2ns Succession War and the Periphery

[Baldur Mekorig]

Just got the pdf and after reading the excellent intro, i set myself to check for info about the Periphery. Sadly, we barely have any mention to the Periphery, but it is understandable, the Succession Wars were an almost IS thing...but then i got to the Peripheric States Deployment tables. Mein Gott...Raventhir`s Iron Hand going from 78% Strenght to 37%, the Taurian Guard from 71% to 16%, eack, a taurian merc unit in Dumassas going from 94% to 32%, all in almost 3 and a half decades. Either constant pirate/house raids and technological decline are a heck of a drug, or something more happened there.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Doesn't have to be combat.  How many of those were desertion to become pirates, for example?

[Wrangler]

There was conflict at the beginning of the First Succession War and there was domestic issue in Taurian Concordat but that about it.
The early war should have been covered by First Succession War book.  2nd won't necessary cover something that happened after the Second (if not in great detail.)

[jimdigris]

The disruptions associated with the loss of technology during the wars could have significantly lowered production of military equiptment by domestic industries and all but killed imports.  So they may have had all the warriors that they needed but couldn't get the machines for them to pilot.  Remember how hard-pressed the great houses were to maintain their own armies.

[lrose]

And yet between 2821 and 2830 every house unit in the TC, MOC and OWA managed to rebuild, in many cases fairly significantly.  It's better to not try and explain what is going on in the periphery - it makes fasanomics look logical. 

[jimdigris]

You're probably right about trying to apply logic, but I'll try anyway. :P
The Houses had factories that weren't routinely getting blown up in that time period.  They were churning out machines as fast as they could, but they sold some to the periphery so that they could afford to build still more without going heavily into debt.  As soon as war broke out again, they cut off sales to the periphery because they needed EVERYTHING.  Meanwhile, mercenary and house units were getting smashed and some of them were going rogue because they feared prosecution for cowardice, war crimes, contract violations, etc.  So, they raided the periphery.

[lrose]

I doubt the relatively small quantities that the Periphery States would (could afford to) buy would help the IS houses from avoiding going into debt. 

It's really better not to try and figure this out- it's just another contradictory element of the Periphery story - for example we are told how dependent the Periphery worlds are on the IS for their survival (water purifiers, fusion power plant parts) yet during the 1st SW the MOC and TC lose almost no worlds. (hell they don't lose that many during the 2nd SW).

I was actually shocked to see how much the Periphery states were able to rebuild their militaries between the 1st & 2nd SW.

[glitterboy2098]

I doubt the relatively small quantities that the Periphery States would (could afford to) buy would help the IS houses from avoiding going into debt. 

It's really better not to try and figure this out- it's just another contradictory element of the Periphery story - for example we are told how dependent the Periphery worlds are on the IS for their survival (water purifiers, fusion power plant parts) yet during the 1st SW the MOC and TC lose almost no worlds. (hell they don't lose that many during the 2nd SW).

I was actually shocked to see how much the Periphery states were able to rebuild their militaries between the 1st & 2nd SW.

the houses, no. but the mech production companies? given the relatively low production rates in general, and the costs of keeping the lines going (including downgrading to lower technology in places?) any sales are going to be helpful in keeping them going.
selling to the periphery states would basically double their sales.

[lrose]

the houses, no. but the mech production companies? given the relatively low production rates in general, and the costs of keeping the lines going (including downgrading to lower technology in places?) any sales are going to be helpful in keeping them going.
selling to the periphery states would basically double their sales.

But during this time production rates were probably not that small.  Remember during the SL era there was nothing unusual about a plant like Corean on New Avalon producing 100+ mechs a year.  Comparing the ISW factory listings between the 1st SW and 2nd SW does not show a huge drop in number of factories- yes there is some but it is still much more then there was in 3025.

And lastly, just because the factories would be willing to sell to the Periphery (or other states for that matter) it doesn't seem too likely- the houses needed every mech, fighter and tank they could build.  So I doubt they were turning away anything.