Author Topic: A Rim Collection Appreciation Thread (Read 37163 times)

Dirk Bastion · « **on:** 01 February 2011, 07:38:53 »

The RC is pretty much the little state that could - a coalition between 6 seperate worlds and a mercenary company.
As a bonus for the RWR romantics, it's harking back to the old days with its democratic form.
In the Dark Age, they've apparently gone out and colonised more planets (negating the loss of two member worlds), which seems to show that they've got their problems worked out by and large.

What's not to like?

Moonsword · « **Reply #1 on:** 01 February 2011, 08:35:40 »

One of those appears to be in the right spot to be Shalana from the RWR 2750 map, so it may be a renamed RWR holding. As for the other one... no idea. Keep in mind that they may be incorporating older colonies or receiving other nations' colonists rather than doing domestic-only colonization initiatives.

RAE · « **Reply #2 on:** 01 February 2011, 09:11:23 »

I do hope they'll get a standing military in future. It would be fun seeing them clashing with the Rim Territories, which is, probably, a pirate kingdom, judging how it's based around former Morrison's Extractors strongholds.

Moonsword · « **Reply #3 on:** 01 February 2011, 09:20:56 »

I wouldn't be surprised if they build it up from the existing mercenary unit, although training may be problematic.

On the other hand, I'm looking forward to some sort of explanation for some of those border changes.

Dirk Bastion · « **Reply #4 on:** 01 February 2011, 09:24:24 »

Me too, especially where all those worlds keep popping up from. Either there's a whole lot of really isolated planets out there who've just recently been recontacted or the Lyrans are bleeing people into the Periphery.

Moonsword · « **Reply #5 on:** 01 February 2011, 09:45:39 »

Keep in mind that some of the worlds that "disappeared" off the Periphery map didn't die, they simply stopped being important enough to bother tracking. My real question is the way the Lyrans lost worlds. Son Hoa is a particularly interesting one for me.

Dirk Bastion · « **Reply #6 on:** 01 February 2011, 10:28:11 »

"Important" is a somewhat shaky definition, considering they keep places like Alfirk on the map.

The puzzling loss of world happens to the Davions as well, some which seem to have gone their merry independant way. I'm not sure what to think of that - shouldn't a long era of peace lead to more colonisation, not less?

Moonsword · « **Reply #7 on:** 01 February 2011, 10:33:33 »

It depends on how inclined the central government is to bother. Keep in mind that early on, everyone's digging out of a hole and the FedSuns had a serious economic issue to deal with. In addition, there were wars on the Combine border. It's not fifty years of peace.

IndyRI · « **Reply #8 on:** 01 February 2011, 18:16:54 »

Also keep in mind that many of these planets were part of the RWR. When the Republic collapsed, the Lyrans snatched up all of the nearby, profitable worlds, and the rest were simply left alone. THe Steiners had far more pressing concerns with the looming 1st SW to both maintaining a tenuous control on financially worthless planets on their peripheral border. As such, many of these planets were likely assumed to have either died or simply not have retained enough contact with the IS to warrant even being considered as to whether or not they were still alive.

Also, keep in mind that until the Explorer Corps, Periphery exploration,e specially into such unpopulated sections as the Rift, were last on most state's agenda. And even then, aside from exploring the immediate vicinity that later becomes the Rim Collection, the Explorer Corps' mission in Lyran-ward Periphery space was cut rather abruptly short by Katherine Steiner-Davion when she came into power. And even then, it appears to have received the least of C*'s attentions.

HuronWarrior · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 February 2011, 16:01:17 »

I'm still dying to see the rise of the Rim Collection Empire, under House Rassor. [notworthy]

IndyRI · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 February 2011, 16:26:46 »

Meh, the Rim Collection's just a pawn anyways

HEIRS OF AMARIS - An AU Setting for Classic Battletech

Come and see. Comments welcome.
http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=757.msg15033

::PLUG, PLUG::

All plugging aside though, the Collection certainly has a great deal of potential. It's a small-scale democracy ekeing out an existence with a very limited economy and abutting both the Lyran Commonwealth and near the chaos of the former FWL. It's fast becoming my new favorite among the minor Periphery states.

vaderi · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 February 2011, 16:50:41 »

It certainly has a lot of potential, I'm a little suprised the Lyrans left it alone.

IndyRI · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 February 2011, 16:55:57 »

Quote from: vaderi on 02 February 2011, 16:50:41

It certainly has a lot of potential, I'm a little suprised the Lyrans left it alone.

