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[Kashyyk]

An influency revision? Let's go!

Culture Crash Courses
Being on a separate plane guarantees that the language, culture and customs of our potential allies will be drastically different to our own. Comparing our diplomat's mother to a particularly odious species of demi-pig might just a typical greeting. What could be meant as a declaration of an honour Duel might sound like we're being invited to a private tea party. These mistakes cannot be allowed to happen.

All our diplomats will be trained in the language, behaviour and customs of their hosts. Whilst not as likely to improve relations as well as a dedicated training school for the diplomatic arts, this should ensure we can avoid avoid obvious faux pa's and smooth over most typical diplomatic issues.

[Maximum Spin]

You joke... hopefully

I wouldn't call it a joke exactly but it is too silly to actually suggest, yes.

[A_Curious_Cat]

What if we infused the carracks with water magic?  Then they’d be able to sail through water!

[Man of Paper]

Merchant Marine is trivial. After all, you can see the empire you have clearly on the map, and won’t need to do much to improve shipping in the empire. Just try to contemplate the benefits of connecting a place that’s already connected - namely in regard to the stated goal of getting better things when you’re transporting the same things you already have around.

Fire Support is very easy. Minor ship redesign and adding magicboys isn’t going to be too difficult.

Culture Crash Courses is a hard revision to basic diplomacy, as some of these planes and their species are extremely alien and your people don’t have much to go off of on their own yet. If there was contact made or a way to learn about the cultures before trying to teach about them that would probably help a lot.

[NUKE9.13]

Hmm. Kashyyk, would you be okay with modifying Sworn Warriors to reflect the environs the war will start in (by not using pikes and/or including a standard-issue sidearm)? I'm currently leaning towards training+equipment for the chaff, barely- I could easily be persuaded that just training would be better.

I think CCC presents a useful stepping stone towards better diplomacy, even at Hard. Even if it fails, it will at least provide some experience that can be leveraged by a future influence design. I've reconsidered a bolt revision- while it would be useful, next turn we will have a smidgen of information about the direction the enemy intends to go in, as we learn which species they chose to start negotiations with, and we might also learn about their avatar/island (I dunno how MoP is handling that). That could give a clue as to a good direction for magic- like, if they choose dragons, that suggests a big-critter strategy might be forthcoming (making single-target spells better), whereas orcs would indicate more of a horde approach (making area-effect spells better)(dwarves/elves likewise suggest directions). I mean, it's not super useful information- they could pick dragons and still decide to prioritise swarms of smaller enemies-, but it's better than nothing.

[Kashyyk]

Sure I can do that. I've dropped the pikes, and substituted for some shorter, but still two-handed weapons.

Sworn Swords
Every follower of Kaynan is ready to serve, be it spreading Our word, offering the grain from their fields, or taking up arms against the heretics of the West. Every adult knows how to march with kit, how to move and fight in formation, and how to use the weapons of their social class. In this case, the sword and the sling. Of course, they aren't professional soldiers, but they each know that to survive a battle they must act as one.

Further, each common soldier is expected to provide their own arms and armour on the field, and if unable, their Lord will provide for them. This means a bare minimum standard of:
- A cuirass and helm of metal or thick leather, lacquered for weather resistance (issued armour tends to have many adjustable straps)
- A sling and shot
- A sword (typically passed from parent to eldest child. Poorer levy might substitute a different weapon, such as a woodcutter's axe, stout club or even farming tools)

All but the poorest common soldiers (and stingiest Lords) will also provide upper leg Armour in the form of Tassets attached to the cuirrass, and large pauldrons that cover down to the elbow. Combined with the helmet (typically flared, wide-brimmed or even conical) this presents an armoured silhouette that will deflect most ranged weapons. Wealthier individuals will carry larger, better swords, including smaller sidearms, and have armour that extends further, made of metal, but any more than that and we are stepping into a higher strata that is an as-yet undesigned unit.

[NUKE9.13]

I don't think it's too early for a votebox. Although, I would like to see a difficulty check for Sworn Swords, which might change my vote.
Copied the avatar vote from the design votebox, as there's still opportunity to shift that vote around.

Avatar (not final vote)
Whiskey Jack, the Lord of Lines: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper (but the island is covered in lush tropical forests): (1) A_Curious_Cat
Evivizet, The Current: (4) NUKE9.13, Kashyyk, Doomblade, evilcherry
The Wolf of Wands: ()

Revisions (pick two)
Sworn Swords: (1) NUKE9.13
Culture Crash Courses: (1) NUKE9.13
(There are many more options)

[A_Curious_Cat]

I’m also interested in the result of that difficulty check…

Avatar (not final vote)
Whiskey Jack, the Lord of Lines: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper (but the island is covered in lush tropical forests): (1) A_Curious_Cat
Evivizet, The Current: (4) NUKE9.13, Kashyyk, Doomblade, evilcherry
The Wolf of Wands: ()

Revisions (pick two)
Sworn Swords: (2) NUKE9.13, A_Curious_Cat
Culture Crash Courses: (2) NUKE9.13, A_Curious_Cat
(There are many more options)

[/quote]

[Man of Paper]

Sworn Swords is tempting to hit with a Very Hard due to the change in weapon, but admittedly the change from shitty militia spear to war spear would be almost as significant. The primary concern would be the difference in training and the fact that, well, you’re revising a spear into a sword. I’d have to say it’s on the hard/very hard cusp and which way it falls is going to depend largely on which way I feel at the moment of rolling.

