Why do I get the feeling that this game will turn into one long cataclysm... :laugh4:
Good story TC! I was wondering if we'd see any consequences for our spanking of the AI in the first term. Let the games begin... :2thumbsup:
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Why do I get the feeling that this game will turn into one long cataclysm... :laugh4:
Good story TC! I was wondering if we'd see any consequences for our spanking of the AI in the first term. Let the games begin... :2thumbsup:
My goodness...this will be fun!!
And so the fun begins, eh? :inquisitive:
Can't say anymore until I see what's coming towards me...
Oh and Happy Birthday Ignoramus!
Ok, so if they just sit in the city, they'll get resupplied? Thanks! :2thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Northnovas
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To everyone:
I have a PM to Zim floating out there but I want to say something with regards to his latest story that pertains to this part:
Since he has pretty much described my avatar, and I was asking him OOC who was running Asteri so I knew who to send IC PM's too, I suspect he put my avatar in his story as a joke.Quote:
The only readily apparent identifying features he has are the fact that he is slightly above average height, and the bit of light colored hair peeking out from under the hood of his cloak. Well, those and a small symbol on the left breast of his cloak, obscured by the darkness and folds of fabric.
But I will make very clear that, that was definitely not Makedonios... :brood:
At least I certainly never gave permission for him to be used. If he was used in a story without my permission, there will be a lot of this:
:duel:
Then this:
~:mecry:
And hopefully when it is all done, this:
:medievalcheers:
If I have been totally wrong about all of this, I will then do this:
:bow:
And finally, I should probably add this for good measure:
:clown:
Was the first event the armour competition? And PK ease off the smileys a little, too much is bad for you :clown:
(and you know that two members here are particularly sensitive to the clown...)
I love it... Being on the frontline is what I like...
Though I'd like to correct one point of the story about Zagreb : never was it sacked, it was occupied...
Here is some consolation to my probably losing the election for Megas : I won't have to deal with the mess...
Great story TC :2thumbsup:
Yeah the Patriarch's challenge was the first.Quote:
Originally Posted by Elite Ferret
As for the clowns, neither of the affected players are running this game so I feel safe.
:clown:
Sorry, I thought that was a strange thing for you to do. The screenshot you posted looked like the mouse cursor was hovering over the 'sack' button, which is the usual sign that a place was sacked. I will correct the story.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tristan de Castelreng
While you have the save do you think you can sort out the titles in Asteri. I should have the title of Rhodes and rossah the title of Smryna, I think deguerra has Rhodes and I have Smyrna at the moment...
Zim also just gave Athens to Deguerra.
*edit*
Also the ranks will change.
deguerra (land) = Antypatos
-Elite Ferret (land) = Hypatos
--rossahh (land) = Domestikos
---Smowz
----Zim
-----The Lemongate (land) = Comes
I'll make sure the titles are correct.
Many thanks PK, that will help me a great deal.
Ok, I think the Library is fully updated now except for peoples locations, which will be added later. Please everyone double check your own mugshots and let me know if you see anything wrong, particularly your Lords, Vassals, Ranks, and Provinces.
Interestingly, by my calculations no one changed their level of influence at all. The following people all have additional influence available to them due to their rank, but they do not meet the stat requirements to gain them yet:
Domestikos Makedonios Ksanthopoulos - 1 out of 2 possible
Antypatos Ioannis Kalameteros - 1 out of 3 possible
Hypatos Hypatios Machonios - 1 out of 2 possible (also, hilarious name and title combo :laugh4:)
Domestikos Zigavinos Vasilakios - 1 out of 2 possible
Caesar & Domestikos Ioannis Komnenos - 2 out of 3 possible
Domestikos Aleksios ek Ikoniou: Corinth - 1 out of 2 possible
If any of these people marry the Princess, they'll be able to put that influence gain to use.
Remember, if anyone wants me to remove a negative trait from the Unwatched by the King line of traits, just let me know and I will do it. Other loyalty reducing traits you'll have to live with.
Oh dear...TC you completely missed me out...unless that was on purpose :beam:
Here is what I found so far in order of profiles:
In OK's profile, the Emperor has Bucharest but that province was given to AG.
