Out of character thread XV

[Privateerkev]

You may not want to open Hummel's card; he's been experimenting with gunpowder at Antwerp.

He'll just re-gift it. :D

As for Ruppel, I've always said this and I'll say it again. I'm an advocate for the player having full creative control of their avatar.

[Zim]

He'll just re-gift it. :D

As for Ruppel, I've always said this and I'll say it again. I'm an advocate for the player having full creative control of their avatar.

It's ok, PK. When I picked the character I sent a pm to FactionHeir asking his thoughts, since he had fleshed out the character a bit in a couple of his Hans stories. Being the new guy, I didn't want to step on the toes of someone's who's invested time like that.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't neccessarily take it in a direction he disliked, but I still value his input highly.

P.S. if you missed it because you were writing the reply while I posted, the last post in the prior page contains a warcry option for my general if he goes that way.

[econ21]

Welcome on board, Zim!

As I've just said to you privately by PM, you can take Ehrhart in any direction you like. To keep things fair, I suggest that this turn TinCow just move Ehrhart to a settlement of whichever side you choose to align with. Then next turn, you will get options just like everyone else. It's TC's call, though.

[Privateerkev]

P.S. if you missed it because you were writing the reply while I posted, the last post in the prior page contains a warcry option for my general if he goes that way.

And a worthy warcry it is...

[Zim]

And a worthy warcry it is...

Glad you agree.

I think that unless FactionHeir strongly objects, I'd like to take my character in the direction I pmed him about(not sure if I should say which yet). I have an idea for a story post detailing the decision, and should get it posted within the day.

[econ21]

Interesting story, Ignoramus. Looking at our citadels last night, I noticed that we seem behind the times in terms of being able to recruiting firearms (although I confess I don't know what the pre-requisites are). Maybe they are a casualty of the cataclysm?

[Ignoramus]

You can only recruit Handgunners and Arquebusiers in cities, not castles. As we haven't bothered to build the best militia buildings(due to getting superior soldiers from castles), we haven't been able to hire them.

[OverKnight]

We've lost some of the most advanced recruiting centers, Bran for example, and a lot of the gunpowder buildings have been destroyed in the cities.

I do know that when I was Chancellor I emphasized the build queues that favored economic development. I considered gunpowder units extraneous. Recent events have convinced me of the utility of Gunpowder Artillery, but I still consider Gunpowder infantry or cav more of a novelty then actually effective. I was building a Royal Arsenal at Adana, but that was one of the first casualties of the Cataclysm.

[TinCow]

HRE also has one of the least-interesting gunpowder infantry line-ups.

[Northnovas]

The HRE infantry becomes one of the mundane armies in the later era of the game.

[TinCow]

New Save:

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/kotr1330-4.zip

[Northnovas]

On the second cup of java and late start today I will take the new save now.

Here is the newest save:
http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/kotr1330-5.zip

Rebels cleared out interesting fight for Rebels. I wasn't drinking my coffee while I was clicking units around looking for a point of attack. Once the Captain went down it was over.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Ferret]

Glad to hear you are joining Zim . If you ever need help from the North feel free to give Dieter a call

[Zim]

Update: Rather than take control of Ehrhart Ruppel, a man into which much fleshing out of character has been devoted, I am taking control of Wilhelm von Noname, a recruitable general.

P.S. I am aware von Nowhere would make slightly more sense, but I didn't like the sound as much.

[AussieGiant]

Update: Rather than take control of Ehrhart Ruppel, a man into which much fleshing out of character has been devoted, I am taking control of Wilhelm von Noname, a recruitable general.

P.S. I am aware von Nowhere would make slightly more sense, but I didn't like the sound as much.

Welcome Zim.

I would say that is a better idea. It gives you a fresh start on things...and there are a few things to work out before getting lock in

[Zim]

Thanks for the welcome, Aussie Giant. I thought it would be better as well, and the powers that be were kind enough to allow to do it.
I caught up on the last thirty years of Imperial history, and I still don't know just how many sides there are and who's on which!

Thanks, EF, I think I'll have to go back through the threads to figure out who that is. Still a bit dizzy from all the reading last night.

[TinCow]

Thanks for the welcome, Aussie Giant. I thought it would be better as well, and the powers that be were kind enough to allow to do it.
I caught up on the last thirty years of Imperial history, and I still don't know just how many sides there are and who's on which!

