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Table of Contents
1. FAQ - If you're new, start here first!
2. Installation Instructions - How to install the necessary mods.
3. The Rules
4. So You Want To Be A Megas - A guide to help people who achieve the rank of Megas Logothetes.
5. So You Want To Be An Exarch - A guide to help all players gain rank and power.
6. Code of Conduct - How to avoid getting smacked around by the moderator.
Last of the Romans FAQ
Q: What is Last of the Romans?
A: LotR is essentially a role-playing game using the M2TW engine. All players are represented by a single in-game general or family member. You are completely responsible for the fate of that person, not only in terms of life and death battles, but also in the complex world of politics and power. The are no overall goals or objectives in LotR and it is impossible to 'win' the game. You get to decide what the purpose behind your character is. You can achieve great political power, conquer a foreign foe, convert a heathen people to the 'true' religion, and countless other things. You can even battle against your fellow players in a Civil War, perhaps even slaying the Basileus (Emperor) himself in single combat. The fate of your character is up to you.
LotR attempts to mimic the feudal political system of Medieval Europe. There are many ranks which each player can obtain, all of which come with their own powers and privileges. All players begin the game as a lowly Strator and advance in rank as they gain land and vassals. However, all ranks of power require the loyalty of other players. That is why, above all else, LotR is a social game. Often times the battles you will have to fight on the field will be far easier than the battles you will have to fight in the Senate.
Q: How do I join?
A: Post in this thread. We'll take care of the rest.
Q: Ok, I've joined. Now what do I do?
A: A good first step, if you haven't already done so, is to read the Rules from top to bottom. They are designed to be reader friendly, but they are still complex and can take some time to get used to. Next, read the Exarch Guide, or at least the first section on Strators. That should give you an understanding about how to get yourself started. If you have any questions about how the game works, post them in the OOC Thread and Chatroom. Next, you should create a post for yourself in the Status and Orders Thread. Now you're ready to start roleplaying and controlling your avatar. Roleplaying can be done in many places, but is mainly confined to The Magnaura for official government purposes, The Hippodrome for more casual purposes, and the various 'House' or 'Alliance' threads. The Magnaura and Hippodrome are generally open to all players, but it is considered bad form to post in a House thread without first being invited to do so. Roleplaying also regularly occurs in other places, such as through PMs and on secret forums located outside the Org. The Megas Logothetes will regularly post updates on the state of the game and the latest saved games in the Megas Logothetes' and Senators' Reports Thread. From there you can download the save to move your avatar and fight battles. Summaries of battles can be posted in the Battle Reports Thread. These are optional, but it is considered good form to at least post a screenshot of the results of the battle. Finally, if you want to write a short story about your avatar, you can post it in the Stories Thread.
Q: Where can I upload save game files?
A: There are two recommended places to do this. The preferred spot is the Org’s own PBM File Uploader. Just click 'Add Entry', enter a name for the file, then scroll down to the Upload File section and browse to the file you want to upload and hit Submit. If that system is experiencing an error that prevents you from uploading, then you should use the Backup PBM File Uploader. Regardless of which one you use, make sure that you compress (.zip or .rar) your files before uploading them.
Q: Hey! The Byzantine Empire wasn't a feudal system! It was a dictatorship; a self-perpetuating autocracy...
A: Yeah, we know. The rules were written to generically apply to Medieval Europe. They don't fit perfectly with the historical reality of Byzantium, but we're very loose on the historical accuracy in LotR. Where it fits, we use it, but enjoyable gameplay comes first. It's really more of an autonomous collective, specifically an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the term, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special deka-turn meeting, by a simple majority in the case of normal affairs, but by a two-thirds majority in the case of rule changes.
Q: Well, how do you become Basileus, then?
A: The Total War AI, its programing incomprehensible to mere mortals, names you as the Faction Heir, signifying by Divine Province that you will become Basileus when the current Basileus dies. That is how you become Basileus.
Q: Listen, an arbitrary and buggy AI, handing out traits to random Senators is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical AI programming.
A: Be quiet!
Q: What is the proper format for proposing Edicts and Amendments in The Magnaura?
A: Edict/Amendment X.Z: Text of Edict/Amendment. (X = Number of the Senate session, Z = Number of the Edict/Amendment within the Senate session.) For example, the third Edict proposed at the fourth Senate session would look like this: Edict 4.3: All Senators will wear togas. The numbers of all Edicts and Amendments proposed during an Emergency Session will be the same, but with an E preceding the numbering (i.e. Edict E4.3).
Please also be aware that an Edict cannot contradict the Rules. Edicts that conflict with any part of the Rules will be considered invalid and will not be put to a vote, no matter who proposed them or how many people seconded them. The only legislation which may conflict with the Rules are Amendments.
Q: What is the proper format for swearing an Oath of Fealty?
A: There are three procedural requirements for swearing a proper Oath of Fealty. Oaths which do not meet these requirements will not be considered valid.
First, all Oaths of Fealty must be sworn in a public thread. Public threads are essentially any IC game thread, most commonly the The Magnaura, The Hippodrome, and the various 'House' threads. However, even the Stories Thread and the Battle Reports thread are public threads by this definition and can be used for swearing, if you think they are the appropriate place under the circumstances.
Second, all Oaths of Fealty must specifically use the word "Oath." You can make an Oath, swear an Oath, take an Oath, or any other term you wish to use. However, you absolutely must use the word Oath. This is because Oath is seldom used in normal IC conversation to mean anything other than an Oath of Fealty. If the word "Oath" is always used, the chance of confusion will be greatly reduced.
Finally, you must name a specific Senator as the target of your Oath. You cannot swear an Oath to a 'House,' to a title (i.e. Comes), or to any other entity. The feudal system we use has special rules that are greatly impacted by the precise hierarchical system created by the players. Thus it must be perfectly clear who is Lord and who is Vassal in every relationship.
