IOT Developmental Thread

[Sonereal]

And here is the thread wow its actually going to happen

 

[Shadowbound]

I've been working on a game set in the approximate time of the French Revolutionary Wars. The Setting is something of a historical reversal: that isn't Napoleonic France, it's a victorious royalist France.

My concerns at the moment:
1) Do people feel restricted by reform points limiting how much their government can do a turn?
2) Does Manufacturing capacity make sense or would you prefer some other way of representing rudimentary industries?
3) Should I do heroes ahem "national figures".
4) Are there any nations where the economic stats or sub-states don't make sense?


The year is 1790. A decade of relative peace is coming to an end. The 18th century has been marked by a series of wars and conflicts as rising powers asserted their hegemony, culminating in the Nine Years' War that saw France defeat the Anglo-Spanish Naval League for control of North America and India. The French Empire, the successor to the Holy Roman Empire destroyed in the German Wars of Religion, stands atop the world.

Players take control of nations in Europe and elsewhere beginning to recover from past conflicts. Some of them seek to maintain their current position of relative superiority, others to reclaim past glories. And some just seek to weather the storm and preserve their fragile stability.

Paths of Glory consists of four inter-locked systems:

First, there is the political system. The Political System is the most important system, as it governs the other three. It broadly represents a player's control and influence over their nation.

Spoiler Politics :

Each nation has a Government, which is the players' representation. Every government has a government type, which consists of one or more words that describe briefly how the nation is administered and how power is distributed within that government. Every government has a Stability Rating, which reflects how strong and resilient the nation's current form of government is at absorbing outside shocks and internal conflicts. A high stability is safe but opens up the possibility of stagnation, while a low stability increases the risk of revolts and civil war.

Institutions are traits applied to a nation. They are a mix of technologies and policies that influence its politics, economy, and military. Not every institution is positive, some are represent trade-offs, while others are purely negative. Most can be abandoned or adopted by spending a reform point.

States are subnational units that make up every nation. Some small nations consist of a single state, others consist of over a dozen. Each state has a separate Confidence value, relating to its support of the national government. A low confidence will inspire revolts, while a high confidence will buttress the government through contributions of political capital, funds, and volunteers.

States come in three types. Home states are the core territories of your nation: France for the French Empire. Continental state are closely connected but still culturally distinct territories, like Lombardy. Colonial states are loosely connected and culturally distinct, often with native governments or local assemblies doing much of the business of government.

Confidence Values
Rebellious -> Resentful -> Tolerating -> Supporting -> Enthusiastic

Reform Points are used to modify institutions and states. They represent political capital and the openness of the upper classes of a nation to adopt new ideas and methods. Reform Points are inversely related to stability: a high stability means few reform points, while a low stability means many. Reform points can also be affected by institutions. Reform Points are spent by the players to adopt new institutions or change other aspects of the government. Reform Points cannot be banked, though they also do not need to be banked every turn.

Spoiler Stability and Reform Points :

At each successively lower level of stability, an additional reform point is gained.

• Stability 5 = 0 Reform Points
• Stability 4 = 1 Reform Point
• Stability 3 = 2 Reform Points
• Stability 2 = 3 Reform Points
• Stability 1 = 4 Reform Points

Reforms

Spoiler Political :

• Parliament - Establishment of a national representative body provides a breeding ground for radicalism and conspiracies, but serves to diffuse tensions between the upper classes - boost to stability, random changes in confidence for home states
• Constitution - boost to stability, potential checks on player's power
• Feudalism - A political system in which power is devolved to a land-owning elite, who maintain authority in return for their own status - boost to stability, reduced centralization
• New Government - The recent establishment of our government, without firm administrative institutions, hinders our progress and security - reduced stability, -1 reform point a turn
• Colonial Assemblies - Addressing the demands of self-government, we will permit one or more of our colonies the right to establish political assemblies - Boost confidence in selected colonial states, reduced centralization, random changes in confidence
• Integrated Elites - We will tie distant territories to the metropole by introducing their leadership as equals, at the risk of angering the existing elite - Boost confidence in selected non-home states, may lead to reduced stability.
• Devolution - Giving local authorities additional power will head off popular revolts - Boost confidence in selected states, reduced centralization
• Nationalism - Our people have a shared history and culture that makes them uniquely suited for greatness, and we should embrace it - Boosts confidence in governing culture states, reduces confidence in states of the same culture not ruled by that culture. Cannot be discarded.
• Serfdom - An economic system in which peasants are tied to the land, providing stability at the cost of inhibiting progress - Boost to centralization in continental states, -1 reform point a turn
• Administrative Reform - Removing inefficient privileges and practices to the benefit of the central government - Boost centralization in continental states, reduces confidence
• Fiscal Reforms - Restructuring the way we handle debt and finances, taking advantage of modern institutions and establishing a better relationship with international lenders -Reduces interest rate by 5%, can't be reduced below 5%
• Regulating Act - Our colonies and trading enterprises have grown too autonomous, too independent: it's time they were brought in line - Boost centralization of selected colonial states, reduces confidence
• Progressive Experimentation - Implementing novel political and economic reforms on a smaller scale, before applying them to the nation as a whole - +2 RP, may reduce or boost confidence in a selected continental state, can't be used in the home state
• Secret Police - Our state and people are under attack, from within and without. This forms a politically influential organization that relies on a network of informants and police to resist. - Boost to stability
• Anticlerical Seizures - Seizure of church property provides a one-time boost to income, at the cost of reduced confidence in selected states and possible stability loss
• Propaganda - The production and dissemination of material and information favorable to the government to encourage popular support - Boost to confidence in a state
• Reactionary - The political elite of this country see reform as an assault on their privileges and will resist it bitterly. - -1 RP a turn, cannot be discarded
• Progressive - The political elite of this country have recognized the need for reform - +1 RP a turn, cannot be adopted
• Hegemon - Victory and dominance over our local region shows the might of our empire, why would we need to reform? -1 rp a turn, cannot be discarded

