Hellenistic Campaign circa 280 B.C.

[ianiow]

The Galatian menace has had its fun and will now be kicked out of Macedonia forever. For go fetch your Ptolemaic general and lets see if he can save you a second time!

Richard, the password will be "eviction"

[mceochaidh]

Ian, are you proposing a large battle to decide the future of Macedon? You now have a choice of large or medium.

Mac

[Lysimachos]

Hi Mac,
the Romans obviously go for a large battle.
It's a question of superego ...

P.S.
If I understand well the mechanism, it is up to you launching the challenge and decide the terrain.
But it's not clear to me which terrain are viable for Campania.

[mceochaidh]

Lysimachos, I will set up game a bit later. As for terrain,

"Campania has an area of 13,590 km2 (5,247 sq mi) and a coastline of 350 km (217 mi) on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Campania is famous for its gulfs (Naples, Salerno and Policastro) as well as for three islands (Capri, Ischia and Procida).

Four other regions border Campania; Lazio to the northwest, Molise to the north, Apulia (Puglia) to the northeast and Basilicata to the east.

The mountainous interior is fragmented into several massifs, rarely reaching 2,000 metres (Miletto of 2,050 m), whereas close to the coast there are volcanic massifs: Vesuvio (1,277 m) and Campi Flegrei.

The climate is typically Mediterranean along the coast, whereas in the inner zones it is more continental, with low temperatures in winter. 51% of the total area is hilly, 34% mountainous and the remaining 15% is made up of plains. There is a high seismic risk in the area of the region." From wiki

I would say Mediterranean something, could be agriculture, hilly or even mountains. Password will be felix, as in Campania Felix, or as you probably know much better the I do, is supposed to mean "fertile countryside."

Mac

[Lysimachos]

That means that the terrain is decided by the defender taking care of the province's geographical features?

Maybe, given the fact that there are not so many powers in play, it could be decided once and for all which kind of terrain are feasible for any single province, giving then to the defender the relative choice when launching the challenge ...

[mceochaidh]

Lysimachos said "That means that the terrain is decided by the defender taking care of the province's geographical features?"

Yes, that was my intention. I will look into setting up a table of choices by province, but defender will still have the choice and set up the battle. I want to avoid geographical anomalies and the FOG2 system works well regarding terrain choices in a particular area. If the battle is set in Italy, using one of the Med terrain options, no chance of it being a in desert, for example.

Mac

[mceochaidh]

Ian,

To clarify what I said above "Ian, are you proposing a large battle to decide the future of Macedon? You now have a choice of large or medium."

This option is only for battles with a minor state. For these battles, the attacker now has a choice of medium or large. The defender will still set up the battle. The defender can also choose, for battles defending on behalf of minor states only, to allow Rise of AI on Emperor to play the battle. I amended the rules to allow those with time constraints or lack of interest in playing a particular minor power to use the Rise of AI on Emperor to respond. The player responding this way must still dictate the terrain to be used. I am assuming that the great majority of players will choose to play and not use this option.

Mac

[ianiow]

Ian, are you proposing a large battle to decide the future of Macedon? You now have a choice of large or medium.
Mac

What are my options re: fighting the Galatians (the ones that have been pillaging 200T a year from Macedon for about 5 years since their invasion at the very start of the campaign). Do I fight them in Macedon or take the fight to Galatia?

edit: I didn't know about letting the AI take over a game. I don't mind if any opponent of mine decides to take this option.

[mceochaidh]

Ian,

As I just expanded the campaign to add the new players/major powers and wanted to move things along a bit more quickly, (things moved slower than I intended mostly due to my own schedule over the last few months) I changed the rules beginning for this turn we are starting to allow a player defending as a minor power to use the new Rise of AI on Emperor to represent him. All of the new rules are posted above. In particular, you only will need to win by 25% for a decisive victory instead of 30% and you, as attacker, may choose a large or medium battle for battles with minor powers only. All other battles must be large.

In the case of the Galatians, since they are already in Macedon, if you win any kind of victory, they will go back across the Danube and join their cousins and you will cease having to have the 200T penalty each turn. If in a later turn you want to conquer them and cross the Danube to attack them (to rid you of their future menace), you may do that as well.

Because they are a minor power,you may choose a large battle or medium battle for this turn as you attack them. Richard will respond to your choice since he is playing the Galatians this turn and will choose the terrain for the battle. Just confirm what size battle you want to fight.

[ianiow]

Ian,
Richard will respond to your choice since he is playing the Galatians this turn and will choose the terrain for the battle. Just confirm what size battle you want to fight.

Thanks Mac. I choose medium battle.

[mceochaidh]

Challenge up for Rome vs Campania, large battle, pw felix

Richard, can you set up a medium battle to defend the Galatian stronghold against Macedon?

[76mm]

Set up a challenge for Ulysisgrunt, me Spanish vs his Gauls, large battle, hilly terrain (?). Password: clubmed

Ulysisgrunt, please check that the battle has been set up correctly, not 100% that all of the parameters are correct.

[rbodleyscott]

Challenge up for Rome vs Campania, large battle, pw felix

Richard, can you set up a medium battle to defend the Galatian stronghold against Macedon?

Challenge set up.

Pw: Hellenistic

I can't seeing Ian letting me get away with the tactics I used last time, so unless the Galatians get lucky, I think their pillaging days are over.

