IOT Developmental Thread

You want to play with Egypt? Countries on two continents have some advantages, you can have a navy in the red sea and the Med
 
Someone needs to introduce something that will make holding straits or canals more economically viable.

OMG now my teleporting navy has to go around Africa instead of through the Med.

Since Mobius has plenty of narrow bodies of water where the canals meet, I will probably make there be some sort of bonus for having a province on the strait. First the province will probably be worth 2, rather than just 1, gold per turn due to its strategic location, and holding two provinces right across from eachother(as in no way around it) will allow you to extract tolls for navies passing through.
 
No, but something in that area. It's an unavoidable deathtrap for me. I tend to go for the center of the map, and if I am, I might as well be on two oceans.

My point was that the way straits are, trade, movement, etc is completely unaffected by them. As far as I can tell it costs the same to ship from Britain to India by way of either the Cape of Good Hope or Suez Canal. It's very annoying for a capitalist like me.
 
Oh, it's the Middle Ages?

I must have missed that. Derp.

Time for a new example then. Uh... uh... dammit, middle ages didn't have any canals.
 
Renaissance wasn't exactly in the Age of Imperialism.

Anyway, I guess it'd be cheaper to ship from Sevastopol to Italy than from Novgorod to Italy. Those go through straits...
 
Nobody's gonna pay them if there's no reason to ship through canals when it costs the same to go around.
 
Nobody's gonna pay them if there's no reason to ship through canals when it costs the same to go around.

Well, if you had to reach the Sudanese Coast, it'd obviously be wiser to go through Suez than around Africa.

I won't have sea zones in IM, but a few major canals will exist, and in some cases there's no way around them! (The one between the former Atlantic Oceans, for example, is really the only way to go; Suez is non-existent)
 
About straits, thus is the middle ages, you couldn't really got to places by going around, I only have two straits that you can go around, the English Channel and the Malacca, Im going to forbid going around the (commercially not militarily) two, in the middle ages it would take days longer to go around the English Channel and the gulf current would smack your ships on the cliffs of Ireland, thus destroying them, Malacca, If you go around you discover Australia, now that not going to happen and the waters are to shallow around the Indonesian Islands
 
Welcome to Imperia Mobiana, the first IOT(or IOT derivative whichever) to take place on a foreign planet! ;)

Basic rules:

No trolling, flaming, etc.

Be respectful of your fellow players, OOC or IC.

Overall, the forum rules.

No powergaming or I'll eat you.

No RL politics. That is for the Off-Topic forum. Any politics brought up must be discussed within the scope of the game. I don't want to hear whether you think Obama's new healthcare policy is sexy or not; you can however, mention your state passing universal healthcare later down the line.

No arbitrarily trying to define what the game is. The game is supposed to be about manipulating NPCs and other players via diplomacy in order to win. Read this for inspiration: http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/managing_the_world.php

Now for the game rules. They are more complex than a standard IOT's, but far simpler than Sons of Mars'.

Getting Started:

Choose any ten territories, but they must be contiguous and have a shape that isn't a mess. Example: No nations that stretch in a straight line across the continent.

After that, you have ten income to spend. You can either recruit armies or buy technologies. If you're in contact with anyone, you can start cementing agreements!

Don't be shy to provide some background, some information on your economic/political setup, and most importantly, don't forget to choose a color.

Also, choose a capital. Capitals are mostly symbolic, but aren't easily changed and they're relevant to your performance in war and revolts.

Expansion

At the start of each turn, you can claim 5 provinces. There is no distance penalty, but you can only claim 5 pixels away from your borders for every tech level. i.e. a tech level 20 state can claim 100 pixels away.

You cannot claim when at war.

Each turn you gain 1 income per territory you own(with some benefits based on policies/Economics Tech), and after you pay off maintenance or obligations, you can spend this on whatever you wish.

Technology

Tech is split between the Military and the Economy. The Military tree boosts the quality of your troops and also expands your combat operations. The Economy tree boosts your income and controls how much you can trade.

