A Question from Zelot

[kikatsu]

The DK power station is an interesting idea (and it is nice to see you posting again) and I hope that it would draw in activity... but I guess I worry, because there was a Nomad city added to Newcastle and almost no one cares about that one, but I believe that that is more due to the lack of stuff going on with it and a general dislike for the massive system. You have enough material here to make it workable for sure though... just need to get people there first, then there is more than enough RP fuel for it to work.

Kusari has always been one of those odd things that is just steeped in stagnation... but in regards for people who say a civil war would not be possible, I have some walls of text of my own, though I only wrote one of them. This stuff here provides more than enough basis and explanation for how it could go down in Kusari. And one thing is for certain, shooting people generates more activity than anything else, save for making money (unfortunately).

Anyways, civil war fuel and hopefully stuff the devs might want to look at:

I think the most likely course of events coming up is that the pieces for a civil war will be set up, and things will be set in motion. The Kusari Exiles, the original KNF forces under the emperor will have their ZoI extended up into Kyushu, and the Exiles will likely be terrorizing GRN ships and Gallic commercial ships all throughout the Taus, and the Exiles will likely be fighting the KNF to get back into power. Samura has been secretly supplying the Exiles in Leeds and Newcastle, so they might secretly support the Exiles as they attempt to retake Kusari.

The Farmers Alliance is super conservative and supports the emperor completely and are basically in the pocket of Samura. The FA will likely ally with the Exiles at every chance they get and fight back against the current KNF. Right now the AFA is pseudo-neutral to the KNF, but once the Exiles show up and start doing things in Kusari we will side with them completely I think.

The main problem with the Exiles is that their forces are only "5 battleships, 10 Destroyers and 25 Gunboats and a handful of fighter and bomber wings" so they will not have the power to outright fight Kusari, even though the modern KNF has been crippled in the Gallic war, they still probably have ten times the amount of ships that the Exiles have, and still, Rheinland has been manufacturing KNF capital ships for them in an attempt to rearm Kusari.

The main problem with the Exiles is that their forces are only "5 battleships, 10 Destroyers and 25 Gunboats and a handful of fighter and bomber wings" so they will not have the power to outright fight Kusari, even though the modern KNF has been crippled in the Gallic war, they still probably have ten times the amount of ships that the Exiles have, and still, Rheinland has been manufacturing KNF capital ships for them in an attempt to rearm Kusari.

Well actually once they attack Kyushu, since they are no longer in Bretonia or French/OC/IMG infested Taus, the Exiles could start constructing shipyards there to begin constructing new battleships and cruisers. Sure, their military still won't be able to properly stand up to the KNF, but it's a start.

You could also take into consideration that the Exiles will probably secure some form of covert support from the Bretonians, or even the Libertonians for that matter. In my opinion, it seems Kusari is under the Gallic sphere of influence. Even if relations are "neutral", the two countries are trading and since Gallia is the country that is self - sufficient (and doesn't use h-fuel from the GMG), Kusari is the one that is dependent on Gallia. Hence, Liberty and Bretonia could secure covert support by constructing new battleships and what not for the Exiles in their territories in secret. If the Exiles remove the Kusari government, then Bretonia and Liberty gain a new ally in their war against Gallia. It's a long term plan, but its possible. So the Exiles might end up having more capital ships after all. I can totally see the Kusari Civil War being a conventional one rather than the Exiles being an insurgent force like the Blood Dragons due to their lack of military hardware when compared to the KNF.

Tel Aviv, I don't think Rheinland will be able to support Kusari in their civil war because Rheinland is already slowly losing the war against Liberty inRP. I doubt they would want to divert more forces against the Exiles and deploy Rheinland troops to Kusari. I do however, think that it may be possible for Gallia to intervene on Kusari's behalf, supporting the KNF against the Exiles since the Exiles are allied to the Bretonians.

As has been said, the Exiles ID will now include Kyushu in their ZoI and I believe their battleships will move to Roussillon and Tau-29.

They'll have open Farmers Alliance support, discreet Samura support, and the Hogosha could and probably will play both sides for the most power and profit out to the end of it.
The Council could very well get involved as their new hosts (which would be a nice new thing for them to do). Wildcards in the fight might be the Brigands (who also have Kyushu ZoI), Maquis, Dragons and Golden Chrysanthemums, particularly with the shared ZoI around the Rishiri-Lyonnais gate. Some cooperation on the western side or mutual disruption between the two ends are the options, although I expect BD to just shoot everyone as they always did (except I always thought they'd make good friends of the Maquis).
The Corsairs, although only being able to get onto the far side of Kusari, would be another possible force to spread the Republic forces out. The Outcasts would enjoy the madness and spread some more Cardi (alongside the GC).

