Final Fantasy Tactics: Super Advanced

[DJ Bonebraker]

First of all, I'd like to apologize for abandoning my previous FF mod story, but I had to make a few changes to make the game more playable and enjoyable for those playing it.

Anyways, this time is with the latest version of the FF mod, and all settings random (including my own faction), Raging barbarians, Treasure Hunter mode (Capture the Flag) and normal victory conditions (Space Race, Cultural, Conquest and Domination).

...SO without futher ado, let's get this thing started:

Chapter 1: The Survivors​

Queen Reina Tycoon wakes to find herself lying in the middle of a lush prairie, her whole body feeling like one big bruise. After a moment to clear her head, she remembers what happened: Bartz Klauser, Krile Baldesion and her sister Sarisa a.k.a "Faris" had finally beaten Ex-Death into submission, and the Void had appeared to be closing, but somehow they all got sucked in, and she blacked out. She gets up as quickly as she can and begins looking for other survivors.....

Faction Info:
Queen Reina of the Tycoons
Religious, Commercial, Agricultural
UUs: Berserker (6,3,2, requires Iron), Sorceror (20(20),12,2, Requires Mythril and Materia) and the Hiryuu (30(27),25,2, Auto-produced by Hiryuu Roost SW that requires Materia to build)
Summoned Creature: Phoenix (35(35),40,1, Auto-produced by Phoenix Aeyrie SW)
Alignment: Neutral (Offensive unit line = Fighter, Knight, Sell Sword (replaced by Berserker), Mercenary, Ronin (replaced by Sorceror), Alignment-specific buildings = Mage Tower, which produces Mages ever 15 turns; Myrrh Tree, which acts as 1/2 cost, 0 maint Marketplace, 5 of which allows construction of the Myrrh Trade GW, which increases trade by 1 in all trade-producing tiles, boost tax revenue by 50% and makes 1 person happy in all cities; Mercenaries' Stronghold, which produces Mercenary Companies every 15 turns as well as increasing Army size by 1; Igros Castle which requires the Alignment-specific Constitutional Monarchy government to build that acts like a second Forbidden Palace and produces a Crown Guard unit every 5 turns. In addition, Neutral civs can trade maps from the start).

After a day of searching and meeting up with other bands of people, Reina gathers them near the spot where she woke up and begins to speak, "Fellow people, I'm Queen Reina Tycoon of the Kingdom of Tycoon. I don't know where we are, nor why or how we got here. What I do know is that we need to join together if we're going to survive long enough to re-build. Anyone who has any ideas of what we should do needs to speak up."

Reina's friend, Krile Baldesion stands up and says, "I saw some Dinosaurs in the forest to the South.... If we could tame them, we could use them to scout around and fight any monsters they encounter."

"Excellent Idea, Krile," Reina says, "Henceforth, you shall be the Trade Advisor."

Krile bowns, and sits back down. Reina's sister Sarisa then stands up and says, "We need to organize the survivors into two groups and find good places to build towns and expand the Kingdom."

"Thanks Sarisa, you are now the Domestic Advisor," Reina says.

A tall white-haired man with slightly glowing green eyes and wearing a black trench coat stands up and adds, "We need to start training Fighters once we get the towns built."

"Your suggestion has been noted," Reina replies, "May I have the pleasure of your name, good sir?"

"I am known as Sephiroth," the white-haired stranger replies, "I used to be a SOLDIER but... well, that's not important.... I'll serve your kingdom the to the best of my abilities, since it seems that I've been given a second change."

"Very well, Lord Sephiroth, you are now General of my army and Military Advisor," Queen Reina decrees.

A young white-haired girl stands up and says, "We should also try to make contact with any other groups of survivors there might be out there and try to trade knowledge with them."

Reina says, "Also a good idea, Ms...?"

"Malheur," Ritz replies, curtsying, "Ritz Malheur, your majesty."

"Right! Ritz, you are now the Foreign Minister," Reina replies.

A brunette girl with one green and one blue eye wearing a fancy kimono and holding an intricately carved staff rises and says, "We will need to build shrines, temples, and other buildings of worship and learning to establish a cultural identity.... With this power, we can extend the influence of our towns and draw others to us."

Reina replies, "Noted, and I might add, the exact thing I'd expect a priestess of some kind to say, miss....?"

"Yuna," Yuna replies, "I'm a summoner who destroyed a great evil on my world, but something happened to bring me here."

"Well, Miss Yuna," Reina says with a lop-sided grin, "Welcome to the club... That's pretty much what happened to my friends and I.... You are to be my Cultural Advisor and High Priestess."

A tall bald man wearing coveralls stands up and says, "My name's Cid, and I'm a fixer-upper kind of guy, and I'm sayin' that we need to form a brain-pool of all our smart guys to begin developing technology again."

"Thank you Cid, you are now my Science Advisor," Reina replies, "Anyone else have any ideas?"

A tall, lean man with longish brown hair, wearing a military-looking cap and a long blue wool military-looking coat stands up and says, "I would suggest sending one of the refugee parties to the top of those mountains to the Northwest to scout out ahead, then decide where to settle from there. Once we get to a good spot for a town, the first thing we should do is build a Palace, which will not only be a point of national pride (2 culture per turn and +1 happy person), but will also serve as a gathering place for refugees and those seeking to form Settler parties to found new towns in the future. Also, I think that the first thing that Cid should have his science team work on is Shamanism, so we can build Shrines, which will not only make our people happy, but also make Miss Yuna happy."

"Excellent ideas, sir!" Queen Reina exclaims, "What is your name?"

"I am Hikaro Takayama," the stranger replies, bowing, "and I am at your service, your Highness."

"Well, Mr. Takayama, you are now my Chief Advisor," Queen Reina replies, "We shall begin all preparations to establish order in this strange new world."

So it was that the band of survivors was divided into two settler parties and the first climbed up the mountain and reported what they saw:



Hikaro, the Chief Advisor suggested the second Settler Party move across the river to the Southwest, thereby not only granting access to the Rubber trees found further to the Southwest, but also giving the town founded there the defensive benefit of having rivers on both sides. To the Northwest there was bountiful game in the forests surrounding the two mountains, and a Native Village (goody hut) to the Northeast. Reina decrees that the second Settler party should move Southeast to the location picked out and found a town there as soon as possible. She also decreed that this year would be the first year after the great cataclysm that brought everyone to this world (1 PA).

In 26 PA, the Settler party moving to the Southwest founds the town of Tycoon Castle between the East and West branch of the Tycoon River, and Sarisa orders the citizens to begin building a Palace. Cid's crack research team begins delving into the secrets of Shamanism, so we can eventually build shrines. The other Settler party moves into the second mountain to the North of the first mountain, and reports that they can see Frankincense and Myrrh trees in the desert to the Northeast. Reina tells the leader of the Settler party to move into position to claim the Incense-bearing shrubs for the Kingdom of Tycoon.



The Palace in Tycoon Castle is built in 51 PA, and Sephiroth begins training a group of Fighters to patrol the surrounding area for monsters or signs of other survivors.

The Settler party is nearing the site designated by Sarisa, the Domestic Advisor, when they spot a THIRD source of Incense bearing trees and plants in the deserts next to the planned city site... Looks like we're already hitting pay dirt!

In 101 PA, thanks to the cultural influence from our Center of Government and Palace, Tycoon Castle's area of influence expands, bringing the Native village into our effective territory. The Natives send representatives to Tycoon Castle bearing 25 Gil worth of trade goods, seeking our knowledge of farming, as well as offering their undying loyalty to the Kingdom of Tycoon. Queen Reina sends them off with knowledge of our farming techniques and her blessing, and the nomadic Natives settle down into a permanent (but small) farming village that will no doubt play an important part in the capitol's growth in the years to come.

Finally, in 126 PA, the second Settler party reaches their destination and founds the town of Carwen.



So it is with a rather auspicious start that this first chapter in the Kingdom of Tycoon's history comes to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 2: Contact​

The year is 151 PA, and Military Advisor Sephiroth reports to Queen Reina that Tycoon Castle's first band of Figthers is done training. Queen Reina sends the newly-trained Fighters to explore the lands to the South, after which she details Sephiroth with training more Fighters.

Things in the Kingdom of Tycoon are uneventful until 201 PA, when a pack of frumious Bandersnates is spotted near Tycoon Castle. Thankfully, Sephiroth completes the second Fighter party's training soon after the fiends are spotted (226 PA).

Reina tells Sarisa, her sister and Domestic Advisor, to start construction of a Barracks (which is actually a pre-build for a shrine, but we don't know Shamanism yet. ).

Our Fighter party in the South sends back the following report:



Upon visiting a Native Village (goody hut) to the Southwest of Tycoon Castle, the nomads, hearing of our great accomplishments and our fair treatment of their fellow Natives who settled in our Kingdom, greeted the Fighter party with open arms. The village Chieftain, after a feast in our Fighters' honor, bestowed upon them the secrets of their Warrior Code, which will allow us to train Archer parties now! The day after the celebrations, the Nomads packed up and moved out.

Carwen finishes training its first Fighter party in 251 PA, and begins training an Archer party. The Fighter party departs the city heading West.



In 276 PA, Cid appears before Queen Reina and lets her know that his crack team of philosophers and scientists have mastered the secrets of Shamanism (They had eaten of the sacred toadstool, they had smoked the holy rhizome, and had carefully powdered up and inserted into various orifices the mystic mushroom.....) and were ready to, like, begin the next research project, maaan.

Queen Reina tells Cid to have his team start researching Metal Working, once he and his team had "slept it off." The production orders in Tycoon Castle and Carwen are changed to shrines, much to Culture Advisor Yuna's delight (especially since she was Cid's Niece and had helped quite a bit with the Shamanism "research").

The Fighter party in the South reports that they've found a good spot for a town on the Southern coast atop a hill next to a river (a different river than the Tycoon River), with two pods of whales in reach. Chief Advisor Takayama agreed that site would be perfect for a future town, since there would likely also be Mythril or Oil in the nearby tundra.

In 301 PA, our Northern Fighter party reports spotting a Fiend Den to the Northwest of Tycoon Castle! Shortly after sighting the Fiend Den, one of the Bandersnatch packs kills an unknown assailant, while another pack is slain by a Fighter party wearing gray uniforms that suddenly appeared out of the North.

Our Fighter party hails the unknown Fighters, who identify themselves as belonging to a faction called AVALANCHE, and arranges a meeting between the Queen Reina and their leader.

