This is an example nation produced by my current project - Volant - Kingdoms of Air and Stone.

The Electorate of Straum is a six-region nation with a powerful military. It's national government is in form an Oligarchy, but in substance a Stratocracy. All six regions of Straum were produced randomly.

Ar Jinnyah is a large, arid region. It produces camels, cattle, poultry, quartz, chalk and bamboo. There are three cities in the region: Kumah, a large city which produces furniture from bamboo, leather, and feathers; Terah, a medium city which produces telescopes from bamboo and quartz, and Alvarah, a small city which produces leather goods.

The government of Ar Jinnyah has the form of an Autocracy, and the substance of a Matriarchy. The cultural stereotype is Off Kilter 3, Scientific 2, and Sarcastic 2. The Castes are very rigid, based on ethnicity, and layered. It's Conditions are Arid, Windy, Rough Hewn, and Wild. It's cultural oddities are: (economic) patron-client relations, (interpersonal) orgies, (leisure) retreats, (fashion) Natural Look, and (taboos) eating utensils.

Hamaura is a medium, fertile region. It produces sugar beets, pine, bamboo, horses, cattle, and quartzite. There are two cities in the region: Hamadraut, a large city which produces leather riding saddles from leather, pine, and silver; and Tauvas, a small city which produces paper.

The government of Hamaura has the form of an Oligarchy, and the substance of a Theocracy. The cultural stereotype is Gregarious 3, Laid Back 2, and Carefree 2. The Castes are somewhat fluid, mixed-base, and moderately complex. It's Conditions are Hilly, Well-Watered, Wooded, and Rolling. It's cultural oddities are: (economic) religious communism, (interpersonal) long courtships, (leisure) dancing, (fashion) elaborate shoes, and (taboos) bastardy.

Disomia is a large, mountainous region. It produces fruits, spices, poultry, basalt, quartz, and silver. There are three cities in the region: Samsarum, a large city which produces jewelry from basalt, quartz and silver; Hyorn, a medium city which produces candied fruit, and Kefel, a small city which produces spice extracts.

The government of Disoma has the form of a democracy, and the substance of a stratocracy. The cultural stereotype is Methodical 3, Stubborn 2, and Patient 2. The Castes are somewhat fluid, religion based, and extraordinarily complex. It's Conditions are Mountainous, Huge, Rocky, Wild, and Ridged. It's cultural oddities are: (economic) scientific research, (interpersonal) odd gender roles, (leisure) foot racing, (fashion) embroidery, and (taboos) eating utensils.

Amaris is a large, fertile region. It produces horses, birds, potatoes, flax, hardwoods, and marble. There are five cities in the region: Arnu, a small city which produces linen;  Velos, a medium city which produces fancy clothing from feathers and linen; Marsil, a small city which produces hardwood lumber; Trino, a small city which produces instant mashed potatoes; and Palos, a small city which produces war horses.

The government of Amaris has the form of a chiefdom, and the substance of a stratocracy. The cultural stereotype is Hedonistic 3, Iconoclastic 2, Friendly 1, and Laid Back 1. The Castes are somewhat bendable, religion based, and complex. It's Conditions are Fresh, Rolling, and Beautiful. It's cultural oddities are: (economic) contract, (interpersonal) polyandry, (leisure) wilderness, (fashion) ornateness, and (taboos) pets.

Straum is the capitol and a large, mountainous region. It produces horses, fruits, bamboo, migmatite, iron, and coal. There are three cities in the region: Wellen, a large city which produces armor from coal, iron, and brass; Saren, a medium city which produces weapons from steel and bamboo; and Tromen, a small city which produces steel.

The government of Straum has the form of a technocracy, and the substance of a theocracy. The cultural stereotype is Aggressive 2, Arrogant 2, and Honorable 3. The Castes are somewhat fluid, religion based, and extraordinarily complex. It's Conditions are Well-Watered, Mountainous, Aromatic, and Cultivated. It's cultural oddities are: (economic) scientific research, (interpersonal) gender separation, (leisure) wrestling, (fashion) kilts, and (taboos) hair.

