OOC Thread and Chatroom 2

[Ituralde]

With the Charter Amendment about to pass and Election about to close I just wanted to aks how the official format for the Prioritized Units is. Seeing as I'm in a position to have to use them.

[Zim]

Ouch. Seems like a tough time for the Order.

[Cecil XIX]

As usual, my timing is impeccable. It's too bad about PK, hopefully we can get him back. He brings a passion to these things that is unsurpassed and rarely equaled by the rest of us. Let it be known that Cecil XIX bears no ill will towards Ignoramus, since whatever problems ocurred have now been corrected so that they are less likely to pop up again. Basically what Ramses said.

I'm mostly caught up now, but I might not get around to writing the heavy duty PMs until Monday due to IRL concerns. In any case, I'm thankful my ascendence was accompanied with such drama.

[Ramses II CP]

LOL! Smowz I think you just declared yourself to be elected Emperor on the Senate floor. Might want to, err, restate that with the words Megas thrown in, eh? I can hear the daggers being sharpened even as we speak.

[Smowz]

Damn my first blooper (of what I am sure there will be many) to appear during this next term.

Heh now that would be something years of the republic of Byzantine :)

[OverKnight]

Is the save open, or should we await word from our new Megas?

[Smowz]

Feel free to take it now OK.

Good luck with the battle, plenty of bodyguards to swipe out those dastardly Moors.

[TinCow]

With the Charter Amendment about to pass and Election about to close I just wanted to aks how the official format for the Prioritized Units is. Seeing as I'm in a position to have to use them.

We can play around with this a bit, but I think the best thing to do would be to post in your SOT post the number of PUs you get for your term (which is based on the rank you held at the time of the last normal session), then list what you want recruited and where. If you do not know exactly what you want recruited yet, you can change your SOT post later, but it would probably be a good idea to PM the Megas when you make that change as well, so that he's aware of it. The Megas can then simply respond by posting a list of the PU recruitment that he has fulfilled each turn in his report. Once he has fulfilled all PUs that have been posted, he can recruit whatever else he wants.

[Ituralde]

Yeah I tried out a first form of it in my SoT. Note that the retraining options are only requests by me that don't have to be followed, since the CA doesn't provide for prioritizing retrainings. So instead of retraining I should have put there that I want two missile units and one cav unit. But since I really want those units to be retrained, I thought I'd just put it up like this and hope the Megas knows what is meant by it.

So Pavlos would love for those units to be retrained but the Megas is not obliged to do it,if he say chooses to just recruit cheap missile units or cav units in said settlements.

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

[_Tristan_]

A quick question : With KoP seemingly out of the loop (correct me if I'm wrong) and with the implementation of the new rules, is there any obstacles to Methodios entering Stavros' stack under the walls of Gaza ?

From my reading of the rules, it would require KoP' s agreement but what if he's not there to give it ?

[GeneralHankerchief]

I'd ask for permission from KoP's lord before you make any moves in this case.

[_Tristan_]

I'd ask for permission from KoP's lord before you make any moves in this case.

Already in the tubes...

But with the mess that is the Order right now, what shall I do if I have no answer ?

I'm beginning to miss the PK's days...

[GeneralHankerchief]

If you get no answer, then judging by our IC, IC, IC policy do whatever move you decide to do and see what consequences come out.

[_Tristan_]

I'm prepared to deal with whatever IC consequences may fall my way...

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking any rule, by acting so...

[Smowz]

My understanding of the situation is that it would be a 'rule-break' as you say and certainly would put you at the hands of the 'Patriach- moderator', whilst the situation could be dealt with IC - I would have thought a rule break may well be something a GM or a sub GM would look at.

Can Methodios attack from a different angle and use KoP's stack as an AI force?

[_Tristan_]

My understanding of the situation is that it would be a 'rule-break' as you say and certainly would put you at the hands of the 'Patriach- moderator', whilst the situation could be dealt with IC - I would have thought a rule break may well be something a GM or a sub GM would look at.

Can Methodios attack from a different angle and use KoP's stack as an AI force?

The way I see it, KoP's stack is no different from a captain-led stack (his avatar is just an empty husk) so I do not see any true rule-breaking, as would be the case if KoP was active.
And I will follow our Patriarch-GM on the matter, that is deal with it IC... Unless I hear from the Order or KoP before, that is...

The point I am trying to make is that the game has been designed to reward active players so the question is whether we want to permit inactive players to gain settlements by beginning sieges then going away and let the game resolve the matter or encourage active players to take matters into their own hands.

As for attacking from a different angle, I could but would not do it (It would be too much of a bother)... That's the whole point behind the move...

I hope to make a wager and see if it is taken up by the AI.

[GeneralHankerchief]

The way I see it, Stavros is currently MIA and his army's leadership is up in the air. The proper way of going by this would be asking permission from a St. John higher-up. If permission is received, you're good to go. If permission is denied, you're not. If nothing is said, act as you will. I'm going to say your act was in good faith and not prosecute you if you do this, but whether the St. John people feel the same way is up to them.