No reason to move against it. It has no real valuable resources aside from big game, and the bad publicity of wiping out a smaller nation,especially a trading partner, when the Lyrans are already pretty banged up wouldn't be worth the very minor gains.

tapdancingbeavers · « **Reply #13 on:** 03 February 2011, 00:24:05 »

Quote

It certainly has a lot of potential, I'm a little suprised the Lyrans left it alone.

The Lyrans can basically get anything they want from the realm by trade. Moving against it militarily would just be a waste of resources and bad PR. Even if there was something to be gained by claiming the planets trade would probably be a better way to absorb the planets anyway.

Stormcrow · « **Reply #14 on:** 03 February 2011, 00:36:59 »

Quote from: RAE on 01 February 2011, 09:11:23

I do hope they'll get a standing military in future. It would be fun seeing them clashing with the Rim Territories, which is, probably, a pirate kingdom, judging how it's based around former Morrison's Extractors strongholds.

They already do. Able's Aces is a merc unit in name only. They are training the locals, while making roots. I don't see them going anywhere.

RAE · « **Reply #15 on:** 03 February 2011, 12:51:42 »

Quote from: Stormcrow on 03 February 2011, 00:36:59

They already do. Able's Aces is a merc unit in name only. They are training the locals, while making roots. I don't see them going anywhere.

From what I read in Masters and Minions, President Elian Whitney intends to build a more reliable standing force than Able's Aces.

Daishi411 · « **Reply #16 on:** 03 February 2011, 12:54:06 »

i was under the impression the able's aces were supposed to be the temporary front line fighting force, while at the same time being the guys who trained the green rim collection military

IndyRI · « **Reply #17 on:** 03 February 2011, 13:26:49 »

Quote from: Daishi411 on 03 February 2011, 12:54:06

i was under the impression the able's aces were supposed to be the temporary front line fighting force, while at the same time being the guys who trained the green rim collection military

This, but IIRC they are on a long-term contract and have been settling down in the region, with the express intention of becoming a permanant part of the RC military

Daishi411 · « **Reply #18 on:** 03 February 2011, 13:29:53 »

what i mean was that the aces weren't going to remain a permanent entity as they are now, and i think the reason they would be considering settling down is because able is from the rim collection is he not

Moonsword · « **Reply #19 on:** 03 February 2011, 14:28:07 »

Yes, he is.

Guardsman · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 February 2011, 18:07:31 »

Quote from: IndyRI on 01 February 2011, 18:16:54

Also keep in mind that many of these planets were part of the RWR. When the Republic collapsed, the Lyrans snatched up all of the nearby, profitable worlds, and the rest were simply left alone. THe Steiners had far more pressing concerns with the looming 1st SW to both maintaining a tenuous control on financially worthless planets on their peripheral border. As such, many of these planets were likely assumed to have either died or simply not have retained enough contact with the IS to warrant even being considered as to whether or not they were still alive.

Also, keep in mind that until the Explorer Corps, Periphery exploration,e specially into such unpopulated sections as the Rift, were last on most state's agenda. And even then, aside from exploring the immediate vicinity that later becomes the Rim Collection, the Explorer Corps' mission in Lyran-ward Periphery space was cut rather abruptly short by Katherine Steiner-Davion when she came into power. And even then, it appears to have received the least of C*'s attentions.

It is my belief that the Lyrans annexed what they annexed, and only to that point, in a clear, conscious decision. Some of the source materials mention Successor States to the Republic, presumably they had something to do with it. The original, Pre-Grimm, Oberon Confederation was one of them. The worlds they took were easy enough to annex, close, defensible, and they didnâ€™t take in so much that they would have trouble assimilating them. The Lyrans didnâ€™t want to become another Free Worlds League by taking on too many worlds, too fast. But the biggest reason, other than author fiat, is probably that they lacked reliable information on those worlds. They didnâ€™t know enough about the worlds to know what kind of an effort and needs each of them would have, and that is assuming they had the coordinates for all of those worlds. Kerensky didnâ€™t leave the Republic in the most stable condition. He used as a staging area, but did he give a Davionâ€™s behind about social welfare programs or continuation of government?

IndyRI · « **Reply #21 on:** 14 February 2011, 10:07:19 »

^A likely case. Kerensky left the RWR in shambles, likely without so much as a second thought to its continued existence. We already know that the RWR was very insular and had little to do with its neighbors aside from leasing out its intelligence services. As such, the Lyrans legitimately might not have had much knowledge or means to even know how much territory they potentially had a claim to, much less actually doing so.