Queen Reina meets with Commander Cloud Strife of AVALANCHE, and finds that he has Metal Working and we don't! Unfortunately, he refuses to trade it to us for any reasonable price. Chief Advisor Takayama manages to do some digging and comes up with the following information about the AVALANCHE faction:

Faction Info:

Commander Cloud Strife of AVALANCHE

Religious, Militaristic, Agricultural

UUs: Freedom Fighter (16(15),16,2, requires Iron & Saltpeter), Wutai Ninja (21(20),12,2, Requires Mythril and Materia) and the Jet Mode Highwind (30(30),27,2, Auto-produced by Cid's Airship Works SW that requires Mythril and Materia to build)

Summoned Creature: Bahamut Zero (40(45),35,1, Auto-produced by Huge Materia SW)

Alignment: Good (Offensive unit line = Fighter, Knight, Paladin, Sword Master, Samurai (replaced by Wutai Ninja), Alignment-specific buildings = Archon Tower, which produces Cetra Archons every 15 turns; Cetra Shrine, which acts as 1/2 cost, 0 maint Arena, 5 of which allows construction of the Aeris' Church GW, which makes 2 people happy in all cities; Adventurer's Guild Hall SW, which produces Hero Parties every 15 turns as well as increasing Army size by 1; Constitutional Government which requires the Alignment-specific Democracy government to build that acts like a second Forbidden Palace and produces a Citizen Militia unit every 5 turns. In addition, Good civs can build Embassies from the start).

Our Fighter party in the North moves into position to attack the Fiend Den there, but the AVALANCHE Fighter party gets there first and ends up collecting the fiends' spoils. Meanwhile, the Fighter party in the Southwest spots another Fiend Den in some boreal forest along the Southwest coast.

351 PA: The Fighter party in the Southwest fortifies on a hill near the Fiend Den and waits for reinforcements for dealing with the Fiends to arrive. They slay a pack of Bandersnatches that tries to attack their fortified position.

Ritz Malheur, our Foreign Advisor, meets with Cloud's Envoy, and trades our World map for their territory map. The AVALANCHE nation consists of two towns along a sea to the North of us. Their Capitol, 7th Heaven, while not actually on the coast, is along a river and has access to three large clumps of Medicinal Herbs in the surrounding plains, with access to a Goblin Village to the Northeast, a Native Farming Village to the Southwest, and some Moogles living in a forest to the East of 7th Heaven. (Moogles are a bonus resource that boosts production and commerce in Forest tiles) Wutai, the other town, IS along the coast, with a short river flowing past it into the sea.

376 PA: Another pack of roving Bandersnatches kills our Fighter party in the Southwest.

In 401 PA, our Fighter party in the Nortwest discover a Bangaa Village, and Krile, our Trade Advisor, suggest we build a town nearby to gain the loyalty of the Bangaa, so we can train Bangaa units. The Fighter party also reports spotting border patrols wearing teal uniforms nearby

Not long after (426 PA), we make contact with ANOTHER faction, calling themselves the "Esthari" Queen Reina, with the help of Ritz, arranges a meeting with their leader, President Laguna Loire, and we trade territory maps.

Their capitol, Esthar, is located beside a MASSIVE river meandering through vast open plains, with three sources of Sake-grade rice just outside the town. Their other town, Fisherman's Horizon, is located further upstream along the same river, next to a forest with a grove of Rubber trees in it.

Faction Info:

President Laguna Loire of Esthar

Scientific, Militaristic, Agricultural

UUs: Esthar Soldier (17(16),17,2, requires Iron), Wutai Ninja (22,12,2, Requires Mythril and Materia) and the Ragnarok spaceship (35(30),29,2, Auto-produced by the Esthar Spaceship Factory SW that requires Mythril and Materia to build)

Summoned Creature: Leviathan (35(45),35,1, Auto-produced by Garden SW)

Alignment: Neutral (Offensive unit line = Fighter, Knight, Sell Sword, Mercenary, Ronin (replaced by Gesper), Alignment-specific buildings = Mage Tower, which produces Mages every 15 turns; Myrrh Tree, which acts as 1/2 cost, 0 maint Marketplace, 5 of which allows construction of the Myrrh Trade GW, which increases trade by 1 in all trade-producing tiles, boost tax revenue by 50% and makes 1 person happy in all cities; Mercenaries' Stronghold, which produces Mercenary Companies every 15 turns as well as increasing Army size by 1; Igros Castle which requires the Alignment-specific Constitutional Monarchy government to build that acts like a second Forbidden Palace and produces a Crown Guard unit every 5 turns. In addition, Neutral civs can trade maps from the start).

Back at Tycoon Castle, General Sephiroth has completed training of our first Archer party, and sends them off to deal with the Fiends in the Southwest.

Sarisa begins organizing a Villager party (Villagers are a flavor worker for European and Mediterranean culture Human factions) so we can finally build some roads and improve the surrounding terrain.

476 PA, the Villager party departs Tycoon Castle, building a road to the Dinosaur forest Southeast of the city.

Up North, two packs of Bandersnatches attack our Fighter party in the forests outside Fisherman's Horizon, but get killed or driven off for their troubles.

Commander Cloud Strife sends a group of Ambassadors and establishes and Embassy in our capitol.

501 PA: Carwen finishes construction of its shrine, and begins training an Archer party. To the Northwest, an Esthari Fighter party wipes out another pack of Bandersnatches.

Cid goes to Queen Reina's audience chamber and reports that we now know the secrets of Metal Working, and can train Warrior parties armed with bronze spears. Reina thanks him and decrees that we should learn Pottery so we can build ceramic pipes to Irrigate our fields, as well as ceramic containers for the Incense that would soon be produced in Carwen (Incense Manufactory treasure building requires Pottery and Incense inside the city radius to build).

Our Fighter party in the Southeast spots a Native near the coast.

551 PA is a momentous year for the Kingdom of Tycoon: First of all, Cultural Minister Yuna reports that Tycoon Castle's influence has expanded once more, bringing more territory under our sway. On top of that, a Settler party has gathered in the Palace, and is sent to the Northwest so we can bring the Bangaa Village under our control.

The Fighter party in the Southeast enters the Native village there, and they, also hearing of our munificent treatment of their fellow Natives living in our territory, teach us their secret techniques of Animal Domestication!



Now we can train Deinonychus parties (once we get that road to the Dinosaur forest finished, that is), and on top of that, now that we know what to look for, our scouts report seeing a flock of Chocobos in the forest right next to where we're planning to build our third town!

Ritz Malheur quickly summons up the envoy's of Esthar and AVALANCHE and arranges the following trades:

Laguna gives us Pottery for Animal Domestication, and Cloud sells us his World Map for Animal Domestication. Not to be outdone, Ritz then sells our newly expanded World Map to Laguna for his World map and 15 Gil.

Reina calls up Cid and tells him to start research into Tribal Council... We could use a better government soon.

Thus it is with two new factions discovered, and the Kingdom of Tycoon on the brink of expansion, that this chapter comes to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 3: The Continuing Adventures of Tycoon​

The year is 576 PA, and the people of the Kingdom of Tycoon have been slowly building their civilization after being brought to this strange, new world. In the Palace in Tycoon Castle, Military Advisor Sephiroth enters the Throne Room and kneels before Queen Reina.

"Arise, Sephiroth and state your business," Reina says.

Rising, Sephiroth smiles in his somewhat creepy manner and says, "Your Majesty, I have excellent news. First of all, the newest group of Archers has completed training and are ready for battle. Furthermore, the FIRST Archer party we trained has annihilated that vile den of stinking Fiends in the Southwest, and have collected 25 Gil worth of loot from the dungeon there."

"Well done, Sephiroth!" Queen Reina says, clapping her hands together, "Now the Western regions will be safe for travel and that treasure will come in handy, no doubt." Waving her hand, Reina continues, "You're dismissed, Sephiroth, go take the rest of the day off and relax, you deserve it!"

Sephiroth bows and turns to leave, but at that moment, Krile Baldesion, the Trade Advisor, barges in and bumps into him. After a quick muttered apology to Sephiroth, she bounds up to the bottom step of the dias leading up to the throne and quickly curtsies.

Reina smiles and says, "What is it, Krile, you seem rather excited today."

Krile grins and replies, "Our Villagers have finished the road into the Dinosaur forest!"



Reina replies, "Yes, that is pretty cool, have them start building a road to the Incense bearing plants in the Worus Desert... I'd like to get our Incense Manufactory in Carwen up and running as soon as possible. Oh, and fetch my sister, would you?"

Krile curtsies again, and charges off in search of Sarisa, Reina's sister and Domestic Advisor.

A little while later, Sarisa enters, and bows. Reina says, "Sarisa, since Sephiroth is done training the Archer party, I'd like you to start recruiting citizens for another Villager party... We need to get more roads and stuff built if we want a Kingdom that's worth anything."

"I'll see to it, Reina," Sarisa replies, before bowing out.


In 601 PA, Cultural Advisor Yuna lets Queen Reina know that thanks to the Shrine in Carwen, its influence has expanded, bringing more territory under our sway. To the East, the Villager party leaves the Dinosaur herd in Tycoon Forest to extend the road to the Incense fields in the Worus Desert. Unfortunately, citizens of Carwen spot a pack of Bandersnatches nearby.

626 PA: Sarisa finishes recruitment for a second Villager party, who is sent to build a road to the grove of Rubber trees in Tycoon Forest (Tycoon Forest is a HUGE forest), and Sephiroth, well rested from his vacation, rounds up some Deinonychus dinosaurs and begins training them for combat.

To the Southeast, our Fighter party in the area meets another Fighter party belonging to a faction calling themselves "Galbadians." Queen Reina arranges a meeting with their leader, Sorceress Edea, and the following trade is aggreed upon:



We trate Animal Domestication and 25 Gil for Wood Working, and our World Map for their Territory Map.

Faction Info:

Sorceress Edea Kramer of Galbadia

Scientific, Militaristic, Expansionist

UUs: Galbadian Soldier (18(12),16,2, requires Iron), Battle Bike (21,11,3, Requires Mythril and Materia) and the IronClad Hovertank (24(20),16,3, requires Mythril, Oil and Rubber to build)

Summoned Creature: Leviathan (35(45),35,1, Auto-produced by Garden SW)

Alignment: EVIL (Offensive unit line = Fighter, Knight, Dark Knight, Blade Master, Warlord (replaced by Battle Bike), Alignment-specific buildings = Maester's Tower, which produces a Maester every 15 turns; Chaos Shrine, which acts as a second Temple; Yevon Temples (built in place of Churches, but double culture from sacrifice and only makes 2 people happy), 5 of which allows construction of the Bevelle Temple GW, which Doubles effect of Yevon Temples and also acts as Barracks and Command Center (civil defense); The Great Horde SW, which produces Barbarian Hordes every 15 turns as well as increasing Army size by 1; Shinra Building SW which requires the Alignment-specific Imperialism government to build that acts like a second Forbidden Palace and produces a Turk unit every 5 turns. In addition, Evil civs can transform captured units into Fayth (sacrifice) for culture).

638 PA: We trade Wood Working to Esthar for Chocobo Riding, and then trade Chocobo Riding to Galbadia for their World Map. Finally, Reina contacts Cloud and trades World Maps with him. Our knowledge of the world being greatly improved, it would appear that all the land on this planet is grouped into one ginormous continent, or as Chief Advisor Hikaro Takayama calls it, a "Pangaea." Furthermore, it would appear that the Wutai sea is, in fact, completely land-locked (but still about as big as the Mediterranean Sea in RL).