As a final note, a Lord will be presumed to have automatically accepted an Oath unless he specifically states otherwise in a public thread. An 'acceptance' may be posted for IC purposes, but it is not required in order for an Oath to be valid. Similarly, when an Oath is broken and is immediately followed by a new Oath to another member of the same House/Alliance, the former Lord will be presumed to have consented to the breaking, unless he specifically states otherwise in a public thread. In contrast, when an Oath is broken and the person then either does not swear to a new Lord, or swears to a Lord outside his old House/Alliance, the oath breaking will be presumed to have been done without the consent of the Lord unless the Lord specifically states otherwise in a public thread. Thus, unless the Lord gives specific permission, the former Vassal will not be allowed to swear another Oath until 5 turns have passed. (See Rule 2.5)
Q: How do I communicate with other players anonymously?
A: If you want to contact someone IC without them knowing your identity, create an 'anonymous' message (such as an unsigned note) and PM it to me along with a list of the players that you would like it sent to. I will forward the message with your name removed and forward any replies to you.
Installation Instructions:
To play Last of the Romans, you will need to patch your game to version 1.3, install Stainless Steel 4.1, and install a custom mod made for LotR.
1) Install a clean copy of M2TW.
2) Install the M2TW 1.2 Patch.
3) Install the M2TW 1.3 Patch.
4) Install Stainless Steel 4.0.
5) Install the Stainless Steel 4.1 Patch.
6) Download LotR Mod 1.3. There are two methods to do this. The easiest is using the self-extracting installer created by Rowan. Simply download it, run it, and direct it to your base M2TW directory. The installer will put everything in the proper place and create a LotR shortcut for you. If you prefer to do the installation by hand, you can download the .zip version. Extract this file into your base M2TW folder and let it overwrite anything that it asks about. The .zip includes a LotR icon for you to use, but you'll have to create a new shortcut yourself.
7) Launch the game using the Stainless Steel or LotR shortcut.
Q: What's in LotR Mod 1.3?
A: Several things. (1) Relatively new versions of Lusted's Campaign and Battle AI mods, to make the AI better (2) Modification to make recruitable generals available from every Byzantine settlement in the game and to reduce their cost and upkeep to 1 florin each (3) A LotR icon for you to use (4) Fixed text description for the traits Overconfident and Blatantly Overconfident (5) Removal of the triggers for the entire SS 4.1 Civil War trait system (6) Removal of the triggers for the Near Loyalty and Far Loyalty trait lines (7) Removal of the triggers for the Stripped trait line.
Q: Will LotR Mod impact my other saved games?
A: LotR Mod will not impact any vanilla M2TW games or any games run under mods other than SS 4.1. Lotr Mod WILL impact all SS 4.1 games played in this installation. All of the above listed changes will exist in any SS 4.1 game you play. They won't make any games unplayable (the new AIs might actually improve them) but you might see the Byzantines spawning recruitable generals more than usual and the Civil War system will be completely absent for all factions. If you want to play SS 4.1 without these changes, it would probably be best to make a second installation of M2TW.
Q: How do I install multiple copies of M2TW on my computer at the same time?
A: Read these threads. If for some reason you need to remove your original copy of M2TW from the registry and Windows Installer, without deleting the actual game itself, use the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility.
Q: Will this mod prevent me from playing the vanilla game?
A: No. The mods install in a separate "Stainless Steel" folder within your M2TW folder. They do not overwrite the original files. The shortcut provided for SS 4.1 will launch the game in the proper configuration for LotR. If you want to play the vanilla version of the game, just use the vanilla shortcut.
Q: I am already using a mod and I do not want to install a second version of M2TW. Will this installation work for me?
A: That depends on the mod you are using. Many M2TW mods install in separate directories and do not overwrite any of the original game files. Mods that work in this way are completely compatible with this installation method and will not cause you any problems. However, if you are using a mod that overwrites the original game files, you may encounter problems.
Last of the Romans Game Rules
1. General
1.1 - Game Settings:
M2TW with the 1.3 patch
Stainless Steel 4.1 w/ Lusted’s Campaign and Battle AIs
Hard Campaign, Very Hard Battles.
Large Unit Size
Battle Timer On
Show CPU Moves
Manage All Settlements
Only two land units (including a general) may travel on each ship.
1.2 – Avatars: Each player will roleplay a Senator of the Byzantine Empire. On joining the game, each player will choose an avatar to represent this Senator. Avatars can be ‘family members’ or recruitable generals. Players are reminded that due to limitations imposed by M2TW, only avatars on the family tree will be able to marry, have children, and have a chance of becoming Caesar and Basileus. Recruitable generals can be spawned at any time, but family member creation is beyond our control. Players may not use agents as avatars, since agents cannot fight battles and have a different set of stats from family members and recruitable generals. If a Man of the Hour adoption is offered to an avatar, the choice of whether to accept it is entirely up to the avatar who is the adopter. (Added by CA E2.2.)
1.3 – Battles: A player whose avatar leads an army that is involved in a battle will be expected to fight that battle. This will involve downloading the savegame of the battle, playing it and then uploading the resulting savegame. Uploading the post-battle save must be done within 48 hours of the pre-battle savegame being uploaded. If the deadline expires, the battle is autoresolved. If a player cannot fight a battle that is assigned to them, the battle may also be fought by any player whose avatar will also be present in the battle. Under no circumstances will a battle be fought by a player whose avatar is not present in the battle. If there is no player available to fight a battle, it must be autoresolved. If there are no allocated avatars involved in the battle at all, it must be autoresolved.
