Topic: Clout: Round One, Turn 3 - The Philosopher King (Read 13850 times)

mcclay · « **Reply #30 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:29:24 am »

The Iron Wall
A nation suited in the mountain ranges of the north.Their high walls and defended passes keep them safe.
Government: Monarchy
Primary Power Base: Aristocracy
2 Economic Infrastructure
6 Military Infrastructure
2 Social Infrastructure
12 Might, 4 Wealth

Allied factions: The Strongholds of Hark, The Pleasure Lands

Ghazkull · « **Reply #31 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:31:48 am »

mcclay how the hell do you get 12 Might? You have 4 Wealth alright but thats about it. the Military Infrastructure doesn't give you starting bonuses.

Iituem · « **Reply #32 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:56:17 am »

That's stuff I can fix, the important thing is the Inf distribution and government. Accepted, mcclay.

And yeah, Plutocracy got a hefty nerf there. Part of the reason is because I wanted to limit the maximum bonuses for everything. I considered making Plutocracy do 20% Wealth bonus and then a whole bunch of negatives, but I'm happier with it being less polarised. Part of the reason for this is that it synergises with Bureacracy for a total 20% Wealth bonus.

Of the three Wealth bonus power groups that would grant a 20% Wealth bonus with Bureaucracy, Democracy smacks the Might Upkeep penalty to a whopping 50% and Corporations make it as expensive to hire Might as to sustain it. A bureaucratic plutocracy enjoys all the power of 20% extra Wealth with only the petty 25% upkeep penalty to Might.

The critical thing is that Wealth counts double as both boon and penalty. Since each Economic Inf produces 2 Wealth but still costs 6 Wealth to produce, the effects of bonuses to production are double that of Social Inf and the various costs of Might.

Let's say you produce £20 per turn, £10 is used to support the military, £10 to support social inf.

A 20% bonus to Wealth means producing £24/turn. You can support or hire 4 more Might, or sustain 4 more Social Inf.

The 125% upkeep cost for Might negates the Wealth bonus if used for might alone. In fact in the above example where military and social spending are equal, the added £2.5/turn cost to sustaining Might still leaves £1.5/turn for social or other expenses.

It's a concrete advantage and a big one, just no longer game-breakingly so.

Urist_McDrowner · « **Reply #33 on:** March 26, 2013, 11:05:37 am »

I was thinking about bureaucracy but IMHO it's much too fragile. If it had like -0.2/Inf it might have been worth my style. I'm sure there's a much less risk-averse player who would eat Bureacracy and Plutocracy up.

Sheb · « **Reply #34 on:** March 26, 2013, 11:26:51 am »

Our factions don't have to have a defined territory, right?

The Ferdicis Family
A immensely rich family of traders, bankers and shipowners, they made their name famous by commissioning numerous works of arts and exposing them for the (noble) public to admire in some of their numerous palaces. They have business interests all over the continent, from Trilanian vineyards to gold mines in Higgs. For they trading and banking business, they have agents in every city, who double up as an impressive intelligence network.

The word is that several influential leaders, such as the Count of Mercassia or the Baron of Jonasburg are deep in their pockets...

Government: Federation
Primary Power Type:Technocracy
8 Economic Infrastructure
2 Military Infrastructure
0 Social Infrastructure
12 Might, 4 Wealth

NPC Factions: The County of Mercassia, The Jonasburg Barony

Urist_McDrowner · « **Reply #35 on:** March 26, 2013, 11:30:55 am »

Ooh, I should have seen that combo coming.

Upon further reevaluation, I'll drop my social and put it into economic.

Ardas · « **Reply #36 on:** March 26, 2013, 12:47:06 pm »

I did some adjusting of my faction, though not much. since the govts. were changed I corrected my sheet.

Sheb · « **Reply #37 on:** March 26, 2013, 01:00:28 pm »

Oh, didn't see you were playing Ardas. We'll have some jolly good time I think.

Ardas · « **Reply #38 on:** March 26, 2013, 01:12:47 pm »

That we will. I can feel the cutthroat politics already.

Emral282 · « **Reply #39 on:** March 26, 2013, 01:15:53 pm »

By the way, why is the Bureaucracy so unstable?
Just feels a bit off to me.

filiusenox · « **Reply #40 on:** March 26, 2013, 02:11:12 pm »

Any room left?

Sheb · « **Reply #41 on:** March 26, 2013, 02:18:02 pm »

No. Actually, if I'm counting right, I'm out too. :/

Urist_McDrowner · « **Reply #42 on:** March 26, 2013, 03:06:23 pm »

D'aww.

