MTW PBM campaign?

[Innocentius]

After reading about the KotR PBM in the M2TW AAR I was just wondering if there's an interest for a PBM for MTW as well? Sounds like a really interesting way of playing.

[Martok]

An intriguing idea, Innocentius! Unfortunately, I myself wouldn't be able to participate right now, as my home PC died on me Friday evening. Still, it's definitely worth exploring.

I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to separate this post from the Pics & History thread and start a new one to discuss the possibility. Let's hear it guys; what do you think?

[Odin]

I am intrested but need more specifics on a PBM with MTW, never done PBM before, I get the overall concept but dont know how to apply it to MTW game.

[Innocentius]

I am intrested but need more specifics on a PBM with MTW, never done PBM before, I get the overall concept but dont know how to apply it to MTW game.

Well, the great thing about that is that we can organise just the way we want it. The KotR PBM seems to be constructed in a very complicated way, but that should be no problem as MTW in general is a lot simpler than its successor. The way I understand it however is that you have a small group of "mods" or "GMs" (pardon my geekish), that run the big deal (like making building and recruitment queses etc.) while the players (taking individual characters and playing them) have the opportunity to vote on what should be built/recruited in the lands held/owned by their character and then fight the battles they get into for themselves. This could make quite an interesting play as if one player fails, another can come to their rescue.

Of course, this is merely a suggestion.

[Caius]

If you want to make a PBM, check the Throne Room.

[Warmaster Horus]

There's one by Ignoramus for VI being organised.

[Innocentius]

Copying my own post from this thread:

So, Warmaster Horus and I have worked out some basic ideas as for how to play. Really, it's all a simplified version of the KotR way of playing. Of course, these are just suggestions and everyone is free to come up with suggestions and alterations:

First, we have the Chancellor. A player who works as the "mod" and who does all the dirty work. The Chancellor will be the one who constructs buildings and recruit troops according to other player's suggestions (see below). The Chancellor also moves troops around. If there is a battle, the Chancellor will send the game (via e-mail, for example) to the player who's character or province is involved (see below) who then plays the battle. The game is then "returned" to the Chancellor who continues as above.
The Chancellor has some power however, and can be a provincial ruler (most likely the capital or whatever big city that is closest to the King's position, for more info see below). The Chancellor can also engineer domestic troubles if he wishes to; i.e. by spending a little extra on himself and his own province, which should likely provoke some disputes. The Chancellor can also engineer civil wars (this is done in-game) by being convinced (perhaps by bribery) by some prince or such to assassinate the King.

Then there is the King (or Doge, or whatever). The King is played by another player. The King is the one who makes all the final suggestions, but not without the influence of other players (see below). A King must be roleplayed (i.e. if the King has the vice "irritable", he will not be keen to settle with truces and such, and a king who is known for executing prisoners must continue to do so, even it earns him some nasty vices). More than just having the final word in financial matters and politics, the King is also responsible for the main army of the kingdom, and must command all larger, offensive, campaigns. Good commander or not.
When the King dies, he will be succeeded, so players who chose to play as the crown prince must consider that they will likely end up as Kings.

Then comes Princes or Heroes (as Heroes, all scripted heroes and random generals that spawn with 4+ command (unusual, but it happens) counts). Again, these must be roleplayed as above.
There is however a difference between Princes and Heroes. Princes can't be landowners, and are solely for military purposes. A Hero is more stationary, and if he is granted a provincial title by the King, he must remain in that province untill stripped of office.

Finally comes provincial rulers. These are not "seen" unless a provincial title is handed out. That is: I can play as Tuscany withouth there being an elected Duke of Tuscany, but if there is a hero who earns the title, these two will be merged into one (unless both players disagree to this of course, in which case the problem most be solved in other ways, like the Hero not earning the title in the first place). A provincial title can not be given to some random general with high acumen, only if he is a noble (i.e. a Hero, see above).

And finally a little bit about warfare: For the realism of it, we should keep our armies balanced, quite simply. A core of elite troops surrounded by lesser soldiers.
A good rule is two units of retainers (like Mounted Sergeants) per one unit of knights. This means: If a provincial ruler wishes to recruit one unit of knights in his province, he is forced to recruit twice as many retainers, as these provide the servants, squires and well...retainers for the knights. Of course, as the eras pass by, previous peak units will be conisidered as retainers (so we could use Feudal Knights as retainers in High).

[gunslinger]

This sounds like fun. I would be very interested in trying it out. I'm a bit unclear on the mechanics of it all, though. For example, you said a player can choose to play a single province. Does that mean that every time we take a province we recruit a new player, or can individual players have more than one province?

The whole thing could be designed to have a very fuedal feel to it. For example, if I'm playing, say, Mercia, I could only use the money actually collected in that province, less any taxes required by his (or her) majesty. Also, the king could form a small, core army and then require his "nobles" to send troops for major offensives and campaigns. Of course, this would all require a great deal of accounting and record keeping outside the game itself so that the Chancellor would know how much of the treasury actually belongs to each province. I keep coming up with more ideas as I write, so I'd better quit and think them through. Please keep me posted if you all seriously want to go ahead with this thing.

