I can't believe I missed this starting up. Sounds like the Lombards still have some domestic issues to resolve before launching off into space.
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Currently working on my last test game before the game begins. Not sure if I will run with the 1.03 hotfix, or wait for Clarke to drop at the end of the month.
Prologue - The World in 2200 A.D.
Part 2 - The Americas
During the era of colonization and the Early Modern Period, North America was a highly unstable region whose balance of power continually shifted dramatically. Several countries rose and fell during this early period, but as years stretched on toward the modern period and the space age, a series of surprising developments led to the creation of the modern North American political climate.
The Sioux Native Americans benefited greatly from their conversion to Protestantism and their alliance with the British in the late 1700's and early 1800's. With the support of the British as the chosen Christian Native state, the Sioux were able to fight and defeat many of their indigenous rivals, establishing a politically stable state whose dominance was reinforced by the influx of weapons from their more advanced European neighbors. Their dominance in the Canadian region was largely uncontested, and they rapidly sent settlers to the west and north, reaching the Pacific Coast. There, they eventually ousted European settlers in Spanish Alaska after Spain was forced to release its overseas colonies, annexing the land into their fold. In the early 2000's, a "reclamation" movement led to a series of border skirmishes with European-descended residents of Nova Scotia, as several Sioux political factions sought to completely retake the continent under Native rule. After the intervention of the United Nations, a smaller state for the descendants of Scottish and British colonists was created, with the Sioux claiming large portions of former Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The Sioux became known as excellent soldiers and military strategists, especially known for their elaborate border fortifications and isolationist attitudes.
To their southwest, the Bretons finally found a permanent place to settle. During the Medieval Era, the Bretons had fled their home peninsula as a result of French aggression, and they were later chased out of their small petty kingdom in southwestern England in the early 1500's. The Bretons were one of the first pioneers of the Age of Discovery, establishing multiple colonial settlements in North America. They were, at one time, the largest and most powerful state in the region, but were eventually swept aside by the likes of New Italy, Mexico, and the Sioux. For a time, Brittany consisted of a small region in central North America, but as the Byzantine Empire and Spain released their various colonial interests in the 1900's, Brittany quickly conquered the newly-independent colonies and established a new capitol along the California coast. The Bretons showed incredible business acumen, building one of Earth's most prosperous economies and becoming a world power through the accumulation of wealth. Even into the Space Age, Brittany remained one of the richest and most luxurious regions on the planet, a popular vacation spot.
The Republic of Powhatan began as a small protectorate under the watchful guard of the Italian Empire, intended to be a friendly, pro-Italian Native state to act as a counterbalance against the Sioux and other indigenous peoples who opposed Italian colonization. The Powhatan were known as fierce warriors despite their small numbers, and Powhatan soldiers fought in Italian military campaigns in North America, Europe, Africa, and even Australia. During World War II, New Italy exerted heavy pressure on the Powhatan to be absorbed into the fold of the empire, and violent aggression and discrimination against the Powhatan people were highly common. The Powhatan sought the aid of the Sioux, and both Native states joined the Allies against Italy. Together, the Sioux and the Powhatan overran New Italy, which had almost no support from its parent empire thanks to the bitter struggle in Malian Africa. Free from Imperial rule and rapidly growing, the Republic of Powhatan expanded to include all of former New Italy, and pressed westward out to the Breton frontier. The Republic became a major world superpower thanks to its abundant natural resources, which helped fuel a huge industrial complex and led to great scientific discoveries.
Mexico was settled by Scottish immigrants who fled after their kingdom was subdued and folded into Great Britain. They frequently battled Central American Natives to the south, resisted French colonial interests, and often clashed with Brittany over territory in southern North America. While Mexico never succeeded in reaching Great Power status, its Scottish settlers did establish a stable and peaceful country, with a high degree of tolerance between the European settlers and indigenous people, who related well and intermarried over the generations to create a diverse and culturally open society for centuries.
Finally, the South American Union was born out of the expulsion of the French from Central America and the Antilles. Small and without any source of protection, the various minor states of Central America banded together in a political and military alliance, pooling their resources against any would-be rivals. While they were not very powerful in terms of military strength, they did gain wealth by serving as a corridor between the wealthy North American states and the highly consumerist South American nations.
South America saw the least blood and warfare of any region of the world, from the time of its colonization all the way into the age of space exploration. Originally, the continent was split in three -- the British settled Colombia, to the north; the Italians settled Brazil, to the east; and the Spaniards settled Argentina and Peru, to the south. Those three nations were often at war and competing for various interests, but their South American colonies tended to stay out of the conflict entirely. Brazil and Colombia were particularly independent, granted high degrees of autonomy by their settlers. Spain exerted strict control and taxation over their colonies, but Argentina and La Plata gained their independence with the help of the Italian Empire, which assisted their rebellion in the aftermath of the Spanish Revolution and the rise of Fausto de Austria.
Over the coming centuries, both Colombia and Brazil gradually became independent without ever truly being declared as such -- the influence of their founding empires waned to the point that both, in their own times, peacefully and democratically separated from them to become their own entities. No major world war ever touched the South American shores, and for this reason large numbers of refugees from European conflicts fled to South America to escape violence. South America is the home of great economies, importing heavily from North America and Africa and exporting luxuries, raw materials, and fine crafts.
