IOT Developmental Thread

[GhostWriter16]

It's actually similar to yours:

- Every tech adds one to the strength of all your units (you start with tech level 1, so your units have one strength. With lvl 2, strength is two, and so on. Forts are considered units on their own when attacked)
- In a battle, the total strength of all units on both sides are added up.
- An Random Number Generator (like this one) adds anywhere between 0-50% to that strength (this is like the random modifier and die roll in your proposed rule, but condensed into just one random % modifier for simplicity)
- The side with the highest strength after RNG wins. If both sides end up with the same strength, the RNG is run again until one sides emerges victorious.
- Same rules for sea combat.
- Done!



How about combat, if Lighthearter doesn't want it.

I'm assuming Civilian Techs won't add to the strength, only military tech. If so, yes!

 

[Mathalamus]

If I were to GM, I'd rather do that with my games. Could we vote if RoN and/or AoEIII is an acceptable way to attack?

it takes too long to consider that acceptable. that is espically true fi there is a world war and you are calculating 20+ battles

 

[Joecoolyo]

it takes too long to consider that acceptable. that is espically true fi there is a world war and you are calculating 20+ battles

Took the words right out of my mouth

 

[Tee Kay]

If I were to GM, I'd rather do that with my games. Could we vote if RoN and/or AoEIII is an acceptable way to attack?

What Barabas and Juikuyo said.

Though, there's still one last thing we need to decide on before this launches, and that is, we need a snazzy title. Anyone got any ideas?

How about simply "Imperium Offtopicum V: The Renaissance"?

There's also "Imperium Offtopicum V: Machiavelli's Princes"

 

[Tee Kay]

*Note: minor rules changes, mostly on unit and tech costs.*

Imperium Offtopicum V

"Because historical accuracy be damned"

Executive GM: Joecoolyo
Police: civplayah
Cartographer: CivGeneral
Economy and Research: Taillesskangaru
War and Combat: Cull

The year is 1453. New inventions, new ideas, new conceptions about the world are gradually, but surely, transforming societies, and all over the world small states and tribes of the Medieval era are consolidating themselves into new empires. They are strong, they are ambitious, and they are determined march to glory and greatness, letting nothing stands in their way, only stopping for kittens.​

Housekeeping

Spoiler :

First, some essential IOT Etiquettes. We all seem to be civilized people, so let’s act it.

1. Do not flame, troll, or personally insult any other player OOC or IC. At all. You may comment on certain things negatively, but don't take it further than that.
2. Stay on topic. Make sure all comments are relevant to the fictional world of the current IOT and have nothing to do with your personal religious/political beliefs or real life politics. (spammers will be reported)
3. No powergaming. By definition, powergaming is making your country surpass every other country by all terms including armed forces, technology, etc.
4. Keep your actions realistic, and don't declare war on someone for a personal reason.
5. Above all else, RESPECT THY FELLOW FORUMERS.

Anti-Spam Measures:

Theoretically, there are no limits on the number of posts you can post each turn. However, IOT does get brought down by too much unnecessary content. Think quality of posts, not quantity: you're not getting Post Count, so there's no need to spam.

Your posts must follow the Etiquette and actually consist of something RELEVANT to your nation and not just one-liner comments, OT content, or spam. When replying, do not quote the entire post; only quote the relevant parts. It keeps the forum more readable. Also, don't respond to each relevant post individually; use multi-quote to avoid posting like 10 times in a row.

If you are acting inappropriately, you’ll get two warnings from the GMs. On your third infraction, we phone the actual mods. And ban you.


Your GMs:

IOT is a monster even when kept in check. To ensure smooth operations and sanity for all, IOT V is run by a cabinet of GMs with different responsibilities.

- Executive GM Joecoolyo is responsible for diplomacy and also takes all the reports from each of the GMs and write updates and write summaries. He also has the power to give out warnings and bans to people who break the rules posted above.
- Police Officer civplayah will help Joecoolyo patrol the premises and hand out warnings and bans if necessary.
- Cartographer CivGeneral keeps track of all the claims and territorial changes in game.
- Taillesskangaru heads the economy and research (E&R) departments.
- Cull leads the War and Combat department. He calculates battles.

Cartographer: CivGeneral
Economy and Research: Taillesskangaru
War and Combat: Cull

As the game progressed, you may suggest and/or volunteer for a GM position, or we GMs may ask for volunteers to fill in a certain role.

Starting Out

Spoiler :

To start the game, claim ten territories. One of these will be your capital. Your starting territories must be connected in some way, either by land or by viable sea routes. Note that in 1453 no one has the technology to cross oceans except for Zheng He and he’s not playing.

