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[Margrave]

Figure it might be prudent to upload my save if anyone besides mainiac and Aqizzar want to see.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mj6qxr0610q3cn3/ENDOFAQIZZAR71.sav

Like I said, it will be underwhelming.

[mainiac]

I see the Li Halan let rebels take back cities on Sutek. How did that even happen? Plague reigns on Sutek and Cadavus (probably from the change over, but still). The Decados were always the most fit rulers of those planets.

I literally didn't even look at those cities towards the end.

[Aqizzar]

The one thing that really threw me off was that Aqizzer continued to seek the regency after he'd made that fail bid for emperor.  That was all really confusing.  It was putting a huge target sign on his back.  If Il Palazzo hadn't made his move, I was going to kick Aqizzer off Byzantium a couple turns later just for spite.

Basically, it was just me being a dick.  I knew I was out of luck at that point, so I basically wanted to hold onto the Regency as long as possible out of spite.  Which I guess is perfectly in character for the powerless ruler of a hollow, crumbling empire.

Man, I wish I'd come back around the last couple of days to see that the game was called.  I'm kinda surprised while at the same time not that this Hail Mary plan worked.  Offensives are really hard to stop in this game, unless it's in space where you basically need to trap your target in a pincer so they can't just jump away.

I think what I learned more than anything is that I don't know dick about military strategy, and I'm way too trusting.  By far my biggest blunder was focusing so much effort early on to secure Vril-Ya at the expense of rapidly developing the far more valuable planets to my east.

As far as intrigue goes, my success depends on how you want to look at it.  On the one hand, I accomplished basically nothing in my time as Regent, including failing to secure a power base worth attempting to seize the crown (I honestly completely forgot about the mechanics of how that works, and I really only did it to spice the game up after four decades of doldrums).  On the other hand, I managed to consecutively win every single election where there were any Nobles left alive on Byzantium besides the Palazzo's.  I'd like to think I managed to play a couple people against each other a few times, but that was basically only because Margrave wasn't actually intimidated by me.  I was a weak old man with the keys to a very nice house that everyone wanted to placate until they could get them.

I have no idea what was going on in the northern side of the galaxy the whole time, but I will say that Palazzo, you did a fantastic job right up until the end.  I imagine if things had been allowed to continue, Margrave would have eventually been the last man standing, thanks to strategic depth of territory and the ability to crank out space forces.

And if anyone wants to peruse the save, my password is DFFD.

Thanks for the game guys, even if it took most of a year and dragged on way past its due it was tons of fun to speculate and fret over.

[Il Palazzo]

I imagine if things had been allowed to continue, Margrave would have eventually been the last man standing, thanks to strategic depth of territory and the ability to crank out space forces

Looking at the saves, I'd say Kebooo would be the eventual winner. His economy is stronger, and he has been cranking out cyber fighters like there's no tomorrow. Additionally, he's got a hold on the capital now, while Margrave's main forces are far removed.
On the other hand, it's not that hard to lose a couple more nobles.

By the way, it's almost silly how cyber fighters can dominate the late game. While dreadnoughts might have more staying power, the mobility of all-fighter forces is so much greater. With supply lines in place, it's easy to ship the newly produced fighters to the front lines in the very same turn.


I also wanted to thank you all for participating. Aqizzar for playing the cranky old man with a hold on the throne; mainiac for being his ruthless self; Kebooo for becoming the Soviet steamroller; Margrave for being the mysterious menace.
All in all an immensely enjoyable and instructive excercise in politics and strategy, with some sense of closure to boot.

[Kebooo]

Yeah, I agree about the cyber fighters. I think you want a presence of dreadnoughts, but for the 6 years they take and tremendous resources, they just aren't anywhere as near as effective as cyber fighters. And being able to replenish your attacking force between combat rounds is invaluable. I built 10 dreadnoughts and probably 50 cyber fighters. The fact I could move a fighter from across the galaxy to the throne world that same turn was much more useful. With the build time and move time of a Dreadnought, you have to often plan a decade or more ahead. And then you move them in as sitting ducks.