While there have been several "successor states" to the old RWR, most of these were essentially small collections of worlds lying on the edges of former RWR space. Remember, the Republic stretched the entire Lyran border, from Drac space to Marik space. We've seen nothing of note in the large bulk of the former RWR, directly "Northwest" on the standard IS map from the Lyran Commonwealth. It's one of the only truly unexplored sections of the IS and near-Periphery map. It'd be interesting to see if anything of note is still out there, or if it's essentially empty territory until you hit the Hansas.

FedSunsBorn · « **Reply #22 on:** 14 February 2011, 10:40:16 »

By Blood Betrayed got me introduced to the Rim Collection and while it is on the other side of the Sphere to my beloved FS, there is something cool about a nation who is just starting out and can't take anything for granted.

Also, I've wanted the Rim to get into a fight with a larger realm for awhile now. Circinus would have made sense initially but with them gone, I guess the Marian Hegemony will have to do. Definitely a David and Goliath kinda fight.

Guardsman · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 February 2011, 13:38:09 »

Quote from: IndyRI on 14 February 2011, 10:07:19

^A likely case. Kerensky left the RWR in shambles, likely without so much as a second thought to its continued existence. We already know that the RWR was very insular and had little to do with its neighbors aside from leasing out its intelligence services. As such, the Lyrans legitimately might not have had much knowledge or means to even know how much territory they potentially had a claim to, much less actually doing so.

While there have been several "successor states" to the old RWR, most of these were essentially small collections of worlds lying on the edges of former RWR space. Remember, the Republic stretched the entire Lyran border, from Drac space to Marik space. We've seen nothing of note in the large bulk of the former RWR, directly "Northwest" on the standard IS map from the Lyran Commonwealth. It's one of the only truly unexplored sections of the IS and near-Periphery map. It'd be interesting to see if anything of note is still out there, or if it's essentially empty territory until you hit the Hansas.

The Rim Worlds Republic spent an absolute fortune of the Republicâ€™s money to build up the Rim Worlds Republic Military to a point that it could take over the Terran Hegemony. Aleksandr Kerensky spent an absolute fortune of the Republicâ€™s money to build up the Star League Defence. Simply put, between the two, they were probably broke. Kerensky left Lucien Dormax, former head of the Rim Republican Army, which was at times a military organisation, terrorist group, but had since become more of a political party.

Between 2773 and 2777, the Lyran Commonwealth invaded and annexed a number of Republican worlds. They only stopped when Kerensky threatened to open a second front against them as he battled the Usurper, as the Republic was still a protectorate of the Star League, despite its battered state. After Amaris died and Kerensky had left, the Lyrans renewed their attacks and took Apollo, among other worlds.
There is no definitive date when the Republic died. Some mention Apollo becoming Lyran in 2782, other, more recent sources say 2786. But Von Strangâ€™s World, the Oberon Confederation, and Gillfillanâ€™s Gold are three known areas that continued as a functioning government from before the war right on up to the present, or at least the Clan Invasion. There are references to other proto-states being formed in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Republic, but so far no new names have been given to these proto-states.

IndyRI · « **Reply #24 on:** 14 February 2011, 14:07:07 »

Which is exactly my point. It would be interesting to see the history and development, or lack thereof of the Rift. Mention has been made regarding the existence of bandit kingdoms in the area, but with the exception of Amaris VII in the novel Star Lord, little attention has been paid to these, and even then it has been cursory at best. The most likely explanation is that these planets died off without trade and/or proper governance, but if there's one thing we can say about the CBT universe, it's that human life will not die. No matter the circumstances, or the likelihood, every little pocket of humanity seems to find a way to survive.

Dirk Bastion · « **Reply #25 on:** 14 February 2011, 14:15:21 »

Don't forget the Chainlane Isles, they're former RWR worlds as well. I guess their descent into a kind of low-tech Succession War could be exemplary for any number of worlds in that corner of space.

Guardsman · « **Reply #26 on:** 14 February 2011, 15:49:14 »

Quote from: Dirk Bastion on 14 February 2011, 14:15:21

Don't forget the Chainlane Isles, they're former RWR worlds as well. I guess their descent into a kind of low-tech Succession War could be exemplary for any number of worlds in that corner of space.

Below I have compiled a list of former Rim Worlds Republic worlds that have been occupied by another power. For simplicityâ€™s sake, Iâ€™ve neglected to list Clan Hellâ€™s Horses, Clan Ice Hellion, Clan Jade Falcon, and Clan Wolf, who have all occupied former RWR worlds, but they took theirs from someone else on this list. When a world had a different name as part of the Republic, Iâ€™ve listed it in parenthesis. Iâ€™ve also listed any future or former governments of those worlds.

