MP: Chronicles_MA - General Game Discussion

[Kristoffer O]

I also prefer smaller maps. Especially in an RP setting.

I'm also for VP's. It gives the game an end and something RP'ish to fight for. The end might be abrupt, but that doesn't limit the RP/writing joy of the game up to that time.

I consider the writing and RP stuff the most fun part of this kind of game and I will assume that this goes for most people. Thus we are less intent on winning, and more intent on creating interesting stories of a new world

When you have all adopted this doctrine and sit and scribble great literature by candle light I will slaughter you all and claim what is mine!

[Executor]

I'm also interested if this would be a slow game.

[Alneyan]

I won't even think of joining this game as my track record is even worse than it was back in the days of Yarnspinners... I'll volunteer if you need an overseer Ã* la Yarnspinners 2, though.

(The overseer nation was responsible for handing out astral pearls, but it seems you won't go for that this time around, and taking snapshots of the map, but lch has another way of achieving that.

It might also be interesting to give vague graph info as opposed to the in-game graphs or nothing at all... so you'd get some sort of idea of how the nations rank compared to each other every few turns, but nothing more specific. I've done that in Entwined Destinies on Yvelina's suggestion)

[Lokean]

Well, I think I've read enough to put up my thoughts on things.

Size of map & structure of terrain: I would suggest that most starting locations should have no more than a three province buffer between them, since a lot of the intrinsic tension of any narratives from the game would arise from the presence of competitors for 'ascension'. However, I don't want neighbours to have to destroy one another. Thus, a map which has a fairly large amount of available terrain and plenty of choke-points would be nice, but a high concentration of starting locations would also be nice. I shall have to have a browse through some possible maps and see what I can see.

VPs: I still prefer a VP scenario, since it provides a goal beyond genocide. In light of a few suggestions, I think cumulative VPs would work very well. Assume that VP provinces are a conflux of ley lines, a holy site &c &c. Every summer solstice rituals can be performed which further a Pretender's rise to true godhood. What exactly the sites are is really up to the belief system of the nation, but regardless of the beliefs, they still work.
One potential setup would have many provinces worth one VP per summer and some worth more. With a plurality of sites to nations it becomes possible to try and put together a strategy of attacking high VP sites in early summer and trying to hold them for a turn or controlling a lot of low VP sites.
I'm not sure whether it's tenable, but it may be possible to hide the VP sites, such that a nation only knows that it is one once they've claimed it. This would probably mean manually setting each VP site to have a specific magical site that does not appear in normal play.

It's starting to look like it might be easier to put together a map myself than find one that suits my needs, but I'd rather have plently of players than a game that exactly matches my preferences, so people's thoughts would be appreciated.

If I end up making a map for it, what would people think of these two concepts:
1. Undiscovered continent/island. All the starting locations are situated along the sea border of a landmass, with the interior being virgin territory. VPs would be sites of natural power that could further the Pretenders' quests for godhood. Obviously it's a little odd that the capital sites are present, but perhaps they represent supplies and troops arriving from 'home'.
2. Inverted circle. Think of an inversion of the World of Geometry. The starting locations are clustered in valleys surrounding a central peak. They may have a few independant provinces that are equally sheltered, but then open up to contact from neighbouring regions. Obviously this would be quite fiddly with a large number of nations, but I think something could be worked out. Here, basically, there's plenty of territory further away from the center, but your nation becomes increasingly decentralised and difficult to defend, while your neighbours are always close by and competing for space.


Thoughts? Am I going too far for a first sally, or is it worth putting the effort in early? Are there maps that would probably do fine with the addition of VP locations? Am I an idiot?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[quantum_mechani]

Originally Posted by Lokean

Thoughts? Am I going too far for a first sally, or is it worth putting the effort in early? Are there maps that would probably do fine with the addition of VP locations? Am I an idiot?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I think failing Dawn of Dominions, Orania might be just about perfect for this many players, might save a lot of trouble.

[Tifone]

Mmh... I'm for VPs too but cumulative VPs seem a little too hard to rationalize for RPs...

[Kristoffer O]

Purification of the divine soul? Each month basking in the splendour of a celestial nexus annihilates the terrestrial fetters of your divine soul.

[Tifone]

Nice, KO. I was more thinking on the line of: "Twelve of the sixteen vectors, from which the energies which sustain the world flow, are finally under the control of the hordes of Yomi. Twelve Demon Priests in those distant parts of the world intone a cacophonic litany of the Netherworld while the Hannyas shake their serpentine tails in spasmodic anticipation. The unholy song corrupts the vectors, weakening the very fabric of existance, and suddenly pillars of pale green light spire from them and pierce the sky. The welkin becomes gretna and shafts of evil light illumine the Pretender of the demon nation. The mighty and cruel Deva, which the Onis have followed and worshiped up to the present, hoists her enormous Apotropaic weapons and sacrifices an unimposed Dai Oni. Bathing in his blood, she becomes one with the demonic powers and the energy of the vectors and ascends to the longly hankered godhood."

But everything works for me, really

[Lokean]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't cumulative VPs get awarded once a year in midsummer. I was thinking 'Mystical Juncture' sort of thing, where each summer rituals can be undertaken, but it takes a lot of rituallin' before the Pretender is strong enough to ascend.

[Tifone]

I think so it is in midsummer.

Which IMHO would be quite unthematic for Niefelheim i.e.... "Faster! We much rush to that particular little province in control of our mortal enemy instead of his capital, because we need to be there in 2 months so our god will receive the necessary blessing of the holy August holidays..." mmmh

What I mean is, as KO as expert of religions knows better than me , in almost every culture the periods around the solstices and equinoxes are somehow sacred and important; but Dom3's nations' cultures are too diversified to put the "important holy period of the year" (to gather VPs - the "summer rituals" you suggested ) in the same season for everyone, seems hard to rationalize, as for Niefel or LA Ermor it would imho logically be winter and spring for Pangaea and so on, a thing that one wouldn't care in a normal game but might become weird in this one were we're expecting everybody to write the thoughts of maybe twenty different nations... And also I think it is impossible to make it diversified for nations so I would suggest something simpler like the necessity of the contemporaneous control of such and such an amount of "holy stones" or whatever.

(Stream of consciousness anyone? )