Out of character thread XIX

[AussieGiant]

While I would prefer to discuss strategy in the Diet and House threads, I don't think that's the correct interpretation of the Orders Thread. You're basically saing that we can't discuss orders (which is what strategy is) in the orders thread. The Orders thread seems a little schizophrenic since the name change, I would prefer if it's newer functions were transfered to the Diet thread and it returned to being the 'Chancellor and Govenor Reports' thread.

You're right cecil.

It does seem to be the place to discuss stuff. Let see what Econ says.

If it is reports only then we would go back to the Diet and House threads, which seem to need it right now.

-edit-

Taking a little look at 1356...the plague is abating. We have a plague death though. 1356 will be up tomorrow night for offensive or maybe Tuesday.

Stay tuned. :-)

[Ramses II CP]

Argh, the Danes didn't advance? If those two armies get together all I can do is retreat, which hardly seems in character.

[Ramses II CP]

Ahh, taking a look at the save I think the exposed militia spearmen are giving the AI pathing problems by being too close to the crossing. I'd wanted them due south of the forest (Directly 'below' Fritz). AFAIK the AI cannot attack if you're right next to the green arrow, which is a bit of a 'gamey' way to defend the island.

If it's already a done deal then , but if that extra militia company could be slid back a step I'll wager on them crossing.

edit: Mm, while I'm here if you make any changes you could combine the tiny 6 man company of merc crossbows into the 84 man one too.

[deguerra]

Just as a heads up guys, I will be gone for about 3 weeks in a week. I am going houseboating from next monday til friday. I will be there for the weekend and am them going to visit family in Germany for 2 weeks. (Yes, I am copy+pasting this paragraph)

We are taking a while to get through turns so I probably won't miss too much. In the event that Bruges is sieged and I am on reserve duty, is there any way of not loosing to auto-calc?

cheers

[OverKnight]

Egad, Milan is turning into a meat grinder, the Stalingrad of Italy. We're coming out slightly better, but at a cost.

Those super stacks are jacking up the lethality of the game, because we have to rely more on the AI, as reinforcements, to actually have a chance in the open field.

[Northnovas]

Just as a heads up guys, I will be gone for about 3 weeks in a week. I am going houseboating from next monday til friday. I will be there for the weekend and am them going to visit family in Germany for 2 weeks. (Yes, I am copy+pasting this paragraph)

We are taking a while to get through turns so I probably won't miss too much. In the event that Bruges is sieged and I am on reserve duty, is there any way of not loosing to auto-calc? cheers

I think that situation would qualifying you to name a designated hitter to to fight your battles till you return to active duty.

[econ21]

Goodness, this PBM is getting lethal. GH that may be the biggest battle we have ever fought (and probably the bloodiest for us) - I am looking forward to the battle report. Warmaster Horus - have a think about your next avatar. IIRC, there are a few other young Steffens on the way.

Cecil and AG - personally, I would like us to continue to use the Orders thread to discuss orders. The more decentralised system post-cataclysm means that there is inevitably some to and fro. They are largely bilateral exchanges between Chancellor and individual generals, so they don't fit so well in the Diet (most Electors are not involved in the discussion) or the House threads (Chancellor is not in each House). There's no particular reason to worry about the Orders thread getting long - we can just lock it at 20 pages and start a new one. The mix of IC and OOC in the Orders thread is uneasy - it would be good to switch to IC completely, but let's see how it develops.

deguerra - being besieged is the one time where the autocalc is absolutely unforgiving. I am trying to avoid any future proxying, as coping with lack of player availability is adding some welcome tension to the game. I think the best solution would be to give Count Bohmen a well earned rest and coordinate with Chancellor so that he is pulled him back to the inner Reich for the time you are away. I've floated the idea of generals getting some leave before and it would seem that when players take their own leave, it would be best for their avatars to do likewise. Otherwise, if Count Bohmen stays in Bruges, you would be just taking your chances that either the autocalc would be lucky or that we could relieve him in time.

We have a plague death though

One of us or just an agent?

[deguerra]

Fair enough. Is von Luxembourg still heading North. If that were the case he could take my place there. What is the current situation regarding French armies in the North?

[GeneralHankerchief]

If the "player leave" idea does turn into a reality, I request that, when moving avatars away from and back to the front, we use the console to grant them more movement points so that they can get to where they need to be instantly.

- First of all, from an IC perspective, these characters' movements are not military; they're just guys going home. I liken it to how all of the characters leave for the Diet sessions with little effect in the actual game.

- Secondly, it's not fair to the players if too much time is taken up. If you're on the Austrian Front and want to retreat to a safe place, say, Nuremburg, it'll take quite a few turns to get there and back. If you're only going on a short leave, by the time you're ready to get back to the game your character might just be getting to his safehouse and it will take an inordinate amount of time to bring him back.

Battle report coming along nicely. Of course, I haven't actually refought it yet...

[Northnovas]

If the "player leave" idea does turn into a reality, I request that, when moving avatars away from and back to the front, we use the console to grant them more movement points so that they can get to where they need to be instantly.

I would be in favour of that and would make sense. Just recently covering for AG and my avatar heads for Ragusa by the time AG returns I was no longer needed and in limbo a few game turns to get back to where I wanted.

I see no harm if we use this practice of reserve duty to the interior if it is for a length of time and have the Chancellor make that console movements.

Good idea

[econ21]

I am reluctant to have us start fiddling with the console (at least where it benefits us rather than the AI). It opens a can of worms that is much easier to keep shut if we stick to what is possible in game without cheats.

