Age of Steam and Steel: Concert of Europe Part III (Sign up and Rules Thread)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If it's not too late, Joseon Korea, tho considering no one has chosen either of my neighbors, it might not be as interesting as it otherwise would be to play Queen Regent Sunwon.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'd be interested in claiming the Tokugawa Shogunate

Already taken by BK

When?

I don't see either a post by BK asking for the post, nor him listed as a player in the start post.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I've asked Spamage for some clarifications of what the situation is in Korea and Japan, since it appears that Japan was more active in the prior game than I would have thought, since it had no player, but was apparently spurred into action by the Dutch trying to start a variant of the Opium Wars half a century early!

My early attempts at diplomacy were made while I was unaware of that particular foolishness, so assuming that remains canon, I may need to rethink my policies for Korea and its foreign relations.

(The Qing invasion of Korea in the prior game was also unexpected, but doesn't significantly affect anything I've done or planned, since the outcome was essentially a return to the status ante bellum.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I have no knowledge of how naval affairs have been done in past games, but I'd prefer to have some differentiation between ships-of-the-line, frigates, and maybe lesser vessels, as they serve different purposes.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

does the turn end on Monday night?

Okay, Turn 1 is posted and starts today. I'll extend it through next Thursday unless everyone gets their responses in to me early.

I'm taking it as July 9 being the absolute deadline, but if everything looks settled, Spamage may end things as early as Monday.  At this point, I'm done with my turn except to respond to any diplomatic missives that might be sent Joseon's way.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Also, I never heard back from BaconKing, so in the interest of being fair and keeping things moving Priest of Moloch (Donerail) is now accepted as the Japanese player. Further negotiations will be conducted with him. I'll be doing some research tonight, posting his prompts in the morning PST tomorrow.

Glad to hear that the Japan issue has been resolved. I've sent the new player some basic diplomatic messages.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Orders sent

Good, I've got some ideas for 1836, but I need to see how 1835 turns out first.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I would prefer the end of the turn to be pushed back to Monday evening.

I don't mind, but I will have little chance to respond to diplomatic overtures on Monday, so I recommend that anyone having either new initiatives or responses to my own initiatives to them do their best to get them to me no later than Sunday.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm worried and I definitely should be.

Why?

Gotta drop out for RL reasons, sorry

Unfortunately, it looks like you won't have to worry about Prussia. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I wouldn't mind deferring to Ishan, but in case Prussia is judged to be solely for experienced players then Quebec would be open for him (if it helps, I could write a guide with my actions thus far).

(Don't want to get too ahead of myself though, for all I know I could end up with a game over this turn or Europe could explode in flames)

Why should China have all the fun?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I have a question of general relevance. Where it says, can raise XX,000 more troops, is that a hard limit based on population or is that based upon the capacity of a ream to keep troops armed and supplied? I.e., to increase the pool of potential recruits, do we need to focus more on fecundity or industry? I intend to do both, but it would be nice to know which I need to worry about more.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Except possibly for any last minute diplomatic initiatives I might need to respond to, I'm done for the turn. Tho I must admit that I'm enjoying the irony of playing Sunwon as considerably more liberal in her outlook, albeit a conservative liberal instead of a progressive liberal, than she appears to have been in history. Still, there is a considerable tradition in Confucianism of presenting reforms as a return to proven ancient ways, so I don't think I'm being entirely out of character for her.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So which do we get first, the 1837 News of the World, or Biden announcing his VP selection? 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Well, the world is on fire. War in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.

ElCaspar and S019 have been eliminated as their respective rulers but may rejoin should they be so inclined.

Here I was planning on writing updates on a royal wedding in Korea, railroad progress worldwide, and happy economic and technological news, but instead it was war, war, war .

I'll start work on the prompts tomorrow, expect the next turn to begin for a couple of days.

It's nice being an island of stability. 😼

The nice thing about playing a nation that allows polygamy is you get to do multiple weddings without resorting to the Henry VIII solution. 🙀

I do hope things quiet down. I was hoping to send a naval squadron on a round-the-world goodwill tour, with the Joseon Ship Bach (JS Bach) carrying the Royal Joseon Marine Band. 💃💃💃

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

ElCaspar and S019 have been eliminated as their respective rulers but may rejoin should they be so inclined.

