Imperium Romanorum

dot80

Emperor
Joined
Jan 9, 2011
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I am happy to present Imperium Romanorum, a new feud-type IAAR! I have tried to simplify the mechanics to get back to a more GaP-esque game, while also adding a bit here and there to make my own contributions. We'll try to make it longer with this one! I have some giant spreadsheets that should help a lot with the updates, and I have streamlined everything else for ease of use. Without futher adieu let the game begin! Thank you civleader for great inspiration for this, and all my games. Thank you Yahzuk for the inspiration for the format of my ruleset. Thank you everyone else who has contributed (some named later, some not).


I am lucky and unlucky to have found a mod that will allow me to play hotseat with mods enabled. Here are the mods I have used and a short description of them:

Spoiler :
  • City Plot Claim Range Extension (Increases the distance of plots that can be claimed by a city's culture from 5 tiles to 10. It does not add new rings of workable tiles)
  • City-State Diplomace Mod (CSD) (Reduces the importance of Gifts of Gold to City-States, adds new diplomatic units that raise influence, along with buildings that increase and/or modify the units. Also changes the Patronage Tree a bit.)
  • Costum Advanced Setup Screen (Allows for mods in hotseat. Thank you god for this mod)
  • Food Economy - Tradable Bonus Resources (Food resources now tradeable, Food resources give +1 Food in each city with a granary)
  • Goody Huts - No Maps (Removes barbarian camp location discovery as possible goody hut outcomes)
  • Have Fun (Substitute for Firetuner)
  • IGE (Substitute for Firetuner)
  • Puppet Empire (Allows found of puppet cities)
  • Satellites Reveal Map (Alters Satellites tech to reveal map (with fog) as in CivIV)
  • Units - Population (Razed cities produce refugee units that can be settled in a city to increase population)

When changes due to mods arise, I will be sure to point them out and explain them to my fullest ability.


OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
 

Rome was founded around 4000 B.C. The early city-state was a despotism, which would eventually evolve into a full fledged hereditary monarchy. The kings of Rome kept their people isolated from the world around them, and ignorant of its happenings. From the beginning Rome was a warlike society. If a man wanted to gain any sort of political position, he better have had a military background. Somewhere along the line a Roman leigon saved a group of Spanish Settlers from a barbarian encampment, and this would plant the seeds for the Roman Monarchy's greatest ally. The relationship between the Spanish Kings and the Roman Kings would grow ever greater as their families intermarried.

The people prospered under the Roman Monarchy. Soon Rome's influence spread, and eventually Antium was founded on the southern shore. Historians aren't sure when exactly it was founded, but date it somewhere between 3500 and 2900 B.C. Trouble, however, would soon strike the kingdom. Around 2800 B.C. the Koreans invaded Rome. Their armies surrounded Antium, and after a long and blood seige they were defeated. With the Koreans weakend, the King, Numa Pompilius, pressed his advantage. Roman Leigons marched full speed to Seoul, and laid seige to it. The battle wasn't going well, but when all seemed lost a Spanish Battalion of Warriors arrived and won the day for Rome! After the defeat of the Koreans the Kingdom entered a time of instabilility. Crime rose, and as the people became unhappy civil unrest began to garner in Seoul, then in Antium. But before the rebels had time to act, King Pompilius, trying to diffuse the situation, forcibly relocated thousands of Koreans and Romans to better balance the ethnic groups in the cities. This however backfired, and the moving parties started rioting through the streets of Seoul. The riot was quickly put down, but Rome would never be the same. The king, and all his subsequent heirs, militarized Rome like never before. Production of military units and fortifications went into full swing, even to the neglect of the economy. Eventually things would return to normal, and the kingdom was at last at peace. This peace lasted for a couple centuries. Years of militarization and isolation had its effect though. The upper class, the Patricians, were growing restless, and were looking for any chance to overthrow the monarchy. Finally they had their chance. Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, after overthrowing the previous dynasty, left the monarchy shaky at best. Soon after a series of political and military failures, accompanied by his heir's scandallous reputation, he and his family were assassinated, and by means of coup d'etat, Rome was taken by the Patricians.

Now Rome is in your hands. Will it grow to become the most powerful empire on earth, or crumble away into nothingness?
 
