[BOP 1884] Signup Thread

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Almalexia

Her Flamboyance, the Calipha
Duke
BALANCE OF POWER: 1884

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The Herculean burden of the fate of the world converges on the palace halls of Berlin, the eagles of Europe and the West circling to roost at this gathering at the Eyrie of Empires. Here, Kings, Presidents, Emperors, and Prime Ministers gather to orchestrate the greatest single division of the territories of the Earth: the partition of the entirety of the Dark Continent of Africa, and beyond. The delegates and representatives of a dozen nations are meeting to put pen to paper and realize the dream of Europe since her sons first put to the wild ocean in search of new routes and new lands: to become Atlas, bearer of all the World. The inexorable progress of industry and military might has given Europe and her progeny in North America the unprecedented power to spread its wings across the globe and create in their image an earth-spanning Empire. The date is 1884, and it seems that the only threat to their project of global domination is each other. The dictates of Berlin, it is hoped, will avoid the breakout of a catastrophic continental war and see the spread of Western civilization to the last blank spots of the map, but intrigue and backdoor dealing promises nothing less than the fiercest competition for territory and influence since the Napoleonic Wars. Guide your nations through the negotiations of Berlin carefully, messeurs et mesdames, and remember: trust no one but yourself to guard the interests of your country.



A WORD FROM THE HOST

We begin here at the date of 1884, when the power of Western Civilization is at its very highest, in a world both familiar and strange. I should first note, that this world is not all as we would recall in our recollections of history: events have changed, and the progress of history has been altered. Take note, but be aware that the changes of the world into alternate-history are relatively minor as we begin, and the greater changes of the destiny of the world rest in your hands, as well as the fickle machinations of fate itself as the game progresses. Part of the charm of this period is the unveiling of the mystery of the world, as the last, stubborn uncharted blots of the map are discovered, recorded, and categorized. In this too, I will take some leave from the real course of history and reality so that you too can experience the strange wonder of the unknown as it is uncovered with fresh eyes for the first time.

In short terms, alternate history has free reign here as I see fit, basically combining the events of the 1860s and the 1880s, and I reserve the right to dabble outside history/reality for the sake of a more entertaining game, for both you and myself as the host. As such, please take note.

The main changes and divergences are discussed below, but immediately beneath I've created a list for possible countries to be played by you, the players. By preference I'd like to see most of the Great Powers filled, and certainly in this timeframe most of them are interesting places to be, but its my personal philosophy to have the players play who they most wish. The more knowledgeable and enthusiastic one is about their country of choice, the better the orders, and thus all the more fun for both of us. Nations left to “AI” control, IE the host, should not expected to be mere static entities: but actors of their own to be reckoned with, and with their own goals and ambitions. All that said, given the potential for multiple people desiring the same country, as well as my own considerations as a host, I ask that all players include three countries in their application, so I know where their priorities lie and have some flexibility when assigning nations.

Available Countries:

Great Powers: (High priority countries)
United Kingdom of Great Britain
Bonaparte Empire of France
Romanov Empire of Russia
Northern German Confederation
Habsburg Empire of Austria-Hungary
United States of America
Confederate States of America
Kingdom of Italy
The Ottoman Empire


Secondary Powers: (Medium priority countries)
Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Belgium
Kingdom of Sweden-Norway
Empire of Brazil
Empire of Mexico
Qing Dynasty
Empire of Japan
Kingdom of Spain
Kingdom of Portugal
Californian Republic
Kingdom of Denmark


Other Countries of Interest: (Could be fun and I'll let you take it if you can sway me)
Romanian Kingdom of Wallachia-Moldavia
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of Siam
Kingdom of Hawaii
Republic of Deseret
Boer Republics
Empire of Haiti
Sultanate of Zanzibar
Republic of Paraguay

MECHANICS

In terms of mechanics, BoP: 1884 will figure the role of Crises and Competitions quite highly as a catalyst for rivalry and intrigue among our players, and thus create a highly dynamic and exciting world order as a result. Crises, in broad terms, are issues concerning the world order at the highest level, often concerning contentions between territories between two or more major powers, but also over issues such as revolutions and regime change. The game will begin with two crises: the first is the Berlin Conference, concerning the division of Africa as well as potentially other regions, and the second is the (belated) outbreak of the American Civil War. Depending on how the negotiations proceed, they can be defused peacefully to the satisfaction of all parties, but through intrigue and back channel dealings as each nations attempts to gain the upper hand and the greater share of the spoils, it can escalate into conflict and open war. The Berlin Conference represents the organized Crisis: where all major powers as well as chosen secondary powers get together and resolve their issues in a grand forum, while the American Civil War may be handled in a more informal, ad-hoc basis, though coordination and knowledge of the intentions of other powers is critical for the prevention of spreading a wider, catastrophic war between great powers. Competitions, meanwhile, despite involving the competition of numerous powers and players, does not require all Great Powers to participate, and rather than being a debate over territory or ideology, represents more of a race towards the finish, and let the player with the best order win. These competitions are often over the exploration of a hitherto undiscovered region, or for the finding of archaeological treasures, among other possibilities. These are not critical issues confronting the world order, but nonetheless may provide a significant boost in prestige, income/treasure, or other benefits to the state that are extremely valuable and worth the competition with other powers to reach first.

