Re: DS/FT/SG: Tuffleyverse Cannon & Personal Stratrgy/Tactics/Design Philosophies

> How many people out there ever stray from the official
"Tuffleyverse" and
> come up with their own political/military powers to scrap it out?
<snip>
> I notice that the political entities of the "canon" are almost as
> integral to the discussions as are the rules themselves

Well, that's a slightly more slippery question than it at first
appears.
Approaches are:
a) canon only (eg NSL)
b) extensions of canon powers (eg ship designs not in FB)
c) not canon but compatible (eg the Alarishi Empire, or Los' planet
Lusitania)
d) using some canon but incompatible (John Atkinson's
Byzantines-in-Spaaaaace!, er, NRE)
e) another universe (St*r W*rs or Tr*k)
f) starting completely from scratch

I took "c" for the Alarishi Empire because I've found it more
interesting to try assume the history as given, then try to work my
government etc to fit into something that already exists.  It isn't
less work htan starting from scratch, just different work.  My view of
the Islamic Fed is much the same--they're mentioned in canon but no
official stats, so I'm fleshing them out.

I think the reason a lot of the discussion is on what's canon is that
we all have a pretty good idea what's in canon and even if you're not
using FB ships, it's easy to descriibe them as, for example,
"NSL-style".  Further, it's something that is relevant to more people.
If someone comes up with a really fascinating exposition of the
designs and tactics of a completely non-canon power, we'll all listen,
but it's not as relevant to as many people.  If I want to know what
the FSE should do to cope with the KV, that's all I have to ask, and
I'l be getting analyses and advice from more people than if I asked
about what the New Timbuktu Stellar Dominance should do to deal with
the oncoming Sjandra fleet.

And of course if you're really brilliant in your exposition, your work
may *become* canon.  I'm not usually up to "brilliant" so I'm hoping
to substitute "persistant"....

> For those that stick to the Tuffleyverse, I have a further question:
In
> deciding on which entity you'd focus on (Are you FSE? NSL? NAC?
etc), did
> you pick one that reflected your own preferences for tactics and
strategy,
> or did you pick the one with the most esthetically pleasing
> ship/tank/uniform designs (or coolest name), and learn to follow
their
> tactical doctrines?  Or do you just pick a power to name yourself,
and
> design units/tactics to suit yourself, whether that's typical of s
aid power
> or not?

One reason I picked the IF is that the FSE have by far the best
*looking* ships, but I didn't like functional designs.	So I said "who
might use FSE hulls as a starting point for their designs?" and the IF