LotR FAQ
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.
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