Sionide
Shadow Gypsies
R i s e
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Posted - 2007.07.30 21:09:00 -
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Edited by: Sionide on 30/07/2007 21:11:26
James315 makes some interesting points on the subject of BoB vs Goons. Honestly, the whole situation with BoB seems to be relevant if ones puts in a feudal system analogy.
BoB is the King and the pets are his vassels. BoB is strong on his own, but with his vassels at his command he owns the land. The King gains power and more vassels by conquering other lands and of course by winning. Like at the time of the Roman or Persian expansion many towns just joined the winning side rather than be totally conquered (or in the Assyrians case, conquered and then killed and posted on spikes outside the city walls). So yes, when the "big, bad, invincible" BoB comes knocking on your region's door you gladly say "yes sir, I will be under you and pay tribute/taxes to you."
However, the King's power continues only when:
A) he continues to be victorious
B) has strength and leadership and loyality of his vassels.
C) uses religion to state he should be the boss (i.e. divine right, which does not apply here)
Now as in Part II, if many of the Bob's pets joined to be on the "winning" side and if Bob starts to lose badly, I can see pets revolting and refusing to stop paying taxes to Bob or to state that they are not Bob pets anymore. Again, we can relate to true history in many examples but perhaps relate best to the towns in the Palestine region during the Egyptian and Hittite expansions where towns would declare and revolt depending on who the greater power was at that moment.
Thus, Bob would lose if A becomes false, since then B would eventually become false. It's an implosion really...and something that happens often to vastly expanding empires (like the Roman empire...during their last moments they were desparately trying to just keep their boarders where they were).
As for the current situation, I am not an Eve-vetern, but looking at the situation politically Bob really can't afford to lose this war. If they pull back, their "invinciblity" shell will be broken, and perhaps other alliances will start taking pot shots at them, as well as having pets revolt or join RSF, etc.
I am not going to go as far as James315 to say that Bob's strength is an illusion, since currently it is very real; but all great empires fall...it's just a matter of time. Nonetheless, it's fun to be a witness to it all.
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