While I was looking over 2320 earlier this week, I realized than Manchuria dominates the Chinese Arm more thoroughly than any of the ESA powers, even the French, dominated the French Arm. *
By 2320, Manchuria possesses six colony worlds (Cold Mountain, Syuhlahm, Chengdu, Haifeng, Kwantung, Dukou) with a combined Manchurian population in the 55-65M range, and many more outposts aside. Of the five most populous worlds (Chengdu, Kwantung, Daikoku, Heidelsheimat, Cold Mountain) Manchuria has substantial colonies on three. Perhaps most importantly, Manchuria has an enviable position with the Sung, and the billions of Stark. All these advantages easily places Manchuria far ahead of its local rivals.
- Texas has a bit more than four million people on three worlds, but is lumbering towards financial collapse.
- Brazil has a million people on Paulo and INAP 10-12 million on Kwantung and Montana, but these two Latin American starfaring powers are faced with long supply lines absent the development of tugs and a pretty destructive mutual hostility. As for the Incans, the less said about their potential the better.
- The Canadians, working in collaboration with the Scandinavians and the Sung, have managed to start the colonization of the Canadian Finger, but their worlds are settled only recently and are still relatively lightly settled, to say nothing of a hideously long and vulnerable supply line.
- The Japanese and the Arabians have reasonably large colonies on Daikoku, the Life Foundation its own on Austin's World, and the Cantonese their own colony on Syuhlahm, but each of these colonies are relatively isolated and hence vulnerable. In Arabia's case, it's a minor wonder that it hasn't managed to overextend itself on the model of Texas.
- Heidelsheimat is a self-sustaining and reasonably prosperous new nation, but it's still only one nation on one planet and has to deal with a pointless rivalry with the Texans besides.
A combination capable of defeating Manchuria doesn't seem likely. Even if all of the human powers on the arm were somehow combined, internal rivalries (INAP versus Brazil and maybe Yexas, Heidelsheimat versus Texas) would quickly tear this coalition apart. Compare this to the situation on the French Arm, where the three major powers manage to counterbalance each other, at least until the War of German Reunification and the Kafer War.
A lot depended on the success or failure of the Japanese colony on Cold Mountain. The Japanese had a viable supply line via the French and Japanese outposts, and if the colony had been successful perhaps we might have been talking about a Japanese Arm, The Japanese colony failed, however, and Manchuria took the initiative to establish a colony on Delta Pavonis' garden world with brute force methods. I'm tempted to believe that afterwards, the Manchurians took the initiative and actively planned to establish themselves as the locally dominant power.
Consider. Even before Manchuria paused to build up its colony on Syuhlahm, a world on the dead-end finger to 82 Eridani, it had aggressively explored further along the Chinese Arm (Chengdu was found in 2182, near two decades before the French had set up shop on Beowulf), eventually establishing highly successful colonies on Chengdu and Kwantung, outposts later upgraded to colonies on Dukou and Haifeng, and numerous outposts elsewhere. I'm also inclined to believe that Manchurian military vessels played a dominant role in the Slaver War (could the Canadians really have had that much military force deep in the Chinese Arm?). The Manchurians are also able to enforce fairly strict regulations on exchanges with the Eber on Komoran.
How does Manchuria manage? At least on the Chinese Arm, Manchuria but through its open and highly collaborative approach with other countries. It has established itself as an open, friendly, and highly collaborative power. thrpough its benevolence. With a substantial Manchurian infrastructure for--among other things--fuelling and repairing starships built up on the Chinese Arm, different starfaring powers were able to build up colonies in distant areas of the Arm in the late 23rd century: INAP and Brazil were able to establish their colonies on the Latin Finger, Canada its colonies on the Canadian Finger, the Life Foundation its Austin World colony, and the Incans and Texans their colonies all over the Arm. The Japanese and Arabians of Daikoku and the Cantonese of Syuhlahm have shorter supply lines, but these colonies' well-being depend on Manchurian benevolence. As for Heidelsheimat, I can only imagine that it was established during a period of ESA-Manchuria detente, and that the Bavarian colony was protected during the Central Asian War by some sort of bargain ("You leave Tunghu alone and we'll not bother Heidelsheimat?"). Heidelsheimat's independence likely pleases the Manchurians. We also know that Manchuria is doing a better job getting along with the Sung than Canada, perhaps because their relationship with Korea predisposes them to understand this sort of hierarchy.