1.4 – Game Management: At the start of each turn, the Megas Logothetes will post an annual report on the events of the last turn, including a save game file for the new turn. After the annual report is posted, players will have 24 hours to download the save, and make their personal moves. Players can move their avatars, move any unit or fleet their avatar owns, and fight any battles against the AI that they are capable of fighting with their avatar’s army. Player may also move any unit, fleet, or avatar they have been given specific permission to move by the respective owner, as long as that permission is posted in a public thread. The Megas Logothetes may extend the time limit beyond 24 hours at his discretion, but all players are encouraged to act as swiftly as possible to keep the game moving. Players may not move avatars or armies into the territory of a neutral or allied faction without the permission of the Basileus. Nor may they attack the settlements or armies of neutral or allied factions without a declaration of war from the Basileus, a Megas Dux/Exarch or an Edict. (Modified by CA 2.1.)
1.5 – Events: Whenever they desire, but no more often than once every 10 turns, econ21, TinCow, or anyone they choose may create an in-game Event. Events are not limited in scope, subject matter, or method of implementation. All game rules can be violated to implement an Event. The players can prevent the implementation of any single Event through a simple majority of unweighted votes.
1.6 - Game Master: TinCow will serve as Game Master and is responsible for management of the game and enforcement of the Game Rules. TinCow can delegate any of his powers to another person whenever he chooses. (Added by CA 6.2)
2. Feudal Heirarchy
2.1 – Rank Gain and Loss: All Senators enter the game at the rank of Strator. Senators will be promoted to a higher rank as soon as they meet the requirements for that rank. If, at any point, a Senator ceases to meet the requirements of their existing rank, they will be demoted to the highest rank whose requirements they meet.
2.2 – Gaining and Losing Provinces: Except as stated in Rule 2.7, Senators gain control of all provinces they personally conquer. In the event that multiple Senators are part of the conquering army, the Senator controlled by the player who actually fought the battle is considered the conqueror. If the battle is autoresolved, the commanding Senator is considered the conqueror. If no Senator is involved in the battle whatsoever, the Basileus is considered the conqueror. At the start of the game, TinCow will determine which Senators receive control of the starting provinces, to a maximum of one province per Senator. Senators can only lose control of one of their provinces if they voluntarily give it to another Senator, if it is conquered by an AI faction, or if it is occupied by the army of a Senator who has made a Declaration of War against them (See Section 5).
2.3 – Retinue: At any time, a Senator may give any retinue item/member they possess to another Senator or remove it from their avatar without giving it to anyone else. If a retinue item/member cannot be transferred or removed due to game coding or distance between avatars, console commands may be used to allow the transfer or removal. If, at any time, a Senator possess a retinue 'title' to a province they do not own, that Senator will be required to immediately transfer that retinue 'title' to the Senator who controls that province. If the Senator who controls the province already has a full retinue, he may either transfer or remove one of his own retinue to make room for the 'title' or have the 'title' deleted.
2.4 – Wills & Inheritance: On his death, all of a Senator’s provinces and retinue are distributed according to the most recent valid Will. In order for a Will to be valid, it must have been posted in a public thread or PMed to econ21 or TinCow prior to the Senator’s death. Except as noted below, a Will provision is only valid to the extent that it names a living, of-age avatar that is controlled by another player as the inheritor of the province or retinue stated. A player's next avatar may only inherit a single province and a single retinue. A Will may name multiple Senators as inheritors, so long as each province and/or retinue is only bequeathed to a single Senator. Any provisions of the Will that do not meet these requirements will be invalid. Valid provisions of a Will will not be negated due to the existence of invalid provisions in the same Will. If there is no valid Will provision for an owned province, the Senator’s immediate Lord gains possession of the province. If the Senator also has no Lord, the Basileus gains possession of the province.
2.5 – Oaths of Fealty: In order to become a Vassal of another player, a Senator must take an Oath of Fealty by specifically swearing allegiance to that player in a public thread. The prospective Lord has the right to refuse to accept the Oath. An Oath of Fealty can be broken if either the Lord or the Vassal specifically revokes it in a public thread. If a Vassal breaks an Oath of Fealty without the permission of his Lord, he cannot swear a new Oath of Fealty until 5 turns have passed. A Senator can only have one Lord at a time, but he may have an unlimited number of Vassals. Oaths of Fealty cannot be sworn or broken while the Senate is in session.
2.6 – Loyalty in a Feudal Chain: A Vassal’s loyalty is always to his Lord, even if his Lord is himself a Vassal of another Senator. If a Senator swears or breaks an Oath of Fealty, his relationship to his Vassals remains unchanged. In this way, a Lord can bring his entire chain of followers into the service of another Senator without anyone else having to change their status. Similarly, a Senator will take his entire chain of followers with him if he breaks his Oath of Fealty.
2.7 – Feudal Ranks: In the event of a conflict, Rule 2.7 takes priority over all other rules. The feudal ranks and positions are as follows:
Strator:
Requirements: None
Influence: 1
Powers:
(1) Can propose one Edict per Senate Session.
Penalties:
(1) Cannot run for Megas Logothetes.
Comes:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province.
Influence: 1
Powers:
(1) Can propose one Edict per Senate Session.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property, unless the Comes is loyal to a higher rank.
Penalties:
(1) Loses control of all provinces if they fail to vote in two consecutive Normal Senate Sessions. All provinces lost in this way are given to the Comes’ Lord. If the Comes has no Lord, the provinces are given to the Basileus.
Domestikos:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province. Must have at least 1 land-owning Senator as a vassal.
Influence: 1 + up to 1 Stat Influence.
Powers:
(1) Can propose one Edict or Amendment per Senate Session.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property, unless the Domestikos is loyal to a higher rank.
(4) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 2 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, unless the Domestikos is loyal to another Senator.
Hypatos:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province. Must have a total of at least 2 land-owning Senators as vassals, vassals of vassals, etc.