Spoiler Military :

• Conscription - Every man must do his part to defend our nation - Halved recruitment cost for regiments, may reduce in confidence in continental territories
• Meritocratic Officer Corps - Our nation's military is dominated by aristocrats, whose chief qualification is being born to the right people. Opening up advancement to more classes is necessary to triumph - May lead to reduced stability, improved military leadership
• Columnar Formations - The changing nature of warfare suggests experimentation with novel tactics, emphasizing shock tactics and massed formations over infantry lines
• Amalgamation - Mixed formations of veterans and recruits allow armies to massively expand without penalty in a short time period
• Skirmishers - Improvements in weapons technology and tactics adopted by irregulars in colonial warfare are implemented as loosely organized, high morale soldiers who harass enemy formations before, during, and after the battle.
• Corps Organization - The formation of sub-armies, as part of a larger force, that can move and fight both together or independently opens a new range of strategic maneuvers
• Living Off the Land - Allows large military formations to be supported with minimized supply issues, at great cost to the theatre of engagement
• Flying Batteries - Reorganizes artillery as independent formations within an army, rather than solely in support of infantry, greatly improving its efficacy.
• Irregulars - Rather than a professional, western-style army, this state relies on less disciplined formations of soldiers, no match for their european counterparts in a stand up fight. Cannot recruit Regiments or Brigades.
• Continental System - The transition from a regimental system to brigades increases the size of each formation by 50%, while sacrificing espirit de corps and some capacity for long-distance deployment for better effectiveness as part of a larger formation and reduced damage from casualties. Replaces regiments with brigades.
• Military Discipline - The abolition of corporal punishment, the promotion of dedicated “morale” officers, and new methods of drill create a more disciplined fighting force.
• General Staff - The establishment of a permanent military administrative body, independent of any army formations, allows for more effective coordination of supply and logistics. Reduce maintenance costs for regiments and brigades by 25%
• Decisive Battle - Abandoning the school of thought that emphasized orthodox line of battle engagements, decisive battle sought to take greater risks by concentrating a fleet's strength against a small portion of the opponent's line.
• Specialized Naval Training - Commanders and officers in a fleet should have specialized training for their roles, rather than just being members of the aristocracy who received their posts through patronage.
• Uniform Naval Design - Adopting standardized practices for the construction of ship's hulls, and the size of their cannons, reaches peak efficiency possible for a sailing ship.
• Copper Bottoming - The practice of sheathing the bottom of a ship's hull in copper can protect it against damage and attrition from long periods at sea, allowing ships to fight after long journeys.

Second, there is the economic system. It represents the commercial, agricultural, and industrial wealth of each nation. It funds the activities of the other systems.

Spoiler Economics :

Each state has an Economy, which will fluctuate throughout the game as a result of player and non-player actions. This economy is taxed by the central government according to the Centralization rate: a higher centralization means a higher share of the tax. The sum of each state's income is the nation's total income, which can be spent by the player, chiefly on the military. Centralization can be increased using reform points.

Economic growth is not accurately measured or controlled during this point in time, but the player can indirectly support it through regional projects and political reforms.

Each nation pays maintenance for its standing army and fleet. This army is actively used both to defend your borders against outside threats and support your government against local rebellions.

Each nation also has access to international credit, represented by their Interest Rate. A nation can accrue additional Debt equal to their current income. Every turn a nation pays interest on their existing debt. Unspent income goes into paying down debt. If all debt is eliminated there is no interest paid on a banked surplus, though income can continue to be banked. Most nations start with a manageable level of debt.

Finally, each nation has a Manufacturing Capacity. This represents their potential for modern industrial production of armaments and ships. Manufacturing Capacity cannot be banked, but it can be loaned out each turn to another nation.

Third, there is the military system. It represents the armed forces of each nation. It protects the other systems and allows them to accomplish their goals in the face of violent opposition.

Spoiler Military :

This is divided into land and sea formations. Formations are bodies of men and equipment that are employed by nations to occupy territory, neutralize enemy formations, and express political will through organized violence.

Land formations come in three forms.

Irregulars are troops with inferior training or equipment to modern European line infantry. They rarely fight in regular order but are very effective at defending their homelands, especially in rough or difficult terrain. Irregulars cost 1 economic point to recruit, and 1 point of maintenance is paid for every two irregulars.

Regiments are formations of approximately ~1000 men raised and equipped according to modern European methods, with supporting cavalry and artillery. They possess a strong espirit de corps within their formation. Brigades are modified formations that replace regiments. They are larger by about 50%, but lose some of their capacity for independent action or long-distance deployment. They are more effective at grand battles and continental campaigns than regiments, being designed to operate in concert as part of a larger body. Regiments and Brigades cost 4 economic points to recruit and require 1 economic point in maintenance every turn. They also require 1 Manufacturing Capacity to recruit.

Batteries are formations of cannons and howitzers employed as artillery in military campaigns. They require protection and are very vulnerable to being captured or cut off, and their efficacy is highly dependent on terrain and formation. Properly used they can demolish fortifications and inflict disproportionate damage on enemy formations. They require 3 economic points to recruit and 1 economic point in maintenance, but also require 3 manufacturing capacity to build.

Naval ships come in two forms.

Frigates represent lighter ships unable, by means or by design, to fight in the line of battle. They are employed to support larger ships, where they exist, or as the principal fighting force without. They represent a wide range of roles, from Mediterranean galleys to Atlantic raiders to Asian junks. Frigates cost 1 economic point to recruit and 1 point of maintenace is paid for every 4 frigates.