Tech is simply composed of levels, with each tech having the cost of its level multiplied by five. Military 3, for instance, costs 15 gold.

Your total tech level is a combination of how much you have in both categories. Total tech level dictates what Civics you can get, how many Civics you can have, and how far away you can negotiate, to name a few important factors. Example: A state with Army 5 and Econ 6 is at tech level 11.

Each Army tech allows you to support one free army, and adds +0.5 to your morale. The maximum Army tech is 25. Specific Bonuses: Army 2 enables fortifications; Army 5 Guarantees and Defensive Pacts; Army 10 Full Alliances; Army 20 airforces.

Each Economy tech adds +1 to your per turn income, while every 5 techs adds +10% to your base income. Example: if you have 10 provinces and Econ 5, you get 15 income(10 + 5), which then becomes 17 due to the 10% bonus. The same situation with Econ 10 yields 24 income. Econ 25, the last econ tech, adds +25 to your base income, and then a 50% modifier is applied on top!

In total, it costs, on average, 3250 gold to max out both tech trees.

A rough breakdown of Techs and their eras is:

Tech Level 0-15: Ancient Age
Tech Level 16-25: Middle Ages
Tech Level 26-35: Industrial Age
Tech Level 36-45:Modern Age
Tech Level 46+: Future Age

Military and Combat

Every Army costs 5 gold to recruit, but this can vary based on circumstances. Navies, likewise, cost 5 gold.

You start with 1 Army, by default placed in your capital. Armies keep your lands protected. You are encouraged to place at least one in each province, as otherwise, the province can be instantly overrun.

You have a troop support number. This is the same as your number of provinces(each province, in other words, can support one army), plus any benefits you may get from your Civics choices. Any unit over this will cost 1 gold per turn to maintain. In the event you can't pay for a unit, it will be disbanded automatically after one turn.

Armies

Armies by default can only move one province a turn. Every 5 Army techs, however, allow you to move an extra province per turn, so at Army 25, your armies can move a full six provinces. Armies can be seen in the province they're stationed in by a number that appears there.

When fighting, battles are determined by RNG. The maximum roll number is determined by era - Era 1 is 10, Era 2 is 20, Era 3 is 30, Era 4 is 40, Era 5 is 50. Simple. The state with the most advanced army gets the difference added onto their roll - if State A has Army 6 and its foe has Army 5, for instance, State A gets +1 to each roll!

Navies

Navies have a different means of movement. There are no sea provinces, and they move by pixels, more exactly, 10 pixels per army tech. So Army 25 allows your navies to move 250 pixels per turn, or almost 20% of the world horizontally speaking.

Navies can load an unlimited number of armies onto themselves, making a single vessel a threat... but also a liability; if it is sunk, any troops on it will be killed. The number of navies in a stack is seen by a number to the left of the navy; the number of troops on board is a number to the right. So if you see 2 - pixel of state's color - 10, you know there are 2 navies carrying 10 troops going somewhere. Best keep an eye on them!

Naval battles work the same way as land ones, though the order must be given to engage as there are no provinces.

If you attack a territory via an amphibious assault or an airborne invasion, there's a 20% or 30% added onto the defender's roll, respectively. D-Day wasn't easy!

Navies can block waterways. If they sit in a spot where they can reach all coastline around them, they can prevent anybody from passing through. Any trade routes that go through here can be cut at the blockader's leisure, but all blockaded states get a casus belli on the blockader.

Navies can also block coastal provinces. Each navy can block a single coastal province, provided it's next to it. Up to 50% of your enemy's income can be taken away by this; the exact amount depends on how much of their coast is blocked. If a state has 5 coastal provinces and you block 1, they lose 10% of their income, 2 blocks 20%, 4 40%, etc. Naturally, if there are no trade routes besides the water route for the target country, they lose trading income.

Air Forces

Air forces don't show up until Army 20. Air forces by default can only bomb 20 pixels away from their base province, but every tech above Army 20 increases this by 16, so Army 25 jets can hit up to 100 pixels away from their base province.