The year 650 PA marks another milestone in the Kingdom of Tycoon's history:



The Tower of Worus is founded in the Tycoon Forest beside the Worus Desert, and close to the Bangaa village that was spotted earlier, and right next to the flock of Chocobos revealed to us by the Natives who shared the secrets of Animal Domestication with us. Hopefully, when the town's influence expands, the Bangaa in the village will rally to our cause.

The town's mayor orders a Shrine to be constructed to give thanks for a safe journey.

662 PA: Carwen finishes training its first Archer party, which immediately is assigned to defend the town from Fiend or other attack. The village mayor begins recruiting citizens to form a third Villager party, and hopefully get our infrastructure up and running sometime soon.

674-686 PA: Our Fighter party in the East spots a Fiend den from their vantage point atop a tall hill, but General Sephiroth orders them to fortify their position on the hill until we can send reinforcements in the form of a Deinonychus party.

A nearby Galbadian Fighter party, lacking the discipline of our fighters, attacks the two packs of Bandersnatches using the ruins for their lair, and get slaughtered for their troubles. Our Fighters, listening to the triumphant Howling and grisly sounds of the giant wolf-like creatures feasting on the remains of the Galbadian Fighter party, shudder and thank whatever spirits or gods they believe in that they have a smart, patient General commanding them.

698 PA: One pack of Bandersnatches, obviously catching wind of our Fighters, charges up the hill and attacks, but the Fighter party holds the line behind their hastily fortified camp, and defeats the fiends, although half the party members are severely wounded in the fight.

The Carwen finishes recruiting its Villager party and sends them off to build a road to one of the Incense fields in the Worus Desert. The town Militia Commander then begins training another Archer party.

The Archer party that defeated the first Fiend Den returns to Tycoon Castle, where Queen Reina gives a speech in their honor, and the citizens turn out to celebrate the return of the brave women.

Our Fighter party in the West reports back that they have spotted another Native village South of Esthar's borders.

So it is, with the Kingdom of Tycoon expanding and in a good position that this chapter ends.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

...And the obligatory Territory map and Foreign Advisor screenie:

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 4: Research and Terrain Development​

It is 710 PA, and Sephiroth appears before Queen Reina, once again. This time, he has bandages on his hands and part of his face, but he's smiling as he tells Queen Reina that the first Deinonychus party has been trained and is ready for combat. Queen Reina congratulates Sephiroth and tells him to begin training a second Deinonychus party. Sephroth grimaces, but leaves to carry out his task.... Thankfully, now that he's gotten the first Deinonychuses trained, there should be less problems with the subsequent groups.

Sephiroth then sends the Deinonychus party East to attack the Fiend den that our Eastern Fighter party is keeping an eye on.

722 PA, Krile once again barges into the throne room to announce that the road to Carwen's Incense deposits is now complete.



The mayor of Carwen immediately changes production in the town to an Incense Maufactory (makes one unhappy citizen content and produces treasure every 10 turns).

In addition, the Villager party to the West has completed the road to the Rubber trees in Tycoon Forest, and begins extending the road to the herds of Wild Game in the Tycoon Forest North of the Twin Peaks (as the two mountains outside Tycoon Castle are now known).

To the East of Carwen, a second pack of Bandersnatches from the Fiend Den attacks our Fighter party that is fortified in the hills outside it. Once again, our Fighters prevail!

734 PA: The Deinonychus party is nearly in position to attack the Fiend Den, so the Fighter party packs up and continues exploring to the Northeast.

To the West, our Fighter Party enters the Native village there, and the nomadic natives, hearing of our great deeds and fair treatment of their bretheren in our kingdom, shares the secrets of Iron Working with us.



Unfortunately, the only known Iron deposits are all quite a far distance from our territory... The two nearest sources are right outside Esthar's borders, and in the vast frontier to the Northeast.

In 746, our Deinonychus party charges into the Fiend den, messily devouring the last pack of Bandersnatches holed up inside. The Deinonychus handlers collect 25 Gil worth of loot from the ruins, which is added to the treasury.

Later in the year, two AVALANCHE Fighter parties enter our territory to the North of Carwen!



758 PA: Cid announces that he's figured out the secrets of running a Tribal Council, and Reina tells him to begin research on Masonry. Sarisa asks if we should begin transitioning our government, and Reina declines: We have at least three important projects that are nearing completion and transitioning our Government would screw that up. Sephiroth adds that the AVALANCHE Fighters in our territory don't look entirely friendly, and since one of the projects almost complete is training a Deinonychus party, he aggrees with the Queen.

Ritz Malheur, the Foreign minister is then tasked with seeing what we can get for our knowledge of Tribal Council. Sorceress Edea gives us Writing, their World Map and 70 Gil for the technology! We then trade World Maps with Esthar and AVALANCHE. The AVALANCHE maps reveal a city deep in terra incognita called "Midgar" and belonging to an unknown faction called "Shinra"

Sephiroth, who was at the council meeting sits bolt upright when he hears this.

"What's the mater, General Sephiroth?" Queen Reina asks, "Do YOU know anything about them?"

Sephiroth sighs and says, "Yes.... The Shinra Corporation are the ones that made me what I..." he shudders, "...WAS" He then goes on to explain how he was injected with Jenova cells when he was still in the womb, infused with Makou energy at an early age, and turned into a Super-SOLDIER for the Shinra Corporation's world-domination bid. He also tells of his discovery of his true origins and the mental breakdown he had as a result, followed by his destruction of significant parts of that world, the fight with AVALANCHE and how he ended up here. He ended his tale with the statement, "We CAN'T let them do the same things they did on their previous world, lest this one meets the same fate!"

Chief Advisor Takayama aggrees whole-heartedly with this suggestion, but adds that if they have learned from their mistakes, then we shouldn't start a war with them, just keep an eye on them so that they DON'T repeat past mistakes.

Faction Info:

President Rufus Shinra of the Shinra Corporation

Scientific, Militaristic, Industrious

UUs: SOLDIER (22(16),12,2, requires Mythril and Materia), GrossPanzer (24(24),14,3, Requires Mythril, Oil and Rubber) and the Shinra Attack Sub (24,10,6, requires Materia to build)

Summoned Creature: Sephiroth Clone (40(35),35,1, Auto-produced by the Jenova Project SW)

Alignment: EVIL (Offensive unit line = Fighter, Knight, Dark Knight, Blade Master, Warlord (replaced by SOLDIER), Alignment-specific buildings = Maester's Tower, which produces a Maester every 15 turns; Chaos Shrine, which acts as a second Shrine; Yevon Temples (built in place of Churches, but double culture from sacrifice and only makes 2 people happy), 5 of which allows construction of the Bevelle Temple GW, which Doubles effect of Yevon Temples and also acts as Barracks and Command Center (civil defense); The Great Horde SW, which produces Barbarian Hordes every 15 turns as well as increasing Army size by 1; Shinra Building SW which requires the Alignment-specific Imperialism government to build that acts like a second Forbidden Palace and produces a Turk unit every 5 turns. In addition, Evil civs can transform captured units into Fayth (sacrifice) for culture).

In the Northeast, our Deinonychus party discovers a Native village next to another grove of Rubber trees!

Both the AVALANCHE fighter parties move into the same patch of forest directly to the North of Carwen. That does NOT look good!

An unknown Faction called "Garden" builds a town called "Timber" in the Northeast Frontier not far from the Iron site, but not NEARLY close enough to get at the Iron.

Faction Info:

Commander Squall Leonhart of Garden

Scientific, Militaristic, Seafaring

UUs: SeeD (20(15),12,2, requires Mythril and Materia), Forest Owl (16(14),16,2, Requires Iron) and the White SeeD Ship (18(18),16,7, requires Materia to build)

Summoned Creature: Leviathan (35(45),35,1, Auto-produced by Garden SW)

Alignment: Good (Offensive unit line = Fighter, Knight, Paladin, Sword Master, Samurai (replaced by SeeD), Alignment-specific buildings = Archon Tower, which produces a Cetra Archon every 15 turns; Cetra Shrine, which acts as 1/2 cost, 0 maint Arena, 5 of which allows construction of the Aeris' Church GW, which makes 2 people happy in all cities; Adventurer's Guild Hall SW, which produces Hero Parties every 15 turns as well as increasing Army size by 1; Constitutional Government SW which requires the Alignment-specific Democracy government to build that acts like a second Forbidden Palace and produces a Citizen Militia unit every 5 turns. In addition, Good civs can build Embassies from the start).

Thus it is with all factions either met or know of, a precarious situation North of Carwen and an opportunity in the Northeast that this chapted comes to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 5: WAR!​

In 770 PA, news that would rock the Kingdom of Tycoon arrived via runner from Carwen: one of the two AVALANCHE Fighter parties in the woods North of Carwen launched a surprise attack at dawn.



Even though our Archer party took some heavy casualties, the AVALANCHE Fighters were driven off, and for some unknown reason, their ELITE Fighter party chose not to attack our city. The fact of the matter, however, was that we were now at war with AVALANCHE.

Queen Reina reacted to the news by indignantly asking, "WHY?! What did we ever do to THEM?! I mean we WERE on VERY good terms with them up until about 5 minutes ago!"

Sephiroth says, "Highness, I believe it may be my fault... No doubt they found out I was still alive, and think that I'm still on my whole 'let's kill everybody so I can become a god' kick, or decided they didn't want to take any chances."

Chief Advisor Takayama spoke up, "Could be, or it might be that they THOUGHT we'd make easy pickings, since our army is NUMERICALLY inferior to theirs, without them giving a single thought to the QUALITY of those troops.... I've seen this kind of attitude before when nations fail to employ competent military analysts or Intelligence Chiefs....."

Sephiroth replies, "You are right about our army being NUMERICALLY inferior to theirs, but from what I've gathered thus far, the QUALITY of our troops is far superior to that rabble they have..."

Queen Reina interjects, "Enough speculation! Sephiroth, how soon will our second Deinonychus party be ready for battle?"

"Very soon, your Highness," Sephiroth replies, "I'll deploy them against what's left of the invading 'army' when they're ready, if that is your wish."

"Yes, please do," Queen Reina replies, "It would seem that your Archers have earned their pay this day, Sephiroth. Tell them that they are now awarded Veteran status for their valor in combat. This council meeting is adjourned!"

After everyone leaves the council chambers, word comes back to Tycoon Castle that the Deinonychus party in the Northeast frontier had entered teh Native village there.

These Natives had also heard about the fair treatment their fellow natives were getting in our kingdom. On top of that, word of our victory in the Battle of Carwen had reached them, in addition to their being highly impressed by our ability to control Dinosaurs in combat. As a result, after a short meeting with the tribal elders, the tribe cheiftain swears his undying loyalty to Queen Reina of Tycoon, and organizes the tribe into a Settler party. The Native Settler party, along with the Deinonychus party, sets out for a nice spot next to the Iron deposits spotted earlier.

