Post by Kage2020 on Jan 4, 2005 20:03:52 GMT -5
Some of you may have been expecting this for some time, some hoping and a few dreading. First off, though, don't worry. I'm not going to announce that the project is closing!
Over the past few months, perhaps longer, I've seen a general trend in the way that the ASP has been progressing. As always with these things, some of them have been good and some of them not as good. I have been wary of 'taking control', as it were, not only because of some comments made towards August of last year but that I had always view this - hoped that it would be - a collective project. A meeting of minds joined by interpretation of the 'fluff' out of the 'fluff and, of course, the guidelines behind the the project: (1) to make sense of the 'fluff' and create a 'working sector(s); and (2) to bring ogether wargamers and RPG'ers to make use of the strengths of both type of game. My own personal goal was to make enough sense of the 40k universe so that it would appeal outside of wargamers. As they say, though, "Battleplans rarely survive contact with the enemy" or, in this case, expectations. s a result of this although I've had a good working solution to the problem for a while I've sat on it. And, yes, I nkow that some barbed thoughts went through some minds just then.
No more! This thread is not about what has gone and been written thus far. Indeed, we should all bear that in mind in our progress forwards. Rather, we approach things in a more structured manner with an awareness that we may, just may, have to go back on ourselves if we come up to a problem.
This thread is designed as somewhat of a "mission statement". It is not necessarily an agenda, or me tell you where the project is going, but rather oering what I consider to be a good and integrated approach to moving rapidly forwards. I welcome constructive comments as always, but if you feel that you just want to 'take a pot shot' then, well, please don't.
Creating a Framework[/u][/size]
Everything about the project should now be about creating a framework - a skeleton, if you would like, or perhaps even just foundations - so that we can do a number of things. Firstly we gain the capability of rather quickly equalling and surpassing anything that GW has accomplished (go us!) and letting is produce even just an extremely based web page up and running. This will serve to bring greater publicity to the project, as well we know. Secondly, this framework allows us to perform some really important operations that will simplify and structure and future operations such as: calculation or modelling of the economy; the relative size and distribution fo the Fleets; trade routes, and so forth. A whole gamut - nay, a plethora! - of topics! Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, it creates a series of steps by which we can then progress. With the independent development of worlds we are sometimes running before we can walk.
Moving Forwards... [/u][/size]
Integrated Interpretation
One problem that hounds the development of some of the more abstract concepts in the ASP, e.g. the development of an economy thread, is the fact that we still have worlds undeveloped, as well as subsectors unrealised in terms of concepts.
Despite the fact that the RPG side of things is obviously taking a back drop at the moment, something that I feel is reasonble given the composition and preferences of the members, a decent RPG offers something that the both the wargame and the 'fluff' are at present incapable of offering us: a structured approach and an abstraction of the universe that, arguably, is more tempered. We use the "Guide" as a means of abstracting star system development. Yes, there are problems with it but on the whole it achieves more interesting worlds - and rapidly - than are more commonly seen in the 'fluff'.
Thus we have in what we have done already our first solution to producing a solid framework for the further progression of the ASP:
We should, subsector by subsector, more fully utilise the UWP. The current UWP posted as 'potentials' are, variously, either fixed (physical data) or suggestions (social data). Working with the definitions offered in the Guide, we - members and the subsector managers (Primary Projector Leaders; *thwaps self on side of head*) of the project as a whole - should come up with defined and final concepts for the worlds within a subsector. This was attempted before, but unsuccessfully. Once interesting concepts have been fixed, valid UWP should then be created for the 'mainworld'.
This is the very basis of foundation. It allows us to work with abstract concepts such as the politics of the subsector, economy, and so forth. You can see the value of having an overall picture in some of Sikkukkut's posts, although necessarily as part of the project we must work with the UWP before us.
If a world is already 'complete', either in the archive or perhaps waiting to be validated before going into the archive - then the world builder could post it as a 'defined UWP and concept' in the appropriate thread. This way no world will be forgotten about and the work that people have put into their worlds will be recognised. (It also offers a means by which inappropriate worlds can be weeded out.)
There will be greater flexibility in modification of the UWP if necessary and on a case by case situation.
Getting Basic Models Up and Running...
