[Game] Work Up a Steampunk Setting

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Emerald Cat

I had to do several conversions to figure out how much money Lydia has in GURPS dollars. Using the Historical Currency Converter online calculator, I determined that 1 British Pound (1911) is worth 114.43 USD(2016). Converting this figure to 2004 dollars, I get that 1 British Pound (1911) is worth about 89.42 USD(2004). To keep things simple, I'll use an exchange rate of 1 British Pound (1911) per 90 GURPS dollars. I'm going to assume that Lydia has 4 million British Pounds to spend on this project.

Actually, I realised after that I was thinking in modern day terms when I said "a few million pounds," and was about to go back and drop it down a bit, but what you did actually works out well.

The other way to do it would be to look at 3e GURPS Steampunk and its economics and computer sections. The TL 5+1 Megaframe would be $1,250,000 x 0.5, or $625,000. Toss on Genius (x20) and Mechanical (x0.5), makes $6.25 million, which is in the same ballpark as what Emerald Cat got. The assumptions about complexity and storage might be a bit different though- G:Steampunk gives the resulting C5 as being able to run personality simulations!

ETA: Don't forget your question, Emerald Cat.

[TGLS]

Another Answer to Question 44
News Ticker: Prominent fixture in cafes and well-to-do families interested in newsreading. When set to the ON position, the automatic typewriter begins outputting headlines, each with an identifier. Said identifiers can be punched in to recieve the particular article. Cheaper systems do little but print every article as it arrives. Is beginning to displace newspapers in some cities. Pictures are the main reason why newspapers and other publications still hold on. Adoption is slowest in regions that use non-latin alphabets. The inventor, Benjamin Grant of San Francisco, is building an emerging media conglomerate. News tickers have recently began taking on non-news articles.

An appendix for Question 52
If you're using Thinking Machines (Pyramid 37), here's a lazy patch.
Current TL is 6.25. Steam powered computers are considered 1/4 TL more advanced than they actually are, and are x5 more expensive and heavy. They are only available in the sizes from Mainframe-Megacomputer. Megacomputers do not have a defined complexities until TL 9.25, so just add 1 to the Macroframe's complexity at the given TL. For steam Macroframes at TL 6.5 (effective 6.75), treat as Complexity 2; at TL 6.25, treat as Complexity 1. As an option, for x3 weight and cost, consider TL 1/4 higher. Steam powered computers will probably hit a wall sooner or later (TL 7 seems good enough to keep steam powered megacomputers around for decades, even facing competition from electronic computers).

An estimation of the software side:
Programming these computers are a massive pain; loading programs by punch-cards is not possible by default. Instead, programming involves flipping switches and connecting boxes throughout the huge system. This employs lots of skilled workers. Programming an interpreter for a higher level language is possible, but would likely be a major drain on resources on anything but a Megacomputer.

Question 53
How is the Kingfisher going to use the Megacomputer to collect blackmail material? (I'm guessing that data mining is almost straight out, given lack of computer networks and processing power.)

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Question 53
How is the Kingfisher going to use the Megacomputer to collect blackmail material? (I'm guessing that data mining is almost straight out, given lack of computer networks and processing power.)

I won't answer this myself, as I'm curious as to what someone else's take on it might be, but I'll just point out 2 things to keep in mind.

- The Kingfisher's MO isn't so much about blackmail for money, as she is already independently wealthy, and more about vengeance and murder. However, there might be cases where her targets' crimes do not warrant such severe punishment, or perhaps their security and paranoia is such that she cannot target them directly, e.g. if they only travel by day or avoid travelling in the countryside. She might also develop other goals where blackmail is a more appropriate tool.

- She has a network of chambermaids and office secretaries who might be able to intercept various coded communications.

[Emerald Cat]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Question 53
How is the Kingfisher going to use the Megacomputer to collect blackmail material? (I'm guessing that data mining is almost straight out, given lack of computer networks and processing power.)

Answer to Question 53:
Yeah, data mining wouldn't be practical.