However, if you/Methodias turn this into a hostile takeover of sorts, then we have a problem. Please don't make us go there.

[Smowz]

My concern was that KoP has not been out of action for that long really, some players have been given a fair amount of time to return.

However, with Stavros being involved in a siege it does rather set a poor precedent, we could deal with it IC as you say, Stavros after all did not vote on the important election that we had recently. GH has spoken, it looks like unless someone in the order pulls their finger out in the next couple of hours or so you may well get a chance to do something there.

[_Tristan_]

So unfortunatly I have to leave this game.

This is the basis behind my reasoning.

The proper way of going by this would be asking permission from a St. John higher-up.

Done already...

If permission is received, you're good to go. If permission is denied, you're not. If nothing is said, act as you will.

Fair enough...

However, if you/Methodias turn this into a hostile takeover of sorts, then we have a problem. Please don't make us go there.

If by hostile takover, you mean seizing of units, that is not my intention. If it means taking Gaza for myself/Methodios, well...

[Ramses II CP]

KoP was in contact with PK very recently (Right before the Senate session), although I don't think anyone else has his email address. He also downloaded the save and put more siege equipment in the pipe about 2 saves ago. IMHO it's unreasonable to declare him inactive unless he's inactive according to the actual rules.

Additionally you cannot involve his army in a battle even as reinforcements without his permission. Sorry Tristan, I don't think this is an area where there's IC wiggle room.

[_Tristan_]

I was only taking into account his latest (and last) post on the .Org to "declare" him inactive... (see my above post)

[Ramses II CP]

Oh I understand and sympathize, but let's take into account (For example) Andres' absence. PK was very careful to keep his avatar safely waiting for him in case he returned, and no one involved him or his army in a battle for the duration. If we're going by precedent that's got to be compelling, and note that KoP did not ask for his avatar to be killed. I think the last thing PK posted about him was that he expected KoP to take Gaza before moving on, but that was on the now defunct Order private board. If the garrison of Gaza sallies I would expect the battle to be autoresolved according to the rules, but until then I think Stavros has to be accorded the same respect other avatars have been when their players were absent.

[_Tristan_]

Difference in my opinion being that those avatars weren't impeding others' efforts to further their own ends...

They've always been stored away from harm's way and were totally innocuous, which is not the case concerning KoP's avatar...

[flyd]

Well, whatever the outcome of the active/inactive argument is, Tristan can still attack from a different direction, use the other army as reinforcements, and does not have to place them under AI control. There is nothing in the rules that prohibits this, if my cursory glance of the rules was comprehensive enough.

[Ramses II CP]

I was under the impression you had to have a player's permission to involve their avatar in a battle, but I don't know if that's a rule or just a casual convention.

As far as him thwarting your ambition, you have an IC means of resolution in the form of contacting his Lord and asking his permission to use the army. Cecil isn't as active as some of us, but he is around and definitely involved in the game.

[Smowz]

I am sorry it took so long with the save.

It really is quite a job, a thrilling enjoyable one, but a lengthy job all the same.

I have not been able to report on the movements of our enemy the Fatamids and the Seljuks as I would have liked, but still I guess the most important news is the failled Jihad - I hope you guys have enough time to analyse the save and make your movements.

[GeneralHankerchief]

KoP has declared himself inactive. However, there has not been sufficient time to move him out of harm's way due to the timing of the declaration (Senate session). All efforts should be made to remedy this situation.

In the meantime, I'm suggesting that Tristan wait an amount of time before making his move so that Cecil can get back to him. If he doesn't do so within a reasonable amount of time then I suggest that Tristan employ the strategy that flyd described:

Tristan can still attack from a different direction, use the other army as reinforcements, and does not have to place them under AI control. There is nothing in the rules that prohibits this, if my cursory glance of the rules was comprehensive enough.

With, of course, the provision that he is extremely careful with KoP's actual character in that battle.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Now.. I have only one small thing to say..
What is the point of updating my SOT if things are not done the way I want.

Miscellaneous: Avatar not to be moved without my permission. Grandmaster of the Order or the Megas can move him in anyway they want.

I want him to be moved to Antioch!

I would like to know why he wasn't moved.
It's niot that big of a deal but still..

[Ramses II CP]

I think if you have specific movement requests it's best to PM them (Or was this a 'first turn' warp due to character generation? GH might still be able to do that.), and to PM the Megas when you update your SoT.

[Smowz]

The honest answer is that I did not see your status 'order' underneath the piles of paper I already have stacked on my desk. I am sorry for that.

I could point out that your status and order thread is somewhat unclear, the megas and the grandmaster may move you avatar as they please but you want him moved to Antioch. So in essence which is it, may we move him as we please or must we move him toward Antioch?

Furthermore regarding the movement of avatars, I would prefer as Ramsas pointed out to be PMed with Avatar movements.