The French Dynasty

**afrit** · 07-07-2004, 22:09

Fellow gamers,
I would like to start a new PBM, playing France (since it seems to be under-represented). So I'm looking for players.

To avoid delays in the game that have plagued the traditional PBM lists, I like to do a player pool system. Each player in the pool can immediately start playing the next reign, as soon as the previous player has uploaded the savegame. The new player just has to be the first to post that they have downloaded the game and are playing (i.e the first to post after the last reign gets to play. Since it is only a limited pool, we will all get to play in a (hopefully) short time).

Each player plays one reign, until all have played. Then we can resume again.

I anticipate a 4-8 player pool. As soon as I hear from 3 other players that they want to join, I'll declare the game started. More players can join the pool for a maximum of 8.

As for level and mode: Each player joining the pool gets to vote on either hard or normal / GA or Conquest . I'll tally the results at the start of the game and the majority will determine the setting.

looking forward to hearing from volunteers....

**Tricky Lady** · 07-07-2004, 22:28

You can add me to the pool...

I'll join in whenever I have some time. Which might take a few weeks

**econ21** · 07-07-2004, 22:32

Afrit, the pool system or something like it has been tried before - for the Byzantine campaign. I hate it - who wants to be hanging round the throne room, seeing if they can be first to snatch a savegame?

Anyway as it was, the Byzantine campaign had some of the longest gaps and most delays of any thread, so I am not sure it solves the problem of delays you identify. Have a look at the thread and see what you think.

The problem as I see it is not so much delays in people picking up the savegame (which the pool would minimise). Rather the delays come because people pick up the savegame and then disappear. The pool would not help here. The better solution is to have strict rules for people on the list responding. In the early days, Kukrikhan used to require kings to post updates every two days. With active implementation from the person starting the campaign, I think that works. Sending wake-up calls to the next but one in-line to check they still want to be play also helps a lot.

But there is no harm trying your pool idea - I may be mistaken about it.

**afrit** · 07-08-2004, 04:15

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Simon Appleton @ July 07 2004,16:32)] Afrit, the pool system or something like it has been tried before - for the Byzantine campaign. I hate it - who wants to be hanging round the throne room, seeing if they can be first to snatch a savegame?

Simon,
appreciate the feedback. I actually read the Byzantium thread and was inspired by it, but it did have its flaws. I remember seeing 2 posts ONE MINUTE apart The second guy was really pissed

he did not get to play.

The pool I envision differs from Byzantium in 2 ways
1. Only players in the pool can pick up the game. So you should not need to hang on the board to get your turn.

2. The game will be uploaded as usual, not sent by email. So if someone picks it up and we don't hear from him/her in 7 days or so, then someone else can pick it up again.

Think of it as a list without a specific order.

I hope that clarifies it.

Now, would you like to join? I really enjoyed your writeups.

afrit

**econ21** · 07-08-2004, 11:48

Yes, I'm interested although like TrickyLady have various other commitments - in that sense, a pool might suit me better than a list.

I vote for GA on expert. GA gives you more spice and more scope for role-playing; also players who want to conquer Europe can still do so in a GA game. France on early has some fun (and, with Krak de Chevalier, challenging) GAs.

Were you thinking of early? GAs. High might also be fun.

**Xiahou Liao** · 07-08-2004, 15:05

Count me in. :p Though just a warning: June 15th, 2004, I will not be available at all.

**Chimpyang** · 07-08-2004, 17:57

I'll play............the writeup is compulsary right?

**afrit** · 07-08-2004, 18:55

OK. Looks like we have enough players in the pool to get started

myself (Afrit) vote for Hard/GA/Early
Simon Appleton voted for Early or HIgh/GA/Expert

Tricky lady - no vote
Chimpyang - no vote
Xiahou Liao- no vote

Those who did not vote, can do so in the next 6 hours or so (which is when I get home from work). At that point I'll tally the votes and declare the game started.

I have very few rules, because I like to see how others play. You can make your own rules to have the game be more challenging.

My only rules are:
1. Give priority to GA goals and try to stay communicated as much as possible (assuming it is a GA game).
2. Writeup mandatory (pictures optional, but encouraged)
3. Save games to be uploaded to the org. PLease call it The_French_Dynasty_yyyy (so that we all identify it, yyyy=year)

You are encouraged to state your monarch's goal at the beginnning of the reign, and suggest a title for him at teh end.

Once I declare the game started tonight, you can get started. The first in the pool above to post they want to play gets to go. I will not be able to play tonight (long work day tomorrow. Must go to bed early

)

thanks for joining
Afrit

**Tricky Lady** · 07-08-2004, 19:08

I vote for Hard/Early.

