Time of Crisisisisisisssing time!
Module download location here:
http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Time_of_Crisis (1.02)
Rulebook here:
https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/142577/rules
Through a method that was purely random (sorting players alphabetically by Languish nickname for seating, then rolling a die to see who goes first), play order is as follows:
1st: Solmyr
2nd: Tamas
3rd: Celedhring
4th: Habbaku
Which means we're off to Solmyr to start with initial province selection (to place his starting governor, general, militia, and legion in a single province with support level 1). Then Tamas, Celedhring, etc.
I started a Dropbox folder, but haven't put anything there since there's nothing to do except setup at this stage of the game.
Habbaku deals from the bottom of the deck. It's true. That's why he's no longer allowed at the Virgin Queen tables at the Bellagio.
Did the players volunteer or is there a draft?
Picked blue colour and chose Britannia. My setup log uploaded. Off to Tamas.
Have taken Red and Macedonia. Off to Celed.
I'm drunk right now since it's my birthday, will make my move tomorrow once I sober up!
Marcus Celedus Ringus raises his green banner in the province of Hispania.
Quote from: celedhring on August 10, 2017, 02:21:04 PM
Marcus Celedus Ringus raises his green banner in the province of Hispania.
Sounds Gallic. I'm watching you...
Habbakus Minimus Bulbus, meanwhile, looks on from his governorship in Egypt:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4337/36319262572_834fa6c042_m.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XkpHqh)LanguishCrisis (https://flic.kr/p/XkpHqh)
With the Empire set up, it's off to Tamas to start us off. For the first few turns, I suggest you rigidly follow the sequence of play, IE, don't forget to roll for an event as the very first thing you do and don't forget to build your new hand before passing the turn off to the next player.
The guy in Africa looks pretty pale.
Shouldn't we select our hands first? I went ahead and did it. File is up
Quote from: Tamas on August 10, 2017, 03:21:50 PM
Shouldn't we select our hands first? I went ahead and did it. File is up
Yes, but the first turn hand is pretty scripted. There are only two realistic options if you plan on acquiring a second province during your first play. If you really want to slow down the game in order to make sure people don't "cheat" on their first hand...
I don't mind. But won't be able to do my proper turn until the morning
Isn't it my turn first?
Also, you fuckers let Habbaku be all alone in the east (Tamas doesn't count since he'll die quickly).
Yes, Solmyr is first. The game order will literally never change.
Also, no one "left me alone" in the east. I was last to pick. That being said, I will also encourage you guys to realize just how far-reaching your actions can be if you wish. Do not get wedded to any specific piece of territory. Do not play tit-for-tat games where you feel like you should "get back" at someone for taking a governorship from your territory.
The game is pretty wild and wooly and if you get locked into revenge games, you're going to wonder why you ended the game ~40 legacy while one guy has 65 and 4+ turns as Emperor.
This, at least, is my perspective after playing ~6 games and seeing people play as if a certain province is "theirs".
In addition to the above, I'd like to point out just how close everyone actually is. Britannia is 2 points of movement away from Hispania, which is 2 away from Egypt, which is two away from Macedonia, which is two away from Hispania...etc.
The map is actually very claustrophobic once you realize how easy movement and governor replacement is.
Yeah, I was just poking you. :P
Anyway, my turn is uploaded. We have a Rival Emperor right away! The Priest King of Emesa has set up shop in Syria. Meanwhile, Solmyrius Maximus Britannicus has expanded his influence into Gallia and stationed a legion there.
Over to Tamas.
Solmyr you forgot to reduce Italia's support due to the Rival Emperor so I did that.
Also I am not sure the End Turn button works ok in the module, it sends played cards to available cards instead of discards, not that it matters much now but could cause confusion later on.
File uploaded.
I think you only reduce your own support in the Support Phase, so neutral Italia and Syria are not affected.
Also, End Turn button seems to work fine for me.