Awesome game guys, maybe with a couple years break from it I'll be ready for more of the same. That, or a more structured/GMed game with less micromanagement and an end/goal in sight.

[Margrave]

I agree this was fun as hell and would be raring to give it another go...eventually.
Maybe one of the other mods or Vertabs agorified galaxy. Just anything that cuts downtown on early game micromanagement.

[Aqizzar]

I also wanted to thank you all for participating. Aqizzar for playing the cranky old man with a hold on the throne; mainiac for being his ruthless self; Kebooo for becoming the Soviet steamroller; Margrave for being the mysterious menace.
All in all an immensely enjoyable and instructive excercise in politics and strategy, with some sense of closure to boot.

And thank you too for being the powermad fiendish duke, Palazzo.  It was enjoyable to watch, even when I had abandoned all hope of continuing.


Y'know, I've been looking back over my own actions, and I've come to an interesting conclusion.  My biggest failure in the game was not destroying a significant portion of the Hazat space forces at Vau when I had the Imperial Fleet there to do it. Because believe me, that was the plan, and the reason why I announced my intentions to invade Vau on Margrave's advice and moved the Fleet all the way across the galaxy.  Then I got there and saw the Hazat forces brought to bear, and I'm not sure if I choked in fear, or choked at the realization that I couldn't quite take them on yet.

I knew perfectly well that nobody was actually voting for me for Regent election after election because I'm a nice guy.  Maybe the first one, I dunno.  I figured everybody was willing to let me keep the throne warm (until the last one where Palazzo and mainiac tried to talk Margrave into voting against me) because my ineffectual presence kept the galaxy from breaking into all-out war, giving most parties time to build up their forces for the inevitable final conflict.  Certainly that's what I expected, and what I hoped I was accomplishing.  Seeing the Hazat invasion of Vau was proof I needed more time, so I held my attack, hoping Palazzo would be placated away from invading me a little while longer.

I actually expected him to invade mainiac before me, because I expected that he would expect mainiac to be the bigger threat, and would leave me to be mopped up later without tipping his hand by hitting me first.  When Palazzo finally began his attack, I knew it was go time and hoped it would take him long enough for me to get the space forces I'd need to defend myself.  I was clearly wrong.  Palazzo, if I actually managed to slow you down with my hold on Vril-Ya, it's only because you were a perfectionist enough not to leave in my control, because there was no way I could really threaten you there.

But I still think back to sending the Fleet to Vau and providing essentially moral support to the ungodly Hazat invasion, only to later see Vau troops killing my Noble on Byzantium before wresting control of the practically unscratched Imperial Fleet, and I remember that there was something else going through my mind those three or four turns when I could have at least bloodied my obvious foe.  We weren't actually foes yet, we were still pretending to be good neighbors.  I offered him a share of Vau for god's sake, and he took the whole thing.  I didn't attack Palazzo then and there, not just because I wanted to stall for more time, but because I couldn't justify a reason to do it without looking like an ass.  On some level that I couldn't ignore, I actually enjoyed thinking I still had the hollow moral highground of a put-upon leader who had never fired the first shot.  I wanted to maintain that, because I hoped it would at least net me an ally or two when the attack finally came.

What I'm basically saying is, I think I lost as badly as I did because when I had the chance to strike hard, I hesitated because I was too committed to playing nice.  It's poetic really.

[mainiac]

If you want to talk ballsy then you should have gone along with my plan about 6 months ago to declare yourself emperor in your second regency.  At that point the Fleet and Garrison were still unstoppable and we could have divided up the galaxy between us.  Yes we'd have to turn on each other at the end but a 50-50 chance at power ain't so bad.

Oh Aqqizer, you break my heart so many times.

[Kebooo]

Time for closing lore moments!

