far due to the problems mentioned above. They do introduce reforms to the standard rifle however, replacing all infantry models with the cavalry carbine. The carbine is phased in to become the main service rifle, as the weight and size of the old rifle is starting to become a liability in warfare. With the new rifles and any of the cars that don’t break down or run out of fuel along the way, the Phoenicians expand rapidly into the rest of Africa in the hopes of claiming the last gaps before somebody else does. One group of adventurous soldiers clamber onto a truck and drive over the plains past a tribal village, where the residents come out and chase them on horseback. The soldier’s gun down those mounted on horseback and later drive into the village, where they inform the residents that they have brought civilization to them. The truck breaks down however, forcing them to leave on foot, while the tribal elders mock the men in the disloyal metal beast. Many new areas of land are in prime locations for drilling oil, which the Phoenicians immediately get to doing, setting up wells and pumping out the black gold, before processing and exporting it. Demand is still somewhat low and taking a while to rise, but it is hoped that when the infrastructure is in place and the costs of automobile manufacturing drops, that the demand for oil will skyrocket. -The navy begins to introduce anti-submarine nets, consisting of large nets hung over the side of ships to stop torpedoes before they hit the ship. While ungainly, cumbersome, and only useful against slow moving blunt torpedoes, they do bring peace of mind to those fearing the sinking of capital ships by torpedo attack. Large versions of these nets and booms over the mouths of rivers and harbours are used to deter submarines and torpedoes as well, in case of threat of attack. -The Phoenician state begins plans to split the southern possessions of their African dominions into carefully-researched independent states. Surveys are done with an eye to making sure that no opposing ethnicities occupy the same nation and escalate conflict. The plans so far are for them to be nominally independent with their own government and laws, but their foreign relations and trade controlled by the Phoenician foreign office. How the military is resolved is still not clear yet, and these plans will take a while to come to fruition. The intended course of action is for the rising middle classes of the colonies (composed of Phoenician immigrants and uplifted natives) to take power, but there are many administrators who argue that setting up semi-independent kingdoms to run themselves might be better than relying on democratic institutions, at least, for the time being. -The national telegraph network continues to grow, linking up vast distances and bringing information from and to all parts of the world as quickly as an operator can tap and write. To speed up transmission rates and simplify the system, a national code called the Telegraph Alphabet is adopted. Under this system signals are translated automatically into typographic characters. Each character is assigned a unique code based on the sequence of just five contacts. Operators have to maintain a steady rhythm, and the usual speed of operation is 30 words per minute. Engineers and other technicians are hoping to double this speed in several years. Automated printers and keyboard which can take a keyed message and print it at the other end are also being developed, but they tend to be horribly slow and unreliable. -As turbine and compound engine ships (and some smaller diesel ones appear) become more common among merchant shipping, speeds are improving and crude refrigeration units can be powered onboard. Ships can take fresh food and other perishables across oceans in record time, and travel times continue to shrink. Shipping companies are starting to introduce cross-Atlantic and cross-Mediterranean trips for heavily reduced prices. This is the final step which begins to remove clippers from the picture. These ships are still heavily tied down by coal however, with a lot of space reserved for coal storage, water tanks, and labourers needed to stoke the boilers and maintain the engines. Suggestions are made for using oil instead, but most of the engines currently in use are too weak and feeble to power many of the larger ships. -Of course, all of these major investments cost a great deal of money, and since Phoenicia took up a lot of debt held by La Plata and sent them a lot of equipment and machinery, there is the pressing issue of debt for the current administration. The Phoenician government decides to sell Bali, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, and Wake to the Greeks in return for unlimited free access through the Suez for their ships, and basing rights in the Indian Ocean. Somewhat unpopular (especially in the navy, as a lot of their power in the Pacific has been reduced and ship patrols go elsewhere). It is applauded by the businessmen however, who begin to sail directly to India and China to conduct trade. [img]http://i.imgur.com/hhlQ1W9.jpg[/img] [i]Scottish immigrants in the Florida colony drilling for oil.