IOT Developmental Thread

Count me in!

 

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A Show of Fear is an Imperium Offtopicum sent ages after the fall of a technologically advanced civilization, and two centuries after the Sack of St. Louis, an event that marked the end of an empire forged by King Arthur six centuries prior. The legend says that the night before the besieging army was to lift the siege in defeat, the bells of St. Louis rang seven times over seven minutes and the gates of the city were opened by Rasputin, the powerful and influential court magician.

The IOT is set in a post-post-apocalyptic America. The sword and bow rule the day, with the gun being revered and reserved for only those with the talent of wielding her destructive powerful efficiently. Artifacts from the ancient civilization that survive are powerful tools. Swords that glow in the dark and can cleave a warhorse in two in exchange for the lifeforce of their users. Bombs the size of a baby's fist that fly like birds and home onto their prey. Underground castles powered by an unknown power source guarded by biomechanical monstrosities.


Game Proposal

The IOT is based on and inspired by After the End (Crusader Kings II mod set post-apocalyptic America), A Canticle for Leibowitz, Kashmir, and The Dark Tower series. Players play as nobles and patricians and guide their great houses and territories through war and peace.

Characters can have children, get married, convert to religions, and much more since character actions don't need to be limited like in Crusader Kings. Being a council member of a powerful kingdom, for example offers more potential opportunities than the opportunity to be sent collect taxes, research economic tech, and oversee construction!

Some planned features.

• Simplified IU economy
• Character Stats (Diplomacy to Learning)
• Fifteen military companies consisting of combinations of nine troop types
• Kashmir-styled religion and order focus
• Crusader Kings 2 styled dynasty management
• Raid your neighbors for slaves and loot. Sell your slaves others.
• Command your own armies and navies, or appoint somebody to go in your place

The game is set in the ruins of an empire built in the ruins of empires that were built in the ruins of an ancient civilization that combined science with magic to achieve miraculous feats. But that great civilization was a shrouded legend even in the minds of our great grandfathers and mothers. This means players have quite a bit of room in creating new cultures and religions.

The game isn't going to start for a while at least. I would say that that the stat sheet is 85% finished, and the last 15% is reserved for improving player-friendliness. The ruleset is 40% finished, but will be easier to digest than my previous stuff.

In regards to NPC countries at start, the game will adopt a Kashmir approach of grouping petty states together. These petty state collectives at game start won't have a ruling dynasty, but instead consist of squabbling unmarked clans and offer a source of bridges and grooms to players who don't want to marry lowborns.

As for players themselves, players are allowed to start their own kingdoms, merchant republics, and what-have-you and design them as they see fit. Players can start as vassals of other players or in the courts of other players depending on their playstyle. A player doesn't have to rule land to enjoy the game (I hope)!

Like I said, the game won't start for a while. The combat system has been tested several times and largely works now, and the country-level econ is 90% finished. Character level 95% done.

The five stats are exactly what you think they are (Diplo, Martial, Stewardship, Intrigue, and Learning) and do what you think they do. State diplomacy improves Cultural Development and the ability to deal with NPCs (poor diplomacy can result in raids, or even invasion, from those petty state collectives). Martial is useful for Military Development and for characters leadinng armies. Stewardship increases the amount of money you can make on your personal fortune each turn, as well as makes debt cheaper.

Intrigue is, as usual, useful stabbing people in the dark, poisoning people, and framing characters for the rape of newborn children. Learning improves development speed, and is used in a lot of other things as well.

In any case, the workbook was designed from the ground-up to help minimize some of the logistical nightmare problems of running a game like this. For example, to figure State Diplomacy, instead of having to manually add and input the Diplomacy stats of the Chancellor and Ruler, I simply put "X is ruler, Y is chancellor", and the stat sheet looks up the scores for both and adds them.

Multiply this 30-second timesaver dozens of times for other stats, and hundred of times when it comes to update time, and that leaves me more room to work on parts of the update that people care about: events, stories, that sort of thing.

 

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The Witch King was a semi-mythical figure who established the short-lived Empire of Gotham. Little is known about the Witch King before his slave armies began their marches of conquests, which began around 85 SL, or 85 years after the Fall of St. Louis and the end of Arthurgian. The Witch King, from 85 to 108 SL, engaged in the most monumental wars of conquest undertaken by any ruler since the days of the King Arthur himself. The historical record is fragmentary, full of half-truths, lies, and superstitions. The Witch King earned his name for his powers as a magician rivaling those of King Arthur’s Merlin many centuries earlier.