INFLUENCE: The game is won by accumulating the most overall influence by the end of the game. Influence is spilt into three categories: Local Influence, National Influence, Global Influence. Local Influence is at a city level, and can only be earned in a Roman City. Local Influence is earned through political office, military prowess, wealth, land, and through movements and actions. National Influence is gained at a National Level, and can only be gained in Roman Territory. National Influence comes from local influences, national political offices, military prowess, wealth, land, and movements and actions. Finally Global Influence is on an international scale, and is the same for every Roman. It is determined using the Score and Demographics. Global Influence won’t come into play until later in the game. All Influence a character gained during life is added to their family’s Overall Influence score upon death. Some Influence can be passed down from heir to heir such as Influence from land and wealth, but others such as Influence from political offices or military success cannot. Just as you can gain influence, you can lose it from scandal, gaffe, and other failures. (Inspired largely by Civleader and Filli Noctus)

SESSIONS: The game is split into sessions. A sessions is split into four parts. The first is the Session update, where I give information about the previous turnset and its results. Meanwhile players preform actions and movements. The second is the MidSession Update. In the MidSession Update I give results of player actions, and players can take more movements and actions. The third is the Conclusion Update, wher I will give the final results for player actions. After the Conclusion Update no more movements, actions, nor orders can be given. The final part is the turnset. Each turnset I will play 10 turns ingame using orders given to me by players. After the turnset a new Session will begin with a Session Update. (Inspired by Civleader's Structure)

JOINING: When players first join the game they simply need to state their name ([First Name][User Name][Family Name]), and city of origin, and they will be added to the game at the start of the next session. All players start with one male member (sorry only being historically accurate here). All human players are Patricians. (nobles)
 
FAMILIES: Once a player's first character is born they start a Family. Family is your way of continuing your line so that you can build upon your overall influence. Names will be [Titles][First Name] [User Name] [Family Name] for ease of understanding which player plays which character. To continue their family’s players will have to get a spouse and procreate. Bonuses Local and National Influence is gained from marrying into an influential family. Influence is lost from marrying below your family. Players can only control their heir, which is named upon birth.

CHARACTERS: Players have complete control over their active character, and can preform any of the actions below any number of times per session. Every session players will be sent the following stats:
Spoiler :
Character Name:[Titles][First Name][User Name][Family Name]
Position : Social/Economic/Political Positions
Wealth: Money Available for Spending. Players initially make 0.25dpt
Location: The place your character is currently at
Local Influence: Amount of accumulated Local Influence split by city
National Influence: Amount of accumulated National Influence
Age: How old your character is. For now characters will age at one year per turn.
Property: Hexes Owned by Family
Spouse: Husband/Wife
Children: Offspring


SOCIAL STATUS: The game is split into two social castes: Plebeians, and Patricians. Plebeians make up the lower classes, and are the common people. Patricians are the nobility, and make up the ruling classs.

PROPERTY: Characters can own hexes, and gain income through taxing their output every turn. How much a player can tax depends on the Local Happiness of the tile. The local happiness is tied closely to the national happiness, and of course how high your tax is. Tiles are named/bought/distributed based on rules set by players. The output goes as :c5food: = 1, :c5production: = 3, :c5gold: = 5. Commerce earned by the government is considered to be coming from government run businesses.
 
GOVERNMENT: The government can be set up however the players decide. Who decides city builds, technology, social policies, unit orders, ect is all up to you to decide. The only limitation on governments is happiness. In an unhappy country there is always a chance of rebellion. In addition, Social Policies you have chosen represent the ideology of your people, meaning it would be difficult to run a totalitarian dictatorship after completing the liberty tree.

RELIGION: The default religion of all populations is pagan. To found a religion, a city must have a majority pagan population. To spread a religion you must build missionaries. Once in a country, religions have a chance to spread to other population points based on how many followers follow a religion, and other present religions. Religions have their own influence over a population, and will help determine their reactions to things. NPC religions will not start out in Rome, but can easily spread there from other countries. The only way to combat another religion is to fight it with your own missionaries, or to start and inquisition.

SOCIAL POLICIES: Social Policies not only grant an in-game bonus, but will also grant different bonuses for players. In addition, social policies affect what government type a people will accept. For instance, it will be hard to run a totalitarian dictatorship after having finished the liberty tree. Here are the Policy trees and their bonues up to medieval:

Spoiler :
Tradition:
Spoiler :
Adopting Tradition will grant future heirs 5% of the Local Influence of their predecessor.

  • Aristocracy- Land holders can tax their citizens more heavily
  • Oligarchy- More influence gained from Movements and Actions
  • Legalism- Influence gained from laws and/or constitutions written by your family
  • Landed Elite- Local Influence points gained for land holdings
  • Monarchy- 1 point of national influence for every 3 points of local influence in the Capital.

Adopting all policies in the Tradition tree grants the addition bonus of heirs inheriting 25% of the local influence of their predecessor.