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=456754&dateline=1384286651[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/TGqkART.png[/img] [b]Griffster26 – Kingdom of Scotland Capital: Dùn Èideann Culture: Scottish (Celtic) State Religion: Christian (Iberian)[/b] -The Scottish have become interested recently in acquiring oil for some reason, and have managed to create an industrial process that takes advantage of their vast coal reserves. It is discovered that when manufacturing coke, the “waste” products can be collected for additional uses. These products are usually a thick tar like sludge and a mixture of gases. The gases are first split up into separate fractions (the gases being converted into a fuel gas and the other into ammonia), while the coal tar is turned into lubricating oils or bitumen. Through further treatment, one can break up the long chain molecules to produce shorter chain ones to create lighter oils and gases, increasing yields and profits. Of course, most oils and gases are still used for cooking, lighting, lubricating, heating, and several other uses. Nobody has thought of using it in an engine though, for they tend to be far too volatile. That is of course, if you think of using external combustion. -Naval fortifications are expanded, rebuilt, and generally have their equipment updated. Heavier breechloading artillery pieces, thick masonry walls, and equipment to aid in observation and calculation are introduced, allowing for heavier shells to be delivered more quickly and accurately to further away targets. Of course, this is immensely costly, and only really useful on targets upon the sea. -During this time, three baseball teams are formed, often competing with the Greeks and those of other nations. These are as follows: male Scottish Highlanders, the female Scottish Nessies, and the Little League Scottish Selkies. -As a way of offloading a problem and moving it elsewhere, the Scottish introduce a new policy which gives free tickets to colonists to move to Florida. Florida is a desolate and swampy land, filled with hostile animals and diseases, not to mention inhabitants whose economy is dependent upon foreigners visiting. A number of Muslims take up the offer, and several thousand travel to Florida, whereupon they discover it is completely shit. The heat and humidity is unbearable, while the diseases fell many. Quinine and other medical supplies are often in short supply, while the natives constantly raid them. Later, they have managed to set up several sugarcane and tobacco plantations, although their profitability is not impressive. Many more decide to turn the main colonial port into a busy trading town, acting as an intermediary between the native nations and the European powers. The rest of the colonists simply ignore where they are told to settle, and instead move north into the more hospitable areas. -More colonies are set up and established with assistance from the Scottish government. One colony on the Horn of Africa is set up (presumably to profit from trade in the area), with mixed success. It is not yet large or prestigious or well supplied enough to assist the coal steamers which have begun to regularly ply the waters there, but it is able to become a decent place for many traders to stop off by. The Scottish also sail all the way to the Northeast of Siberia nearby the Wapanese Empire in hopes of setting up a colony. To their dismay, they find that the Wapanese are in fact already there, and politely inform them that they cannot set up a colony where the Wapanese are already established. -Edward the 5th of Scotland dies giving a speech talking about how old he is and how he will die soon. He is then succeeded by his Iberian Christian son David Moresby II also known as the "Black Prince" for his love of the colour black and his military prowess. He begins a process allowing the voluntary deportation of Muslims dissatisfied with his father's rule and changes the flag to a much more modern one. David Moresby II then surprises everyone as he brings out the exiled leaders of the Misiryaban Caliphate and they all put on their respective fascist armbands while he shouts 'Hir yn byw y Wladwriaeth yr Alban a'r Mwslimiaid!' (Long live the State of Scotland and the Muslims!), as the leader of Misiryaban shouts out afterwards: 'Hir yn byw y Islamaidd Califf Lloegr!' (Long live the Islamic caliph of England!), David then says to the crowd: 'Nemo me impune lacessit' (No one "cuts" (attacks) me with impunity). [img]http://i.imgur.com/eyhdEEv.jpg[/img] [i]Misiryaban revolutionaries marching on a Spanish military base.