Worldbuilding Realism Consultation Thread Mk. 4

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

Such bullshit. Australia sucks then.

Because of one tax? You really shouldn't base an opinion of a country on one thing.

Australia sucks for more than one reason.

Yes. I also hear their government is pretty backwards/conservative.

[Val Nube]

With regards to pricing products, particularly automobiles, how do you take exchange rates etc. into account for deciding prices, my source is http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/wh ... _-6m0il2LM

e.g.
in the United Kingdom, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (E200) starts at £32,750 ($57,746 AUD, $53,867 USD)
but...
in Australia, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (E200) starts at $80,400AUD (£45,601 GBP, $75,090 USD)
and
in the USA, an entry-level Mercedes-Benz E-Class starts at $51,400USD (£31,212 GBP, $55,032 AUD)

I believe that, according to some sources, like products can be paid for in another currency [e.g. US dollars] despite being built elsewhere, but how do I make this realistic?

Why the fucking hell does an E-Class cost 20k USD more than it does in the US or Uk

Shipping, I assume. Same reason they spend something like $80 for a videogame.

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk

[Costa Fierro]

Why the fucking hell does an E-Class cost 20k USD more than it does in the US or Uk

Shipping, I assume. Same reason they spend something like $80 for a videogame.

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk

RHD Mercs are made in South Africa so it isn't far to ship them. On the previous page, I posted that vehicles sold new (not sure about second hand) in Australia are subject to a luxury vehicle tax for sales prices over a certain amount.

[Gallia-]

Why the fucking hell does an E-Class cost 20k USD more than it does in the US or Uk

Purchasing Power Parity. Australians earn more, spend more on utilities and basic groceries and hence, luxury goods are priced as such.

Australians earn less than not only the United States itself, but less than half of the US states. Australia is a middling European country comparable to Netherlands or Germany in terms of GDPPC (PPP).

There is a far more obvious reason.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

Purchasing Power Parity. Australians earn more, spend more on utilities and basic groceries and hence, luxury goods are priced as such.

Australians earn less than not only the United States itself, but less than half of the US states. Australia is a middling European country comparable to Netherlands or Germany in terms of GDPPC (PPP).

There is a far more obvious reason.

filthy commies

[Alexandreon]

Ok, I have a question about 1900s railways. What types of steam engines would you recommend? What density of railways should be appropriate for economically and industrial nation of a major power status? How many engines should the nation have? Are regional narrow-gauge railways reasonable solution for small-scale local transport?

[Ainin]

What types of steam engines would you recommend?

Depends. For what job?

What density of railways should be appropriate for economically and industrial nation of a major power status?

It really depends on your population density and land size, whether you're a power or not doesn't really matter (little Austria has far denser rail networks than major European military power France, for instance). There's no catch-all answer. Case in point (in km² of territory/km of rail; lower number = more dense):

USA - 43.40
Russia - 133.58
India - 45.74
China - 93.47
France - 21.53
UK - 15.00
Brazil - 285.57

How many engines should the nation have?

As in locomotives? You really haven't given enough information for a reasonable estimate. What model are they? What's your primary gauge? How's the general infrastructure? What's your population density? You get the point.

Are regional narrow-gauge railways reasonable solution for small-scale local transport?

Yes. They're relatively cheap and reasonably efficient.

[Alexandreon]

(...)
Depends. For what job?

I need heavy freight trains engines, lighter passenger ones and some types that would be relatively good base for armoured trains. And also, mobilization and strategic mobility of our troops. Mostly for Balkan landscape.

It really depends on your population density and land size, whether you're a power or not doesn't really matter (little Austria has far denser rail networks than major European military power France, for instance). There's no catch-all answer. Case in point (in km² of territory/km of rail; lower number = more dense):

USA - 43.40
Russia - 133.58
India - 45.74
China - 93.47
France - 21.53
UK - 15.00
Brazil - 285.57

I guess that it should be comparable with early 20th century Austro-Hungary or France in terms of development of infrastructure.

As in locomotives? You really haven't given enough information for a reasonable estimate. What model are they? What's your primary gauge? How's the general infrastructure? What's your population density? You get the point.

Indeed, I've given not enough information. The population density, level of development of infrastructure and general state of affairs is comparable to Austro-Hungary in said period. The gauge is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in), so European standard, apart from said local narrow gauges. I mean, roughly how many engines as in locomotives a nation should have to maintain healthy economy, how many freight ones and passenger...

Yes. They're relatively cheap and reasonably efficient.

Bueno.

[Radictistan]

What types of steam engines would you recommend?

Will, as others have said, depend on gauge, but in general: 4-6-2s for express passenger trains, 2-10-0s for heavy-duty freight (bulk goods), 2-8-2s or 4-6-0s for "mixed traffic" work. Tank engines maybe for short branch lines.

[Yukonastan]

Ok, I have a question about 1900s railways. What types of steam engines would you recommend? What density of railways should be appropriate for economically and industrial nation of a major power status? How many engines should the nation have? Are regional narrow-gauge railways reasonable solution for small-scale local transport?

Depending on what you're looking at, if your nation is massive and has railways like the UP, you can get massive 4-6-6-4 Challengers, but otherwise don't go bigger than 2-10-0 Decapods.
Mallets(2-4-4-2) may be something if you have relatively tight curves, Shays(2-2) for narrow gauge lines, and Mikados(2-8-2) for more general use.

As for traffic density, it all depends on how large your nation is and how long your trains are. Small nation, go very dense, light loks, short trains, every half hour or less. Larger nation, go with maximum one train per track every few hours or so, but make the trains massively long.

As for amount of engines, as above. It depends greatly.