Influence: 1 + up to 1 Stat Influence.
Powers:
(1) Can propose one Edict or Amendment per Senate Session.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property, unless the Hypatos is loyal to a higher rank.
(4) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 4 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, unless the Hypatos is loyal to another Senator.
Antypatos:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province. Must have a total of at least 3 land-owning Senators as vassals, vassals of vassals, etc.
Influence: 1 + up to 2 Stat Influence.
Powers:
(1) Can propose one Edict or Amendment per Senate Session.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property, unless the Antypatos is loyal to a higher rank.
(4) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 6 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, unless the Antypatos is loyal to another Senator. (Modified by CA 6.4)
(5) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize one building in any build queue in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain, unless the Antypatos is loyal to a higher rank.
Patrikios:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province. Must have a total of at least 4 land-owning Senators as vassals, vassals of vassals, etc. Must have served 5 consecutive turns as a Antypatos at some point in time.
Influence: 1 + up to 2 Stat Influence.
Powers:
(1) Can propose two Edicts or Amendments per Senate Session.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property, unless the Patrikios is loyal to a higher rank.
(4) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 8 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, unless the Patrikios is loyal to another Senator.
(5) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize one building in any build queue in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain, unless the Patrikios is loyal to a higher rank. (Modified by CA 6.4)
(6) Once per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can destroy one building in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain, unless the Patrikios is loyal to a higher rank. Buildings in the barracks, archery range, stable, siege engine, and gunsmith lines cannot be destroyed with this power.
Dux:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province. Must have a total of at least 5 land-owning Senators as vassals, vassals of vassals, etc. Must have served 5 consecutive turns as a Patrikios at some point in time.
Influence: 1 + up to 3 Stat Influence.
Powers:
(1) Can propose three Edicts or Amendments per Senate Session.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property, unless the Dux is loyal to a Megas Dux/Exarch.
(4) Can call Emergency Senate Sessions.
(5) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 10 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, unless the Dux is loyal to another Senator.
(6) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize one building in any build queue in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain, unless the Dux is loyal to a Megas Dux/Exarch. (Modified by CA 6.4)
(7) Once per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can destroy one building in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain, unless the Dux is loyal to a Grand Megas Dux/Exarch. Buildings in the barracks, archery range, stable, siege engine, and gunsmith lines cannot be destroyed with this power.
(8) Once per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can force a transfer of one retinue member/item from any Senator in their chain of followers to themselves or anyone else in their chain of followers, unless the Dux is loyal to a Megas Dux/Exarch.
(9) Cannot be banned from a Senate Session.
Megas Dux/Exarch:
Requirements: Must have personal control of a province. Must have a total of at least 6 land-owning Senators as vassals, vassals of vassals, etc. Must have served 10 consecutive turns as a Dux at some point in time.
Influence: 1 + up to 4 Stat Influence.
Powers:
(1) Can propose an unlimited number of Edicts or Amendments per Senate Session and their Edicts and Amendments do not need to be seconded.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) All provinces conquered by any of their vassals become their property.
(4) Can call Emergency Senate Sessions.
(5) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 12 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term.
(6) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize one building in any build queue in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain. (Modified by CA 6.4)
(7) Once per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can destroy one building in any settlement owned by any Senator in their feudal chain. Buildings in the barracks, archery range, stable, siege engine, and gunsmith lines cannot be destroyed with this power.
(8) Once per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can force a transfer of one retinue member/item from any Senator in their chain of followers to themselves or anyone else in their chain of followers.
(9) Cannot be banned from a Senate Session.
(10) Can declare war on any AI faction at any time, for any reason.
(11) Can veto one Edict or Amendment per Senate Session.
Penalties:
(1) Cannot swear an Oath of Fealty to another Senator.
Caesar:
Requirements: Must be the in-game Faction Heir
Influence: +1 to the Stat Influence cap of their other rank
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks. The Influence and Powers of the Caesar are added on top of the Influence and Powers of the Senator’s other feudal rank(s), unless the Power specifically states otherwise.
(2) In the absence of the Basileus, the Caesar can ban Senators from a Senate Session. Banned Senators cannot speak or propose legislation, but they are permitted to vote.
(3) In the absence of the Basileus, the Caesar can adjudicate on rule disputes. However, if a rule dispute directly involved the Basileus or the Caesar, the Senator of the highest feudal rank will be the adjudicator. If there are multiple Senators of that rank, the dispute will be decided between them by a simple, unweighted vote. In the event of a tie, the Caesar will cast a tie-breaking vote.
(4) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 2 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term. This Power is cumulative with the ability to Prioritize units under any other rank held by the Caesar.
Penalties:
(1) Cannot hold the rank of Dean. (Added by CA 3.3.)
Basileus:
Requirements: Must be the in-game Faction Leader
Influence: Authority Stat
Powers:
(1) Can propose an unlimited number of Edicts or Amendments per Senate Session and their Edicts and Amendments do not need to be seconded.
(2) Can set the build queue and tax rate for their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can destroy any building in their settlement and all unallocated settlements under their control. Can rename any settlement under their control at any time.
(3) Can call Emergency Senate Sessions.
(4) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 15 units per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term.
(5) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize two buildings in any build queue(s) in any settlement(s). This power cannot be used on any settlement controlled by a Senator who is in a state of War with the Basileus. (Modified by CA 6.4)
(6) Twice per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can destroy one building in any settlement. Buildings in the barracks, archery range, stable, siege engine, and gunsmith lines cannot be destroyed with this power. This power cannot be used on any settlement controlled by a Senator who is in a state of War with the Basileus.
(7) Twice per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term, can force a transfer of one retinue member/item from any Senator to themselves or any other Senator. This power cannot be used on any Senator who is in a state of War with the Basileus.