Check 10.2:
QuoteRival Emperors reduce the support in Italia during the Support
Check Phase (6.4) as well as in the province where they are
located.
It is also Celed's turn.
Yes, but check 6.4. It only ever speaks of reducing support of your governed provinces, including when you are Emperor and there is a Rival Emperor. At no point is anyone else's support reduced during your turn (it would be pretty murderous if e.g. Italy is reduced at the end of every player's turn).
In fact, support in neutral provinces never changes because neutrals don't have a turn. It always stays at 1 in most provinces and equal to the number of neutral provinces in Italia.
See here: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1812481/king-emesa-event-card
Ah ok "Support reduces in a province only during a player's support check phase of their turn in the provinces they control. No other time. The neutral player does not have a turn so no support phase--no reduction of support in provinces governed by neutrals. " clears it up I guess.
Should I fix something when I take my turn, then?
I didn't select my cards beforehand, btw, I thought we would do that before we took our first full turn. I hope it's ok.
Quote from: celedhring on August 11, 2017, 10:44:59 AM
I didn't select my cards beforehand, btw, I thought we would do that before we took our first full turn. I hope it's ok.
Yep, that's okay. The first turn is somewhat scripted and doesn't matter what you select in your hand too much. After that, though...it becomes very important to select your hand at the end of your turn.
Yes its fine, basically if you want to have a second province like us you need to take 3 blue cards, then the only question is do you want two red or two yellow cards in addition to that.
When you make your move, please move the support of Italia back where it started (8 IIRC) and Syria's support back to 1. Thanks!
Quote from: Tamas on August 11, 2017, 10:54:58 AM
Yes its fine, basically if you want to have a second province like us you need to take 3 blue cards, then the only question is do you want two red or two yellow cards in addition to that.
When you make your move, please move the support of Italia back where it started (8 IIRC) and Syria's support back to 1. Thanks!
Yeah, I planned my first turn when I did my setup (3 blue + 2 red - I can tell you upfront), I just didn't take the cards yet.
Will fix the support once I do my turn, then. I'll post it this evening once I'm back at home.
Marcus Celedus Ringus gives a rousing speech in the Senate calling for the removal of the traitorous proconsul of Africa, who's been hoarding the grain shipments to Rome. Celedus' candidate will TOTALLY not do such a thing. Promise.
In order to protect the valuable foodstuffs from the Berber hordes, a new legion is raised in Carthago and put under the command of Celedus' adopted son - Marcus Minor - whose loyalty to the Emperor is really, really, really unquestionable.
Minimus Bulbus' quiet world of eating Egyptian grain and sipping from the Nile comes to a rude end with a Sassy Nid invasion next door. The Priest King of Emesa apparently pulled some Persian strings and called down for aid which was duly dispatched to the province of Syria.
Deciding to leave all that alone, the Egyptian faction sponsors a new governor in Pannonia and raises a new general and legion there to...oversee things.
Also purchased a Castra (2-Red) card at end of turn.
I also updated Rome's support level. Rome itself, if governed by a neutral, reduces support by 1 for every neutral governor that is replaced. So, Rome's down to 4 now.
Over to Solmyr.
Solmyrius Maximus Britannicus, seeing that legions are springing up like mushrooms, orders his first Gallic army to dig in at Lutetia and commissions another legion led by a family member. This is, of course, done to protect against barbarian tribes that are moving across the Danube, and a Limes is duly constructed on the borders of Gallia.
Over to Tamas.
Since the Emperor can't even keep Syria in check, Tamasus Macedonicus invested in raising a new legion and establishing a Limes in Galatia.
Celed's up.
How do cards with additional powers work? You either use them for influence or the printed text, or do you get to use both?
Quote from: celedhring on August 12, 2017, 06:14:53 AM
How do cards with additional powers work? You either use them for influence or the printed text, or do you get to use both?