[Innocentius]

Good point raised there gunslinger. I've answered in the other thread as I'm mostly using this thread for promoting it.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Let me take a turn in promoting the MTW PBM idea. You can check out the thread in the Throne Room for more details, but so far I think we have settled on Genoa in the XL mod as the faction. There has neither been a PBM using the XL mod, nor with any Italian faction, but what would be truly unique about this PBM mod is that we are trying to come up with some rules that would encourage inner competition and make expansion limited and difficult, to say the least. If you have ever wanted to experience a more realistic campaign, in which the inner rivalries between a few houses of nobles, each with their unique and unpredictable human traits, is presenting as serious a challange as the outside enemies, here is your chance. If there are enough participants, we may even divide everyone into a few teams, or houses of nobles, and the everyone will be able to get a role suiting his playing style and abilities. This means that even if you are having PC problems, you can still join and have a minor role within one of the noble houses, which would not require you to necessarily fight battles or control the game as the Chancellor - for the most part you would not even need the game installed, as long as you are familiar with it and the XL mod.
So, to all aspiring Consuls, Dukes, merchant Empire builders and generals, please let us know if you would like to be a part of this PBM, because we really cannot wait to start it.

[Wasp]

I'd be interested to play a minor role and see how things go, if that's okay?

[gunslinger]

Great Wasp. Please reply in https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=78621to sign up.

BTW can anyone please increase my technical knowledge by telling me how to change the above link so that it appears as regular words in the text, but still functions as a link (Like Innocentius did earlier in this thread).

[Innocentius]

Use [ url=insert-link-here ]random words[ /url ].

[Innocentius]

And it's on! Sign up. Now. That's an order.

[Martok]

I'm going to sticky this for a little while. I encourage everyone who's interested to sign up; let's do this!

[Wasp]

Thanks Martok! A shame about your pc, but you could still do a minor role in which you'd not need the game itself? (as Kavhan Isbul said in his post)

Not that I'd want to put some pressure on it..

[Kavhan Isbul]

Martok, I am sure you have played more MTW than most of us combined, including in the XL mod, so I am sure you can deffinitely play and be a great addition. And also, if we ever get to bribe a large Fatimid (or Seljuk, but most likely Fatimid) stack, you can have all the camels there.
Anyway, just wanted to join Wasp in saying that you will be more than welcome if you decide to join.

[Martok]

Martok, I am sure you have played more MTW than most of us combined, including in the XL mod, so I am sure you can deffinitely play and be a great addition. And also, if we ever get to bribe a large Fatimid (or Seljuk, but most likely Fatimid) stack, you can have all the camels there.

Thanks guys; I appreciate the invitation! I'm still not entirely clear on how I can participate since I don't have a working PC right now, but I'll certainly be happy to do so in whatever capacity I'm able.

[Kavhan Isbul]

You only need a PC (with MTW VI 2.01 and XL installed) if you intend to fight any battles or be a chancellor. Without a PC you can still join one of the houses of nobles, vote in the Parliament, together with your teammates decide on building and training schedules in the provinces you own, and eventually even govern one or more provinces yourself. The way the PBm will work is by players submitting their decision to the Chancellor. You can see more in the TROG (The Republic of Genoa) Library thread Innocentius has provided a link to, and you can sign up in the same thread.

[Caerfanan]

After reading about the KotR PBM in the M2TW AAR I was just wondering if there's an interest for a PBM for MTW as well? Sounds like a really interesting way of playing.

Uh, I might sound a bit obsolete here, but what is a PBM?

[Warmaster Horus]

PBM means Play By eMail.
Basically the player plays for a limited time (the faction leader's reign, for example) and then passes the savegame on to the next player.
However after the Will of the Senate PBM it seems to me that more PBMs encourage interaction between the players (voting on what to do)
The .org's PBMs are found here:Throne Room.

[Caerfanan]

PBM means Play By eMail.
Basically the player plays for a limited time (the faction leader's reign, for example) and then passes the savegame on to the next player.
However after the Will of the Senate PBM it seems to me that more PBMs encourage interaction between the players (voting on what to do)
The .org's PBMs are found here:Throne Room.

OK thanks WarmasterHorus. Lost in Besançon, eh? My mother's from Franche-Comté!

[Warmaster Horus]

Small world innit?
Back on topic, I also join Khavan & Wasp to ask Martok to join, somehow.
BTW are we doing this on Conquest or GA?

[Innocentius]

Small world innit?
Back on topic, I also join Khavan & Wasp to ask Martok to join, somehow.
BTW are we doing this on Conquest or GA?

GA, Expert.

I'll join the choir: Join the dark side, Martok. We have cookies.

[Warmaster Horus]

I'll join the choir: Join the dark side, Martok. We have cookies.

And soon we'll have camels too.

[Martok]

I just signed up as a member of the House of Sardinia. (This is preliminary, of course, since someone who actually can play the game would need to govern the island.) Let me know if that's going to be a problem, though!

[Warmaster Horus]

Once again the Dark Side prevailed.
Welcome to the Republic of Genoa, Martok.

[Martok]