Closer to home, The Tower of Worus has completed construction on its Shrine and begins training an Archer party.

782 PA: The Deinonychus party has completed training in Tycoon Castle, and moves to reinforce Carwen. Domestic Advisor Sarisa starts recruiting another Villager party.

To the West, our Fighter party spots a clump of Spice bearing trees in a small Boreal forest Southwest of Esthar, but smart money is on Esthar getting the spices first.

In 794 PA, during the Second Battle of Carwen, our regular Deinonychus party attacks the elite AVALANCHE Fighter party in the forest North of Carwen. The Deinonychus party takes heavy casualties, but the last of the AVALANCHE forces in our territory are slaughtered to the last man.

To the East, we manage to make contact with Commander Squall Leonhart of Garden. Foreign Advisor Ritz Malheur trades Wood Working and our World Map for their World map. The updated map confirms that everyone is on the same, huge continent, which has relatively few mountains or volcanoes.

A Bandersnatch pack North of our Deinonychus and Native Settler party defeats two unseen opponents before getting slaughtered by an Esthari Fighter party.

806 PA: Carwen finishes construction of its Incense Manufactory, and begins training an Archer party. Tycoon Castle finishes recruiting another Villager party who is sent to mine the Rubber tree grove in the Tycoon Forest. Sephiroth begins training another Archer party in Tycoon Castle. Queen Reina decides that this is as good a time as any, so she summons her sister Sarisa and begins re-structuring the government. Cid Recruits citizens for his research team in every town he can, so we won't lose too much progress on our Masonry research.

The town of Jacole (which in the Native's language means "Iron Town") is founded in 818 PA next to the Iron deposits in the Northeast. The tribal chieftain orders the construction of a shrine (although there won't be any progress made until the government transition is complete).



The government transition period ends in 830 PA, and the despotic rule of Queen Reina is re-organized into a Tribal Council, which boosts the efficiency of all our citizens working the terrain around our towns.

On top of that good news, a Settler party has formed up at the Palace in Tycoon Caslte, and heads off to secure a coastal site to the Southeast next to a forest crawling with Silkworms that is near the Galbadian borders.

842 PA: Tower of Worus' influence expands, bringing the Bangaa village into our borders. The Bangaa chieftain swears fealty to Queen Reina, but we won't be able to recruit Bangaa troops until we have a road to their village. The road linking Tower of Worus to our trade network is complete, so the Villager party begins extending it towards the Bangaa village.... Hopefully this new alliance will turn the war in our favor!

Word also reaches us through shady Incense merchants that Esthar has begun work on a great Tree of Life called the Iifa Tree (Iifa tree has the same stats and effects as the Pyramids).

Cid comes into the Council chamber in 854 to announce that his crack team of engineers has mastered the art of Masonry.



Reina congratulates him and has him start research into Mathematics so we can build the Tomb of the Unknown King. (Tomb of the Unknown King produces 4,2,2 Minotaurs every 5 turns... Minotaurs are one of the most powerful Ancient era units, and are only available through this GW)

Later that year we also recieve word that Edea has started work on the Iifa tree.

Thus it is with the Kingdom under a better government and in the middle of a pointless war and with a Wonder Race starting up around us, that this chapter comes to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 6: The War's End​

It is 866 PA, and Tower of Worus finishes training an Archer party, and the town militia commander begins training a Deinonychus party. Sephiroth finishes training an Archer in Tycoon Castle, after which Sarisa begins recruiting another Villager party. The Archer party from Tower of Worus is sent to defend Carwen, Tycoon Castle's newly trained Archer party is sent to defend Jacole, which will be a long trip for them. The Deinonychus party in Carwen is ordered to go forth and attack Wutai (another long-ass trip).

878 PA, AVALANCHE must have gotten word that our Deinonychus party was on its way to go pwn their town, because they were finally willing to talk:



Queen Reina signs a peace treaty with Cloud bringing the Tycoon-AVALANCHE war to a close. This war would be remembered in history for three things: #1. It would be one of the shortest wars ever fought, #2. It would be the most one-sided war ever fought (AVALANCHE was the only one who lost any troops during battle), and #3. It would be remembered as the most pointless war (absolutely nothing gained on either side).

Sarisa completes recruitment of the Villager party in Tycoon Castle, and Sephiroth begins training another Deinonychus party.

In 890 PA, seedy Dinosaur traders visiting Tycoon Castle report that AVALANCHE has begun construction of the Iifa Tree in 7th Heaven.... They can have it for all we care.

902 PA: Carwen trains an Archer party and starts recruiting another Villager party. In the Southeast, our Settler party has arrived at the spot for grabbing the Silk moths in the forests there. It will also be our first coastal town.

The town of Lonka is founded in 914 PA, and begins building a Shrine.



To the Northwest, one of our Villager parties has completed the road into the Bangaa village near Tower of Worus. Carwen switches its training program to drilling our first Bangaa Tracker party (Banga Tracker = 2,2,2, ignore movement over hills and mountains, requires Bangaa to build)

Later that year, AVALANCHE sends an envoy offering to trade Ship Building for our knowledge of Writing. Since we now have a coastal city (and thus, the means to build ships), Queen Reina agrees to the trade.

In 926 PA, Sephiroth finishes training a Deinonychus party, and at the direction of Chief Advisor Takayama, all efforts in the Capitol are directed towards building the Iifa tree, but the reality is that this is only a ruse to gain construction time on the Tomb of the Unknown King, which we don't know how to build yet. The Deinonychus party fortifies in Tycoon Castle to help defend the city (and provide Military Police).

The Incense Manufactory in Carwen produces our first Treasure shipment. Chief Advisor Takayama and Military Advisor Sephiroth suggest waiting until Carwen finishes its Bangaa Tracker party, rather than using the Archer party that forms the sole defense for Carwen to escort the Treasure shipment to Tycoon Castle: It will take the same amount of time either way, and by waiting, we won't be depriving Carwen of its main defenses. Queen Reina can't see any flaws in their logic, so she approves the decision.

To the West, our Fighter party in the area reports seeing a Fiend den in the frontier between the Esthari towns of Esthar and Kashkabald Forest, and our Deinonychus party in the Northeast pays a small Goblin village a visit. (Goblin Villages are a strategic resource that allows training of Goblin units)

934 PA: Tower of Worus finishes training its Deinonychus party, while Carwen completes training of our first Bangaa Tracker party. Both towns begin recruiting Villager parties.



The Bangaa Tracker party hauls the Treasure shipment to Tycoon Castle, where it is cashed in for 300 Gil (and 100 Victory points ), while the Deinonychus party from Tower or Worus is sent off to secure our next town site, which is located between Jacole, Lonka, and Carwen.

Later that year, Laguna sends an envoy asking to trade World Maps. We accept his generous offer and are able to fill in some more of the blank spots on our maps that had previously been labled "Terra Incognita". Our Fighter party in the far West reports seeing an Esthari Warrior party defeat the pack of Bandersnatches guarding the Fiend Den between Esthar and Kashkabald Forest.

Word also reaches us through shady Chocobo traders that AVALANCHE has started construction of Delkfutt's Tower in Wutai. (Delkfutt's Tower is essentially the same as the Colossus, but it becomes obsolete with Machina Warfare (Motorized Transportation) rather than Flight.)

Thus it is that with peace returning and the kingdom slowly expanding that this chapter comes to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

...And the obligatory Territory, World and proposed city site maps:

Proposed City sites:



Tycoon Territory Map:

Spoiler :

World Map:

Spoiler :

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Ok, I know you guys are reading this, so please tell me what you think... BTW, I promise not to abandon this game, since it's much more interesting than the last one.

Chapter 7: Fiends!​

The year is 942 PA, and one of continuing exploration by the Kingdom of Tycoon. The Fighter party exploring the Western areas around Esthar's territory has completed its task (everything revealed around there), and begins the long journey back to Tower of Worus after many years in the field.

To the North, our Deinonychus party reports that AVALANCHE has founded the town of Cosmo Canyon on the Northwest shore of the Wutai Sea.

950 PA:



Our Deinonychus party in the North confirms Chief Advisor Takayama's Suspicions: The Wutai Sea is, indeed, completely land-locked, however if a town were founded on the isthmus there, a canal could be quickly built to connect the Wutai Sea with what appears to be a large sea extending down from the Arctic Ocean. As a bonus, any town founded on the Isthmus next to the river will also have access to Spice bearing trees in the forests on the Isthmus as well! After making the report, the Deinonychus party retreats to a neaby mountain due to a massive horde of Bandersnatches in the area.

Down home, Carwen finishes recruitment of a Villager party and starts training a Bangaa Tracker party. The Villager is sent to build roads and mines in the forests outside Carwen (and hopefully boost that towns miserable production). Tower of Worus also has recruited a Villager party this year, and the Villagers are sent to build a road to the Oasis in the Worus Desert.

Later that year, a large group of AVALANCHE Warriors (2,2,1) wipes out a Fiend Den in the North, and kill one of the Bandersnatch packs in the Spice forest on the Isthmus.

In the Southwest, Esthar founds the town of Lunatic Pandora near the Spice forest spotted earlier by our Fighter party. Chief Advisor Takayama collects his winnings from the bet he made when the Spice forest was first discovered:

To the West, our Fighter party spots a clump of Spice bearing trees in a small Boreal forest Southwest of Esthar, but smart money is on Esthar getting the spices first.

In 958 PA, our Archer party from Carwen finally reaches Jacole after a long journey. The Fighter party that had been maintaining the primary defenses for the town stands down and lets the Archers take over. Our Deinonychus party in the North kills the last Bandersnatch pack in the Spice forest on the isthmus, but sustain numerous bite wounds in the process.

An AVALANCHE Warrior party kills another Bandersnatch party in the North, while the remaining two packs attack our Deinonychus party. Our slightly wounded dinosaurs rip them to bloody shreds and devour what's left. Sephiroth, impressed by their fighting spirit, promotes them to Elite status.

(Note: In the Final Fantasy mod, the HP for different Experience levels are thus: Conscript = 2 HP, Regular = 4 HP, Veteran = 6 HP, Elite = 8 HP. I did this to make Experience a more important factor in combat... Well, also because I was tired of losing Elite units to regulars all the damn time )

In the South, a Bandersnatch pack is spotted in the hills outside Carwen in range to attack our Villager party!

966 PA: We send our first Bangaa Tracker party out from Carwen to attack the Bandersnatches thretening our Villagers. The lizard-like Bangaa make fairly quick work of the Bandersnatches, and feast on roast Bandersnatch that night. They also report back that they've spotted a Fiend den directly North of Carwen. Sephiroth congratulates them and promotes them to Veteran status.

