CRISIS OF THE REPUBLIC TOURNAMENT / Roman Senate

[FedeM]

The last battle against the Ponts has been lost??

By Jupiter!!

[TJD]

The last battle against the Ponts has been lost??

By Jupiter!!

I'm afraid it is true. Rome's entire position in the East is now undone. See the map posted yesterday. There is nothing to prevent Mithridates from realizing his dream of recreating Alexander's empire. This result is one of the main reasons a Dictatorship has been established.

Tim

[FedeM]

mmm, let's hope he won't be able to raise a fleet. The Helespont is not too wide....

[TheGrayMouser]

Senators Bates and Fedem, thank you for your words of sense amist the uproar of the foolish and excitable.

It is what I have feared , this crisis has led to the weaker minded members of the senate to vote some non-entity as Dictator. . Who is this FirmusPurpus anyhow? The name in Old Campanian translates to "Plump Grape" Well Mr grape, I suggest to cease you verbal attacks on me and mine, for you can build all the moats you want, when your dictator ship is over (legally only 1 year as I recall, unless the censors recall you for any number of things) I'll pluck you off the vine and smear you into the dirt.

Now Im off to Mauritania to fight brigands, hurrah.

Oh, since the latest news is that we have just lost the Mithradaic wars, we had best get a presence into the East asap, before its too late.

If taking out brigands doesnt take too long, I suggest mself and the Xth move into Egyptus, to give the Ptolemics the "courage" to not hand over the breadbasket of Rome to the Pontics or Selucids. If Pontus makes a move on the Selucids as a counter, perhaps the Parthians will take him in the rear?

[TJD]

mmm, let's hope he won't be able to raise a fleet. The Helespont is not too wide....

He has the Cilician Pirates as allies. They too are undefeated.

Trouble!

Best,

Tim

[FedeM]

Been defeated by the Gauls....

[rexhurley]

Been defeated by the Gauls....

Yeah mate it takes practice to beat the suckers and I suggest normal gaming tatcics won't work, if its not too late try a rhomboid/tortoise

[rexhurley]

.

BUT, as the threat of Pontic success is high, and given that agents of Mithridates are known to be in contact with tribes of proto-Dacians, it is ordered hereby that a preemptive punitive expedition be taken into the barbarous regions, and that Rome there prove to the Dacians that fire, misery, and extinction are the reward of those who betray Rome . Let us remove the threat of a Dacian-Pontic alliance and a Pontic bridgehead before it can mature.

To the barbarous frontiers are sent:

Turk1964
Tiavals
macsen

Casting note: Rex Hurley shall play as the Dacians. Formerly a Roman, he has proven himself so thoroughly underhanded and high-smelling that he's been a honorary Dacian for some time now anyway.

.

Naha at last my true self can come out once Rexus Hurlius but really an Estrucan avowed hater of all things Roman since you stole our land, our citizens, our culture but now you have taught me so well i shall use that against you, aha I Talonus Undierippius state now fear, fear for your lifes as you enter the forest of Dacia as we await and your fates await with us

Aha bring them on to their deaths

[Turk1964]

Senator Rexus.
I see you have shown your true colours and have joined the smelly Dacian bandits. We look forward to removing your head and returning it to Rome on a Pike.

[rexhurley]

Senator Rexus.
I see you have shown your true colours and have joined the smelly Dacian bandits. We look forward to removing your head and returning it to Rome on a Pike.

Bring it Ocker your challenge will be as fail as the Wallaby's last year

[Turk1964]

Battle report Slave Market War ROUND 1

Turk1964(Legion)18/32 defTiavals(Slave army) 55/55
The legion formed up in classic square formation and moved forward at half pace.The Slaves attacked to the front and left flank with great ferocity hacking and slashing at everything in their path. The IX held fast and slowly inched forward forcing the Slave horde to give ground .Success for the Slave army on the Legions left but to late for the entire centre and right flank collapsing into route caused a mass route by the slave army. A good hard fight with many good legionaries laying dead giving all for the glory of Rome.The Vagabond leader escaped unscathed so we must persue him through the streets of Rome for a final outcome.We have heard rumour that we are now to fight the Dacians and that traitor Rexus. We await orders.