Liberty:
Spoiler :
Adopting Liberty will increase the influence of publicaly elected officials

  • Collective Rule - Ethnic groups hold less power
  • Citizenship - Citizens in owned hexes are happier
  • Republic - More national influence gained from holding local influence
  • Representation - More local influence gained from holding national office
  • Meritocracy - More national influence gained from holding local influence in the capital

Adopting all policies in the Liberty Tree will drastically increase the influence gained from public office


Honor:
Spoiler :
Adopting Honor increase influence gained from defeating barbarians.

  • Warrior code - Levies can be held for longer
  • Discipline - Levies are stronger
  • Military Tradition - Levies are made up of the most advanced melee unit
  • Military Caste - Personal Armies grant more influence
  • Professional Army - Personal Armies are cheaper to maintain

Adopting all policies in the Honor Tree allows land holders to keep standing Levies at 50% strength.


Piety:
Spoiler :
Adopting Piety will increase the likelyhood a pagan population will join a religon

  • Organized Religion - More influence gained from religous stature
  • Mandate of Heaven - More relgious influence weilded by political rulers
  • Theocracy - Religion holds more influence over people
  • Reformation - Religous institutes gain more influence from public works and philanthropy
  • Free Religion - Population points can randomly change religion, but religion holds more inlfuence of people

Adopting all policies in the Piety Tree will Drastically increase influence from religious stature


Patronage:
Spoiler :
Adopting Patronage makes cultural output of a city more improtant in calculating Influence.

  • Philanthropy - More influence gained for charity
  • Aesthetics - Cultural Buildings increase local happiness
  • Scholasticism - Published Materials have more of an impact
  • Cultual Diplomacy - Civilization's culture rate has more of an effect on global influence
  • Educated Elite - More influence gained from education

Adopting all policies in the Patronage Tree drastically increases the influence of authors, artists, and musicians.


Commerce:
Spoiler :
Adopting Commerce increases Gross National Income by 15%

  • Trade Unions - Workers demand higher pay, but businesses make 25% more income
  • Naval Tradition - More influenced gained from personal naval units
  • Mercantilism - Monopolies grant much more influence
  • Merchant Navy - Naval Levies can be kept for longer, and are stronger
  • Protectionism - Buisnesses gain 25% more income

Adopting all policies in the Commerce Tree drastically increases influence gained from wealth.


GOLDvsDENARIUS: Gold is the raw commerce output in game, while Denarius are worth 5d for every 1 gold. This is an important distinction because when dealing with a city's treasury you are dealing with Gold. When dealing with player money you are dealing with Denarius. So potentially you can convert a city's treasury directly to denarius at 1g:5d. (Thank filli_noctus for pointing out the need for the discrepancy).

TRAITS:
I have updated the game with a system of traits for the male NPCs. There are 17 good traits, 17 bad, and 11 neutral traits. I will not go into detail on what exactly each trait does (though most of them are self-explanatory). This system will help me better to role-play from the standpoint of NPC nobles, and will help bring flavor to the game.

Here is a list of traits I have come up with:
Spoiler :
Good: Just, Fertile, Energetic, Pious, Honest, Chivalrous, Loyal, Eloquent, Frugal, Rational, Brave, Intelligent, Natural Leader, Industrious, Hearty, Zealous.

Bad: Hothead, Slothful, Xenophobic, Deceitful, Impious, Incompetent, Paranoid, Gambler, Cowardly, Crewel, Drunkard, Gluttonous, Prideful, Uncouth, Irrational, Sickly, Unchivalrous.

Neutral: Moderate, Liberal, Conservative, Country Bumpkin, City-Slicker, Adventurous, Bold, Cautious, Extravagant, Plain, Ambitious.
If you can think of any to add please PM me, along with a short description of how the trait might influence behavior. I’d like to keep an even number of good and bad, so if you come up with a trait try to come up with its anti-trait.


ETHNIC GROUPS: Ethinic groups are culture groups of people that have distinct customs/languages/ect. All those in a specific ethnic group will more often then not agree on major issues and have the same opinion about Players

GREAT PEOPLE: Great people are just like any other NPC and have traits, and can preform their own actions. Players cannot control what a great person does, but must try to influence them through movements and actions. (Inspired by filli_noctus)

SPEECHES: Only posts titled "Speech to the Plebeians" will influence the plebeians, and they can only influence the plebeians in the city you are currently located in. All other posts are considered to happen only in front of your fellow patricians.
 
MOVEMENTS: Players can only preform two movement per session. Movements include the following:
Spoiler :
Change Location (1 tile per movement before horseback riding)
Attack (Physically Attack another player. 50% chance of success)
Thought of a new kind of movement? Send me a pm!