Ships of the Line are multi-decked sailing ships armed with powerful broadside cannons. They are designed to fight in the Line of Battle, an elaborate system of maneuver and engagement that deals with the limitations of modern naval technology. Ships of the Line cost 5 economic points to recruit and require 1 point of maintenance every turn. They also require 5 Manufacturing Capacity to recruit.

The quality of a nation's armies and navies is an abstract thing and not easily measured in available statistics. Militaries that do a lot of fighting will be better. Militaries that expanded rapidly recently will fight worse. Militaries from nations with high confidence in their core regions will fight better, while those with poor internal stability will suffer from defections and desertions.

Fourth, there is the diplomatic system. This is represented by multiple players and their conflicting ambitions. It is the manipulation of the other three systems to overcome other players' ambitions that represents the true challenge of the game.

Stats are here
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mQFMhVK1qHECcI0XdKt0mVgRbSc7LMoC6NFbVj5oDp0/edit?usp=sharing

Players have three forms of income: Economic Points, which are collected as taxes from states. Reform Points, which are gained through institutions or governmental stability. And Manufacturing Capacity, which is how much of your nation's income can support industrial production.

 

[JohannaK]

Speaking as the resident Catalan, I can say that Aragon, Valencia, Catalonia, and Mallorca (and then Sicily, and Naples) each kept their own laws and constitutions, although under a single crown. This was so until the Bourbon victory in the War of the Spanish Succession, in which the Aragonese territories had supported the Habsburg pretender. Philip V took the opportuity to erase these laws and constitutions and submit those constituent realms to the authority of Castile.

Each of these territories had its Courts General (the name for the Estates General of Aragon, Catalonia, or Valencia separately, since Mallorca sent their representatives to the Courts General of Catalonia), but they did in turn send representatives to the Courts General of Aragon, as in of the realm, which could legislate over the domains represented. It seems to me that there isn't a formal distinction between both kinds, at least in the beginning, other than that the king would assemble representatives of more than one domain.

Particularly interesting is the creation of the Generalitat, which was a delegation of the Courts General of Catalonia, Valencia, and Aragon (separately), which oversaw the collection of taxes in the respective domain and audited the monarch's spending of said taxes. They became permanent in the late 14th century, when the constant state of war made ordinary taxes a necessity, and they soon acquired the political duties of implementing legislation and enforcing compliance with it. In both these capacities they attained immense power, to the point where the Catalan Generalitat was able to sustain a ten year war against the king barely 100 years after its creation, and more notably the Reaper's War from 1640 to 1659 and the aforementioned War of Spanish Succession from 1705 to 1714.

In short, I don't think that it would be fair politically to subsume the Iberian domain of the realm into a single state, as the very decentralised nature of the Aragonese monarchy allowed each of its constituent territories to hold vastly different and even entirely opposed goals and objectives. Same applies to the three Sicilies, which I'd probably split into Sicily and Corsica-and-Sardinia. That said, it is your game, and your rules. I understand that going to such detail might be a burden ot worth dealing with.

On that note, I'm not sure that it could ever be an absolute monarchy by itself, precisely because each constituent domain was so zealous of its customs and privileges and had the power to actually oppose the king.

 

[Immaculate]

Looks good shadow.

I would prefer without 'national figures' except as RP elements but I'd play either way.

And I like reform point system. Birdjaguar had something similar many moons ago and I felt it worked well.

 

[Shadowbound]

Part of my thought in regards to the distribution of Aragon's states is that the Iberian territories and its Mediterranean possessions are very similar in terms of administration and economics, and reasonably close enough geographically that they could be treated as one unit. Aragon is already possibly the most divided nation of its size, so I'm hesitant to break it up more. I have similar thoughts for other big European powers: France, Britain, Spain can all be split up even more but I'm not convinced doing so would contribute anything but complexity.

In terms of national figures, I'm not sold either but it was one of the most engaged with parts of Hideous Strength.

 

[Ahigin]

@Shadowbound - Digging your game. I'm a sucker for complexity, and I like the lean toward military stuff, it fits the setting and doesn't overexpand the focus.

1. Yes, the reform points are good, as long as you plan to run the game for a reasonable amount of time. Short games may do better without that artificial pacer stat.
2. Yes, I do think that Manufacturing Capacity is a good stat for that time period. A bit of an offtopic question: do you wish to separate the different types of troops: cavalry, infantry, artillery? I'd imagine, artillery-heavy armies would be more MC-heavy. I guess, diversity of formations might add to the value of MC planning, as different nations would have very different army composition.
3. I think Napoleonic wargames naturally need their Napoleons. "Heroes are a bit of a campy gameplay element for a historical setting, but I think it fits the period.
4. Will check out the stats later in greater detail.

 

[Shadowbound]

National backgrounds, still incomplete.

Spoiler Backgrounds :

French Empire

If the 18th century has belonged to any nation, it belonged to France. It has the most powerful fleets, the strongest armies, the wealthiest economy, the richest colonies. French successes in the past two centuries have been magnified by the failures of their rivals, letting them expand into Italy and the former Holy Roman Empire. Compromise and reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants at home has fueled a colonial empire in North America and India. The Bourbon rulers of France crowned themselves as successors to the Holy Roman Empire, a claim they reinforced with victories over Britain, Spain, and Poland, humbling Europe's rival great powers. To secure their Indian possessions the French have invested in a momentous undertaking, a canal through the Suez in Ottoman Egypt, but the increased taxes to pay for this project and the ongoing military expenditures to maintain a worldwide empire have pushed their American colonies to the brink, and France may end up losing at least half of its colonial empire as a consequence.

Kingdom of Great Britain

The triumph of royalist forces in the English Civil Wars established the modern British Monarchy, absolutism cloaked in parliamentarism and (some would say) Catholicism cloaked in Protestantism. The Stuart Monarchs leveraged Britain's wealth and maritime power into a global empire. But clashes with the ancestral enemy, France, would bring it down, as despite heading up the Anglo-Spanish (and friends) Naval League Britain would suffer defeat, most recently in the Nine Years' War. Deprived of its ambitions for an American or Indian Empire Britain has turned further east, rebuilding its strength by consolidating control of the East Indies, acquired at Dutch expense, and expanding its interests across the Pacific.