Ave Caeser

[rexhurley]

Dearest enemies,

Dog's and jackals of Rome your challenge in the forest's of Slavia await password for you all "Dacians"

Cheers Rex

[TJD]

A message from your tournament organizer.....

First of all, I want to thank everyone for participating, and I really am sorry that the tournament has been confused and disorganized.

Guys, it's time to pause and take stock of where we're at. With the East lost to Rome and the Gauls as yet unchecked in the current five-game Death Match, we're reaching a culmination in the tournament. If we want to start over or continue, we've got to re-jig the rules.

In fact there really aren't any rules (as you may have noticed). The Senate rules were never coherent and haven't worked out, and when Klaus went on hiatus he left no information on how money, attributes, factions, or really anything else, are supposed to work. I've just been winging it. I apologize for the confusion and frustration this has caused but I hope you understand that I've been just as clueless as anyone. I had to institute the Dictatorship to enforce some degree of coherence and move the tournament along to a conclusion (plus, events did warrant it).

So, questions for you all. Do you want to continue, or should we end it? If we continue, should we start over with a fresh map and new armies, or play it as it lays now? How do we get the Senate to work? The rules have to be kept simple. With players coming and going and often inattentive, a complex set of rules of the sort that I think Klaus originally intended will surely fail.

I invite a period of general discussion and comment.

Some questions and ideas:

Chris (Batesmotel) proposed dividing a year into 3 moves with a Senate session initiating each.

He also pointed out that the definition of "conquered" needs to be clarified. How is a province conquered? We need to regularize the campaign concept.

Armies: I'm firm on the idea that everyone make their own armies. Do we want to keep the 400 point limit? Is there a better size for this sort of tournament?

Should everyone start as a Senator, or should a Senate seat be earned?

Money.

What is money for? Suggestions and thoughts:

Buy political preferment or command in attractive or lucrative areas, notably the East. In the West, wealth is earned from slave sales after victories. In the East, wealth comes from slaves but also from plunder. Money will also be earned from governorships, etc.

Buy influence in the Senate. To what end, exactly? I'm not sure the "politicking" concept is going to work out.

Buy influence with the Temple of Fortune. Each week the winners and losers will be posted, and wealthy players may buy their way out of bad luck, or others may bid to purchase a Bad Fortune drawing on a rival.

Handicapping: buy off, for example, a Gallic ally in a key battle, forcing the gauls to fight without the allied force, in effect creating a game where a 400pt Roman army faces a Gallic army of 350 points or less.

The Temple of Mars. As Tullius suggested, donations here can buy command, or perhaps cause an enemy force to be handicapped or even an outright victory purchased.

Just some ideas....

So let me hear from you, please!

Thanks!

Tim

[Turk1964]

Gday Tim
I have to agree the contest had become rather confusing but now a dictator has taken over things seem a lot better. My proposal would be for 450-500pt armies as i feel 400pt Roman army with 3 commanders is too small. Yes you can win with it but it aint easy.Take away the restiction on commanders instead of 3 players can use what they wish. Now i think we should keep going but change the way the senate operates so after the current battles are finished an assasination say of the Dictator.We need players to take more control of the Senate ,proposals declarations of War etc.Yes a seat in the senate should be earned by the usual method though of Bribary,glory on the battlefield or smooth talking.
I also think a few players just to play the Non Romans Gauls,Dacians etc etc would be a great idea and bring life back into the contest.The weekly fortune temple is a great idea and would like to see that keep going. Earning money,well we have to figure that one out between us. Perhaps each person starts with x amount and can gain/lose money by performing different tasks.

