Hammer of the North v2 PBEM

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Anyone who would like to participate in the first official pbem of the second adaption of my viking scenario "Hammer of the North" ? Sign up here!

Hopefully we can get enough players to get a game started this summer. BKA has opted for the Norsemen. I'll take the Franks myself, one of the major christian powers - I'll leave the Frisians and Scots in brackets, although I think it could be pretty fun to have also the lesser powers played by humans, this would give more opportunity for diplomacy.

You can find the scenario here :
http://www.cdgroup.org/forums/tbs/civ2/viewtopic.php?t=571

Players (in order of play)

Norsemen : BKA
Danes : Arthedain
Germans : Gary J Durham
Anglo-Saxons : Patient English
Franks : Morten Blaabjerg
(Frisians)
Scots : Duke of Marlbrough

 

[BKA]

The Norsemen are ready!

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Is there a spot that won't take much time to play, but is worth playing?

Also, do you want me to send the files to TF to upload at CFC?

 

[Gary J. Durham]

Congrats!!

Gary

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

@Duke
I'll suggest the Scots, then. - they face the onslaught of the Norsemen, but can be played pretty powerfully with apt diplomacy and finetuned play. They have room for expansion in Pictia and England, and to the North to the Atlantic islands. Alternatively, the Anglo-Saxons are also a good bet.

Yes, I'd like to submit the scenario to TF - I'm currently working on getting all pedia entries ready and such minor details. But you're very welcome to send him the current version (the one in the referred thread)

@Gary
Are you up for one of the major christian powers or the Danes?

 

[Arthedain]

Morten my friend! Of course I want to play as the Danes. I'm not here very often, but I guess that'll change now because of this PBEM.

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Ok, Arthedain, you're in - Happy to see you around !! I think you're a strong player for the Danes!

Duke and Gary, just let me know if I should write you up too -we could still use a couple of players, so anyone else feel free to join! We'll still need players for at least the Anglo-Saxons and Germans to start this game.

 

[Gary J. Durham]

I'll take Germanies.

Gary

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I can be a thorn in someone's side with the Scots.

Is this version 'final' or do you want us to point out litle things like typos and such?

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Great to see that you'd like to join - please give me all the suggestions and minor corrections that you can think of.

The scenario is basically done, playbalance-wise I think, but I am still doing minor details like pedia-entries and such, and there might still be a couple of text-slips (although I hope not).

We can start playing, once we have a player for at least the Anglo-Saxons. They're really the central part of the 'other' challenge of this scenario - can the Anglo-Saxons deal with the Viking threat and eventually build the Burghal Hidage (great wall) ?

 

[Patient English]

Morten,

It sounds like the Anglo-Saxons are pretty key to this game, and you don't want a total newbie playing them.

I haven't played this version, although I remember enjoying v1. I have downloaded the files and will have a look around. If you have a slot still open at the end of the week (16/7/2004), I will get back to you if I want to play one of the remaining civs.

If you start without me, I shan't be offended!

John

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Okay, John - good to hear it. Just let me know. I hope you'll like the second installment too - I'm pretty satisfied with it myself, and quite intrigued to see how things will develop with human players. Would be nice with a player for the Frisians too. They will be a tough challenge, although they do have a chance of playing the Franks and the Germans out against the vikings and each other.

 

[BKA]

Morten, have you forgotten your participation in your other games....?

 

[Patient English]

Sign me up as King Alfred's evil councillor, then..

I would prefer not to play my move for a few days, just to get a bit more practice in. Is the play order in the first post above? If it is, then I am ready for you to kick off now, BKA, and I will be ready by the time it is my turn....

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Good to hear it, John
The play order is as posted in the first post - Before you start BKA, I will post a brief update with just a few minor changes - they are corrections to the pedia and one minor change to the scn-file. Be right back.

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Please all install these updated files before we commence play. The pedia is still not all complete, but getting there. I will post updates to the pedia when they are complete.