How does Manchuria plan to reinforce its dominance of the Arm? I suggest that Chengdu is key, that the Manchurians are cultivating the world as the capital world of the Chinese Arm. Not only does it have a central location, it has a liberal regime, a cosmopolitan population, and an explicit goal of becoming an educational centre. It might not be wrong to think of Chengdu as the uber-Singapore of this area of space.
Stutterwarp tugs or drive-retuning stations that could connect the Latin Finger directly to the Core could challenge Manchuria, but not necessarily by that much. Many of the more distant Manchurian colonies (Kwantung in particular, also the minor Dukou and Haifeng) would really benefit from easier contact to the Core, and any advantage that INAP and Brazil could gain from easier transport could be counteracted by the easier transfer of Argentine-Brazilian hostility to a Latin Finger that could now enjoy full-scale interstellar wars.
I'm not imaginative enough at this time of the morning to offer specific suggestions for adventures. I do feel relatively confident in suggesting that Manchurian influences will be inescapable. Manchurian/Putonghua may well be cultivated as a major lingua franca throughout the arm, manufactures from Manchuria and the Manchurian colonies will be everywhere, people will be intimately familiar with events in Manchurian (and Korean?) politics and popular culture, and so on. I'd be inclined to bet that players who like Firefly might really like the Chinese Arm, especially if they're venturing force among the Texans. ;-)
Thoughts?
* The American Arm doesn't count in this sort of comparison, given its small size and its intensive colonization by only two, culturally quite similar, powers over a century. The presence of a few tens of thousands of Nigerians on Avalon won't change things. Maybe, just maybe, if there was an influx from an ethnically diverse New Canberra this might change, but until then ...
By 2320, Manchuria possesses six colony worlds (Cold Mountain, Syuhlahm, Chengdu, Haifeng, Kwantung, Dukou) with a combined Manchurian population in the 55-65M range, and many more outposts aside. Of the five most populous worlds (Chengdu, Kwantung, Daikoku, Heidelsheimat, Cold Mountain) Manchuria has substantial colonies on three. Perhaps most importantly, Manchuria has an enviable position with the Sung, and the billions of Stark. All these advantages easily places Manchuria far ahead of its local rivals.
- Texas has a bit more than four million people on three worlds, but is lumbering towards financial collapse.
- Brazil has a million people on Paulo and INAP 10-12 million on Kwantung and Montana, but these two Latin American starfaring powers are faced with long supply lines absent the development of tugs and a pretty destructive mutual hostility. As for the Incans, the less said about their potential the better.
- The Canadians, working in collaboration with the Scandinavians and the Sung, have managed to start the colonization of the Canadian Finger, but their worlds are settled only recently and are still relatively lightly settled, to say nothing of a hideously long and vulnerable supply line.
- The Japanese and the Arabians have reasonably large colonies on Daikoku, the Life Foundation its own on Austin's World, and the Cantonese their own colony on Syuhlahm, but each of these colonies are relatively isolated and hence vulnerable. In Arabia's case, it's a minor wonder that it hasn't managed to overextend itself on the model of Texas.
- Heidelsheimat is a self-sustaining and reasonably prosperous new nation, but it's still only one nation on one planet and has to deal with a pointless rivalry with the Texans besides.
A combination capable of defeating Manchuria doesn't seem likely. Even if all of the human powers on the arm were somehow combined, internal rivalries (INAP versus Brazil and maybe Yexas, Heidelsheimat versus Texas) would quickly tear this coalition apart. Compare this to the situation on the French Arm, where the three major powers manage to counterbalance each other, at least until the War of German Reunification and the Kafer War.