[TheGrayMouser]

The Pyrrhic invasion of Brutia is over and Pyrrhus is back in his fortress contemplating the meaning of coconuts.
Greek Casualties from Weapons of war: 0%
Greek Casualties from boredom: 100%

[Cunningcairn]

The Pyrrhic invasion of Brutia is over and Pyrrhus is back in his fortress contemplating the meaning of coconuts.
Greek Casualties from Weapons of war: 0%
Greek Casualties from boredom: 100%

Yes Monte Cassino proved to be a hill to steep for Pyrrhus

[mceochaidh]

Cunningcairn, just for the record, did you play with your Carthaginians defending your Bruttians or the Bruttians themselves?

[Cunningcairn]

Cunningcairn, just for the record, did you play with your Carthaginians defending your Bruttians or the Bruttians themselves?

Bruttians themselves.

[mceochaidh]

Here are the new rules for determining occurrence of natural disasters and other costly events.

Natural Disasters and Other Uncontrollable Events

Twice each turn or once a year, there will be a chance of incurring a natural disaster. Using Lysimachos’ excellent and already tested system, each Major Power will be assigned an Italian city lottery, as follows:

1. Epirus – Firenze
2. Rome – Roma
3. Macedon – Milano
4. Gauls – Napoli
5. Carthage – Palermo
6. Seleucids – Genova
7. Ptolemaic – Torino
8. Antigonus – Venezia

Each lottery has five balls. The numbers on each ball will determine a result, a calamity or no harm.

1-10 - No harm
11-20 - Famine – costing 200T
21-30 - Earthquake – costing 100T
31-40 - Volcano Eruption – costing 100T
41-50 - Restless underclass – costing 100T
51-60 - Pirates or bandits disrupting trade – costing 100T
Over 60 - No harm
There could be multiple events causing harm each year.

The first draw, covering 274 B.C., will be Saturday, 7 April.

[mceochaidh]

I have amended the rules for a draw to accommodate those situations in which terrain causes a game in which there is essentially no action. I have added a provision which will encourage some activity by the defender to prevent the attacker from ravaging defender's homeland. If the army of the attacker is essentially intact after the battle, defined as losing less than 10% of his force, then the attacker will ravage and accumulate plunder equal to the 200T penalty for a draw. Ravaging was certainly common, with the ferocity of ravaging even considered a "virtue." I think there may have been a few games with no activity, including the latest game with CC and TGM. In honor of that game I will call this the "Monte Casino" rule! Amended rules are below, which will not take effect until the next movement sequence. All ongoing games will be played under the present rule.

Economics – Major Powers

1. Each major power has a beginning treasury of 20,000T and income of 1,000T per turn.
2. Each client state produces an income per turn of 200T.
3. A client state that remains so for 10 years (5 turns) continuously becomes a province. Provinces produce an income per turn of 300T.
4. All minor powers in a weakened state have income reduced by 100T.
5. There will be an annual random catastrophe, an earthquake, famine, volcano eruption. Since turns are 2 years this will happen twice each turn. Results may reduce income for that turn.
6. It costs 1,000T to mobilize and equip an army to attack another major power.
7. It costs 500T to mobilize and equip an army to defend your home territory, that of a client or province, or, to attack a minor power.
8. Winning a battle decisively against a major power gives the victor 1,000T and costs the loser 1,000T.
9. Non-decisive wins against a major power gives the victor 500T and costs the loser 500T.
10. Draws will cost both sides 200T, unless the defender fails to inflict a minimum of 10% casualties on the attacker, in which case the defender will incur the cost but not the attacker. This will account for ravaging by the attacker who will amass enough plunder to offset the cost of the draw. In this case the attacker's army is essentially undamaged.
11. A major power needs at least 500T to defend itself from invasion. If it does not have this, then one final battle may be fought (assuming it has borrowed the needed funds). If it is defeated in this battle, it becomes a client state of the victor. Each major power that becomes a client state produces 500T for the victor annually. For example, if Rome conquers Carthage, Carthage produces 500T per year for Rome as its client state, reducing its own treasury if it still has one.

Economics – Minor Powers
1. Minor powers do not have a treasury. If a major power chooses to attack a major power with its minor power client or province, it is assumed that the major power is providing the funds to the minor power to mobilize and attack, costing the major power 500T. In this case, the funds received due to winning the battle against the major power will be added to the treasury of that major power “sponsoring” the attack on the other major power.
2. If a minor power client state wins a battle against a major power, it will cost the major power 500T if it is a decisive loss, 200T if a non-decisive loss and a further 300T if 2 consecutive losses. In the case of a draw, both player’s major power will have a reduction of 200T from their treasury. For example, Macedon has a draw with Sparta. This will cost Macedon 200T and if Rome is playing Sparta, it will cost Rome 200T. If Sparta had won the battle, the booty from Macedon (500T if a decisive loss or 200T if not) would be given to Rome, who in this case is Sparta’s sponsor.
3. If there is a draw in which a minor power defender fails to inflict a minimum of 10% casualties on the attacker, the attacker will ravage. The result of this is that the attacker will not incur the 200T cost for the draw having offset the cost with plunder. If the minor power is a client state or province, ravaging will also eliminate its income for the 2 year turn, thus costing its patron major power that income. Two consecutive years of ravaging weaken the minor state.

[Cunningcairn]

I think that is a good rule addition Mac although it probably won't stop the tactic. If I was once again attacked by a Pyrrhic army filled to the brim with pikes and I only had MF which was the case, I would once again head for the hills. If however the Pyrrhic army had taken all the available Italian foot and hoplites I would have considered taking them on despite them still having an advantage.