GA or total conquest are both okay for me.
(I suppose this counts as a vote for GA

)

**Chimpyang** · 07-08-2004, 19:45

Expert High GA

**afrit** · 07-09-2004, 04:04

Thanks for the votes. I am still at work

. Had an emergency come up. Will be working till midnight maybe.

So in order to avoid delaying by a day, I'll go ahead and declare the game started

It looks like Early wins (TL, myself) over high (Chimpyang). Simon had no preference

It's clear GA wins (Myself, Simon, Chimpyang ) vs conquest

We are tied 2 votes apiece at Hard (Myself,TL) vs Expert (Chimpyang,Simon). We will have a compromise of sorts. If Chimpyang or Simon start, go ahead and choose Expert. I assume that they have played Expert before and so by the next reign France will be in relatively better position than the starting one. If TL or myself get to start, then will set on hard, as France is pretty tough to begin with. I'm sure the next reign will have a challenge (definitely if I go first

). If Xiahou starts, he gets to choose hard or expert.

So game is VI 2.01 (with patch)/France/Early/GA/Hard or Expert

So I say, simon, Xiahou, TL, Chimpyang: whoever of you wants to start, go ahead post a reply and begin playing
Vive Le Roi and good luck

afrit

Other players/PBMErs : we still have 3 spots in the pool if you want to join.

PS: Let's use this thread for all communication regarding game order, advice, informal updates. I'll make a new thread for write-ups only.

**Xiahou Liao** · 07-09-2004, 04:13

Can I reserve a spot for second instead? Lol...I don't wanna start...

**afrit** · 07-09-2004, 05:05

Xiahou Liao,
since this is a pool in no particular order, no one has a particular spot. Once a player finishes his/her reign, the first player to post that they want the next reign will go. Given that most other players in the pool seem to be busy, you will probably get second reign anyways.

THe reason I don't want to reserve a spot for a particular player is that sometimes people have new obligations or their turn comes at a bad time, and so they will hold up the PBM, while another player with free time wants to play but it is not their turn.

sorry for the different rule, but I think it is better (and if it turns out to be a bad idea, well at least we tried something new...)

Afrit

**Chimpyang** · 07-09-2004, 17:19

I have started playing it...on Expert.....my aim is to rid our lands of the english pest and to prepare for a grand crusade.

**Chimpyang** · 07-09-2004, 17:46

Okay, i've finihsed it.....will upload later. I have sent out our first crusade, but not to tripoli but another crusade province, my thinknig is that we can weaken tripoli from there before we send our next crusade to capture it.

I have driven the english out of france and have killed their king, however his heir remains and i will detail all 3 battles of Flanders in my write up. We are okay for money, roughy 20k with around 1300 per year, i have packed off a punch of mercs as well as hiring a couple of spears to proterct from english RK in flanders.

GL to who's next.

**lonewolf371** · 07-10-2004, 01:24

I'll play, I haven't exactly played expert all that much, so I'm more likely to crash the empire rather than help it, but that's just more of a challenge for you guys right? Also, if no one else calls it I'll take the save.

**afrit** · 07-10-2004, 03:04

Chimpyang. Sounds like you had a good time. Thanks for giving the Dynasty what sounds like a solid start. Please upload savegame ASAP. Writeup can wait a couple of days.

welcome aboard lonewolf371.

I'll add you to the pool.

I have free time this weekend too, so I would like to play as well

But since lonewolf asked for the game before I did, I'll let him go ahead of me(being bitten by my own rules

)

Since I did not anticipate a player declaring their turn finished without uploading a game, I 'll amend the rules as follows:

Amendment #1: The first to post they want the game AFTER it is UPLOADED gets to go first. (Again the idea is that when you say you're free to play, you can start playing. Obviously without the savegame, you cannot play . If you declare you want the game but it is not ready yet,we get back to the situation where someone is next).

Amendment #2: New players added to the pool need to wait for welcome reply before requesting a game. This is to be fair to the existing players who may otherwise feel that an outsider got the game (although I personally think of all MTW players as one happy family

without outsiders). Any existing pool member can welcome the new player. Again maximum pool number is 8 (now we are at 6, so 2 more are needed).

So the status now is that as soon as Chimpyang uploads the game, whoever posts afterwards gets to go . Eligible players are:
Xiahou, Tricky Lady, lonewolf or Simon Appleton . I will NOT go next to avoid the appearance that I amended the rules for my own benefit

cheers
Afrit

**Chimpyang** · 07-10-2004, 13:51

ok file uploaded TheFrenchDynastly1110PB.rar

**Chimpyang** · 07-10-2004, 14:01

Hmmm......the position is interesting....i advise that simon gets the next one cos the empire still needs some stabilising and if everyone else hasn;t really played expert it can be a little awkward.