Going to an interior city is one way of keeping an avatar on reserve duty safe. Right now, we are unusual in that we don't have many (any?) safe interior cities.

Another way would be to make them the second general in a stack IF the commanding general could keep them safe rather than use them as shock troops (currently our "tribunes" seem to be falling like flies).

With deguera's case, I am sure the Chancellor and he can work things out given appropriate coordination. For example, moving to Antwerp would remove Bohmen from some danger, as would making him second general in Luxemburg's force. I agree going all the way to Nuremburg would be excessive.

[deguerra]

I take it you are heading North then. :D I am quite fine with the second solution. IC, I'd prefer it if Ludwig remained in Bruges, and giving the already accomplished Welf some more fighting experience would seem like a passable IC notion.

[AussieGiant]

Hi All,

The plague death was a character but in a place where we will see no difference at all

As the fronts work themselves out I can certainly organise a second level Duchy based holding area. Not too far from the front and far enough away from the action to be workable without using the console.

Plus, stacking avatars allows for the person to remain on the front and have the other active avatar do the fighting...of course we can manage the situation so that active avatar gets the experience.

Milan IS Stalingrad, I've never seen anything like that and we are only about half way through, there are the two French stacks next.

deguerra,

We are going to have to work out something fast. You're isolated and that is the problem.

[Zim]

Just want everyone to know I'm keeping track of things. It's just with the whole plethora of choices (stay on bridge or...stay on bridge) I've been a bit sparse with the orders.

[GeneralHankerchief]

TinCow, you put the wrong guy in the Mausoleum. We lost Karolinger (WH), not Erlach (Stuperman).

[FactionHeir]

So do we have to unearth Stuperman from the Mausoleum now?

[GeneralHankerchief]

Egad, Milan is turning into a meat grinder, the Stalingrad of Italy. We're coming out slightly better, but at a cost.

Milan IS Stalingrad, I've never seen anything like that and we are only about half way through, there are the two French stacks next.

The question is: Are we the Russians... or the Germans?

[Ramses II CP]

That question only matters if we make it out of Stalingrad. 'Dead' isn't a nationality.

[AussieGiant]

The question is: Are we the Russians... or the Germans?

That remain to be seen.

It's only about a few hours before I post up 1356.

It was a season of sieges by the way. The two French stacks went and besieged more of our cities and a few other countries did also. There were four sieges started this turn.


Ramses, I'll move that little regiment to allow the Danes to come over...god knows why, but you're correct...I don't want to take advantage of any bugs.

[TinCow]

Oops. Fixing my error now. Please pretend like it didn't happen for IC purposes.

[AussieGiant]

Oops. Fixing my error now. Please pretend like it didn't happen for IC purposes.

That's what I was going to say. The save will be up and the first part of the Chancellors report tonight.

Then we can all have a nice old chin wag about it.

[AussieGiant]

Ok chaps the start of 1356 is up.

Take a look. I'll be watching the Giants game tonight on replay so I will be back and forth all evening to check your responses.

Please keep in mind I do not know the score so don't give it away until I let you know I've finished watching it.

Please, pretty please.

[GeneralHankerchief]

It was a good game AG, that's all I'll say.

[Ramses II CP]

You mean you'll slide him back and set the ambush for 1356? Unfortunately the two Danish armies have now come together, and I have serious doubts about my ability to hold them both with a bunch of militia spearmen. Actually I have no idea what happens after an ambush on the AI and the approach of a second army. Is it a re-ambush, or (As with the AI's ambushes) is my army exposed and subject to regular attack and retreat rules?

Anyway, I don't see Fritz sneaking into an ambush spot and retreating from it either, so, I guess that'll be the plan. Wish me luck.

I'll post a ss and more formal orders in the O&R thread.

[deguerra]

deguerra,

We are going to have to work out something fast. You're isolated and that is the problem.

I'm still a bit unsure where Welf von Luxembourg currently is, and what his plan are. If he is indeed heading North, just stack me and the Bruges militia (apparently we are now a Household Army) with him. If nobody is heading North, then perhaps just put me into Antwerp for the moment, and hope that I'm back in time to relieve any potential sieges on Bruges.

[AussieGiant]

WE WON!!!

OMG!!!!

I can't believe this team is going to the Superbowl!!!

Ramses I see what you mean.

deguerra,

Welf is near Staufen and no where near you.

[deguerra]

Bloody Young-uns :D

Right. As I said, just put me into Antwerp for now then. Keep the Bruges garrison in Bruges.

[Northnovas]

TinCow, you put the wrong guy in the Mausoleum. We lost Karolinger (WH), not Erlach (Stuperman).

%@#$@! I made the mistake too. I always mixed those two up. Will ammend the post keep moving nothing to see here.

WE WON!!!

OMG!!!!

I can't believe this team is going to the Superbowl!!!

I wasn't going to say anything till I had your confirmation.

[econ21]

Warmaster Horus and FLYdude - commiserations on your losses.

But do you believe in reincarnation? If so, we have two Steffen boys aged 15 about to come of age, plus a 14 year old Becker and some other chaps in the pipeline.

I'd prefer it if you took one of the youngsters on the family tree that are about to mature rather than a recruitable although the latter is possible if you want one for role-playing or other reasons.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Does anybody anticipate putting up a battle report within the next twenty-four hours?

I'd rather not put up a placeholder, but keeping the three parts together is even more important.