Ig's profile should show Kag and Byblos as a vassal. Also, 00jebus might be a vassal but he never swore correctly after you changed the rules.
AG's profile should show him as having Bucharest and he is a Comes now.
I should have Koulianos removed as a vassal since PrinceofTroy quit the game.
Did Ichigo leave the game?
PrinceofTroy left the game.
00jebus might be a vassal of Ig but I'm not sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Privateerkev
Eh the ranks in Asteri are not final yet.
There is no way Anastasios is staying under Kosmas who is now last in line.
As long as you don't stop EF from being Hypatos Hypatios. :laugh4:
All of the errors noted by PK have been fixed, except for those involving 00jebus. I would like clarification on his status from the people concerned. Also, since Philippos Eirinikos had a 1095 mugshot, that presumably means he is still alive in the latest save. Conversely, since Koulianos Vourzos does not have a 1095 mugshot, I am assuming he has already been killed off. Can someone confirm this (I'm at work atm and can't check)? If Ichigo's avatar is still alive, I may just stick him in Constantinople for a while, since his posts indicated he might be returning soon and I don't want to whack him if it's a temporary absense.
For Asteri, please let me know if/when you change the rank order. I don't always read the House threads, so I may miss it.
Thanks for the help everyone and keep reporting things as you see them. It's a lot more important that the Library be accurate in this game, and it's also a lot harder to keep everything up-to-date, so your help is appreciated. I'll likely need these public double-checks on a regular basis.
Would you consider making the land transfer rules the same as the oath swearing rules?
Both really need to be public and up to date. The rank system completely depends on both systems being made very clear at any given length of time. Since rank goes into effect, the moment requirements are met, than the requirements should be easy to find.
Just an idea.
Maybe we should just make it mandatory for these things to be reported to the Diet. That way we would have an ingame gathering spot where everybody is kept up to date by just checking that one thread. Make it a combinde post by the House, an official proclamation or something of the sort.
Or just revoke the "public" status of house threads, leaving the Magnaura the only place oaths can be made.
From a practical standpoint, land transfer have to be posted in a public thread or PMed to me, otherwise I won't ever be aware of them and can't make the changes. Preferrably, both would occur. I would actually like to start getting into a habit where people PM me when they change Oaths or gain/lose land. I won't make it mandatory, but it would certainly hel me with the organizational part.
That would work, but I don't really want internal house reorganization cluttering up the Magnaura. As long as people draw my attention to the post, I can easily make the changes to the Library. Then people just have to look at the Library and they'll see what the current situation is in theQuote:
Originally Posted by FLYdude
Political Alliances and Houses table. That's far easier than reading through the Magnaura looking for oaths.
Ok, I have moved all the titles the their proper places in the game. I have updated all of the mugshots in the Library to reflect what should be the proper situation as I understand it. If you saw an error with your avatar before, please check to see if the current mugshot is correct (hit refresh, since the old pic might be cached).
I have also moved both Philippos Eirinikos and Koulianos Vourzos (who is still alive, I have added his mugshot to his bio) to Constantinople. I will confirm with the two players concerned whether they want those avatars 'stored' for a temporary period of time pending their return. If they want them killed off, it's a short walk to their watery grave.
I will upload the new save when I'm done setting up the armies for the Event.
[QUOTE=TinCow;1958388]All of the errors noted by PK have been fixed, except for those involving 00jebus. I would like clarification on his status from the people concerned. [QUOTE]
I am, Ig updated the house thread a few days ago.
Since PK hasn't said anything on the subject since that last about my story, I think I should mention that I replied to his pm and everything is settled. It wasn't a joke (too bad, that would have been a funny one :clown: ), and I certainly wasn't using his character.
I'd have found the accusation insulting, but I was too busy laughing at the unlikely idea of Makedonios bein involved in a scheme that would reorder the Asteri house like that, for reasons that are quite clear given a once through of parts of the story thread. :laugh4:
Have I mentioned the :bow: yet?Quote:
Originally Posted by Zim
Here it is again: :bow:
:clown:
I just saw the cloaked figure as an alternate Universe Illuminati member. :laugh4:
I'll have to take a look at the new save and see how screwed Al is. . .I knew Bucharest was a stretch, I should have listened to my conscience.
