The FSM

[quote]To whom it may concern, We are interested in discussing the settlement of borders between our two nations. The invasion of the Swiss Federation has caused some concern in the League and we wish to arrange a settlement that will be amicable to both sides, rectify historical injustices and preclude future contention between Germany and the League. -Hossein Al-Hussein Director of Foreign Affairs[/quote]

The Sicilian League sees no need for American states guaranteeing the independence of European nations when other Europeans are more than willing to do so. We look forward to working with the new government of Monaco. Should they need any assistance they need only ask.

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1284625318' post='2455677'] Well if you want battle tested hardware I hardly doubt many of the weapon systems in service in most of the militaries of the world are actually battle tested, except for US weapons. Has T90s ever been battle tested? Su30? F22? Also how many nuclear war heads have been battle tested? During peace time, nations cannot afford to do much battle testing. So we have to go by results from alternate testing and conceptualizing. So yeah, we have to go by conceptual, technological and scientific veracities. Conceptually ASBMs can work, albeit with the difficulties illustrated. [/quote] I was referring to these future weapons we use. For me the DF-21 goes in the same category as practical anti-satellite lasers, could they theoretically work? Yes. Do they work? Ill believe it when I see it.

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1284620034' post='2455634'] No, this is not the standard AShM which are effectively low flying cruise missiles, albeit faster. This is Anti ship Ballistic Missiles like the DF21 variants the PRC is fielding, which follow a quasi ballistic flight trajectory. [/quote] mmmm yes. Like most of the superweapons we use in CNRP that have never actually been battle tested, Im sure its as good as they say it is :v

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1284613125' post='2455548'] Those are the true ballistic missiles. They have exoatmospheric trajectory. However the Anti Ship ballistic missiles are quasi ballistic, ie, they have a lower trajectory than true BMs with much of their flight within the atmosphere at lower speeds compared to true BMs for greater maneuverability. The lower altitude trajectory makes them tougher to detect due to reduced reentry heat (i think), It also makes them easier to interdict by ABM missiles which have a greater latitude for error. [/quote] Are we talking about standard 500km AShM or some newfangled weapon you darn kids have come up with.

"Im afraid the Steward is quite resolute on this point Mr. Valcoste. Im sorry we could not be of more assistance." A man walked in a brought drinks to both Valcoste and Bethesda.

Hossein looked at Bethesda over his glasses. "Very well. One option is that we could sign an agreement giving Louisiana and J Andres full access to use existing Sicilian Naval facilities. The other option is this 99 year lease, two potential sites are the island of Panarea or the island of Pianosa. Both are good natural harbors and enjoy the shelter of being in the Tyrrhenian Sea which is essentially enclosed by Sicilian territories." Hossein pulled out satellite pictures of both islands and handed them to Bethesda and Valcoste to look at.

Hossein pressed a button on the intercom panel on his desk and relayed his guests' orders to his staff. "Your drinks should be here in a few moments gentlemen. In the meantime I want to thank you for coming here to meet with me. Now, Im sure you are each wondering why the other is here. You both have sent me similar letters with similar aims, given the relationship between your two nations I brought you both here so that we can come to a joint consensus." Hossein paused as he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a few papers. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. He wiped them with a cloth for a moment and put them on. "The Steward has reviewed both of your requests for naval bases in the Sicilian League and he has expressed the desire to see both of your separate requests consolidated into one naval base that you will be able to jointly use. He has also expressed his opposition to any formal transfer of land to either of your nations, instead he has put forward the idea of a 99 year lease. Under the terms of this lease J Andres-Louisiana would be given rights to construct a naval base, the land would nominally be Sicilian but the base would be outside the purview of Sicilian laws and regulations. Now..." Hossein paused to hand a sheet of paper to both men. "There are a few options available to you, I can explain them if you wish."

We will vote in favor of all three applicants. However the Sicilian League has a long history of opposition to 'Europe First' movements and it is for this same reason that we have refrained from joining PEPTO. So long as the people of a region are ruled fairly and are free from undue oppression or discrimination then we do not care who is in charge. While we commend your desire to see a free Europe we feel that certain European nations are a greater threat to European freedom than foreign powers.

My reccomendation to you then would be to talk to the person you want to war before you war them so that you can go over what is going to happen in the RP. If you talk to the person beforehand and you agree on a war RP then this whole problem of people just going inactive and leaving rather than satiating some members desires for statwar RPs that they have no interest in.

OOC: Oh hey there IC: When Bethesda and Valcoste arrived in Syracuse they would be greeted by representatives of the Foreign Affairs Directorate. These representatives would escort them from the airport to the Director's office. They would be escorted in to the Director's office where two chairs were placed in front of the Directors ornate mahogany desk. From their seats Bethesda and Valcoste would have an excellent view of Syracuse with the Mediterranean Sea off in the distance. After they took their seats Hossein would enter. "Greetings to you both gentlemen and welcome to the Sicilian League, I hope you both had pleasant trips. Can I get you anything?"