Barony of Strang
Von Strangâ€™s World (Erin)

Belt Pirates of Starâ€™s End
Novo Cressidas (Starâ€™s End)

Chainelane Isles
Far Reach
Fredotto
Ingvolstand
Paran
Syrstart
Vannes

Circinus Federation
Circinus
Andiron (Helbrent)
Baltzar III (Himmels)
Clayborne II (Green Stone)
Diedreâ€™s Den (Iolas)

Elysian Fields
Elissa (Protectorate of Oberon Confederation)

Greater Valkyrate
Gotterdammerung (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrtae)
Botany Bay (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrtae)
Butte Hold (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrtae)
Erewhon (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrtae)
Lackhove (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrtae)
Last Chance (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrtae)

Lyran Commonwealth/Federated Commonwealth/Lyran Alliance/Lyran Commonwealth
Aberystwyth
Amminadav
Annunziata
Anywhere
Apollo
Arluna
Athastan
Barcelona
Bensinger
Beta VII
Black Earth
Bone-Norman
Bucklands
Chapultepec
Clemont
Coldbrook
Cruz Alta
Dark Nebula
Derf
Enders Cluster (10)
Engadine
Florida
Golandrinas
Halifax
Here
Hlnckley
Hood IV
Icar
Inarcs
Issaba
Jerangle
Jesenice
Karkklla
Kikuyu
Kladnitsa
Kolovraty
Kowloon
Kwangchowwang
Kwangjong-ni
Langhorne
Lost
Ma'anshan
Machida
Malibu
Medellin
Melissia
Mongyorod
Neerabup
New India
Newtown Square
Ormstown
Pangkalan
Persistence
Pocologan
Qurayyat
Rapla
Saplenza
Sarikavak
Shahr Kord
Somerset
Stanley
Steelton
Timbuktu
Toland
Trentham
Urjala
Viborg
Willunga
Wiltshire
Winfield (Treeline)
Winter
Wotan

Marian Hegemony
Comstock

Morgraineâ€™s Valkyrate
Gotterdammerung (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and later claimed by Greater Valkyrate)
Botany Bay (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and later claimed by Greater Valkyrate)
Erewhon (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and later claimed by Greater Valkyrate)
Lackhove (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and later claimed by Greater Valkyrate)
Last Chance (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and later claimed by Greater Valkyrate)

Oberon Confederation
Oberon VI
Blackstone
Botany Bay (Later claimed by Morgraine's Valkyrate and Greater Valkyrate)
Butte Hold (Later claimed by Pirates of Butte Hold and Greater Valkyrate)
Crellacor
Elissa (Claimed by Elysian Fields, Protectorate of Oberon Confederation)
Erewhon (Later claimed by Morgraine's Valkyrate and Greater Valkyrate)
Gotterdammerung (Later claimed by Morgraine's Valkyrate and Greater Valkyrate)
Gustrell
Lackhove (Later claimed by Morgraine's Valkyrate and Greater Valkyrate)
Last Chance (Later claimed by Morgraine's Valkyrate and Greater Valkyrate)
Paulus Prime
Sigurd

Pirates of Butte Hold
Butte Hold (Formerly claimed by Oberon Confederation and later claimed by Greater Valkyrate)

Rim Collection
Gillfillanâ€™s Gold
All Dawn
Caldarium
Otisberg
Slewis
Waypoint

Rim Territories
Pain (Dijonne)
Brank (Edirne)
Ferreusvirgo (Lywick)
Garotte (Seven Lands)
Jibbet (Lushun)
Oporto (Veil)
Pillory (Anatolla)
The Rack (Port Vallack)
Scauld (Austerlitz)

Dirk Bastion · « **Reply #27 on:** 14 February 2011, 15:53:23 »

Very nice and thorough!

An idle thought: if the Rim Collection and Territories ever united, it would be a good step towards a new Republic.

Guardsman · « **Reply #28 on:** 14 February 2011, 16:05:14 »

Quote from: Dirk Bastion on 14 February 2011, 15:53:23

Very nice and thorough!

An idle thought: if the Rim Collection and Territories ever united, it would be a good step towards a new Republic.

If they could get the Barrens in there too, you'd have three Provinces of the reborn Rim Worlds Republic. And then the Clans would cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

Shame that the Clans hate the Rim Worlds Republic. Aleksandr Kerensky never did. He hated the individuals, not the people.

Dirk Bastion · « **Reply #29 on:** 14 February 2011, 16:44:50 »

I dunno, you can have three provinces when going rimwards. And it's better looking too (and doesn't open the can of worms of what to do with the Chainlane Isles, which are right next to the Barrens.
You'd need to revive 5 or 6 more former colonies, though, or the gap is too noticeable.