Just wanted to say that is a fantastic end of your story FLYdude. "Just chariot racing?" I don't think I've laughed so hard in a while :laugh4:
edit: Might as well note here that I will be gone for 5 days as of tomorrow. All Asteri business to EF or Zim please. Ive updated my character to allow him to be moved by anyone in my House.
I might just stay in Constatinople for the moment OK...you can have some fun in Bucharest for the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by OverKnight
But seriously, I guess I need to get my self out there and do something finally.
I'll update the SOT.
TC has gone insane... Period.
The armies aren't that bad. Most players with a decent half stack should be able to destroy them. These are not triple silver armies nor are they meant to be. They're simply a roadbump in expansionism that's designed to slow you guys down a bit and force you to bulk up your garrisons a bit more. I expect all of the threatened cities to be under Byzantine control by the end of this coming term. If you don't mind swallowing your pride and temporarily retreating, then it won't be anything more than a short-term problem.
Besides, this is nothing in comparison to what I really can do. Remember, now I can personally control all enemy movements. The insanity has not yet begun. :laugh4:
Hmmm, I'm flashing back to the good old days in Outremer: Stick and move, bleed 'em and run and find the nearest mountain or river crossing and make them come to you. I thought I'd left my guerilla warfare tactics behind in the last game.
Ironically when I clicked on the stack near Bucharest, it said "Come and face the might of the Reich" and we're now the perfidious Greeks.
For the record, the bulk of the western armies are Religious Fanatics, Sergeant Spearmen, and Peasant Archers. The bulk of the eastern armies are Ghazis, Mutatawwi's, and Desert Archers. None of those units have any upgrades. Each army will also get a single upgraded general's bodyguard. All other units (most of which were in the armies when I teleported them) will be disbanded when I take control of the rebels. I will probably replace them with a couple units of Mounted Sergeants in the west and some low-level mounted missile unit in the east. Again, unupgraded. Not exactly doom stacks.
Does you controlling the rebels mean that we wont be able to control any defensive battles? Because you would be controlling them as rebels...
No, not at all. I will not be initiating any attacks with the rebels and I actually only plan on 'controlling' them for one turn. I will take one turn to finish tweaking the armies and then move them to besiege the nearby settlements. I will then queue up a long list of siege equipment for them and end the turn. After that I will disable control over the rebel faction and do not plan on taking control of them again. When and if they finally assault the settlements, it will be intiated by the AI, not me, so it will be a proper defensive battle for you to fight. I promise that nothing I do will force an autoresolve on a player, though I reserve the right to personally obliterate Captain-led armies in future Events by commanding the enemy attack myself.
I have to say I also find the stacks to be a bit drastic. Not to mention the fact that you reserve the right to alter their numbers next turn. How shall I decide whether I should pick a fight when I don't know what I'll be up against?
Guess I'll retreat then. Oh well, gives me a reason to take the Royal Army on a little detour! :evilgrin:
Although I liked the story the actual implementation leaves an artificial aftertaste for me. I'd prefer in the future for those events to come on a little bit more naturally. Then again I wasn't around during the period of triple silver armies in KotR so maybe my definition of challenge is a bit behind the rest. I still try to get back into the things and how battles work in the mod. Well looks like I'll be up on a steep learning curve.
Just a disclaimer that no hard feelings are involved, but I needed to do some rambling and muttering, feel better already! :beam:
Your comments indicate that I have succeeded in my attempts. The armies are intended to force you to retreat, but to be easily destroyed with a full stack. As unupgraded rebels, they will quickly rout and won't pose much of a challenge. My objective was to force you to assemble stronger armies to confront them. If they could all be instantly destroyed, it wouldn't be much of an event, would it? Based on what's already available, I think armies can be quickly assembled to deal with them in both the west and east. The only problem will be Zagreb and Sinop, which are a bit isolated from the likely assembly area for the larger armies. Barring truly heroic defenses of those cities, they will likely have to be temporarily abandoned, which is, again, the entire point of the Event.
As for feeling artificial, I think we passed that point after we started taking large cities with only generals bodyguard units.
So it is back to Strator for poor Methodios...
Can't get a hold on any territory...
Can't even win an election, that guy...
What a loser...