Kingdom of Spain

The shifting politics of the Iberian peninsula, a complicated web of religion and inheritance, ended with the unification of the Crowns of Portugal and Castile and the expulsion of the Moors. The unified Spain built the largest colonial empire the world has seen, dominating the Americas and Indias, but rising powers in the Dutch and the French chipped away at it. In the end the Spanish Empire became dependent on British credit to smooth over its irregular revenues, and ultimately a junior partner in that alliance. The immense wealth that once flowed into Spanish cities and palaces has dried up, and Spanish finances have yet to recover from the Nine Years' War, where the Naval League tried and failed to stop French hegemony. Reforms at home, and higher taxes, are needed to staunch the bleeding.

Kingdom of Ireland

Created out of the Nine Years’ War by the victorious French, the Kingdom of Ireland is an unsteady state next to a powerful and envious neighbor.

Kingdom of the Netherlands

From its humble beginnings, the Kingdom of the Netherlands began as a Protestant revolt against the ruling Hapsburgs during the German Wars of Religion. It passed briefly under the rule of the Vasas, but clashes between the local Estates General and the Absolutist Swedes led to a revolt where they crowned the Prince of Oranje as King, precipitating the collapse of the Swedish Protestant Empire. The 17th century was a Dutch Golden Age, establishing colonies and trading concessions from the Americas to Japan. But the 18th century saw decline: disastrous wars with France and Britain, sometimes both at once, lost the Dutch their southern provinces and East Indian Empire. Only its Brazilian colony in New Holland was retained, secure and content, but at home Dutch decline, both in foreign affairs and in domestic conditions, has led to brewing dissent.

Kingdom of Aragon

Once, Aragon challenged France for control of Italy and Portugal for control of Spain. It lost both of these conflicts, but was able to preserve its independence. Its inheritance of the Duchy of Tuscany gave the ruling dynasty a much needed jolt of dynamism, and the upper echelons of the state are as much Italian as Iberian.

Confederation of the Rhine

The latest and most durable union of German principalities since the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, the Rhenish Confederacy has managed to check Polish ambitions and endure despite defeats to France.

Kingdom of Denmark-Norway

A sometime British ally, Denmark has focused on trade and prosperity for the past century, growing relatively wealthy off the Baltic and North Sea Trade. Their chief foreign policy aim has been to prevent the emergence of any power capable of threatening them, or if that failed, join them. Hence, the alliance with Britain and the interventions in Germany and against Sweden.

Kingdom of Bavaria

The ultimate protestant victory in the German Wars of Religion meant the final unification of the two German branches of the House of Wittelsbach, joining the Palatinate and Bavaria under a single crown. But German hegemony would be foiled, first by the Vasas’ Polish Empire and then by the French expansion to the Rhine. Too proud to simply be one of many princes the Bavarian Kings stand apart from the Confederation of the Rhine, compensating themselves by cannibalizing the ailing Venetian Republic.

Kingdom of Austria

Final defeat in the German Wars of Religion meant the end of the Holy Roman Empire. But, through the grace of god or a pact with the devil, the Hapsburgs were able to preserve their own rule in Austria, albeit under a Protestant branch. Austria has served as a junior partner in the various coalition wars of the 18th century, opposing French expansionism here, Polish aggression there, partitioning the Venetian Republic, carefully protecting its independence as the smallest fish in the Central European pond.

Republic of Sweden

Sweden was the seed for a much greater European empire, as its Vasa Kings became first rulers of Poland and then, however brief, of Germany. But Empire has its burdens and as the center of royal power moved further and further south its relations with Sweden and the powerful Riksdag degraded. At the height of the conflict between the Riksdag and the Vasas Sweden broke free, triggering the First Northern War that saw the establishment of the post-HRE order. Failed attempts to import a new monarchy, or elect one of their own, saw the Riksdag choose to formalize its own power and their rule of Sweden as a republic, beginning an Age of Parliamentarism. Since then Sweden has had on-and-off wars with all its neighbors, most recently aligning with archrival Poland to unsuccessfully fend off Russia in the Third Northern War, losing Livonia.

Kingdom of Poland

Poland is the remnant of the Vasas’ empire, which once stretched from Finland to the Rhine. Proud and protestant, since electing the Swedes as Kings the Sejm saw its power curbed until eventually Poland was transformed into Europe’s first Absolutist Monarchy. Backed by the might of its famous army the Poles reclaimed Hungary from the Turks and then attempted to wrest Lithuania from the Russian grasp, only to be defeated by the unexpected resilience of the Russian-led union in the Third Northern War.

Kingdom of Hungary

Hungary is old, yet young, re-established with the withdrawal of Polish troops following their defeat to Russia-Lithuania. Its small army is chiefly composed of former Polish auxiliaries and its nobility is as much Polish as Magyar. It still has yet to elect a king, with delegations from European nations in Buda angling, through oratory and bribes, to see their candidates on the throne.

Union of Russia-Lithuania

To ward off the rising power of Muscovy the Lithuanians elected Ivan IV, son of Ivan the Terrible, as King. The absolutist tendencies of the Russian Tsars and the powerful Lithuanian nobility would clash but eventually compromise, creating a lasting parliamentary state that stretches from the Baltic to the Pacific. The power and resilience of the union was demonstrated in the most recent Russo-Turkish and Northern Wars, as Russia-Lithuania defeated its local rivals to gain hegemony rivaling, they say, the restored Rome of Paris.