Otherwise, the mechanics are very much under construction, and I will keep you informed of major updates as they occur. In broad terms, however, I intend to take some inspiration from Victoria II in the creation of mechanics, particularly in the role of score points and prestige. Otherwise, this is the era of industry, steam ships, repeating rifles, and the first machineguns, and thus economics, navies, and army technology respectively should be expected to figure highly.

tuileries.jpg


THE WORLD OF BALANCE OF POWER: 1884

And so, I must introduce you to our world, as it exists in the modern day of January 1st, 1884. We take a familiar basis of the world as it lay during the height of the Victorian Era, of a time when the British Empire is at its loftiest peak, and at the forefront of all things industrial, naval, and especially colonial, its crown jewel of India pinned proudly among her globe-spanning possessions, from the forests of Canada to the red deserts of Australia. Russia stretches eternal under the rule of the ancient house of the Romanov Tsars from the Polish heartland to the Pacific Coast and the rocky, ice shrouded peaks of Alaska beyond. And Austria-Hungary, the most prestigious Imperial line in Europe, celebrates their prestige in the courts of Vienna and Budapest while presiding over an increasingly uneasy mosaic of ascendant nationalist and revolutionary ideals. Almost everywhere in Europe, the Industrial Revolution has upset the ancient economic and social order of the continent, and economic prosperity contrasts sharply with the living conditions of the working class. Public morality is championed from above, while the repercussions of exploitation reverberate with revolutionary agitation from below. All the while, from ladies parlors and the salons of the nouveau riche, all the way down to the city gutters and working class slums, the demand is for more colonies: to feed the factories, expand the Empire, and give glory to the nation. And above it all, is Queen Victoria herself: interminable and imposing, her legacy still unfolding imposes her very name to the era, and it is her reign that defines the course of the world.

But not all is as it might seem, that the order of 1884 of the real world has indeed prevailed. In France, the revolutionary fire has been tamed through the masterful hand of the Bonapartes, and it is they who reign still in the shining City of Lights. A new heir is now on the throne, assuming the title of Napoleon IV, and departing from the interminable struggles of his father in maintaining the balance of power in Europe, he sets his ambitions on the glories of foreign, exotic shores to add luster to the name of France. And Germany remains divided between the three “blocs” of the German Triarchs: the North German Federation, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the Empire of Austria-Hungary. Each has maneuvered to lay claimancy to crown of a unified Germany, but an internal dynamic has formed where the two weaker powers align against the stronger to prevent them from securing ultimate ascendancy over the German peoples, to the frustration of pan-German movements across Mitteleuropa. The state of affairs cannot last forever, however, and sooner rather than later the question of German unification will come to a head, even as the ever astute leadership of Chancellor von Bismarck turns the heads of German and European monarchs alike with talks of far-off colonies...

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a crisis is boiling over in America. The debate of slavery, deferred again and again through compromises and half measures, has at last reached its reckoning. The defeat of Lincoln in the contentious 1860 election, and the Second Compromise, reestablishing rights to import slaves at the cost of a moratorium on expansion of slave states further West, but delayed the inevitable, and outraged voters in the California territory rioted, winning greater autonomy by the point of the gun from the far distant administration in Washington. The territory of Utah, also known as Deseret, followed its example and imposed the principles of their Mormon faith upon the administration, creating a local theocratic-republic in its image.

The Union, strained to the breaking point in the face of the autonomy movements, had nonetheless maintained the peace: until now. Abolitionists have been pushing bills relentlessly in Congress to implement measures towards the end of Slavery, which have been stubbornly shot down time and time again by the pro-slavery proponents. Demonstrations have yielded nothing, and so both parties have turned to riots, targeting the businesses and public meetings of their rivals, culminating in the already infamous November 12th Massacre in the streets of Washington D.C. Both elements had staged marches through the capital, with both claiming the support of God in their endeavors, before they encountered each other: and charged. Shots were fired, bones were broken, and fifteen people from both sides lay dead, but that day, it is said, is the day the Union died. Infuriated by the deadlock in the Congress, and outraged by the blood being spilled on the streets of the capital, Senators and Congressmen from both sides returned to their home districts, the foul mood before November 13th now turned mutinous. And in the South, with politicians and landowners paranoid over their rights to their slaves and plantations, secession, long discussed behind closed doors, now became a foregone conclusion. Telegraphs buzzed day and night, as railcars raced the representatives of the United States back to their home states to meet with their constituents. Alabama was the first to propose it, and the first to approve it: they would no longer be beholden to the federal government in Washington. From the State Capitol in Birmingham, the cries for secession spread like wildfire throughout the South. The last states, Virginia, North Carolina, and Louisiana committed on Christmas Day in the waning days of 1883, and, in congress with the other seceding states, organized the Confederate States of America, with its capital in the stately city of Richmond, their proud state capital. Official calls for the formation of an army on both sides were issued immediately, but were beaten to the punch by crowds of enthusiastic, indignant people heeding the calls of private militias weeks before the CSA was formed.