Carium is a medium, mixed region. It produces pigs, poultry, softwood, reeds, copper, and marble. There are two cities in the region: Cariol, a medium city which produces clockwork from copper and steel; and Otenium, a medium city which produces musical instruments.

The government of Carium has the form of a republic, and the substance of a kritocracy. The cultural stereotype is Melodic 3, Meticulous 2, and Spontaneous 2. The Castes are rigid, of mixed base, and hard to understand. It's Conditions are Chilly, Beautiful, Wooded, and Snowy. It's cultural oddities are: (economic) contract, (interpersonal) optimal offspring, (leisure) game craze and music, (fashion) elaborate shoes, and (taboos) nudity.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;530158This is an example nation produced by my current project - Volant - Kingdoms of Air and Stone.

...Awesome Stuff...

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I have no idea what any of that means, but I am stealing every last bit of it.  

Quote from: StormBringer;530365I have no idea what any of that means, but I am stealing every last bit of it.  

Thanks, Stormy - I think!

If you want me to explain it, I'd be happy to. I had just finished this section of the game, and tried it out as a pure random generation, and it worked so interestingly,  thought other folks might be interested,

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;530373Thanks, Stormy - I think!

If you want me to explain it, I'd be happy to. I had just finished this section of the game, and tried it out as a pure random generation, and it worked so interestingly,  thought other folks might be interested,

-clash

I'd love to hear about it.  And since this is turning into 'promote my forum' night, throw a copy over to the Citadel, too.  

OK - a quick overview of what this means, using the Region of Ar Jinnyah as an example:

Ar Jinnyah is a large, arid region.

A Region is a contiguous, mostly similar piece of land, usually with a single culture native to it. In the game, regions can be Small, Medium or Large; and also Arid, Fertile, Mountainous, or Mixed. Ar Jinnyah is both large and arid.

It produces camels, cattle, poultry, quartz, chalk and bamboo.

These are the natural resources Ar Jinnyah produces in enough of a quantity to export and trade.

There are three cities in the region: Kumah, a large city which produces furniture from bamboo, leather, and feathers; Terah, a medium city which produces telescopes from bamboo and quartz, and Alvarah, a small city which produces leather goods.

Cities may be Large, Medium, or Small. Cities manufacture trade items, the larger the city, the more complex the item.

The government of Ar Jinnyah has the form of an Autocracy, and the substance of a Matriarchy.

Governments have both a Form - the outward seeming - and a Substance - the way it actually works - the early Roman Empire had the Form of a Republic, but the Substance of an Autocracy. Ar Jinnyah outwardly seems to be an Autocracy - or rule by an individual - but is actually functionally a Matriarchy - rule by women.  

The cultural stereotype is Off Kilter 3, Scientific 2, and Sarcastic 2.

Cultural Stereotypes are the way outsiders would describe people of this culture without thinking of an actual individual. These are weighted descriptors, so the people of Ar Jinnyah are stereotypically are *very* off-kilter.  

The Castes are very rigid, based on ethnicity, and layered.

Castes are traditional groupings within a culture which define the individuals role from birth. in Ar Jinnyah, castes are not flexibe, so one stays in the caste one was born into. They are ethnically based, so part of the caste definition is where your ancestors came from. They are also layered - the castes are bound in multiple broad super castes which are all of approximately the same value.

It's Conditions are Arid, Windy, Rough Hewn, and Wild.

These are descriptors for the region, what it looks, smells, and feels like.

It's cultural oddities are: (economic) patron-client relations, (interpersonal) orgies, (leisure) retreats, (fashion) Natural Look, and (taboos) eating utensils.

