Out of character thread XV

[TinCow]

Remember, I guarantee everyone's survival if they choose the safe option. I boosted the attacks in three specific areas: Outremer, Ajaccio, and Austria. Notice that those are all three places where the players have been spanking the AI. With the exception of Ragusa, none of the settlements in those areas are under siege, which means you have another full turn to prepare for the battle if you want to fight. Holding the walls against a siege assault is also far easier than a field battle, IMO. Outremer is in a tough spot, but part of that is due to Privateerkev, not me. I have given everyone left in Outremer an escape route via Elberhard's evacuation choice. The huge army in Acre is more than enough to help hold the bridge and the ford until the ships are completed.

While Ragusa is in a difficult situation, Arnold has a very strong army and he can easily use it as a base for the rest of the game if he retreats north instead of fighting. Just as I have been pumping the attack in areas that are not suffering as much as I would like them to, I will decrease the level of AI threat once I am happy with the level of territorial loss. I will not completely destroy any House. If the players find themselves really struggling, they will get bonuses to compensate and I will use other methods to reign in the AI.

I especially love this little gem...which seems a little out of place considering the options for other players LOL.

(B) Attack the Venetian armies besieging Ragusa. You cannot use a night attack to split them.
(C) You know you don’t need a third option… just pick B and try not to get yourself killed.

Translation:

Christ AG, get down there and kill em all...don't fudge it by using a night attack and....it should be touch and go given the troop quality, so try not to have Northnovas be a temporary Duke next turn...

...gee thanks TC

Sorry, I wrote that because I assumed there's no way you would do anything other than fight for Ragusa, even given the armies you'd have to fight. Thus, I started to skip over (C) altogether and only added it in when I saw that it looked weird to have only 2 choices. If you want another option that is not retreating or fighting, I will figure something out.

[AussieGiant]

TC...you're fine there mate.

I'm being a little "tongue in cheek" at the moment and it seems to have been lost in the writing.

And I can't lose Ragusa or we are screwed.

I'll attack and see what happens.

I'll be taking the same tonight if that is ok TC?

[TinCow]

Oh, I know you were, I just started feeling a bit guilty. I wrote your options and description before I actually teleported in the second army (it had walked away) and beefed it up. In hindsight I started wondering whether I had made it too hard for you. Seriously, though, I swear that losing Ragusa will NOT be the end of Austria. I see Ragusa and Budapest as outlying territories around the Austrian core of Venice, Vienna, and Zagreb. At a minimum, you should be able to hold onto those. One option that might be worth considering is to wait until the Venetians assault Ragusa, with Arnold as reinforcement, then try to beat them inside the walls and defeat them from the second or third ring.

Go ahead and fight whenever you like, just post in here when you do, as usual.

[StoneCold]

But I can't see Arnold as someone who will wait for the Venetian to assault Ragusa... :P With the Berserker trait and all, he will most likely want to wade right in before his precious citadel got assaulted.

[AussieGiant]

Hi TC,

I haven't seen the stacks yet...I will tonight when I get home. I'm a little concerned that you're concerned. If you're concerned then I need to be at least a little concerned...

I'll take a look before I commit to an attack after your comments.

And yes SC, it's going to be something like that in the battle write up :)

Swordbearer, Military Engineer and Preist vs Berserker, Dread Knight.

[OverKnight]

Help me Ultra Jesus!

Heh, I might get plowed under, but I'll get some good speeches in before the end.

This is going be good.

[Privateerkev]

Outremer is in a tough spot, but part of that is due to Privateerkev, not me.

Jeez, it's getting to where a player can't have his avatar go on a belated honeymoon to Timbuktu anymore without being at least partially blamed for creating a difficult situation for everyone else.

[econ21]

Can anyone remind me of the mechanics of Pope killing and reconciliation? I know Overknight achieved reconciliation in the Heinrich era. If we remove the current Pope and replace him with a German, will we be reconciled? That seemed to be what happened post-Durazzo when Stig accidentally backed a German rather than the current Spaniard.

And could I then gift back Jerusalem to the Papacy?

[OverKnight]

If we elect our own Pope, or that of an ally, peace and reconciliation will be accomplished. If we merely vote for a non ally or non-german winner, our relations with the new pope will rise, but we'll still be excommed and at war.

To donate, we'd need a diplomat and an appropriate Papal Stats char to make contact with (captain, General or diplomat). Our despicable reputation might effect negotiations, but I doubt they would refuse a straight gift.

[Privateerkev]

I think that's how it works. When you whack the Pope, a new one will pop up where the capital was since there are no other territories. When the game checks if there is no Pope, you'll get the option to pick like Stig did. We own the College so it will be German. A German will reconcile us and put us up to full "faith" with him. Then you can gift the city back.

At least that is as far as I know. FH or OK or others might know something different.

*edit*

I wrote this before I saw OK's post

Also, isn't the Pope German? Stig picked a German and then GH never took the new save. We worked off of Stig's save IIRC