The updated hammer_v2.scn contained in the patch sets the Norsemen's research progress of Pagan Cult a little better, making things more urgent for the Christian powers.

I assume we all will use LacyCiv v3, and negotiations will take place via email or pm's. Trades and contact between players can be done only after agreed consent, with the exceptance of demanded tributes. Since there is a delicate element in the gift of Christian techs to the viking civs, gifts are forbidden unless accepted by the player receiving them.

This thread will be used for official game reports, posted save-games and (hopefully) lots of propaganda. BKA, remember to post all text events here in this thread also (arrivals of missionaries, monks and similar stuff).

Remember, that the 'tech by conquest' rule is in effect in this scenario, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage (for the viking players). See the read_me for details.

Good luck guys!

 

[BKA]

It is the year 793 A.D.

In this year dire portents appeared over Northumbria
and sorely frightened the people. They consisted of
immense whirlwinds and flashes of lightning, and fiery
dragons were seen flying in the air.

A great famine immediately followed those signs,
and a little after in the same year, on 8 June,
the ravages of heathen men miserably destroyed God's
church on Lindisfarne, with plunder and slaughter.

And Sicga died on 22 February.


....Well and so it begins.
At the end of the World fierce Norsemen have set sail towards the new land just recently discovered. The tales of rich farmlands, tombs of gold and fair maidens fill the minds of these tall and red haired humans while they tend to their armor and weapons readying them for the battles to come.

* 2 new settlements founded on islands in the great ocean.
* Tales of raiding operations performed by chiefs along various coasts.
* Exploration of several caves has led to an understanding of how to write.

Other Events brought by travelers from afar:

A new German bishop is assigned to the Northern bishoprics.

 

[Arthedain]

Danes

Anno Domini 793
Danish chiefs and raiders set foot on eastern shores of Anglo-Saxon soil. everal other raiders landed in Normandy. Embassies from the two countries arrived in Hedeby and proposed peace-treaties. Well at this moment Denmark is ruled by many different chiefs and all of these chiefs are yet to be united by a single ruler. Peace is impossible at this time.

Normandy
* 1 unit of Frankish monks plundered
* 1 barbarian drakkar sunk

* 1 drakkar lost to a barbarian drakkar south of Wareham

Frisland
Cease-fire broken with the Frisians.
* 2 unit of monks plundered
* the city of Utrecht was plundered and occupied
* 2 barbarian drakkar sunk
* Groningen emptied

Brittania
* 1 barbarian drakkar sunk outside of Edinburgh
* several monks plundered
* Danish base established in Norvik

Baltic
* Danish base established in Arkona
* Wismar emptied

Revolution!
Elders in Utrecht learned the Danes the values of Monarchy. Chief Sven that led the assault on Utrecht returned home to Hedeby and started a revolution there to install himself as king over Denmark.

Relations
Sven is expected to get the power of all danish raiders soon and he wants good relations with both the Norsemen and the Germans. As a tooken of our good will we will leave Lübeck to Germany and if the Norsemens are interested, we can decide our two nations sphere of interest.

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

The Franks recognize the wise leadership of King Sven, and humbly sends our gratitude for letting our emissaries escape with their lives from the havoc of the revolts taking place in Hedeby...

We pray the future will bring more peaceful times of prosperity and wealth for both our peoples, and with this an understanding of the reforms necessary to root out the remnants of heathen custom in our lands.

We ask once again that king Sven will spare the lives of Frankish monks, and allow our missionaries to operate freely within his sphere of power. In return we will support his kingship in all ways within our power and the power of God. There will be a time when this friendship will be quite profitable to the Danes...

 

[Gary J. Durham]

On it's heartfelt congratulations to King Sven, and trusts that a mutual respect of sovreignity shall ensue.

A barbarian raiding party destroyed in Northern Germany, being taught the errors of their ways, as there are easier targets, elsewhere than Germany.

Germany takes this opportunity to invite all leaders to discuss cooperative agreements re trade.

((As a postscript, anyone tell me what these darned 'Missionaries' are used for in this scenario??))