Re: Powers That Be

From: Brian Bilderback <bbilderback@hotmail.com>

> 1. Where is the best place to read up on the history of the Canon

http://www.ftsr.org/gzg/gzghist.asp

> 2. Along the same vein, what is the best way to determine a
plausible amount
> of holdings for not-quite-a-real-power (ie, not just 1 colony, but
not
> interested in any more than the few they have; no real influence
outside
> their own space, but capable of bloodying anyone who might try to
push them
> around)?

Kind of a tough order since your specs contradict each other--if
you're able to bloody anyone who invades you, then you should have
influence outside your own space.  Or you have no FTL.	However...I'd
suggest that you have one planet, that will leave out any obligations
for FT and explaining why one side's ships don't just nuke the other
side's capital (the reason being, neither side has ships).  Give each
side a populatioin of, say, 5-10 million and you're set.

Or make the main colony on the planet someone else's--Indonesian,
perhaps, or a Hindu group of the ESU--and your guys are just minor
coloies and are cut off from NAC by hostilities.  No need to terraform
a new planet, we've got plenty of room right here...

> 3. Given the nature of 2 of the 3 cultural groups I plan to make up
my
> little entity, I was wondering if there was anyone on the list who,
in
> addition to understanding the games and the tuffleyverse, would also
> understand something about Irish and/or Scottish culture?  (I figure
there
> must be someone, given the wide variety of genius on this list)

Tom Barclay can, when he gets a moment, which will be around
mid-to-late March.  Meanwhile, please  please please please don't make
them a NAC breakaway colony.  Anything but that.  I'd rather hear that
the Good Folk kidnapped 10th century Scots and Irishmen and took them
to this planet.