Regional narrow gauge, maybe a good idea, but it limits you in many respects. Standard gauge allows heavier trains, longer trains, and a wider loading gauge, while being more stable and allowing higher speeds.

[The Akasha Colony]

Ok, I have a question about 1900s railways. What types of steam engines would you recommend? What density of railways should be appropriate for economically and industrial nation of a major power status? How many engines should the nation have? Are regional narrow-gauge railways reasonable solution for small-scale local transport?

Aside from leftover isolated railroads and those that have some kind of unique geographic need, narrow-gauge doesn't offer many significant advantages even for small-scale transport. The greater flexibility and lower cost of rolling stock over the lifetime of the railway if it is standard gauge would likely outweigh any cost savings in building a narrow-gauge railway vs. a standard gauge one. Since a narrow-gauge railway will require custom-built or modified rolling stock to fit the gauge rather than just being able to use existing commercial models designed for the standard gauge. For a small-scale project, this can be a rather significant expense.

[The Greater Luthorian Empire]

Because of one tax? You really shouldn't base an opinion of a country on one thing.

Australia sucks for more than one reason.

Yes. I also hear their government is pretty backwards/conservative.

Plus everything costs way more. Woohoo, Australia, pay $100 for a video game.

[Rodrania]

I wish to know the realism of my nation's population and army numbers...

Population size: around 500 million people
Total Armed Forces size: around 17 million men

Is it unbalanced? Is it stupid?

[The Akasha Colony]

I wish to know the realism of my nation's population and army numbers...

Population size: around 500 million people
Total Armed Forces size: around 17 million men

Is it unbalanced? Is it stupid?

Depends how many of those are reservists, and how well you want to equip them. If they're all reservists and/or terribly equipped with little logistics or support, it can be done. If they're supposed to be mostly active with US levels of support and deployment capability, it would be rather difficult to afford, to say the least. And this also presumes you aren't in a war or any other special situation which would warrant it.

[Bratislavskaya]

I wish to know the realism of my nation's population and army numbers...

Population size: around 500 million people
Total Armed Forces size: around 17 million men

Is it unbalanced? Is it stupid?

My nation is 2.647 Billion and has a military of 4,813,200 (NS Tracker). IRL China has a population of about 1.35 Billion and has a military of of around 3 Million including the armed Police. So I think it's a bit much. You have about 3.5% of your nation as military (if my maths is correct) which is a tad much, most IRL nations have 1% or less, usually less.

[Rodrania]

I wish to know the realism of my nation's population and army numbers...

Population size: around 500 million people
Total Armed Forces size: around 17 million men

Is it unbalanced? Is it stupid?

My nation is 2.647 Billion and has a military of 4,813,200 (NS Tracker). IRL China has a population of about 1.35 Billion and has a military of of around 3 Million including the armed Police. So I think it's a bit much. You have about 3.5% of your nation as military (if my maths is correct) which is a tad much, most IRL nations have 1% or less, usually less.

Thanks for the recommendation. I was thinking about lowering it anyway (I made the decision of 17 million men when I was a newbie on NationStates)

[Alexandreon]

Thanks for the recommendation. I was thinking about lowering it anyway (I made the decision of 17 million men when I was a newbie on NationStates)

So I'll just add my two pennies, if you don't mind.

The appropriate size of military forces will vary between the "Tech Levels"- for the nation set in "1900s-1930s" an army of few million soldiers after mobilization is feasible, or even mandatory if a state wants to be a major power. But with the lapse of time and increased sophistication of munitions, the size of military decreases. I can say it on example of Polish Armed Forces: during German invasion in 1939 Poland, having ~35 mln population managed to mobilize ~1 mln of soldiers. After the WW2 Polish Army used to be the second largest in Europe, excluding Soviet one, having between 200,000 and 300,000 soldiers in active duty. After the transformation of 1989 and switching the Army to NATO standards, we ended up with ~100,000 professional soldiers in peacetime with ~38 mln of citizens.

Generally speaking, professional armies are way smaller than conscription-based ones.

[Padnak]

Speaking of military sizes, does anyone know where I could find figures for the size of the US and Soviet armies during the 1960s?

[Alexandreon]

This map (it's from Wikipedia so I'm not sure if that's the best source) claims that in 1973 USSR had 2,9 mln of grunts.

[Costa Fierro]

Yes. I also hear their government is pretty backwards/conservative.

Plus everything costs way more. Woohoo, Australia, pay $100 for a video game.

Video games here are similarly priced. Between $90-$120. And on average, we pay more for new cars than Australia does.

[The Greater Luthorian Empire]

Plus everything costs way more. Woohoo, Australia, pay $100 for a video game.

Video games here are similarly priced. Between $90-$120. And on average, we pay more for new cars than Australia does.

Where the hell is here you poor man? New video games cost like $60 in the US.

[Costa Fierro]

Video games here are similarly priced. Between $90-$120. And on average, we pay more for new cars than Australia does.

Where the hell is here you poor man? New video games cost like $60 in the US.

Your little friends to the southeast.

[The Greater Luthorian Empire]

Where the hell is here you poor man? New video games cost like $60 in the US.

Your little friends to the southeast.

Ha sucks for you commies. Feel the burn of our embargo.

[Costa Fierro]

Your little friends to the southeast.

Ha sucks for you commies. Feel the burn of our embargo.

Embargo?

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

I wish to know the realism of my nation's population and army numbers...

Population size: around 500 million people
Total Armed Forces size: around 17 million men

Is it unbalanced? Is it stupid?

Please refer to the NS Military Realism Thread, this is the NS Non-Military Realism Thread.