The Future of Atamara (Post-Great Atamaran War)

[Dante Silverfire]

Does anyone know what will happen to Eston? Will CE found a new puppet state there, or do they have other plans for it?

It depends what you consider a puppet state. Some may consider the terms presented to Eston being ones that create a puppet state. However, CE has other plans in mind. They aren't finalized yet as far as I know, and as I'm not a member of CE I'll leave it to one of them to mention if they feel they'd like to.

[Radigand]

Does anyone know what will happen to Eston? Will CE found a new puppet state there, or do they have other plans for it?

I do know what will happen, stay tuned :P

[Indirik]

CE simply doesn't have the nobles to replace the northern realms. I would imagine that the terms will include things like placing trusted Empire nobles in ducal seats and council positions. They can essentially take over control of the realms, without recolonizing.

[Dante Silverfire]

CE simply doesn't have the nobles to replace the northern realms. I would imagine that the terms will include things like placing trusted Empire nobles in ducal seats and council positions. They can essentially take over control of the realms, without recolonizing.

This is very interesting. I always like reading perspectives of other sides.

Its nothing like that. I'm trying to figure out if its better or worse though what they want to do. Frankly, they should have sent terms days ago, but whatever.

[Indirik]

I suppose it would be difficult to find people willing to do things like that. It would probably not be a very pleasant play experience.

[Bael]

This is very interesting. I always like reading perspectives of other sides.

Its nothing like that. I'm trying to figure out if its better or worse though what they want to do. Frankly, they should have sent terms days ago, but whatever.

This delay is starting to irritate me also, and I play a Duke in CE.

And that is both IC and OOC (although OOC I know a lot more than IC. And if my char knew all that I do, he would be even more irritated and vocal).

[Geronus]

This is a great point.

If the folks in CE really want to do something memorable, and not just establish virtually the same generic hegemony they have wielded for years now all over again, they now have an incredible opportunity to set up perhaps the largest and most powerful of the "Empire Systems" that have become so trendy lately in BM.

A system where a number of nations all (legally, not just de facto) are under the Empire/sovereignty of the Cagilan Hegemony, but remain able to fight wars with fellow wars as long as approved, etc. You know what I'm talking about. Perhaps it could grease the wheels of what is likely to become a few years of peace. Perhaps it could have something similar to the Arcean "Fighting Season" to really spice things up.

"Dance puppets, DANCE!"

That's all I can hear after reading this. Talk about lame. Every war would essentially be phony, conducted with permission and with the outcome likely pre-determined by the favor of the Empire. It would be even worse than the Long Peace on EC because it would be even more contrived.

[Indirik]

That's all I can hear after reading this. Talk about lame. Every war would essentially be phony, conducted with permission and with the outcome likely pre-determined by the favor of the Empire. It would be even worse than the Long Peace on EC because it would be even more contrived.

It is also the most self-destructive move the Empire could make. With complete hegemony on the island, no one could challenge their dominance. After having been at constant war for years, they would suddenly be at peace. Their reign would be unchallenged. And we all know what happens in BattleMaster when the battles stop, and those long periods of peace settle in... Before too long the Empire would be a hollow shell of its former glory, keeping things going by mere inertia. Eventually, after a period of years, someone would point out that the Emperor has no clothes, attack, and the Empire would pop like an overfilled balloon.

CE's biggest challenge now is finding some way to keep that from happening. If not, then it's a few years of boring peace for the entire island, then quick, flaming death.

[Geronus]

Will we ever have another continent wide conflict like this one? (this large)

As things currently stand, not unless it's possible for the CE bloc to fracture from within and go to war with itself. Thus your perception of whether something like this could ever happen again depends first on your answer to that question, and after that on unforeseen and inherently unpredictable circumstances that somehow change the status quo and significantly weaken the bloc, like a secession or a mass exodus of players.

Logistically speaking, all credible resistance to the Empire will be broken after this conflict. Outside of the realms that are solidly in the bloc, who would fight the Empire after this? The North will be fractured and weak; without Darka and Eston, there will be no Great Powers in the North. I expect both realms will survive in some fashion, but much reduced in power and influence. In the South, Suville is too weak-willed and distracted by conflicts with its neighbors (disclaimer: so far as I am aware), and besides that they were a very long way from realizing their potential as a Great Power when I was briefly there. Tara alone could have steamrolled what passed for their army with little trouble.

Basically there are only two Great Powers left on Atamara (or rather, that is shortly to be the case), and those are CE and Tara. Barring the aforementioned unforeseen circumstances or them turning on each other, it looks like we're soon to enter a period of prolonged Pax Cagilis with nothing but one-sided gang-bang wars in the future.

[Gustav Kuriga]

Just a question, is there a reason that Darka is going to be invaded and destroyed? That seems quite arbitrary...

[Feylonis]

I think everyone is expecting CE to plow through Darka next, since Eston surrendered. Those two were/are the biggest anti-CE realms around.

[Chenier]

CRUSH MINAS LEON!  ::)

[Azerax]

I think everyone is expecting CE to plow through Darka next, since Eston surrendered. Those two were/are the biggest anti-CE realms around.

I'd say Eston is more anti-Eston than it is anti CE..just saying...

[Gustav Kuriga]

What I'm saying is, what is it about Darka that precludes a peace agreement?

[Geronus]

Perhaps that they were the first Northern realm to declare war on the Cagilan Empire? That they have been one of the Empire's strongest opponents? That the Darkan army was the backbone of the Northern Alliance during the war?

Sure, let's start with those reasons.