Ottoman Empire

Ottoman fortunes have been in slow decline since its height in the mid-17th century. Wars with Poland and Russia have cost it much of its gains in the Balkans and Crimea, while the rise of the Afsharids in Persia resulted in the cession of Iraq and the Caucasus. The most recent humiliation in the Russo-Turkish War resulted in a brief civil war that saw the loss of authority over North Africa and, possibly yet, Egypt. But the victorious Sultan has managed to reform the core of the army into something approximating a modern force and may be able to preserve what he has, if not reclaim lost territory.

Kingdom of Georgia

Formed from the Kingdom of Kartli-Kekheti created as a vassal to Afsharid Persia, the Bagrationis have played loyal vassal while also gathering more and more autonomy for themselves, especially with the slow decline of the Afsharid State.

Afsharid Persia

The death of Nader Shah in 1747 did not mean the sudden collapse of the empire he had built. It was a wealthy, powerful state with a capable military. But the lack of good rulers meant stagnation, and in the modern era stagnation means decline. Afsharid Persia has the raw power to crush rebellions and possibly fight off a foreign invader, but it needs a leader with vision to reform.

Khalistan

The Sikh misls, warrior clans, filled the power vacuum in the Punjab with the decline of the Mughal Empire. The Dallewalia Misl united the others into the Sikh Empire, also known as Khalistan and now it has the potential to expand its confederacy across northern India if the Marathas show weakness.

Maratha Empire

Led by the Peshwas, a dynasty of hereditary prime ministers, the Marathas have spent the 18th century driving Mughal and European influence out of India and replacing it with their own. Checked in the 1760s during clashes with the Afsharids, in the 70s the Marathas experienced a revival under Madhavrao, who re-established Maratha authority over northern India and confined the hated British to Bengal. But power within the empire has become decentralized and many Maratha families rule states as their own fiefdoms, while new challengers arise, as the French looking to replace British influence and the dynamic Sultanate of Mysore has consolidated the Deccan.

Kingdom of Mysore

Once a dependency of Vijayanagar, Mysore's independence was subdued under Mughal influence until the 18th century, as it played a careful game of diplomacy and alliance. This era saw the chief ministers become especially powerful, ruling the state in all but name. But the collapse decline of the Mughals brought new opportunities. Under its previous chief minister, Hyder Ali, Mysore expanded across the Deccan, even defeating the Marathas to secure his gains. His son, Tipu Sultan, stands poised to do the same and potentially extend Mysore across India.

Konbaung Burma
In the aftermath of the collapse of the Taungoo Empire the Konbaung claimed authority in Upper Burma and from there established control over the rest of the country, pushing back British puppets and Qing expeditionary forces to secure their sovereignty. At their peak they claimed control over Siam as well, but a combination of British machinations and native revolts drove them out of the core territory in Bangkok. Caught between three great powers, as the French influence in India expands, Burma will have to carefully juggle competing interests.

Nguyen Annam

Annam has long been divided between the Trinh lords of the north and the Nguyen lords of the south. The Nguyen grew progressively weaker and more corrupt, provoking a peasant rebellion led by the Tay Son brothers. This began fifteen years of three-sided warfare that ended in victory for the Tay Son and their leader, Nguyen Hue, proclaiming a new dynasty as he defeated a Qing intervention in 1788. The new emperor, Quang Trung, has an opportunity to reform the Vietnamese state into a regional power.

Tokugawa Japan

The Tokugawa, a military clan under the nominal Japanese Emperors, established control of the country in the 17th century following the collapse of the Ashikaga. The only perceived threat to their power were Christian missionaries from Europe, so the Christians were expelled and trade with the outside world was only run through the relatively areligious Dutch in the Port of Nagasaki. But a decade ago the Dutch traded away their privileges to the British, a much more aggressive European power, and when the British were refused entry they shelled Nagasaki and other ports and forced the Shogunate to sign a new treaty, deeply humiliating, in which they conceded a broader array of privileges along with Nagasaki itself. Now that it's been shown that they can bleed old enemies, the Tozama, are moving again and the Shogunate must quickly react.

Qing China
Qing China in 1790 is at its height. In his half century on the throne the Qianlong Emperor has expanded not only the borders of China but its identity, working to forge a multi-ethnic definition of the Empire beyond just the Han. He expanded the empire into Tibet, Xinjiang and Kachin, and may yet do so in Vietnam too. But the Qing are like the sun at midday: the expensive military campaigns and opulent court have drained the treasury, led to the rise of powerful warlords, and fostered corruption.

Empire of Abyssinia
Ethiopia is a fractious, fiercely independent, religiously unique nation in the horn of africa. This is its Age of Princes, where the authority of the Emperor is negligible. Conflict between the Amhraric-speaking old nobility and Oromo newcomers has led to the rise of the Wera Sheh as regents of Abyssinia. But this has brought with it a period of relative peace, as for the moment they are strong enough to fend off any contenders to their rule.

Bambara Empire

Beginning with the collapse of the Muslim Mali empire, the traditionalist Bambara have built an empire in the heart of West Africa. Still isolated from the great titans of Europe they are content and secure in their local hegemony.

Columbian Rebels
For the last century the Dutch, Swedes, British, and French have been fighting over North America. It became a dumping ground for ethnic minorities, religious dissenters, political malcontents, and simple prisoners as each group sought to stake a stronger claim to the continent. The final victory of France in the Nine Years' War did not mean an end to the strife, particularly in the most populous province of Nouvelle Bretagne. Increased taxation and centralization have provoked a colonial uprising, one that has spread to the provinces in the immediate north and south. But the Columbians are a disorganized, fractious entity, uncertain of their own demands and untested in their military might. The rebellion may crumble, or it may grow stronger still, depending on its leadership.

 

[Ahigin]

I like some of your PODs. Not too crazy, like my game, but still pretty unique.