A thing I would never do...Quote:
Originally Posted by TinCow
And before somebody feels stepped on his toes, I'm fine with the event and I'm also fine with seeing other playstyles through these games. It's one of the interesting things to see how other people play these games, interact with them, and so on! :2thumbsup:
I'm kind of upset that their is now a roadblock to expansionism.When many of us great deal of us still don't have land and are are essentially out of the game except for reading about others exploits.
:thumbsdown:
Id prefer if we were all involved before something like this happened
I would hav said the same but the rules of the game require much of us to have control of any army (which are not not many in any case...) so it is either twiddling our collective thumbs or move our bodyguards' basement and do something of our lives... :yes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ituralde
I see it as a kind of Russian roulette... Everything could happen when you lead a charge with your bodyguard... :charge: or :skull:
This is more negativity than I expected, so I've put up a poll to assess the general feelings. I will go with whatever course is deemed proper.
If you see the way people fight battles in these games, you'll see that it is only a tiny roadblock. :laugh4:
I think there should be consequences to expanding too fast. We'll get bored if we accidently take over the whole map. And now TC is in the perfect position to put roadblocks in our way. :yes:
Personally, I'm excited about all of this. :2thumbsup:
Okay, this sounds good, I'll check out the army size but I'm gonna vote yes anyway, I'd rather have interesting expansion than an unstoppable blitz.Quote:
Originally Posted by TinCow
It might help to make clear that the event2 poll is OOC. I don't want Bananabob, or anyone else thinking they have to vote how I do.
IC however I will DEMAND OBEDIANCE! Bow you peasants!!! BOW!!!!!! Bow and scrape! Lick my boots and use your voting cards to pick the gravel out from between the treads!
:clown:
For those people worried about expansion, Event 3 is already in the planning stage and it will almost certainly actively encourage expansion.
Far from my mind from calling a stop to Event #2, though I feel responsible for the whole ****load coming our way... :oops:
Though I could deal with Randolph and a half stack... A full stack is truly a nightmarish sight...
wait a minute...
We're in danger of losing Hypatos Hypatios!?!
Then the event must be called off!
I was counting on that title providing me years of entertainment. :laugh4:
:clown:
It sounds like I need to pull out my KotR monologue on gaming philosophy. :balloon2:
I remember a long and detailed post in which I expounded on the virtues of "struggle" and the feeling of "accomplishment" rather than settle for the easy route of total domination and meta gaming.
Should I go find that and give it another shot? :beam:
Bah! Young wippersnappers, complaining about a single full-stack. Back in my day, I faced half-stacks of triple-silver and triple-gold chevron enemies. And the only reward for beating them was the knowledge that another one was going to take it's place next term! Kids today... :laugh4:
wait till there is full-scale PvP battles. Humans are much more of a challenge than the stupid AI...
Given the MAD nature of PvP battles you'd have to be bonkers to start one without a landslide position in effect. Hell, can you imagine how much damage one of the KotR top tier General's would have done, knowing he had no chance except to inflict as many casualties as possible...oh man.Quote:
Originally Posted by Privateerkev
Yeah, I've messed with some SS 4.1 battles and it's pretty incredible how jedi-like our bodyguards are, significantly more so than in vanilla. Spearmen are horrible against them. I don't see us having too much trouble with these rebels beyond the next turn or two.
In fact I'll wager that the rebel bodyguards cause more casualties on their own than all the rest of their troops put together. Find a way to deal with them and you've got the V. I have a feeling the pace of things will pick back up in a hurry afterward, especially since we have to put together some big armies in order to put down the rebels. We aren't going to absorb huge losses, and those troops are going to have to do something after the rebellion is smashed...
