On Inflated Populations

[Balrogga]

A long time ago I also capped my population. Currently I am playing with (aprox) 6 million Ta'Nar, 60 million Childer, and the maximum capacity of 600 million Kythons but I cut back when I do not need them to just what is needed to compose my fleets (2 million) and other structures.

When I encounter other populations, I run it like I do ships, multipliers will bring quality/strength down while running fractions of your NS pop will bring the values the other way. (I am currently running 70 million out of 12.5 billion.) This is to factor in the advantages I get as being Psions and other aspects of my nation.

[Arenumberg]

People will be treated according to the quality of their wrriting followed by the number that the game gives me.

Claiming advantages due to having "less than you should" doesnt wash in the equal measure that claiming you have a higher population doesnt. You are what you are. (I am noting that Rob is NOT claiming an advantage, so dont quote that and get all pissy at me.)

If people dont like that, who cares, I don't really RP that much at the moment anyway. Its all a matter of opinion at the end of the day.

[Central Facehuggeria]

Several RPer's and I have recently been having an argument with TFU over what counts as an acceptable inflation of the NS population for fluff reasons. There were several suggestion's thrown around and then suddenly TFU throws out one whopper of a number.

18,950,100,223,751,000 Sapient People.

Now there has been some fairly major argument over this since that number is exceedingly high. Like "Holy Shit I can't see anything up here" high. However I decided that since me and a few people on MSN are not the authority of acceptable behaviour on NS, I figured I'd ask around and see what other people believe are acceptable levels to inflate one's population for a nation which will be in 'general play(IE: not ascended beings who have all sorts of rules for interacting with lesser beings, but a nation which pretty much is part of the general political scene.).'

What say you ESUS?

Sure, if he can contrive a way for those people to not matter at all in the scheme of things. Because having quadrillions of people is... You could literally drown any "normal" NS nation in the blood of your defeated soldiery! The industrial resources necessary to keep that many people fed, much less enjoying a decent standard of living are so huge that even a fraction of them devoted to the military could pump out billions of ships! Big ships, at that!

But there are ways to make something like that work. For instance, I once saw another nation who RPed as being this massive empire who owns a whole universe. However, the only forces he had actual access to were a small expeditionary force, with little chance of resupply or reinforcement. The untold bajillions of people in the home universe didn't matter, because he couldn't access them; the empire was basically just a background detail.

The Mekantan method "ie there are X billion Mekantans and untold numbers of sentient cattle who really don't want to be cattle" works too.

But just saying "I have a quadrillion people" and not adding any plausible reason for why the absolutely enormous resource difference isn't being used to casually crush your enemies like cockroaches breaks suspension of disbelief.

So my opinion is thus: Yeah, I'll buy it if there's a plausible reason for those numbers to not factor into gameplay.

[Sskiss]

CF, your second to last paragraph pretty much explains it all. If there were that many Sskiss WE WOULD conquer the galaxy at least.

[Arenumberg]

But just saying "I have a quadrillion people" and not adding any plausible reason for why the absolutely enormous resource difference isn't being used to casually crush your enemies like cockroaches breaks suspension of disbelief.

So my opinion is thus: Yeah, I'll buy it if there's a plausible reason for those numbers to not factor into gameplay.

The industrial resources necessary to keep that many people fed, much less enjoying a decent standard of living are so huge

Hurrrrr.

[Kostemetsia]

I'm restraining the urge to make a really venomous post here.

And, Aren: your point being?

[Telros]

Aren is pointing out that in the same post CF said numbers should not factor into gameplay and yet spoke about the numbers involved in feeding the people and the industrial complex, thus pointing out possible hypocrisy.

[Derscon]

Aren is pointing out that in the same post CF said numbers should not factor into gameplay and yet spoke about the numbers involved in feeding the people and the industrial complex, thus pointing out possible hypocrisy.

No, it's not hypocrisy, although CF maybe could have worded it better.

Actually, no, he worded it fine. Aren just misinterpreted it.

CF is saying that the way it's currently construed, there is no viable reason for the numbers not to factor in, ergo the current setup is not acceptable. TFU, therefore, needs to come up with a reason for them not to factor in, such as the example he gave with the universe/expeditionary fleet etc.

[Telros]

I was saying what she thought, in her post anyways, Derscon. I already said what I will say earlier. =P

[Solar Communes]

The Mekantan method "ie there are X billion Mekantans and untold numbers of sentient cattle who really don't want to be cattle" works too.

I don't think Solarians could keep 10 billion elves under control unless they unleashed EXTERMINATUS, for otherwise I'd go for it.