 

[Sonereal]

Link to video.
"Collecting this final diminished harvest is now literally a matter of life and death. Chronic fuel shortages mean that this could be one of the last times tractors and combine harvesters are used in Britain."

For the next century, average global temperatures will fall 8°C, with temperatures in North America falling more than 20°C and Eurasia 30°C. The nuclear exchange will have depleted the ozone layer. For those tragic survivors of the war, famine, and cold, they will find little solace or hope in the next generation borned deformed, stillborn, and riddled with cancers.
​

Estimated deaths between May 24 and May 25, 1988: 350 million
Estimated deaths between May 25, 1988, and January 1, 1989: 3.57 billion
Estimated world population as of January 1, 2988: 435 million

 

[inthesomeday]

>between May 25, 1988 and January 1, 1988

Now hold on a second

 

[Sonereal]

For those interested, here is a poll for the IOT I'm planning. Voting helps determine the region the game will focus on.

 

[Sonereal]

Time for round two

 

[Sonereal]

Caribbean won! Final poll: Tech Level

 

[Tani Coyote]

Don't mind me, just posting an excerpt from something I've been mulling over in my spare time.

Personally having a jolly time balancing the dilemma of cooperating versus backstabbing.

Faith

Faith is one of the primary distinguish traits of this game. At the beginning, you start with 100 Faith and every one of your provinces is of your faith. There are six major deities, and a collective pagan category for everything else. The pagan alignment carries no benefits but is certainly a way to have a challenge.

Each turn, you get 1 Faith for every 100 net units of your population that follow your faith and 1 for every 10 of your provinces that follow your faith. For every Faith you have, you have a 10% chance of converting neighboring provinces to your state AND your faith.

The gods favor those who have done well to spread their name. The more of your faith’s provinces that are under the protection of your state, the more likely you will receive a bonus from your deity. It could be more population, more military units, more land, more infrastructure, more gold, or maybe a stats boost to one of your demigods; there are many possibilities!

Every Faith has one Holy City. They will be assigned at game start to one state of a particular faith. Controlling a Holy City provides economic benefits proportionate to how many believers in the faith there are.

Every state that follows a particular god shares in its benefits, and each god’s power is based on their worldwide number of believers. On one hand, it is in your strategic interest to aid your fellow believers; as they grow, your god will shower you with more power. On the other, great benefits would accrue to you if you say, "acquired" the Holy City of your faith, or were to unite all of its believers under your state’s banner…


Deity Bios (ranked from most benevolent to most malicious):

Spoiler :

ANANSI was always a figure of wisdom, known for using his cleverness to overpower foes much larger and stronger than him. As a figure from the folklore of people who suffered some of the utmost tyranny, Anansi found a welcome home in many cultures besides his native one. Endowed with godhood in the rebirth of the world, Anansi has a strong dislike of injustice, and represents the glimmer of hope to all oppressed peoples.

HUEHUECOYOTL was always the oddball of his original pantheon. While often acting like a careless fool with a love for pranks, parties, and things not discussed in polite company, he actually held deep wisdom he would share with those who earned his favor. For all his benevolence, he was said to start wars out of boredom. He would probably argue it was technically humans who started the wars, though.

COYOTE defies easy categorization, with his personality enjoying many different nuances depending on culture and whoever tells the story. He is said to have brought fire to humanity not to assist them in Promethean fashion, but to spite the Creator. He is often considered clever, but his intelligence was largely in response to problems that he got into due to his own carelessness. A lover of stories, music, and dance, he also brought lies and death into the world. If you were to ask which stories are accurate, he would simply smile.

HUXIAN was once adored throughout Northeastern China. Often taking the form of a woman (whether human or fox), Huxian is said to bring prosperity and wealth in exchange for devotion, often assigning guardian foxes to her followers. The goddess of all fox spirits, who are known for their moral ambiguity and anarchism, she all too naturally mirrors these qualities. Blessed be her friends, and woe unto her enemies.

Once the proud ruler of Upper Egypt, SET has seen better times. Never entirely happy with being upstaged with Horus, the god of chaos found his calling in being the spokesperson for foreigners and the soldiers who would defend against them. Those in the urban citadels learned to demonize him after a series of foreign invasions, but those in the harsh lands on and beyond Egypt’s borders knew the truth. Millenia of scorn have shaped Set so he desires to set upon the world the storms he once held back.

REYNARD is Reynard. He lies, cheats, steals, kills, and does every other horrible act you can imagine. Representing the worst sapient beings have to offer, he is the truest example of a villain protagonist, only really rooted for because most of those who crossed paths with him were not exactly good themselves. Most trickster entities have some degree of ambiguity to their morality. Not this guy. And now he's a god.

Bonuses (as gods grow in power, their bonuses will change exact percentages or they gain additional bonuses):

Spoiler :

Anansi: +20% to defense when defending yourself or another nation unjustly under attack.

Huehuecoyotl: Your population growth rate is doubled. Receive Faith from heathen provinces at a 1/5 rate.

Coyote: Randomly acquire one of the other five deities’ powers on a turn; 1/6 chance of receiving a penalty instead. All bad rolls get rerolled once (and can be better or worse).

Huxian: Economic growth rate increased by 20%. When acquiring neutral provinces, at least 20% will be the most valuable good at the moment.

Set: +20% to rolls when on the offensive. +20% to manpower limits.

Reynard: +2 to your success rate with all demigod actions. +3 if it’s something underhanded. One of your champions can perform a second action per turn.

Strategy Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler :

Anansi: Isolationists and world police
Huehuecoyotl: Builders and warmongers
Coyote: Those who like unpredictability for themselves AND their foes
Huxian: Builders
Set: Warmongers
Reynard: Those focused on demigod gameplay, or who want to stir the pot behind the scenes.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

I find it immensely telling that five of the six are doge.

 

[Tani Coyote]

I find it immensely telling that five of the six are doge.

