[RFC DoC] The Egyptian Exodus: Far Far South

[GreekAnalyzer]

Metagaming is when you deliberately break the limits of the game instead of playing it like it's meant to be played, i.e. settling in South Africa instead of Egypt.

 

[Yudishtira]

I suggest that metagaming means including discussions of game mechanics in a roleplay or story etc. Thus I don't agree that settling elsewhere than Egypt is an example of it.

Thus I guess it is a limited form of "breaking the fourth wall", which to me it means having your characters (including your narrator who often does not exist/interact as a character per se) indicate their awareness of the audience's world beyond their own.

 

[TheNoob]

I thought it was the fourth wall, not the third

 

[Yudishtira]

I thought it was the fourth wall, not the third

Yes it most certainly is - my bad...

 

[Spirictum]

Metagaming is when you deliberately break the limits of the game instead of playing it like it's meant to be played, i.e. settling in South Africa instead of Egypt.

I suggest that metagaming means including discussions of game mechanics in a roleplay or story etc. Thus I don't agree that settling elsewhere than Egypt is an example of it.

Thus I guess it is a limited form of "breaking the fourth wall", which to me it means having your characters (including your narrator who often does not exist/interact as a character per se) indicate their awareness of the audience's world beyond their own.

I'm not sure what's the exact definition of metagaming, but for me it's closer to Yudishtira's definition, but I understand Greek's one. If you want to do the Egypt in DoC starting out of the core, you WILL need to use metagaming to win, otherwise you're probably going to be easily killed by the game. So starting in South Africa isn't metagaming, but having to survive there, that requires metagaming.


I normally define metagaming by this: using the game mechanics at a much more detailed and synchronized extent, making it possible to achieve unimaginable results to the average gameplay.

A really good Vanilla BtS example of this is the Civil Service Slingshot. Briefly:

Start a game and focus on getting Code of Laws;
Then you build the Oracle;
Choose Civil Service as your Free Tech;
Change to Bureacracy and the rest is joy.

If done correctly you'll use bureaucracy before AD, and then you'll become a monster city-state with the bureacracy's bonuses.

For reference: http://www.garath.net/Sullla/csarticle.html

@phillip
You should try this with one of your unusual challenges.

 

[Sinsyne]

Greek's definition seems a bit too wide to me as it would cover most ahistorical results, plus 'meant to be played' feels too vague and ill-defined in something that is supposed to define what metagaming is.

Now, coming from D&D what metagaming means to me is that you you outside knowledge of the system, setting and rules to guide your in-character decisions even when said character lacks the same knowledge.
By that the settler leaving Egypt wouldn't be metagaming. However, knowing exactly where he has to move is. Of course, said definition comes from RPGs where there is a clear division between in-character and out-of-character knowledge, so it doesn't fully work on a game like Civ IV.

Anyway, on with the story. I promised something big would be going down this update. I hope I won't disappoint.

Pharao's Log, 171 ADA

At last Cathage has met its end. I had meant for them to be my main ally in the enclosed sea, now it seems I am on my own. I'm wary of the Persians and the Romans of course previously declared war on us. But we never actually saw battle with each other and in exchange for a minor tribute they agreed to peace. I felt humiliated having to pay them off, but the potentials for trade should get me the expense back soon enough.

Our First Fleet has discovered the birthplace of Christianity, a rather modest city north of Byzantion. Here, a grand temple is placed in remembrance of Christ and his twelve apostles. I am preparing for our grand heist.

Pharao's Log, 176 ADA

Now we have grown to two million Egyptians, quite something. The first church where I shall be venerated as a god - no, the one God - is nearing completion.

Much other change is afoot as faith takes hold in my lands.

Pharao's Log, 196 ADA

The faith has now universally spread in my empire as the enclave Aarru-Hetep too was converted. There are still holdouts of some strange other faith and I decided to grant them a temple to further other purposes.

Perseus was to visit me in Abdju for a personal meeting, but it fell short when his navigators drove into the port of Zawty and right past the docks, giving the fishermen on the adjoining lake quite the spectacle.

Pharao's Log, 256 ADA

I tasked a skilled merchant with establishing a Royal Mint to control to creation and flow of money in my empire.

