Man of the Hour Emergency Senate Session

**TinCow** · 07-06-2008, 02:16

Originally Posted by Askthepizzaguy

My opinion is that the royal family should decide who it adopts or not.

This is an interesting concept. Do you mean everyone on the family tree or are you talking about some subset of the family tree?

**flyd** · 07-06-2008, 02:56

We could also make it anyone on the family tree, and RP it as if that person was the adopter regardless of where the adoptee actually lands. The succession mechanic is funny enough to make the exact placement on the tree not all that important. This should still be subject to the max two physical adoptees unless the family member agrees otherwise. This makes it easier to get on the tree as you only have to be liked by one family member, still leaves people two offspring slots if they want them, and doesn't make people accept and RP sons that their avatars would never adopt, but adoptions still mean something because there is some family member willing to take that avatar as a son.

**Askthepizzaguy** · 07-06-2008, 03:32

Originally Posted by TinCow

This is an interesting concept. Do you mean everyone on the family tree or are you talking about some subset of the family tree?

Anyone on the family tree should have a say. THEY are royalty.

We generals shouldnt have a say. We're just the hired help.

**TinCow** · 07-06-2008, 04:09

Originally Posted by Askthepizzaguy

Anyone on the family tree should have a say. THEY are royalty.

We generals shouldnt have a say. We're just the hired help.

My initial reaction is to be concerned about how much time it would take to poll the 'royal family' to get consent for a MoH. However, I'm also very intrigued by the notion of a 'tier' of nobility that people could obtain by joining the family tree. I'm not sure what purpose it would serve, but it could be something to expand upon in the future. I'd like to see more discussion of this.

**Privateerkev** · 07-06-2008, 04:21

Originally Posted by TinCow

My initial reaction is to be concerned about how much time it would take to poll the 'royal family' to get consent for a MoH. However, I'm also very intrigued by the notion of a 'tier' of nobility that people could obtain by joining the family tree. I'm not sure what purpose it would serve, but it could be something to expand upon in the future. I'd like to see more discussion of this.

If we are going to consider polling the family tree, then what about weighting the votes? As TF pointed out, not all family tree members are created equal.

Emperor - 4 votes
Caesar - 3 votes
natural born sons - 2 votes
every one else - 1 vote

Also what this does, is allow the potential for votes going quick. Once there is a majority of the possible votes, the decision is made. So, if the Emperor and/or Caesar are active players, then they can make a decision almost by themselves. Since they would most likely be a high percentage of the votes, until later in the game when the tree is bigger, they would have a huge say in the decision, as well as make sure the voting is over fairly quickly.

This also makes the family tree more nuanced, which some wished for back in the rules discussion phase.

**TinCow** · 07-06-2008, 04:49

If this kind of a system is to be adopted (emphasis on if, I am still far from convinced it will serve any useful purpose) I would prefer an equal, unweighted vote for everyone, but with the Basileus wielding a veto. A weighted system would make sense, but that's a pretty large level of complexity for an organization that so far has no purpose other than to determine its own membership.

**Privateerkev** · 07-06-2008, 04:54

Originally Posted by TinCow

If this kind of a system is to be adopted (emphasis on if, I am still far from convinced it will serve any useful purpose) I would prefer an equal, unweighted vote for everyone, but with the Basileus wielding a veto. A weighted system would make sense, but that's a pretty large level of complexity for an organization that so far has no purpose other than to determine its own membership.

Yeah, I can't say I'm very keen on it either. But some people did want the family tree to mean more. And they did want it more nuanced. So, this is one way of doing that.

**Askthepizzaguy** · 07-06-2008, 04:56

You could simply have members of "The Royal Family" end quote draw up a list of people they would vote to welcome/deny into the royal family, and have them all forward it to TinCow.

That way you don't have to STOP the game and VOTE but everyone's secret ballots are already in.

You don't seriously want Monomachos in the family tree do you? So everyone votes no.

Some may not want their rivals on the tree, so only they vote no.

Some may see how great Methodios Tagaris is, and so everyone votes yes.

And so on.

That way, it's already decided. And people can amend their choices later. I seriously believe the royal family should be able to say no, and that MoH should MEAN something special, so not everyone can join, but that the elite warriors should join.

I believe being an heir to the royal family or an adopted member is a priviliged status reserved for those above the common soldiery.

**Ramses II CP** · 07-06-2008, 05:44

IMHO this should be a power of, and decision for, the Emperor. What does 'Man of the Hour' really mean, after all, except someone whose victory has been so great as to draw the highest attention in the land? Logically I like the idea of the adopter getting a chance to say no, especially if they have no natural children, but if the Emperor asks you to take someone in and you say no, there should be in character consequences to that even if you're doing it for OOC reasons.

Let me see if I can clarify my thoughts:

1. MotH is an in character event. Whether it is accepted or not should be an IC decision.

2. Being a MotH means your victory was so great as to draw the eyes of your Emperor, who is the only man with the ultimate authority to adopt a potential heir into his family. If the Emperor rejects you he may face a public backlash, especially among the more warriorly senators, etc. If he accepts you, you're royalty, period.

3. If you're on the family tree you are subject to the Emperor's authority. If he instructs you to join a MotH recruit to your family, obey or suffer the consequences. If you decline for OOC reasons (Such as a desire for natural children) this should still have IC consequences. We all have to live with the flaws in the engine.

My 2 cents.

**TheFlax** · 07-06-2008, 04:14

Originally Posted by Askthepizzaguy

Anyone on the family tree should have a say. THEY are royalty.

We generals shouldnt have a say. We're just the hired help.

No they are not. For example, Kosmas is on the family tree, but is certainly not royalty. Being on the family tree can easily mean that the person in question is under the patronage of a royal or someone connected to them. Even in the royal family itself, not everyone is equal and power if often measured by how close one person is to the Basileus.

In brief, as RGBs have varying degrees of power and are each in a unique position, not everyone in the family tree should be lumped together.

Finally, any kind of voting would freeze up even more time. The only way I could see this idea working is if at each Magnaura session, the members in the family voted if Men of the Hour would be accepted or not for the following term.

Nevertheless, I am more inclined for the latest E2.1, as it seems a good no-hassle compromise between what almost everybody seems to want.