The Witch King’s wailing armies earned their names for the sounds its soldiers made. Using slaves as frontline infantry wasn’t new, as it was a strategy employed by the oligarchies of the Eastern Seaboard, but the Witch King was the only man to employ so many slaves in combat. Tens of thousands of slaves, chained together, armed with little more than spears, supported by heavy Gothamite cavalry and the occasional miracles of the Witch King, overwhelmed many of those who stood against the tide.

In conquered territories, the Witch King implemented draconian laws and punishments for crimes, which has earned the Witch King a very mixed legacy. For some, such as the Free Folk Islands and Kingdoms in the Caribbean and Bahamas, the Witch King is a reviled figure. The Free Folk hail from Quebec. In the late-80s, the Witch King armies invaded their homeland, beginning a several year of conquest. The Witch King, who was leading armies to the south, was forced to personally take command of the conquest. According to Free Folk accounts,“wielding vile sorceries, he rent the very earth asunder, and his wailing armies, pushed onwards by his ineffable will, became unslayable.” The Free Folk were forced to surrender. Admiring the ferocity of Free Folk fighters, the Witch King raised a great slave army of 10,000 Free Folk and used them as part of his great conquests.

It was around 100 SL when the Free Folk, now under the command of one of the Witch King’s lieutenants, were used to seize islands in the Caribbean and garrison forts. The wars of conquest came to an end in 108 SL when “the powers of the Witch King left him”. His impressive empire, stretching from Quebec to the Caribbean, collapsed and his lieutenants were killed in massive slave revolts.

However, the legacy of the Witch King clearly lives. The Witch King’s mass enslavement, relocation, and militarization of cultures radically changed the linguistic and religious map of the Eastern Seaboard and Caribbean. The Free Folk are the most extreme example, having been relocated a full 1,500 miles from their homeland to the Caribbean, where they settled to form their own kingdoms.

Not all slaves settled in whatever territories they were in when the empire collapsed. Some attempted to return to their homelands, resulting in bloodshed and violence with other migratory groups and settled societies.

Nobody knows what happened to the Witch King. Many believe that the Witch King perished during the slave revolts, or in battle. Some have started cults believing that someday, the Witch King will return, and these cults seek to be the vanguard of his next ascendancy. These cults, as you would imagine, are met with varying degrees of scorn and contempt.

[Source for story and information: Thomas]

A Show of Fear starts Wednesday.

 

sooo can I be the Witch King

 

No. Already [REDACTED]. Happened centuries ago.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of legends about his return, though...

 

Can I be Charlemagne and my capital be the Untersberg?

 

You mean can you be the Burger King?

 

The Hamburger King, Ruling from Hamburg

 

Even here, in the deepest chasms of the ancient dwarven city of Kraz-ke-dum, the taint of the unmaking could be felt in the air, in the very stone of the city underfoot. Despite it’s stench, the song of thousands of voices echoed in the great chamber, countless languages from the throats of nearly as many different races in perfect harmony. Magic hummed through the air, slowly coalescing in diaphanous pools against the stone walls.

Orik Hammerbeard the bold, King of the Undercity, gently lay his hand on that of a granite statue. “Even here, in the holy of holies things it’s all wrong. The Unmaking has corrupted this glorious vault, in which Ardenkul himself woke my ancestors,” He spoke softly, sadly. His mail-clad finger lightly traced the outlines of a carved rune.

“At least your people are going to be safe, dwarf.” The massive armored Orc at his side spoke, his voice surprisingly soft, though still harsh, as if spoken by a stone.

“Aye, everyone’s going to be safe.” Orik agreed. “I needed the reminder, my friend.” The Dwarf let out a short laugh. “Friend. It’s still strange to be calling you that. If anyone had told me two years ago that I’d count Grothmorg, Scourge of the North and Warmaster to the Blood Horde, amongst my closest friends, I’d have called them mad.”

“Hah!” Grothmorg boomed with laughter “And if they had told me that I’d be standing here, in the heart of the greatest vault of the dwarven kingdoms without having had to plant your head on the end of my axe, I’d have had them thrown to the dogs for lying to me, but here we are, Dwarf and Orc alike, friends standing in the face of something horrible.”