Part 2 - The Americas
During the era of colonization and the Early Modern Period, North America was a highly unstable region whose balance of power continually shifted dramatically. Several countries rose and fell during this early period, but as years stretched on toward the modern period and the space age, a series of surprising developments led to the creation of the modern North American political climate.
The Sioux Native Americans benefited greatly from their conversion to Protestantism and their alliance with the British in the late 1700's and early 1800's. With the support of the British as the chosen Christian Native state, the Sioux were able to fight and defeat many of their indigenous rivals, establishing a politically stable state whose dominance was reinforced by the influx of weapons from their more advanced European neighbors. Their dominance in the Canadian region was largely uncontested, and they rapidly sent settlers to the west and north, reaching the Pacific Coast. There, they eventually ousted European settlers in Spanish Alaska after Spain was forced to release its overseas colonies, annexing the land into their fold. In the early 2000's, a "reclamation" movement led to a series of border skirmishes with European-descended residents of Nova Scotia, as several Sioux political factions sought to completely retake the continent under Native rule. After the intervention of the United Nations, a smaller state for the descendants of Scottish and British colonists was created, with the Sioux claiming large portions of former Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The Sioux became known as excellent soldiers and military strategists, especially known for their elaborate border fortifications and isolationist attitudes.
To their southwest, the Bretons finally found a permanent place to settle. During the Medieval Era, the Bretons had fled their home peninsula as a result of French aggression, and they were later chased out of their small petty kingdom in southwestern England in the early 1500's. The Bretons were one of the first pioneers of the Age of Discovery, establishing multiple colonial settlements in North America. They were, at one time, the largest and most powerful state in the region, but were eventually swept aside by the likes of New Italy, Mexico, and the Sioux. For a time, Brittany consisted of a small region in central North America, but as the Byzantine Empire and Spain released their various colonial interests in the 1900's, Brittany quickly conquered the newly-independent colonies and established a new capitol along the California coast. The Bretons showed incredible business acumen, building one of Earth's most prosperous economies and becoming a world power through the accumulation of wealth. Even into the Space Age, Brittany remained one of the richest and most luxurious regions on the planet, a popular vacation spot.
The Republic of Powhatan began as a small protectorate under the watchful guard of the Italian Empire, intended to be a friendly, pro-Italian Native state to act as a counterbalance against the Sioux and other indigenous peoples who opposed Italian colonization. The Powhatan were known as fierce warriors despite their small numbers, and Powhatan soldiers fought in Italian military campaigns in North America, Europe, Africa, and even Australia. During World War II, New Italy exerted heavy pressure on the Powhatan to be absorbed into the fold of the empire, and violent aggression and discrimination against the Powhatan people were highly common. The Powhatan sought the aid of the Sioux, and both Native states joined the Allies against Italy. Together, the Sioux and the Powhatan overran New Italy, which had almost no support from its parent empire thanks to the bitter struggle in Malian Africa. Free from Imperial rule and rapidly growing, the Republic of Powhatan expanded to include all of former New Italy, and pressed westward out to the Breton frontier. The Republic became a major world superpower thanks to its abundant natural resources, which helped fuel a huge industrial complex and led to great scientific discoveries.
Mexico was settled by Scottish immigrants who fled after their kingdom was subdued and folded into Great Britain. They frequently battled Central American Natives to the south, resisted French colonial interests, and often clashed with Brittany over territory in southern North America. While Mexico never succeeded in reaching Great Power status, its Scottish settlers did establish a stable and peaceful country, with a high degree of tolerance between the European settlers and indigenous people, who related well and intermarried over the generations to create a diverse and culturally open society for centuries.
Finally, the South American Union was born out of the expulsion of the French from Central America and the Antilles. Small and without any source of protection, the various minor states of Central America banded together in a political and military alliance, pooling their resources against any would-be rivals. While they were not very powerful in terms of military strength, they did gain wealth by serving as a corridor between the wealthy North American states and the highly consumerist South American nations.
South America saw the least blood and warfare of any region of the world, from the time of its colonization all the way into the age of space exploration. Originally, the continent was split in three -- the British settled Colombia, to the north; the Italians settled Brazil, to the east; and the Spaniards settled Argentina and Peru, to the south. Those three nations were often at war and competing for various interests, but their South American colonies tended to stay out of the conflict entirely. Brazil and Colombia were particularly independent, granted high degrees of autonomy by their settlers. Spain exerted strict control and taxation over their colonies, but Argentina and La Plata gained their independence with the help of the Italian Empire, which assisted their rebellion in the aftermath of the Spanish Revolution and the rise of Fausto de Austria.
Over the coming centuries, both Colombia and Brazil gradually became independent without ever truly being declared as such -- the influence of their founding empires waned to the point that both, in their own times, peacefully and democratically separated from them to become their own entities. No major world war ever touched the South American shores, and for this reason large numbers of refugees from European conflicts fled to South America to escape violence. South America is the home of great economies, importing heavily from North America and Africa and exporting luxuries, raw materials, and fine crafts.
Sad to hear the Republic of Powhatan ended up having bad relations with the Lombards, but it's nice seeing them prosper, as they're still one of my favorite surprises from the EU4 section. Even better, it seems Brittany simply refuses to die.