:egypt:
Sounds like your talking about FactionHeir... :beam:Quote:
Originally Posted by AussieGiant
My point was, if people think this is hard now, they haven't seen anything yet. :2thumbsup:
You’re right I was thinking about FH. He would be an unmitigated disaster for the opposition. But there are a few other “quiet” achievers in the General list from where I’m sitting.Quote:
Originally Posted by Privateerkev
TC’s imagination will be really let loose in this game. The options he has at his disposal now are beyond what I can realistically comprehend!! :beam:
Yeah, this game gives me a lot more freedom. Rule 1.5 and my lack of an in-game avatar give me a lot more 'moral' freedom to do whatever I want. During the Cataclysm I was always worried about treating Bavaria and/or the Illuminati differently due to my IC affiliations with them. I'm much more comfortable manipulating things as a neutral observer. I also cannot understate just how significant it is to be able to use the hotseat console commands. That gives me almost total control over anything in the game. I no longer have to scrape the barrel to find armies that fit my desires. As long as I've got one turn to prepare, I can take control of a faction, I can build as many armies as I want in exactly the right configurations without any error. They will always move where I want them to (with some limitations) and I can even do diplomatic things like declaring Crusades, declaring Jihads, or even (I hope) ending wars.Quote:
Originally Posted by AussieGiant
That said, it is NOT my objective to use these tools to create an uber AI challenge. We've been there and done that and it gets dull. The main excitement is competition between the players, in whatever forms that takes. Most of my 'Events' will be designed to increase this competition and spark internal crises which will generate far more interesting scenarios than I can create on my own. I will prop up the AI if it's really being horrid or if it helps further the plotline, but I want to work towards a situation in which the players are competing with each other, not with the AI.
Just waaaay too much information there TC...I'd like to keep the exact details blurry so I can sleep relatively peacefully. :balloon2:Quote:
Originally Posted by TinCow
Vivid detail is like hearing someone talk about your grandparents having sex. :jawdrop:
wait a minute...Quote:
Originally Posted by AussieGiant
Exactly what part of TC taking control of the AI is like your grandparents having sex?!? o_O
:clown:
Bah, SS keeps CTD'ing for some reason.
I'll try to find a cleaning disk tomorrow in case it is the lens.
Regular TV show DVD's work fine. M2TW starts up. But SS, and another DVD game won't start.
I don't know if it's related to all the other crap people seem to be downloading lately by accident.
Anyone know of a good free anti-virus software that will both detect AND let me remove the offending invaders for free?
I have Ad-aware and Spybot but those do not seem up to the task. I run ZoneAlarm as well but it obviously isn't helping.
Bah... :brood:
Just wanted everyone to know. I will keep everyone updated.
Good thing I was planning on having Mak sit things out for awhile...
When is it crashing? There are some CTD issues with SS. It usually occurs in the AI turn trying to create an event that can't happen. If you check the log you will see what the AI was doing last and the event that was trying to occur. This is the only CTD bug I am aware of with SS.
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but, could I join as an RGB as soon as it is possible? I've been talking to a few people about my idea for a character and I'm pretty much ready to play him.
sorry to butt in here as a non-LotR player, but I've been running avast! for a couple of years now and I haven't had to use anything else since I installed it (I have uninstalled norton, spybot and ad-aware, just don't need them anymore)Quote:
Originally Posted by Privateerkev
it's freeware and you can get it here
All help is welcome phonicsmonkey. Butt in all you want.Quote:
Originally Posted by phonicsmonkey
Weird, I can't access the forums from my home computer (it keeps timing out) but from work everything is ok. I suspect my ISP.
Now can somebody please enlighten me about these speed bump stacks as I cannot look at the save?
IC I don't want Bart to run away, OOC I'm a bit hesitant if the speed bump turns out to be rather terminal road block :skull:
There are four full stack rebel armies consisting of entry level troops near Zagreb, Belgrade, Bucharest and, most importantly for you, Antioch.
The rebel army near Antioch holds the bridge to the north of the city. If you followed KotR, it's the infamous Iron Bridge (Pons Ferrus), site of many battles. Good times.
Barring any developments, I think TC will move that army south to besiege Antioch. In a way this is very similar to the first Crusade, when the Crusaders took the city, but were then trapped within it by a relief army.
Hopefully the Order will find the Holy Lance.
As an ex-KotR player I would suggest discretion is the better part of valour. It's tempting to get stuck into the challenge but you all need to accept the consequences of those actions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rowan
Rise to the challenge, free your province and the rewards and effect to you and your house are immediate.
Fail in the challenge, fight a battle but have to retreat, then accept the negative traits and the consequences in the game (i.e. Tax issues, etc etc), stay alive reform and attack again...OR, die and see that effect on you (obviously), your house and the Empire as a whole.
