KOTR Postmortem and Next-Gen Rules Discussion

[Privateerkev]

To me the main characteristic of feudalism was a series of Oath contracts given from top to bottom in the hierarchy. I know the FL is the only thing we can't really control, and I don't think anyone wants us to control it...but the only linear Oath contract that IS not controlled by us in the one between the Dukes/Grand Dukes and the FL in this example...everything under that is fluid and up to IC situations.

I do believe we should replicate this as best as possible to give the feeling of feudalism.

I guess it's a balancing act. If it's too rigid, you'll have instances where it won't be very fun. If it's too fluid, then it isn't feudal.

We're a funny lot. We want power structures. And we want them to be at least somewhat rigid and hereditary. But we want flexibility.

Maybe the new rules replicate that "middle ground" we're looking for and it's just up to us to implement it IC. The fact that civil war is an option when a vassel breaks from a lord is a powerful tool.

I'm starting to wish that we find some easier way to actually implement civil wars. Because the idea of slogging the game to a standstill for a week or two every time someone gets pissed at their Duke makes me want to have civil wars be rare. That's why I said in my last post that I wanted them to be harder to start.

But, if they were resolved in some sort of "quick and dirty" fashion, I wouldn't mind them being more frequent or easier to start. So, it's actually an OOC concern that is making me cautious using an IC tool.

The method Econ came up with for doing civil wars is awesome. But, it is also very time consuming and tedious. One or two of those per game is fine. But a long series of small "Battle of Flemish Crossroads" type battles will make me quite bored.

Now, I don't know what that method would be. But, if the civil wars could be figured out faster, then they would become a powerful IC check on the feudal structure.

*edit*

I know TC has a "voting option" so we get to decide which of 3 ways to work a civil war. I wish there was an even quicker way than the 3 we have. If the power difference between the two parties is too large, just roll dice or something.