Clearly the greatest thing from that update is the continued survival of Brittany. Watch them be pushed from North America too and exiled to another planet after 2200. 
Britanny is undying, that's for sure
Subscribed, and waiting for the rest of the world.
Subscribed, and waiting for the rest of the world.
Prologue - The World in 2200 A.D.
Part 3 - Africa & Asia
While the European powers made attempts to colonize Africa, they succeeded in only a limited scope. The Lombards of the Italian Empire were able to subdue Tunisia and establish it as a Viceroyal Kingdom under their rule, and Spain and Byzantium often sparred over economically valuable provinces like Alexandria along the northern African coast. However, the existence of the powerful nation of Mali served to keep the majority of these colonial ambitions checked. During the Middle Ages, Mali came to be ruled by a branch of the Bavarae family of Lombard nobility, albeit a distant one that had very little genealogical contact with its parent dynasty. These African Bavaraes established a highly advanced Catholic kingdom in Africa, and were the chief rivals of an equally large, though less technologically advanced, state in Abyssinia.
Mali was noted for its scientific advances and its bold taste for exploration. When the first explorer circumnavigated the globe during the Age of Discovery, it was the Malian explorer & naval captain Nbukwe Akintola who claimed the prestige of doing so. With advanced, western technology and the support of the Pope against Abyssinia, long a home to Coptic, Monophysite, and Miaphysite Christian minorities, Mali grew large and powerful. Into the 1800's, the kings of Mali waged several successful wars against Abyssinia, coming to dominate large stretches of Africa. It was during this time that King Mbele Bavarae proclaimed himself Emperor, elevating himself to prominence on the world stage. So great was the growth in Mali's strength and influence that, during World War II, the Malian army and its powerful desert tank divisions ground the seemingly unstoppable army of Lombardia to a halt, forcing the end of the war. Mali remains a nation known for its powerful army, cutting-edge scholars, and inventiveness in extracting natural resources from its harsh desert environs.
The Abyssinian Free States coalesced in response to the aggression of Mali. What fragmented eastern African states remained in the wake of the empire's campaigns banded together to form an allied military force, and together they sought the intervention of the United Nations when Mali invaded in the 1970's. The UN agreed to recognize the sovereignty of the AFS and forced Malian invasions to a halt under the threat of international sanctions and military intervention. While Mali was a militarily powerful empire, Emperor Themba II preferred to avoid another international incident, and negotiated a halt to all future attempts at territorial expansion in exchange for sovereignty over Madagascar. The AFS is a struggling state with little to offer the world stage, but it has produced several humanitarian leaders in its time.
South Africa was once a Spanish colony, but when it was liberated from colonial influence, it began to expand northward toward until it met the Malian border. While the Abyssinian Free States clashed with Mali on the battlefield and at the UN, South Africa took a more conciliatory approach and has functioned as an unofficial vassal of the empire. While technically a sovereign nation, South Africa's Prime Ministers have always enjoyed close ties with the Emperors of Mali, and the two nations engage in high levels of economic cooperation and the occasional joint military exercise. South Africa developed a strong economy as a frequent stopping point for trade fleets coming from India, and much of that wealth remains in the form of "old-money" families who retain significant political and economic influence.
Of all the world's regions, Asia has proved the most consistently stable, challenged perhaps only by South America for that title. The Ming Dynasty was overthrown in the late 1700's after the disastrous defeat of General Xue Jianze at the hands of Strategos Markos Matthaios of the Byzantine Empire, giving way to the forceful installation of a representative republic in China. General Cao Wan led the rebellion to victory and became the republic's first Prime Minister, ushering in the creation of a government survived largely intact through to the 2200's. Democracy caught fire in China and sparked a major intellectual and cultural revolution, bringing the Chinese Republic to the forefront of the world's greatest scientific advances. The Chinese were the first to achieve manned spaceflight, and were responsible for the eradication of several critical diseases. Hong Kong is the site of one of the world's most advanced rocket sites, and is a major center of traffic to and from orbit.
Hindustan was formed during the transition years from the Medieval to the Modern age, born of the Medieval Empire of Rajastan and eventually encompassing all of India and several neighboring regions. It was very rare for Hindustan to engage in military conflict with its neighbors, but the Hindustani army was -- and still is -- revered as one of the largest and most highly-trained fighting forces on earth, able to match even the Byzantine Empire in direct combat. Despite its powerful army, Hindustan has tended toward isolationism, preferring to guard its borders and grow its influence. Its elite special forces were tapped as the inspiration for some of the first international military forces in the late 22nd century, and Hindustani soldiers are a common sight in these planetary-level battalions.
Australia was at one time split between the Byzantine Empire and the Bretons, although it eventually achieved independence when its strategic importance to Byzantium proved minimal. Australia contributed a substantial navy to World War II, and Greek Australian scientists have helped achieve several breakthroughs in spaceship design and interstellar propulsion. Large but lacking in the clout and influence of other nations, Australia remains a minor world power.