Although currently the Colonials make good sense at the moment I am not sure how this Rebel RP will affect our future relations. We, along with Bretonia, still bear some animosity from our past wars so would not expend too many resources from our other ideals. I also see this as an "abandoning of the main fight" on the Exiles' part which might also be a problem. Both groups don't even have that many spare resources for another front or large supply contract.
Liberty has the resources, the motivation depends on what is decided at the time (again, the Rebel stuff might make a difference here).
Rheinland would be on the Republic side, particularly with their assistance in rebuilding the KNF fleet.

[ProwlerPC]

Some nice new reading in here. Glad to see you somewhat back, Dab. Sorry, Vince, I'm going to have to side with either Dab's idea or a civil war. Samura has been open in the past, there is a precedent, they did the original succesful coup after all. The thing is the important factor that it's recognized that conflict is the grease that keeps the Disco gears turning. Something I always understood and thus started little wars if there was stagnation showing. Dab's idea actually ends up including a handfull more factions then my idea I had thought of awhile back. We need to have mechanisms that keeps things moving in some direction especially this late in the community's existance.

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[DeathsOverture]

Thanks for the response, Dab.
First of all:

I'm not sure why you pasted two dozen infocards about it, since none of them are even relevant to this discussion?

When I talk about the vanilla lore, I reference in-game sources. It lets people know when I'm blowing smoke out of my a** and when I'm not.

It already has changed. Samura can't rely on its corrupt hold on the government, because that hold no longer exists, as you yourself elaborated on in your own post... You're telling me not to change something that was already changed 2 years ago?

No, but two years doesn't even hold a candle to Samura's reign over Kusari. Given the history between these factions, I do not believe it would it be within Samura's character to let Kishiro get away with ousting them from power. I doubt the board of directors at Samura sat down and resolved to legitimately out-innovate Kishiro, which they must know is impossible by now.

As for "aliens", no, no aliens have been introduced. There are no living Dom K'vash. The DK, however, were part of vanilla lore, and there are multiple examples of their now-dormant technology strewn about Sirius. The Order and Liberty have both benefitted from that technology, in the same way that I'm introducing here, though this addition wouldn't come close to equaling the knowledge Liberty has attained. You're telling me to be true to vanilla and not add in new stuff that doesn't make sense, when this story line uses nothing BUT vanilla lore. Nor does it even elaborate on what technology Samura could gain, if any. It's the PROMISE of what MIGHT be that would drive this conflict.

I understand that DK and Nomads are vanilla. Honestly, I'm just trying to represent the opposing viewpoint that we already have such great opportunities for roleplay within Kusari. I don't see any reason why 4.87 Kusari RP should focus on a DK structure in a system that you yourself are describing as the "Outer Regions" of Kusari. Honestly I think that is representative of the fundamental problem we have been facing with gameplay in the Discovery mod. There is too much focus on developing 'tourist systems' which see barely any natural traffic aside from the occasion explorer and a trader at the end of his route. Why must the controversy that fuels 4.87 Kusari RP be so far detached from Kusari itself?

The original story writers crafted Kusari with the theme of traditionalism versus modernization.

Apologies if I missed something, but what does this have to do with my proposal? This storyline wouldn't have even the slightest change to that dynamic, keeping it intact and preserved.

Dab, there are more than just you and I reading this thread. Not everyone knows as much about Kusari as you do. True, your story line doesn't change Kusari's theme, but neither does it expand on it.

You yourself said that the Okinawa system and the Hokkaido gate scheme by Samura were both brilliant and highly accurate to Kusari's lore.. I did make all of those you'd remember? This storyline further expands their gameplay actions (something that is sorely lacking in Kusari), while preserving the current lore.

How could I forget? Okinawa was a great addition because not only did stir up a huge amount of roleplay between the GMG and Kusari, it led to new tensions with Kishiro as well (at least between the player factions). Nagano and Rishiri were good ideas but there is no actual tension in those systems, since there is no presence of any faction hostile or even unfriendly to Samura.

Plenty of nice loreplay, but no gameplay is added through this.

Conversely, I see insufficient loreplay opportunity in your proposal. We've roleplayed the same (basic) relationships and rivalries in Kusari for the last six years - and you are right, it's causing Kusari to stagnate. So, why can't we shake things up a little? The last few iterations of Discovery have already been pushing us in that direction. I see enormous potential to revolutionize Kusari gameplay while expanding on the existing themes and really focusing on core Kusari.