Cid pops into the Council chamber in the Palace of Tycoon Castle to report that we've achieved our next big scientific breakthrough:



Production in Tycoon Castle is IMMEDIATELY changed from the Iifa Tree to the Tomb of the Unknown King. Reina tells Cid to start researching Literature, since she could use some good books to read in her spare time.

Reina then has Ritz Malheur, our Foreign Advisor, sell Chocobo Riding to Commander Squall Leonhart of Garden for his World map, after which we trade maps with Cloud, Edea and Laguna.... Several more heretofore unknown Fiend dens near our borders are revealed to us, and the Deinonychus party stationed in Tycoon Castle is sent to purge the Fiend den revealed between Tycoon Castle and Lonka.

Not long after, a pack of Bandersnatches moves onto the road that will soon connect Lonka with Carwen (and the rest of our core towns).

Later in the year, wandering travelers calling themselves the "Light Warriors" report that AVALANCHE has begun building the Besaid Shrine in Fort Condor, and Esthar has begun building it in Kashkabald Forest. (Note: Besaid Shrine requires Mysticism, doubles happiness of Shrines and does not become obsolete)

In 974 PA, our veteran Bangaa Tracker party wipes out the last Bandersnatch party in the Fiend den North of Carwen, and find 25 Gil worth of loot in the dungeon.

The Archer party from Carwen kills the Bandersnatch pack on the Carwen-Lonka road, while the Deinonychus party from Tycoon Castle is almost in position to attack the Fiend den that particular group of Bandersnatches came from.

982 PA: Our Deinonychus party attacks the Fiend den and messily devours one pack of Bandersnatches in the den before being driven back by the remaining pack guarding the den. Our elite Deinonychus party in the North has finally recovered from the wounds they sustained fighting fiends up there and resumes exploration of the Northern regions.

In 990 PA, Chief Advisor Takayama has Foreign Advisor Ritz Malheur establish embassies with Galbadia, Garden and Esthar, as well as carrying out an investigation of 7th Heaven, AVALANCHE's capitol City. According to our "diplomat's" reports, nobody can finish any wonder they're building before we can build the Tomb of the Unknown King, thus we can safely trade Mathematics around without worrying about a wonder cascade stealing it from us.

Based on that Data, Chief Advisor Takayama requests that Queen Reina trade Mathematics to anyone who has something to offer us for it and she agrees. Ritz then arranges meetings with Cloud Strife and Laguna Loire to trade technology. Mathematics is traded to Esthar for Map Making (Map Making allows all non-neutral civs to trade maps, as well as enables construction of Harbors and the Morhen Lighthouse GW), and to AVALANCHE for Mysticism (Mysticism allows construction of the Besaid Shrine GW)

In the meantime, Carwen trains another Bangaa Tracker party and begins recruiting another Villager party. The Deinonychus assaulting the Fiend den between Tycoon Castle and Lonka wipes out another Bandersnatch pack, but it seems that the Fiends are reproducing faster than we can kill them! (There's another Bandersnatch in the Fiend Den).

Some time later, A Galbadian Fighter party moves into the Iron Hills outside Jacole and a pack of Bandersnatches attacks the elite Deinonychus party exploring the North and get devoured for their troubles.

A travelling group of spoony bards visits the Palace in Tycoon Castle and tells Queen Reina that Esthar has started building the Tomb of the Unknown King in Fisherman's Horizon. Reina then shares this bit of news with her advisors later in the evening, and they all laugh so hard that the Palace walls shake.

998 PA: Lonka finishes construction on a Shrine and begins building a "granary," which, in fact would become a Weaver's Shop, once the road to the Silk moths was complete. (Weaver's Shop requires Silk in its radius to build, boosts tax revenue and produces a Treasure every 15 turns).

The Deinonychus party laying siege to the Fiend den between Lonka and Tycoon Castle FINALLY kills the last pack of Bandersnatches in the den. After feasting on the Bandersnatches' corpses, the Deinonychus party collects 25 gil worth of loot from the Fiend den.

In 1006 PA, the Villager party completes the road to the Silk forest outside Lonka:



The route from Tycoon Castle, through the Native Farming Village, Carwen and Lonka would soon be known as the Silk Road, and a source of National Pride to the Kingdom of Tycoon. Production on the "Granary" in Lonka is immediately switched to a Weaver's Shop.

On top of that good news, Jacole finishes recruiting a Villager party, who is sent to build a road to the Iron deposits outside the village in the Iron Hills. Jacole begins training an Archer party. Another Villager party departs Carwen (which begins training a Bangaa Tracker party) and also begins building a road from Carwen to the Iron deposits outside Jacole.

Tower of Worus completes its Barracks and starts training a veteran Bangaa Tracker party. To wrap up the good news for the beginning of the New Millennium, the Incense Maufactory in Carwen produces another Treasure, which is hauled to Tycoon Castle and sold for another 300 Gil.

Thus it is with Tycoon's trade and wealth expanding, that this chapter comes to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Sorry about the delay in posting updates: I've been real busy the last couple of days. Anyways, on to:

Chapter 8: Wonder Race​

When we last left the Tycoon Kingdom, the Villager teams had completed a long trade route bringing the Silks of Lonka to Tycoon Castle and beyond, with other Villager parties working to complete a road to the Iron ore in the Iron Hills outside the Native-founded town of Jacole.

The current year is 1014 PA, with the good progress of the Tycoon Kingdom continuing. A Villager party working outside Tower of Worus finally completes a road to the Chocobo flock in the Tycoon Forest, and we can now begin taming and training the giant birds as mounts for our troops! (Chocobo Rider: 3,2,2)

Furthermore, the lone Fighter party who had been exploring the Western regions around Esthar finally returns to Tower of Worus, after years of hard work mapping out the West coast, dodging Fiends all the while. Queen Reina announces a day of celebration while Chief Advisor Takayama organizes a grand welcoming parade for the returning heros.

Later that year, shifty Chocobo traders report that Cloud has also begun construction on the Tomb of the Unknown King, meaning that there is now a 3-way race for that one wonder. With any luck, our citizens in Tycoon Castle will have it finished before any of the competitors do.

Another Settler party assembles at the Palace in Tycoon during the year 1022 PA, and they are sent off to claim the spot designated near the center of the earlier map for possible city sites:



The position next to the Chocobos and strategically located between Carwen, Lonka and Jacole is the Settler party's destination.

Later that year, a Garden Deinonychus party kills a Galbadian Fighter party in our territory outside Jacole! Chief Advisor Takayama is not sure which is worse: The casual manner in which foreign powers are using our territory as THEIR battlefield or the fact that we had no idea that Garden and Galbadia were at war in the first place! Of course, given those two nations' history on the world they came from, the war should have been expected. (In Final Fantasy VIII, the game from which Galbadia, Esthar and Garden come, Galbadia is the main antagonist, and the game's hero and his friends are part of Garden. Esthar is more or less neutral to the conflict at the beginning, but....)

One of our own Deinonychus parties is ambushed by a pack of Bandersnatches, which end up becoming Dino food.

1030 PA: A den of Fiends is spotted by the Deinonychus party right next to our chosen town site! A Bangaa Tracker party that was guarding the other designated future city site moves into position to attack the Fiends.

Foreign Minister Ritz Malheur is authorized to sell some technology to Commander Squall Leonhart of Garden in order to help them in their war against Galbadia, so we sell them Writing for their current World Map.

A Bangaa Tracker party completes its training in Tower of Worus, and the town begins training a Deinonychus party. Our Elite Deinonychus exploring the Northern regions demolishes a lair of Bandersnatches and loots 25 gil worth of treasure from their den.

Later in the year, word comes to Queen Reina's ear that the Esthari have started construction of Delkfutt's Tower, but the good people of Tycoon could care less (we only have 1 coastal city right now ).

Much more alarmingly, a band of TROLLS has appeared guarding the Fiend Den next to our city site! This is NOT good! (Trolls = Advanced Barb unit: 8,5,2, +2HP and ZoC... Not easy to defeat until you get to the Middle Ages, and even then......)

1038 PA: Our Deinonychus party launches a savage attack on the Trolls in the ruins near our chosen town site. After a brutal, close-quarters battle that sees many of our Deinonychuses turned into "Dino-on-a-Stick," the last of the Trolls are wiped out.

While our dinosaurs are chewing on the remains of the Trolls, the Bangaa Tracker party rushes into the breach, shooting the pack of Bandersnatches guarding the entrance full of poison darts. With the last of the fiends slain, the Bangaa explore the ruins and bring forth 25 Gil worth of trinkets, which are added to the Treasury.

Carwen finishes training another Bangaa Tracker party, and the town begins building a Barracks. In the Northeast, the Villager party outside Jacole finishes building its road to the Iron ore seams in the Iron Hills, and begins buildign a Mine. Production in Jacole is immediately diverted to building an Iron Foundry to smelt the ore now being mined out of the ground. (Iron Foundry = Boost Production, Produces Treasure every 15 turns, Requires Iron in radius).

The fiends are once again active, with a band of Trolls has been spotted North of Jacole and another pack of Bandersnatches meeting their fate at the hands of our elite Deinonychus party in the far North.

1046 PA is a big year for the Kingdom of Tycoon:



Not only do we complete construction of the Tomb of the Unknown King, thus winning the wonder race, but Science Advisor Cid announces we've also managed to make a breakthrough in writing Literature:



Queen Reina congratulates him and suggests he start studying up on Philosophy (trying to go for a Currency slingshot, since Currency would not only allow me to build much-needed Marketplaces, but it would also allow me to build a Rubber Plantation in the Capitol, which will boost production and generate Treasures every 15 turns).

Queen Reina then tells her sister, Domestic Minister Sarisa (a.k.a Faris) to begin building a Barracks in Tycoon: She wants ALL of our Minotaurs to be trained veterans from the get-go

(Tomb of the Unknown King produces 4,2,2 +1HP Minotaurs every 5 turns and is worth 4 Culture per turn. It becomes obsolete with Metallurgy).

Traveling Mummers report that AVALANCHE has immediately switched their big project to the Morhen Lighthouse (Morhen Lighthouse = Great Lighthouse, including conditions of obsolescence).

The Weaver's Shop in Lonka is completed in 1054, and much finer silk cloth begins coming out of the town (as will Treasure shipments, soon enough), boosting the town's economy. The town militia commander begins training a Bangaa Tracker party.

In 1062 PA, the Town of Kanark is founded on the Kanark Plains between Carwen, Lonka and Jacole.



We now have continuous territory linking our cities once again (if not roads, but that will be remedied soon enough!), and the Mayor begins building a Shrine to give thanks.

So it is with ever growing Fiend incursions and a newly-consolidated territory that this chapter ends.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Before I post the next update, here's an updated territory map:

Spoiler :

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Before I start the actual chapter, on a rather ironic note, as soon as I started typing this post, the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children version of "One-Winged Angel" started playing on my random MP3 playlist.

Anyways, to start:

Chapter 9: Last Contact​

The last chapter ended with the Kingdom of Tycoon growing in power and influence, despite the ever-increasing number of Fiends assaulting virtually all of our borders.