The time for talk had ended between the Confederacy and the United States of America, or the Free States, as they are popularly known. On New Years Day of 1884, however, none know where the loyalties of the Western states of Deseret and California lie, and representatives from both governments are rushing West to sway their allegiances to their side. And as Europe gathers to divide up Africa and the remaining free and sovereign nations of the Earth, it must also lend an ear to the pleas of the Free and Confederate states in what they assure are just and righteous causes. Either way, this is not a crisis that can be mediated through words and speeches: only through blood and iron can the Union be reforged, or the Confederacy win its independence.


Finally,


The Country Application Template:
YOUR NAME:
1. (Country Name)
2. (Country Name)
2. (Country Name)

Previous BoP Experience (if any):

In total, I'd like around 10-12 players ideally. That said, however, the start of the game is contingent on the signing on of a steady co-host to help divide the load of processing. See the main thread for details. Just for emphasis, to repeat in bold:

THE BOP WILL NOT BEGIN WITHOUT A CO-HOST

Otherwise, I thank you for your interest, and please post in thread with your intent to join, and what countries you would be interested in playing as, following the template above! Above all, if you have any interest in helping with the running of a Balance of Power game, please put in an application! I hope you've enjoyed the work so far, and to all, for now, I bid adieu!
 
BoP: 1884 Hosts:

Almalexia
Austupaio
Amontadillo


BoP: 1884 Country List:

1. The British Empire: Pixel
2. The Empire of France (Bonaparte): Blacktide
3. The Empire of Russia (Romanov): Eternal
4. The Northern German Federation: CapnBen
5. The United States of America: AdmiralThrawn
6. The Ottoman Empire: Draorn
7. The Qing Empire: Moose!
8. The Republic of California: Coffe
9. The Kingdom of Belgium: Beny
10. The United Kingdom of Sweden-Norway: Grikiard
11. The Kingdom of Denmark: Angelsachsen
12. The Kingdom of Hawaii: Teofish
13. The Confederate States of America: Shatari

BoP: 1884 Replacement List:

1. RoboSenshi
2. Al-Nasir
3. Tropic33​
 
Teo:

1: CSA
2: Romania-Wallachia (I'd be creepy and morbid as **** about it).
3: Hawaii (Coconut cannons and ukulele marching tunes FTW!)
4: Boers (Just because I couldn't decide between that and 'waii for third).

Experience: So many memeworthy moments in Serva, 1910, and some ****ty 1600's bop by some loser.
 
AdmiralThrawn:
1. USA
2. Ottomans
3. France

Previous BoP Experience (if any): 1700, 1919 (Admittedly, these are from years ago, but they're the last ones on this forum I was really 'a part' of)
 
CapnBen, or Ben:
1. North German Confederation
2. Austria-Hungary
2. Bavaria

Previous BoP Experience (if any): None, but I've played Victoria 2 extensively.
 
Welcome to the Balance of Power game everyone, new and old! Just a quick update:

Austupaio has generously offered to be a co-host, and so will be helping with development and processing as BoP: 1884's co-host! In addition, my wife has agreed to help with map-making, so we will hopefully have our first rendition of the Map for January 1st, 1884 at the game's beginning in around a week. My thanks to both for so kindly volunteering, and with their help progress on beginning the game and processing subsequent reports will hopefully much more consistent and timely. Just to emphasize, now that I have a co-host, that means the game can officially begin, and as long as I get enough players, the game is set to start once mechanics are developed. So consider myself committed.  :razz:

Otherwise, I can give no ETA yet on when the country allocations will be finished, but so far progress on recruitment has been highly encouraging, so I can say it will likely be soon! In the meantime, as always feel free to start developing your plots and strategies, and I will keep you updated as things move along!

Kind regards,
Your Host
 
1. Qing Dynasty
2. Empire of Japan
3. Ottoman Empire

Previous BoP Experience (if any): WW2 (best polan), KronicFantasyLand (Spartan mercanaries), Senatorial Shenanigans (Marius style), WH40k (obvious heretic), Elder Scrolls (failed host), Serva (mvp), among others.
 
Beny
Country 1: Belgium
Country 2: Portugal
Country 3: Bavaria

Experience: I have no idea what I'm doing.
EDIT: Correction, I once played 15 minutes of Rome Total War is that counts?
 
Angelsachsen
1. Kingdom of Denmark
2. UK of Sweden and Norway
3. Kingdom of the Netherlands
Previous BoP Experience: The same as CapnBen. None but have played Victoria 2.
 
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