Japan seemed poised to grow rapidly in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the overwhelming power of the Ming Dynasty and its successor, the Chinese Republic, stifled their avenues for growth. After the conquest of Korea, Japan gained little more than Pacific islands, and largely gave up on expansion after being defeated by Australia while attempting to expand into Indonesia. Despite its small size, Japan has enjoyed prosperity thanks to its advances in technology, particularly as it relates to engineering and software development. The first navigational computers for spacefaring warships were developed in Japan, and the small nation commands considerable economic power and clout on the world stage.
Part 3 - Africa & Asia
While the European powers made attempts to colonize Africa, they succeeded in only a limited scope. The Lombards of the Italian Empire were able to subdue Tunisia and establish it as a Viceroyal Kingdom under their rule, and Spain and Byzantium often sparred over economically valuable provinces like Alexandria along the northern African coast. However, the existence of the powerful nation of Mali served to keep the majority of these colonial ambitions checked. During the Middle Ages, Mali came to be ruled by a branch of the Bavarae family of Lombard nobility, albeit a distant one that had very little genealogical contact with its parent dynasty. These African Bavaraes established a highly advanced Catholic kingdom in Africa, and were the chief rivals of an equally large, though less technologically advanced, state in Abyssinia.
Mali was noted for its scientific advances and its bold taste for exploration. When the first explorer circumnavigated the globe during the Age of Discovery, it was the Malian explorer & naval captain Nbukwe Akintola who claimed the prestige of doing so. With advanced, western technology and the support of the Pope against Abyssinia, long a home to Coptic, Monophysite, and Miaphysite Christian minorities, Mali grew large and powerful. Into the 1800's, the kings of Mali waged several successful wars against Abyssinia, coming to dominate large stretches of Africa. It was during this time that King Mbele Bavarae proclaimed himself Emperor, elevating himself to prominence on the world stage. So great was the growth in Mali's strength and influence that, during World War II, the Malian army and its powerful desert tank divisions ground the seemingly unstoppable army of Lombardia to a halt, forcing the end of the war. Mali remains a nation known for its powerful army, cutting-edge scholars, and inventiveness in extracting natural resources from its harsh desert environs.
The Abyssinian Free States coalesced in response to the aggression of Mali. What fragmented eastern African states remained in the wake of the empire's campaigns banded together to form an allied military force, and together they sought the intervention of the United Nations when Mali invaded in the 1970's. The UN agreed to recognize the sovereignty of the AFS and forced Malian invasions to a halt under the threat of international sanctions and military intervention. While Mali was a militarily powerful empire, Emperor Themba II preferred to avoid another international incident, and negotiated a halt to all future attempts at territorial expansion in exchange for sovereignty over Madagascar. The AFS is a struggling state with little to offer the world stage, but it has produced several humanitarian leaders in its time.
South Africa was once a Spanish colony, but when it was liberated from colonial influence, it began to expand northward toward until it met the Malian border. While the Abyssinian Free States clashed with Mali on the battlefield and at the UN, South Africa took a more conciliatory approach and has functioned as an unofficial vassal of the empire. While technically a sovereign nation, South Africa's Prime Ministers have always enjoyed close ties with the Emperors of Mali, and the two nations engage in high levels of economic cooperation and the occasional joint military exercise. South Africa developed a strong economy as a frequent stopping point for trade fleets coming from India, and much of that wealth remains in the form of "old-money" families who retain significant political and economic influence.
Of all the world's regions, Asia has proved the most consistently stable, challenged perhaps only by South America for that title. The Ming Dynasty was overthrown in the late 1700's after the disastrous defeat of General Xue Jianze at the hands of Strategos Markos Matthaios of the Byzantine Empire, giving way to the forceful installation of a representative republic in China. General Cao Wan led the rebellion to victory and became the republic's first Prime Minister, ushering in the creation of a government survived largely intact through to the 2200's. Democracy caught fire in China and sparked a major intellectual and cultural revolution, bringing the Chinese Republic to the forefront of the world's greatest scientific advances. The Chinese were the first to achieve manned spaceflight, and were responsible for the eradication of several critical diseases. Hong Kong is the site of one of the world's most advanced rocket sites, and is a major center of traffic to and from orbit.
Hindustan was formed during the transition years from the Medieval to the Modern age, born of the Medieval Empire of Rajastan and eventually encompassing all of India and several neighboring regions. It was very rare for Hindustan to engage in military conflict with its neighbors, but the Hindustani army was -- and still is -- revered as one of the largest and most highly-trained fighting forces on earth, able to match even the Byzantine Empire in direct combat. Despite its powerful army, Hindustan has tended toward isolationism, preferring to guard its borders and grow its influence. Its elite special forces were tapped as the inspiration for some of the first international military forces in the late 22nd century, and Hindustani soldiers are a common sight in these planetary-level battalions.
Australia was at one time split between the Byzantine Empire and the Bretons, although it eventually achieved independence when its strategic importance to Byzantium proved minimal. Australia contributed a substantial navy to World War II, and Greek Australian scientists have helped achieve several breakthroughs in spaceship design and interstellar propulsion. Large but lacking in the clout and influence of other nations, Australia remains a minor world power.
