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The Codexian Saga LP

taplonaplo

Scholar
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
628
I'll employ my new voting tactic on the next update:
1. Wait for the Barbarian to update (not reading it).
2. Wait for laclongquan to post his ideas
3. Vote the opposite
4. Read update and: Prosper!
Somehow, i think it'll be the same as i would have voted anyway...
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
6,933
I formally submit a request to the Barbarian to have level scaling in his next game, or at least put the difficulty at easy. Your games are too hardcore for the average codexer.
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
Patron
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
20,317
Location
DiNMRK
herostratus said:
I formally submit a request to the Barbarian to have level scaling in his next game, or at least put the difficulty at easy. Your games are too hardcore for the average codexer.

So help me, if you request streamlining I'll carve your spleen out with a rusty fork.
 

The Barbarian

Liturgist
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
599
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Voting:

A - herostratus
C - Azira
B - taplonaplo
B - Bethesda Love
B - Ulminati
B - praetor
B - AndhairaX (the Barbarian is honored)
C - treave
B - Luan
C - Conkrete Knight
B - anus_pounder
B - Sergiu64
C - obediah
C - meeneque
B - root
C - Mikayel
C - Nickless
C - DarkUnderlord
C - The Brazilian Slaughter
C - wjw
A - laclongquan
C - juggernaut

A = 2
B = 9
C = 11 Winner

Update forthcoming.
 

The Barbarian

Liturgist
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
599
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Errant Hope

When the orders first came down, they were greeted with incredulity. Many of the officers and enlisted men crewing the Respublica's warships had families on Codexia - and they were simply to wait and see if the Commos would burn all they cared about to a cinder? Desperate times required action! As the crisis developed, a few ugly incidents of unrest were reported and put under control. Other personnel expressed the view that, perhaps, surrender was preferable to the death of millions, if not billions. After all, who would indict the Respublica for reneging on a capitulation made under this sort of duress? They, too, were silenced. In the end, the government's instructions were carried out to the letter. Space was let the Commonwealth make the first move, and wait they did. The AFC flotilla, naturally, did not make it easy for them.

Unity City was the first to be hit. Kinetic weapons were used to flatten a number of fixed structures. Among them was the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Defence. Though the casualties reported were few in number, the psychological shock was severe. The Respublican government was stretched thin, as millions of people fled the major cities, making for the open countryside and small settlements that were less likely to be subjected to bombardment. Law and order were tested to the limits as individuals and small groups took advantage of the difficult situation. Robbery, murder and rapine shot up, as the normally stringent Marianite authorities were forced to carefully allocate the resources available to them. When rioters attacked the Central Complex of the Marianite Authority, however, harsh measures were imposed, in order to keep the peace. Within a week, ten thousand 'irrevocably immoral individuals' (the so called Tri-is) were executed and strung up in public spaces.

The General Staff of the Respublica, in the meantime, gnashed its teeth. The Commos seemed determined to escalate the situation very slowly, indeed, imposing a gradual sort of 'punishing pressure' on the recalcitrant Marianites for refusing to give in to their ultimatum. The bombing of Unity City was followed by the systematic annihilation of every major Land and Space force facility on the planet. But there was still no general bombardment. Instead, Codexia was being pulverized in small, easy steps. The death toll climbed to thirty thousand within two weeks. And still the massed Space forces waited, just outside of the Commo occupied zone around the homeworld. Obviously, the earlier muttering over the best way to approach the crisis could only grow, under these circumstances. Soon, it was at a fever pitch. In several cases, outright mutiny was only prevented by the quick thinking and moral fortitude of the flag officers attendant. Would-be-villains were quickly shown the methods by which the Respublica dealt with traitors to the cause.

The penny finally dropped in mid-August. The Commos, nearly completely out of consumables (there was no truce in place while this situation developed; almost the entirety of the Commo invasion force was either destroyed or chased out of Respublican space, in the interim) instituted a deadline for general bombardment. As the week slowly passed, they increased the intensity of their targeted bombardments. Even if the crisis could be resolved without any further bloodshed, Codexia would require decades of redevelopment. It was of scant comfort to the huddled masses that the highest tiers of government were safely sheltered almost nine hundred meters underground, in the biggest and most elaborate hardened complex ever devised by mankind. As the deadline approached perilously close, the iron discipline of the Marianites did not waver. It was to be the Commos that would blink first.