Planes can be used to bomb armies, navies, or forts(10% chance of success, but each Army tech above 20 increases this by 5%, so Army 25 jets can destroy any of these with a 35% chance of success!), but also have a chance of being shot down. The default formula is a 25% chance of being shot down, with each army tech reducing this by 4%, so army 25 planes only have a 5% chance of being shot down.

Planes can also be kept at home, and will intercept any planes going into their range; each plane adds 5% to the enemy's chance of being shot down. In other words, enough planes make bombing impossible, but it's also quite expensive to maintain such a large deterrent.

Air forces also allow you to reach Angel Island.

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If you destroy all the armies in a province, your armies will take it over. Like in Risk, you control exactly how many move in.

If you capture the enemy capital, you steal all their treasury and also collect all their income for the turn if they haven't moved yet. In other words... protect your capital!

Civics

Spoiler :
For those who've played Civ IV, Civics are nothing new. They are sets of government policies that define your nation's character. By default, you start with the most primitive civic in all categories, which carries no benefits and thus is the worst.

You choose one Civic in each category, provided you have the prerequisites. For the early stages of the game, Civics won't be important, but as you grow more advanced, you will want to keep an eye on them.

Leadership - Where the Power Lies

Despotism - Might makes right; primitive totalitarianism. Whoever has the most power and influence will rule with absolute power.

Oligarchy(Tech Level 10) - Rule by the few. An elite forms the core of the society's government, and at the end of the day, these individuals, whether they are merchants, party elites, nobles, or otherwise, control policy. Oligarchy can exist even in a state that is supposedly democratic - oligarchic republics. Effects: +10 military support OR +10 income, your choice

Autocracy(Tech Level 20) - Rule by the one. Whether a barebones dictatorship or one with monarchial trimmings(absolute monarchy), power is more or less entirely in the hands of a single person. Autocrats generally are authoritarian, working within the bounds of law and custom, but may be totalitarian, being different from despots in name alone as they seek to regulate every aspect of private and public life. Likewise, autocrats can be cruel and ruthless(as is typically the case) or rule benevolently(enlightened despotism/benevolent dictatorship). Effects: Imperialism Casus Belli; +20 military support

Democracy(Tech level 25) - The vast majority of the state's decisions are made by the people, whether directly or through elected representatives. If there is a monarch, as in a constitutional monarchy, they will have little actual power, with all real power being vested in the people or their representatives. -5% Revolt Risk if at peace, +5% RR if at war

Government Structure - How Strong The National Government Is

Stateless Society - There is no effective government at the top, and every community tends to itself in terms of politics

Confederacy(Tech Level 10) - Confederacies vest most real power in local entities. Sovereignity more or less resides with said entities, though they pool some responsibilities(defense, currency, foreign policy, etc.) into a central entity. At the end of the day however, the states/provinces wield the real power. Effects: -5% RR, -5% income

Unitary State(Tech Level 15) - The central government wields absolute power over its provinces. It can change borders at a whim, and no province/state has sovereignity. It can also agree to devolve powers to the subdivisions, but take them back at any moment. Effects: +20% income

Federation(Tech Level 20) - A compromise between a unitary state and a confederacy. Governance is split between local entities(usually equal in power but it may be different as in a federacy), and a central, national government. You reap the benefits of increased decentralisation as well as a strong power at the top. Effects: -3% RR, +10% income

Legal System - How Do Rights and Freedoms Work?

Barbarism - There is no law. The strong thrive and live, the weak wither and die.

Authoritarianism(Tech Level 5) - The government can do whatever it wants within the bounds of certain norms and traditions. In other words, the government likes to step on its people, but doesn't like crushing them. Religious law will generally fall under this category. Effects: +5 Army Support

Narrow Constitutionalism(Tech Level 15) - The government has some legal restrictions on its power. These are limited rights such as the right to a trial, but mostly this protects either a privileged elite(like the Magna Carta) or a small section of the commoners. Effects: -2% RR

Liberal Constitutionalism (Tech Level 20) - The government has extensive limits on its power(like the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights). Citizens are free from a variety of abuses, ranging from excessive fines, certain punishments, and the government is forbidden from enacting certain laws altogether. Effects: -5% RR

Totalitarianism(Tech Level 30) - The government can do whatever it wants regardless of popular opinion. This opens many doors, but also opens many risks. Effects: Imperialism Casus Belli; +20 Army Support, +5% RR

Economics - How Is Your Economy Run?

