Arrow Gamer
America's Dictator
The Usurper has fallen, dead, at the bottom of his blood-won throne. Next to him lies the true king, the last of his line, the one man who held the kingdom together. Now an arrow to his chest has thrown his realm into disarray, seen vassals proclaimed kings by their followers, and left his capital razed. These new lords, each a king with vassals of his own, will vie for hegemony, whether through words, war or wealth. Only time will tell the fate of his once great land, Auronas. Whether this war of kings will tear it apart or force it to emerge stronger, no one knows. But one thing is certain: the world will never be the same.
Introduction:
This game is an attempt to simulate the political situation in medieval Europe in a fantasy world, as well as being heavily influenced by A Song of Ice and Fire. The player takes control of a high lord, claiming the title of king, to rule as he sees fit. I hope for intrigue and diplomacy. Without further ado, I present you you: Age's Beginning!
Goal:
The goal of this game is to, as usual, obtain power. Whether through wealth, military might, or diplomatic supremacy, every House is aiming to get and keep power over their peers, if only to ensure security. The position of sole king is, of course, the highest and most prestigious, but often the most dangerous. Many may prefer to rule from behind the scenes, as an influential adviser, while others brave the risks and take the reigns themselves. I hope the intrigue shall be twisted, the plot thick and the game fun. Only time shall tell.
Updates: I am a busy guy, so updates shall be as often as I can, which mayn't be very frequent. Usually, they shall be barebones, but I hope to add more flowery language whenever time permits. Obviously, updates are impossible without a game, and games are impossible without mechanics, so I hereby present to you... The Rules Section!
The Rules:
Economy: Economy is made up of three aspects: trade, taxes and other. Trade is you, well, trading with other nations, either bartering or selling your wares. These take place on the roads and sea lanes which denote routes of commerce. These are abstracted instead of displayed upon the map. Be careful, as these trade lines can be blocked by a blockade, dragging your economy down with it. Taxes is the money you take from your subjects, and is increased by increased infrastructure, education, and other projects. The richer your land, the more money you'll make over time. Finally, there is the 'other' section. This is maintenance, loot, diplomatic tributes, and all other positives and negatives associated with a country. Keep in mind going into debt is allowed, but may hurt your lordship over time.
The treasury stat is displayed as A(B)–C; D, E, F. This means that this nation has A yearly income, B saved up, and C in expenses. D is your trade income, E your taxes and F your 'other' section
War: Fought over resources, religion, money and land, war is a vital aspect of any game about polities. While going on campaign may be harmful for your diplomatic relations, a well justified and fought war can be the most valuable thing in the world. A lord's army is made up of three categories: foot, horse and siege. Foot is your infantry divisions, raised from commoners and the middle class. On the other hand, horse is a man's cavalry, consisting of the nobles and higher end mercenaries. Finally, there is siege, making up the 'support' area of your host. The siege engines are one's primary way of assaulting cities, and a man without a handy catapult is doomed to a long wait. War is not only fought on land, though, and many a campaign has been won on the sea. The default ship is a galley, but more seafaring oriented rulers may opt for sea-based Unique Units (more on that later).
However, as simple as it may seem, war has far reaching effects on a leader's economy. The mass death of many of the realm's finest puts a strain on production of all kinds, and raiding parties, deserters and bandits haunt traders. Furthermore, increased maintenance of the standing armies will increase the cost to pay them, lowering net income and plunging poor nations into bankruptcy. Long story short? Fight sparingly, and end the campaign quickly.
Units are raised mostly as levies during a time of war, at a cost of both immediate treasury and long term income. A standing army is of course allowed, but ridiculously expensive at a large scale. Levies and a small professional army is probably the best way to go. Keep in mind levies are supplied by your vassals, so they may not be 100% loyal to you.
War is actually conducted through war plans and orders, but that'll be explained in the Orders section.
Unique Units: Every culture is different, and, as it is widely known, each fights their battles differently. Whether it be guerrilla warfare or tight columns, the units are generally suited for the job. To simulate this, I have included the usual Unique Units system. A kingdom can have as many either land or naval UUs, but each unit will be more expensive than a normal one to maintain, and having too many different types at one time may present a probably in unifying your army. If you wish to create a UU, private message me the plans, as I'll PM you the costs and details back. Keep in mind all unique units are public knowledge and must be realistic, so no surprise jaguar riding sorcerers to ambush your foes.
Vassals and Liege Lords: Everyone is independent unless they specifically ask to be a vassal, and players are free to decide the diplomatic hierarchy, either through battle or intrigue. I won't force anyone to be subservient to another, except through peace deals and NPC threats.
Tech: Technology in this game is handled similarly to UUs. To gain a certain advancement, a player need only to PM me their idea, and I'll slap a cost on it. Once this fee is paid, it will give a set bonus across your kingdom. For example, say you develop a new catapult. This new equipment allows cities to be taken easier, thereby increasing your land. Ideas may spread through trade and perhaps royal marriages, so keep that in mind.
Stability: This label, included in the stats, demonstrates how stable your realm is. It rates the loyalty of your vassals, the happiness of your subjects and the general content of your kingdom. This can be raised by piece, periods of boom or direct investment. Low stability means riots, low obedience and an unhappy land. This stat is displayed with a number of 1-10.
Orders: Orders are guidelines for how you wish your nation to perform that turn. They should be formatted in the following way, but variations are accepted if clear:
Spending: Really? An explanation?
Projects: Any special, big, out of the ordinary works you want to perform. Temples, amphitheaters, Ponzi schemes, you name it.