“I do wish we could bring the statues of the ancestors through, though. Its wrong to leave it all here to be unmade.”

Grothmorg sighed “When we had to abandon the eternal fires of the temple at Drosh Khaleen, I felt my heart was being torn from my chest. I know some of the crones are keeping brands of that eternal flame a lit, but I’ll never see those beautifully blood soaked walls again, those spiked minarets shine in the light of the burning sun. And the elves will never see their beloved trees again, nor the Imperials their yellow city... Everyone’s leaving everything behind.”

Both Orc and Dwarf stood for a moment in silence, listening to the slowly increasing chanting.

The sound of a horn tore through their melancholy revery. Grothmorg slowly blinked in puzzlement, glancing at the Dwarven King. “Who’s that? I thought everyone that was coming was already here?”

“Don’t look at me, I did too. We haven’t had any new refugees in months... I half thought the world outside was gone.”

They made their way through the crowded streets, dodging snapping gnoll pups good naturedly playing a ballgame against a veritable horde of Halfling children, Steaming Gnome contraptions, and human priests preaching to their followings, before finally arriving before the immense doors to the city.

As they ponderously creaked open, a crowd gathered, Elf, gnome, human, troll, dwarf alike, awaiting whoever was coming, awaiting whatever news could be had from the outside. A blast of cold air swept in, smelling of corrupting dead things and decaying magic.

A regal figure in faceless black armor strode through the doors. Behind him an entire army of similarly clad stood. With a voice that sounded like the claws of a fell beast scraping against smooth stone, the figure spoke.

“We, The Eternal Servants of the One Queen, come to seek hospitality from you, King Orik, as the world holds nothing left for us.”

“By the Gods, the Lich Queen? What was it she sent back with the head of our envoy? ‘The Might of the One True Queen lays waste to all before it. The Unmaking shall be Unmade before us?’ And now she wants our help?” Grothmorg spat at the emissary.

“She acknowledges that she acted in haste, and hopes that these matters can be put behind us.” the Emissary spoke, bowing slightly, though the arrogant tone never faded.

Grothmorg stepped forward, reaching for his axe, but the Dwarf king put his hand out. “Peace, Grothmorg, we promised sanctuary to all.” The Orc grunted, but stepped back, his hand still clenched on the handle of his great axe. Orik’s voice boomed “I welcome the Lich Queen and her people into this, the greatest of the Vaults of the Dwarves!” With a crack of lighting, the ancient wards embedded into the doors flared before fading back into nothingness.

“The Red and White Courts were bad enough, but the undead too?” The ork muttered as the lich army swept through the doors. Rank after rank of identically clad soldiers in black marched in, dragging a large wheeled wagon, the size of a palace, behind them. Behind them, a veritable army of men and women and children of every race trailed in as the doors started to close.

“Who are they?” The Orc asked the Emissary.

“Refugees of the unmaking to whom my Queen deigned to show mercy. We brought all we found here, the unmaking nipping at our heels as we marched.”

“Just in time, then. The Ritual should be finishing any minute now. Those doors aren’t opening again, I’m afraid. Ah, there we go.” A loud drumming sound, the beating fists of countless trolls against tanned leather, echoed through the brightly lit caverns, signalling for all to gather what they could and meet in the great vault chamber.


Side by side, orc and dwarf walked through the quickly emptying city.

“This is it, my friend. I’ll see you on the other side, I hope.” Grothmorg, Scourer of the Eight and Terror of the West, paused for a moment, and leaned down to hug his friend, the Last Dwarven King. “I still don’t understand why we can’t all go through in the same place.”

“You know how wizards are, all full of portents and wise words that mean nothing. They say that by opening the portals all over our new world, they will be able to seed the whole thing with magic, and keep the portals open longer. The longer the better, I guess.” The dwarf shrugged.

Grothmorg grunted, and walked to the front of the crowd of orcs assembled before a great glowing hole in reality. He turned to his assembled people, a hundred thousand strong, but still barely a fraction of what he had once ruled “This is it, friends. On the other side of this portal is a new world with nary a soul on it, empty, fresh for our taking. We’ll have our pick of the richest spots. we will make ork-kind great again! WE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER!”

As his horde cheered, he stepped forward, pausing for a moment in front of the portal. Glancing about, he made eye contact with Orik, who winked at him, before stepping through. With a Grin, Grothmorg stepped through.

His first step was into darkness, and his second was onto soft grass.