ACTIONS: Players can preform any number of actions per session. This list is in no way comprehensive and the sky is the limit on the possibities. Actions include the following:
Spoiler :
  • Find a Spouse (Look for a wife/husband)
  • Procreate (Have children)
  • Transfer Amount (Give money to another family.)
  • Hire Assassins (Hires assassins to kill a Player/NPC. Price depends on the assassin.)
  • Hire Spies (Hires spies to get information on player/group/population. Explained further below.)
  • Hire Body Guards (Hires guards to protect against spies/assassinations/mobs/ect. Explained further below.)
  • Create Group (Creates an ideal/guerrilla/business/ect group. Explained further below.)
  • Create Propaganda (Creates and distributes propaganda)
  • Rebel (Rebels against government. Just ask for more info)
  • Create/Reform Laws (Add/Changes law)
  • Boycott/Protest (Creates public protest against something)
  • Enslave Player (Makes another player your slave)
  • Hire Mercenaries- (hire mercenaries to fight for you. Mercenaries cost varing amounts of GPT depending on the situation)
  • Levies (In times of war nobles can summon levies from lands they own. The strength will be random, but the more land and power Nobles have the stronger the levies they will be able to raise. Raising levies may anger the people)
  • Send Envoys (This action is for those delegated the power to send diplomatic envoys in city state governments. Diplomatic envoys now will cost a base cost of 5 Drachma per every two hexes from the capital (before horseback riding). It will cost an extra 5 Drachma per turn to send a Guarded Envoy. Unguarded Envoys have a chance every turn to be attacked. Fight skill will determine how likely it is a player will be killed if they are apart of an Unguarded Envoy.)


Hire Spies- Hiring spies will allow you to secretly gather information on NPCs, Players, NPC groups, Player Groups. Spies have a high chance of being thwarted the more body guards one has. There are two different packages for hiring spies:
Spoiler :
First Package: Information gathering mission that finds out NPC opinions/wants/needs. Costs 15d

Second Package: Spies on an NPC or Player and can gather information about Movements/Actions or Stats (one or the other, not both). It costs 25d.

Third Package: Infiltrates an organization/tails an NPC or Player. Costs 50d


Hire Body Guards- Hires guards to protect characters from espionage/assassinations/riots. Body guards cost 5dpt. Additional money spent on bodyguards will increase their effectivness.

Create Group- Formal groups are more influential to the NPCs, and have special actions. When creating a group I need a name, the reason for creation, and its belief/idea. Recruiting NPCs to a group becomes easier the more you have in a group. Groups can be secret or public. If you have a new kind of group in mid just ask, I am open to new ideas.
Spoiler :

Ideal Groups- Groups that are centered around a core idea/creed/issue. Ideal groups can more easily garner support, and their members are much easier to call to action than the general population. Special Actions:
Assemble- Can assemble the group in one place for a temporary or permanent period of time to have max influence over an area.
Call to Action- Can have the group do anything from raise money to protest, to take up arms and attack.
Guild- Groups centered around a profession. Guilds can more easily influence and run business among multiple NPCs and players. Guilds can own their own public land for use among the entire guild, and have their own treasuries. They have a power rating of 1-10. 1 being not very powerful 10 being very influential (monopoly). There are two different kinds of guilds: Economic and Combat.

An Economic guild is centered around a business and has the following special actions:
Create Headquarters- Centralizes money flow, and increases income.
Joint Transportation- Easier/Cheaper movement of goods from one place to another
Control Market- Influence the price of goods to go up or down.

Combat Guilds are centered around mercenary/knightly order work. A mercenary guild has the following special actions:
Training- Can train members to be more adept at combat.
Brotherhood- Members are more cooperative and cheaper to pay
Barracks- Easier and cheaper to raise and keep a fighting force.
Create Propaganda- To create propaganda simply send to me a speech or pamphlet that you have written in regards to a subject, and what tiles you want to distribute to. The cost is (0.5 x Population in a city) x The number of tiles you want to distribute to. To find out how the public reacted you can either hire spies to check, use a movement to check, or see the effects that show up in the next update.
 
AMENDMENTS: In the likely event someone doesn't like a rule they can move for an amendment. If an amendment shows enough support I will recognize it and keep tally on supporters. Some rules I will not sway on, but others I'll allow the players to change. Amendments require a 3/4 majority to pass.

CHANGES:

Character Stats - Added Location for ease of use.

Speeches - Only posts titled "Speech to the Plebeians" will influence the plebeians, and they can only influence the plebeians in the city you are currently located in.
 
