Istion - an Age of Sail Conworld.

[Astraios]

Are you offering?

[cybrxkhan]

I have updated the referendum results. Results are:

- Option 2 for star system
- Ambiguous Magic
- Only homo sapiens, no other species*

*I want to note, however, that more people chose to have other hominids (4 votes) compared to only humans (3), but that the vote was divided between dumb dwarves (2) and equally intelligent to humans (2)

Oh, and now we still need to figure out how many moons this baby has.

Grr. I keep starting to write for this and the inspiration just isn't there and nothing good happens. I am fail.

Throw in something totally awesome for your people.

[Torco]

Are you offering?

sure! have a beer
enjoy

[Torco]

Oh, and now we still need to figure out how many moons this baby has.

how about mars-style two medium sized ones ? one could be like red and the other white, or something.

[Astraios]

sure! have a beer
enjoy

Why thank you. But you've forgotten the sex...

[Ollock]

Oh, and now we still need to figure out how many moons this baby has.

how about mars-style two medium sized ones ? one could be like red and the other white, or something.

I prefer large moons, rather like Earth's -- AIUI Phobos and Diemos pretty much look like stars in the Martian sky. Unfortunately, I think you can only have one large moon and still be stable.

[Lyhoko Leaci]

Oh, and now we still need to figure out how many moons this baby has.

how about mars-style two medium sized ones ? one could be like red and the other white, or something.

I prefer large moons, rather like Earth's -- AIUI Phobos and Diemos pretty much look like stars in the Martian sky. Unfortunately, I think you can only have one large moon and still be stable.

They can be stable if they're far enough apart, and as the planet is bigger than Earth it can handle bigger (or more) moons. Maybe one larger one with several smaller ones?

[Pogostick Man]

Since it seems that the whole world war is getting a bit of attention, anybody care to throw it around discussion-wise? So far, it seems that we have Ǧakærirr U, the Qicui, the Baktarci, the Mai as involved parties. Anybody else want to join in the fray? (Perhaps Ollock's culture might take the opportunity to try and rid itself of its Ǧakærirr problem…) I'd assume that the problem was mostly a combination of concerns over colonization and trade monopolies in those islands north of Qicui and the spread of the Qicui religion (as posited by cybrxkhan). Now, we have on the timeline the war as pegged as starting ca. -125; I'd suggest a start date more like -127 or -129 or something as the page on the Baktarci Empire (to me at least) implies that the war had progressed a bit before the Mai joined in.

On a topic related only highly tangentially, what's everyone's positions on adding categories to pages? I've been hesitant to edit the categories of anybody's pages/pictures that are neither mine nor communal contributions (in case of the latter, e.g. the timeline), but would like to have all the stuff indexed and categorized appropriately.

[----]

The Liann would not fight in the war, but they would provide supplies to whichever party could benefit them the most (whether through trade, or becoming political allies)

[Turtlehead]

Since it seems that the whole world war is getting a bit of attention, anybody care to throw it around discussion-wise? So far, it seems that we have Ǧakærirr U, the Qicui, the Baktarci, the Mai as involved parties. Anybody else want to join in the fray? (Perhaps Ollock's culture might take the opportunity to try and rid itself of its Ǧakærirr problem…) I'd assume that the problem was mostly a combination of concerns over colonization and trade monopolies in those islands north of Qicui and the spread of the Qicui religion (as posited by cybrxkhan). Now, we have on the timeline the war as pegged as starting ca. -125; I'd suggest a start date more like -127 or -129 or something as the page on the Baktarci Empire (to me at least) implies that the war had progressed a bit before the Mai joined in.

On a topic related only highly tangentially, what's everyone's positions on adding categories to pages? I've been hesitant to edit the categories of anybody's pages/pictures that are neither mine nor communal contributions (in case of the latter, e.g. the timeline), but would like to have all the stuff indexed and categorized appropriately.

Turtazounya doesn't mind the fray, just as long as we gain independence afterwards. I think on my time scale we just came out of a 70 year civil war and this could be a political event to cause unity amongst the populous. This would also be the third international conflict for Turtazounya.

[Torco]

On a topic related only highly tangentially, what's everyone's positions on adding categories to pages? I've been hesitant to edit the categories of anybody's pages/pictures that are neither mine nor communal contributions (in case of the latter, e.g. the timeline), but would like to have all the stuff indexed and categorized appropriately.

I IZ IN UR WIKIZ, CATGRIZING UR PAGES.

I, for one, have absolutely no problem with that

[Rodlox]

as to the moons...there's a lot of room between the size of our Moon (on Earth) and the moons of Mars...though odds are, one moon is likely going to be a capture (and thus be slightly active volcanism, according to What if the Earth had two moons?)

[Herr Dunkel]

Any news on the Third Great Referendum?

Wait... aren't you like, with us or something?

How do you mean?

Akana relay?

[Pogostick Man]

Any news on the Third Great Referendum?

Wait... aren't you like, with us or something?

How do you mean?

Akana relay?

Yes. I am on Team 1.

[Herr Dunkel]

So, you're involved with two seperate conworld projects?

Oy vey

[----]

I could never do that.

[Torco]

Torco's Report

http://istion.wikia.com/wiki/Viraayon_Authority#History
the history of the Viraayon is under development, as well as the related Republic of Kitaal.
I think we should make an article for this world war against the Gakaerrir, set things in stone, you know
Oh, and... which of the Qicui states aided the republic of Kitaal against the evil king of Gakaerrir ?

/report

[cybrxkhan]

cybrxkhan's report:

I've done the basics on the organization of the Qicui and such things, and I will be tackling a more in-depth explanation of the culture and politics if I have time this week.
Doing an article for the "world war" (regional war?) would be good.