Pharao's Log, 266 ADA

Our next city was settled, only the second to be inland, but it is not enough to control the coasts. I have high hopes for Imu.

Spoiler :

I'm quite fond of that city spot. In DoC you can build a harbor whenever you're next to a water tile, whether it's part of the sea or not(same isn't true of lighthouses though). That means all of these seven inland seas yield three food each, and three commerce with the Colossus. You also get a later spawning banana in your BFC and good production with lots of plains hills. I've built the Forbidden Palace here before.

Pharao's Log, 326 ADA

Pharao's Log, 331 ADA

Faith is where it's at and the scholarly study of religion is heavily promoted throughout the Egyptian Kingdom.

The Gupta Empire seemed quite interested in our theological findings and in exchange taught us about formalized law. It was quite difficult to properly incorporate the option for beheading whenever I feel like it ito such a formalized system of rules and punishments, but we somehow managed.

The city of Konstantinopolis, the queen of the cities or so they say, declared its independence after they have been the stage of much strive between Persia and Rome.

Pharao's Log, 386 ADA

As I've sent a ship east to survey the coast of China after its fall - it seems to have been taken over by once-wandering horse people - I received reports of Rome's demise leaving the continent to the north in disarray and without a ruler. How long will it be until some of the warring tribes organize again?

Pharao's Log, 416 ADA

We continue our exploration of the far east. I guess one shouldn't expect too much from primitive island-dwelling tribes as all they could give us was a few primitive warriors clad in furs and armed with wooden clubs. But they were so honest in their desire to join my glorious empire I could hardly turn them down. I will station them in the Kingdom of Goryo to have a permanent diplomatic presence. I hope my ambassadors being clad in fur loincloths won't negatively affect their image of me...

Pharao's Log, 426 ADA

I have received reports of bedouins beginning raiding forrays into our lands around Aarru-Hetep. I liked the Assyrians much better I must say. They were way easier to beat up.

Pharao's Log, 431 ADA

In the dead of night my agents snuck into Ophiusa and began disassembling the temple marking Christ's ascension stone by stone. When dawn broke, my builders were gone as were all traces of the former temple. Soon enough the materials were shipped to Abdju and reassembled on our soil. Operation Grand Theft Apostle was a full success. The temple was quickly joined by a palace where I as the holy leader of Christianity shall rule.

 

[Sinsyne]

An Italian Rennaisance oil painter's impression of what the city of Abdju may have looked like at around 500 ADA.

Pharao's Log, 446 ADA

Byzantium may not live much longer as they feel rising pressure from migrating Germanic tribes and their walls are wholly inadequately defended. Serves them right for seceding from my faith with this 'Orthodoxy' of theirs. I guess they didn't take the disappearance of their claim to the faith's birthplace too well.

Pharao's Log, 486 ADA

A great pestilence has begun striking at our cities. In a haste to improve the health of my people I quickly imported Persian sheep in exchange for raw gold. Now on top of being sick the people of Per-Bastet are also unhappy... Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Pharao's Log, 506 ADA

Byzantium has fallen. They only had a brief history to call their own.

Pharao's Log, 511 ADA

The plague has passed, leaving some of our cities depopulated. At least it seems the unhappy people were the first to die. Quite convenient.

Pharao's Log, 516 ADA

Our system and organization of bureaucracy is developing well. We quickly shared our discoveries again with the Indians who in exchange taught us their adanced techniques in architecture and building.

We also finally learn the art of riding from our neighbours. We have always lacked these beasts called horses so there was no point. I had considered mounting the wild zebra roaming around the continent, but some guy told me it can't be done.

But I have a different idea for what we could field as cavalry...

Soon after I formally declared myself the absolute ruler of Egypt, the holy God-Emperor. Our warrior culture also has become more formalized.

Pharao's Log, 531 ADA

The government is in order again and we made contact with Japan on the other end of the known world.

Pharao's Log, 561 ADA

Far in the cold north we found the Norse people. They soon after converted to Christianity which pleased me mightily. Even so far from home I am venerated as a god!