(8) Can declare war on any faction at any time, for any reason.
(9) Can veto one Edict or Amendment per 3 ranks of Authority.
(10) Decides which Senator, if any, a Princess should marry.
(11) Once during his reign, the Basileus may automatically assume the post of Megas Logothetes. The Basileus must declare he is exercising that right at a Senate session; he will then be appointed Megas Logothetes with no election. This right can only be invoked once, but the Basileus may also compete in normal Megas Logothetes elections at other Senate Sessions. However, Ioannis Komnenos (OOC: Family tree spot 2.1) is barred from automatically assuming the post of Megas Logothetes. (Added by CA E2.1.)
(12) Can ban Senators from a Senate Session. Banned Senators cannot speak or propose legislation, but they are permitted to vote.
(13) Can adjudicate on rule disputes. However, if a rule dispute directly involves the Basileus or the Caesar, the Senator of the highest feudal rank will be the adjudicator. If there are multiple Senators of that rank, the dispute will be decided between them by a simple, unweighted vote. In the event of a tie, the Basileus will cast a tie-breaking vote.
(14) Can rename the Byzantine Empire at any time.
(15) Can move the Capital at any time, as long as the new Capital is controlled by the Basileus.
(16) BanishmentSpoiler Alert, click show to read:
(18) During normal Senate sessions, can bestow on or remove from any player the rank of Dean, as long as there is never more than 1 Dean at any one time. (Added by CA 3.3.)
(19) The two offices of Lord High Chancellor and Lord High Steward, as well as the Privy Seal, can be assigned by the Basileus to any Senator. Only one of them may be assigned to each general, and each adds +1 to that Senator's Stat Influence. If the Basileus chooses to keep these retinue himself, he does not receive the Stat Influence bonus. (Added by CA 3.1.)
Penalties:
(1) Cannot hold another feudal rank except Megas Logothetes.
(2) Cannot swear an Oath of Fealty to another Senator and cannot have any Vassals.
Inheritance: On the death of a Basileus, all Oaths of Fealty pertaining to the Senator who is the new Basileus are instantly broken. Rule 5.2 does not apply to Oaths broken in this manner. The new Basileus takes control of all provinces owned by the previous Basileus, unless they were given away by a valid Will. The new Basileus retains possession of any provinces he controlled prior to inheriting the throne.
Megas Logothetes:
Requirements: Must have been elected Megas Logothetes
Influence: During Emergency Sessions called during his term, 2 + up to 5 Stat Influence, or the Senator's normal Influence, whichever is higher. For every term of 6 turns or more that a Senator serves as Megas Logothetes, he will receive a permanent +1 bonus to his Influence and a permanent increase of +1 to the maximum Stat Influence of his feudal rank. This bonus is cumulative for Senators who serve multiple terms as Megas Logothetes. The in-term bonus does not apply to the Basileus. The post-term bonus does not apply to the Basileus or to any Senator who ceased to be Megas Logothetes because he was impeached.
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks. The Influence and Powers of the Megas Logothetes are added on top of the Influence and Powers of the Senator’s other feudal ranks.
(2) The Megas Logotheses is responsible for all monetary expenditures in the game. The choice of what to build/recruit and where is entirely up to him, except as stated in the Limitations on Powers.
(3) Except as stated in Rule 4.1, the Megas Logothetes can move all armies that start a turn led by a Captain, unless that stack started the turn inside a Realm. (Modified by RC 8.1)
(4) Except as stated in Rule 4.3, the Megas Logothetes can move all fleets, unless they started the turn inside a port in a Realm. (Modified by RC 8.1)
(5) The Megas Logothetes can move and use all agents.
Limitations on Powers:
(1) The Megas Logothetes must respect all settlement tax rates and build queues. With the exception of Prioritized Buildings, the Megas Logothetes is not required to build anything. However, if anything is built in a settlement, it must be the first item on the build queue. If no build queue is posted for a settlement, the Megas Logothetes can build whatever he likes. The Megas Logothetes may upgrade a province’s walls at any time unless such an upgrade is forbidden in advance by the Senator who owns the settlement.
(2) Prioritized Buildings – No money can be spent on any construction until all Prioritized Buildings have been funded, unless the Senators who Prioritized them agree otherwise. If there are multiple Prioritized Buildings, and not enough funding for all of them, the Megas Logothetes may choose which to construct first. Prioritized Buildings cannot be funded until all Prioritized Units have been funded. (Modified by CA 4.1.)
(3) The Megas Logothetes must respect all requests for the transfer or deletion of retinue members/items, as long as these requests comply with the rules.
(4) Prioritized Units – No money can be spent on any recruitment until all Prioritized Units have been funded, unless the Senators who Prioritized them agree otherwise. If there are multiple Prioritized Units, and not enough funding for all of them, the Megas Logothetes may choose which to construct first. Senators may specify the Type of Unit to be recruited and the Location for the recruitment. The Type of Unit is restricted to the broad classifications of infantry, foot missiles, and cavalry. Artillery and Mercenaries cannot be Prioritized. A unit may be retrained instead of recruited if the unit is already located in a settlement where it can be retrained in some fashion. Except for the Basileus, the Location is restricted to any settlement owned by the Senator requesting the Prioritization or any settlement owned by a vassal in his feudal chain. The Basileus may specify any settlement in the Empire as the Location.
(5) Cannot remove a building from any build queue if construction has already begun on it, unless the owner of the province agrees otherwise.
Dean: (Added by CA 3.3.)
Requirements: Must have been appointed by the Basileus
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks.
(2) During normal Senate sessions, can bestow on or remove from any Senator the rank of Scholar, as long as there are never more than 5 Scholars at any one time.