**econ21** · 07-10-2004, 18:29

OK, if I understand things right, Chimpyang has posted that the game is uploaded and no one else has subsequently posted so I will claim the game.

The situation is very positive - France is united and has 18000 florins in the bank. But the army is not stellar, so we are still vulnerable.

I will try to consolidate the situation, aiming at the facilitating that tough Krak de Chevalier GA goal. I'll try to avoid other conquests and wars as steamrollering Europe is against the spirit of a GA game. Let's just hope Europe does not steamroller us instead

**afrit** · 07-10-2004, 18:53

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Simon Appleton @ July 10 2004,12:29)] OK, if I understand things right,

You sure do Simon

Go get them and let the Dynasty flourish.

Again, we are looking for 2 more players to fill the pool.
And once Simon uploads his savegame, any of the following players can claim the next (3rd) reign: lonewolf, Tricky Lady, Xiahou or myself.

Looking forward to Chimpyang's writeup.
Afrit

**lonewolf371** · 07-12-2004, 10:03

VIVA LE FRANCE

SANDWICH POWER

**econ21** · 07-12-2004, 18:03

King Jean II died suddenly at the age of 52 in the year 1131. His son, King Henri II succeeds him. I've uploaded the file (excuse the typo):
TheFrenchDynastly1132PB.zip

The player to claim it should be aware that it will be a pretty big commitment in terms of time. Henri is only 21 and we are at war with (almost) everyone.

That said, things are in good shape. We are the richest, with the biggest army, a defensible homeland and a good beachhead in Antioch and Tripoli. We are cranking out ships and if production is maintained, should be able to establish communications by sea with the Levant in a few years. Krak de Chevalier, Notre Dame and a crusade to Palestine are the main glorious achievements that the new King should work for as the first two at least will take a lot of preparation.

**Xiahou Liao** · 07-12-2004, 18:15

I'll download it and take on the 3rd reign.

To war

**afrit** · 07-13-2004, 00:55

Happy to see the PBM moving along. Looking good

Now I am dying for writeups I think CHimpyang has yet to finish his (he mentioned 3 battles of Flanders, but wrote only on 2) see chronicle thread

Simon, I look forward to your full writeup (thx for the screenie to give us an update).

After Xiahou Liao finishes his reign, the next eligible are : me, Tricky Lady, Lonewolf

Still looking for 2 more players.

Good luck

afrit

**afrit** · 07-13-2004, 00:55

Happy to see the PBM moving along. Looking good

Now I am dying for writeups I think CHimpyang has yet to finish his (he mentioned 3 battles of Flanders, but wrote only on 2) see chronicle thread

Simon, I look forward to your full writeup (thx for the screenie to give us an update).

After Xiahou Liao finishes his reign, the next eligible are : me, Tricky Lady, Lonewolf

Still looking for 2 more players.

Good luck

afrit

**Chimpyang** · 07-13-2004, 16:03

Actually threre was 4....one wasn't really a battle, as you'll soon see.

Simon, nice to se you using some of the merc i hired a long time back......now they'll earn their pay.

**econ21** · 07-14-2004, 17:27

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Chimpyang @ July 13 2004,10:03)]Simon, nice to se you using some of the merc i hired a long time back......now they'll earn their pay.

Yes, the mercs were decisive in defeating the Germans. Vikings appear very economical anti-infantry units, while spears with mail are a major boost in the early period. I know it might be considered bad form to rely on mercs to beat the AI, but it seemed unavoidable. We have very low tech native units (spearmen, archers and hobilars). Maybe I was wrong, but I prioritised the fleet and buildings over training troops. The Aragonese and Spanish we defeated with our own stuff though. I am not sure how much mercs help crusades, as by the time you arrive by foot, they have been whittled down to very small units but I understand they have no support costs in which case, why not?

**Xiahou Liao** · 07-14-2004, 21:54

Hey, sorry right now I have a bunch of stuff going on...so I won't get to play games 100% concentration for a while. So I'll have to drop the reign. I haven't even started really honestly. :o I haven't had time...especially tomorrow.

But if you want to wait like...two weeks for me to be finished, then I'll keep my reign. I only get to play like, 10 minutes at most every OTHER day.

**econ21** · 07-14-2004, 23:15

Thanks for keeping us informed, Xiaohou, but I think we have to move on. The idea of the pool was to minimise delays. You can always claim a game at a later stage when you are free to play. Unless Afrit disagrees, next player in the pool to post he/she wants the game gets it.

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