Especially since Qing has bifurcated in two, I'd prefer to know who is continuing and as whom ASAP.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It's nice being an island of stability. 😼

The nice thing about playing a nation that allows polygamy is you get to do multiple weddings without resorting to the Henry VIII solution. 🙀

Technically we’re playing nations that allow polygyny, which while a form of polygamy, is not the same as fully legalized polygamy.

Technically, I was trying to be interesting, not boring, which is why I chose not to use the narrow technical term, despite it being technically more accurate.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I suppose this midturn is going to be about Brazil and the war in America?

I think there's plenty going on in Eurasia as well.

The only continent likely to have no news is Antarctica, and maybe Africa or Australia. ( I could easily see a French, Spanish, or Japanese invasion of Dutch Australia.  Maybe even all three.    However, France, Spain, and Japan all have concerns elsewhere, so peace in Australia is likely.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Going to have to drop — starting law school.

A real shame, as it'll mean both of my closest neighbors will have gone NPC. It's not nearly as much fun to plot against the GM. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Going to have to drop — starting law school.

A real shame, as it'll mean both of my closest neighbors will have gone NPC. It's not nearly as much fun to plot against the GM. 

Worst case, if it's too boring, then you could always switch to a different country

Or expand and get new neighbors that way.  Perhaps Joseon should establish some colonies in Europe and send missionaries to convert the heathen to Neo-Confucianism.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Madness is going to continue I guess

광기? 이것은 스파르타입니다 !!!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Turn will be up tomorrow. Very busy today

Very busy today as well?  I ask because I'm almost ready with a world building dump for Joseon that goes into excruciating detail about the structure of the Joseon government ministries and bureaux. The only thing in it right now that is truly much more than simple chair arrangement is a change from prison mines to private mines, but it's enough of a dump that it might not all fit in one post, so I definitely want to wait until you post the turn before finishing and posting it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Spamage,

Do you have a preference between last minute orders or early orders with amendments sent as required due to diplomacy?

I've been doing the latter, but I notice some people are doing the latter, presumably to avoid having to amend their orders.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Turn is over, just when I think I know how it’s going to play out, you all surprise me with some of your orders. Results should be up by Saturday.

Why should the Germans have all the fun of taking Paris?



Just kidding!!!!





For Now!!!!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Turn is over, just when I think I know how it’s going to play out, you all surprise me with some of your orders. Results should be up by Saturday.

Absent some unexpected calamity, I have my internal orders for the next turn ready and so eagerly await the posting of the turn so I can get them out of my drafts folder.  They consist of acts detailing the structure of local government, fleshing out the court system of the Joseon realm, more railway building, and last but not least a vaccination program to eliminate smallpox.  The longer Spamage takes to post the turn, the more world-building mischief I might get into.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Let me present you my new character : Grandmother Queen regent Marie Ferdinanda. She has vowed to not die until all his Grace's enemies are dead and evil has been driven from the realm.

Who would have thought there could be two grandmother regencies at the same time.

Actually, there are THREE grandmother regencies. Remember Joseon?

Oh you're right. I was forgetting Prussia Maybe I need to start sparing the spouses when there's an assassination attempt.

It wouldn't necessarily matter depending upon how the grandmother and mother feel about each other.  Altho, Heonjong may have been a special case since his father predeceased him, thus Sunwon had been the Queen when Heonjong inherited the throne from his grandfather. That said, Heonjong will be 14 this year (by Korean age reckoning, 13 by Western reckoning), and unlike real life I don't intend to cling to power as Sunwon, Once he has at least one heir, I'll try to turn things over to him, even tho Sunwon will still try to retain some influence from behind the throne.  Whatever the merits of the ladies may have been, the Queen Dowagers of 19th century East Asia historically didn't help their countries all that much.  Of course, if I'd played Sunwon with historical accuracy, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.