At 1730 hours on 16 August 357AU, Commandant General Giovanni Price of the AFC broadcast a surrender message on all bands from the Ascot Vale, his flagship. It outlined that the Commonwealth government had instructed its invading forces to inflict defeat upon their Marianite brothers to guarantee the future security of the Commo state - but not at the expense of their humanity or the occurrence of what would be an infamous act of genocide. Finally recognising that the Marianites would not surrender under threat of annihilation, the Commonwealth was forced to acknowledge its own defeat. Space forces thereafter cautiously advanced against the spent Commo flotilla. True enough to their word, they kept their guns and electronic suites silent, as they were overtaken by the Respublican vessels. The ships in orbit around Codexia were swiftly captured by Marianite rapid ingress teams, which reported no resistance from their weak and malnourished crews. In several instances, a form of frontier justice was evidenced by the immediate executions of a number of the highest ranking Commonwealth officers present. These ad hoc war crimes tribunals were halted immediately, though punishment for the offending individuals seemed half-hearted, at best. A hundred thousand dead on Codexia could be directly attributed to the lengthy bombardment campaign and its indirect effects. It was all that Marianite authorities could do, simply preventing the large-scale slaughter of the prisoners of war from the flotilla.

The outstanding issue, however, was clear enough.

What now?

Do you... re-absorb the Commonwealth forcefully and wholly? Those animals can hardly complain, after what they just put us through. Now that we have broken their resolve, let us break their spirit, too. Only then can we reforge it anew, in the Marianite form. We must expunge their sickness. Liquidate their leadership, their intellectual elite and anyone else who could resist what our faith demands we make of them. Let us be swift, thorough and merciless. Our people demand justice. Maria demands piety.

OR

Do you... re-absorb the Commonwealth, but rule with a light touch? They have been our enemy for decades, but they were our brothers for millennia. These misguided fools must be made to understand the error of their ways. Let us not show how cruel we can be. Instead, let us show them that which they do not expect at all: mercy. Marianism is strong enough to spread and flower amongst them without imposition. We will defeat the idea of the Commonwealth by proving its basic tenets wrong.
 

obediah

Erudite
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
5,051
Oh, now I see the difference between B and C! :)

Vote: A

I'd pick B in a bioware game, but the galactic shit hole we've built will demand A and we need to give it to them to stay in power.
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
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DiNMRK
I formally request the option to systematically burn every commonwealth world to cinders. Failing an option C that will satisfy my urge for genocide, A is the closest we'll get.

Every single time. Every. Single. Time we've shown the commos an ounce of compassion, they've repaid us by stabbing us in the back. No more!

obediah said:
I'd pick B in a bioware game

And this is really all the incentive people need not to vote B. :smug:
 

Nickless

Educated
Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
960
Hm, a difficult choice, Barbarian. I'd ask that councillors not give into their emotional side when deciding the best course of action here, I know many hunger for vengeance against the Commonwealth for the travesties they wrought against us, but emotional decisions are not rational decisions, and only rational decisions are results orientated. That said, I'm not certain of the best course of action to take here, B would be the morally superior choice, given that not even the Commonwealth was ready to sink so low as to full-scale genocide against us, choosing to surrender rather than decimate our people, but again, that's not a rational basis for a decision. The question is, can Marianism convert the materially rich, over-privileged democratic Commonwealth through peaceful preaching and assimilation alone, or will we need to fully destroy the Commonwealth culturally for Marianism to take effect with forceful indoctrination? Will we look like bloodthirsty invaders regardless of how we treat our defeated enemy, or will we create martyrs with option A? Are there any comparable historical precedents equivalent to this that someone could bring up regarding the methods used by an invading force against a conquered people?
 

Luan

Educated
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
108
Location
Fukuoka, Japan
A

They deserve so much worse. But yet, don't even DESERVE A.

We could barely suppress wholesale and DESERVED slaughter of their flotilla. The time for words has passed. We WILL bring light to the heathens, or burn out their eyes. Do not deny Maria's righteous flame!
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
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Nickless said:
Are there any comparable historical precedents equivalent to this that someone could bring up regarding the methods used by an invading force against a conquered people?

SLAVERY-GETS-SHIT-DONE.gif
 

Conkrete Knight

Educated
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
240
Location
Denmark
Generally speaking
:love: A :love:

I would however this time like to make a more precise decision.

Of course we will have to eliminate the most vocal members of the commo elite.
The archives of their liberal media would be of immense use here.