Japan seemed poised to grow rapidly in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the overwhelming power of the Ming Dynasty and its successor, the Chinese Republic, stifled their avenues for growth. After the conquest of Korea, Japan gained little more than Pacific islands, and largely gave up on expansion after being defeated by Australia while attempting to expand into Indonesia. Despite its small size, Japan has enjoyed prosperity thanks to its advances in technology, particularly as it relates to engineering and software development. The first navigational computers for spacefaring warships were developed in Japan, and the small nation commands considerable economic power and clout on the world stage.
We are almost there! I may not wait for Clarke to hit, but I am working on some mods (and downloading some from the community) to set the game up. I've already got my namelist completed to include stuff like Greek, Breton, and Native American names, and I've made some custom adjustments to make space stations tougher and slow down the pace of colonization. Depending on whether or not I wait for Clarke, we could be up and running pretty soon!
Next update will cover the creation of a more unified world government and the leap into the space age.
Next update will cover the creation of a more unified world government and the leap into the space age.
Prologue - The World in 2200 A.D.
Part 4 - The Dawn of the Space Age
By the 22nd century, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the challenge of organized space exploration was more than a single terrestrial nation could support. When the first modern high-speed sublight propulsion drives were developed in China, the designs were sold to several nations and stolen or emulated by many more. The Empire of Mali oversaw the creation of the first scientific survey ship, equipped with a variety of sensors and equipment designed for interstellar exploration. Other nations quickly established their own space programs, constructing their vessels on the surface and then launching them into space with elaborate rocketry or sending them in blocks to be assembled at national space stations. The process was slow and inefficient, and ship designs frequently displayed significant flaws.
The beginning of the end for the era of nation-specific space programs came in 2140. Lombardia and the Byzantine Empire were among the first nations to design starships designed specifically for combat -- small ships deployed in even smaller numbers. A skirmish broke out between Lombard and Byzantine ships over a surveillance satellite, and when Russia attempted to intervene, a civilian vessel was destroyed in the crossfire. As Brittany positioned itself to sell weapons and munitions in preparation for a space war, an emergency meeting of the United Nations was called into session.
It was the eastern powers -- Hindustan and China -- who pushed the hardest for a unified Earth space program. Hindustan, in particular, stressed the importance of a unified naval force to avoid factional warfare in space based on terrestrial interests. China, on the other hand, took a more practical route in pointing out that whatever resources might be discovered in space could be more efficiently exploited by a united front. The process was a long one, but the summit of world leaders eventually came to a consensus. On August 14, 2140, the Earth Naval Coalition was formed.
The ENC was staffed by leaders from science and astronautics programs from multiple world nations. Each member nation contributed their particular designs and advances to the whole, and a team of ENC scientists began projects to synthesize and improve upon their designs to begin creating the first vestiges of a unified Earth spacefleet. It was this combined team of planetwide scientists that made the first breakthroughs into faster-than-light travel. First, a theory proposed by Japanese physicist Jin-Ichi Takegama led to the creation of a space station at the edge of the solar system, designed to create a two-way wormhole to enable instantaneous travel to foreign star systems. The prototype was set up to send a small manned vessel into the Alpha Centauri system; however, upon its activation, it became wildly unstable. The vessel vanished and was never heard from again, and the station suffered a critical reactor failure and detonated shortly thereafter.
Seeking a new method of interstellar travel in the wake of the wormhole failure, a team of scientists led by French researcher Orlean Gireaux stumbled upon a method of creating an energy field "bubble" effect around a vessel, allowing travel at extremely high speeds. It was slower than Takegama's wormhole method, but it proved more stable. Test ships equipped with a prototype of the "Gireaux Drive" successfully jumped to and from Alpha Centauri in 2180 AD, marking mankind's first successful interstellar, faster-than-light expedition.
A new era of human history had begun.
Part 4 - The Dawn of the Space Age
By the 22nd century, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the challenge of organized space exploration was more than a single terrestrial nation could support. When the first modern high-speed sublight propulsion drives were developed in China, the designs were sold to several nations and stolen or emulated by many more. The Empire of Mali oversaw the creation of the first scientific survey ship, equipped with a variety of sensors and equipment designed for interstellar exploration. Other nations quickly established their own space programs, constructing their vessels on the surface and then launching them into space with elaborate rocketry or sending them in blocks to be assembled at national space stations. The process was slow and inefficient, and ship designs frequently displayed significant flaws.
The beginning of the end for the era of nation-specific space programs came in 2140. Lombardia and the Byzantine Empire were among the first nations to design starships designed specifically for combat -- small ships deployed in even smaller numbers. A skirmish broke out between Lombard and Byzantine ships over a surveillance satellite, and when Russia attempted to intervene, a civilian vessel was destroyed in the crossfire. As Brittany positioned itself to sell weapons and munitions in preparation for a space war, an emergency meeting of the United Nations was called into session.
It was the eastern powers -- Hindustan and China -- who pushed the hardest for a unified Earth space program. Hindustan, in particular, stressed the importance of a unified naval force to avoid factional warfare in space based on terrestrial interests. China, on the other hand, took a more practical route in pointing out that whatever resources might be discovered in space could be more efficiently exploited by a united front. The process was a long one, but the summit of world leaders eventually came to a consensus. On August 14, 2140, the Earth Naval Coalition was formed.