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=555043&dateline=1390614466[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/i0MXiv.png[/img] [b]KingArcher – The National Socialist Misiryabanni Workers Party HQ: Misiryaban Culture: Turkish State religion: Islam (Sunni)[/b] -The people of Former Misiryaban are bitter at the loss of their great country, the birthplace of the industrial revolution now sweeping the world. A radical political party, built around the ideas of the book “Benim mücadelem” (already banned by the Spanish) has formed recently. This book describes their party leader's life and how it wasn't their fault that the once glorious empire fell. It was the damned Welsh and Scottish traitors that strangled industry and crippled the nation. It's a call to action and nationalism to liberate Misiryaban from the Spanish and take revenge out upon those who fought to destroy the country years ago. -A party newspaper is established, spewing vitriol and publishing detailed accounts of the injustices of the Spanish who occupy the country. Heavily suppressed at first, the decline and instability of Spain is making it more difficult to keep the country controlled. Economic depression, the weakness of industry and agriculture in general, the presence of foreign merchants in great numbers, and the poor treatment of Muslims have only increases unrest. Support for the party grows. -Eventually, an uprising is declared by the party. Supplied with air rifles and suspiciously modern usual rifles, they declare general uprisings in several cities, pushing out the demoralized and underpaid Spanish soldiers. The Spanish state responds with usual lethargy, pulling back soldiers into Wales (they were expelled from England, and Spain is unwilling to embroil themselves in a conflict with the English), where the Welsh are passing desperate measures to keep the Muslims of the southern part of the country under check. -An interesting new technology has appeared as well. Some chemicals become darkened on exposure to light, and by using a pinhole camera and various other pieces of equipment, one can produce photographic copies of the scene beheld to the viewer rather accurately and realistically. Despite taking a while for the pictures to take and develop, the costs being somewhat high, not to mention the fact the photos are in black and white, they have become popular in Misiryaban. In particular, they are being heavily abused by the National Socialists. Many cameras are often hidden in positions overlooking protests and rallies. Whenever trouble strikes up, the teams are quick to work at taking photographs, before printing them in papers and spreading around pictures of “Spanish atrocities”. These pictures often have dead bodies deliberately moved into different poses for dramatic effect. The party paper is soon established as the only legitimate paper in the country, with all other papers banned. -With the revolution underway, most of the urban areas and the south of the country have been lost. The Irish are the first to recognize this new state, and begin to immediately send those arms, supplies, and other goods to aid in the removal of the Spanish. Many Welsh and Scottish people are forced to flee the country, or are otherwise arrested and put to work in factories and work camps to support the revolution. Many of these enslaved prisoners die from disease and overwork, and are often the subject of abuse from Misiryabani guards. [b]Afro-Asia:[/b] [img]http://i.imgur.com/zMOvJDr.jpg[/img] [i]Troops in Akihabara, shortly before the assault on the royal palace and the deposing of Battoshitto.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=130431&dateline=1377374436[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/n7ubaD.png[/img] [b]YogiTheWise - The Weeaboo Empire Capital: Akihabara Culture: Wapanese (Japonic) State Religion: Waifuism (Classical)[/b] -With more innovations from Europe flooding in, the Wapanese have been very adaptive and clever with them. Particularly, the advance of steam power and engineering has yielded fruit. By taking propeller blades and arranging them inside tubes through which steam is forced, one can efficiently convert heat into kinetic energy (and by extension, electrical energy). The steam turbine has already been around for some number of years in the more industrialized and modern parts of the world, but the modernizing Wapanese Empire has not only managed to import and redesign several models, but to build up facilities to manufacture them themselves. The main advantage of the turbine is in electrical power generation, although equipment and infrastructure necessary for electricity is heavily undeveloped, a power plant is eventually built in Akihabara. It struggles to break even, on account of poor electrical infrastructure and lack of electrical machinery. Most turbines are instead used in ships, allowing them to cover vast distances in short time periods. Several