My reasoning was that several members of the upper class communicate with their mistresses and carry out illegal activities via encrypted classified ads in the newspapers. They enter these ads under assumed names. I got this idea from one of the Sherlock Holmes stories in which Holmes cracked someone's cipher and proceeded to send them an encrypted message stating that they had cracked the code. Whether this happened historically in OTL is unclear, as my search results were useless. In this setting, people do communicate by encrypted classified ads.

These ads are publicly available. The problem is decryption. At this point, sophisticated encryption machines are being used by criminals. Criminals using simple ciphers have been caught or had their operations demolished after the authorities cracked their codes.

If Lydia could crack these codes, it would give her both blackmail material and knowledge to take out those criminal enterprises. As Daigoro stated earlier, she is mainly interested in the blackmail material for dealing with people she can't attack directly.

Question 54
Will Lydia personally eliminate the criminal enterprises she uncovers using encryption? Or will she inform the police and let them take care of it?

[Emerald Cat]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

ETA: Don't forget your question, Emerald Cat.

Question 55:
What is the world population?

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Emerald Cat

Question 54
Will Lydia personally eliminate the criminal enterprises she uncovers using encryption? Or will she inform the police and let them take care of it?

Answer 54
Short answer- Yes, she will. No, she won't.

Longer answer-
"You wished to see me, Emilene?"

"Yes, m'lady. I have finished transcribing the deciphers from this morning's classifieds." She passed a sheaf of notes to the older woman.

"Thank you, Emilene. But please call me Lydia, my dear, or Miss, if you must. I am anything but a lady."

"Sorry, miss."

"Now these are this morning's, you say? My word! Your alacrity is impressive. "

"I wouldn't have been able to do it at all without Minerva, Miss," replied Emilene, indicating the gleaming wonder of whirling gears and coiled pipes on the machine floor beyond the control room's fused quartz safety window.

"A profitable investment, it would seem. Now, is there anything you've found I should pay attention to?"

"Yes, miss. There's one message from the Falmouth Packet that was encoded. I think I've deciphered it, but I'm still not sure what it means. It does seem kind of suspicious."

"And the plain text?" prompted Lydia Florence Watford.

"Oh, it reads-

Captain F,
Please allow shipment of 200 Dutch cigars into port Dec 3
And find them suitable employ
I no longer require the Cornish brand
Yours, LPP

I don't know how you could 'employ' cigars, miss, and I'm sure there aren't any from Cornwall."

Lydia Florence Watford pondered for a moment before replying.

"Intelligence, young Emilene, is more than just about solving equations and fancy arithmetic. One must also be well-versed in the goings-on of the real world. In this case, I believe this is related to the brewing trouble at Falmouth Docks, where the dockworkers of Breton Stevedoring Co. have been striking for the past month. It would seem that this 'LPP' has arranged for a team of Dutch 'blackleg' labourers to come in and break the strike. There will be some violence, I fear, my dear…"

"That's horrible, Miss Lydia! What should we do? Shall we notify the police there will be trouble?"

"I'm afraid that would be most ineffective, Emilene. Note that the message is addressed to a certain 'Captain F'. That may well be the captain of the constabulary himself, or if not, perhaps the harbourmaster. Either way, I do not see the police taking action. Rather, I foresee that the incoming Dutch freighter may well founder at sea or meet some other such calamity."

"Oh… my…" Emilene blanched, "I suppose… that's... for the best. So what of this 'LPP', though?"

Lydia Florence Watford crossed to an imposing bookshelf and, finding a ledger book she'd compiled of British company holdings, opened it to the B section.

"Breton…. Stevedoring… shares owned by… one Lord Archibald Paterson, of Pembury Estate…" she read out. "Never mind about LPP, Emilene. We shall first find out what other affairs he is involved in, but justice will find him soon enough."


-----

Question 56- Standing Question on World Headlines
Sir Adrian stepped into Lord Buggsbury's office, and with a flourish, started laying down lithographic sheets on his bureau, reading out titles as he did.

"… Hong Kong Enquirer, m'lord, The Melbourne Financier. Erm, Osaka Independent Mail, a week out-of-date, I'm afraid, m'lord…"

"Sir Adrian, what the blazes is all this?" demanded Lord Buggsbury, quickly rescuing his cup of cinnamon chai before it was swamped in broadsheet.