[quote name='HHAYD' timestamp='1284212872' post='2449791'] The only reason I have more than two barrels are to give time for the cooling system to remove the heat. One barrel is used, and instead of waiting for it to cool down, you simply switch it out of firing position and switch it back in when an acceptable amount of heat had been removed. The firing rate per barrel is very low even for railguns, but combine the firing rate and it will be similar to the single barrel railguns, except with a slightly longer lasting barrel. I have two five-barreled railguns on each battleship, [i]that fires at the same rate of a standard single barrel railgun.[/i] [/quote] The problem with railguns (from my understanding) is not the heat generated by the weapon, it is the fact that the speed of the projectile moving through the barrel generates so much friction that it will physically destroy the interior of the barrel. The focus of railgun R&D is not developing better cooling systems, but in inventing a brand new metal alloy that can withstand the friction generated by firing a round. Regardless of the rotating barrel concept you would still need to have a large reserve of extra barrels sitting around to replace the ones that get damaged over the course of routine firing. Unless you invented a new metal alloy.

Thank you for making me feel incredibly old Erixxx. Congratulations by the way

[quote name='Sargun' timestamp='1284096779' post='2448629'] Forcing somebody to not do something is the same as forcing somebody to do something. [/quote] The person who wants to go to war can always go to war with someone else who is more receptive to going to war. The person being forced into going to war doesnt have that option. And yes TBM, I wish we all did that more too.

[quote name='Karl Martin' timestamp='1284004387' post='2447341'] I said this before, but IF a country explicitedly stated a policy of closed RPing [b]from the foundation of the nation[/b] and has not done anything to antagonize another country (done by PLAYER, not some fake spy roll use of making a fake move done by others), I see no reason why the player should be force to go into wars. [/quote] These are my thoughts on 'I dont recognize X' statements. These sorts of statements stem from the fact that this is a group of people voluntarily coming together for the purpose of sharing and collaborating on stories. CNRP also has a de facto monopoly on RP due to various historical and reasons of scale. (By reasons of scale I mean that CNRP is the only RP community with enough members to create a self-sustaining and continuous storyline. Numerous attempts at establishing offshoot fantasy RP communities have failed because they have not received enough attention and have been treated as a sideshow to CNRP) Given CNRP's monopoly on fantasy RP, the only way for someone to RP is to do so as part of the CNRP community (unless they want to RP by themselves). These statements are RPers attempting to exercise their free will to say what kind of RP activity they will or will not engage in. Were there other RP options present besides CNRP or RP by yourself then we wouldnt be having this discussion. Choice of RP community would allow people in CNRP some recourse when the rest of the community decides to implement a rule that they do not agree with. CNRP really has no way of forcing RPers to do anything if it were not for the fact that CNRP is the only RP community available and that being 'wiped' from CNRP essentially makes you an RP pariah. No one should be forced to RP anything they do not want to RP. This is not a game, at least it was not meant to be a game when we first started using one map for our RP, and if some people view this as a game where you agree to play by the rules when you get added to the map then they have a corrupted view of what CNRP was meant to be (in my opinion). This was meant to be a place for sharing stories, does there need to be some give and take in order for an RP community to survive? Sure. But should people be forced to RP things they dont want or in ways they dont want because a small majority of people want to do it that way? I dont think so.

I welcome the establishment of North Portugal and wish her people and her government the wisdom and fortitude to see the rebuilding of a shattered land. North Portugal has a friend in the Sicilian League, I personally look forward to working with my counterpart in North Portugal in the future. -Jean D'Aosta Steward of the Sicilian League

[quote name='Sal Paradise' timestamp='1283978389' post='2446875'] edit: wrong thread edit2: might as well use this space to ask a question that's been bugging me. A lot of people apparently don't recognize things like unplanned wars or spy rolls. What kinds of things are we allowed to not recognize? Personally, I'd like to not recognize future technology. [/quote] People say they dont recognize unplanned wars, but I have yet to see a situation where a player refusing to recognize an unplanned war has been anything other than kicked out for not responding to RP since not responding to RP War results in an auto-win for the other side (thats a rule somewhere I believe).

Hossein Al-Hussein, Director of Foreign Affairs for the Sicilian League, looked quizzically at the two similarly worded letters that just came across his desk from J Andres and Louisiana. He sent identical replies to both of them. Dear Sir, I have recieved your letter and understand your interest in discussing certain territorial matters. You are welcome to discuss this issue with me in person at my office in Syracuse at your convinience. Respectfully, Hossein Al-Hussein, Director of Foreign Affairs

We are sorry to see that there has been a breakdown in the government of Spain. We wish to see that the best interests of the people of Spain are looked after and we are prepared to offer the support necessary to see proper governance restored to the region.

