Out of character thread XIV

[Ignoramus]

As we're both in Australia we could do that in multiplayer.

[gibsonsg91921]

this could have interesting results.

[econ21]

All right, I pressed end turn. I will write a report on 1314 tomorrow. This is the savegame which everyone is encouraged to inspect (don't toggle fow or press end turn though):

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/kotr1316_try.zip

I have not adjusted for desertion and possible order penalties yet.

Players have 36 hours to liase and submit their orders to me via PM.

The "no brainer" battles that can be fought now are:

Fritz (Tamur):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You have besieged Stettin using its expelled garrison and your cavalry. Now bring up the Saxon Household Army and the Hamburg garrison to crush them in a show of force.

Ansehelm (Stig)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Poles are besieging Thorn... again.

Friedrich Karolinger (Warmaster Horus)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The walls of Thessalonica are still beckon.

In addition, we have a player vs player battle:
Hummel (Ignoramus) vs Von Salza (Warluster)

There are a number of options to resolve this (aside from diplomacy).
(1) multiplayer
(2) a refereed "table top" style battle like we did for WotS (but to save time, I will simplify it to two stages - deployment/battle plan; and mid-battle adjustment)
(3) mirrored battles vs the AI: I will set you each up with a battle vs the AI. You each write a battle report and a savegame. TinCow and I will judge which one of you did better; we will use the savegame of the winner.

If the two parties agree on one of the three methods within 24 hours, I will help them set it up. If no method is agreed, I will find a quick non-interactive way of resolving it - perhaps setting it up so the computer can autoresolve it.

[Ignoramus]

So if it's done with multiplayer, what sort of battle will it be?

[TinCow]

Wow, that was fast. I was hoping both sides would have some time to build up armies first.

[Ignoramus]

Well Wolfgang isn't going to flee from Athawolf, so he's got no choice.

[Cecil XIX]

How long did the PVP battles take in WOTS?

[GeneralHankerchief]

The shorter one (Ancyra) took about a week, the longer one (Rome) took around 2.

Of course, that was the only action happening during the turn, so it wasn't an inconvenience to take that long.

-edit- Actually, those aren't good examples to use, really. These were massive battles (equivalent of 4 stacks for Ancyra and 5 & change for Rome) and in Rome's case, lots of coordination was required. Here each side has approximately 5/6 of a stack and, as econ already mentioned, he's modifying the turn system to make it shorter.

-edit again- All this WotS talk makes me feel like an old man. "Back in my day we had real Civil Wars! With over five stacks and the fate of Republics at stake! None of this namby-pamby, two-turn, two-stack, battle over Duchies stuff! Bah!"

[FactionHeir]

Wow, that was fast. I was hoping both sides would have some time to build up armies first.

Well, either has a full stack (well, Wolfgang has less than a fullstack, but Salza has a few militia), so I guess that counts as "build up", since we are bankrupt and have no capabilities of recruiting any troops.

[econ21]

I forgot one other "battle" for 1316, arguably the most important: Becker (Cecil) and Zirn (Northnovas) at Bucharest.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Hungarians are maintaining the seige of AHA1 within Bucharest. You have two options:
(1) Have Count Becker sally - hoping your cannons and walls will allow you to overcome a superior, but perhaps passive opponent.
(2) Bring up the Bran garrison and have Karl Zirn attempt to relieve Bucharest. Your forces would be divided, with the main component (AHA1) entering as reinforcements. The odds would be 2:3 against you, but better than if Becker sallies.

Ignoramus and Warluster - why don't you have a trial MP battle using whatever forces you like? If it works, we can set up a battle where your forces roughly correspond to what you have on the campaign map. If it does not work, we will set up a "tabletop" style encounter. Thinking about it, it might be best in three stages: deployment; plan of attack; mid-battle revisions.

[AussieGiant]

I'm pretty concerned about the boy's out east I haev to say.

It's certainly exciting though.