The ENC was staffed by leaders from science and astronautics programs from multiple world nations. Each member nation contributed their particular designs and advances to the whole, and a team of ENC scientists began projects to synthesize and improve upon their designs to begin creating the first vestiges of a unified Earth spacefleet. It was this combined team of planetwide scientists that made the first breakthroughs into faster-than-light travel. First, a theory proposed by Japanese physicist Jin-Ichi Takegama led to the creation of a space station at the edge of the solar system, designed to create a two-way wormhole to enable instantaneous travel to foreign star systems. The prototype was set up to send a small manned vessel into the Alpha Centauri system; however, upon its activation, it became wildly unstable. The vessel vanished and was never heard from again, and the station suffered a critical reactor failure and detonated shortly thereafter.
Seeking a new method of interstellar travel in the wake of the wormhole failure, a team of scientists led by French researcher Orlean Gireaux stumbled upon a method of creating an energy field "bubble" effect around a vessel, allowing travel at extremely high speeds. It was slower than Takegama's wormhole method, but it proved more stable. Test ships equipped with a prototype of the "Gireaux Drive" successfully jumped to and from Alpha Centauri in 2180 AD, marking mankind's first successful interstellar, faster-than-light expedition.
A new era of human history had begun.
It's interesting to think of a bunch of governments working together towards space travel. Earth always seems to be portrayed as unified whenever humans go into space. Hopefully unity continues.
The Earth Naval Coalition... I like the sound of it. I love how the backstory continues to have the trend of Lombardia causing problems. Your nation is becoming the villain of its own story.
Ever read Wiz's Hegemonia megacampaign? That redefines being a villain in your own AAR.
Independent Ryukyu? Interesting
So it's warp instead of wormholes? Nice job on detailing the transition to the start of the AAR.
So it's warp instead of wormholes? Nice job on detailing the transition to the start of the AAR.
Yes, I went with warp -- I'm already planning on my second Stellaris AAR project being the Commonwealth of Man, so I didn't want to play the exact same campaign twice.
Prologue - The World in 2200 A.D.
Part 5 - Governing the Future
The emergence of viable faster-than-light travel ignited a wave of feverish research, development, and production on Earth. The possibility of exploring the stars and the excitement of discovering what might await mankind in the depths of space had a powerful effect on the human community. Military and political rivalries began to take a back seat as the world's nations tripped over one another to contribute more than their competitors to the ENC's infrastructure. As money and resources were poured into its budget, the ENC announced its plans for a great expeditionary project to thoroughly chart the Sol system and explore the neighboring stars.
The first step was to create a proper base of operations for the ENC. It took almost a full decade, but in 2191, construction was completed on an orbital spaceport that would serve as the new ENC Headquarters. It was a large structure that housed thousands, and the top leadership of the ENC relocated to brand new offices on board the station. Within a year or two, almost all of the Coalition's science, R&D, and command structure had relocated to the HQ station, which became the center of all the Coalition's operations. Once the station was operational, construction was begun on the ENC 1st Expeditionary Fleet, which would lead the way to mankind's future among the stars.
ENC Headquarters also included the facilities necessary to construct starships in orbit, eliminating the costly process of launching ship components into space for assembly. Now, the Coalition's developers could design and construct ships on-site, and could construct larger ships whose components might have otherwise been too heavy or bulky to transport from the surface. Taking elements from several of the Earth nations' designs, ENC researchers began to design a unified line of starships, utilizing a common design philosophy to maintain unified components and a consistent visual aesthetic.
The first crowning achievement of the ENC's ship development program was the Akintola-class. Designed as a research ship, the Akintola-class was equipped with an advanced suite of long-range sensors and onboard science facilities, which would allow its crew to collect information and samples from celestial objects and perform immediate analysis on their acquired data. The first ship of its kind was christened the CSV (Coalition Science Vessel) Nbukwe, named for the Malian explorer who became the first man to circumnavigate the globe centuries earlier. Appropriately, a ship bearing his name and staffed by several leading scientific experts from Mali, would be the first to begin charting the new "globe" of the celestial map.
The focus of the ENC's expedition was scientific in nature, but several of its leaders, in agreement with many of Earth's more militant nations, were quick to point out that danger might be waiting among the stars, as well. The Akintola-class was designed purely for research, and had no means of defending itself against a hostile encounter. To alleviate this, the ENC designed the Falcon-class corvette to serve as an escort vessel for the Nbukwe. Three of these vessels were built and deployed for the opening expedition in 2200 -- the CWS (Coalition Warship) Chester, Vaifar, and Solzin. The ships were equipped with a trio of missile launchers and armed with nuclear warheads gathered by the United Nations in an effort both to disarm the nuclear arsenals of the nations of Earth and to equip the ENC with effective weaponry for any potential spaceborne combat situations.
Not long after the establishment of ENC Headquarters in orbit over earth, some nations began calling for the integration of the United Nations and the Earth Naval Coalition in order to unify the Earth under a new planetary government. The idea was first proposed by British Prime Minister Oliver Bentley, who argued that the entry into an interstellar age made the division of individual nations obsolete, and that "national divisions ought to disappear into history, that we might embrace a new age in which worlds, not continents, are governed by a united people." On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Lombardia's Emperor Anselm Bavarae made the argument that humanity would almost inevitably find something hostile and threatening in the darkness of space, and that strong, central leadership would be necessary to mount an effective defense.