IOT is a turn-based game. Initially, a turn will translate to 4 years in real time. As the game progress, this may change. Update occurs roughly every 48 hours.

I don’t care if your country is inhabited by radioactive sultanas. In other words, feel free to inhabit your nation with whoever or whatever you want, provided it fits with the setting (any leader who tries to form the Soviet Union before Communism is invented will be regarded as a witch and appropriate measures will be taken.)

Expansion

Spoiler :

Each turn, you can claim an additional six territories – they too must be connected in some way. If you must cross oceans from your capital to claim a territory, that territory is worth double the cost of a normal territory, ie two points.

Attacking also costs expansion point. The cost for attacking a territory (anywhere on the map you can reach) is a flat fee of one XP point, meaning you can only attack a maximum of six territories a turn.

You can claim a territory already occupied by another country. This costs the full six XP points and grant both countries a Casus Belli (see below) against each other.

Economy

Spoiler :

For every territory you seize liberate, you get income: 1 gold per turn.

Controlling territory is the main way you earn income. However, income can also be increased by technology - each civilian tech level increases base income by 1.

So, say I control 20 territories with a civilian tech level of 10, my base income is 20+10 = 30.

Not that you’d want to, but income can be reduced if you make yourself hated in the world enough. Each nation that embargoes you decreases your income by 1%, and declaring war without a casus belli gets you 50% reduced income for the duration that you’re at war.

Let's say I declare war on my neighbour just for lulz, and then they plus 3 of their friends embargo my nation. My income from the base 30 would be reduced to 30*0.5*0.99^4 = 14.4. Now, I will round it to the nearest number, so I'd get 14 gold income. If I make peace and everyone stopped embargoing me, I'd lose those modifiers.

Income is generated at the beginning of each turn for each player and can be spent on your army, navy, or technology. You’ll lose it if you haven’t spend them by the end of the turn.

Technology

Spoiler :

For the purpose of this game, all nations start on equal technological footing. That is, tech level one.

There are two areas of research: Military (army and navy related stuff) and Civilian (everything else). Each next level costs x25 times the level you are at (so if you’re at level 4 the next tech will cost 4x25 = 100 gold). You can research more than 1 level of tech per turn if you’re up to it. Tech investment is cumulative, and the amount you already invested will be shown like this: invested/total cost (300/400)

Each level in civilian tech increases your base income by one, and each level in military tech increases the base strength of your navy and army by one.

Additionally, the first one who reaches a level will decide exactly what this new technology/invention/idea is. You can go wild with this, since it won't really effect the game, although note that if you choose a tech >100 years before their actual historical date you will be penalized in weird and interesting ways.

Would be colonists take note: military level 5 activates ocean travel. Until then, you cannot claim land on the other side of an ocean, and navies cannot be based in or traverse oceans.

Diplomacy

"A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise." - Niccolo Machiavelli​

Spoiler :

Diplomacy can be conducted in the open in the thread or in private by VM, PM or social groups.

Most diplomatic actions don’t effect the game and are really just for RP but the following do. You are limited to signing one of these per turn, and they have to be publicly stated in the game thread:
- Defensive Pact
- Guarantee of Independence
- Joining Alliance
- Declaration of War

There are also embargoes, which as previously described reduce the target's income by 1%. These must be publicly posted in the game thread and you can sign one embargo per turn. This will also grant the target a casus belli (see below) against you.

These treaties can be cancelled at any time.

War

"Before all else, be armed." - Niccolo Machiavelli​

Spoiler :

Casus Belli

To go to war without your population going OMGWTFBBQ, you need a good excuse. That is, a Casus Belli.

You get a casus belli if another nation has:
- a border dispute with you (the two nations must claim the same piece of territory, see Expansion, above)
- declared war on your allies
- embargo you
- blockade you
- deny you access to a sea or ocean tile.
- a large difference in religion or form of government. This is a special CB in that you have to ask the GM to grant it to you.

If you attack without a casus belli, you suffer a -50% income loss for every turn you’re at war.

Units

Your main units are armies and fleets. These are physical entities on the map.
- Armies will be represented by a golden dot.
- Navies will be represented by a dot in the sea which the same color as their nationality.

Each one costs x20 times the number which you already own (so if you own 6 armies the next one costs 6*20 = 120 gold – the first army and fleet you build is free). Additionally, each army and each fleet also costs 2 gold/turn of upkeep. This will be subtracted from your income at the beginning of each turn. If upkeep > income, then the economy GM will helpfully randomly disband your armies and fleets until your income is back in the positive.

