Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Feb 2002 to 17 Feb 2002 (#2002-48) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 18/02/2002, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 4 messages totalling 224 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Size of the Old World (2) 2. The Torpin (was: Herve...MA Events) 3. Neverwinter Nights Update ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 11:37:04 +0100 From: la Volpe Subject: Re: Size of the Old World George Hrabovsky wrote: > Think of it like the nations of Europe. You could drop France into the US, > Russia, China, or India and just lose it for days or weeks... Yes, personally I don't see big problems in the Old World's size. However, Mike's idea is interesting. If there weren't so many nations around the Old World already, one could think about it. The Old World's nations are generally sized like the European medieval ones. The Empire of Thyatis has a big area because it holds many sea-territories and controls an enormous amount of sea and sea-routes. On the other hand, nations like Alphatia and Norwold has a ridiculous population compared to that of the Old World. Thyatis has pop. 3 millions, Alphatia pop. 10 millions! This also reflect well the Europe/Rest of the World feeling...in USA there are 250 millions, if you sum just Italy, France and Germany you have about 200! Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 09:43:03 EST From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: The Torpin (was: Herve...MA Events) <> The Torpin has gone through a variety of revisions since its inception. IIRC I sent the initial deckplans for it during AC1016 developments. (Herve, remember the hooplah over the "Political Officer's Quarters"?) Admitedly, that particular version was essentially an enlarged version of The Shark. The Reaver Class was based more upon this initial version of The Torpin and The Shark. The Torpin changed as its role changed. Initially, it was to be a new Nacer sub. Then it became the "ship of the line" for this sub fleet. Then it became a symbol of change; being limited to one example due to the lessened Nacer budget (as compared to Alphatia). Instead of being the "ship of the line" it became the flagship of this submersible fleet. Then it became less military oriented and more exploration oriented. The "ship of the line" role being served by the smaller and more practical Reaver Class. The Torpin currently sees itself as a long range exploration vessel under the NACE military authority. She's big and she's slow. In alot of ways she is like an aircraft carrier, having an internal berth for her squadrons of smaller submersibles. Some of these smaller submersibles are used as shuttles to ferry men and materials. Others act as the fighter/scouts for the vessel. The Torpin was to be a big part in the exploration of the Sunken Alphatian Continent. This was to be part of NACE coming to terms with its current state and consolidate its territories. It would also see NACE turning its attentions back to itself, becoming quite isolated. NACE is a sea nation thanks to its dispersed island nature. Therefore, the sea is its first line of defense. NACE would need a navy to secure these sealanes. Given the basic doctrines of defensive naval warfare, it did not look good. Navies are hogs for manpower. NACE has a manpower shortage. I worked up the figures one time, but for NACE to float a competative surface fleet would have required too much of a drain to its population. And in doing so would be even more harshy pressed to fill the ranks of its land based military. NACE was getting a facelift of its military as it was. NACE needed a navy that could patrol the vast expanses of water without having a large surface fleet. Skyships could have taken on thta role, patroling from moderate altitudes. Spotting a enemy (or pirate) it could have attacked from above or called upon surface vessels or other skyships for a group attack. Enlarging NACE's skyship fleet was not popular with some of the AS/SD Team Members. ANd in truth, a wind driven skyship also needs alot of personel for its crew. A submersible fleet was proposed. The Shark is well detailed enough to demonstrate the level of advancement thta Alphers had achieved in submersible design. Otherwise, the submersibles would have been along those vaguely mentioned in PWAs (submersible galleys) and like those I drew up for the Seashield troop transports for AC1017. A submersible can patrol with stealth. That stealth allows them a degree of safety. Likewise, infiltrators do not know if anyone is near. The fear and suspicion that a sub may be watching them unseen could provide them with incentive to stay out of Nace waters. Likewise a spotted enemy fleet could be tailed by the spotter, joined by other fleet vessels, and ambushed. I did not think it a big deal. However, there was strong opposition by some individuals for any Alphatian military changes. Ironically, one can see an increase in other nations' sea based warmachines during this period. I always fond it humorous that certain people had this fear that "next year" the Nacers would unleash these forces upon Thyatis. These are the same people thta wanted a Thyatian colony of sorts amid Nace lands. I always thought thta we were pretty upfront on the long term plans of NACE self interest and consolidation. Anyway...I am diverting from the subject. The Torpin was intended to be an exploration vessel first, and a military vessel second. NACE could not afford a fleet of them. However, they had invested too much to abandon the one under construction. Hence, only one would be created. The Torpin would fill a role similar to the Princess Ark. The problem with the PA was that the almanac staff was limited in what they could do with it in its plots. I have a few deckplans around here. I guess I could check them over and finish up any that need it. I also revised the shuttles and fighter/scouts. I was going to have them replaced in AC1018 or 19, with the previous ones being relegated to patrol duty around the domed fortress of Torenal. However, I quit the MA before that happened. You can also check the 1017 Misc Section (I think). I had an in-character Thyatian scribed dossier on the officer staff of the Torpin. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 13:30:37 -0600 From: John Polacek Subject: Neverwinter Nights Update Hi everybody, Just wanted to give everyone an update on activities relating to Neverwinter Nights and Mystara. Neverwinter Nights, a multiplayer game using 3E rules that aims to bring pen & paper gaming to the PC, is going to be coming out this summer. There were legal issues that had to be worked out, and many people were worried whether it was going to ever come out, but now there has been an official announcement that it will be coming some time this summer. For more detailed information on Neverwinter Nights, visit the NWN Knowledge Base at http://www2.gamma.uk.com/nwn/ Realms of Mystara is a project in development that will recreate Mystara (set in AC1000) using the NWN toolset. Over the last couple of months, the project has gone somewhat dormant, but development on the project is now set to resume. We are looking for developers who are interested in building the various areas and adventures in Mystara. Visit the Realms of Mystara site at www.mystaranet.com for more detailed info about us, or just respond to this email and I'll be happy to answer any questions. There will be a chat held this Thurs. at 7 CST. Visit the chat room at http://www.mystaranet.com/chatmain.htm We'll be discussing the current state of the project as well as new directions we'll be taking for RoM in it's design and implementation. We can also give out some development assignments to anyone who is anxious to start on something. If you can't make this chat, fear not for we will be having more chats. (The next one will probably be Sat. Mar. 2) I'm actually in the chat room right now and should be hanging out there for a while today if you want to chat now. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 16:11:54 -0500 From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Size of the Old World I don't see the problem. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Harvey" To: Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 4:06 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] Size of the Old World > One thing that has always bugged me about Mystara is that the > original countries of the Old World are so much smaller than the > nations introduced later. The entire Old World is a blip on the map > compared to any one Alphatia, Belissaria, Sind, Hule, The Isle of > Dawn, Norwold, Esterhold... > > One simple solution would be to change the trail maps from 8 > miles per hex to 24 miles per hex. This would make the Old World much > larger, and more in line with the other countries. Norwold would be > in the vicinity of Alpha and properly frigid, etc. This would mean > eliminating or moving Norwold (or making it smaller.. not much there > anyway), explanding northwest into the midlands of Brun, and > redrawing the interface between Darokin and Sind, which shouldn't be > too hard as there's only one major route. Thyatis is still small > compared to Alphatia, but at least now it's believable. > > Has anyone done this? Is anyone interested? > > Mike > -- > Mike Harvey -- Beaverton, Oregon > http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. > > --- > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Friendly Network.] > > --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Friendly Network.] ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Feb 2002 to 17 Feb 2002 (#2002-48) ***************************************************************