Cultural Oddities are the quirks each culture has that sometimes make them hard to deal with, but always give character to the culture. They are divided into five categories, Economic, Interpersonal, Leisure, Fashion, and Taboos. In Ar Jinnyah's case, economic activity is dominated by contracts rather than - say - custom or relationships. It's interpersonal life is dominated by orgies rather than pair-bonding - thus perhaps, the strong matriarchal streak in the government. Leisure generally takes the form of retreats, where one gets away from others - perhaps a response to the orgies? The natural look is very fashionable - simple, undyed, plain cut, and functional. As for taboos, when one eats with people from Ar Jinnyah, one does not - never never never - use forks or spoons! One uses fingers, or pieces of bread, to manipulate the food.

Volant - Kingdoms of Air and Stone is set in a world where two sets of wizards - the Living Wizards and the Stone Wizards - had waged a deadly war of mutual extermination long ago. In the penultimate strike, the Living Wizards had created horrific animal and plant monsters to destroy the civilization of the Stone Wizards. In return, the Stone Wizards had released their last spell, changing the fabric of all metamorphic rock so that it floated. These last spells burned out all the magical potential in humanity, so from that time forward, humans could only use the magic imbued in plants and animals, as well as the lifting powers of the stone.

Mountain ranges tore out of the ground like teeth being pulled. They soared up into the sky, with their attendant valleys, rivers, lakes, and deserts along for the ride. People were able to build and maintain their civilization on these skylands, while the civilizations on the surface below crumbled. They built ships with floatstone and keels of the straight grained keelstone and flew from skyland to skyland, though they could not go down to the earth below. They tamed and domesticated the giant birds created by the Living Wizards and rode them as well, even to the ground to gather scarce materials, plants and artifacts.

They terraced their hills and mountainsides to better farm their scarce soils. They learned that they  could capture other skylands, lash them together, and they would slowly grow into each other over the years. The lands floated on the winds over the earth, and they learned to roughly control their skylands to mostly, awkwardly attempt to keep them out of the dangerous gyres and currents. They chained floated forts to mountains they thought would soon tear free of the earth to claim them, and fight off challengers.

Humans left below abandoned their civilizations and lived in the wild, wary of the great monsters who ruled their lands. Some served as guides to the Bird People when they came down from their skylands, while others hid and would have nothing to do with them. They Bird People may have nice things to trade, but they would soon leave, while the monsters would always be there.

-clash

Good stuff . My only three quirks:

QuoteCities may be Large, Medium, or Small. Cities manufacture trade items, the larger the city, the more complex the item.

1) I'd suggest that the materials manufactured are treated a bit like the materials produced by the nation - it's not like the city only produces that, but it's that the city is famous for it, and it is it's main export. Like, you know, many cities produce candied fruit, but if you want the best stuff, fit for king's court, you go for the Hyorn stuff.

2) How about also putting the list of what the nation imports/demands (I can't remember proper economical term - basically the nation does not produce enough to supply the demand), and the same for cities?

3) What's up with the instant mashed potatoes?

Quote from: Rincewind1;530751Good stuff . My only three quirks:

1) I'd suggest that the materials manufactured are treated a bit like the materials produced by the nation - it's not like the city only produces that, but it's that the city is famous for it, and it is it's main export. Like, you know, many cities produce candied fruit, but if you want the best stuff, fit for king's court, you go for the Hyorn stuff.

Excellent point, Rincewind! That is what I intended, but I re-read what I had written in the generator, and it is not at all clear. I've fixed that!

Quote2) How about also putting the list of what the nation imports/demands (I can't remember proper economical term - basically the nation does not produce enough to supply the demand), and the same for cities?

Yup! That's not quite there yet. It will depend on how many regions are in the Nation, What is the size of the population, and what is being manufactured - the larger the number of regions, the greater the variety of raw materials, and the more self sufficient a nation is..

Quote3) What's up with the instant mashed potatoes?

Hehe! My son Klaxon did that Region, and he looked at the resoures, looked up at me, and asked "What is involved in making instant mashed potatoes?"

So I answered "Basically, you make the mashed potatoes, dry them thoroughly, then powder it."

"So, that could technically be done at this tech level?"

"Ummmmm, yeah...?"

"OK, Instant Mashed Potatoes it is!"