Both
A quaestor is dispatched to Carthago to take care of the distribution of grain to the army and sending supplies to Rome. Weeks later, Marcus Celedus Ringus decides to celebrate the Saturnalia by distributing grain among the citizens of Hispania - obviously not African grain, that would be stealing from the erarium, and Marcus Celedus Ringus would never do such a thing. The populace hails Celedus as his protector, raising his approval in the province.
A Limes is built in Africa, to protect the province from the Berbers.
I forgot to hit "END TURN" before ending the logfile. Habs, take care of that before you start your move.
Fearing the increasing depredations of the Sassanids in the Syrian province, a new legionary army under Maximus Bulgus is raised in the province of Pannonia for future...protection of the interior. Who knows where these wild Sassanids might go next! Why, they could make it all the way to Rome itself! This new army also constructs a brief Castra to protect the capital.
The populace of Pannonia, meanwhile, is overjoyed to see the steady improvement of the local defensive network. A system of border forts are also thrown up to protect the realm from barbarians to the north.
Over to Sol.
Determined to protect the western provinces, Solmyrius Maximus Britannicus trains another legion in Gallia and recruits new political talent from the family.
Over to Tamas.
Tamasus gave control of Macedonia over to his trusted Quaestor who has increased his support in the province, and Macedonicus has taken up on himself to protect Thracia from the Barbarians.
I have grabbed a Foederati card as well.
Now, Habbaku needs to tell us how to Mask cards in our hands.
Mine show up masked when I draw them. Or at least that's what it looks like.
I'm away from my PC for the rest of the weekend. Will post my turn tomorrow morning.
News from the north say that the Alamanni have crossed the Rhine and invaded Pannonia! However the host is small and they soon settle down after encountering the fortifications in the area.
Marcus Celedus Ringus spends the months using his influence in the Senate to get two of his family members elected Proconsul and Legate, awaiting future commissions.
EDIT: Forgot to update my score - will do once it gets round to my turn again (I scored 3 legacy this turn)
Quote from: celedhring on August 14, 2017, 03:12:43 AM
EDIT: Forgot to update my score - will do once it gets round to my turn again (I scored 3 legacy this turn)
I updated it for you.
More Alamanni hordes pour across the borders of the Empire but are halted temporarily by the system of Limes thoughtfully constructed by Biggus Bulgus.
In order to quell this trouble, Bulgus trains another legion, the Fretensis, and dispatches them to the capital area.
A new governor is installed in Asia by the name of Tremendus Bulgus, though just barely...Still, he provides the necessary support to further the Habbaku clan's cause.Over to Solminimus.
How do you mask you cards Habs? Most of mine aren't masked.
Don't manually draw the cards. Right-click on your "available" pile and then select the cards you want one at a time. It should mask them from there.
Honestly, though, why bother with it? I'm not going around looking at other players' hands in the middle of my turn. I suppose if you really wanted to cheat, you could do that with everyone's unmasked cards, but...what's the fun in that?
If I was afraid one among us might cheat, peeking at the cards would be the least of my worries. Fortunately, I'm not.
I don't mind, it just annoyed me that I couldn't figure it out.
Solmyrius Britannicus improves his support in Britannia and builds a basilica at Londinium. In Gallia, another legion is trained.
Over to Tamas.
I guess I missed a rule.
In a glorious display of Roman arms and diplomacy, I have Foederated one of the Gothic invaders into my Galatia army, then placed a Militia and wiped the enemy army. Lost the Militia only.
Now I have just realised that if I read the rules right I was not supposed to be able to place Militia while enemy units were present.
I have uploaded my move (including a bit of fumbling around with my Castra). If I am right about the Militia, and you guys don't mind, I'll just remove my Gothic unit as a loss instead, and use those 2 yellow points to place a Militia in Thracia. If you are not cool with that, I'll just forfeit those two points I guess.
Also I forgot the big news of the turn: Pretender Emperor Postumus has set up shop in Gallia!
Quote from: Tamas on August 15, 2017, 06:42:04 AM
I guess I missed a rule.