The year is now 1070 PA, and Military Advisor Sephiroth is pleased to tell Queen Reina that Tycoon Castle has completed construction of its new Barracks, which will allow us to train veteran troops from now on. Queen Reina congratulates him, and then calls her sister, Domestic Advisor Sarisa, to begin building a Library to help educate her people.

Tower of Worus finished training another veteran Deinonychus party and begins organizing another Villager party to help further develop the Kingdom's infrastructure (which is definitely in need of development). The Deinonychus party is sent to attack a den of Fiends that was spotted in the Frozen Tundra

A Deinonychus party from Jacole is sent North to blockade the isthmus between the Wutai Sea and the Istory Bay.... We want those spices and the strategic position of controlling a canal that links the Istory Bay (and the Arctic Ocean, by extention) to the Wutai Sea.

1078 PA: The veteran Deinonychus party from Tower of Worus successfully kills all of the Bandersnatches in the den of Fiends, and loots 25 Gil worth of treasure from their lair.

Shortly after our Deinonychus party is done looting the former Fiend den, two Esthar Warrior parties show up intending to clear out the Fiends, but disappointed to find that they were a bit too late.

Cid enters the council chambers in the Palace in 1086 PA to make an important announcement:



He annonces that not only has his crack research team delved into the secrets of Philosophy, but they also were inspired in the ensuing debates to also create a formalized system of Currency for trading within the Kingdom.

Queen Reina is quite ecstatic, as is Chief Advisor Takayama: We can now not only establish a Rubber Plantation in Tycoon Castle, but we can also build Temples in all our cities (Temples have the same stats they do in the normal game, but they all look like 3-story Japanese Pagodas now )

Chief Advisor Takayama tells Cid to start researching a Code of Laws which will open up the possibility of either delving into the secrets of running a Monarchy or a Republic (we're going for Monarchy so we can also build the Ru'lude Gardens GW).

In addition to that good news, Jacole's Iron Foundry is finally up and running, so the town mayor begins training an Archer party. The Villager party being recruited in Tower of Worus is finally ready and they set out to build some roads. The Mayor of Tower of Worus orders construction of what will likely be the first Temple in the Kingdom of Tycoon.

The first of (hopefully) many veteran Minotaurs emerges from the Tomb of the Unknown King in Tycoon Castle, and is sent to secure the OTHER side of the isthmus up North (NOBODY is going to steal that city site from us if we can help it!) Finally, the Incense Manufactory in Carwen produces another Treasure shipment, which is promptly picked up by the Bangaa Tracker party in Carwen and hauled to Tycoon Castle.

1094 PA: The influence of Carwen expands again, bringing more territory under our control (although not necesarily under direct control of any town), on top of which the town finishes building its Barracks. To commemorate the completion of the Barracks, the town Militia commander begins training a VETERAN Bangaa Tracker party. In the Southeast, Lonka finally completes training its own Bangaa Tracker party (whose main purpose is to haul Treasure shipments from the Weaver's Shop back to Tycoon Castle) and begins building our first (and, until we get another coastal city, only) harbor.

Later that year, Commander Squall Leonhart of Garden asks us for a Military Alliance against Galbadia, but we decline. Queen Reina instead offers a Right of Passage aggreement that would allow Garden to use our excellent road network to better strike at Galbadia.

A travelling band of spoony bards visiting Tycoon Castle bring the following news to Queen Reina's attention:



Esthar has completed construction of the second Great Wonder of the World: The Iifa Tree. The citizens of the Kingdom of Tycoon could care less...

In 1102 PA, our elite Deinonychus party in the Northeast finally makes contact with the the Shinra Corporation. Foreign Minister Ritz Malheur buys their World Map with our World Map and Mathematics (yes, they are THAT far behind). More previously unknown dens of Fiends are revealed to us, including a couple that are uncomfortably close to our territory.

Now we have contact with ALL major factions on this world. Ironically, they all, including ours, also represent all the MAJOR factions on their previous worlds (Tycoon = only faction in the FF mod from Final Fantasy 5; Shinra & AVALANCHE = both factions in the mod from Final Fantasy 7; and Esthar, Galbadia and Garden = all three factions in the mod from Final Fantasy 8.... and it all happend by pure, random chance! ).

Later in the year, we receive word from wandering adventurers that AVALANCHE, not to be thwarted by losing out on the Iifa Tree, builds the Besaid Shrine in 7th Heaven. While it would have been nice to have the happiness of all our Shrines doubled (along with the additional 4 culture per turn it produces), we can live without it.

A band of Trolls is also spotted North of Tower of Worus' borders.

Tycoon Castle builds the Kingdom's first Library in 1110 PA, and begins planting Rubber trees in the capital in order to establish a Rubber Plantation.

To the East, one of our Villager parties has completed the road from Carwen to Kanark and begins extending it towards Jacole.

In the North, our Deinonychus party from Jacole is finally in position to block access through the Western side of the isthmus.

That year a number of towns are founded by the various factions: Esthar settles Kashkabald Desert in the Plains on the Southwest coast between Esthar and Kashkabald Forest. Galbadia Founds Wilburn Hill on their Southern coast and Shinra establishes the town of Mt. Corel on the West coast of the Shinra Peninsula.

The Rubber Plantation in Tycoon Castle is up and running in 1118 PA, and Domestic Minister Sarisa has the citizens begin building a Temple. Tower of Worus completes the first Temple in the Kingdom and begins training a Deinonychus party. Carwen finishes training their first veteran Bangaa Tracker party and begins building a Temple.

More Fiends are spotted moving around our borders, and a Bandersnatch pack even enters our territory near the Silk Road!

1126 PA: Another Minotaur emerges from the Tomb of the Unknown King in Tycoon Castle and is ordered to help defend the town (especially with all the fiends out and about). A Bangaa Tracker party from Carwen slaughters the pack of Bandersnatches threatening the Silk Road.

In the Northeast, the Minotaur moving to help blockade the Eastern side of the Istory Isthmus handily defeats a pack of Bandersnatches, clearing out the den of Fiends blocking his path. Another 25 Gil worth of loot is collected and added to the treasury and the Minotaur continues on his way to block off the Isthmus.

In one of the forests to the Southeast of Tycoon Castle, one of our Deiononychus parties devours the pack of Bandersnatches guarding a den of Fiends there and score anther 25 Gil worth of loot:



Later that year, two Esthari Warrior parties enter our territory, chased by two bands of Trolls! We also get word from Rubber merchants in our capitol that President Laguna has begun construction on the Temple of the Ancients in Esthar.

Finally, wrapping up this chapter, Garden founds the town of Hasberry Plains, appropriately enough, in the vast Hasberry Plains Northwest of Balamb along the Balamb River.

 

[Hooray]

Looks like those Deinonychuses (Deinonychi?) are serving you well. I know in my current game, dinosaurs have been a big help since I have no iron. However, I'm a little annoyed that the AI tends to train nothing but dinosaurs and spiders if they're available.

Speaking of my current game, Tycoon didn't do so well there. They were in a war with the Light Warriors, and actually winning. But then all of a sudden Tycoon just vanished from the face of the earth. Yes, I had regicide on. Looks like Queen Reina just couldn't stay away from the front lines.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Looks like those Deinonychuses (Deinonychi?) are serving you well. I know in my current game, dinosaurs have been a big help since I have no iron. However, I'm a little annoyed that the AI tends to train nothing but dinosaurs and spiders if they're available.

Speaking of my current game, Tycoon didn't do so well there. They were in a war with the Light Warriors, and actually winning. But then all of a sudden Tycoon just vanished from the face of the earth. Yes, I had regicide on. Looks like Queen Reina just couldn't stay away from the front lines.

That's ALMOST as bad as the previous story game (the one I abandoned because I made a couple major tweaks to the mod): The Archadian Empire (from FF XII) got wiped out because a TROLL killed Emperor Gramis Solidor!

The WORST part was that the reason Gramis was so far from other troops to support him was that he was escorting a Viera Settler.

Glad you like the story so far... BTW, keep posted for the update tonight... Things are going to get REAL interesting.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 10: The Gathering Storm​

Science Advisor Cid enters the Council Chambers of the Tycoon Castle Palace and says, "Your Majesty, I'm happy to inform you that my research team has finished drafting a new Code of Laws for the kingdom."



"Thank you Cid," Queen Reina replies, "I'd like you to begin studies on how to properly run a Monarchy now: It would be nice to use some of our overflowing treasury to hire extra workers to hurry construction of projects... Not to mention I'd love to have more oversight on what my 'ministers' in the farther-flung corners of the Kingdom are doing... I find it rather odd that the mayor of Jacole is constantly bemoaning a lack of materials and manpower when he falls behind schedule on a project, yet for some unknown reason his mansion has gotten considerably larger....."

Cid bows and leaves to carry the Queen's orders out. Cultural Advisor Yuna arrives shortly after. Giving the Queen a formal curtsy, she says, "The construction of Tycoon Castle's Temple has been completed, your Highness."

"Good job, Yuna," Reina replies, "Begin building the Temple of the Ancients.... According to Cid and General Sephiroth, not only will the Temple help us with our research efforts, but it also holds the secret of the most destructive magic in the world.... General Sephiroth even said that it was the power of this magic that he hoped to harness in order to become a god during his lapse of sanity. We MUST not let that power fall into any of the other factions' hands! ESPECIALLY the Shinra or Galbadians... The Shinra already know of its power and would likely be the first to use it, and the Galbadians would find out about it soon enough and be just as likely to use it!"

(Note: Temple of the Ancients = The Great Library, but with the added twist that it is also required to build the Black Materia GW, which has the same effects as the Manhattan project, only instead of allowing Nukes, it allows construction of Meteors, which are basically the same thing in this mod. Therefore, only the faction controlling the Temple of the Ancients can build the Black Materia, so if I can build it, I can prevent anyone else from building Nukes )

After Yuna leaves to carry out her orders, Reina calls Foreign Minister Ritz Malheur to the Council Chamber, and asks for the latest "envoy's" report on Esthar. Ritz says, "Laguna doesn't have a chance of building the Temple of the Ancients before we do (they'll take 22 turns, we only need 16)... Esthar's manufacturing capabilities are too under-developed, your Majesty."

Reina nods and replies, "Excellent, Ritz, I'd like you to establish an embassy in Midgar, so we have one with the Shinra Corporation as well as everyone else, and see about getting Squall's latest World Map, would you?"

Ritz drops a quick curtsy and goes off to carry out her tasks. Not long afterward, we have an Embassy in Midgar, the Shinra capitol, and Ritz sells Currency to Squall for their World Map.

Later in the year, the two Esthar Warrior parties are attacked by the two bands of Trolls. One of the Esthari Warrior parties turns a band of Trolls into "Troll on a Stick" while the other one is pounded into the ground by the second group of Trolls.