Spoiler :
OMG, OMG, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! :run:
ANOTHER IAAR!!!! [party]
I'm obviously joining. After that, I'm gonna read what you posted. ;)


Name: Ioannes JoanK Calibus, of R... I actually want to see the map before choosing the city.
 
Joining.

First character shalt be: Gaius Caelius (Gaius Jehoshua Caelius for the records) who's city of origin is the eternal city, Rome.

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Background of House Caelius

-

The Patrician lineage of House Caelius descends from the greatest of the Rex Nemorensi, Martianus Caelius, who alone of that antique and sacred priesthood of the grove remained unconquered and unusurped by any who would claim the throne of the servant of Diana. His strength and might resulted in his eldest son being raised to the patrician class by one of the ancients Kings of Rome, who saw the strength of the Caelii and acknowledged the prowess at arms of its sons.

As time passed, the Caelii became notable within the various priesthoods of Rome, and renowned for their service in battle with the records reminding the present of the families admirable service in the war against Korea, and of the perpetual peace in districts under the administration of Caelii magistrates, loyal to Rome and its rightful Kings.

However the monarchy eventually became corrupt and weak and eventually the old line of ancient Kings was usurped by the vile House Superbus. The House Superbus, a new dynasty, soon showed itself as impious and degenerate, unworthy of the rule of the greatest civilisation that ever was or will be. The heavens themselves showed their displeasure with failure after failure and calamity after calamity being laid out before the feet of the so-called "king" and bringing Rome to the brink of ruin. As such the Caelii at the call of heaven took up arms alongside the other patricians against the Superbii.

It was a difficult struggle and the House Caelius took many losses, with all but one of its heirs and its head, Benedictus Caelius, dying in the struggle. But victory was the patricians, and rumour has it the hated heir to the last King met his end by the blade of Benedictus' son, Gaius, a fitting end for one so impious and wretched as him. Now, with the old Kings head over the gates of Rome and with his body thrown to the wild dogs, it is time for the Caelii along with their brother houses to unite to find a new and better way of governing Rome in the name of the greater good.
 
Updated post. As we don't know a thing about how many cities we have (I assume we have Antium and still hold Seoul, on top of having Rome), I can't freely choose one. But if you won't post a map, then it'll be Rome.
 
I'll join. Now I have time since summer vacations are here, and that all other games I joined are on hiatus or dead. oh, and thanks for all the mentions Dot ;)

My name shall be: Ricardus (Civleader) Pontius

Lineage

The Pontius family can be traced back to a skillful family of seafarers who, according to legend, were among the first to cross rivers and seas in small boats made by their hands. Their patron was the great god Neptune. The family became nobility in the early stages of Rome's history, after they participated in the rescue of the Spanish settlers. The king himself appointed Adriannus Pontius as an envoy to the Spanish. It was he who initiated the great relations between Rome and Spain.

Years passed, and the family was weakened by the revolts and the riots occurring in Antium, where they had taken residence. Years of fighting, and losses decreased their power and prestige, lowering their stand in society.

Then the rule of House Superbus came, where in their impious oppression they hunted the family, finding ways to strip them of money, land, position, and sometimes life, after a feud over one of the Pontius not allowing his daughter to marry the degenerate prince. (The Pontius women are well known for their beauty).

Once the rebellion came, the Pontius were among the first to join other houses, like the Caelii, to bring down the tyranny of the Superbus. After the deadly struggle, the patricians were victorious, and the Pontius House began to regain the honor and prestige it had once lost. They, along with the other houses, will unite for the glory of Rome.
 
Welcome Civleader! Joank, I completely understand, and you (and anyone for that matter) can wait until the Session Update to choose your city of origin. Also, you may all change this as many times as you want before the MidSession Update, at which time it will be locked in. This choice primarily has the effect of a bonus to Local Influence in your origin city, and it is also where your character will start the game.
 
Great, thanks! :)
 
I would start in Seoul if I were you (and change your hellenic sounding last name [the name of a mythological monster incidentally] while your at it) to make it one family for each city.
 
Oh, what a coincidence. I knew there was a similar name, but I didn't know it was exactly that! :)

Anyways, I want to see the map first. And I can't deny that the idea crossed my mind.
 
Oh five is nothing. I figure Tambien and Filli are a given, not to mention Magnive, Swimandciv, and everyone else. I am going to personally invite Ravus though, who didn't play the last one, but helped GM. He seems like he would make for good competition.
 
Oh well, let's hope so. It would be a real pity that only 5 people joined, really.
 
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