(3) Twice per full Megas term, can alter or add any trait listed in Rule 3.10 to his own avatar. Traits that are added must be given at the lowest level. Traits that are altered can only move one level at a time.
Scholar: (Added by CA 3.3.)
Requirements: Must have been appointed by the Dean
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks.
(2) Once per full Megas term, can alter or add any trait listed in Rule 3.10 to his own avatar. Traits that are added must be given at the lowest level. Traits that are altered can only move one level at a time.
Rebel: (Added by RC 8.1.)
Requirements:
(1) Must own at least 2 contiguous provinces and then declare oneself a Rebel in a public thread OR
(2) Be a vassal of a Rebel.
Influence: None
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks. The Powers and Penalties of the Rebel are added on top of the Powers and Penalties of the Senator’s other feudal rank(s). In the event of contradictory Powers and Penalties, the Rebel Powers and Penalties take precedence.
(2) If the Rebel rank is obtained by declaration, rather than swearing, the Rebel must designate one of his provinces as his Capital. The Capital must be contiguous to at least one other province owned by the Rebel or any of his vassals. At the moment that the Capital is declared, provinces owned by the Rebel or his vassals which are not connected to the Capital by contiguous land borders are instantly lost and become the property of the Basileus. TinCow will determine whether an island province is contiguous to continental provinces. This territory will be known as the Rebel's 'Realm.'
(3) If the Rebel rank is obtained by declaration, the Senator automatically breaks any Oath to his Lord.
(4) If the Rebel rank is obtained by swearing an Oath, all of the Senator's provinces which are not contiguous to the Realm of the new Lord become the property of the Basileus.
(5) Is not bound by any Senate Edicts or Amendments.
(6) Is immune to Basileus' Powers 6, 7, and 16.
(7) Can pass an unlimited number of provinces on to the player's next avatar through a valid will. The player's next avatar will instantly gain the rank of Rebel.
Penalties:
(1) When this rank is obtained, the Rebel is considered to have made an automatic declaration of war against all Senators who are still part of the Empire. Rebels cannot make Peace Treaties.
(2) Cannot propose or vote on Edicts or Amendments in any Senate session. Cannot run for or vote in the election for Megas Logothetes.
(3) Cannot prioritize any Units or Buildings.
(4) Taxes are set to Very High in all settlements within the Realm.
(5) If the Capital is captured by a hostile Senator, the rank of Rebel is lost. In order to continue the Rebellion, the Senator must proclaim himself a Rebel again, assuming he still meets the requirements for it.
(6) Cannot hold the ranks of Dean or Scholar.
Secessionist: (Added by RC 8.1.)
Requirements:
(1) Must have been a Rebel for 5 turns OR
(2) Be a vassal of a Secessionist.
Influence: None
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks. The Powers and Penalties of the Secessionist are added on top of the Powers and Penalties of the Senator’s other feudal rank(s). In the event of contradictory Powers and Penalties, the Secessionist Powers and Penalties take precedence.
(2) If the Rebel rank is obtained by swearing an Oath, all of the Senator's provinces which are not contiguous to the Realm of the new Lord become the property of the Basileus.
(3) Is not bound by any Senate Edicts or Amendments.
(4) Is immune to Basileus' Powers 6, 7, and 16.
(5) Taxes are set to High in all adjacent non-Realm settlements.
(6) Can pass an unlimited number of provinces on to the player's next avatar through a valid will. The player's next avatar will instantly gain the rank of Secessionist.
Penalties:
(1) When this rank is obtained, the Secessionist is considered to have made an automatic declaration of war against all Senators who are still part of the Empire. Secessionists cannot make Peace Treaties.
(2) Cannot propose or vote on Edicts or Amendments in any Senate session. Cannot run for or vote in the election for Megas Logothetes.
(3) If the Capital is captured by a hostile Senator, the rank of Secessionist is lost. In order to continue the Rebellion, the Senator must proclaim himself a Rebel again, assuming he still meets the requirements for it.
(4) Cannot hold the ranks of Dean or Scholar.
Independent Ruler: (Added by RC 8.1.)
Requirements:
(1) Must have been a Secessionist for 5 turns OR
(2) Be a vassal of an Independent Ruler.
Influence: None
Powers:
(1) This rank is always held at the same time as other feudal ranks. The Powers and Penalties of the Independent Ruler are added on top of the Powers and Penalties of the Senator’s other feudal rank(s). In the event of contradictory Powers and Penalties, the Independent Ruler's Powers and Penalties take precedence.
(2) May create his own title instead of "Independent Ruler" and may determine the correlating titles of all his vassals, unless the Independent Ruler is loyal to another Senator.
(3) If this rank is held during a Normal Senate Session, can Prioritize a total of 1 unit per province within the Realm and 1 building per 3 provinces within the Realm per full 10 turn Megas Logothetes term. This Power is cumulative with the ability to Prioritize units under any other rank held by the Independent Ruler. This power is void if the Independent Ruler is loyal to another Senator.
(5) Can declare war on any faction at any time, for any reason, unless the Independent Ruler is loyal to another Senator.
(6) Is not bound by any Senate Edicts or Amendments.
(7) Is immune to Basileus' Powers 6, 7, and 16.
(8) Unless they have the permission of the Independent Ruler, any neutral Senator entering a province of the Realm owned by the Independent Ruler is considered to have automatically declared war on the Independent Ruler.
(9) During any Senate session, can give a temporary bonus of 1 influence to any loyal Senator of the Empire for every 2 provinces in the Realm. The loyal Senator must agree to accept this temporary bonus before it can be added. The offer and acceptance of the bonus may be kept secret until all votes are tallied, but TinCow must be informed of the deal via PM. This power is void if the Independent Ruler is loyal to another Senator.