In a glorious display of Roman arms and diplomacy, I have Foederated one of the Gothic invaders into my Galatia army, then placed a Militia and wiped the enemy army. Lost the Militia only.
Now I have just realised that if I read the rules right I was not supposed to be able to place Militia while enemy units were present.
I have uploaded my move (including a bit of fumbling around with my Castra). If I am right about the Militia, and you guys don't mind, I'll just remove my Gothic unit as a loss instead, and use those 2 yellow points to place a Militia in Thracia. If you are not cool with that, I'll just forfeit those two points I guess.
I see that the militia didn't get a hit in so I guess it's fine if you do that? Dunno what others think.
I'm fine with the shift around. It doesn't affect anything--the militia weren't needed to win the battle. So, the converted barbarian unit is destroyed and the militia is raised in Thrace instead.
Ok thanks, new replay with the corrections has been uploaded, Celed is up.
News from Persia! The Parthian King has fallen to rebellion and now a warlord that styles himself Ardashir claims to rule over those lands. Surely the disarray will only be advantageous for Rome.
Marcus Celedus Ringus finds proof that the proconsul of Asia has been involved in treason! Marcus volunteers one of his brothers to replace him, and the senate passes the motion. In order to restore Imperial order to the province, an army is raised in Asia commanded by one of Celedus' trusted generals, and a further legion is trained.
Have all the events drawn so far spawned leaders on the map?
Who actually set up the event deck? :hmm:
Quote from: Habbaku on August 16, 2017, 02:15:30 PM
Who actually set up the event deck? :hmm:
Isn't it a random draw deck?
Hm, actually, upon checking it, as long as Tamas hit the "Create Event Deck" button at the start of the game, it should be fine. Looks like we're just getting a weird randomization.
Quote from: Habbaku on August 16, 2017, 03:23:33 PM
Hm, actually, upon checking it, as long as Tamas hit the "Create Event Deck" button at the start of the game, it should be fine. Looks like we're just getting a weird randomization.
I moved second. Solmyr started the game
Blame Solmyr then.
I hit the Create Event Deck button at the start, yeah. :P
Ok so it is Habbaku's turn then.
Ardashir of the Sassanid Empire gathers more of his decadent armies to him for an invasion of Syria. Some of his own satraps decide to extend the invasion into Egypt! Fortunately, the Legions there, under the guidance of Extremus Priapus, manage to inveigle some of the Sassanid tribes to join the legions before smashing the remnant.
The Roman legions of Pannonia do an exceptional job of dispersing the barbarian scum as well, much to the glory of the Bulgus tribe. Alas, the militias in both provinces fell under the sword and were put to flight, the cowards.
Of minor note is that a small legion has occupied the city of Rome itself in order to, er, protect the Emperor. Yes.
Over to Sol.
The Gallic legions of Solmyrius Britannicus engage and defeat the Rival Emperor Postumus with minimal losses. Emboldened, they cross the Rubicon into Italia, ready to keep order. Meanwhile, the Senate, impressed by the victory of Solmyrius, decides to name him Imperator, though his reign may prove quite brief...
Over to Tamas.
Tamasus learned of the chaos in Rome and was quick to act to restore order. Using the fact that the new "Emperor" lacked the support of the capital's garrison, he had a fairly easy time to put one of his trusted cousins in charge, while also strengthening his support in Galatia.
The lack of "turns as Emperor" counters is sure annoying.
Quote from: Tamas on August 17, 2017, 03:07:40 PM
The lack of "turns as Emperor" counters is sure annoying.
We can manually keep track (everyone is still at 0 turns thanks to the Rival Emperors), but the counters seem to have disappeared between my move file 009 and Solmyr's 010. :hmm:
A small contingent of nomadic tribes emerge from the desert, raiding the lands of the Nile!