Not my fault the world's cultures decided canids were the most fun to use for sneaky characters!

I'm just amused the friendliest one is also the one most people would be afraid of.

 

[Ailedhoo]

Don't mind me, just posting an excerpt from something I've been mulling over in my spare time.

Personally having a jolly time balancing the dilemma of cooperating versus backstabbing.

Faith

Faith is one of the primary distinguish traits of this game. At the beginning, you start with 100 Faith and every one of your provinces is of your faith. There are six major deities, and a collective pagan category for everything else. The pagan alignment carries no benefits but is certainly a way to have a challenge.

Each turn, you get 1 Faith for every 100 net units of your population that follow your faith and 1 for every 10 of your provinces that follow your faith. For every Faith you have, you have a 10% chance of converting neighboring provinces to your state AND your faith.

The gods favor those who have done well to spread their name. The more of your faith’s provinces that are under the protection of your state, the more likely you will receive a bonus from your deity. It could be more population, more military units, more land, more infrastructure, more gold, or maybe a stats boost to one of your demigods; there are many possibilities!

Every Faith has one Holy City. They will be assigned at game start to one state of a particular faith. Controlling a Holy City provides economic benefits proportionate to how many believers in the faith there are.

Every state that follows a particular god shares in its benefits, and each god’s power is based on their worldwide number of believers. On one hand, it is in your strategic interest to aid your fellow believers; as they grow, your god will shower you with more power. On the other, great benefits would accrue to you if you say, "acquired" the Holy City of your faith, or were to unite all of its believers under your state’s banner…


Deity Bios (ranked from most benevolent to most malicious):

Spoiler :

ANANSI was always a figure of wisdom, known for using his cleverness to overpower foes much larger and stronger than him. As a figure from the folklore of people who suffered some of the utmost tyranny, Anansi found a welcome home in many cultures besides his native one. Endowed with godhood in the rebirth of the world, Anansi has a strong dislike of injustice, and represents the glimmer of hope to all oppressed peoples.

HUEHUECOYOTL was always the oddball of his original pantheon. While often acting like a careless fool with a love for pranks, parties, and things not discussed in polite company, he actually held deep wisdom he would share with those who earned his favor. For all his benevolence, he was said to start wars out of boredom. He would probably argue it was technically humans who started the wars, though.

COYOTE defies easy categorization, with his personality enjoying many different nuances depending on culture and whoever tells the story. He is said to have brought fire to humanity not to assist them in Promethean fashion, but to spite the Creator. He is often considered clever, but his intelligence was largely in response to problems that he got into due to his own carelessness. A lover of stories, music, and dance, he also brought lies and death into the world. If you were to ask which stories are accurate, he would simply smile.

HUXIAN was once adored throughout Northeastern China. Often taking the form of a woman (whether human or fox), Huxian is said to bring prosperity and wealth in exchange for devotion, often assigning guardian foxes to her followers. The goddess of all fox spirits, who are known for their moral ambiguity and anarchism, she all too naturally mirrors these qualities. Blessed be her friends, and woe unto her enemies.

Once the proud ruler of Upper Egypt, SET has seen better times. Never entirely happy with being upstaged with Horus, the god of chaos found his calling in being the spokesperson for foreigners and the soldiers who would defend against them. Those in the urban citadels learned to demonize him after a series of foreign invasions, but those in the harsh lands on and beyond Egypt’s borders knew the truth. Millenia of scorn have shaped Set so he desires to set upon the world the storms he once held back.

REYNARD is Reynard. He lies, cheats, steals, kills, and does every other horrible act you can imagine. Representing the worst sapient beings have to offer, he is the truest example of a villain protagonist, only really rooted for because most of those who crossed paths with him were not exactly good themselves. Most trickster entities have some degree of ambiguity to their morality. Not this guy. And now he's a god.

Bonuses (as gods grow in power, their bonuses will change exact percentages or they gain additional bonuses):

Spoiler :

Anansi: +20% to defense when defending yourself or another nation unjustly under attack.

Huehuecoyotl: Your population growth rate is doubled. Receive Faith from heathen provinces at a 1/5 rate.

Coyote: Randomly acquire one of the other five deities’ powers on a turn; 1/6 chance of receiving a penalty instead. All bad rolls get rerolled once (and can be better or worse).

Huxian: Economic growth rate increased by 20%. When acquiring neutral provinces, at least 20% will be the most valuable good at the moment.

Set: +20% to rolls when on the offensive. +20% to manpower limits.

Reynard: +2 to your success rate with all demigod actions. +3 if it’s something underhanded. One of your champions can perform a second action per turn.

Strategy Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler :

Anansi: Isolationists and world police
Huehuecoyotl: Builders and warmongers
Coyote: Those who like unpredictability for themselves AND their foes
Huxian: Builders
Set: Warmongers
Reynard: Those focused on demigod gameplay, or who want to stir the pot behind the scenes.

I am interesting in seeing how this game develops.

Though I am surprised you have not added Set's nephew into the mix...

Source of the picture

 

[Tani Coyote]

Though I am surprised you have not added Set's nephew into the mix...

There's always the ability to turn him into a demigod in-game.

 

[Ailedhoo]

There's always the ability to turn him into a demigod in-game.

But think of the potential punchies...

 

[Tani Coyote]

Something for others to implement.

May as well share the in progress ruleset I've got for now.

***

Spoiler :

Economy

Every province generates Food, Organic Goods, Minerals, Energy, or Manufactured Goods. These run in the background and have their own value which accumulates to your state as EP. Infrastructure can be built that increases economic output; it serves as a catch all for everything from communications networks to social services. Infrastructure has some externalities which can be seen in other sections; every player has an incentive to keep infrastructure from sinking too low.

The more provinces you have, the faster your population grows. More people allow more soldiers but more importantly, more believers; your province count and believer population increase your Faith (more on that later).

