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RE: (TFT) TFT Mapping

So it turns out that Adrian Edmondson made a series of video games back in '86.
At least he claimed so in "How to be a Complete Bastard."

There were games like Real Life and Fourth Form Teacher, or Royal Family in which you are the Queen and attempt to understand what it's like to be an ordinary person. (playing time: 170 - 180 years)

The ad was for the newest title.

"A great new interactive fiction game from the makers of F1-11."
"SINK THE BELGRANDO!"
Player Level: Cretin
Average Playing Time: 30 Seconds

Here's a sample game.

< WELCOME, THE TIME IS 21,12 GMT, YOU ARE THE COMMANDER OF HMS CONQUEROR, STALKING THE ARGENTINIAN CURSER BELGRANO, THROUGH THE ICY WATERS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. SUDDENLY THE ORDER COMES THROUGH FROM CHEQUERS... "SINK THE ARGIE BASTARD, STOP. MOVING OUT OF THE EXCLUSION ZONE IS AN OLD & HIGHLY DANGEROUS SOUTH AMERICAN TRICK, STOP. >

< DO YOU WISH TO FIRE TORPEDOES? >
* no
< INCORRECT COMMAND. PLEASE RETYPE ENTRY >
* I do not wish to fire the torpedoes, Matey Boy.
< CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE JUST SUNK THE BELGRANDO. >
* Disregard last order.
< DO YOU WISH TO FIRE TORPEDOES? >
* Absolutely not, disarm everything and point this submarine in the opposite direction.
< CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE JUST SUNK THE BELGRANDO.  GOTCHA! GOTCHA! ARGIE BARGY BASTARD SCUM FILTH! >
* Disregard last order.
< DO YOU WISH TO FIRE TORPEDOES? >
* Look do you realize, you electronic nob-end, that if I fire them, Maggie will win the next election? Now do you really want that on your conscience you stupid bastard?
< CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE JUST SUNK THE BELGRANDO. RULE BRITANNIA, BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES, UP YOUR JUNTA GALITERI! SEND IN JOHNNY GURKA, THE ARGENTINES AREN'T MANLY, THEY'VE JUST LOST PORT STANLEY, LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA! >
* Oh god, alright. What's next?
< YOU SEE A LOG BOOK ON THE TABLE, DO YOU WISH TO PICK UP THE LOG BOOK?
* Yes, pick up the log book.
< WHAT LOG BOOK? >

(GAME OVER)

PREVIOUS HIGH SCORES
THATCHER M: SCORE 1
This sounds like the majority of "campaigns" I've played in.



Vilhjalmur Stefansson is a fantastic source of exploration information.

"Lieut. Franklin the officer who commands the party has not the physical powers required for the labor of moderate Voyaging in this country; he must have three meals p diem, Tea is indispensible, and with the utmost exertion he cannot walk above EIGHT miles in one day, so that it does not follow if those Gentlemen are unsuccessfull that the difficulties are insurmountable."

This was the typical attitude of Hudson Bay employs to "greenhorn" explorers through the turn of the 20th century.

And the stuff he has to say about the boats these poor explorers had to use.
Often the "state" would allow these expeditions to basically save a ship from the scrap-yard that was barely seaworthy at all.
With the common problem of lack of funds, repairs were often spotty at best.



Then there's some stuff on the Thuggee, or Phansigars from Sherwood and Sleeman.
"Of the Murders Called Phansigars" actually caused immediate political action, and effective action at that.
Assuming that Albionian power in the region began with Lord Cornwallis's capture of Seringapatam, then consolidation of that power had begun by 1800, and by 1810 the British were aware of the murders, though not of the connections.
By 1816, Richard Sherwood (a surgeon at Ft. St George, same name they called Astoria as quick as they captured it at the start of hostilities in 1812. The Brit's had long been trading at the mouth of the Columbia, they just never bothered to build a fort or settlement and simply traded off the boat out in Young's bay until their goods were exhausted, then back to Hawaii and do it again. Wash, rinse, repeat) had gained informants who warned him how to safely travel the roads after medical services.
William Sleeman read the paper Sherwood wrote on the information he had gathered and became so interested in the problem that he resigned his commission in the Bengal army and applied for the civil service in 1818.
In 1822, as soon as he was given charge of his own district in the Nerbudda valley, he began to investigate Thug activity within his territory.
He learned the language (he had already had a strong interest in "native affairs" and had studied other dialects) made maps of murder locations, and otherwise studied them so carefully as to become their historian.
The results of his studies suggested that this was a much wider phenomena than just his little valley and in 1826 he was given control of a much wider area.
In 1830 governor-general, Lord William Bentinck, officially appointed him to suppress Thuggee over all India.
Sleeman set up kangaroo courts that were used for mass trials, and there are many reports of mass executions, some numbering in the hundreds.
However, Sleeman was quick to offer pardon to those who showed a willingness to forego the old ways and he went so far as to set up trade schools for former Thug families. (Thug's were born, not recruited except for rare instances of adoption)
The 80' by 40' two ton carpet of the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor is a Thug product of such a school, knotting thread instead of waistcloths.

The actual operation of the groups was just spooky.

A modern industrial nation cannot tolerate any threat to its travelers or its lines of communication.
Modern Thugs, like the Mafia, find it more profitable to control some of the lines rather than to plunder them.
After all, it is easier to rob a traveler by making him pay a toll for the services he needs than to strangle him for his wallet.
You can only strangle a man once, while you may make him pay tribute all his life.







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