Meanwhile, Marcus Celedus Ringus spends the turn building support in Asia and erecting a fortification network to protect it from Gothic or Sassanid attacks
Another successful Roman foray into the hinterlands of Egypt manages to drive off the hordes of Nomadic tribesmen that dare to threaten the Empire's grain supply.
Elsewhere, in the city of Rome itself, the local garrison supports a change in management. Solmyrius failed to bribe the correct Senators, and so Massivius Oakus Bulgus I is given Imperium by the Senate and People of Rome.
Unfortunately, the Priest King still reigns in Syria, and so the rule is a shaky one...
The Sassanids once again stage an incursion into Roman lands; with Syria solidly in their hands, they invade Aegyptus. In the west, since the governor of Pannonia is clearly unable to deal with rampaging Franks, Solmyrius's third army moves from Italia to deal with them. Meanwhile, Solmyrius strengthens his support in Britannia and Gallia.
Over to Tamas.
Will be traveling for a couple of days, so if my next turn arrives I'll be able to send it on Wednesday night.
Tamasus hired a unit of Goths as mercenaries and added an extra legion to his army station in Thrace before leaving the province to the local militia's care to attend to restoring order in Rome.
Having defeated the traitors guarding him, he deposed Massivius and installed his second cousin, Durcius Hublus as Emperor. There was much rejoicing in the capital.
Finally Tamasus made sure that a local militia is raised in the defense of Rome and the province of Galatia.
In other news, nobody was surprised to hear that local mismanagement of the province have seen an angry mob gather in Egypt.
How do I trash one of my cards within the mod?
Quote from: celedhring on August 23, 2017, 07:17:23 AM
How do I trash one of my cards within the mod?
Open your player screen, then from the Discards, then right-click on the card you want to trash
Misery piles on the peoples of Egypt, as Nomads charge from the desert into the fertile lands of the Nile, joining the Sassanids and the rioters
Meanwhile, Marcus Celedus Ringus tries to consolidate his positions by strengthening his support in Hispania and getting one of his cousins through the cursus honorum, awaiting an appointment as proconsul.
Habbaku is next. :sleep:
Is this game: dead? :ph34r:
Not at all. Busy last couple of days. My move should be out soon.
And as a note ahead of time, DragonCon is next weekend, so I won't be able to do any moves from Thursday until Monday morning.
King Cniva of the Goths rallies the clans in the northern plains and prepares for an invasion of Roman Thracia.
Elsewhere, Egypt is at least partially purged of the barbarian taint, though Sassanids continue to run wild in the hinterlands. Despite this issue, the Nomads are scattered to the winds in a great victory for Rome.
Unfortunately, this glorious victory isn't enough to convince the Senate to dispatch a new governor to Thracia. Perhaps next year...
Over to Sol.
A map for those following along at home:
(Click for larger version)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4438/36036027453_16b8095732_m.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WUo4ua)TIME (https://flic.kr/p/WUo4ua)
Of note:
I am currently "winning" but have the lowest support level possible in my two provinces and have been hammered by the random events. Fortunately, besting all the barbarian tribes that are invading my territory is keeping me in the game.
Tamas is doing very well for himself with 4 controlled provinces and, assuming he purges the Rival Emperor Priest King in Syria of troublemakers, he'll be first on the board with an Emperor Turn, which nets huge bonus VPs at the end of the game.
Solmyr has strong armies in the field and has taken a more compact, improvement-heavy approach. He essentially has the option of going wherever he pleases with his next advance. I would be surprised if he doesn't reach out for Italia...
Celedhring has an interesting position between all of Tamas' provinces and is sure to take one of those soon, right? Considering the size of his army in Asia, he can pick the weakest province around for proper sacking and, er, re-management.
The Pannonian army of the Solmyrius family adds another legion to its banners and recruits some Frankish tribes as foederati. The army has so far been content to guard the Danube frontier, but who knows what the general's intentions are... Meanwhile, the governor of Thrace is replaced with one loyal to the Solmyrii as the Senate sees the light (and the Pannonian army close by).
