To be clear, he didn’t only make 3 countries.
Besides the Hegemony and Hallasurq, there’s the Bloodless Reach, as well as the Abhuman Federation.
And the Hegemony is technically five countries in a trenchcoat as well - more than that if you consider the fractured nature of Erezza.
That’s nine countries total, as many as Western Europe by the UN’s reckoning.
Hallasurq is also a multinational empire that could be considered a “jailer of nations” to some extent.
And it’s also possible that east of Halassurq we have more countries not relevant to the story. We don’t really have an “entire” world map, I see the current map as an in-universe Karagond map, what with the Hegemony being in the very center of the world and all.
That’s what I was referring to here
Pretty sure Have has said before that there are more nations to the east past Hallasurq that they are in a cold war with
Hmm nevermind about the cold war bit unless that was in another post
And it makes sense that the Karagonds wouldn’t want the people knowing about some very faraway nations. The endless war probably didn’t help either.
“In the east lie the child-killer heathen Halassurq, and that’s all anybody needs to know about everything east of Erezza.”
Also leaves room for Havenstone to add to and expand the universe at will if needed
TBC people know about them. They have representatives in the merchant’s quarter of Grand Shayard and other ports, they serve as back doors to Hallasur.
Citation:
Their existence isn’t a state secret or anything.
I think Halassur itself borders some more countries on its far ends too in addition to also being indeed a jailer of nations type of empire, like the Hegemony, too. I think there is a snippet that during the long peace some of those got restless again, but right now they are once again all united against the Hegemony under Halassur’s leadership, however grudgingly that may or may not be.
Plus there are the other continents who won’t feature in the game but my mc would be curious about as soon as he learns of their existence.
The northern ocean, to remain a two ocean power, plus their awesome city culture is why Nyral must be included too in a post-Hegemony state.
As for the rest the reverse is more likely to be true, if we want to, post Hegemony learn about and trade with these other nations, let alone whatever is on the other continents we’ve likely got to be friendly enough with Halassur that they don’t interdict us.
True, wonder if we’ll get to talk with one of those traders, since the Hegemony and Halassur are currently at war again if we once again focus on the merchants in Grand Shayard?
The northern ocean, to remain a two ocean power, plus their awesome city culture is why Nyral must be included too in a post-Hegemony state.
What is awesome about Nyryal’s city culture?
Do you want him to write 195 separate countries and feature them all in story?
No, but I expected a more complex geopolitical situation at the start
What purpose would that serve in the story? We’re almost at 2 books in after a decade and we haven’t even liberated 1 province/nation.
The series is already the 2nd most dense out of all of interactive fiction in terms of its worldbuilding. Only Infinite Sea is deeper. Wanting more geo-political worldbuilding out of this series is like asking for a hotter ghost pepper
What purpose would that serve in the story?
What purpose does having only 3 major countries serve in the story?
We’re almost at 2 books in after a decade and we haven’t even liberated 1 province/nation.
I did not say that Havenstone should add them now, I asked why he did not do it when he wrote Uprising.
I personaly prefer there being a smaller pool of nations with the very deep political and social systems attached to them that havenstone has been creating, rather that tens of nations with very vague outlines that would have no real impact on our rebels story anyway.
Can anyone else in this universe save and restrart chapters, like we can?
How many INT points would I need to have a save and restart chapter buttons available at all times?
Does this not prove that we are Chosen?!
It allows him to focus on those 3 and develop distinct social, military, and economic systems which serve as potential philosophies the MC can espouse, emulate or reject. 3 countries, when including internal politics, is more than enough for a story. Adding more requires taking more time on worldbuilding (mistake) or doing less world building per country (mistake). All things have opportunity cost, and the time spent developing other countries would not have a positive opportunity cost calculation.
Also, there are more than three countries. The Abhumans are basically an anarchist federation wherein each Gara’u could be described as a nation unto itself. The Hegemony is a hegemony of nations held together under Karagond dominion, and Hallasur has several states to its east and south, not to mention the nations held together within its empire. Looking at the map and going “there are only three countries in the world” is like looking at a map of Europe and saying “there are only three countries, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and Africa”.
There will have to be, won’t there? 
Something involving phoné, probably, if I can find a not-totally-ridiculous way of saying it. (“The Phoneists are now mobile!”)
I’ve noted before that there’ll be one section of Game 2 that rewards not having a 0 stat. We’ll see what you all think of that when it comes out.
Ghaesh’s conversion attempts will have much more to do with beliefs about humanity and the cosmos than anything directly to do with a deity’s existence. My reference to Dawkins was basically to a well-known proselytizer whose first name matched that of a vampire fiction writer – not to the substance of what’s being preached. (I wouldn’t want to insult Dawkins that way.) Point me to an equally famous missionary named Bram or Stephenie or Anne, and I’d update the metaphor.
Pretty radical in their intent and message – it’s not hard to find egalitarian pacifist movements all through history. Few of them succeed in changing society outside their group, though, and even those that have an impact haven’t fully purged society of its hierarchies. (Though of course nor have violent egalitarian radicals.)
Total non-violence is a rare interpretation. As the MC can reflect while talking to Tamran, there are lots of Canonical examples of violence (and I should note that those are present even in the Shayardene Codex). Understanding compassion as limiting violence is common in everyday life and among priests of goodwill; but forswearing violence entirely is uncommon, and would of course be pretty dangerous stuff in an empire that maintains itself through salutary displays of brutality.
There is – see G3 for more detail, eventually! – but it’s splintered not just by repression but by differences in mindset regarding its appropriate scope. There are more priests (especially in the Westriding) ready to fight for justice for the yeomanry than there are for the urban hordes. There are even fewer committed to liberation of the helotry; that brings up thorny practical blood-economic as well as theological questions which push a lot of priests toward gradual meliorism rather than radical transformation. So a thoroughgoing liberation theology is something you and other reformers will be making much more often than finding.
You’ll find a G3 teacher, one way or another. There are Abhumans in Grand Shayard, including a non-M’kyar romance option.
That should be the mood, yes. If you’re taken by surprise, it won’t be by the fact of your arrest, but by the means.
Yes, but that romance would eventually run into some hiccups down the line.
Yeah, the achievement may only go to the 100% consistent, but that’s not how the whole world will treat you.
Reasonably high, and high-INT too. But not as charismatic as Abelard de Toman, who’ll be up there with G3 Breden, as well as being an excellent warrior.
Well, it’ll reduce coding variability in future games if I give all MCs basic literacy by the end of G2, so I think I’ll go ahead and add that to the list of things you’re doing whilst in Irduin.
Absolutely, but like @Azthyme said, the G1 context never has the right moment for an MC who can’t do it themselves. Prioritizing literacy and education in your rebellion will be an option for non-INT characters from Stormwright onward – they’ll just have less of a head start.
Yes, though not with any more magic weapons.
Not an option, I’m afraid – you can only survive book 1 by using your magic against the Plektos, and that will be seen by other attackers. An INT 2 character who survives Game 1 will come to Game 2 as a known Goete. As I wrote somewhere in one of the old threads, I need to simplify somewhere.
An excellent question, which has I think received some excellent responses. Let me start by giving the version of the answer that mostly concedes Vrangel’s point:
But you may be happy to hear that’s not my only reason.
But I hope there’ll be enough of it there for the gameworld not to feel utterly simplistic.To sum up, I agree that the geopolitical situation could plausibly be more complex, but in light of all the above considerations, I’m content with the level I’ve pitched it at.
Not on my watch, it won’t.
Just change the name to “Second Xthonic Hegemony”?