Assess your skills, look at the full stack (they are full stacks but of low quality troops), and make the right choice for you.
There's nothing like a few avatar deaths to raise the stakes a little and to make sure the rest of us realise that this game is meant to be a challenge. If it isn't, we will all lose interest quickly.
I would like to strongly suggest to you all, that if your avatar dies, please accept this and resist the temptation to replay. The game is designed for you to rejoin quickly and deaths create a realistic atmosphere for us to play in. If we "fudge" this we will lose a key aspect of the game.
Essentially TC's asking a question...one of many he will ask in the game in the form of these "Events".
Are you good enough? Win then adavnce, fail then start again or face the setback with a stiff upper lip and move on.
Apologies if I sound like a bit of a prat...or condescending. It's not my intention.
Ah, Ituralde, a forward retreat, no one saw that coming. :laugh4:
It's a bit risky, because we're dealing with TC's Diabolical Intelligence rather than the Artificial variety. Still, I salute you.
Edit: Also speaking as an ex-Megas, you're probably giving FLYdude a migraine.
Well I thought, what do I have to loose really?
I rather die on some river crossing than holed up in some town, and I rather retreat and take Trebizond than have to retake Sinop!
Yes, but you do realise that you've got the Caesar's royal army with you. He doesn't want it to get destroyed.
And I don't want to get Pavlos killed! :2thumbsup:
It's so hard to find good help these days, isn't it Igno? :laugh4:
Perhaps Pavlos will "retreat" all the way to Yerevan?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ituralde
That's the spirit Ituralde!! Take that army that belongs to your lord and trash it against the enemy!! :beam:
On a more serious note, coming back to the whole Royal Army stuff.
Right now this really is the Royal Army of Ioannis Komnenos who has put it under the command of Pavlos Chrysovergos, right? Then the Chancellor should put all recruitment efforts towards bringing that army up to strength, shouldn't he? Including the hiring of mercenaries.
On the other hand Ioannis could just say that Pavlos is not leading his Royal Army, he hast just given men from his Royal Army to Pavlos. Then the Chancellor would have to direct all recruitment efforts towards bringing Ioannis (currently non-existant) Royal Army up to full strength. Pavlos on the other hand would just be running around with some units attached to him, which the Chancellor could take away from him, if he desires.
Now the next bit would be, can the Chancellor take those units away from Pavlos or can Pavlos simply not move those units? I'm just wondering, because now I could always walk with them as far as possible leaving the Chancellor with no movement points to take them away from me. Or would I then have to rely on the Chancellor moving me together with the army?
I truly am still confused about the whole Chancellor, Player business outside of Royal and Private Armies, since I didn't participate during that stage of KotR, so these things may seem obvious, but to me they're still confusing sometimes. It's hard to measure what you can and can't do OOC and what you should and shouldn't do IC...
All the above is strictly hypothetical, I just try to get a grip on the rules and want to confirm whether I understood them correctly or where I made mistakes.
Cheers!
Ituralde
Hi Ituralde,
The rules are set, I think the issue you raise can be determined IC based on discussions referencing "empire legislation". Best man or most power wins...that's very workable.
Rules are designed as a frame work. There interpretation by everyone is part of the fun.
TC should not have to clarify too much or it wont be much fun.
I'll spawn an avatar for you. What city would you like to start in?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFlax
So unless Ignoramus tells the Megas otherwise FLYdude can not recruit any military units until the army with Pavlos is up to strength? And from the way this has been handled in the Test Game this seems to be an OOC issue, where the Megas just can't do anyhting. Just like he can't move your avatar if you forbid it in the SoT.Quote:
4.3 – Army Replenishment: If a Private or Royal Army falls below the minimum strength level, all military recruitment must be allocated to restoring the Army to minimum strength before money can be spent on other recruitment, unless the owner agrees otherwise. In the event of a conflict, a Royal Army takes priority over a Private Army. This rule does not apply to armies involved in a Civil War.
Or is this a case of "all military recruitment should be allocated to restoring the Army" and it's up to the Senate to see that he does so?
That's the main point I'm talking about. And from what TinCow wrote earlier it seemed to me that some rules are not meant to be breakable.