Pharao's Log, 604 ADA

I felt myself in desperate need for another religious leader in my faith. I decided on a novel approach: I took twenty priests from Aarru-Hetep and put them on an island divided into a Christian and Hindu tribe of ten each. Each week they would compete against each other in a contest and the losing side would select one of themselves for crucification. Once only three were left I chose the one I liked most. His name was Akhenaten, nice guy though seemed somewhat traumatized. I don't think your hair should be white like that at 25.

He was ordered to quickly board a ship headed for the capital.

Pharao's Log, 628 ADA

A new people are rising in the peninsula previously controlled by the nomadic bedouins. I may or may not also have said some unfortunate things about camel herders and what they like to do with their pets. Suddenly every man owning a camel is in open rebellion against me and believe it or not these guys really know how to fight! I also had no idea Aarru-Hetep had such a thriving camel-breeding industry. My garrison had to flee west as the populace rose up in rebellion.

Pharao's Log, 632 ADA

But not all is pleak. Akhenaten suggested we draw in the faithful with chants and music suitable to our faith. With my approval he built the Church of the Holy Sepultura. The effect was immediate and pilgrims from all over the world brought in money to our capital.

Pharao's Log, 640 ADA

And I will not take the loss of Aarru-Hetep lying down. This humiliation will be wiped away with blood. My armies are gathering to the north in Ethiopia. The counterattack is about to begin.

As promised, my Stability Advisor, screen taken in 604 ADA.

 

[Manuss]

 

[clanky4]

 

[Sinsyne]

Actually, I don't think I made any Trek references this time except the continued Pharao's Log, even the Sun Date is gone.

So, how do you like the holy city and shrine of Catholicism in South Africa?

 

[clanky4]

Since I regularly collapse on RFC DoC I personally find it very impressive. Although I'm not sure how many pilgrims you'll get who are willing to hike through the jungles and deserts to get there.

 

[LucarioTheKing]

I haven't played any mods asides from those that come with BTS ever... but even I can appreciate the utter strangeness of the Christian Holy City being in SA. It would have been a terrible pilgrimage to try and make.

 

[GreekAnalyzer]

This only applies of course if you're a filthy papist!

Spoiler :

 

[Sinsyne]

I haven't played any mods asides from those that come with BTS ever... but even I can appreciate the utter strangeness of the Christian Holy City being in SA. It would have been a terrible pilgrimage to try and make.

You really should check out DoC, it's worth it. I played the RFC included in the base game a lot until couple years later I checked out DoC and I don't regret it.

And yeah it's quite the pilgrimage, but they can just board one of the many many merchant ships going back and forth. It's certainly... impressive South Africa managed to keep up active trade routes with Babylonia and Greece in like 1000 BC.

 

[Sinsyne]

The Second War of the Crescent

The forceful spread of Islam and the Arabian people quickly took over the Arabian peninsula, including the Egyptian Enclave of Jerusalem and a Babylon that had almost returned to its former importance under Persian control. Now there were three monotheistic yet vastly different faiths vying for control over the land. The folly of Alexander the Foolish a millenium before was repeated as the Arab aggression pushed Persia and Egypt into an informal cooperation against a common enemy. They might have expected Egypt to be out of the picture with the loss of their distant colony, but the pride of their leader didn't permit such a loss. For the first time in its history Egypt assembled its full military potential for war, the bulk of its forces comprised of mighty war elephants bred and trained at the Horn of Africa. The savagery of their enemies who left no Christian alive in Jerusalem was answered in kind and in their initial attack the Arab's first permanent settlement of their westward expansion was burned to the ground, its name now lost to history. The following counterattack was the largest pitched battle between the beligerents and the Abbasid forces were routed, although the Pharao's most prized elite infantry regiment was wiped out as well.

Spurred by their military success the Pharao declared a Crusade against the Arabians and the distant Norway followed the call as did many more Egyptian men who took up arms in the name of their faith and their country.

Its standing army greatly reduced the Caliphate could only hope to delay or for the Egyptian forces to exhaust themselves against their well defended positions. The art of archery had long been neglected in the Pharaonic Kingdom(see chapter 3 on the inexplicable execution of a bowyer introducing precocious advances in the design of bows) and the Arabian longbows took a heavy toll on the Egyptian forces during the ensuing sieges. Egypt was forced to tear down the walls of Jerusalem they themselves had constructed while their besieging army engaged Arabian relief forces in repeated attacks and counterattacks with losses on both sides.