Cheers Turk

[Tophat1815]

I agree with Turk and I too found the senate process a bit confusing myself. We also really need a roll call to see who all is still active.

[kilroy1]

It seems that only a few of the players are fighting the majority of the battles, Tribune Kilroy along with others have been reading the dispatches from the front and sipping wine for quite a while now... I agree with Turk that some of us should move over to the other (Darker) side and help out. Appoint some of us to control the enemy kingdoms, give them a subordinate (heir?) if fighting on more than one front/army and guidelines as to what to do.

[Tophat1815]

It seems that only a few of the players are fighting the majority of the battles, Tribune Kilroy along with others have been reading the dispatches from the front and sipping wine for quite a while now... I agree with Turk that some of us should move over to the other (Darker) side and help out. Appoint some of us to control the enemy kingdoms, give them a subordinate (heir?) if fighting on more than one front/army and guidelines as to what to do.

This is a very good idea! We should really look at this now.

[FedeM]

Hi, first of all I would like to thank Klaus and Tim for this excelent idea. Most fun campaign I played. I think we mustn't let it die.

Some thoughts:

The key I think is how to make the Senate work. Maybe Crhis idea is a good start.
How a province is conquered: after defeating the local army. Here maybe we can make the difference between the Established provinces and the Roman Clients (E.G. Asia Minor till 60 BC). I think we must place the number of battles to won to make the Province conquered.

Army Size Im ok with 400 pts. This way battles are shorter and the campaign more dynamic.

Senate: I think it could be more fun if the Senate is to be earned but we need some Senators to begin. How many and how to choose them? Lotery?

I think Tim's idea of money it's good. It also could be used to raise bigger Armies maybe?

Temple of Fortune, Handicapping and Temple of Mars are nice ideas.

The key I think is to keep it quite simple.

Nice link:

http://www.unrv.com/provinces/province-chronology.php

[Turk1964]

450pt army will give you more troops and wont take any longer than 400.This will also give you the option of IC which can make a huge difference to map selection.Thats the battle side of things.I think this campaign can work and we the players have to make it so.Everyone needs to be involved and not just in battles.So come on guys lets make this work

[rexhurley]

Hi guys here is a copy of an email I sent Tim from work today, unfortunately the Foum gets blocked by our Mail marshal

Hi Tim,

My two cents worth,

Morph the event into a Campaign that can expand to all the known world if
necessary, maybe like a Tony Bath Hyborian event, or give it a defined time
limit.

Starting from where we are now is a good idea as there is some momentum, some
colourful history and it could be considered that a reformat with armies could
be considered the same as the Marius reforms of the Republician period, so
that links with history etc.

Trimesters are good or maybe quarters like with GW's Mighty Empire rules
systems, early campaign season (spring), the high season (Heat with penalties
for Roman's in warm climates), the late season (autumn) Cold with penalties
for Romans in cold climates, Winter Trimester spent re-equipping, buying
spies, doing assinations, building fortifications around cities etc, etc.

Armies are set for a campaign season so once brought say for a summer campaign
in Gaul it can't be changed for that trimester.

400AP is good because its a good size and it makes you think what you will
take if you change it to more the advantages will normally go the Roman way
but hey 500 or 600 can work to, 400 is nice for quick games though. Roman's
shouldnt be able to take Allies though unless they (a) have conquered a
province so pacified tribes) and (b) its a logical/historical area that those
Allies would have operated in for Rome.

Conquered maybe divide each province into seven hexes say with a main city
somewhere and to conquer a province you must take and hold each hex (so hence
a seven battle minimum system?)would require more work on a map but acheivable?

All Army Commanders hsould have a Senate seat due to family however there
influence and votes could be adjuged by their success, plunder, revenue etc.

Not sure about handicapping armies some of the normal tabletop contraints do
that anyway and the only benefit this would create would be lopside battles.

Cheers Rex

PS: I have also asked the evil Eric to return as a talented enemy Commander and mschund to join the Roman cause