KYUSHU - Your news, now!
The newly-reformed Kusari government has struggled to maintain control over its own people. The most prominent dissidents to the Democratic Party are the inhabitants of Planet Kyushu, whose representatives have refused to cooperate with progressive legislation proposed by the democrats.

Late last year, a prominent New Tokyo publication openly criticized several Kyushu representatives and declared them as loyalists to the Emperor in exile. When the Kempeitai revealed evidence that supported allegations against the Kyushu Minister of Commerce, the Democratic Party launched an internal investigation on all Kyushu officials. The development adversely delayed the passage of legislation through the Kusari Parliament, weakening the already questionable powers of the Democratic Party.

The Farmer Alliance is in full rebellion against Kusari under the Democratic party, and has heavily stepped up attacks on shipping lanes and government convoys in recent months. Parliament has been unable to pass legislation to authorize deployment of the Kusari Naval Forces in Kyushu and New Tokyo to deal with the threat. Furthermore, the Kusari State Police stationed in the Kyushu system proved to be ineffective, as many are from Planet Kyushu and sympathizers to the Farmer Alliance movement.

Meanwhile, Kishiro has commenced construction of a new extension to Nansei. An anonomous whistle-blower has claimed that officials from several mercenary and paramilitary organizations have visited the construction site, although Kishiro representatives have refused to comment on the matter. Many news agencies are speculating that Kishiro plans to lease out the extension as a base of operations for a paramilitary organization in order to deal with the Farmer Alliance.

OORP: AFA becomes the new Kusari Xenos, where everyone wants to shoot them except Samura and any sympathizers... speaking of which, Kishiro knows that the KNF and KSP can't be trusted to finish the job with the Emperor. That is the true purpose of the installation at Nansei - use the Alliance rebellion as an excuse to bring in mercenaries and patiently wait for the chance to nip the Emperor's return in the bud. Which company will have the honor of being the official hunters of the Kusari exiles? Let the players decide.

NEW TOKYO - Your news, now!
Parliament called a vote this afternoon on a bill that would allow Bounty Hunters based out of Deshima to operate within the New Tokyo and Kyushu systems under Kishiro contracts. Despite the Democratic Party holding the majority, the vote has been delayed pending revision in a private subcommittee.

Fujiwara Kaito, a newly-elected representative from Planet Honshu, submitted the bill proposal in response to last quarter's budget cuts to the Kusari State Police. It is suspected that last year's treasury audit revealed a sharp decrease in internal revenue following the Democratic Party's rise to power and the rebellion in Kyushu.

When reached for comment, a representative of Kaito's office made a statement: "The bill will be revisited when the committee appends restrictions on what targets the Bounty Hunters may and may not pursue."

The question on everyone's mind is whether or not the bounties will target Hogosha ships in addition to the Farmer Alliance.

OORP: The Democratic Party may have majority over the conservatives, but what about the Hogosha? They've been the face of corruption in Kusari for centuries... a new government may be in power, but the same principles of fear and greed still apply. Here's the thing: In a democracy, all they need to do is control the swing vote to win majorities. In fact, the Hogosha have to be realizing that the democratic system actually works to THEIR advantage since they can push their agenda directly, instead of using their 'influences' on the council under the Emperor. With the Hogosha still able to pull strings in the government, Kishiro will need to play ball if they want to maintain control over Kusari...

"Wait, Vince. You can't possibly be proposing a Hogosha-Kishiro relationship!?"

There's an immense amount of profit to be made in modernizing Kusari. Would the Hogosha want to be a part of it with Kishiro?

I think the Hogosha really have two choices: Start 'investing' in revolutionizing Kusari, or hide in the shadows looking for opportunities to weaken Kishiro until the emperor makes his move. From a gameplay standpoint, it'd be nice to shake things up in this way. It's just an idea, but I think it would spice things up between the Kusari factions if the Hogosha were to start supporting Kishiro. It should lead to rising tensions between the Hogosha and the Farmer Alliance, Samura, and the Kusari Exiles. Also, if the GMG and Blood Dragons find out who's pulling the strings that should enrage them against the new government and Kishiro... This sets the stage for a NEW three-way power struggle in Kusari.

-Kishiro with Hogosha and foreign investors (IC, Gallia?) with mercenary support.
-Exiles with Samura and Farmer Alliance.
-Blood Dragons with GC, backed still by the GMG.

