Historical Roleplaying Game based on EB
Imperators!
I had an idea that I thought I would put before the Europa Barbarorum community, since you are primarily the ones who would be interested. Its something that I've done in the past and enjoyed, and would like to again - and that is forum roleplaying.
I have the ability to create a message board for us, where we textually play as a given country from the EB time frame. For example, I could pick Epirus and roleplay as Pyrrhus:
Pyrrhus advanced into Macedonia with the intent to take Pella and place himself upon the Macedonian throne, thus expelling Gonatas. With him were twenty-thousand phalangites, though only about two thousand were Pezhetairoi as opposed to levies. There were also a thousand heavy skirmishers, and twice that number in toxotai. The King was well provisioned in cavalry, having brought skilled regiments over from Italy in addition to his own companions, with about five-thousand light and heavies, half going to either designation. Lastly, there were twenty elephants left over from Pyrrhus' old campaigns. His army came out of the Illyrian mountains, and with him all of his sons and they fell upon the plains of Macedon seeking battle.
Then the person playing as Macedon writes:
Antigonus Gonatas was not idle, having been forewarned of Pyrrhus' preparations by his spies. His response was to call up every man who he could, and use the treasury to arm those who could not afford their own gear. Even so he only managed to rally fifteen thousand phalangites, and not but a handful of Pezhetairoi to fight amongst them individually. Archers and skirmishers equal to Pyrrhus' would also be present in the battle, as well as the one arm the Macedonians still had that was well equipped - over two-thousand Companions led by the King's son Alkonyeus, and twice as many Thessalians. All in all there was doubt in the Macedonian King's mind in regards to his victory however, and that is why he sent emmisaries to the Thracian King of Serdike, who promised support. Decebalus was his name, and he would lay in wait in the forest nearby, ready to charge out with several thousand falxman, their deadly blades hopefully wreaking havoc on Pyrrhus' line.
The old general, Grandson of the One-eyed strategos of Alexander marched his men from Pella's gates. Would he return in glory or in shame?
And that's how it works. You would progress through the battle, each side meeting and announcing their dispositions and what not, then they take turns deciding what their forces are doing and countering their opponents moves. At the end (or at some point in the middle of the battle) an impartial moderator steps in and declares a victor and the casualties, or otherwise would declare that one person went too far in his most recent action, and asks him to rewrite his post in the spirit of fairness.
Characterization of your nation's characters is encouraged, but optional. By all means its interesting to read the diplomatic musings between Pyrrhus and the Seleucid emissary than to just hear an announcement on what happened between them!
All in all we don't just do battles of course, we can also deal with matters of diplomacy like I mentioned above, or deal with establishing trade routes, or whatever else you might do while controlling a nation in 272 B.C. Very free style. And speaking of which, you can pick any nation you want to that would correspond to 272 B.C. and be on the EB map. The first person who picks a nation will be designated as the 'Faction leader', and be allowed to roleplay that Nation's king, or leader(s). Other people who want to roleplay as that nation can, but they will have to take orders from the faction leader, but who says that you can't try to usurp him, right? :)
The purpose of this is of course fun, but also to go beyond EB. Without the R:TW AI there aren't as many dumb diplomatic moves, there is reasonably diplomacy, reasonable battles. It'll feel as if you're actually commanding a nation!
I will be posting an identical thread on TWC to see if anyone over there in interested. If I can get just ten people combined then I'll make the forum and declare ourselves officially in business. Any questions, comments or concerns about this idea are very welcome as well!
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