Over to Tamas.
A time of consolidating gains for Tamasus, which slowly erodes his support to be honest, as the false emperor is still at large in Syria. A new army was created in Galatia, other than that, defensive measures have been taken in the form of increasing support in Macedonia, appointing a trusted Quaestor in Galatia, and fortifying the army in Italia due to the suspect loyalties of the forces in Pannonia.
Speaking of Pannonia, a unit of Alamannic raiders entered the province but the Limes pacified them for now.
The Nomad tribes cross into Africa! For now they've been stopped by the fortifications.
Marcus Celedus Ringus dennounces the proconsul of Thracia for conspiring with the Barbarians and leaving the defences purposely weakened for a raid. The governor is replaced by one of Celedus' confidence who quickly recruits an army legion to defend the province.
Quote from: Solmyr on August 29, 2017, 06:15:58 AM
The Pannonian army of the Solmyrius family adds another legion to its banners and recruits some Frankish tribes as foederati. The army has so far been content to guard the Danube frontier, but who knows what the general's intentions are... Meanwhile, the governor of Thrace is replaced with one loyal to the Solmyrii as the Senate sees the light (and the Pannonian army close by).
Over to Tamas.
Sol, since you do not govern Pannonia, you may not recruit new legions into the army there. You may train reduced legions, but not recruit. Would you like to shift that legion to one of your other armies?
Quote from: Habbaku on August 31, 2017, 06:13:38 PM
Sol, since you do not govern Pannonia, you may not recruit new legions into the army there. You may train reduced legions, but not recruit. Would you like to shift that legion to one of your other armies?
Will do it in Gallia then, and put the Frankish foederati there too.
Roger.
With the Nomadic tribes bested, the hard-pressed legions of Egypt score another grand victory against the Sassanid scum. The only true empire is that of Rome, of course!
With these victories over external enemies, support rises in both Egypt and Pannonia for the local governors, who have done naught but keep them safe from all depredations. In addition, another legion, the Italica, is raised on the Pannonian plain, ostensibly to continue protecting the realm from enemies within and without.
Back to Sol.
The Solmyrii pull back from Pannonia just as a new Frankish invasion occurs there. The main Solmyrii army in Gallia crosses the Pyrenees, ousting the Hispanian legion of Celedus and occupying the capital. With the first Roman-against-Roman battle, the civil wars have begun!
Over to Tamas.
Quote from: Solmyr on September 01, 2017, 05:42:38 AM
The Solmyrii pull back from Pannonia just as a new Frankish invasion occurs there. The main Solmyrii army in Gallia crosses the Pyrenees, ousting the Hispanian legion of Celedus and occupying the capital. With the first Roman-against-Roman battle, the civil wars have begun!
Over to Tamas.
I have already defeated Habbaku's army to take the throne, pay attention :P
Having consolidated his holdings, Tamasus turned toward sorting out the mess in Syria.
Having gained the allegiance of the goths in that cursed province, his army moved into the capital and chased away the inept governor, putting one of his trusted man into the position.
The new governor's support fluctuated, as the initial jubilation over the defeat of the rival emperor the Priest King, was replaced with the solemn realisation that the big Sassanid invasion force will not be dealt with, for the time being.
The Priest King was defeated at the cost of the Gothic foederati and some losses from the legions, the latter which was promptly replaced.
I know have 1 turn as Emperor, we should not forget :P
Celed is up.
I have a question:
a) I got a Nomad invasion in Africa. There were already two Nomad armies present.
b) There's a limes in that province. I assume that 1) the new armies go inactive, the armies already present remain active.
c) Since there's now 4 Nomad armies in Africa, one should get moved to Hispania? One of the new - inactive - ones?
I think I got that right, but I'll hold on the move until I get confirmation.
EDIT: Posted my turn, I'll fix the Nomad movement if it turns out I botched it.