When you recruit an army or fleet, you choose where they start. Every turn, you may reposition all your units.
- Armies may move through up to 10 land territories in friendly territory (all sea crossings together costs a flat fee of 1 movement point, ocean crossings cost 2 points - it doesn't matter how many seas or oceans you travel through), and only one army may exist in a province
- Fleets may be reposition anywhere you have ports or can access allied ports, and the number of fleets in a sea/ocean tile is unlimited.

The strength of your unit is equal to your military tech level. At level 5, the strength of each of your armies and navies is five, at level 8, it’s eight, and so on.

Land Battles

An attack will cost a flat fee of one expansion point. Any army may be used to attack a province as long as they can reach that province by land or sea. An attack count as a move by an army.

You may have several armies attacking a single province from many directions, but only one may occupy the territory afterwards.

The defenders has a number of advantages.
- First, a province, when attacked, is considered its own army (that is, it has a fort, with the strength of one army), which the attacker must overcome.
- Secondly, any armies bordering the province being attacked, if not being attacked themselves, will also contribute to the total number of defending armies in the battle.

In battle:
- the total strength of all units on both sides are added up.
- An Random Number Generator (like this one) will generate a number between 0 and 50. This will add anywhere between 0-50% to the strength.
- The side with the highest RNG-modified strength wins.
- The losing side loses any armies they have in or attacking that province (for defenders, armies in adjacent provinces will survive).
- If both sides end up with the same strength, the RNG is run again until one sides emerges victorious.

Navies

An army may move across seas and oceans to attack a province. While at sea/oceans, armies will be treated as unarmed transports. If the route to the target is blocked by enemy fleets, they can simply sink your transports and you'll lose the army.

A naval battle ensues if two opposing naval forces are moved into the same ocean/sea tile. Naval battles are calculated the same way as land battles.

Leaving the Game

"If everything else fails, retreat" - Thirty-Six Strategem​

Spoiler :

Upon resigning from the game, you can distribute your territories to other players or just flat out make them unclaimed.

If you are just going to be taking a holiday, give us your orders, or ask someone else to do them for you. To avoid migraines, we cannot calculate it all, and will only go on what you give us. Otherwise, your country will be treated as an NPC until you return.

If you are not active for 5 days, or don't have anybody to give your orders, we will PM you that you need to post something - or tell someone else to - to stay in the game. If you don't respond, we will PM you again after 24 hours or so have passed, asking how you want your lands distributed, as you have become inactive and thus cannot continue to play. If we don't receive a reply within 24 hours, we will distribute your lands in a manner as fair as possible.

Sample Stats:

Civfanatica - Thunderfall - Maroon
Capital: Thunderfall
Government: Totalitarian Civvist Theocracy
Income: 22 gold per turn*
Civilian Tech: 30 (next lvl 740/750)
Military Tech: 20 (next lvl 400/500)
Total armies, navies: 2, 2 **

(*No of territories 30, civilian tech 30, base is 30+30 = 60, -50% for war w/o CB, -8 for unit upkeep. The Economy GM will keep all this in Excel and will make them available for view on request.)
(** Each has a strength of 20 due to tech. The next navy/army will cost 2*20 = 40 gold).

 

[Mathalamus]

so... what do you want me to do? vote? start claiming?

 

[Tee Kay]

If Joecoolyo approves of this, and opens the Game Thread, then we can begin.

 

[Mathalamus]

If Joecoolyo approves of this, and opens the Game Thread, then we can begin.

ill ask these questions:

1. if i paly as a city state of Constantinople, will i be able to keep up in technology?

2. similar to above, when someone declares war on me, does that mean instant death to me if i lose?

3. if the above is true, and the map does not allow for two provinces (in the modern day Istanbul province) can you somehow make the Istanbul province difficult to take? and i mean difficult. please, i dont want to die in the first turn.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Holy crap! Nice job Tailles! Is it okay if I use that for the OP of the new thread? It's amazing

As for the title, I think I'm just going to call it Imperium Offtopicum V, without anything else. It makes it look more "official", rather than just a sequel or knockoff.

As for starting this, expect the main thread to be up by at least 2:00, or at the latest 3:00 tomorrow. I'll also set up the GM group tomorrow, and invite all the GM's (it will be invite only).

 

[Tee Kay]

1. if i paly as a city state of Constantinople, will i be able to keep up in technology?

It's theoretically possible.

2. similar to above, when someone declares war on me, does that mean instant death to me if i lose?

Yes. Which is why you should have a strong protector or two, or just be nice to everyone.

