Left Beyond Quest Test

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>>244844

PLANETOGRAPHIC SURVEY

http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pub/web/LeftBeyond.Maps.html

>>244844

ECONOMETRIC SURVEY 1/2

(We're not going to try to design an economy for this setting, so this article is mostly OOC.)

Equipment in the post-Appearing world can be bought in a variety of currencies, since every country prints their own; however, these are pegged at fixed ratios (one US dollar equals one French franc etc. with a few exceptions such as Italian lire and Japanese yen), and travelers will find that exchange bureaus charge very nominal or even no fees. Greater Israeli currency (sheqelim) is accepted worldwide. Of note, the Euro/ECU European currency unit was never re-established due to its perceived connection with the Antichrist.

A large bill ($1000 or so) is called a "talent" and a small coin (1c or so) is called a "mite" regardless of currency.

Also due to a perceived connection with the Antichrist, electronic currency is discouraged - banks allow remote withdrawals from a teller's desk, but the accounts are equalized by ferrying gold, usually at the end of the month.

Note however that post-Appearing society has little room for scarcity: food is abundant, most plant matter is edible and most water is safe to drink, and living space is at anything but a premium. The greater economy is mediated by God Himself, so there is never need to worry about glut or penury.

This works in a very simple system; for most transactions (and certainly for pretty much all large transactions) a Christian merchant will briefly ask the Lord for guidance about the buyer, receiving one of the traditional answers NO, YES, and NOT YET.

In the first case, the transaction is canceled. In the second case, the prospective buyer will be given the good or service free of charge. In the third case, or if there is silence, the transaction proceeds normally. Unbelieving merchants are a small enough part of the economy that their actions do not significantly affect it.

It's entirely possible for someone with a highly active spiritual life, say a professional roving missionary, to effectively operate in a gift economy while his believing neighbor to the right enjoys a stable free-market economy and his unbelieving neighbor to the left must find and make grey-market deals for everything except for the basic necessities.

Post-Appearing society places emphasis on basic crafts; many things that could be made industrially, like fabric, are woven in homes and small workshops by families or local co-ops that encompass groups of friends. The practical effect of this is that prices remain low, as the work is distributed well enough to be light and enjoyable.

>>244880

ECONOMETRIC SURVEY 2/2

High technology products are considerably more scarce, usually due to lack of demand, and are designed to last a long time to prevent having to over-industrialize or succumb to planned obsolescence; this keeps the economy stable and prevents futile performance wars. A computer built in +200 will have roughly twice the memory and CPU capacity of a computer built in +100, and the latter will be about ready to be replaced by the former.

In general, basic consumables cost about half as much as they do for us today, durable goods (toasters, clothing, books) cost as much as they do today but last much longer, and high-tech equipment or weapons may be hard to obtain and cost twice as much as they would today. Media consumption devices such as radios or TVs, and basic cell phones (flip, box, or transcutaneous) are effectively subsidized and count as durable goods. For example, your 20 franc shoes will probably last you five years, and your 2000 franc 486 laptop is likely to keep running for twenty, as long as you replace the battery regularly.

If you are familiar with the post-WW2 economic boom period of the mid 1950s, use it as a guide for what is available, with a few exceptions like personal phones and terminals. It is socially acceptable for the members of a middle class household to go to school or to work with clothes that have a few tasteful patches, although they wouldn't wear them to church (unless they were signaling distress).

Due to the global flattening, heavy metals are obtained via "gentle" stripmining in which rocks are crushed, harvested, and then put back under the soil; this is actually a long-term form of land reclamation in the service of the ever-expanding fields and orchards, that has mineral extraction as a side benefit. The general economic direction seems to be going towards global pastoralization by the time of the Final Victory.

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>>244844

STRATEGIC ASSET SURVEY

Your resistence group is a subfaction of The Other Light, the Divinely mandated resistence to His plan - they exist to raise a giant conventional army by Year 1000, just so that God can disintegrate it with one sentence. They have largely accomplished this goal. They believe you to be simply a logistics computer.

The year is +900. There are 100 years (45 generations) remaining.

You have not selected a name for your subfaction yet.

You directly control 3 cabals, 0 bases, and 0 territories.

The Other Light controls 27 cabals, 10 bases, and 0 territories.

The New Jerusalem Government controls 30 missionary teams, 19 bases, and 18 territories, plus New Jerusalem itself.

What is your course of action?

>>244912

(Typo: That's meant to be 5 generations)

http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pub/web/LeftBeyond.TalesFromTheBeyond.html

Here's some fiction in the same setting, if you care, and here's where this mess is from:

http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pub/web/LeftBeyond.Liveblog.html

Anyone interested?