Tribalism - Each individual community keeps to itself. Self-sufficiency is the norm, and agriculture is generally limited.

Plutocracy/Manorialism (Tech Level 10) - The economy is centered on lords, generally appointed by a higher leader(all the way up to a King or other supreme leader) and how they run their property. Economic(and consequentially, legal) power is vested in the hands of these privileged individuals. In terms of cities, power rests with the merchant class instead. It's a step up from tribalism, but the limited nature of the economy and its actors isn't much better. Effects: +5% income

Laissez-Faire Capitalism (Tech Level 24) - The economy is based on the idea that the state should stay out of most businesses' operations, and let them run by themselves. This limited intervention surges economic growth, but the lack of much in terms of a social safety net or regulations puts many into horrid living and working conditions, increasing revolt risk as well. Effects: +25% income; +15% RR; Imperialism Casus Belli

Social Capitalism (Tech Level 32) - The government lets the market run mostly on its own, but may take over some industries such as banking, utilities, safety, or healthcare, and also impose regulations and create a social safety net for the good of society as a whole. You don't gain revolt risk like in LFC, but you don't get as much extra cash either! Effects: +15% income

Communism (Tech Level 40) - After capitalism has run its course and reached fruition, the state reconstructs society from the bottom up, before dissolving itself and creating a stateless, classless society where businesses are run democratically by their workers. Under Communism, improved conditions for all reduces revolt risk immensely, but economic growth isn't as high due to less opportunities for the ambitious to enormously expand their profits. Effects: -10% RR if at peace, -10% income; +5% RR if at war


Diplomacy

What people come for.

Diplomacy is easy:

-Trade. Trade is easily implemented; you glean 10% of the target country's income, though each era increases this by 10%, so in the Future Age, you earn 50% of your partner's income.

-Military Access. Units can go across your territory, or even base themselves in it. When allies or fighting on the same side in a war, this is automatic unless otherwise stated.

-Embargo. Your land cannot be used for the target nation's shipping, cutting off potential trade routes. If you control a continent from one coast to another, this can be lucrative.

-Guarantee. You promise to protect a state if it is attacked. No limits on guarantees. You are unable to make them with fellow superpowers if you are one.

-Defensive Pact. You and another state promise to protect eachother if one is attacked. You are limited to one for every 5 tech levels. You cannot make them with other superpowers if you are one.

-Alliance. You and another state promise to fight with eachother on the offense and the defense. You are limited to two, and cannot make them with other superpowers if you are one.

-War. The most extreme option for a state to pursue, it can nonetheless be done. However, you require a casus belli.

Casus Belli System

The Casus Belli System exists to keep war in check. Here are the ones you can choose:

-Border Dispute. One of these will happen each turn to one lucky state. If you receive it, you can declare war on the state the dispute is with.

-Failed Spy Action. If a rival state's spy is discovered, you gain a casus belli on them for a single turn!

-Overlapping Claims. If someone claims the province you did, the state that claimed it first can choose to take it by force.

-Commitments. If someone attacks a state you have guaranteed, have a DP with, or an alliance with, you can declare war on the aggressor. In the case of an alliance, if your partner is the aggressor, you can choose to join their war.

-Belligerence. If you know a country that attacks a country you know without a CB, you get a CB on the aggressor!

-Blockade/Embargo. You have a casus belli on any state blocking your trade routes.

-Imperialism. Some forms of government allow you to attack anyone for any reason.

Espionage

You can launch espionage missions against any country you know once per turn. Every mission carries a base chance of discovery of 10% unless otherwise stated. Success is calculated separately. If at war, you can pay an extra ten gold to launch a second mission, and ten gold for any mission after that too, against the same country. Counterespionage cannot be combined with any mission and is disabled for the turn if you perform espionage against any country, even once.