(10) Taxes are set to Very High in all adjacent non-Realm settlements.
(11) Can move the Capital to any other province within the Realm, but this results in the Independent Ruler becoming a Secessionist once again. This power is void if the Independent Ruler is loyal to another Senator.
(12) Can pass an unlimited number of provinces on to the player's next avatar through a valid will. The player's next avatar will instantly gain the rank of Secessionist.
Penalties:
(1) Cannot propose or vote on Edicts or Amendments in any Senate session. Cannot run for or vote in the election for Megas Logothetes.
(2) If the Capital is captured by a hostile Senator, the rank of Independent Ruler is lost. In order to continue the Rebellion, the Senator must proclaim himself a Rebel again, assuming he still meets the requirements for it.
(3) Cannot be a Dean or a Scholar.
3. Government
3.1 –Sessions: The Senate will meet in a Normal Session every 10 turns. Out of session, there can be open debate and deliberations. Each Normal and Emergency Session consists of 3 real time days of debate, followed by 2 real time days of voting. econ21 or TinCow can change the length of individual sessions at will.
3.2 – Proposing Legislation: During each session, Senators may propose Edicts and Amendments, up to the limit allowed by their rank. Edicts and Amendments must be seconded by two other Senators before they can be put to the vote.
3.3 – Edicts: Edicts require a simple majority of weighted votes to pass and remain in effect until the next normal session of the Senate. Tied Edicts fail. If contradictory Edicts are passed, the one with the most votes takes priority. Edicts can only be enforced by IC means. Edicts cannot contradict the Game Rules. (Modified by CA 6.1)
3.4 – Codex Amendments: Amendments require a two-thirds majority of weighted votes to pass and remain in effect permanently, or until repealed by another Codex Amendment. Codex Amendments can only be enforced by IC means. Codex Amendments cannot contradict the Game Rules. (Modified by CA 6.1)
3.5 – Rule Changes: Rule Changes require a two-thirds majority of unweighted votes (1 vote per player) to pass. Rule Changes can permanently change the Game Rules. Any player can propose Rule Changes, regardless of IC rank. TinCow can veto any proposed Rule Change, but does not vote. Game Rules are enforced by IC or OOC means, as TinCow sees fit. (Added by CA 6.1)
3.6 – Influence: Each Senator’s voting power is equivalent to his total Influence, as defined by Rule 2.7. No Senator’s Influence may ever be lower than 1. For the purposes of determining Stat Influence, a Senator can gain 1 point of Stat Influence for each of the following conditions that he meets: (a) 5+ ranks of Command (b) 10 ranks of Command (c) 5+ ranks of Chivalry or Dread (d) 10 ranks of Chivalry or Dread (e) 10 ranks of Loyalty (f) 8+ ranks of Piety (g) 20+ total stat points (h) 30+ total stat points (i) 40 total stat points (j) Senator’s name is modified by a trait title that bestows more negative than positive stat points (i.e. the Mad) (k) Senator is married to a Byzantine Empire Princess (l) Senator possesses the title of Lord High Chancellor, Lord High Steward, or Privy Seal.
3.7 – War: Except as allowed by rank powers under Rule 2.7, any declaration of war must be authorized by an Edict.
3.8 – Elections: At each Normal Session, on the death of the Megas Logothetes, or on the impeachment of the Megas Logothetes, there is an election for the post of Megas Logothetes. Ties lead to a fresh ballot. A second tie is decided by seniority (avatar age).
3.9 – Impeachment: The Megas Logothetes can be impeached and removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate. Impeachment takes effect immediately after the vote is passed. After impeachment, a fresh election is held to elect a new Megas Logothetes, although the Basileus may also exercise his power to become Megas Logothetes at that point. The Senator replacing the impeached Megas Logothetes serves out the remainder of the impeached Megas Logothetes’S term. All Edicts passed in the Senate session that elected the impeached Megas Logothetes remain valid, unless overturned by new Edicts at the Emergency Session that impeached him.
3.10 - University: The following traits may be altered by the Dean and the Scholars, but only to levels which are listed herein. Levels which are omitted from this list cannot be gained or lost through the University:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
(Added by CA 3.3.)
4. Armies
4.1 – Armies: Except as stated in Rule 4.2, all Senators own all army units that begin a turn in a stack led by their avatar, in the garrison of a settlement they own, and in the garrison of a fort inside a province they own, regardless of how the units got there. Senators instantly own any Captain-led stack that their avatar moves onto. No one may move or disband any units owned by a Senator without his permission.
4.2 – Seizing Armies: Any Senator may move his avatar onto an army owned by another Senator from the same feudal chain. If this occurs, the Senator with the highest feudal rank instantly owns the entire combined army. If both Senators are of the same rank, the eldest Senator will own the entire combined army. The Basileus may instantly seize any army his avatar moves onto, regardless of the status of the Senator that previously owned it. A Senator may not move his avatar onto an army owned by a Senator from outside his feudal chain unless both Senators agree to the move beforehand. If there is a subsequent disagreement about who owns the units in the army, where the army is to move, or who commands the army, the Basileus will decide. This Rule does not apply to garrisons of settlements or forts. Avatars may never be seized.
4.3 – Naval Fleets: All Senators own all fleets that begin a turn in the port of a settlement they own, regardless of how the fleet got there. Otherwise, naval fleets are owned by the Senator with the highest feudal rank who is onboard the fleet. If there are multiple Senators of the same rank, the eldest Senator will own the fleet. No one may move or disband any ships in a fleet owned by a Senator without his permission.
4.4 – Historical Army Composition: An army of 10 units or less cannot have more than 3 units of heavy cavalry. An army of 11 units or more cannot have more than 5 units of heavy cavalry. For the purposes of this rule, bodyguard units do not count as heavy cavalry. Armies that do not meet these requirements cannot fight battles under any circumstances, though they can be used for transportation.