The sounds of conflict subsided. The Hazat, once with a stranglehold over the throne world, had been violently ejected by the other noble families. The dreams of Lazarus were shattered, though his house still lived on. Would the next regent mete out harsh justice upon the usurper? Gorakhan did not care. She was the last of her family, the last of her name, and she had no intent to ever return to the throne world. Let them play politics, she thought. Let that game of intrigue be the domain of young men and women. Gorakhan wanted none of it. The Decados fleets and forces slowly pulled back to defend loyal territories. Perhaps worlds unknown were ready for Decados indoctrination. Rumor had it that the symbiots still controlled a known world. Yes, one last crusade, I think that is in the making!

Those were Gorakhan's final thoughts, as the assassin cut her throat.

"I always wanted to be Decados. I really don't think they were all related by blood, you know. Besides, she always said you only get what you seize." the leader of the group that entered said, to no one in particular. And so a new era was set to begin on Severus.

[Il Palazzo]

The human interpreter's attempts at communication grated painfully against the Mandarin's delicate sensibilities. He allowed himself to twist his face into tormented grin, drawing sympathetic chuckles from the low ranking Vau officials gathered in the room. The humans, shielded by their ignorance, continued unfazed.

-"Mister Lazarus say plan good. Luck bad. Next time better good, yes?"

The "Mister Lazarus" himself looked scrawny, beaten and tired. Not the same healthy and proud specimen that fist came through these doors to peddle his ambition, so many years ago. Well, he did serve his purpose, now it's time to clean things up.

-"Tell your master that there won't be another time. The Vau gave you all the support we could afford. There are no more volunteers to fight his petty wars."

"More like convicted criminals", thought the Mandarin as he paused for the message to be translated.

-"You were granted our attention and our resources. We ceded to you the desert planet as you asked, we have listened to you when nobody else would" continued the official, "We are deeply dissapointed to see all these boons squandered so carelessly".

The man Lazarus visibly shuddered with conflicting emotions. Anyone versed in human physiology could tell that he desperately tried to keep his composure despite boiling anger mixed with desperation. And fear, that too.

-"But you were our trusted ally, and we are not beyond appreciating earnest effort, even if ultimately fruitless. That's why we've decided to offer you asylum in our mainland. In a place safe from the turmoil of your homeland, where assassins won't dare to look for you. You will be spirited away to a well protected zoo, I mean, recreational resort, where you'll spend the rest of your life."

The alien started to rise in protest even before the interpreter had a chance to speak, betraying at least a passing knowledge of the civilized language.
The stunray caught him before he could open his breathing orifice. The interpreter watched dumbfounded as the inert body of Lazarus was carried away by the guards.
The Mandarin addressed him now:

-"You there, slave, you are to go back to your sector, and inform Juan Eduardo, the nephew of our dear ally Lazarus, that he is to take over the duties of the head of House Hazat, as had been previously agreed upon. We hope that his usefulness will exceed that of his uncle. Now go, and dare not butcher another word as you leave."

"All in all, a job well done", mused the Vau official as the door closed behind the human. "The unpredictable barbarian chiefdom thrown into dissaray of a civil war, from which it might, perhaps, never recover. All done with minimal cost to the civilized parts of the galaxy. I'm so looking at a promotion now. Maybe even a transfer to the capital? That would be grand."

[Margrave]

Once more the most powerful men and women of the Great House al-Malik gathered around the ruling council table in the Palace of Istakhr.

Once more, the bickering began amongst the nobility. Accusations and insults were traded between the greatest leaders of the House like Dreadnoughts exchanging salvos. These last few decades had resulted in the deaths of many of their number, including several prominent relatives of the Royal Family. Who here had betrayed the Caliph and doomed members of his family to die? Who sold secrets to the other Houses and led to the murder of thousands of loyal troops? Who here could still be trusted?
The Usurpation had been in one way resolved, but it had simply led to a chaotic and uncertain future.

And once more the Caliph Saladin Raschid al-Malik silenced these petulant and greedy creatures with one phrase: "We shall prepare to invade Holy Terra."