Eventually after a prolonged siege Jerusalem fell when war elephants tore through the ruins of the former walls. However the great beasts were unsuited for battle against archers in such cramped quarters and sustained heavy losses as was the case in all major engagements of the war.

The most distinguished general of this campaign was Narmer who led the siege of Jerusalem and successfully held it against Arabian attempts to take it back with a combined attack from the east and west while the bulk of the Egyptian army moved on to lay siege on the Caliphate's capital. Narmer was known for his aggressive defense and he repeatedly sallied forth to rout exhausted Arabian detachments. Jerusalem didn't change hands again and Makkah fell in a bloody battle that severly depleted the Pharaonic forces.

Despite decisively winning in the field Egypt exhausted its capability to keep up the offense and granted Al-Rashid peace in exchange for a symbolic tribute.

In its first major war Egypt won a lasting victory, but not decisive enough to remove their enemy from the playing field for good. Relations between Egypt and Arabia remained hostile even at the best of days for centuries to come but the Caliphate was crippled, its military forces severely depleted and their land boxed in between Egypt in the west, Persia in the north and the sea to the south and east. The spread of the Arabian people and Islam was contained and with the faith's holy city and shrine under control of a foreign power it never rose to prominence outside its place of origin. Their only saving grace was retaining control of Babylon, a city that under their rule too remained a center of power and wealth.

Egypt extended their territory into the Arabian peninsula but not at a cheap cost. Jerusalem was reduced to a fraction of its former size and their military too suffered great losses, if less than their enemy's. The war elephants were the Pharao's most formidable weapon and so at the forefront of every battle. By the end of the war well more than half of them were killed. Even today skeletal remains of elephants are regularly found in the Sinai.

 

[Spirictum]

Luckily this Caliphate isn't the Democratic Caliphate, because if it was you'd lose

 

[Sinsyne]

Oh, is that a challenge?

But really, I love elephants even with the nerf(only 25% against cavalry, penalty on city attack). Strength 8 is great at that tech level and there are just so many cavalry units spawning or appearing as barbs in Mesopotamia. In my Babylonia game going for the Zoro URV I defeated Arabia with elephants, then when the Seljuks came I steamrolled them with like two dozen level 4 War Elephants. S*** was so cash.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

I don't know, that Egypt is pretty frightening

 

[Spirictum]

Oh, is that a challenge?

But really, I love elephants even with the nerf(only 25% against cavalry, penalty on city attack). Strength 8 is great at that tech level and there are just so many cavalry units spawning or appearing as barbs in Mesopotamia. In my Babylonia game going for the Zoro URV I defeated Arabia with elephants, then when the Seljuks came I steamrolled them with like two dozen level 4 War Elephants. S*** was so cash.

War Elephants are really great indeed. 8 is simply too much for the time of Construction Tech, even if they didn't have any bonuses. Also because of the natural bonus, putting Combat Promotions make them really uber. A Combat II War Elephant is almost as strong as a Knight with 9.6. The spearman, that should be its counter, has only 50% chance of winning if both don't have any other bonus.

I wish we could put our Democratic Caliphate to fight your Exodite Egypt, but sadly that's impossible. It would be a nice challenge. If you want to settle this matter in another mod (LoR i.e. or even Vanilla BtS), I'm up for the challenge . You play representing your Exodites, and I play representing our Caliphate with the advise of the rest of the Council.

 

[Sinsyne]

I've never done PvP and very rarely play without DoC so that would most likely not go in my favour. Still, I'm confident my Exodites could wreck a DoC Arabia no matter who controls it, I just have too much of a time advantage and know when and with what they spawn. Even if we disallow me from attacking with my army that conveniently counters their unit selection for a reasonable amount of turns I have other ways of ruining their day.

In this game it would have been possible for me to discover Divine Right after Theology before the Arab spawn happens, stealing Islam. I didn't as it would have obsoleted the Great Library and it was more economic to let AI Arabs build the shrine themselves before I take Mekkah. Against a human opponent that would be an interesting option though, stealing their religion, denying the shrine they count on for income, perhaps even building some of their middle ages wonders with a temporary conversion.