There is however no reason for punishing the populace, they are like sheeple, and like sheeple they have to be guided.
Let us use some sort of soft pressure here, like an "atheist" tax for those that won't see the light.

Our real chance of integrating them lies however in the next generation.
Lets put our propaganda in overdrive.
Youth organisation, religious education, turning criticising the religion or owning blasphemous books into a capital crime, that stuff.

Scientist should however have the chance to repent by doing their work.
The first time.

ANY transgressions should be punished severely, and that should be made clear up front.
Especially any signs of revolt.
A local uprising?
Lets remove the location.
It won't happen again.

Also: I want my STASI.
Let them watch each other, let mistrust make the planning of any bigger revolution to dangerous for them to even try :smug:

An all out happy-treehugging-friendliness can not work.
As we are going to shatter their market consumerism and are going to limit their freedom.
No matter how velvet we think that fist is, it will feel hard for them.
What we need now is apathy, as sympathy is not an option.
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

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So far the votes seem to speak for themselves.

A: 11 votes
B: 2 votes

[edit]Tally updated Aug 30, 2010 10:26 am[/edit]

I think the Barbarian can safely begin writing up the next instalment :smug:
 

Murk

Arcane
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
13,459
Seems to not matter, but I also vote A.

They may be like us through genetics, but they are nothing like us in spirit or in mind. We can't afford to have an upstart invited into our home again -- take them and punish them.

Remember, that the commonwealth leadership was at one point just "the people" as well, and that if we simply put in a puppet regime and go easy on them not only will we be unfair to our own loyal marianites that bled so much for us, but we would also invite a recreation of our benevolence during the Sonata debacle.

Crush them, and devour them. Why should the commonwealth traitors be given quarter when our own people bleed and suffer?

==========================

Question to his most noble savagery, herr Doctor von Barbaros. Could we perhaps have a glance at the past, of what may have been? Since it is unlikely we will play this exact game again anytime soon - would you be so kind as to elaborate on what might have happened had we picked a different route early on in the game? A sort of roads not travelled, choices not made segment?
 

The Barbarian

Liturgist
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
599
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Could we perhaps have a glance at the past, of what may have been? Since it is unlikely we will play this exact game again anytime soon - would you be so kind as to elaborate on what might have happened had we picked a different route early on in the game? A sort of roads not travelled, choices not made segment?

Any particular flashpoint in mind, dear Mikayel?

Since there is an element of the butterfly effect in every choice, the Barbarian can only really tell you of what might have been with regard to particular choices.

If you have a look at the first set of updates, however, you can see what happens when Conan messes up and posts the wrong update.

a sort of glasnost and perestroika, if you will, but not because we're on the brink of disaster, rather, the opposite; because we can allow ourselves to expand beyond the original primitive tenets of a religion forged out of hellfire and embrace the new tenets of a religion that will spew hellfire without having to force its citizens to eat bread and water. let us be faithful and prosperous at the same time.

i didn't express myself well, but you get the gist. food for thought.

also, I suggest that we change the name of our nation to the Empire of Codexia as soon as the commonwealth is reincorporated, and overthrow wise man...whatshisname. though I seem to remember he was a moderate, so maybe he's worth a short.

The Barbarian always looks to historical experience when informing his assessment of 'what should happen'. This holds true for political/social evolution, too. At this point in time, Marianism is confident, aggressive, virile and has not been checked by any external or internal obstacle.

There needs to be some kind of impetus for change.

One might imagine, however, that looking to reform a xenophobic, militaristic, theocratic regime, whilst simultaneously engaging in brutal repression and purges of newly conquered territory, do not quite go hand in hand. :)

Always consider the wider implications of each choice. The advantage of a game such as this is that Conan can take things into account that the equivalent software could not, in most cases. So, be sure to read each choice carefully. There are many conscious hints as to the aforementioned implications, in every update.
 

Luan

Educated
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
108
Location
Fukuoka, Japan
The barbarian puts my mind at ease. The pussy footing and suggested moral decay and debauchery was making me throw up in my mouth. Glasnot and perestroika can be attributed to the fall of the soviet union.
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,343
obediah said:
Oh, now I see the difference between B and C! :)
Mother-fucking hindsight.

Brothers! We showed the Commonwealth our mercy that rather than crushing their worlds, they had the chance to stand down in peace. They had the chance to end the bloodshed.

They turned down that chance.