The matter never made it very far. Many nations, like Hindustan and Brittany, rejected the idea outright. Others, like Great Britain, and Lombardia, disagreed on what sort of government should be created, and who should lead it it. Few nations were willing to compromise their sovereignty, particularly in Europe, where centuries-old nations were not prepared to sacrifice their long history in the name of planetary unity. Instead, they agreed that the United Nations would hold elections to choose the leadership of the Coalition, and that the UN would administer the allocation of resources from the terrestrial states to the ENC. Thus, the UN and the ENC remained separate and mostly autonomous, cooperating with one another without surrendering their sovereignty.
In 2200 AD, the United Nations passed UN Resolution 3409 formally establishing the office of "President of the Earth Naval Coalition," and held an election to fill the position. It took three ballots for the necessary majority to be reached, but the assembly nominated Greek starship engineering expert Stavros Nikolaidis to serve as the ENC's first executive. Nikolaidis was a key contributor to the design of the Falcon-class corvette, and ran on a platform promising rapid expansion into neighboring solar systems and the establishment of a wide network of research sites to feed the expedition's scientists with crucial data from astronautical surveys.
President Nikolaidis left Earth to take up his position in the executive wing of ENC Headquarters, and prepared to officially declare the "ENC Interstellar Survey Expedition" -- commonly referred to simply as "The Expedition" -- underway.
Part 5 - Governing the Future
The emergence of viable faster-than-light travel ignited a wave of feverish research, development, and production on Earth. The possibility of exploring the stars and the excitement of discovering what might await mankind in the depths of space had a powerful effect on the human community. Military and political rivalries began to take a back seat as the world's nations tripped over one another to contribute more than their competitors to the ENC's infrastructure. As money and resources were poured into its budget, the ENC announced its plans for a great expeditionary project to thoroughly chart the Sol system and explore the neighboring stars.
The first step was to create a proper base of operations for the ENC. It took almost a full decade, but in 2191, construction was completed on an orbital spaceport that would serve as the new ENC Headquarters. It was a large structure that housed thousands, and the top leadership of the ENC relocated to brand new offices on board the station. Within a year or two, almost all of the Coalition's science, R&D, and command structure had relocated to the HQ station, which became the center of all the Coalition's operations. Once the station was operational, construction was begun on the ENC 1st Expeditionary Fleet, which would lead the way to mankind's future among the stars.
ENC Headquarters also included the facilities necessary to construct starships in orbit, eliminating the costly process of launching ship components into space for assembly. Now, the Coalition's developers could design and construct ships on-site, and could construct larger ships whose components might have otherwise been too heavy or bulky to transport from the surface. Taking elements from several of the Earth nations' designs, ENC researchers began to design a unified line of starships, utilizing a common design philosophy to maintain unified components and a consistent visual aesthetic.
The first crowning achievement of the ENC's ship development program was the Akintola-class. Designed as a research ship, the Akintola-class was equipped with an advanced suite of long-range sensors and onboard science facilities, which would allow its crew to collect information and samples from celestial objects and perform immediate analysis on their acquired data. The first ship of its kind was christened the CSV (Coalition Science Vessel) Nbukwe, named for the Malian explorer who became the first man to circumnavigate the globe centuries earlier. Appropriately, a ship bearing his name and staffed by several leading scientific experts from Mali, would be the first to begin charting the new "globe" of the celestial map.
The focus of the ENC's expedition was scientific in nature, but several of its leaders, in agreement with many of Earth's more militant nations, were quick to point out that danger might be waiting among the stars, as well. The Akintola-class was designed purely for research, and had no means of defending itself against a hostile encounter. To alleviate this, the ENC designed the Falcon-class corvette to serve as an escort vessel for the Nbukwe. Three of these vessels were built and deployed for the opening expedition in 2200 -- the CWS (Coalition Warship) Chester, Vaifar, and Solzin. The ships were equipped with a trio of missile launchers and armed with nuclear warheads gathered by the United Nations in an effort both to disarm the nuclear arsenals of the nations of Earth and to equip the ENC with effective weaponry for any potential spaceborne combat situations.
Not long after the establishment of ENC Headquarters in orbit over earth, some nations began calling for the integration of the United Nations and the Earth Naval Coalition in order to unify the Earth under a new planetary government. The idea was first proposed by British Prime Minister Oliver Bentley, who argued that the entry into an interstellar age made the division of individual nations obsolete, and that "national divisions ought to disappear into history, that we might embrace a new age in which worlds, not continents, are governed by a united people." On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Lombardia's Emperor Anselm Bavarae made the argument that humanity would almost inevitably find something hostile and threatening in the darkness of space, and that strong, central leadership would be necessary to mount an effective defense.
The matter never made it very far. Many nations, like Hindustan and Brittany, rejected the idea outright. Others, like Great Britain, and Lombardia, disagreed on what sort of government should be created, and who should lead it it. Few nations were willing to compromise their sovereignty, particularly in Europe, where centuries-old nations were not prepared to sacrifice their long history in the name of planetary unity. Instead, they agreed that the United Nations would hold elections to choose the leadership of the Coalition, and that the UN would administer the allocation of resources from the terrestrial states to the ENC. Thus, the UN and the ENC remained separate and mostly autonomous, cooperating with one another without surrendering their sovereignty.