records are eventually set for trans-Pacific crossings, and when the Wapanese buy Greek ships, they refit them with the new turbines and generally make them slimmer and easier to manoeuvre. The Wapanese modernization programme extends to firearms and artillery as well. Buying new models from the Greeks, they begin to build facilities for their manufacture and begin outfitting the army with the new bolt action rifles and heavy steel artillery. -After Emperor Battoshitto II Desunoto stepped onto the throne in 1061 it became immediately clear he was batshit insane. He authorized massive atrocities towards the people of Manchuria; clung to power, gave out conflicting orders, and executed anyone who would show even a hint of disagreement. He was often seen consulting loudly with his pet macaque and attempting to eat silverware. People soon became tired and furious with having someone so inadequate at the helm of the country. Massive protests soon degenerated into riots. An organized faction was assembled, led by Battoshitto’s older sister Mai, who promised people representation and clarity in the government. Battoshitto tried to exile his sister, forcing her to take direct action. With the bulk of the army away committing war crimes in Manchuria, Batoshitto’s bodyguard crumbled quickly when rebels lead by Mai bribed them. The coup culminated in October of 1066, when the Imperial Palace was besieged and broken in. Battoshitto himself was found in muttering madly the corner of his bedroom, in a puddle of his own urine and faeces. He was beheaded on the spot. Legend claims that during his funeral, his own macaque let out a single sigh of relief. - Following these events, Mai became Empress, and according to her promises established a parliament and constitution. Parliament handled legislative power, but the Empress still held executive power, appointed ministers and had the right to veto laws. Elections to the parliament were to be held every 5 years. Thus, with the constitution and the establishment of a new political order, Wapan left the rule of the Emperors and entered the rule of the masses. -One of the first things the new Empress approved after the revolution was a massive electrification project. A private Phoenician company was contracted to electrify Wapan, and in exchange they would have a monopoly on dynamite exports to Phoenicia. She also approved the establishment of a sanitation board and an energy board. The sanitation board is responsible for the surveying of all the old sewers and streams in the cities, the hiring of architects and engineers to plan out modern sewer systems, and the creation of the sewers themselves. The first project begins in Akihabara, where the outbreak of cholera cases have steadily risen -The sport of baseball spreads from the Eastern Empire and becomes popular in the country. Many prominent teams appear, such as the Akihabara Cats, The Satsuma Samurai and the Katawa Drag Queens. A national league and championship are organised as well, with a national team being assembled from the best Wapanese players to take part in the championship in the Eastern Empire. -The colony in Papuja (what the Bohemians call it) continues to expand, with the colonists and the governor careful to mark out the border with Bohemia. Spices grow well here, and plantations to grow everything from Nutmeg to Cinnamon for export. With good profits to be made (and natives to convert), the population expands and large ports with solidly built stone housing is erected. A far cry indeed from the wooden shacks occupied by sickly colonists a few decades back. Cartographers and surveyors are commissioned for the final major task of charting the Pacific. They map out all of the available islands, and submit reports to the homeland on suitability of colonization. Most notable is the archipelago of Hawaii, to the east of the islands already claimed by European powers. The islands have been settled relatively recently, within only the past three to four hundred years. Much of the land is still unsettled, and the various small chiefs are happy to allow the Wapanese to build a fort and port in return for manufactured goods. -The completion of the Suez Canal is a huge boon for Wapan, who has only now begun to exploit the opportunities presented by it. Many Wapanese businesses set up subsidiaries and contacts in Europe, while some isolated Wapanese and Waifu communities manage to keep constant contact with the homeland now. Some of the more wayward re brought in line with the Orthodoxy of Wapan, and missionary efforts are increased. The religion has become a sizable minority within the Greek Empire, with most communities in Egypt and parts of Arabia. Further small communities prosper in Bohemia. -Attempting to improve and modernize the Titisuc people, the Wapanese are sending even more advisors, equipment, supplies, and missionaries to lift them out of their state