Marcus Celedus Ringus can't respond to the treacherous invasion of Hispania, with his hands tied up by the presence of even more invading Nomads in Africa. For now, he buys himself time with a timely bribe to pacify the tribes while another legion is raised in Carthago, and grain is distributed among the population to raise support.
EDIT: I again forgot to gain legacy. I should be due 6 points.
Looks correct to me.
Looks good, Celedhring. The overflow units inactivate as well, and you did that, so we're good. Note, however, that any barbarians that inactivate in that manner then activate again at the very end of the provincial governor's turn. So, the Nomads reactivate at the end of your turn in both Hispania and Africa.
The legions training in Pannonia take up the curious idea suggested by one of the barbarian kings--more will flock to the Roman banner if only a more...amenable Emperor takes the throne. With fresh support from the tribesmen beyond the Empire, the march on Rome proves successful and the Biggian forces secure the capital for their commander!
Seeing the light, and knowing that peace may only come when the tribes are pacified, the Senate ousts the Emperor and declares the reign of a new figureh--err, servant of the state--Ephemerus I! His reign will surely be as long as the day.
As expected, with Solmyrii legions in the capital, the governor of Hispania is replaced with one loyal to them. The people of Gallia also receive bread and circuses arranged by the Solmyrii. The western edge of the Empire seems solidly behind the family.
Over to Tamas.
Well, the war with Persia has made a turn for the worse.
First of all, a massive Sassanid army has descended upon Galatia, temporarily held up by the Limes, but they will have to be dealt with.
And as if that wasn't enough, Tamasus' army in Syria suffered a defeat when attacked the Sassanid forces, despite being reinforced by some disloyal Sassanid forces before the battle. At least the Sassanid Emperor was killed in the battle.
All this bad news was offset by a reckless long shot of a political gamble paying dividends by replacing the governor of Thracia with somebody loyal to Tamasus
Roman stealing from Roman, that's how the barbarians will get us. :mad:
It's a holiday weekend over here so I'll be travelling until Tuesday. Sorry for the delay!
Checking the turn. Tamas, shouldn't one of the Sassanids in Galatia have poured over to Asia? There's 4 in the province.
Quote from: celedhring on September 13, 2017, 02:52:09 AM
Checking the turn. Tamas, shouldn't one of the Sassanids in Galatia have poured over to Asia? There's 4 in the province.
Ah yes, correct, thanks for spotting
I'll move the unit myself, then.
The restless Sassanids continue massing their forces behind the Eufrates, despite the defeat they suffer at the hands of Marcus Celedus in Asia. Roman legions also send back to the desert the invaders in Africa, and carried by the clout of these victories, the gens Celeda is able to claim back the prefecture of Thracia. Celebratory games and gifts of grain are given in Thracia and Asia, making Marcus Celedus beloved among the plebs in these provinces.
It's still Habbaku's turn. :ph34r:
Should be able to do my turn tonight.
With greedy Roman senators eyeing the throne of Ephemerus I, it stands to reason that more legions should be raised to protect the Emperor's holy body.
Elsewhere, the legions drive the Goths out of Pannonia and further show the Emperor's mercy towards Rome's people. That mercy is extended enough via a series of chariot games sufficient to placate the gathering mobs in Pannonia as well...
And, yet, the Empire is not a safe place just yet. With the bigly defeat in Syria, mobs gather to protest the inefficiency and waste of the Tamasian domain. Perhaps he should build a wall and make the Sassanids pay for it?
Fresh from his victories in Hispania, the general Marcus Solmyrius Hispanicus sails to Italia, attacking the legions of Ephemerus I. The initial attack proves successful, although the Emperor's weakened forces continue to hold Rome. One can only wonder whether the Tamasian legions in northern Italia will seize this opportunity...
Over to Tamas.
Having had enough of the standoff with frankly quite intimidating legions of questionably loyalty to the Empire, Tamassus' army of Italia marched into Pannonia, and after a brief battle with deserters, replaced the governor with someone who truly has the public's interests at heart.