Anyway, Emral, I think it's because it's easy for factions to seize control. In a monarchy, everyone pretty much agrees the King is the ruler, and there are conditions to be eligible for king. No such conditions exist for a Bureaucracy.

Iituem · « **Reply #43 on:** March 27, 2013, 03:13:07 am »

Stability is less a measure of how good governments are at keeping the people happy as how good they are at keeping the people orderly, which is why Stability doesn't fully negate Unrest. The social governments (oligarchy, bureaucracy, federation) all have bonuses toward reducing Unrest, but low Stability ratings. The imperial governments are less good at reducing Unrest, but they have a higher Stability rating to reflect their capacity to keep order through force and propaganda. Social govts keep people happy, Imperial govts keep people in line.

So although a bureaucracy seems stable and is good at keeping people contented, once the riots start in the streets they can't do as much as a monarchy can to suppress them. Stability is basically just a buffer allowing you to take a certain amount of Unrest before the world explodes.

Now then. Get ready for the first turn...

Iituem · « **Reply #44 on:** March 27, 2013, 06:04:03 am »

Round One, Turn One

The land of Albion has not known peace or unity since the days of the Vvardic Empire, hundreds of years ago. When the Empire retreated from the land, dozens of petty states and kingdoms arose to take its place and the realm has been in a state of petty squabbling ever since. In the most recent decades there were five major players in Albian politics; the Kingdom of Primeria, the Benetsiyan League, the Duchy of Phantoni, the Iron Wall and the Serene City of Verona. The three monarchies struggled for dominion of the land as the two great trade leagues fought for dominion over the seas.

The careful balance of politics was shattered with the arrival of the Jarl of Finster, a raider from a distant land who arrived with longboats full of warriors and a lust for gold and power. The Jarl's men crashed through Verona atop a tide of blood, slaughtering indiscriminately and putting the once great city to fire and the sword. The nearby Pankhaganate of Yon'daer, a coalition of tribes of horsemen who had harried Verona for generations, welcomed the Jarl in and gave them assistance against the fat merchant princes. Verona's ally, the Free City of Higgs, surrendered immediately and offered itself up as a vassal to the Jarl rather than suffer the same fate as the Serene City.

Will these strange invaders lay all of Albion to wrack and ruin, or will they be the catalyst to unite the warring factions once and for all? Only time will tell.

Primeria: (-) Primeria is on the far side of Albion and your holdings are largely unaffected by the arrival of the Jarl.

Bentanii: (Major Crisis) Despite your antagonism with the city, the Benetsiyan trade network was inextricably linked with that of the Veronan merchants and has now been thrown into chaos! If you cannot stabilise the trade network with new treaties, countless investments will collapse. You have Three Turns to gain one new minor Ally, either by negotiation or by force (blackmailing them into vassalage through threat of force or actual invasion), or construct or capture two Economic Infrastructure to provide an industrial base for your trade. If you fail, you will lose half of your Economic Infrastructure.

Finster: (Minor Opportunity) The invasion is going well and you have established a foothold on Albion, but why stop there? Your carls are eager for plunder, so provided you raze two infrastructure from somewhere before the next turn, you'll get a bonus 8 Political Capital for your troubles.

Phantoni: (Minor Crisis) The scholars and artisans who make up your primary power base are deeply alarmed by the arrival of the raiders. They want you to increase the standing army by 2 Might by the end of the turn (before any conflicts) and have at least 2 Might left at the end of the turn (after conflicts) or you will suffer a relationship penalty with the technocrats.

Iron Wall: (Minor Opportunity) The fall of Verona has put many neighbouring powers into a state of alarm, and you are an indisputably mighty force. The nobles of the Wall are eager to extend their power beyond the limits of the realm in a political manner. Ally or Vassalise one minor power within three turns for a bonus 8 Political Capital. Alternately, capture Economic Infrastructure within the next three turns for a bonus of 3 Political Capital per Infrastructure taken.

Ferdicis: (Major Crisis) Your family was based primarily in the Serene City and although your family head was able to escape and you still possess assets all across Albion you now lack a headquarters for your league. You have three turns to construct or capture two Economic Infrastructure to serve as an industrial and administrative base for the family or you will lose half of your existing Economic Infrastructure.

Spoiler: GM Note (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

Round One Factions

Spoiler: Ardas: Kingdom of Primeria (click to show/hide)