I propose we seperate CNRP into two separate RP universes. The CN Institute for Modern Wargaming Scenarios would attempt to replicate as much of the real world in RP as possible. The CN Institute for Fantasy RP would attempt to turn back the clocks to the time when the many scramble threads became one. I think this would solve the navy/airforce issue.

The Sicilian League accepts the new state of affairs in the Far East. We look forward to working with the UFE in the future and wish them and the neighbors all the best.

Jean had spent the drive to Paris in a deep state of reflection and melancholy, memories of Therese and everything that had happened in the past few months replayed over and over in his head. He payed no attention to the French countryside as it passed by his window, to him the world outside his head was a blur of colors that just didnt register. Jean barely noticed when the car stopped at the Hotel de Ville and his close friend Said got in. Jean's face was fixed in a blank, lifeless, faraway stare. When he finally spoke, it sounded like he was speaking from a distant time and place. "Why am I here Said?" Said wasnt sure how to answer a question he hadnt really expected to come from a man like Jean. For as long as he knew him Jean had always seemed possessed of a burning and unstoppable drive that Said could never quite understand. For a moment, it seemed like that drive had stalled. "Uhhh... well... because this is a difficult time for France and they need to know we stand by them." "No, my friend. Why am I here, what am I doing on this world" Silence reigned in the car as it navigated its way towards the place where Claire was waiting near the Seine. As they rounded the turn and Claire's figure was illuminated by the car's headlights, Said spoke up. "You're here because a people needs you. You're here because you have a chance to reforge the dream that hasnt lived since your grandfather lead your people to safety and which your family has been struggling to revive for decades. You are a man that everyone in the League looks to for guidance, you are this country's unquestioned leader. Without you this country would be nothing. It would be divided beyond recognition and the people would ruled by some fascist autocrat from Rome. Your people need you, you saw what happened when you dissapeared from the scene. We almost lost everything." Said was one of the few people alive who knew who Jean really was and where he came from. His father had immigrated to Corsica from Alaska, changed his name, married a Frenchwoman and opened a winery. Jean did not know his heritage until he was 14, when his father had pulled him to his deathbed and whispered in his ear. He was the grandson of King Peter I of Okhrana. Head of a royal dynasty and embodiement of the hopes of a people at the tender age of 14, Jean never undertook an action that could not help him in restoring the hopes and dreams of his people. Now those people were not only a community of exiles and wanderers, but a diverse crowd that looked to him to bring a peace and prosperity that had not been seen since the old days of Empress Gebiv. Said's words brought Jean out from the deep crevasses of memory that had entrapped him. He still looked worn, but the drive was there again, Said could see it again in his eyes. They stepped out of the car and walked towards Claire, Said jogged forward to shake Claire's hand. "Claire, its good to see you again. And let me introduce you to Jean D'Aosta, Steward of the League." Said motioned with a sweep of his arm to Jean, who was standing a few steps behind Said. He walked over and shook Claire's hand. "Pleasure to meet you madam president," he said, a smile briefly played at the corners of his lips but faded as quickly as it came. "I wish we could be meeting for happier reasons, you must forgive my appearance. Therese and I were very close, the Republics loss is my loss as well."

[quote name='Zoot Zoot' timestamp='1282874909' post='2432298'] Personally, as we dont live in the age of sail, or the age of the big gun battleships, battleships themselves are obselete unless heavily modified or specially constructed for modern fast attacking warfare. Railguns are pretty much only good for bombardment of static targets, and you dont need to be in the LOS for most modern weapon systems. You can launch a tomohawk ASM from 1200 miles away if you have a satellite giving you targetting data. Almost every modern naval weapon system is an over the horizon system, you can pick it up on radar before its with two days of your line of sight and kill it. Just my two cents, might be wrong, probably am, slight chance im not. [/quote] I agree with you zoot.

[quote name='Sarah Tintagyl' timestamp='1282850367' post='2431944'] Well at least I know who exactly is after the rest of France >:| [/quote] >_> You didnt see anything

[quote name='HHAYD' timestamp='1282826541' post='2431702'] Bay class heavy battleships: Waterline length: 384 meters Total length: 394.5 meters Beam: 54.9 meters Draft: 13 meters Draft (fully loaded): 15.47 meters Displacements (without ammo): 84,535.1 tons Max displacements: 100,785.795 tons -------- Power systems: Two nuclear reactors (produce a total max of 240 MW, 328 421.052 shp), two steam turbines. If all four rail guns are firing, then the entire electrical system is shut down to provide enough power for the four rail guns. All electronic devices except for the engines have small lithium-ion polymer batteries attached that will last up to 8 hours. But when you are fighting against other ships, they can shoot you far outside of your 16 inch gun's range. [/quote] Gun's are largely obsolete in naval warfare apart from shore bombardment purposes. Even the use of railguns at extended range are fairly limited in effectiveness if the opposing fleet knows you have them and is executing evasive maneuvers. As for the point about artillery shells being harder to defend against than missiles, Active Defense Systems on many modern MBT's are designed to defend against tank and artillery shells.