"The dailies, weeklies and periodicals, m'lord, as requested, from all corners of the globe. And as per your stated preference, I have included a selection of the more vernacular offerings as well."

"I thank you, Sir Adrian, for your never-failing efficiency and initiative. Be a good man, though, and just read me the headlines."

"Yes, m'lord."

IOW: What are the top 5 headlines coming off the news tickers and lithograms for November, 1911, for each of 5 different world cities?


Question 57- North American Relations
Have we clearly stated the relations between the various North American countries? Are they at peace, war or cold war? Are there territorial disputes or cross-border fighting?

[Warlockco]

Question 57- North American Relations
Have we clearly stated the relations between the various North American countries? Are they at peace, war or cold war? Are there territorial disputes or cross-border fighting?

Partial Answer:
Between the various nations within North America, probably the friendliest relations is between California and Texas.
The two nations have open ports to each other's ships across the Gulf of California and along the entire Pacific coast. Even to the extent of hosting each other's warships.
The border between the two along Nevada is unguarded, the only real friction between the two is when the few slave owners in Texas bring their slaves over to California and lose them to California's laws. The government of Texas just looks at the owners and say, "too bad, you should've known better."
The relationship between California and Texas is akin to an older brother and his bigger younger brother. Most of the time they get along great despite their differences, and what few squabbles they have, they resolve as quickly as possible.

The relationship between Texas and Louisiana is much more cooler, not quite a cold war, but not quite peace either.
Texas while not a great power yet, is a huge source of mercenaries for various conflicts across the world (this is where their interloper status comes into play). It's not uncommon for an Texan adviser to be involved in some fashion for a military conflict, especially one that involves infantry or cavalry. About the only place that they aren't involved is in the Congo and other dense jungle areas.
Texas has mastered the usage of heavily armored tracked steam tanks mounted with autocannon and the usage of lighter steam trucks, about the only other nation that can compete with them in the field of steam tanks is the Germans.
Where the friction between Texas and Louisiana comes into play is most of the heavy military industry base for Texas is in the old territory of Texas. Which makes Louisiana the perfect place for spies and asset recovery teams to come in from.

[TGLS]

Question 56- Standing Question on World Headlines

Answer 56a: The San Francisco Journal (Most popular periodical in San Francisco; news is often copied for other Grant tickers in California.)

1) Federal Judge Jose de la Vega suppressed warrants that would interfere with family business (n.b. street protests would lead to withdrawal of Supreme Court nomination and protracted Senate hearings.)

2) Bautista's Blunders Scrap New Alaska Treaty (n.b. Presidente Enrique Bautista's failure to ratify Alaska's admission has long been a thorn in his side.)

3) British Army Massacres Cree near Fort McMurray (n.b. Atrocities and heavy military presence are a major sticking point between California and Britain.)

4) Senator Reyes Blasts Bautista for Weakness in Columbia and Montana (n.b. Michael Reyes is using Jingoism and Anti-Elitism to establish himself as the primary contender for the Presidencia. Grant is one of his major supporters.)

5) Major General Bernardo Carson claims "Californian Army could seize British Columbia in three months" (n.b. Bernardo Carson is the most belligerent and insubordinate of all of the Californian generals.)

And on the lighter side:
6) Benjamin Grant announces plans to install computers at 100 of his libraries in California (n.b. Like many wealthy individuals of the times, Grant divests himself of much of his wealth through humanitarian causes. Unlike the others, this is not entirely a altruistic endeavour; he uses the humanitarian causes to prepare for a political career in the future and the libraries only have Grant tickers for news, boosting his circulation.)

[Daigoro]

Don't forget your questions, guys

[Dr. Beckenstein]

Originally Posted by Emerald Cat

Question 55:
What is the world population?

The world: 1.6 billion
Per continent:

Africa 133 m.
Asia 947 m.
Australia / Oceania 6 m.
Europe (including Russia) 408 m.
Latin America 82 m.
North America 74 m.

(Real life numbers for 1900)

Question 58 (?)
How are the North American Indians doing?
Do they have own nations, or something like reservations?