To the North, our elite Deinonychus party manages to defeat a band of Trolls up that way, but takes a heavy beating in the process.

1142 PA: The recently founded town of Kanark finishes constructing its Shrine and begins training a Bangaa Tracker party. A veteran Bangaa Tracker party from Tower of Worus wipes out the last Troll band in our territory (the one that defeated the Esthar Warrior Party earlier), and is promoted to Elite status for their bravery.

The remaining Esthari forces withdraw from out territory not much later.

Sorceress Edea Kramer of Galbadia sends an emissary who demands that Queen Reina hand over a copy of our Code of Laws or "face the consequences." Chief Advisor Takayama urges Queen Reina to give in to Edea's demands for now because "getting troops to THAT front would be a stone-cold pain in the rump!" (It takes our fastest troops at least two turns to get to Lonka, the only city we have on the Galbadian border, and that's if we use the Silk Road!)

In 1150 PA, Jacole finishes training an Archer party and begins building a Temple. Tower or Worus finishes training another veteran Deinonychus party and begins building a Marketplace (we're having to run a major deficit to keep up in research right now, so we need all the help we can get!) The Deinonychus party departs for Lonka to help defend that town against any possible Galbadian sneak-attacks.

Our elite Deinonychus party, which is fortified in the mountains North of Garden wipes another band of Trolls off the map. Closer to home, a pack of Bandersnatches is spotted just outside the borders of Tycoon Castle heading towards one of our Villager parties building a road through Tycoon Forest.

More ominously, five Esthari Warrior Parties and a Fighter party are massing along the border between Tycoon Castle and Fisherman's Horizon. We HOPE it's only because the Esthari are also dealing with major Fiend problems!

We also receive word that Galbadia has started building the Temple of Ancients in Galbadia Garden.

1158 PA: Troops garrisoned in Tycoon Castle begin scrambling to meet the fiend threat: A Minotaur and an Archer party are sent out to defend our Villagers. The Bandersnatches decide to leave and look for easier pickings.

To the Northeast, Carwen completes construction of its Temple and begins training a veteran Deinonychus party. The Iron Road from Jacole to Carwen (by way of Kanark) is complete, and we now have a steady flow of Iron ingots to all the towns in the Kingdom. The Fighter party guarding Tower of Worus is immedieately re-fitted as our first Knight party (Knight = 3,2,1 Ancient age offensive Infantry.... It replaces the Swordsman in the FF mod), and the Fighter party in Jacole is ordered to report to the Barracks in Carwen for their equipment upgrade.

Further North, another important development takes place: the Blockade of the Istory Isthmus is now complete.



Blockading units are: Bottom Right: Bangaa Tracker; Middle Right: Deinonychus; Top Right: Minotaur, with a Deinonychus blockading the Left side. AVALANCHE is forced to found their town of North Corel on the far side of the Isthmus, thus proving the Blockade's value.

Later on, two Esthar Warrior parties leave our territory, but five more continue through, heading towards our capitol! This is definitely NOT good!

We also get word that Galbadia and Garden finally sign a peace treaty bringing their long, bitter and utterly pointless war to an end.

In 1166 PA, another Minotaur emerges from the Tomb of the Unknown King and is sent to reinforce Jacole's garrison against likely Fiend incursions from the North. Meanwhile, the Incense Manufactory in Carwen produces another Treasure shipment, which is promptly cashed in for 300 Gil. The Minotaur that was guarding one of our Villager parties outside of Tycoon Castle does some scouting and spots a Fiend den in the Frozen Tundra to the South.

Not long after that, another Bandersnatch pack is spotted near another Villager party irrigating some rocky (bonus) grasslands to the East of Tycoon Castle.

Even worse, Sephiroth's latest scout reports have confirmed that the Esthari troops are heading directly towards Tycoon Castle... Looks like we may be in for another unwanted war!

In 1174 PA, a Minotaur that was attached to the Carwen garrison hacks apart the Bandersnatch party off to the East of Tycoon Castle and spots yet ANOTHER den of Fiends in a forest further East. The Minotaur to the Southwest of Tycoon Castle charges into the Fiend den there, slaughtering all the Bandersnatches there and capturing 25 Gil worth of plunder. They then begin hauling their loot back to Tycoon Castle.

The Weaver's Shop in Lonka produces its first Treasure shipment of fine Silks, which are packed up by the Bangaa Tracker party there and hauled off towards Tycoon Castle.

Later that year, one of the leading Esthari Warrior parties hurls a spear into West gate of Tycoon Castle. Attached to the spear is a note that first states that they've begun building the Da Chao Statue (basically = Mausoleum of Mausellos) in Esthar and secondly:



....That we are now at war.

Foreign Advisor Ritz Malheur hurriedly reads the message and relays its contents to Queen Reina as quickly as she can. Reina's reply is, "How utterly foolish! Fisherman's Horizon and its grove of Rubber trees will make a lovely prize, don't you think?"

While Ritz is breaking the news to Queen Reina, the first wave of Esthari troops charges headlong into Tycoon Castle. The Deinonychus party guarding the city meets them at the gates and rips the veteran Esthari Warrior party to shreds. The veteran Fighter party in the second wave meets a similar fate under a deadly rain of poison darts shot by our Bangaa Tracker party.

The remaining Esthari troops, not wanting to risk another crushing defeat from attacking our fortified troops accross the West Branch of the Tycoon River, decide to either move up the slopes of one of the Twin Peaks or content themselves with plundering and pillaging: A Warrior party burns some farm land outside Tycoon Castle and scatters boulders, logs and other obstructions accross its road, while another Warrior party destroys the road outside Tower of Worus linking the Bangaa Village to the rest of the Kingdom.

Thus it is, with the kingdom once again plunged into war that this chapter ends.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 11: The Two-Front War

Part I: The Enemy of My Enemy....​

When last we left the Kingdom of Tycoon, Esthar had just unilaterally declared war and launched a bold attack on the capitol city of Tycoon Castle. The Brave Tycoon defense force managed to repel the attack, but various Esthar units had pillaged roads and burned fields outside Tycoon Castle and Tower of Worus.

The year is not 1182 PA, and Queen Reina is holding an emergency meeting with her advisors in the Council Chambers of the Palace.

"We need to make those back-stabbers pay!" Queen Reina declares, "Ritz, see if you can get AVALANCHE to form a military alliance with us against the Esthari... I don't care what it costs either: I just want to ensure that the Esthari can't get them to fight against us!"

Ritz leaves and contacts the AVALANCHE ambassador who responds saying, "Cloud will join your alliance if you thrown in some good Tycoon Literature and 150 Gil." Queen Reina immediately agrees, and even signs a separate Right of Passage agreement with Cloud so that we can use each others roads. Now Laguna will be fighting on two fronts!

Sarisa, the queen's sister and Domestic Advisor, says, "Your Highness, another Settler party has gathered in the Palace courtyard and wishes to know where to go."

"Send them to the Southeast until they cross the Tycoon River... Hopefully they'll lure the two Esthar Warrior parties camped out on the Twin peaks into the Carwen Plains, where they'll be unprotected. After they're clear of the capitol, have them head towards the site picked out on the isthmus between the Wutai Sea and the Istory Sea," Reina replies.

"Better make sure that we reserve enough units in the Eastern towns to provide a ready escort for them," Chief Advisor Takayama interjects, "There have just been too damn many fiends in that area to leave our Settlers unguarded!"

Queen Reina nods and says, "Anything else, sister?"

"I've taken the liberty of ordering the construction in Tower of Worus changed to a Town Hall... It was the fastest I could get any other building project completed without wasting material... I figured that you'd want to begin training military units as soon as possible."

"Good work, Sarisa," Queen Reina replies turning towards Sephiroth and says, "Speaking of Military, what's the latest report, General?"

"Your Majesty, our Minotaur has cleaned out the Fiend den East of Tycoon Castle and is returning with the loot they found as we speak. Kanark has finished training a Bangaa Tracker party... The last ones we'll be able to train until we can fix the road into the Bangaa Village outside Tower of Worus. They've begun training a Chocobo Rider party. Even better, our last Fighter party has reached Carwen and reported to the Barracks there for upgrade to a Knight party," Sephiroth then smiles and says, "Best of all, the Bangaa Tracker party hauling the Treasure shipment from Lonka has arrived and are available for whatever you may need them for."

"Well done!" Queen Reina says, "Now I'm sure you're quite well aware of how the Esthar troops gave a lack-luster performance a short time ago... I want YOU, General Sephiroth, to go forth and show them how it's properly done!"

"With pleasure!" is General Sephiroth's reply as he bows and leaves the council chambers. Soon afterwards, he is personally leading the Elite Bangaa Tracker party in our first counter-attack. The Esthari Warriors who had pillaged the road and burned the farms outside Tycoon Castle barely knew what hit them as a full half of the unit perished under the first volley of poison darts lauches by the Trackers' blowguns. One of the squad leaders rallied and led a counter-charge that wounded several Trackers, but they, too, were wiped out, and the triumphant elite Bangaa Tracker party quickly returns to Tycoon Castle.

The sight of their comrades getting cut down in the valley below spurs the two Esthar Warrior parties fortified up in the Twin Peaks to launch a reckless attack on Tycoon Castle. Chief Advisor Takayama takes personal command of the city defenses, and has the Archer party form up in ranks on the main road into town and the Deinonychus party hide behind buildings off to the sides. The veteran Eshtar Warriors, thinking they'll be able to overrun our regular Archer party, charges headlong at the massed archers.

When they reach arrow range, Chief Advisor Takayama orders them to fire en mass, and the entire first Warrior party falls under the hail of arrows. The second Warrior party, knowing that all the Archers now have to knock fresh arrows, begins running even faster, hoping to slaughter them before they can get off another shot. Chief Advisor Takayama then waves a red flag and the Deinonychus party leaps out from behind the buildings, ambushing the Warriors from both sides. After a short, savage struggle, all the Warriors are left bleeding in the streets, while the victorious Archers hoist Chief Advisor Takayama onto their shoulders and follow the Deinonychus party back through town.

Outside Tower of Worus, our Knight party in town defeats an Esthar Warrior party moving in to attack Tower of Worus.

The Esthari's response to this unending string of defeats is to pillage a little-used road between Tycoon Castle and Tower of Worus.

Later on, we receive word that AVALANCHE has started building the Temple of Ancients in 7th Heaven.

1190 PA: Ritz' spy reports indicate that AVALANCHE will not have the Temple of the Ancients done before we do, so we don't concern ourselves with that anymore.

Tower or Worus finishes building its Town Hall and starts training a Deinonychus party. (Town Hall = Courthouse, but at half cost... I never saw the logic in having corruption reducing buildings be so expensive that the towns that REALLY need them won't be able to build them in less than 100 turns) Carwen trains a Deinonychus party and starts training another one.

Esthar, obviously not realizing that they should probably concentrate on guarding their own territory, moves MORE troops into our territory... Oh well, if they like getting their asses kicked that much, we'll be happy to oblige them....