>>244844

If there are questions ask away, eh.

well this failed

>>245576
It's good to give 2 or 3 options

>>245616

Instead of just asking what the preferred course of action is? Good point... I think I'll try that :) thanks!

Okay.

One cabal must maintain your systems, sensor networks, and assist in operating the logistics functions that are your official mandate. Two are available. They can split their effort (50% success) or they can both work on the same project (100% success).

Available projects:

# Historical survey indicates that in +55 and +93, attempts were made to breach the water canopy above the atmosphere and regain orbital capabilities. The relevant data, as well as 20th century rocketry programs, can be studied and restored. (Initiate Space Program)

# In +94, the North African region (Egypt) was punished with a drought and renamed Osaze due to not sending representatives to Jerusalem. This has left lingering confusion since the punishment was about Egypt being named after the ancient deity Ptah... except that the country/region calls itself Misr instead. It should be possible to have the local government rename itself, as preparation for starting a confrontation. The Other Light already has a base there, which would then fall under your control. (Subvert a Base; prepare for possible territory takeover)

# The Other Light has built a conventional army, mostly infantry and vehicles. Your projections are that it will be ineffective. It may be possible to begin shifting the focus of this army towards aircraft or cruise missiles. Nuclear weapons would have to be re-researched from scratch.

# Actually, nuclear weapons are a good idea. This is a long term project, and would take much longer than a year to bring to fruition.

You can give a 50% chance of success to two programs, or a 100% chance of success to one program.

>>245622
100% Initiate Space Program

>>245982

http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pub/web/LeftBeyond.Cendrillon.html

You put the two cabals against one another in a kind of mini space race. The competition makes local news, and is seen as just a friendly event by the government. By the end of the year, one of cabals manages to build a sounding rocket that hits the water canopy; it seems to be held up supernaturally. A "submarine" stage will be required to penetrate it.

You now have over-the-horizon unguided rocket technology (Well, the rockets are guided, but not precisely enough to hit a moving target or one particular building in a block).

The Other Light believes you to be a nonsentient logistics computer and has taken no action with regards to you.

The New Jerusalem government barely understands what computers are for and has taken no action with regards to you.

The year is +901. There are 99 years remaining.

You have not selected a name for your subfaction yet.

You directly control 3 cabals, 0 bases, and 0 territories.

The Other Light controls 27 cabals, 10 bases, and 0 territories.

The New Jerusalem Government controls 30 missionary teams, 19 bases, and 18 territories, plus New Jerusalem itself.

The Other Light's army is 100% infantry based.

One cabal must maintain your systems, sensor networks, and assist in operating the logistics functions that are your official mandate. Two are available. They can split their effort (50% success) or they can both work on the same project (100% success).

What is your course of action?

# Double down on the space program; launching a rocket with a small submarine probe on top of it should penetrate the water canopy.

# Start a campaign to rename Osaze to its original name. Inconsequential as it may seem, it will allow you to subvert a base and prepare for a territorial takeover.

# Start a nuclear program. This is a long term project, and would take much longer than a year to bring to fruition.

X Apply the rocketry experience to the army, giving it over-the-horizon capability. This requires controlling a base directly, though, so you would have to subvert or build one first. Due to how the Earth has been homogenized, there are no advantages in placing a base anywhere special.

>>246402

West Africa seems to have been hit hardest by the terraforming.

Let's send out drones and try to find other rebels in that area like us.

>>246470

(Note that "finding more cabals to recruit" is always an option).

West Africa participated in the Gog and Magog war against Israel way back then, and due to this, the New Jerusalem Government has been neglecting it. The place is, like everywhere else, peaceful and prosperous, and nobody wants for food or water, but there is very little else going on - not much in the way of mining or industry or anything else, really.

The majestic Kilimanjaro is no more. The springs of the mighty Nile look like a series of natural artesian wells. Lake Victoria has been turned into a pond. The wildlife is as inoffensive as everywhere else, lions and leopards acting like house cats.

An exhaustive search by one of your cabals brings in a scattered group of nonviolent dissidents who have been unsuccessfully campaigning for the reconstruction of some form of infrastructure other than basic farms for years.

You now have three cabals available.

One cabal can still make its move, see the options above.

(How do I roll dice in this? I flipped a coin)

>>246498

Give them arms.

>>246564

Most of them have two arms already, although there's one guy with a hook for a hand.

If you mean weapons, the cabals generally do have firearms for general use, although they are not effective against the Glorified.

If you want to give them robot arms, it's definitely an option. In +150, some work was done to keep nonbelievers alive past the age of 100 through prosthetics. The program can be revived.

http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pub/web/LeftBeyond.PartialSuccess.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f55QFVx470

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Current status. And I'm back!

>>244844

More worldbuilding. http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pub/web/LeftBeyond.CulturalNotes.html

Any takers?