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Quote from: flyingmice;530762Excellent point, Rincewind! That is what I intended, but I re-read what I had written in the generator, and it is not at all clear. I've fixed that!

No problem - I presumed it as such, but it reminded me of abstractions of Civilisation 4 - so that'd not be necessarily an impossible approach .

QuoteYup! That's not quite there yet. It will depend on how many regions are in the Nation, What is the size of the population, and what is being manufactured - the larger the number of regions, the greater the variety of raw materials, and the more self sufficient a nation is..

Cool.

QuoteHehe! My son Klaxon did that Region, and he looked at the resoures, looked up at me, and asked "What is involved in making instant mashed potatoes?"

So I answered "Basically, you make the mashed potatoes, dry them thoroughly, then powder it."

"So, that could technically be done at this tech level?"

"Ummmmm, yeah...?"

"OK, Instant Mashed Potatoes it is!"

-clash

As odd as this may sound, I'd say that it's a detail you need to take a good care of. Potatoes very a huge game changer when they were introduced as a food source (rather then as ornamental flower) in XIX century. Contrary to grains, they were very, very resistant to weather and the like. The problems with food supplies not only were responsible for high destabilisations of populations due to occasional famine and malnutrition - related disease (heck - even Black Death was greatly helped by malnutrition). They also caused certain cultural aspects to be created - it's no accident that in Christianity the Great Lent is where it is - it was the period between the finishing of winter supplies, and the new harvests, as I am sure you are aware. Tying the need for food rationing to the religion was a cunning move.

Perhaps most importantly from world design perspective - access to potatoes, even in a setting with very limited landspace, like this one I understand, allows for a much quicker development of technology and culture, as societies spend less time  trying to fulfil the basic need of, well, being fed.

Instant mash potatoes, as much as easy they are to make, are also quite important - generally any form of instant food. They would allow a great speed in travel, make long - distance travel much easier, both on land but especially, on the seas/air, which'd make for much faster process of colonisation (I understand it may be a bit hard in this setting, heh).

Water could still be a problem on airships - as I understand, there are in the setting, which is damn good because I love them - for example, but you'd be able to keep a lot of food in relatively small space, as compared to crackers and salted pork. The food would also be much less subjected to spoilage, compared to those two.

Given the setting's nature though, I guess it'd apply to the colonisation of air islands, rather then sea ones.

On the subject of farming (especially potatoes, actually) - I presume that terrace is the most common method of farming for the civilisations of the setting? Since most of the civilisations, as I understand, are occupying flying mountain - islands, that'd be probably the most effective means of farming for them.

Quote from: Rincewind1;530769As odd as this may sound, I'd say that it's a detail you need to take a good care of. Potatoes very a huge game changer when they were introduced as a food source (rather then as ornamental flower) in XIX century. Contrary to grains, they were very, very resistant to weather and the like. The problems with food supplies not only were responsible for high destabilisations of populations due to occasional famine and malnutrition - related disease (heck - even Black Death was greatly helped by malnutrition). They also caused certain cultural aspects to be created - it's no accident that in Christianity the Great Lent is where it is - it was the period between the finishing of winter supplies, and the new harvests, as I am sure you are aware. Tying the need for food rationing to the religion was a cunning move.

Perhaps most importantly from world design perspective - access to potatoes, even in a setting with very limited landspace, like this one I understand, allows for a much quicker development of technology and culture, as societies spend less time  trying to fulfil the basic need of, well, being fed.

Instant mash potatoes, as much as easy they are to make, are also quite important - generally any form of instant food. They would allow a great speed in travel, make long - distance travel much easier, both on land but especially, on the seas/air, which'd make for much faster process of colonisation (I understand it may be a bit hard in this setting, heh).

Water could still be a problem on airships - as I understand, there are in the setting, which is damn good because I love them - for example, but you'd be able to keep a lot of food in relatively small space, as compared to crackers and salted pork. The food would also be much less subjected to spoilage, compared to those two.

Given the setting's nature though, I guess it'd apply to the colonisation of air islands, rather then sea ones.