And the Qicui states against the U folks... That's probably be at least the Most Serene Republic of Makutu, since it has quite a number of colonies in the islands to the north. The Kingdom of Horo will probably also be helping, since they have the holy city of [religion]. Otherwise there might be a couple of other helpers, but I think mainly the Qicui aid is led by Makutu and Horo.

/end report

Just wanted to say there's been a sudden family emergency, so depending on well it turns out or not, I *might* be busy for the next day or so or longer.

[Torco]

I hope its not something serious, bro. best wishes

[Pogostick Man]

Just wanted to say there's been a sudden family emergency, so depending on well it turns out or not, I *might* be busy for the next day or so or longer.

I hope everything ends up turning out well. I will keep this in my prayers.

Qasærri Roršækǹæ (lit. "that which Rorschach reports or narrates"):

- Been writing up the article on the ’Aṣækikk language.
- I'll hopefully be working more on culture and chronology of my area, and plan on starting up an article on the monarchy as well.
- I agree, I think it'd be good to get an article on this war written up. Should it just get started and then just edited up by us into something big? If so, what are the rules for writing about other people's peoples?
- How do we determine who has what resources? I'd like to obtain and work with some information regarding this for my culture (e.g., superior alpine wood for shipbuilding—might make those polar islands suddenly more attractive for claimants—and also throw in a couple of shipyards), but don't want to step on any toes, relational or procedural or otherwise, in the so doing. How should I go about seeking permission for such things?
- Also, how do we determine historical firsts and who had the best whatever and that sort of historical happening? For instance, I'd like for my guys to have been highly astronomy-centric—and hence, provided the best long-distance oceanic navigators—but want to know if such would be OK, and how to go about getting this approved.

[Ollock]

OK, I might be interested in the world war, but I'll have to figure it out. Unfortunately I am waaaay behind on account of Thanksgiving and small children at my house. Those things are over now, so I think I can start figuring things out soon.

[Amuere]

OK can ya'll brief me on the happenings of the last coupe of days of conversation I've missed? I read to the part were you guys were talking about forming sprachbunds, are we still going with that idea because I like the idea. I'd really like to form a dialect continuum with my closest neighbor.

[Turtlehead]

OK can ya'll brief me on the happenings of the last coupe of days of conversation I've missed? I read to the part were you guys were talking about forming sprachbunds, are we still going with that idea because I like the idea. I'd really like to form a dialect continuum with my closest neighbor.

Choose your sprachbund, write a synopsis of your civ and a timeline. Timeline spans -15000 - 0. We had a migration pattern too.

@Pawb: Can we get a link to our wiki?

[----]

Theta's report:
-I've been working heavily on the Liann language and people, I've been neglecting putting the information up on the Wiki though.
-I've been working on the history as well but I have two ideas that are similar but conflicting. As soon as I figure it all out I'll post as much as I can on the Wiki.
-Resource determining is a very important thing and we need to figure that out soon, it's probably one of the top issues right now. I think it should probably have something to do with where they are on the map, like a far north island wouldn't have oranges and bananas or something.
-I'm not sure if the astronomical data is completely necessary to run this conworld properly. It could affect concultures' mythologies but other than that I don't really see the purpose, except it's a bit interesting.
/report

I'll have to go back to school tomorrow, so I'll be a lot more busy from now on, and it might be more difficult for me to post here/do work. I'm just letting you know so that if I ever disappear for a little bit no one's wondering why. d:
Also can I have a big zoomed-in picture of my claims too?

[Torco]

I think it'd be good to get an article on this war written up. Should it just get started and then just edited up by us into something big? If so, what are the rules for writing about other people's peoples?

Sure, why not.

How do we determine who has what resources?

I'd have gone with it arising organically, but, if we want to predefine it, why not resource maps? we already know there's saltpeter in Krat Loyaan, for instance, but what else?

I don't think we need to list every useful thing: of course there's acorns in every forest, and of course there's like birds or something in every lake. As for big stuff, well, mountains tend to have mines of stuff, forests tend to have valuable woods, jungles and savannas have like ivory and lots of interesting plant products, like spices. I think the question is which are the resources we want to have in this civ3-style 'resource map'?

another alternative, of course, is everyone claims two or three unique or rare resources for themselves, or even randomly generate it: it's fair to assume every island has iron deposits, for instance, but things like saltpeter, spices, ivory, oil or dyes are not going to be everywhere.

Of course, this approach, IMO, is based on an erroneous conception of what a resource is. Unlike in Civ, a resource in real life is something that is heterogeneously distributed, and that people find valuable. neither gold nor dyes are inherently valuable, or pepper or lemon. Demand for stuff is generated out of culture and economy: why would anyone want to pay a shitload of money for pepper, for instance? it's itchy! well, it helps differentiate the food of aristocrats to the food of commoners, and conserve some foods better, and it's rare, and euro aristocrats like rare stuff. it's snobism, little more. Salt! SALT? for god's sake, it tastes horrible! and it makes you sick. BUT it's great at conserving food and giving it flavour, so peoples with little means to conserve food (say, those that don't use pickling, or don't live in places with cold climate all year round, or people who, for whatever reason, need to conserve food, which isn't a universal need) and those that eat mostly bland, insipid stuff, are going to want salt and pepper, but others won't. Some resources are inherently valuable in the economy we've defined: good quality fibers to make rope and sails with, saltpeter, but most of the valuable resources are the result of work: rum, velvet, tools, china, clothes, silverware. What resources a society needs and what resources a society has to offer are a function of its culture, economy, and ecology.

Okay, rant done