Thanks, EF, I think I'll have to go back through the threads to figure out who that is. Still a bit dizzy from all the reading last night.

Don't worry about it too much. I've been playing since day 1 and I'm not even sure of exactly who is on which side at the moment. You've jumped in at easily the most confusing time in the game. If you have any questions about past or current events, feel free to ask them in here and we'll attempt to answer them as best we can.

[Zim]

Thanks for the offer, I make have to take hyou guys up on it a bit often while I get my bearings. I have almost completed a background story to introduce my character. After it's finished should I send it to you?

Don't worry about it too much. I've been playing since day 1 and I'm not even sure of exactly who is on which side at the moment. You've jumped in at easily the most confusing time in the game. If you have any questions about past or current events, feel free to ask them in here and we'll attempt to answer them as best we can.

[TinCow]

No need to send it to me. You can just post it in the Stories thread. Unless your story involves someone else's character (beyond talking about them from an outside perspective), you don't need anyone's approval to write it. You are entirely in control of your own character and his background/beliefs.

[AussieGiant]

Zim,

This game has got to be one of the most entertaining ever for me.

I'd take your time and ask a million questions here in the OOC thread.

There will of course be about 10 different answers but you can work out what you want to take away from the opinions to form your own.

Should be interesting to see which way you head...just don't lose it in the process

[Zim]

In that case, I might as well start now.

I think I have a handle on things in Swabia, but I'm confused about the rest of the Duchies. It is kind of every Duchy for itself or does Kaiser Elberhard still maintain effective control?

[FactionHeir]

More or less. During the cataclysm, resources are quite limited (within Swabia anyway. The other Dukes are wealthy beyond reason, but they sack their own cities) so everyone tries to keep to their own enemies.

There have been exceptions though, like Lothar meddling in Swabian affairs and Peter helping at Metz. After the cataclysm is over, chances are everyone will focus their attention on the whole again and war between the duchies.

Elberhard is emperor and has some powers in the diet, but his overall voting power is low, mainly due to his Lewd trait. I imagine if he starts using assassins/spies though, he may well have higher influence one day

[Privateerkev]

In that case, I might as well start now.

I think I have a handle on things in Swabia, but I'm confused about the rest of the Duchies. It is kind of every Duchy for itself or does Kaiser Elberhard still maintain effective control?

That question would get you 20 different answers...

I guess the best answer to your question would be "yes" :D

[Zim]

Sounds like I had a better handle on the situation than I thought, since that's the impression I had.

Are the Swabian Lutherans the only avatar driven partisans in the religious conflict in the Empire?

[GeneralHankerchief]

As far as religious conflict goes, yes, the Swabian Lutherans are it.

There is other conflict (Hummel and Becker come to mind) but that is strictly political.

Originally the Dassel/Hans feud was political too but then stuff happened.

[TinCow]

I would go so far as to say that right now Elberhard has no control over anything beyond his own army. That will change when 1340 comes, though, and he will resume the usual role of Emperor with all the power that entails. Whether he is a strong Emperor or a weak Emperor will depend entirely on the situation at the end of the cataclysm.

Also, ignore that blatant anti-FrancoAustraVarian propaganda from FactionHeir. None of the Dukes of Franconia, Austria, or Bavaria have ever sacked one of their own settlements. One Franconian Count and one Austrian Count have done that to their own lands, but no Dukes and no Bavarians at all. Hans is chronically poor because he doesn't control many territories. Also, while each House has generally been on its own during the cataclysm, there have been some exceptions. Bavaria and Franconia have aided Austria. Edmund Becker (Austrian rebel) has aided Franconia. Franconia has aided the Swabian loyalists. Dietrich von Dassel (Swabian rebel) has aided Bavaria. Bavaria has aided Dietrich von Dassel (Swabian rebel). Jan von Hamburg and Elberhard (both hailing from Outremer recently) have aided the Swabian loyalists.

[Zim]

Interesting.

I have plenty more questions, but I have to run an errand with the wife right now. Thank you for all the help.

[econ21]

I think I have a handle on things in Swabia, but I'm confused about the rest of the Duchies. It is kind of every Duchy for itself or does Kaiser Elberhard still maintain effective control?

In normal times, I think our HRE is a constitutional monarchy, not a million miles from the UK system. The Kaiser does not effectively control anything much. He's mainly a figurehead. The Chancellor is the one who effectively controls things, although he is elected by the Diet and constrained by its edicts.