As mentioned previously, the RPG side of things offers a valuable means by which some of the more inaccessible aspects of the 40k universe can be modelled. While there are numerous RPG systems that realistically (well, plausibly) model the real world, at present we only seem to have one RP'er around (moi). We should therefore make use of the structure it offers by working together as members of the project.
Questions about length of time in travel, cargo, ships might all be reasonably modelled if we can provide good working approximations. They can even offer interesting and quirky possibilities.
We should begin to look at some of the practical technologies and how to model them in RPG if they are of importance to the discussion. I'm not talking about bolt guns or whatever, but rather how the Imperial sublight drives 'work' (broadly speaking; we don't really need discussions on quantum mechanics) and how we - as a project - would like to see them operate in terms of efficiency, speed, fuel, etc.
Economy and Trade/Patrol Routes
With a framework of solid UWP created, we can not only talk about the history but also the economy.
While there are continued discussions about the economy in the ASP, we should get a first order approximation up and running. As such, once UWP and 'concepts' are discussed and 'finalised', following the GT:FT system. The assumptions made here should be:
The above does not preclude the determination of 'warp routes' - or whatever - by member or project fiant. Furthermore, it also does not determine what type of goods are being transmitted.
One important item to mention is that it does not invalidate or devalue the work of certain members in the production of alternative economic systems. Indeed, the producing of fixed UWP will enhance their ability to do this while the use of GT:FT allows us to at least get the ball rolling.
What We Would Have Done...[/u][/size]
With the performance of the above, what would we have achieved? Well:
Put that way it might not sound like much, but it would allow a huge amount of progression even if, as reasonable counter-argument, it offers a barrier by which the new member can post their concept for a world. But the obstacle is not insurmountable (obviously).
Over the past few months, perhaps longer, I've seen a general trend in the way that the ASP has been progressing. As always with these things, some of them have been good and some of them not as good. I have been wary of 'taking control', as it were, not only because of some comments made towards August of last year but that I had always view this - hoped that it would be - a collective project. A meeting of minds joined by interpretation of the 'fluff' out of the 'fluff and, of course, the guidelines behind the the project: (1) to make sense of the 'fluff' and create a 'working sector(s); and (2) to bring ogether wargamers and RPG'ers to make use of the strengths of both type of game. My own personal goal was to make enough sense of the 40k universe so that it would appeal outside of wargamers. As they say, though, "Battleplans rarely survive contact with the enemy" or, in this case, expectations. s a result of this although I've had a good working solution to the problem for a while I've sat on it. And, yes, I nkow that some barbed thoughts went through some minds just then.
No more! This thread is not about what has gone and been written thus far. Indeed, we should all bear that in mind in our progress forwards. Rather, we approach things in a more structured manner with an awareness that we may, just may, have to go back on ourselves if we come up to a problem.
This thread is designed as somewhat of a "mission statement". It is not necessarily an agenda, or me tell you where the project is going, but rather oering what I consider to be a good and integrated approach to moving rapidly forwards. I welcome constructive comments as always, but if you feel that you just want to 'take a pot shot' then, well, please don't.
Creating a Framework[/u][/size]
Everything about the project should now be about creating a framework - a skeleton, if you would like, or perhaps even just foundations - so that we can do a number of things. Firstly we gain the capability of rather quickly equalling and surpassing anything that GW has accomplished (go us!) and letting is produce even just an extremely based web page up and running. This will serve to bring greater publicity to the project, as well we know. Secondly, this framework allows us to perform some really important operations that will simplify and structure and future operations such as: calculation or modelling of the economy; the relative size and distribution fo the Fleets; trade routes, and so forth. A whole gamut - nay, a plethora! - of topics! Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, it creates a series of steps by which we can then progress. With the independent development of worlds we are sometimes running before we can walk.
Moving Forwards... [/u][/size]
Integrated Interpretation
One problem that hounds the development of some of the more abstract concepts in the ASP, e.g. the development of an economy thread, is the fact that we still have worlds undeveloped, as well as subsectors unrealised in terms of concepts.
Despite the fact that the RPG side of things is obviously taking a back drop at the moment, something that I feel is reasonble given the composition and preferences of the members, a decent RPG offers something that the both the wargame and the 'fluff' are at present incapable of offering us: a structured approach and an abstraction of the universe that, arguably, is more tempered. We use the "Guide" as a means of abstracting star system development. Yes, there are problems with it but on the whole it achieves more interesting worlds - and rapidly - than are more commonly seen in the 'fluff'.