of savagery and to make them upstanding citizens. Recently however, the Titisuc ruler died, and being childless, most of his responsibilities were taken over by the Wapanese advisors and administrators, who kept the machinery of state running. The native population is somewhat annoyed, but are happy nonetheless at the improvement in material and social wellbeing. Those conquered by them or the Wapanese are less happy. [img]http://i.imgur.com/JP3eNun.jpg[/img] [i] Zulu soldiers heading north on the new railway. [/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=243999&dateline=1355864069[/img][img]http://i44.tinypic.com/mj1hfb.png[/img] [b]Satansick – Zulu Empire Capital: Bulawayo Culture: Zulu (Bantu) State Religion: Waifuism[/b] -With more artillery pieces being imported, and the need to make the arguments of their Emperor heard, the Zulu state has decided to introduce a formal ordnance board. This board will set up foundries that will facilitate the construction of foundries to manufacture their own heavy artillery pieces (reducing dependence on trade), and improve existing designs as well, in addition to training artillery crews. This goes successfully, with a number of foundries set up and many new heavy guns being made. In particular, there are now three main models of gun. There is the light mortar, intended to lob shot short distances, the field gun, intended for pounding a position and units in a clear line of fire, and heavy artillery, intended to use indirect fire to shell far-off areas where artillery crews and camps may be located. Many of these guns start to be built, weaning the Zulu off the foreign guns slowly. By 1080, they are capable of manufacturing their own if needs be, but often they prefer to import and retrofit existing guns to reduce costs. -As the Zulu continue their expansion into the heartland of Africa, they are moving faster and conquering more effectively with the use of new modern weaponry, infrastructure, and military reforms. Wars gradually transition into “pacification”, with subtle blackmail and military forts being employed to further military power instead of set piece battles and sieges. The Zulu expand into Kenya and finish at the borders of Somalia, while also securing the lands between the coasts. Wide variations in terrain, climate, and peoples make control tenuous at times, but the Empire has come prepared, starting to build roads and using telegraph cables and railways (when possible) to aid rapid deployment of troops. Further expansion starts to become more difficult when they arrive in the jungles, where disease and slow travel impede progress. ''Zulu, go north'' is the creed associated with Glaring Finality, which is the widely held belief in the Zulu Empire that the Zulu were destined to expand throughout the continent, and which drives this rabid expansion north. -The new Zulu emperor starts his reign with the intention of creating a strong navy to rival the Phoenican and Eastern empire's navies, and to mark the Zulu Empire as a truly global great power. The emperor decides to expand the navy slowly, justifying enlargement through speaking of the growing size of the Empire and her growing global influence and presence. The emperor also reorganizes top level control of the navy by creating a Navy Cabinet equivalent to the Zulu Imperial Military Cabinet which had previously functioned in the same capacity for both the army and navy. The Majestic class of ships is developed into a new class of ships that can be built in the shipyards that the Zulu currently have, be maintained with their existing facilities, and be retrofitted with the new artillery. -The government raises import controls on consumer goods but relaxes them on capital goods. While helping to stem the import of drugs and other related luxury imports, it tends to annoy many merchants and common people in the towns and cities. More money chases fewer goods, causing inflation and the Zulu government responds by introducing a national bond scheme. By having people buy up government debt, they can buy capital goods from Europe to aid in industrialization. Machinery to manufacture everything from nails to soap and cigarettes are imported, in addition to railway locomotives, rolling stock, telegraphy equipment, and specialized engineers. Railways continue to expand; at a somewhat faster pace as now many countries are starting to produce well trained and sizable classes of engineers and other specialists. Within the Empire, the prices of raw minerals are kept low to encourage the development of native industry and as a form of subsidy to manufacturers. The output of manufactured goods slowly rises, if with some expense, most notably with the government taking on a lot of debt to fund all of these projects. A lot of machinery that looks suspiciously like those in Europe is noticed as well, many of them appearing to be prototypes or brand new models clouded in secrecy. Several Greek and Phoenicians complain and attempt to sue factory owners in the Zulu Empire for breaching their patents. -Zulu delegates visit Weissen and sets up formal diplomatic relations, with embassies in each other countries. The Zulu begin to provide Weissen with money (the drop in mineral exports is reducing revenue) and have begun making stronger relations. Eventually, with a lot of grease, they successfully sign a military alliance. [img]http://i.imgur.com/qDfLYSi.jpg[/img] [i]Khakistani soldiers on campaign, being paid their weekly wage.