In the cataclysm, the Diet has been suspended and there is no Chancellor. This means that there is no centralised control over anything. Each Duchy is for itself and potentially each Elector too - hence the troubles in Swabia.

Are the Swabian Lutherans the only avatar driven partisans in the religious conflict in the Empire?

You can get some idea of avatars' religious sympathies here:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=92421

Lutherans formed the largest grouping, by a whisker. Luther attracted the Electors who were more radical opponents of Siegfried's push for unification with the Byzantine. These included Hummel and Peter von Kastilien, the current Duke of Franconia. With the unification issue dead, Lutheranism no longer seems a strong motivator for most. The stories about Fritz von Kastilien did portray a driven Lutheran - albeit a distinctly ungodly one.

[TinCow]

The deadline has expired and orders have NOT been received from:
Athalwolf von Salza (Warluster)
Wolfgang Hümmel (Ignoramus) - Orders received.
Dieter Bresch (Elite Ferret) - Orders received.
Lorenz Zirn (Roadkill)
Friedrich Karolinger (Warmaster Horus) - Temporarily Absent, he notified us in advance. Thus, this is not an issue. Included on the list only for my own future memory.

I understand that this turn will be longer than usual due to the Battle for Bern. I will thus continue to accept orders for the near future. However, I am getting annoyed at the sluggish response over the last two turns. I will not hold the game up for people who do not submit orders.

Also, whoever wins the Battle for Bern will have an opportunity to pacify one province per Elector after the battle. This applies to Dietrich von Dassel (GeneralHankerchief), Hans (FactionHeir), and Jan von Hamburg (Privateerkev).

Pending Battles:

Save as of 6:45EST, Nov. 14th: http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/kotr1330-7.zip

Péter von Kastilien (gibsonsg91921):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You have recruited a regiment of Teutonic Knights and stand ready to pacify the lands around Frankfurt. If you are successful, the locals will respond to your speech with a moderate levy of troops to defend Franconia.

Fritz von Kastilien (Tamur):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

When you landed on the shores of Franconia, two regiments of Mercenary German Knights rode to join your army, attracted by news of the wealth you had gained in Stockholm. You have also recruited a large contingent of other mercenaries around Europe. You have chosen to ride to the aid of your County of Stettin. There are two battles that await you. You must pacify the province of Stetting (defeat the rebels) and free the city of Stettin from siege (defeat the Danes). You may do the battles in whatever order you wish.

Note: You gave me a list of merc units to hire and I did so. However, you asked for a total of 10 units and only had 8 free slots. Since I am giving you the Mercenary German Knights for free due to my error in not spawning free Mercs for you the last two turns, I have placed both of those units in your army. The other 8 units I have placed in an army next to Fritz. You cannot have all 8, since I do not permit people to exceed a full stack in strength. Thus, disband two units of your choice from the full selection of Fritz's army and the Merc Recruits army. Do this before you attack and inform me of which ones you deleted. You will not be charged for hiring them. If this causes you to run out of movement points, thus preventing you from fighting both battles, enter the following command in the console to give yourself more movement points:

character_reset "Fritz von_Kastilien"

Fredericus Erlach (Stuperman):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You have trained the last of the Corsican peasants to turn them into Pavise Crossbowmen. You are now ready to face off against the Byzantines besieging Milan.

Note: The garrison will join you in the attack. If you plan on harassing the enemy, then withdrawing, it would probably be a good idea not to have the garrison under AI control. If the garrison is destroyed completely and you withdraw, the Byzantines might take the city instantly. If you leave the garrison under human control, you can ensure that at least some survive (if any enter the battle at all). Also, when you are done, you can move south and pacify Genoa by attacking the rebels there. If you run out of movement points, thus preventing you from fighting both battles, enter the following command in the console to give yourself more movement points:

character_reset "Fredericus Erlach"

Arnold (AussieGiant):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You recruited a unit of Armoured Sergeants from Ragusa and stand ready to pacify the province. That means you get to squash the nearby rebels. Have fun.

[Zim]

In normal times, I think our HRE is a constitutional monarchy, not a million miles from the UK system. ...

Good, that actually explains a lot to someone like me who studied for a Political Science degree.

The link looks quite useful as well, I'll check it out asap.