A lot depended on the success or failure of the Japanese colony on Cold Mountain. The Japanese had a viable supply line via the French and Japanese outposts, and if the colony had been successful perhaps we might have been talking about a Japanese Arm, The Japanese colony failed, however, and Manchuria took the initiative to establish a colony on Delta Pavonis' garden world with brute force methods. I'm tempted to believe that afterwards, the Manchurians took the initiative and actively planned to establish themselves as the locally dominant power.
Consider. Even before Manchuria paused to build up its colony on Syuhlahm, a world on the dead-end finger to 82 Eridani, it had aggressively explored further along the Chinese Arm (Chengdu was found in 2182, near two decades before the French had set up shop on Beowulf), eventually establishing highly successful colonies on Chengdu and Kwantung, outposts later upgraded to colonies on Dukou and Haifeng, and numerous outposts elsewhere. I'm also inclined to believe that Manchurian military vessels played a dominant role in the Slaver War (could the Canadians really have had that much military force deep in the Chinese Arm?). The Manchurians are also able to enforce fairly strict regulations on exchanges with the Eber on Komoran.
How does Manchuria manage? At least on the Chinese Arm, Manchuria but through its open and highly collaborative approach with other countries. It has established itself as an open, friendly, and highly collaborative power. thrpough its benevolence. With a substantial Manchurian infrastructure for--among other things--fuelling and repairing starships built up on the Chinese Arm, different starfaring powers were able to build up colonies in distant areas of the Arm in the late 23rd century: INAP and Brazil were able to establish their colonies on the Latin Finger, Canada its colonies on the Canadian Finger, the Life Foundation its Austin World colony, and the Incans and Texans their colonies all over the Arm. The Japanese and Arabians of Daikoku and the Cantonese of Syuhlahm have shorter supply lines, but these colonies' well-being depend on Manchurian benevolence. As for Heidelsheimat, I can only imagine that it was established during a period of ESA-Manchuria detente, and that the Bavarian colony was protected during the Central Asian War by some sort of bargain ("You leave Tunghu alone and we'll not bother Heidelsheimat?"). Heidelsheimat's independence likely pleases the Manchurians. We also know that Manchuria is doing a better job getting along with the Sung than Canada, perhaps because their relationship with Korea predisposes them to understand this sort of hierarchy.
How does Manchuria plan to reinforce its dominance of the Arm? I suggest that Chengdu is key, that the Manchurians are cultivating the world as the capital world of the Chinese Arm. Not only does it have a central location, it has a liberal regime, a cosmopolitan population, and an explicit goal of becoming an educational centre. It might not be wrong to think of Chengdu as the uber-Singapore of this area of space.
Stutterwarp tugs or drive-retuning stations that could connect the Latin Finger directly to the Core could challenge Manchuria, but not necessarily by that much. Many of the more distant Manchurian colonies (Kwantung in particular, also the minor Dukou and Haifeng) would really benefit from easier contact to the Core, and any advantage that INAP and Brazil could gain from easier transport could be counteracted by the easier transfer of Argentine-Brazilian hostility to a Latin Finger that could now enjoy full-scale interstellar wars.
I'm not imaginative enough at this time of the morning to offer specific suggestions for adventures. I do feel relatively confident in suggesting that Manchurian influences will be inescapable. Manchurian/Putonghua may well be cultivated as a major lingua franca throughout the arm, manufactures from Manchuria and the Manchurian colonies will be everywhere, people will be intimately familiar with events in Manchurian (and Korean?) politics and popular culture, and so on. I'd be inclined to bet that players who like Firefly might really like the Chinese Arm, especially if they're venturing force among the Texans. ;-)
Thoughts?
* The American Arm doesn't count in this sort of comparison, given its small size and its intensive colonization by only two, culturally quite similar, powers over a century. The presence of a few tens of thousands of Nigerians on Avalon won't change things. Maybe, just maybe, if there was an influx from an ethnically diverse New Canberra this might change, but until then ...