... Do you see what just happened? There is an alternative, yet subtle motive that the Hogosha could have by backing Kishiro. Samura could be the puppeteer behind the grand scheme, where the Hogosha are the strings. By driving the GMG and Kishiro alliance apart and renewing the Blood Dragon's zeal (but this time against Kishiro), they would cause general chaos in Kusari - drawing attention away from the exiles and weakening Kusari in preparation for the Emperor's return.

Where will the KNF stand? I think that should be left unsaid - it leaves a huge amount of tension as none of the above groups would stand a chance against the KNF if the shogun were to make another stab for power.

Poor KSP can't really do much but support whomever is making the laws...

HONSHU - Breaking news!
This just in: Osaka Storage Facility has been destroyed by a rogue asteroid. No casualties have reported as of yet.

HONSHU - Your news, now.
It is unknown why the asteroid that destroyed Osaka Storage Facility just two days ago was undetected until impact. According to Kusari State Police representatives, the station shield generator had failed minutes prior to impact, and the backup generator was under maintenance at the time.
Overall, seventeen fatal casualties were reported and zero injuries. Although the names of the deceased have not been released, the Kusari State Police Commissioner has reported that all victims were Samura employees. The storage pods attached to the station were empty at the time of the explosion. There is a large amount of radioactivity in the area of the wreckage, most likely from the explosion of the station's reactor core. Public records show that the core shielding passed inspection in May of this year. An emergency transit restriction is in effect near the station wreckage until a proper survey of the radiation levels is conducted.

Interestingly, the Kusari State Police made this statement:
"The Osaka wreckage is a restricted State Police crime scene. All civilian ships are prohibited from entering the area. That is all we have to say at this time"
Many journalists have speculated that the Blood Dragons are behind the incident. It is expected that ALG Waste Disposal will be contracted to clean up the wreckage once the investigation is concluded. It is unclear whose responsibility it will be to fund the project.

OORP: How about some space catapult sabotage? Honestly, Osaka doesn't really serve much purpose anymore. It's perfectly plausible that Samura would insure the station (with IC?) and then sabotage it themselves to fund their endeavors elsewhere. It gives KSP, Kempeitai, and Samura some RP opportunity for an investigation. Perhaps a terrorist group (phantoms in hanshu zomg) will claim responsibility to boast their strength. In terms of gameplay, the resulting field of scrap should draw some Junkers into Kusari if we can get some good scrap mining rates. I wouldn't say we should add a Junker Base as there's already one just one jump away, plus the Hogosha are still around.

RISHIRI - Your news, now.

Last year, the Prime Minister requested that Parliament commence negotiations with Gallia on constructing a jumpgate connection between Kusari and Gallia. The subcommittee of commerce proposed a connection between the Kyushu and Provence systems. The proposal failed in the Parliament, with the opposition citing the unrest in Kyushu among the potential difficulties that would inhibit any construction projects within the system.

Earlier today, potential investors from Gallia submitted a counter-proposal that would connect the Lyonnais system with Rishiri. While the Rishiri system is technically part of Kusari Territory, there are no police stations or border stations as most of the security detail and supervision was outsourced to Samura Industries. Despite plans to gradually hand those responsibilities over to the KNF and KSP, the Chief Security Minister has reduced patrols in Rishiri and Nagano in recent months, citing recent budgetary cutbacks.

OORP: Kishiro is under pressure from Gallia to open trade to start making their relationship profitable, and thus, the peace... although there are only a few systems that a jumpgate is feasible. Kishiro's proposal would have kept Kusari's construction site within one jump of New Tokyo, and would hopefully lure in the exiles -whose whereabouts are unknown. However, the project would require a great deal of trade lane and jumpgate construction in Gallia's Provence system, leading Gallia to propose connecting Rishiri with Lyonnais.

A gate construction in Rishiri (or Nagano) would be extremely controversial, since the FA would be vehemently opposed to opening up Rishiri and Nagano to foreign influence. The GC on the other hand would want to open up all of Kusari to foreign culture. This could be an interesting way to give GC and FA something to fight over.

It would be interesting to see Samura's position on a jumpgate to Gallia. They could rake in some serious profits if they can engineer the trade agreement with Gallia to their advantage... Though to be honest I'm not certain whether they have the leverage since Rishiri is already part of Kusari Territory. In any case, it would be interesting to see how this situation plays out.

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So, there you go. Food for thought. I do not dislike your ideas, I just don't want to see 4.87 Kusari RP focus around a border conflict.

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