It was a crisp night. The stars in the sky shone in strange constellations, and a single bright moon hung in the clear sky. Grothmorg took a deep breath, and sighed in relief. There was not a hint of the taint in the air. The Unmaking was not on this world, his people were safe. Already, he could feel magic starting to seep into the fabric of this world, and, as his horde stepped through, Grothmorg knew that this would be a new beginning for his people.

Behind him, his people stepped into their new home, many sighing in relief or simply falling to their knees. As the flow slowed to a trickle, the portal hummed for a brief moment, before bursting like a soap bubble.

“Alright! I need a count! I want to know how many made it throu...” Grothmorg stopped, stunned.

“Looks like almost everyone got through, boss” one of the many captains of the army spoke, before also pausing, stunned. “Umm... Boss... I thought you said this world was empty?”

In the distance, formerly hidden by the glow of the portal, were the distinctive lights of a city, a city larger and more massive than any he had ever heard of.

 

Please do this.

 

The Witch King?

 

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For many peoples who reside in North America, religion plays an important role in everyday life. Religion acts as instructions for everyday life, from what to eat to when to eat to worship and marriage. On a higher level, religion is used to justify holy wars, grand temple projects, and more besides.

All religions in Show of Fear are categorized as either religions (representing churches and denominations), sects, or cults. Religions are further grouped together under religion groups.

Every country has a religious makeup such as 60% Catholic, 40% Rust Cultist (just an example). Religious makeup affects religious stability. Religions in the same religion group tend to play better together religions of different religion groups. A sect of a religion doesn't tend to play very well with its parent religion. A country's religious, popular, and military stability affects its overall stability, making it extremely vital to keeping a lid on the simmering discontent that probably will be your empire.

Every church/denomination has a universal moral authority rating. The higher moral authority, the stronger passive conversion in your country will be. The lower moral authority is, however, the higher the chance of sects spawning. Passive conversion is the rate members of different religions within the same religion group will convert.

For example, lets say that Catholics and Eastern Orthodox are part of the Christian religious group. Both have a sect (Cathar and Iconoclast). There is a second religious group consisting of Sunnis and Shias.

Catholics can passively convert to Eastern Orthodoxy and Catharism, but not Iconoclasm or one of the Islamic religions. A Cathar can convert to Catholicism, but not Iconoclasm or Eastern Orthodox or one of the Islamic religions. Passive conversion depends on the religion of the country's ruler and court spiritual.

In order for a Catholic population to convert to being Sunni or Shia, a Sunni or Shia character must work to convert a population.

Beyond all of this are cults. A cult, unlike a sect, can be started by a character with a high diplomacy stat. Otherwise, cults work similarly to sects.

When a sect grows large enough, it can either supplant the parent religion or become a religion of its own. A religion can form its own religion group if it makes sense to do so as well.

 

Several players have left my NES so I'd like to use this thread to draw a bit of interest from its subscribers. I am running a stat-driven cradle NES that is only three updates in, so it is not too late to join. Please click the link in my signature to learn more!

 

Bridge to the 21st Century​

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I want to run a slightly more serious, but ultimately free-form NES/IOT based off of the works of the late, great Imago. To get an idea of what I'm trying to achieve, look at the rules for this and maybe read a few pages.

Spoiler :

Players would take control of one of the countries on that map. There's no particular rhyme or reason to what's going on there, and any given player would have the opportunity to explain what's happening in the country of their choice. Until someone takes a country, it's basically a blank slate. I want to see people come up with their own histories as to how their nation came to be. I think this is well-suited to the IOT forum and its modus operandi, although the ultimate goal is to have everyone's backgrounds fit together. If at all possible, this would involve a system of applications where the players with the most interesting and compatible backgrounds will win out to play the nations they're most interested in.

Stats would be very minimalist. Turn zero is 1999.

 

Oh my god, that is essentially a Gone is the Old Guard remake

SOMEONE IS REMAKING GONE IS THE OLD GUARD

But no FEAR 0/10

 

You know what I'm about

 

If I made a nation in a similar style to FEAR, would that be acceptable? Or are you looking for a more... rational universe than what Imago made?

Also Gone is the Old Guard link for the plebes who never played the best NES ever. You can even see me and all my 12 year old idiocy near the end of the game

 

I'm not looking for rational, strictly. Just interesting.

 

Ohhh, im down, I've got an idea that could be interesting