War Orders: What you wish your forces to do. Should include command appointments, troop deployments, and general objectives. Depth is appreciated, but not necessary.
Explanation/Flowery Stuff: Exposition on stuff at the top. Not necessary, but never useless.
The title should include nation name and turn.
Sign Up: This is what you should follow while signing up.
Let me just get a few posts before you signup.
Introduction:
This game is an attempt to simulate the political situation in medieval Europe in a fantasy world, as well as being heavily influenced by A Song of Ice and Fire. The player takes control of a high lord, claiming the title of king, to rule as he sees fit. I hope for intrigue and diplomacy. Without further ado, I present you you: Age's Beginning!
Goal:
The goal of this game is to, as usual, obtain power. Whether through wealth, military might, or diplomatic supremacy, every House is aiming to get and keep power over their peers, if only to ensure security. The position of sole king is, of course, the highest and most prestigious, but often the most dangerous. Many may prefer to rule from behind the scenes, as an influential adviser, while others brave the risks and take the reigns themselves. I hope the intrigue shall be twisted, the plot thick and the game fun. Only time shall tell.
Updates: I am a busy guy, so updates shall be as often as I can, which mayn't be very frequent. Usually, they shall be barebones, but I hope to add more flowery language whenever time permits. Obviously, updates are impossible without a game, and games are impossible without mechanics, so I hereby present to you... The Rules Section!
The Rules:
Economy: Economy is made up of three aspects: trade, taxes and other. Trade is you, well, trading with other nations, either bartering or selling your wares. These take place on the roads and sea lanes which denote routes of commerce. These are abstracted instead of displayed upon the map. Be careful, as these trade lines can be blocked by a blockade, dragging your economy down with it. Taxes is the money you take from your subjects, and is increased by increased infrastructure, education, and other projects. The richer your land, the more money you'll make over time. Finally, there is the 'other' section. This is maintenance, loot, diplomatic tributes, and all other positives and negatives associated with a country. Keep in mind going into debt is allowed, but may hurt your lordship over time.
The treasury stat is displayed as A(B)–C; D, E, F. This means that this nation has A yearly income, B saved up, and C in expenses. D is your trade income, E your taxes and F your 'other' section
War: Fought over resources, religion, money and land, war is a vital aspect of any game about polities. While going on campaign may be harmful for your diplomatic relations, a well justified and fought war can be the most valuable thing in the world. A lord's army is made up of three categories: foot, horse and siege. Foot is your infantry divisions, raised from commoners and the middle class. On the other hand, horse is a man's cavalry, consisting of the nobles and higher end mercenaries. Finally, there is siege, making up the 'support' area of your host. The siege engines are one's primary way of assaulting cities, and a man without a handy catapult is doomed to a long wait. War is not only fought on land, though, and many a campaign has been won on the sea. The default ship is a galley, but more seafaring oriented rulers may opt for sea-based Unique Units (more on that later).
However, as simple as it may seem, war has far reaching effects on a leader's economy. The mass death of many of the realm's finest puts a strain on production of all kinds, and raiding parties, deserters and bandits haunt traders. Furthermore, increased maintenance of the standing armies will increase the cost to pay them, lowering net income and plunging poor nations into bankruptcy. Long story short? Fight sparingly, and end the campaign quickly.
Units are raised mostly as levies during a time of war, at a cost of both immediate treasury and long term income. A standing army is of course allowed, but ridiculously expensive at a large scale. Levies and a small professional army is probably the best way to go. Keep in mind levies are supplied by your vassals, so they may not be 100% loyal to you.
War is actually conducted through war plans and orders, but that'll be explained in the Orders section.
Unique Units: Every culture is different, and, as it is widely known, each fights their battles differently. Whether it be guerrilla warfare or tight columns, the units are generally suited for the job. To simulate this, I have included the usual Unique Units system. A kingdom can have as many either land or naval UUs, but each unit will be more expensive than a normal one to maintain, and having too many different types at one time may present a probably in unifying your army. If you wish to create a UU, private message me the plans, as I'll PM you the costs and details back. Keep in mind all unique units are public knowledge and must be realistic, so no surprise jaguar riding sorcerers to ambush your foes.
Vassals and Liege Lords: Everyone is independent unless they specifically ask to be a vassal, and players are free to decide the diplomatic hierarchy, either through battle or intrigue. I won't force anyone to be subservient to another, except through peace deals and NPC threats.
Tech: Technology in this game is handled similarly to UUs. To gain a certain advancement, a player need only to PM me their idea, and I'll slap a cost on it. Once this fee is paid, it will give a set bonus across your kingdom. For example, say you develop a new catapult. This new equipment allows cities to be taken easier, thereby increasing your land. Ideas may spread through trade and perhaps royal marriages, so keep that in mind.
Stability: This label, included in the stats, demonstrates how stable your realm is. It rates the loyalty of your vassals, the happiness of your subjects and the general content of your kingdom. This can be raised by piece, periods of boom or direct investment. Low stability means riots, low obedience and an unhappy land. This stat is displayed with a number of 1-10.
Orders: Orders are guidelines for how you wish your nation to perform that turn. They should be formatted in the following way, but variations are accepted if clear:
Spending: Really? An explanation?
Projects: Any special, big, out of the ordinary works you want to perform. Temples, amphitheaters, Ponzi schemes, you name it.
War Orders: What you wish your forces to do. Should include command appointments, troop deployments, and general objectives. Depth is appreciated, but not necessary.
Explanation/Flowery Stuff: Exposition on stuff at the top. Not necessary, but never useless.
The title should include nation name and turn.
Sign Up: This is what you should follow while signing up.
Let me just get a few posts before you signup.