Yep! Potatoes are a miracle crop in many ways. They grow on soil marginal for any other staple, they tolerate temperature extremes better, etc., but technically, the entry on the random table says "Root vegetable", and it was Klaxon's interpretation that made it potatoes. It could have been beets, or turnips or yams, or any other such veggie. This is not *wrong* - I believe in letting the group make decisions like this. The Instant Mashed Potatoes was just a consequence of this decision. The GM could have said "No - try turnips or beets" and that would have different consequences. Having potatoes as a crop would make things interesting indeed! As for the easily storeable food, that was why he though the Instant Mashed Potatoes would be so very valuable.

And yes. there are airships - sailing airships built of stone. There is no workable steam engine - and no gunpowder. There are spring or treadmill powered propellers for short, slow movement against the wind. Why no gunpowder? I've done a lot of games with gunpowder and I just decided not to have it. I didn't say no gunpowder, I just didn't mention gunpowder weapons. If someone wants, they can put it in from one of my other games.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;530788Yep! Potatoes are a miracle crop in many ways. They grow on soil marginal for any other staple, they tolerate temperature extremes better, etc., but technically, the entry on the random table says "Root vegetable", and it was Klaxon's interpretation that made it potatoes. It could have been beets, or turnips or yams, or any other such veggie. This is not *wrong* - I believe in letting the group make decisions like this. The Instant Mashed Potatoes was just a consequence of this decision. The GM could have said "No - try turnips or beets" and that would have different consequences. Having potatoes as a crop would make things interesting indeed! As for the easily storeable food, that was why he though the Instant Mashed Potatoes would be so very valuable.

And yes. there are airships - sailing airships built of stone. There is no workable steam engine - and no gunpowder. There are spring or treadmill powered propellers for short, slow movement against the wind. Why no gunpowder? I've done a lot of games with gunpowder and I just decided not to have it. I didn't say no gunpowder, I just didn't mention gunpowder weapons. If someone wants, they can put it in from one of my other games.

-clash

That's cool man, just pointing out the "problems" - or as I'd rather see it, challenge/chances that raises in a setting . Potatoes alone won't allow for industrial - level populations (farming technology'll go a fairly long way too, after all ), but they'd allow communities somewhat self - sufficient, at least on a basic food needs. Combined with the fact that it's all floating city - islands, that'd cause a big raise of city states as political entities, don't you think?

Quote from: Rincewind1;530792That's cool man, just pointing out the "problems" - or as I'd rather see it, challenge/chances that raises in a setting . Potatoes alone won't allow for industrial - level populations (farming technology'll go a fairly long way too, after all ), but they'd allow communities somewhat self - sufficient, at least on a basic food needs. Combined with the fact that it's all floating city - islands, that'd cause a big raise of city states as political entities, don't you think?

Challenges is a much better way of thinking about it!

And yes, city states is a good way of thinking of it, and the kind of thing I was aiming for. Which reminds me! I forgot to tell you the actual areas of the three size Regions. Small Regions are about the size of Rhode Island or Luxembourg. Medium regions are about the size of Connecticut or Corsica or Kaliningrad Oblast. Large Regions are about the size of Massachusetts or Belgium. Of course they vary quite a bit, but that gives you an idea.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;530801Challenges is a much better way of thinking about it!

And yes, city states is a good way of thinking of it, and the kind of thing I was aiming for. Which reminds me! I forgot to tell you the actual areas of the three size Regions. Small Regions are about the size of Rhode Island or Luxembourg. Medium regions are about the size of Connecticut or Corsica or Kaliningrad Oblast. Large Regions are about the size of Massachusetts or Belgium. Of course they vary quite a bit, but that gives you an idea.

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So, are there any other means of communication between the islands then the airship merchant caravans?

Quote from: Rincewind1;530808So, are there any other means of communication between the islands then the airship merchant caravans?

Mostly short range stuff - flags, heliograph, kites. or lights. Carrier pigeons need fixed destinations, so they are out.

-clash