12-14-2015, 10:00 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Homeline moves "up"
One of the reasons Centrum is trying to move echoes "up" in quanta is to create an action-reaction effect and push Homeline "down" in quantum, towards lines like Merlin-1, Reich-5 and Shikaku-Mon.
What if they are wrong and instead, there is a gravitational-pull effect bringing Homeline closer to Centrum? How would the Time War proceed? Will the mistaken Centrum scientists be in any trouble? |
12-14-2015, 01:21 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
I'm only somewhat familiar with IW, but if I'm not mistaken Homeline and Centrum are only one quantum apart from being able to directly travel between them. If that's the case, the two getting closer will likely result in the nuclear destruction of one, if not both, of their home-timelines - as soon as one figures out their mortal foes are within striking distance, you can probably expect a fleet of conveyors to carry nuclear payloads to the opposing timeline.
If that isn't the case (if it is, the scientists are likely to die in the ensuing nuclear exchange), you can probably expect some severe reprimands for the scientists who screwed up and suggested such a course of action. As for the Time War, you'll probably see a lot more frequent and more deadly skirmishes between the two powers, as there is now a lot more overlap between the Timelines they can reach, and Homeline can reach those that were previous hotspots more readily. The Centrum may retreat for a bit to try and figure out where they screwed up, but I wouldn't count on it. |
01-23-2016, 11:09 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
I suspect that the Time War would freeze. No new actions would take place and both sides would retract their forces, lest the trigger a war. It would be much like the tensest parts of the cold war
This certainly is interesting, I'll have to think about the long-term repercussions. It would probably become a diplomatic game of the highest stakes imaginable... |
01-23-2016, 11:34 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
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I'm not even sure the two worlds (as opposed to their interworld services) are all that much enemies. Homeline really ought not be unified enough to even have a fixed policy. And from Centrum's point of view that looks to be a good strategic move - Homeline's exploitation policy is so idiotic compared to Centrum's efforts at integration that a truce looks to be all to Centrum's advantage - give it a few decades for them to successfully bring some of those lines they are penetrating fully into their civilization and their actual multiworld state will outclass Homeline's single world plus small-enough-to-keep-secret trade network by enough orders of magnitude there's no contest.
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01-23-2016, 06:36 PM | #5 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
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In Centrum's way of thinking, not being unified is a recipe for disaster - just look at Centrum's history. They have a moral obligation to unify Homeline along the Centran model, whether they like it or not. In Homeline's case, the Centrans are keeping them from doing what they want to do, which is make money. This has to be stopped. Think back to before the 1990s, and picture Centrum as the USSR and Homeline as the USA, and this will make more sense.
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Rob Kelk “Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” – Bernard Baruch, Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950 No longer reading these forums regularly. |
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01-23-2016, 07:05 PM | #6 | ||
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
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So why would Homeworld agree to a "truce" that has no benefits for them with another party that has already shown that it will eliminate them as soon as is practical? |
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01-24-2016, 07:09 AM | #7 |
Join Date: May 2009
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
Why would any power enter into an agreement on such terms? History shows multiple examples of such behavior.
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"Despite (GURPS) reputation for realism and popularity with simulationists, the numbers are and always have been assessed in the service of drama." - Kromm "(GURPS) isn't a game but a toolkit for building games, and the GM needs to use it intelligently" - Kromm Last edited by Randyman; 01-24-2016 at 07:10 AM. Reason: Removed statement better suited for GenChat |
01-24-2016, 12:09 PM | #8 | ||
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
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Being shoved into the same quantum with Centrum would put likely Homeline in a peculiarly perilous situation. The comparison with USA/USSR is weak, because the USA wasn't operating under a rule of hiding its own existence from the rest of the world where the Cold War competition played out, and the entire counter-USSR effort wasn't being maintained primarily by one tiny organization out of the whole society. Once they had relatively easy access to Homeline, Centrum could easily cut deals with national governments, corporations, powerful individuals, bypassing Infinity entirely. It wouldn't even be that hard. As for a bad treaty or deal...it happens all the time. Dangle profit for businessmen, ideological bait for true believers, offer peace and coexistence for the naifs. I could name half a dozen examples from real history, I can think of instances of it from current events in the real world. If Infinity won't let BigCorp. exploit the resources and profit opportunities of Timeline 93, Centrum could offer to let them do it it on the sly if they help them undercut Infinity. If Infinity won't let Country Z assist Country Z' on Timeline 45, Centrum could offer to help them do that in exchange for favors. Infinity would have a much harder time using the same tactics on Centrum, even with easy access within one quantum. Nor could Infinity readily go for an 'open competition' mode, revealing Homeline to the other timelines and taking full advantage of Homeline's assets and advantages, because that too would undercut Infinity's position. Once that limit was gone, there'd be no reason for the national governments and other organizations to tolerate Infinity's special status. Would the profit motive be enough to get Homeline players to sacrifice their long-term interest to the quarterly bottom line? For a lot of them, you bet it would. All of a lot business interests would see is a profit stream, they wouldn't even notice the hook. Even those who did see the hook might find themselves forced to bite because their competitors are biting. |
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01-24-2016, 01:12 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: May 2009
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
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Money Ideology Conscience Ego Any one is sufficient. More than one is golden. |
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01-24-2016, 01:19 PM | #10 | ||
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Homeline moves "up"
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Now if Homeline got slingshot into the same quantum as Centrum...they still wouldn't make such a deal because Centrum wouldn't offer it. They'd just nuke Homeline. Problem solved. Last edited by David Johnston2; 01-24-2016 at 01:27 PM. |
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