In fact I don't even know whether all recruitung done by Overknight during his term went straight to the Royal Armies. My intention is not to point fingers at people or to get a nice army for myself. I just want these things to be clear now during the beginning of the game. I'd also like to know these things should I ever decide to try for the position of Megas.
Cheers!
Ituralde
Ituralde is correct, the Royal Armies (and future Private Armies) should be topped up before any other recruitment occurs. On an IC level, this should be roleplayed as the Armies drawing in recruits for themselves, since their 'owners' are powerful men. The Megas can play it IC as supporting this if he wants, but if he opposes the Army's owner we can simply pretend that the recruitment is done by the Army owner directly. These are meant to be 'independent' military forces which assemble around powerful people. If the Megas really wants to send military recruits elsewhere before topping up a PA/RA, he should negotiate IC with the army's owner.
It is crucial that the PA/RA reinforcement rule be followed OOC, simply because the balance of power requires that the PA/RAs be maintained at a servicable level. If they are not, they lose their effectiveness and one of the main building blocks of power evaporates. That said, there is a lot going on in-game for the Megas player to keep track of. If your PA/RA needs to be topped up, it would be a good idea to inform that player about it OOC.
Forgive me my noobness, but
a) when is an army considered Private and when is it considered Royal?
b) are we allowed to recruit troops ourselves by putting them in the recruitment queue of our settlements in the SoT and are troops recruited as such in our own settlements considered to be part of our Private Army?
c) In the previous term, while Savvas was on his way to his Lord, I found out that a company of mercenary horse archers were with him, probably recruited by OverKnight. Are those now my private army or are they part of the Royal Army?
d) The troops under my command in Arta : are they my Private Army or my Royal Army.
e) Can I take the save and recruit mercenaries for my avatar?
Please forgive me if these are stupid questions that have been adressed before, but I couldn't find the answers to those questions in the FAQ thread :shrug:
edit: another one: The rules say: "A player's next avatar may only inherit a single province and a single retinue." I take it that a Will in which I give Arta to my yet to be spawned next avatar is valid?
edit2: From the description of Comes : "Cannot lead more than a half stack army unless it is a Private Army, a Royal Army, or within the borders of a province they personally control." addendum to question a) : are there other armies then Royal/Private? If so, what are they?
The Basileus, Caesar, and any Megas Dux/Exarch get Royal Armies. All others get Private armies. It's in the rank rules.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
If the Megas is ok with this, sure. However, this is technically restricted to him alone, so do not do it unless you have specific permission.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
You are not of a high enough rank to have a Private Army, so they cannot belong to you. At your current rank, the only military forces you can assemble are those inside your own garrison or within a fort inside a province you control. Essentially, until you reach a rank that can control a Private Army, you can only exercise absolute control over defensive units.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
Neither, they are your garrison. Anything that starts the turn inside that city is yours to control. Just make sure your garrison restrictions in the SOT are up-to-date, so that the Megas cannot pillage them without your approval. However, you cannot do much with these units without the Megas' permission, simply because if they end the turn out of the city, you lose your absolute control over them. The best you can do is take them out, fight, and come back to the city in the same turn. Another option is to transport them to a fort within the borders of your province, since they also cannot be removed from there (if you've given the proper SOT orders). The trick on that last part is getting permission to spend the money for a fort from the Megas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
Not without the permission of the Megas. He controls the purse strings in all aspects of the game. Anything that requires monetary expenditure has to have his approval.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
Yes. We concluded that passing on a single province was acceptable, since it didn't guarantee any kind of dominance in the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
Yes, but they don't really have names. Anything that isn't a Private or Royal Army is just an army. Call it whatever you want. Your city garrison, a Megas Army, the Fabulous Five-Thousand of Flavius Flabergaster, etc. I tend to refer to the units that you 'control' inside your settlement/fort as a 'garrison' but there aren't any mandatory terms for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
I couldn't top off the Royal Armies, because we didn't have facilities to recruit archers. I recruited Skythikon for cavalry, however with the distances involved in the game, actually getting them to the royal armies was difficult.
I guess in hindsight I could have used mercs to flesh out the royal armies, but I wanted to make do with what we had due to expense and providing an impetus to build up the castles.