[A_Curious_Cat]

Sworn Swords is tempting to hit with a Very Hard due to the change in weapon, but admittedly the change from shitty militia spear to war spear would be almost as significant. The primary concern would be the difference in training and the fact that, well, you’re revising a spear into a sword. I’d have to say it’s on the hard/very hard cusp and which way it falls is going to depend largely on which way I feel at the moment of rolling.

Ouch!  What if we just gave them better quality spears (in addition to the training)?

[NUKE9.13]

Sworn Swords is tempting to hit with a Very Hard due to the change in weapon, but admittedly the change from shitty militia spear to war spear would be almost as significant. The primary concern would be the difference in training and the fact that, well, you’re revising a spear into a sword. I’d have to say it’s on the hard/very hard cusp and which way it falls is going to depend largely on which way I feel at the moment of rolling.

Ouch!  What if we just gave them better quality spears (in addition to the training)?

That's Sworn Warriors, you goofball.

[Kashyyk]

Ahh, I was hoping that not all of them getting Swords would ease things. What if we toned it down so the majority got a mish-mash of two-handed axes, hammers, clubs, and tools, with only the rich ones getting swords? Would y'all be okay with that vs Sworn Warriors/ToSitRE?

[NUKE9.13]

Ahh, I was hoping that not all of them getting Swords would ease things.what if we toned it down so you majority majority a mish-mash of two-handed axes, hammers, clubs, and tools, with only the rich ones getting swords? Would y'all be okay with that vs Sworn Warriors/ToSitRE?

That'd be fine by me, at least. It would presumably bring it back from the brink of VH, and while the mish-mash approach could reduce cohesion, it probably wouldn't make it worse than what we have now.

[Kashyyk]

Very well!

Sworn (Sometimes) Swords
Every follower of Kaynan is ready to serve, be it spreading Our word, offering the grain from their fields, or taking up arms against the heretics of the West. Every adult knows how to march with kit, how to move and fight in formation, and how to use the weapons of their social class. In this case, the sword and the sling. Of course, they aren't professional soldiers, but they each know that to survive a battle they must act as one.

Further, each common soldier is expected to provide their own arms and armour on the field, and if unable, their Lord will provide for them. This means a bare minimum standard of:
- A cuirass and helm of metal or thick leather, lacquered for weather resistance (issued armour tends to have many adjustable straps)
- A sling and shot

Officially, every soldier must also have a sword, but they're expensive. Only the richest soldiers can afford them, and Lords have far more important things to spend their money on. Thus the majority of the Sworn Swords actually carry a variety of two-handed, improvised weapons, from woodcutter's axes and smiths hammers, to promising tree branches or reworked ploughshares.

However, all but the poorest common soldiers (and stingiest Lords) will pay for upper leg Armour in the form of Tassets attached to the cuirrass, and large pauldrons that cover down to the elbow. Combined with the helmet (typically flared, wide-brimmed or even conical) this presents an armoured silhouette that will deflect most ranged weapons. Wealthier individuals will carry actual swords, including smaller sidearms, and have armour that extends further, made of metal, but any more than that and we are stepping into a higher strata that is an as-yet undesigned unit.

---

Avatar (not final vote)
Whiskey Jack, the Lord of Lines: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper (but the island is covered in lush tropical forests): (1) A_Curious_Cat
Evivizet, The Current: (4) NUKE9.13, Kashyyk, Doomblade, evilcherry
The Wolf of Wands: ()

Revisions (pick two)
Sworn Swords: (2) NUKE9.13, A_Curious_Cat
Sworn (Sometimes) Swords: (1) Kashyyk
Culture Crash Courses: (3) NUKE9.13, A_Curious_Cat, Kashyyk
(There are many more options)

[NUKE9.13]

Avatar (not final vote)
Whiskey Jack, the Lord of Lines: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper: ()
Limkeer Alnan, The Record Keeper (but the island is covered in lush tropical forests): (1) A_Curious_Cat
Evivizet, The Current: (4) NUKE9.13, Kashyyk, Doomblade, evilcherry
The Wolf of Wands: ()

Revisions (pick two)
Sworn Swords: (1) A_Curious_Cat
Sworn (Sometimes) Swords: (2) Kashyyk, NUKE9.13
Culture Crash Courses: (3) NUKE9.13, A_Curious_Cat, Kashyyk
(There are many more options)