3. if the above is true, and the map does not allow for two provinces (in the modern day Istanbul province)

Lemme check...

It does.

can you somehow make the Istanbul province difficult to take? and i mean difficult. please, i dont want to die in the first turn.

No. Clever diplomacy and investing a ton in tech will make it possible for you to survive.

Holy crap! Nice job Tailles! Is it okay if I use that for the OP of the new thread?

If you want, I don't mind. I thought you might like to add stuff of your own to it.

 

[Mathalamus]

It's theoretically possible.

good

Yes. Which is why you should have a strong protector or two, or just be nice to everyone.

some people can just declare war on me and make up a causes belli. control of the Bosporus is an acceptable Causes belli. barely. ill make enough DPs so that invading me is suicide.

EDIT: that's a moot point since i was going to make the passage of the Bosporus free for anyone to use.

Lemme check...

[HERE'S THE MAP] ------> Map <--------------

It does.

oh good, no instant death for me

No. Clever diplomacy and investing a ton in tech will make it possible for you to survive.

thanks for the hint

 

[Tee Kay]

The Map - New Version

There are some minor changes from the last map. I added some sea zones, merged some provinces and split some. Notably the Straits of Gibraltar and the Bosphorus are now their own zones. The number of provinces in Germany and parts of North Africa and South America are reduced for balance reasons. Aside from that, nothing much has changed.

Spoiler size :

 

[Arakhor]

That's a very impressive set of rules. Let's hope that they don't become too complicated in play!

 

[W|M]

EDIT: DAMN IT, it´s 2 oceans and a sea from Brazil to Portugal! Oh well. Portugal will hopefully come later.

 

[Cull]

Looks amazing.

Eagerly waiting launch.

 

[Tee Kay]

Just to clarify again, because IMO this is the most confusing part of the rules, when moving units or expanding, the number of oceans and seas on the way to your destinations doesn't matter.

From the rules:

- When expanding, provinces across oceans cost 2 instead of 1 expansion points. The number of oceans you have to cross doesn't matter.
- (Attacking a province always cost a flat fee of one expansion point regardless of whether you have to cross oceans or not)
- With armies, crossing any seas cost a flat fee of 1 movement point, crossing any oceans cost a flat fee of 2 points. The actual numbers of seas and oceans crossed on the journey doesn't matter.
- With navies, they can be reposition anywhere as long as you or your allies control a province bordering that sea or ocean tile.

This is due to the fact that one turn = 4 years in game. 4 years is sufficient time, even for the Age of Discovery, for you to sail a navy from one part of the world to another.

So, if you start in Gibraltar, and want to move an army by sea to Alexandria, Egypt, that'd only cost 2 movement point (out of ten you have), 1 point for crossing seas, and another for landing in Alexandria. It also takes two movement points to move your units by sea from Gibraltar to Rome, or Gibraltar to Istanbul.

However, if you want to move it to New York City, you are crossing both seas and oceans, and that takes 4 movement points - one for crossing seas, two for crossing an ocean, and one for landing in New York City. It also takes 4 movement points to go from Gibraltar to Rio, or Gibraltar to Los Angeles, or Gibraltar to Cape Town (unless there's a land route through your or your allies' territories).

 

[Tee Kay]

Damn it, I knew I forgot something...

What's going to be our policy on players who started after the first turn? Should this be like mafia where no one is allowed to join after the game starts unless someone quits and you're in reserve? Or should new players start with bonuses? Or should new players be allowed to claim more territories when they start to compensate?

IMO, the best thing is for new players to be able to claim 10 territories at the start like everyone else and they should not get bonuses in expansion. But ,to compensate, their tech starts at the same level as that of the most advanced country.

 

[Cull]

The new player can decide if they want average/high tech or start out with more land(10 sounds good). I think that would work out better than both.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Damn it, I knew I forgot something...

What's going to be our policy on players who started after the first turn? Should this be like mafia where no one is allowed to join after the game starts unless someone quits and you're in reserve? Or should new players start with bonuses? Or should new players be allowed to claim more territories when they start to compensate?

IMO, the best thing is for new players to be able to claim 10 territories at the start like everyone else and they should not get bonuses in expansion. But ,to compensate, their tech starts at the same level as that of the most advanced country.

DEFINITELY LET PEOPLE JOIN.

I think its 6 you start with correct?

I say give them extra territory depending on when they join, if they join a turn late just leave them with 6, if they join 10 turns late that's different and they may need a boost! Let the GM decide.

I'd say give them tech equal to the average.

 

[Tee Kay]

Normally, you start with ten, and then claim a maximum of six more each turn.