Thus we have in what we have done already our first solution to producing a solid framework for the further progression of the ASP:
We should, subsector by subsector, more fully utilise the UWP. The current UWP posted as 'potentials' are, variously, either fixed (physical data) or suggestions (social data). Working with the definitions offered in the Guide, we - members and the subsector managers (Primary Projector Leaders; *thwaps self on side of head*) of the project as a whole - should come up with defined and final concepts for the worlds within a subsector. This was attempted before, but unsuccessfully. Once interesting concepts have been fixed, valid UWP should then be created for the 'mainworld'.
This is the very basis of foundation. It allows us to work with abstract concepts such as the politics of the subsector, economy, and so forth. You can see the value of having an overall picture in some of Sikkukkut's posts, although necessarily as part of the project we must work with the UWP before us.
If a world is already 'complete', either in the archive or perhaps waiting to be validated before going into the archive - then the world builder could post it as a 'defined UWP and concept' in the appropriate thread. This way no world will be forgotten about and the work that people have put into their worlds will be recognised. (It also offers a means by which inappropriate worlds can be weeded out.)
There will be greater flexibility in modification of the UWP if necessary and on a case by case situation.
Getting Basic Models Up and Running...
As mentioned previously, the RPG side of things offers a valuable means by which some of the more inaccessible aspects of the 40k universe can be modelled. While there are numerous RPG systems that realistically (well, plausibly) model the real world, at present we only seem to have one RP'er around (moi). We should therefore make use of the structure it offers by working together as members of the project.
Questions about length of time in travel, cargo, ships might all be reasonably modelled if we can provide good working approximations. They can even offer interesting and quirky possibilities.
We should begin to look at some of the practical technologies and how to model them in RPG if they are of importance to the discussion. I'm not talking about bolt guns or whatever, but rather how the Imperial sublight drives 'work' (broadly speaking; we don't really need discussions on quantum mechanics) and how we - as a project - would like to see them operate in terms of efficiency, speed, fuel, etc.
Economy and Trade/Patrol Routes
With a framework of solid UWP created, we can not only talk about the history but also the economy.
While there are continued discussions about the economy in the ASP, we should get a first order approximation up and running. As such, once UWP and 'concepts' are discussed and 'finalised', following the GT:FT system. The assumptions made here should be:
- Worlds are primarily engaged with trade within a subsector, such that bilateral trade exists between all the appropriate worlds of said subsector and should be calculated appropriately.
- Intra-subsector BTN shall be used to calculate appropriate 'trade routes' and, therefore, warp routes. These can then be taken in context with other phenomenon (cf. Castellan).
- Subsector capitals will be used as a focus for trade between the subsectors based upon appropriate calculation of collective BTN between worlds.
- Intra-sector BTN shall be used to calculate major warp routes.
- Calculated volume of cargo engage in bilateral trade can then be used to help determine the distribution of specific 'classes' of ships of the various Fleets, though more particularly Civil and Merchant, around the sector.
- It then becomes feasible to discuss the 'tithe' to the Imperium in 'absolute' terms.
- It allows the basis of a resource management system for freeform wargame campaign rules (see later).
The above does not preclude the determination of 'warp routes' - or whatever - by member or project fiant. Furthermore, it also does not determine what type of goods are being transmitted.
One important item to mention is that it does not invalidate or devalue the work of certain members in the production of alternative economic systems. Indeed, the producing of fixed UWP will enhance their ability to do this while the use of GT:FT allows us to at least get the ball rolling.
What We Would Have Done...[/u][/size]
With the performance of the above, what would we have achieved? Well:
- Defined the concepts and UWP for the worlds of the Anargo sector and the various subsectors, including an integrated approach to both world, subsector and sector history, politics, etc.
- Created a first-order approximation for economy, trade, and shipping within the Anargo sector as well as the compositon of the Fleets and distribution of ships of various types/classes.
- Given ourselves the capability to produce a 'document'/web page rapidly, as originally envisaged. (Here we would need all those wonderful images that the artists have been churning out!)
Put that way it might not sound like much, but it would allow a huge amount of progression even if, as reasonable counter-argument, it offers a barrier by which the new member can post their concept for a world. But the obstacle is not insurmountable (obviously).