5. Civil War
5.1 – Declaration of War: A Senator must make a Declaration of War towards a specific Senator in a public thread before they can attack any of that Senator’s armies or settlements. A Declaration of War applies to all Senators of lower rank in the vassal chains of both the Senator who makes the Declaration and the Senator who is the target of the Declaration, including vassals who swear an Oath of Fealty after the Declaration of War has been made. A Declaration of War does not apply to any Senators in the vassal chain who are above the declarer or the target. Neither the Senator who made the Declaration of War, nor anyone below him in his vassal chain, can attack the target of that Declaration, or anyone below the target in his vassal chain, until the target(s) have been provided with one full turn's worth of movement. This rule does not limit movement in any way, nor does it prevent the target(s) of the Declaration of War from attacking the declarer(s).
5.2 – Civil War through Oath Breaking: If a Vassal breaks an Oath of Fealty, anyone above him in the feudal chain may choose to instantly enter a state of Civil War. For the purposes Rule 5.1, the Senator who broke the Oath of Fealty will be considered the person who issued the Declaration of War, and the Senator who chooses to enter the state of Civil War will be treated as the target of the Declaration of War.
5.3 – Ending a Civil War: A Civil War will end when all Senators on one side are dead or all living Senators on both sides publicly agree to a Peace Treaty. A Senator's public agreement to a Peace Treaty will also remove all Senators below him in his feudal chain from the Civil War, unless the vassal Senators specifically state otherwise in a public thread. So long as it is limited to changes to the provinces, settlements, armies, Oaths of Loyalty, and retinue of the Senators signing the Peace Treaty, it will be considered binding law. All terms of a Peace Treaty that go beyond these limits, particularly those that increase a Senator’s influence or powers beyond those allowed by the rules, will only be binding if adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Senate at the next normal session. Individual Senators may unilaterally remove themselves from a Civil War within one turn of the Declaration of War that brought them into it by breaking all Oaths of Loyalty that tie them to any Senator involved in the War and by publicly declaring Neutrality. Neutrality cannot be claimed by a declarer, a target, or any Senator who has been involved in a PvP Battle during that specific Civil War. (Modified by RC 7.4.)
5.4 – PvP Battles: Whenever two hostile armies enter adjacent squares, a PvP Battle will occur, even if the armies have movement points remaining. If both players agree, the battle will be fought via multiplayer, with econ21, TinCow, or anyone they choose acting as umpire. The umpire will determine the map and the precise composition of the armies. If the battle is not fought via multiplayer, there will be a 24 hour voting period to determine how the battle will be fought. The voting options will be (a) Tabletop Battle (b) Abbreviated Tabletop Battle and (c) AI Battle. All players may vote, even those not involved in the battle, all votes will be unweighted, and the option that receives the most votes will be chosen. Tabletop Battles will be in the style of the Battle of Bern and the Battle of Trent and will be umpired by econ21, GeneralHankerchief, or anyone they choose. Abbreviated Tabletop Battles will be identical to a Tabletop Battle, but will be 1 turn in length. Players will determine their starting positions and outline a general strategy for the battle. The umpire will then play out the battle and determine the victor. The umpire may allow a maximum of 1 or 2 additional turns beyond the starting turn if they so choose. The Abbreviated Tabletop Battle will be run by econ21, GeneralHankerchief, or anyone they choose. AI Battles will be custom battles in the TW engine in which the AI will control all units on both sides. AI battles will be umpired by econ21, TinCow, or anyone they choose. The umpire will determine all settings to be used in the battle, including the map and the precise composition of the armies. Regardless of the type of battle chosen, the umpire must attempt to have the battle replicate the in-game state of affairs to the best of his ability. Regardless of the type of battle chosen, the umpire will determine the results, including, but not limited to, units to be disbanded as casualties, avatars to be killed off as casualties, and changes in the control of provinces. Console commands may be used to implement the results.
So You Want To Be A Megas
NOTE: Due to CA 5.1, large portions of this guide are now obsolete. Until it is updated to deal with the new army rules, use the guide at your own risk.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
So You Want To Be An Exarch
NOTE: Due to CA 5.1, large portions of this guide are now obsolete. Until it is updated to deal with the new army rules, use the guide at your own risk.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
LotR Code of Conduct
LotR is a complex game which relies heavily on following the rules properly. Violation of the rules can lead to severe problems because they may give one player an illegal advantage over another. Since this game allows for PvP combat, this can become a serious issue. As such, the rules must be strictly obeyed.
In addition, the level of creative writing and social interaction that goes on in this game poses other issues which have the potential to cause strife if the players do not behave properly. The following Code of Conduct has thus been implement to govern the behavior of all LotR players.
The following rules are binding on all players of LotR, and they will be enforced.
- Do not violate the LotR Game Rules. IC legislation may be freely violated (though it may result in IC consequences), but Game Rules may not. If at all possible, Game Rule violations will be handled exclusively IC. If IC handling is not possible, the punishment will be designed to rectify the error rather than to punish the perpetrator, unless the violation was intentional and malicious. Intentional and malicious violations can result in temporary or permanent suspension from the game. In all cases, the action to be taken will be determined by TinCow and will be designed to minimize the disruption to the game and maximize enjoyment.
- Keep IC and OOC separate. Since players can kill each other and take their land and other possessions, there is great potential for conflict. Remember that this is just a game and that we are all friends. Leave the feuds on the floor of the Magnaura and do not let them spread to real life.
- Do not use another player's characters in a story without their permission. A lot of creative writing is done in LotR. This often includes not only a player's own avatar, but also 'NPCs' they have created as part of their own storyline. Do not write a story with another player's avatar or any of the NPCs they have created without their permission.