Fantasy [kGs] BoD_OOC

[Thexcentrichilean]

I underestimate nothing of such sort. I am saying it is unideal.

Yeeeet. pretty widespread to have the soldiers at the very least do something with their food. Soldiers may be able to sustain with the simplest of supplies, but it doesn't mean they will enjoy it for prolonged periods of time. Hence, that kind of thing

 

[Malphaestus]

Obviously. Foraging and pillage is the backbone of any military operation before modern warfare. What people make of the environment is for them to do, so long as it does not bankrupt a whole nation in such process. Or, in the less extreme, detrimentally affect the army's well-being through measure of logistics.

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

Sustainable foragging and pillaging are just not a concept, so indeed lmao.

But what one can do is to chose their supply assortment for marching while knowing with some level of certainty what they can pillage and forage on the way. That and make it quick. The more numerous and longer campaigns a region experiences, the more pillaged dry it will become.

Refer to 30 years war. Poor german part of the HRE

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

And considering these campaigns are aiming for ruling, to strike swift victories will become increasingly more important... you don't want regions that will become yours to suffer high economical and demographic damage.

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

So it will become an interesting balancing game between urgency, what fighting force our court of Weilang can sustain, Army morale during movement that is balanced around their morale and how much damage they cause an area.

Leaves plenty of space for damage to occur while attempting to do things the best possible

 

[Orikanyo]

Give them their meals and the soldiers shall do the rest.

The body shall make due, no man goes to war thinking he will eat suckling pig each night...

...though he will dream of it.

The most important thing is rice, or some other staple food.

Get the basic of basics down, set, hammered in via nails made of steel.

Then, we should think on the allignment of the meals we are feeding them, what benefts does the food bring, what are preparation strategies we can employ that will boost morale or simply give more energy for battles or long stretch marches.

Simply put, the main answer is grains.

Brown rice is best, easiest as well as you don't need to shell them much. They also have a higher nutritional value due to the shell. Taste? Okay in my book, not like they all carry around Soy sauce...

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

Grains, seeds as well can be a good nutritional compliment.

Obviously if possible, some form of curated meat which can be consumed as such or added into a sort of meal or porridge.

there's good options for carriable or at least pillageable supplies

 

[Malphaestus]

Sustainable foragging and pillaging are just not a concept, so indeed lmao.

But what one can do is to chose their supply assortment for marching while knowing with some level of certainty what they can pillage and forage on the way. That and make it quick. The more numerous and longer campaigns a region experiences, the more pillaged dry it will become.

Refer to 30 years war. Poor german part of the HRE

I don't agree solely because region, culture, and people produce amorphous warfare. That is to say, what happened in Germany is nonapplicable to other regions, were we to look at this realistically. A religious conquest cannot be compared to politically fueled imperialism, and the types of battles one engages in are measured by the circumstances one befits oneself. Not to mention the terrain is nonapplicable, and thus the routes of armies, camps, and convoys are drastically differing. Rivers, and all manner of obstacles; cities, mountains, canyons, and most importantly roads.

 

[Malphaestus]

Every war is an entity unto itself, but there are basic doctrines and teachings one may benefit from knowing of.

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

I don't agree solely because region, culture, and people produce amorphous warfare. That is to say, what happened in Germany is nonapplicable to other regions, were we to look at this realistically. A religious conquest cannot be compared to politically fueled imperialism, and the types of battles one engages in are measured by the circumstances one befits oneself. Not to mention the terrain is nonapplicable, and thus the routes of armies, camps, and convoys are drastically differing. Rivers, and all manner of obstacles; cities, mountains, canyons, and most importantly roads.

Oh its just a mention on the specifics of what protracted warfare caused to a lot of places even beyond the religious casus belli which slowly ended up becoming less relevant as the wars became more so habsburg containment and then france just ruined that one with their protestant league involvement

Its more so an idea that if you have too many armies passing over a piece of land for too long, it will grow increasingly more desolate and destroyed, which is just a normal pattern in war.

It just happens that the 30 years war is a pretty good example on how devastating it could get even with its more isolated cultural backgrounds compared to a wuxia. The answer is: really bad

 

[Malphaestus]

That is obvious, yes. I assumed you were in attempt of saying something else.

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

nope! I did draw it as an example of devastation, though its on me for not specifying that its more so an example of the worst kinds of devastation you can get instead of a general one.

No war that takes away 20-60% of a region's population in many places could be considered the norm for warfare u.u

 

[Malphaestus]

It is the dream of any general to make a war fast, vicious, inexpensive, and life unintensive. It is simply not possible to plan for such, however, and it is seldom one receives even one amongst the four.

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

I am a general fan of historical matters along the lines of economics and demographics, with cultural aspects and warfare coming in second but far from last.

So themes like this are pretty damn fun for me to talk about

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

It is the dream of any general to make a war fast, vicious, inexpensive, and life unintensive. It is simply not possible to plan for such, however, and it is seldom one receives even one amongst the four.

Also. It is in the sensible pursuit of perfections, that one inches ever closer to such facts u.u

Obviously with sacrifices on the way, for a ruler can't have it all.

Sacrifices must be made, and more often than not, those that are not from your side are better to pay those prices

 

[Malphaestus]

War can never be perfected lest the ability to read minds is produced.

 

[Orikanyo]

And even then it will probably still imperfect

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

Quick, someone invent a cultivation technique to read brainwaves-

jkjk. Writing warfare and political intrigue without such is much funner

and like I said. Though perfection is unreachable, in the pursuit of it is when one can find themselves getting as close as possible for a person.

 

[Malphaestus]

Certainly, one would also require mind control.

 

[Malphaestus]

Quick, someone invent a cultivation technique to read brainwaves-

jkjk. Writing warfare and political intrigue without such is much funner

and like I said. Though perfection is unreachable, in the pursuit of it is when one can find themselves getting as close as possible for a person.

Heard of the "utopian tyranny."

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

Funnily enough, yes, I've heard of the concept before, just not discussed it with others

 

[Malphaestus]

In pursuit of perfection, the monster looks inward.

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

to pursue perfection is a possibly dangerous thing depending on the mentality behind such pursuit u.u

Specially when everything else is wiped away in the vision of a specific "perfect thing" or "perfect place"

 

[Thexcentrichilean]

Regardless, thanks for the interesting conversation Mal.

Tho I really should try to post before any further updates, I've been delaying on that too long ^^;

 

[Malphaestus]

As you wish.