[/i] [img]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=434332&dateline=1389113321[/img][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/nJbfV2.png[/img] [b]Milkdiary - The Kingdom of Khakistan Capital City: Aktobe Culture: Arabic State religion: Islam (Sunni)[/b] -Khakistan has been rapidly expanding in the past few decades, largely through sending groups of settlers and soldiers to set up an outpost in the middle of nowhere, “claiming” the area. Of course, the land is heavily underdeveloped, and a halt has been put to expansion for now. Until recently, Khakistan has incredibly backward regions in terms of industrial production. Several nobles have travelled into Europe, and brought back several ideas on how to reform the country and ultimately improve the economy. Steel and iron manufacture has historically been costly if you wished to do it on a large scale, but a new technique has been introduced to cut costs. By storing heated air (produced as a byproduct from the blast furnace) in spare chambers before blasting it into the furnace, one can massively reduce fuel costs and improve efficiency. The savings allow for an increase in production and subsequently iron production. Only the large foundries are able to adopt it however due to the actual size of the furnaces required. The overall lack of industrial development in Khakistan and poor transport means that iron is still by and large produced on a small scale for local areas. Internal colonization is a top priority however, and after twenty years many small settlements have been established throughout Khakistan. -Military reform is another nagging problem, which requires resolution if the country is to become strong enough to not only defend her lands, but carry the fight abroad. European dress is introduced, with strong leather boots and cotton clothing for uniform, while standardized muskets are also made common. Soldiers are relentlessly drilled, firing a volley or two before following up with a bayonet charge. While military doctrine is out of date by about half a century, this is more than enough to take on the Asiatic Khans and Siberian tribes with, along with being sufficient enough to break up undisciplined rebels. Tax reform also manages to provide a steady line of revenue to support this new army, with soldiers paid enough that they don’t loot peasants houses for food. -Much of the rural life of the country is still pretty peasants toiling for subsistence. Gathering together, they in kolkhoz (a type of rural commune). The land is largely held in common, preventing peasants from selling it off and moving to the cities as has happened in much the rest of the world in recent decades. The country is nominally Muslim, for the vast bulk of the population still follows many pagan customs practiced since the Neolithic. The monarchy have been strong in stating that Islam is a serious and strong religion to follow by, often arresting and exiling people who refuse to follow Allah. The cry “Glory to Khakistan. Allahu Akbar!” is frequent among the evangelized masses, mostly in the bordering or ethnic minority regions. Many exiles choose to flee into the Siberian wastes when the state tries to crack down on them, setting up separate small settlements throughout the region. While not a threat, their connections to the networks of traders and trappers mea

WE'RE BACK BABY!

The most serene Arhonia will rejoin this turn.

[video=youtube;_Zk6eXvCiuo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zk6eXvCiuo[/video] Hey become fascist with us everyone!

[QUOTE=Griffster26;44583296][video=youtube;_Zk6eXvCiuo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zk6eXvCiuo[/video] Hey become fascist with us everyone![/QUOTE] [B] dont you fucking confuse fascist with imperial [/B]

This is really shaping up for a world war, isn't it Also, nobody even fucking look at wales

Next turn I intend to have all countries finish colouring in the last blank spots on the map. Countries should finalize talks with each other about what lands to claim/own w/e. Most powers now have the ability to use their powerful navies, modern armies, rapid transportation and communications, plus accurate cartography, to grab the last white areas.

I think I'll take all those white provinces in Africa.

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