Instead, they chose to bombard our cities. They chose to threaten us with total and complete annihilation as if this were a harmless game being played by children.

And they stopped, not because it was in their hearts, but because they ran out of supplies.

The great and mighty Respublica was forged with strength and Spanish inquisitions.

Let us re-forge it that way again. We extended the Commonwealth the hand of peace and they turned on us.

We offered the Commonwealth a chance to end the blood-shed. They turned it down and they showed us their true form.

Let us now show the Commonwealth the consequences of their actions and send a message loud and clear to anyone who would dare question us or stand against us in the future.

All the way with Option A!

All hail the Respublica!

Though I suspect that this line "Liquidate their intellectual elite" will come to bite us hard. Though then again, it was us who developed shield technology.

Barbarian, can I also request a state of the larger alien war at this time? The war that's been continued while we've been busy with internal conflict.
 

Nickless

Educated
Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
960
Guys, while I think the Commonwealth might rebel against us in a situation of relative peace in the galaxy with the situation as it is currently, there are a few facts that might make B more successful for us.

  • 1. The Commonwealth now have no military force and could be invaded by the Hin'in at any time. They need us if they want to be protected. If we ruled them lightly, they'd have no choice but to obey, unless they want to be annexed by the tyrannical Hin'in menace. As long as we stop them from having their own independent military force (Which will take a very long time to build up now, all things considered), we should be good.

    2. Throughout the conflict we have remained honourable, with the best interests of humanity in mind; this did not reach the citizens of Commonwealth at home. We now have the opportunity to show these misguided people what Marianism really is, for they have been brainwashed by the liberal Commonwealth media, and are not responsible for the actions of their controlling federalist governments.

    3. If we take this path, in the future we might be able to integrate the best of both regimes into our empire, take the open-mindedness to technological progress and human engineering of the Commonwealth, and combine it with the firm moral unity of Marianism.

    4. Our infrastructure is in shambles, we need to use Commonwealth production centres to put out more ships for the inevitable conflict with the Hin'in, whilst rebuilding our own worlds. This might go easier for us if the former Commonwealth do it out of a desire for self-preservation, over fear of crucification

    5. Now that there is no limit on traffic between our peoples, Marianism can now fully spread to the misguided Commonwealth. Whilst the rich might at first by adverse to a life of minimalism, their reduced social status will soon make them reconsider, as it did when Marianism first took root in Codexia.

While I don't think it has much chance of winning, I'm going to vote B
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
7,269
When someone stabs you in the back, you don't take the knife out, clean it, and hand it back to them for possible use at a later date. They have shown themselves to be dishonorable. There is no greater insult than to lack honor. We have seen into their souls, and they have been found lacking. For that they must be expunged. Death to the heretics.
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,343
Nickless said:
Guys, while I think the Commonwealth might rebel against us in a situation of relative peace in the galaxy with the situation as it is currently, there are a few facts that might make B more successful for us.

[blah blah blah etc... lies]
What? Send the message that any faction who can get enough warships over our home world can enforce their demands on our Government?

No.

We stood strong. We weathered each blow the Commonwealth dealt us.

And we survived.

Now is the time to send the message: No more. The Respublica will tolerate no longer any voice of discontent. We allowed the Commonwealth to exist while we both fought the Hin'in. We did not punish them then when we could have.

We allowed the Commonwealth to fight, side by side with us, in a war against our common foe.

Time and time again we offered the hand of friendship, the branch of peace, the joy of our love.

And rather than appreciate our efforts, they betrayed us at the first opportunity. They turned on us and strove to plunge their knives of betrayal deep into our chests.

We will not tolerate betrayal. Let us send the message now, loud and clear so that all future generations will hear it: Betray us, spit in our palm when we offer you the hand of friendship, and you will pay the price.

Break the branch of peace and you will only shatter yourself.

Rip out the heart of love and you rip only into yourselves.

Grab the cock of joy by the balls and squeeze and we will blow our mighty load in your face!

Make no mistake my Brothers, we were lucky this time. We allowed the Commonwealth to grow strong. We gave the Commonwealth the opportunity for our love to grow in them.

They denied our love. They spat in our face and they threatened our very existence. Had we given them longer rope, would we have been defeated now, at the hands of a powerful Commonwealth?

Had we shared with them our shield technology, would we be here today or would the Commonwealth have stood victorious instead?

Also, I move to include traitors who would vote B in the purging.
 

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