In 2200 AD, the United Nations passed UN Resolution 3409 formally establishing the office of "President of the Earth Naval Coalition," and held an election to fill the position. It took three ballots for the necessary majority to be reached, but the assembly nominated Greek starship engineering expert Stavros Nikolaidis to serve as the ENC's first executive. Nikolaidis was a key contributor to the design of the Falcon-class corvette, and ran on a platform promising rapid expansion into neighboring solar systems and the establishment of a wide network of research sites to feed the expedition's scientists with crucial data from astronautical surveys.
President Nikolaidis left Earth to take up his position in the executive wing of ENC Headquarters, and prepared to officially declare the "ENC Interstellar Survey Expedition" -- commonly referred to simply as "The Expedition" -- underway.
And now, at last, the introductory material is done!! I've had a fun time crafting the story leading up to the game, but now I'm at a place where I feel comfortable beginning the game in earnest. So here's the lowdown on what we're looking at:
Game Settings
Galaxy Size: Huge (1,000 Stars)
Galaxy Shape: Spiral (4 Arms)
AI Empires: A secret... I want to keep a few things surprising!
Advanced AI Starts: Also a secret!!
Difficulty: Hard
Allowed FTL Method: All
Ironman Mode: Off
I've read too much about the AI being sketchy and the game getting easy, and I really want to feel like the humans are a bit in over their heads and have to fight hard for whatever they get. I hope that hard gives me a good challenge, and Insane just seemed like too much with its huge diplomatic penalties.
Mods Used
I've also made the following custom changes:
Empire: Earth Naval Coalition
Government: Indirect Democracy
FTL: Warp
Ethics: Individualist, Xenophile, Militarist
Traits: Quick Learners (+25% Leader EXP Gain), Nomadic (Migration Time -50%, Resettlement Cost - 33%), Natural Engineers (Engineering Output +15%), Free Spirit (Ethics Divergence +10%)
Final Notes
As with all of my AARs, I am after a good story more than anything else. I will console hack, save game hack, etc., but only for the purpose of telling a "clean" story. Sometimes game mechanics get in the way and do crazy things that break the flow of the narrative, and I'm not ashamed about changing them. I will not, however, console hack to gain an advantage over the AI, nor will I save scum to get desirable results. I may back up a couple saves if I do something stupid because I don't understand the game mechanics yet, but that's it. The ups and downs of the people of Earth is the story we're after, and by golly we'll have it.
I am super stoked to make this my third AAR in the Lombard timeline, and my first of probably several in the world of Stellaris. I've played some test games, but I've deliberately avoided going very far so that I don't spoil any of the surprises of potential mid- or late-game events. So I will be a bit of a noob for this playthrough, but isn't that part of the fun?
Game Settings
Galaxy Size: Huge (1,000 Stars)
Galaxy Shape: Spiral (4 Arms)
AI Empires: A secret... I want to keep a few things surprising!
Advanced AI Starts: Also a secret!!
Difficulty: Hard
Allowed FTL Method: All
Ironman Mode: Off
I've read too much about the AI being sketchy and the game getting easy, and I really want to feel like the humans are a bit in over their heads and have to fight hard for whatever they get. I hope that hard gives me a good challenge, and Insane just seemed like too much with its huge diplomatic penalties.
Mods Used
- Additional Traits https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/mod-additional-traits.925274/
- Foraven's Rebalance Mod (FRB) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...frbs-foravens-stellaris-rebalance-mod.932433/
- More Technologies https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/mod-more-technologies.931106/
- Only One Sol System http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=682426091
I've also made the following custom changes:
- A custom namelist that adds names for ethnic groups prominent in this timeline, such as Greeks, Native Americans, Lombards, etc. and rebalances them (higher weight on Greek names, lower rate on Arab names, etc.)
- Colonization time and POP growth base increased by 60%, as I felt they were somewhat unrealistically fast.
Empire: Earth Naval Coalition
Government: Indirect Democracy
FTL: Warp
Ethics: Individualist, Xenophile, Militarist
Traits: Quick Learners (+25% Leader EXP Gain), Nomadic (Migration Time -50%, Resettlement Cost - 33%), Natural Engineers (Engineering Output +15%), Free Spirit (Ethics Divergence +10%)
Final Notes
As with all of my AARs, I am after a good story more than anything else. I will console hack, save game hack, etc., but only for the purpose of telling a "clean" story. Sometimes game mechanics get in the way and do crazy things that break the flow of the narrative, and I'm not ashamed about changing them. I will not, however, console hack to gain an advantage over the AI, nor will I save scum to get desirable results. I may back up a couple saves if I do something stupid because I don't understand the game mechanics yet, but that's it. The ups and downs of the people of Earth is the story we're after, and by golly we'll have it.
I am super stoked to make this my third AAR in the Lombard timeline, and my first of probably several in the world of Stellaris. I've played some test games, but I've deliberately avoided going very far so that I don't spoil any of the surprises of potential mid- or late-game events. So I will be a bit of a noob for this playthrough, but isn't that part of the fun?