...or maybe not:



General Sephiroth runs into the castle and reports that there's a MASSIVE horde of fiends North of Jacole, and that's just the ones that our elite Deinonychus party can spot! It looks like WE are likely going to be fighting a two-front war ourselves!

1198 PA sees the war heating up on all fronts: The Minotaur that had just returned from destroying a Fiend den immediately launches a strike that defeats an Esthar Warrior party outside Tycoon Castle. The elite Bangaa Tracker party sallies forth and mercilessly slaughters the last Esthar military unit outside Tycoon Castle, a veteran Fighter party. When the victorious Bangaa return to the city, Queen Reina asks for their leader to come forth and be recognized:



The leader in this battle was none other than Bartz Klauser, a man who was one of Reina's best friends and protectors in the world they came from. Fiercely embracing him with tears welling up in her eyes she cries, "I thought you were DEAD!"

"Well, I've had to travel many miles to get back here," he replies, but the war broke out before I could pay a visit to the Palace, and well, here I am." Kneeling, he continues, "If it is your wish, I'd like to, once again, swear to protect your and the Kingdom at all costs."

Queen Reina nods and says, "Arise, General Klauser, I will give you a command as soon as we have troops worthy of your leadership. In the meantime, you are to remain in the capitol with me." (We built an army with our MGL).

Once word of this great victory spreads, people take to the streets celebrating the return of one of the great heroes of legend.

A bit farther North, a veteran Deinonychus party from Tower of Worus defeats an Esthar Warrior party trying to steal Chocobos in the Chocobo Forest. One of our Bangaa Tracker parties from Tower of Worus is slain in a battle with the last Esthar Warrior party in our territory (our first casualties in this war), but the Deinonychus party from Tycoon Castle finishes the job, and our territory is now free from Esthari forces.

In the North, our elite Deinonychus party reports that bands of Trolls have started splitting off from the ginormous horde and heading towards civilization. They assure Queen Reina that they'll do all they can to lure the Trolls AWAY from our territory, and hopefully create a safe path for our Settler party.

Wandering war correspondents report that AVALANCHE has begun construction of Delkfutt's Tower and that Galbadia and Esthar have begun construction on the Da Chao Statue and Alexandria Castle! Galbadia also starts building the Morhen Lighthouse. (Alexandria Castle = Sun Tzu's Art of War, and yes, it is a MIDDLE AGES wonder in this mod, too )

Cid states that we need to either attempt a tech swap with Esthar OR try and hurry the completion of the Temple of the Ancients (so we can get Construction and Feudalism from the Esthari and Galbadians )

In 1206 PA, the Iron Foundry in Jacole produces its first Treasure shipment. Jacole also finishes building a Temple and starts recruiting a Villager party. Another veteran Minotaur emerges fro the Tomb of the Unknown King in Tycoon Castle. He joins the troops we're massing on the border with Esthar to launch an assault on Fisherman's Horizon... We want control over the Rubber trees in the forest outside of Fisherman's Horizon, not to mention that it's the only Esthari town sharing a border with us. We also send Villager partiess to repair the pillaged road going into the Bangaa Village.

Trolls are also spotted moving into our territory from the North! Looks like there was another Fiend den that had a massive horde gathered in it closer to Jacole and Kanark....

A Bangaa Tracker party from Jacole delivers the Treasure shipment to Tycoon Castle in 1214 PA, while Tower of Worus finishes training another Deinonychus party. Tower of Worus begins recruiting another Villager party, while the other Villagers from Tower of Worus complete repairing the road to the Bangaa Village and more troops are sent to the border in preparation for the impending attack on Fisherman's Horizon.

In the North, After defeating several bands of Trolls, our elite Deinonychus party finally succumbs to their sheer weight of numbers. More Trolls moving in from the North invade our territory and are heading directly towards the Iron Road and the Silk Road in an attempt to disrupt our trade!

1222 PA, Lonka finishes building its Harbor, and soon large catches of fish are being hauled into the town, and the mayor begins building a Temple to celebrate their good fortune. Carwen finishes training a Deinonychus party and starts training a Bangaa Tracker party. Tower of Worus finishes recruiting their Villager party and begins training a Deinonychus party. Jacole's Villager party is ready as well and they begin training a Bangaa Tracker party.

Most of the newly trained troops are sent to fight the Trolls that are invading our territory from the Northeast. A Deinonychus party from Kanark boldy charges at the Trolls threatening the Silk Road, and rip them to shreds (although they take some damage in return). An Archer party from Jacole defeats a pack of Bandersnatches threatening the Iron Road while a Deinonychus party from Carwen defeats the last Troll in position to pillage the Silk and Iron roads.

The Troops massed on the border are given orders to move out, so they move up the slopes of the Lonely Mountain outside of Fisherman's Horizon and make a startling discovery:



The town is completely undefended! That fact, along with the wounded band of Trolls camped outside the town lead Chief Advisor Takayama to conclude that we aren't the ONLY ones having Troll troubles.

So it is with our troops poised to take Fisherman's Horizon that Part I of the Two-Front war ends.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Before I write the next part of Chapter 11, here's an updated Diplomacy screen so that you can put some faces with the names of the faction leaders:



(This was taken not long before the current war)

 

[Hooray]

Those are some nasty-looking barbarians.

What are you going to put into that army?

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

.....and now for:

Chapter 11: The Two Front War
Part II: The "Battle" of Fisherman's Horizon​

The last part of the story left off with our troops massing on the Lonely Mountain outside Fisherman's Horizon and finding it undefended with a severely decimated band of Trolls camped outside the town. An Esthar Warrior party DOES manage to run into town before we can launch our attack, but it's pretty much a foregone conclusion as to how THAT battle will turn out.

To the East, a Troll attacks our Deinonychus party to the North of Carwen and gets slaughtered for their troubles and the Deinonychus party is promoted to elite status. Unfortunately, even MORE Troll bands are spotted moving into our territory!

We also get word that the Galbadians have started building the Temple of the Goddess. (Temple of the Goddess = free Temples in all cities on the same continent until it goes obsolete with Natural Sciences).

The Battle of Fisherman's Horizon takes place in 1230 PA when one of our veteran Minotaurs attacks the Warrior party defending the city. After a brief struggle, our Minotaur hacks the Warriors to pieces with his huge freaking axe, and moves in to seize control of the mayor's office:



Fisherman's Horizon, along with 1 Gil, is now OURS! The impoverished, malnourished citizens welcome our troops as liberators. The only significant structure in the town is a barracks! The new mayor appointed by the loyal citizens begins setting up a Rubber Plantation.... Why the Laguna never thought to do so is unthinkable, and a sure indicator of how poor his leadership is..... As if the fact that he decided to attack US wasn't proof enough that he's a drooling moron!

We reinforce the garrison with the troops that were going to back up our Minotaur in the assault.

In the North, the Minotaur that is part of the Blockade on the Corel Isthmus slaughters a band of Trolls and spots several more moving towards our blockade.

In the Area around Kanark, Carwen and Jacole, the Fiend onslaught begins, with at least half a dozen Troll bands entering our territory. A Deinonychus party kills one of the Troll bands that is part of the first wave.

In 1238 PA, the Rubber Plantation in Tycoon Castle produces its first Treasure shipment, which is quickly cashed in for 300 Gil. Carwen finishes training a Bangaa Tracker party and begins training a Deinonychus party.

An elite Deinonychus party, a veteran Deinonychus party, veteran Bangaa Tracker party and a veteran Minotaur kill four bands of Trolls outside Carwen. A regular Bangaa Tracker party attacks a fifth band of Trolls outside Carwen, but are slain in the process of severely wounding the Trolls. Another Minotaur from Tycoon Castle finishes them off.

We lose a Deinonychus party to another band of Trolls outside Kanark, but a veteran Bangaa Tracker party from Kanark finishes them off. Now there are only three bands of Trolls near Kanark.

The Deinonychus party in Fisherman's Horizon massacres the band of wounded Trolls outside the town. One of the Troll bands near Kanark slays the Minotaur outside Carwen, while another defeats the Archer party in Kanark. The third band of Trolls attacks our veteran Deinonychus outside Carwen and is shredded in the process. General Sephiroth promotes the Deinonychus party to elite status for their valor.

Laguna tries to send an envoy, but we refuse to grant her an audience: We still have a lot of time left on the terms of our Military Alliance with Cloud and we DON'T want to ruin our reputation.

We also recieve word that Galbadia is building the Alexandria Castle and the Temple of the Goddess, while Esthar is building the Da Chao Statue and the Alexandria Castle.... If Laguna had half a brain, he'd drop the wonders altogether and concentrate on building up us heavily decimated military!

A momentous event occurrs in 1242 PA:



We complete construction of the Temple of the Ancients in Tycoon Castle. Soon, scholars from around the world will be visiting the Temple/Library complex and bringing their ideas and knowledge with them (Temple of the Ancients = The Great Library).

Sarisa immediately begins recruiting another Villager party from Tycoon Castle to help improve our infrastructure; Chief Advisor Takayama set a goal of having at least two Villager parties per city, and we are rapidly approaching that goal.

The Incense Manufactor in Carwen produces another Treasure shipment, but it will have to wait until the fiend problems in the area are deal with before we can haul it to Tycoon Castle.

Kanark finishes training our first Chocobo Rider troop and begins training an Archer party immediately afterwards. Tower of Worus finishes training their Deinonychus party and begins training another.

The fresh Deinonychus party from Tower of Worus munches down on a band of Trolls outside Carwen, while a Bangaa Tracker party from inside Carwen kills another band of Trolls on the opposite side of town.

The newly-trained regular Chocobo Riders charge the band of Trolls outside Kanark, but get spitted on the Trolls' spears for their trouble. The Deinonychus party guarding Kanark wipes out the last of those Trolls, but unfortunately, another band of Trolls massacres an elite Bangaa Tracker party guarding Kanark! The Minotaur near the Corel Isthmus hacks the last Troll band threatening the isthmus city site into bloody chunks of tainted meat.

Later on, the Temple of the Ancients finally starts paying off:



We gain the knowledge of Construction and Feudalism from visiting scholars, and we enter a new era: The Age of Chivalry!

Thus it is with a decisive victory against Esthar and entering a new era that this part of the Two Front War ends.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Those are some nasty-looking barbarians.

What are you going to put into that army?

I figured I'd wait until I got some Mage towers built and fill it with Mages, since Mages essentially don't go obsolete.....

Yes, I know that some would argue that it's much better to crank off an army of whatever cheap, ancient era units you have available to get the all-important "victorious army", but in the FF mod, it's not so important:

The only building that still requires a victorious Army is the Heroic Epic, but the Military Academy and the rough equivalents of the Pentagon can be built right off the bat (The Military Academy is exactly like the ones in the Warhammer fantasy mod: It auto-produces armies every 32 turns), so IMO, in this case it's far more important to load an army with GOOD units that will still be useful even in the modern era.