Spending

You have several EP spending options.

Converting provinces: For every 1 EP, you have a 10% chance of converting a province to your faith if it is of a major faith, and 20% if it is pagan. A proportionate number of heathens will convert if successful. Generally there is no penalty for failure.

Buying Infrastructure: 10 EP buys 1 unit of it.

Raising troops: You can raise 1 unit for 5 EP, though you are capped by how high your manpower for a turn is. In addition, you cannot have more units than you have population. A unit is an integrated force consisting of land, sea, and air components.

Bribing provinces: You can make neutral provinces join your empire through bribery; for every 1 EP spent per province, there is a 20% chance of success. So if you spent 100 EP across 100 provinces, you’d have a 20% chance for each. For one time only, there is a separate 25% chance of the new province being of your faith for each EP spent. In short, it is to your advantage to spend 3 EP per province, as this maximizes the odds of joining and of avoiding a heathen province.

In the event two powers are successful with bribery, the province will roll its faith and side with the same faith; the losing power will have its EP refunded. If both faiths are the same, the neutrals will pick whoever made the largest investment. If the investment was equal, they will decide randomly.

Upgrading demigods: In what seems like a satire of organized religion, your EP can in fact be used to upgrade demigods. 10 EP buys one point for any of their stats.

Warfare

No techs here! Results are determined by die roll, influenced by your numbers, your level of economic development (which is based on your level of manufactured goods and infrastructure divided by your population), and any faith benefits where applicable. All defenders get a standard defense bonus.

Note your Mobilization level, which determines how many troops you can raise (it also raises the demand for goods). For simplicity, it is 0, 1, or 2. Setting it to 0 will increase economic growth while 2 will slow it a little.

Casualties in player-to-player wars are determined by margin of victory/loss. War will either be quick and decisive, or drag on.

When invading another player, occupied provinces of your faith will accede to you immediately (unless your opponent is also of your faith). Others will not produce any benefit until a peace treaty is signed and they are annexed.

When invading a neutral province, there is no casualty risk. It is run like a standard battle, but the neutral lacks a defense bonus. Upon conquest, a neutral is assigned a faith. There is a 50% chance of being pagan, or a 1/12 chance of being one of the major faiths.

Intrafaith conflict: In the event two factions who worship the same god go to war, the god will randomly decide whether to support one faction or to nullify the benefits they have against each other; an exception is Anansi, who will always support the attacked power (an exception to if the attack was provoked by some sort of state malice; Anansi is omniscient enough to know who is at fault).

-Huehuecoyotl will support the faction with the most infrastructure investment.
-Coyote will choose at random who to support.
-Huxian will choose at random, with the odds being based on each party’s Faith amount.
-Set will support whoever has the larger military.
-Reynard will support whoever has more Faith.

Faith

Faith is one of the primary distinguishing traits of this game. At the beginning, you start with 100 Faith and every one of your provinces is of your faith.

Each turn, you get 1 Faith for every 100 net units of population that follow your faith and 1 for every 10 provinces that follow your faith. For every Faith you have, you have a 10% chance of converting neighboring provinces to your state AND your faith.

The gods favor those who have done well to spread their name. The more of your faith’s provinces that are under the protection of your state, the more likely you will receive a bonus from your deity. It could be more population, more military units, more land, more infrastructure, more gold, or maybe a stats boost to one of your demigods; there are many possibilities!

Every Faith has one Holy City. They will be assigned at game start to one state of a particular faith. Controlling a Holy City provides economic benefits proportionate to how many believers in the faith there are.

Every state that follows a particular god shares in its benefits, and each god’s power is based on their worldwide number of believers. On one hand, it is in your strategic interest to aid your fellow believers; as they grow, your god will shower you with more power. On the other, great benefits would accrue to you if you say, acquired the Holy City of your faith, or were to unite all of its believers under your state’s banner…

Demigods

Demigods are the dynamic of the game. Every state has 3; being blessed with superhuman longevity and durability by your gods, they do not die permanently and will eventually return to life if killed. Eventually.

Demigods can take just about any shape you desire, and need not be human. They carry out one action per turn and have 7 stats, all of which must be a minimum of 1. Stats can be upgraded through success in actions or by EP purchases.

-Health Points: Self-explanatory. If they run out, they die. They will come back at some point, but it’s a pain to lose 1/3 of your aces.

-Strength: How strong they are! Useful for a brawler to mow down enemies.

-Dexterity: Motor skills and reaction time! Useful for espionage, assassination (or avoiding it), or just using ballistic weaponry.

-Constitution: How much punishment a character can take. Useful if they’ll be doing a lot of field work.

-Intelligence: Measures overall knowledge. Especially useful for magic or mad science.

-Wisdom: Your character’s overall savvy and prudence. Remember the trickster tendency to get out of trouble because of this. Very useful for unexpected circumstances.

-Charisma: While questionably useful if you just want to smash people to pulp, it is very useful if you’re eager to persuade/manipulate others. Maybe you’ll convince that assassin to go home. Maybe you’ll provide a logical proof of why your god is the only one worth following.

On actions: you can do just about anything you desire. Just be aware it’s a die roll from 1 to 20 and God help you if it backfires. The GM reserves the right to overrule really out there actions like “end the game.”

1-3. Failure, with backfire.

4-6. Failure with large penalty.

7-9. Failure with small penalty.

10-11. No effect.

12-14. Standard success.

15-17. Success with circumstantial bonus.

18-19. Success with bonus.

20. Massive success with large bonus.

An action automatically fails if there’s a serious intervening variable; you can’t assassinate a character if you don’t know where that character is, for example.

All orders and actions do not need to posted publicly, only directions send in a single (!) orders PM are valid; posting false orders in the public thread is fair game. It wouldn't be much of a game of tricksters if 100% honesty was the only way to do things!