Meanwhile, an ill-advised military gamble saw the army in Galatia defeated by the Goths, despite being reinforced by Sassanids from Syria. Not before killing the Gothic king, however.
Luckily, the Sassanid forces in Galatia accepted a small tribute to enact a truce.
Off to Cel.
Another holiday weekend for me (yay Catalan holiday calendar in the autumn), so I'll be away from my playing computer until Tuesday :P
Deeply sorry for holding this up guys. I'm still *not* back at my place, got a family emergency and had to travel to my parents'. I plan to be back tomorrow.
My turn is going to be rather unspectacular, so this wait is going to be a bit anti-climatic :lol:
Do lone militias count as "unit commanded by player" when attempting to place a governor in the province, if there's no army or general in the city?
No rush. Life comes first. Hope the parents are okay!
Militias do count as a unit commanded by a player, yes. They are controlled by the player who has a governor in the province, to my recollection.
The Sassanids once again receive reinforcements from beyond the Eufrates, penetrating deep in Roman territory and reaching Asia! For now the fortifications in the province are keeping them at bay.
Marcus Celedus Ringus tries to bring back the province of Hispania under his influence, but his diplomatic gamble in the Senate fails by just one vote.
It's not all bad news though, since the armies in Carthago beat back the Nomad tribes invading Africa decisively. A further legion is raised in Thracia to fend off the Goths.
Despite getting knocked around in Italia and losing Pannonia, Ephemerus I has cemented his control over Rome and Egypt. With one of the breadbaskets of the Empire in hand, the Senate cannot help but throw away their petty squabbles and clamor for order behind the newly-dominant Emperor. Ave Caesar!
I got to 62 Legacy at the end of my turn and, as I'm the current Emperor, that triggers the end-game conditions...and since I'm the 4th player, that means the game ends as we've all taken an "equal amount of turns." Hail Caesar and everything, sir! :yeah:
Good game, guys. Want to go for another now that we have more experience? Maybe this time we'll see fewer Sassanid activations? :P
I'm totally up for another one. It's a fun game and hopefully I'll play better this time.
I'm up too. Would also be nice if Habs can give us an analysis of where we played well/badly. :P
I had a few wasted turns since my hand management wasn't great (I don't play many hand management games), once I finally got going it was a bit too late. I really didn't have much of a focused strategy until my later turns.
Cool little game. Wish the theme was more palatable to my ameritrashy friends.
I think you all did fine in most areas, especially Tamas, who expanded very aggressively and without regard for whose "sphere" he might have been entering into.
If there was a mistake made, it was that once I had captured Italia and become Emperor, no one seriously challenged my position. From my plays, I think someone getting 3+ turns of uninterrupted Imperial bonuses is simply too much. Basically, if someone other than you is Emperor, all non-Emperors should be conspiring to topple him to avoid the huge amount of Legacy and support points that will accrue, nevermind the Emperor Turns bonus at the end of the game.
A good way to do this is to always consider who might be positioning to be placing a governor in Italia and to be prepared to counteract that in some way. That could be something as simple as having an army prepared to knock down any legions they might toss into Rome, but also might take the guise of spreading out into adjacent provinces and focusing entirely on setting up a Pretender Emperor territory elsewhere. Note that, while there is even a single Pretender on the map, it's incredibly difficult for a sitting Emperor to accrue Legacy or even to enjoy being Emperor--they don't receive Emperor Turns, and their support in Italia is going to constantly decrease until they're ousted.
Good game! I was strongly considering setting up a pretender empire but clearly I was way too late.
I would join another game, it's fun.
I'm swamped this week, along with running a Legend of the Five Rings LCG demo on Saturday afternoon. Will get a new game started on Sunday, most likely.
I'm going to be utterly swamped this week and the next. If somebody wishes to take my spot when the game starts, be my guest.
Drain the swamp!