"The International City on Venus" Topic

Founded in the 1890s to replace the ramshackle settlement that grew up around the Downport on Venus the International City was a statement by Terra's Great Powers that they were on Venus to stay and also as a warning to each other. The city is heavily defended by state of the art fortifications. It is also home to all the marvels of modern technology. Each Great power has built the most grand and beautiful buildings they could.

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What rules do you plan to use for… errr… interactions of various factions?

We have a variant of The Sword and the Flame called the Hive and the Flame that is specific for Victorian Science Fiction. We also have Stars of Empire which is a RPG. There is a lot more detail on The International City in The World Beneath the Clouds. hivequeenandcountry.com/home

Sounds like "55 Days on Venus" in the making.

One thing I have been trying to work on in detail are the various fortifications installed by the Great Powers, these would be circa 1890 works but the Venusians have already shown they have a penchant for high explosives and the HQC universe includes heavy lift flying machines, so these might be more like post 1918 defenses in some ways

Ah, HQC, should have known.

Interesting game though not one I would buy. Watched several games off and on in Saint Louis, played in one at Die Con IIRC, and it is certainly a game that attracts a certain set of gamers which unfortunately doesn't include me. The convention games I have seen were magnificent in size and appearance.

Looks like another success story in the making.

G Dog
In the HQC history there was a smaller International Settlement. That was besieged by some of the local Venusians (I was thinking more Ladysmith than Peking). There will be a siege of this city (at least one) as the various powers of Venus and the Colonial Powers from Earth contend upon that world. The idea was to build a setting where a lot of interesting interactions (both military and civilian) can take place.

So if anyone has ideas of what should be built into the city please feel free to speak up? The Forts ill be designed along period national lines, Prussian Fests, United States Coastal Forts, A Dutch fort based on The Hook of Holland and such. There will be cathedrals and embassies and stores and factories. Both elevated trains and subways will be built. If anyone has preferences or ideas please drop me a line or add to this thread!

Well, since I am reading a bio on Gaudí right now, let me recommend looking at:

Casa Milà
Casa Batlló
and the Palau Güell (Which is not a cathedral, but might as well be one.)

And while Gaudí didn't do fortifications (and would probably bristle at the idea), the Church of Colònia Güell is probably a good look for a fortification that meshes 19th Century European esthetics with a more organic form.

Thanks! I had never heard of him, but that is just what will help
In HQC Spain, Portugal and Brazil are integrated into the Triple Empire. This will mean that those nations will form a block that has much more economic power as well as cultural impact across three worlds. link

Even if he isn't designing fortification there will be plenty of other buildings that need to designed and built to have a functional metropolis

A little more detail on the fortifications; The British Empire has a series of coastal batteries on the island at the mouth of the bay. The other headland has an American coastal fort, and it is armed with 12 inch mortars and a pair of 12 inch guns mounted in a gun lift battery as well as some lesser weapons. Just South of the American fort is a Prussian fortified area (Germany has not unified in HQC) These have a number of concrete artillery and infantry blocks for land defense and a quartet of 30 cm coastal guns.

The Italians have made huge money on Venus in HQC and have a fortress at their mines as well as in the International City. The French, Russians and Triple Empires all have constructed land face defenses. The Triple Empire forts are designed by Brailmont.

… and of course, on the train into work today, after I posted that yesterday, I read the chapter where contemporaries made fun of Casa Milà for looking like a fortress instead of domestic apartments in a cartoon I can't find online.

But here's one of it being a docking house for blimps …

… and a good one of it's actual floorplan … very Venusian organic …

… and the chimneys … or smoke breathing golems … whatever …

Three chapters later it also discusses how this and the Sagrada Familia represent the Vernian ethic and, again, contemporaries railed on him for this (though some applauded it).

Etotheipi
If you (or anyone else with an interest) wishes to join our Yahoo! group let me know and I will sign you up. This discussion is fairly typical of a lot of the topics we cover.

Here is the base topography of the region. The dark areas are where the fortresses.

… and the chimneys … or smoke breathing golems … whatever …

Not only organic, but organ-like, at least the openings look a bit like the mouth of an organ pipe. Massive like from me. Has Dan seen this yet?!?

Terry, thanks for the maps; will definitely cogitate.

Doug

But the Traditionalists of Earth's Empires will want traditional houses

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But the City will need forts

And for American coastal guns

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