-Counterespionage. The default choice for every state. Your country is defended against spies, reducing success chances of enemy missions by 10% and adding 10% to discovery chances.

-Steal Money. 10% of the enemy's income for the turn will simply vanish. 20% chance of success.

-Intitiate Propaganda. You can intiate propaganda against a state. 15% chance of success. You will be discovered anyway for obvious reasons. Success turns a province to your side.

-Incite a Riot. Self-explanatory. 20% chance of success. A province will revolt against your foe.

-Fund Rebels. This always succeeds, but has a 25% chance of discovery attached to it. You must donate in increments of 5 gold(5 gold for each army), and there must be a rebellion in the first place.

-Fabricate Claims. 10% chance of success. Gives you a casus belli against the target if successful, as a "border dispute" will pop up next turn.

-Cause Desertion. One of the enemy's armies or navies will disband. 25% chance of success.

-Cause Defection. If at war, you can bribe an enemy army to join you. Any province they're in, if they're the sole army, will switch to your side as a consequence. 25% chance of success.

-Sow Discontent. 20% chance of discovery; 20% chance of success. Enemy's RR will surge 10% for one turn.

Remember, if you are discovered, the enemy gets a CB on you. Best to reserve these for war, where discovery's irrelevant.

Revolts

Revolts happen. That's a fact. But you can discourage(or encourage) them.

What affects RR?

Governments first.

More oppressive or uncaring governments like totalitarianism or laissez-faire capitalism increase RR. More liberal governments such as constitutionalism and democracy make it lower. Confederacy and Federalism also make the RR lower due to more power to the locals, at the cost of income.

Then you have war. War makes more open systems like communism or democracy become discontent. Wars of aggression raise RR by 10% by default regardless of system.

Neglecting your economy for your army will also anger your people, but so will the reverse(what's the point in wealth if anyone can just walk in and take it?) For every point difference between technologies, there's a RR of 2!

Espionage can have this effect as well. If an enemy sews discontent in your territories, your RR will shoot up by 10%.

Even if your state is perfectly stable, there's always a chance of a random revolt popping up, but this will be so minimal it's no issue. At most, you'll lose an army or two.

If rebels get control of half your country and your capital, your government will collapse and they will do with it as they see fit.

If your enemy holds your capital, you will have +10% RR for the war until you take it back.

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I believe there's nothing left to add except ICBMs and Chaos applications, but I still need ideas for those...
 
the first IOT(or IOT derivative whichever) to take place on a foreign planet!;)

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I think I beat you to that, my friend. TLP IOT took place on my fictional foreign planet of Haven. I don't think I'd play yours though. I have no knowledge of and no interest in the source material :p

Anyway, I'll probably flesh out some rules for a new TLP IOT and then decide between it and IOTCW - both would seem to have great potential. Since I'll be starting Realpolitik II this weekend(in ciV stories and tales :goodjob: ) I might not have the time to run an IOT though.

-L
 
First majority furry planet then? :p
 
interesting set of rules. i guess i cant simply start as Russia or something. ill have to use my fantasy nation for that. domination is not going to be pleased.

in any case, i hope that this game launches soon.
 
About straits, thus is the middle ages, you couldn't really got to places by going around, I only have two straits that you can go around, the English Channel and the Malacca, Im going to forbid going around the (commercially not militarily) two, in the middle ages it would take days longer to go around the English Channel and the gulf current would smack your ships on the cliffs of Ireland, thus destroying them, Malacca, If you go around you discover Australia, now that not going to happen and the waters are to shallow around the Indonesian Islands

I don't think you would discover Australia, unless you had a crow's nest a mile high and vigorously searched the ocean.

First majority furry planet then? :p

West Virginia is a planet?
 
Math - I'm sure you'll find some way to create a mostly-furry nation. ;)

Double A - Just about all of Earth is a furry planet now.
 
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