Saladin eyes scanned the room. You could hear the proverbial pin drop, bounce, roll and lightly tap someones foot.

The council exploded.
As in actually blew up when a hidden sonic charge detonated and killed the entire al-Malik council in less than a second.

The form of the Caliph roared in laughter, shimmered and dissipated as the machinery maintaining his holographic image failed from the damage sustained.

Saladin was still laughing when Prince Haroun walked beside him and smirked at the surveillance footage taken from multiple camera angles of the smoldering wreck.

"I guess they didn't take it well father?" dryly remarked the Prince.

Wiping his eyes Saladin responded, " Oh no, you could say the news blew them away," causing Saladin to once more chuckle like a Chernobogian Hyena.

The Prince rolled his eyes and fixed the Caliph with a stare, "Even with that traitorous lot gone the other Houses will not allow us to simply push the Patriarch of his golden throne."

Saladin reached and uncorked a bottle of firewine, but as he was about to drain the contents, he paused and muttered, "The time for half measures passed when the weakness of the Alecto Regency made itself known and collapsed...that was too close my son."

Thoughtfully, Saladin re-corked the bottle and put it on his desk. "Far too close. Maybe it is time to keep my head clear, my destiny awaits. Soon enough it will be our turn to gamble for my throne."

The Prince replied, "Of course sire. Soon you will be sitting as Emperor of the Known Galaxy."
Haroun smiled and thought,
But not for long.

[Aqizzar]

The endless reams of missives made for good kindling on another long Delphian night.  The ruins of the royal palace did little to keep out the cold, but so long as the Imperial Scepters remained the House Guard would remain faithful unto death.

The whole score of them left now.

With the deaths of Alexius and Alexander, only the patron's distant nephews Agrippa and Archimedes lived to carry on his name.  They had done well so far, trading ever more obsequious assurances of cooperation and barely concealed threats over the right to rule whatever ramshackle empire might become of Malignatus and Grail, if and when General Constantine agreed to rejoin Pyre to the fold.  Or as had become known, the Hawkwood Way of War.

What would become of Delphi was almost beyond consideration.  It was as much a part of the House as their own names, and owed fealty to whoever would claim it.  The House of Hawkwood had again and at last truly escaped its cold and bitter cradle.  The honor-tempered ambition of its highest lords had seen the galaxy plunged into civil war, and the closest it had to an Emperor in ages slain for his troubles.  Delphi itself had been reclaimed from the chaos but shattered all the same, and still lay bleeding upon the step of Byzantium, waiting to be trod upon again by the next potentate in need a majority vote.  For the new and prosperous Hawkwood worlds, self-defense would still be years away from development.  To project power enough to defend Delphi could take a generation.

For now, the orbit above their worlds belonged to the Caliph more than themselves, the defiance of Hawkwood's distance past proven folly at last.  They were not rulers of a kingdom, but a road.  And as for Delphi itself, the factories had ground to a halt as one worker after another chose to ignore the demands of a dying rule, seeking salvation before serving the whims of an excommunicated House even for any parcel of money.  The bones of the Cruisers in drydock, half-built in one last desperate display of power before the Hazat concession, had proven more valuable in trade to the League for food and fuel, than as incentive for the next invaders to bombard.

Perhaps, in some distant year, the palace upon the aptly named Malignatus would prove itself worth the conquest, and a new age of Hawkwood rule would be able to stand beside its brethren in another claim for the throne of man.  But the winter was already long, and showed no sign of lifting.  For all the ways Deplhi had been overshadowed by its children, they were still small and petty points of light in a ever darker galaxy.

[Margrave]

-"You there, slave, you are to go back to your sector, and inform Juan Eduardo, the nephew of our dear ally Lazarus

Also I'm days late but Palazzo you magnificent bastard, Juan Jacobi Nelson Eduardo Hazat will prove as unstoppable in this universe as he was in the other.