TYME - The Year of Many Emperors

[Swuul]

If I understand right, there is still room in the smaller campaign. I would be interested in taking part in that one.
I have no preference of the area to be in command of, if there is room for me in this campaign, that is

There is: welcome, Swuul!

On a second thought, I might have trouble to find enough time for this. Best if I pull out before I fall into a scheduling nightmare... But I'll follow this with interest

[kronenblatt]

If I understand right, there is still room in the smaller campaign. I would be interested in taking part in that one.
I have no preference of the area to be in command of, if there is room for me in this campaign, that is

There is: welcome, Swuul!

On a second thought, I might have trouble to find enough time for this. Best if I pull out before I fall into a scheduling nightmare... But I'll follow this with interest

No probs at all. Let's see if there are other players interested in the smaller 4-5-player campaign, in addition to Aetius39 and myself.

[DanZanzibar]

I’m not sure I understand this foreign invasion mechanic. What army lists can I choose from? And what is this foreign invasion supposed to represent - maybe you can just explain a little further...

[kronenblatt]

I’m not sure I understand this foreign invasion mechanic. What army lists can I choose from? And what is this foreign invasion supposed to represent - maybe you can just explain a little further...

Of course...

... Say that another player (not you) controls Syria et Arabia (XV) (one of the six provinces in which a foreign invasion can take place).
Then, as part of your attack announcement (and instead of attack a province yourself), you can (but only once per tournament) announce that a foreign power (for Syria et Arabia (XV) it's either Arab 312 BC - 299 AD or Parthian 250 BC - 225 AD, whatever your choice) invades Syria et Arabia (XV).
You will play the foreign invader with that army list and the player controlling Syria et Arabia (XV) will play as defender, using the standard Roman army list, but cannot bring any list.
In addition, you (as foreign invader) decides which map type to use (normally the defender decides on the map type).
If you're the victor, you get two attack announcements next turn and the defender none. But if you lose and the defender is the victor, then it's the other way around.
Basically it all represents an attack or a raid by another nation, causing the defender distraction from the civil war.
It's admittedly not fully thought through (at least not the reward/penalty for winning/losing), so input is appreciated.
And foreign invasions can of course be disabled for specific Tournaments, to keep it simple.

Thoughts, Zan et al?

[DanZanzibar]

So it’s kind of like I’m supporting an insurrection and as the I will gain control of the region if I win?

[kronenblatt]

So it’s kind of like I’m supporting an insurrection and as the I will gain control of the region if I win?

No, there'll be no change in control of provinces from that, but you'll get another attack announcement to make next round (i.e., 1+1 = 2) and the loser will get none (1 - 1 = 0). But as I said, it's not yet fully thought through.

[TomoeGozen]

Does the extra attack next round if you won have to be against the province that was invaded?

[kronenblatt]

Does the extra attack next round if you won have to be against the province that was invaded?

No, you can use it freely, against any neighbouring province (because note that the foreign invasion, even though at your instigation, can be announced for the other end of the map, e.g., if you control Britannia, you can still announce a foreign invasion of Syria et Arabia, and then you play as either Parthians or Arabs, depending on which army you decide will invade). Did that answer your question?

So you're next to announce attack, Dave?

[TomoeGozen]

That makes sense..

Also, attack announced. Game on!

[kronenblatt]

So we're now nine players announcing attacks in the first round of the first tournament.

But in the second tournament (with a target of 4-5 players), we're currently only 2, so 2-3 more players would be needed in order for it to take off.
1. Aetius39 ( ).
2. kronenblatt ( ).
3.
4.
5.

Thus, if you want to march upon Rome in competition with other wannabe Augustii and have a go at becoming:

IMPERATOR CAESAR [insert your name here] AUGUSTUS

step forward and please sign up, here in this thread or in a PM to me.

[Aetius39]

hey kron,

Maybe change the thread title to something along the lines of "recruitment for tourney, or signup available", or something like that. Some people might not know that this is a tourney in making as the title is "tournament idea".

Just a suggestion

[kronenblatt]

hey kron,

Maybe change the thread title to something along the lines of "recruitment for tourney, or signup available", or something like that. Some people might not know that this is a tourney in making as the title is "tournament idea".

Just a suggestion

Good point: changed thread title now.Thanks!

So we're now nine players announcing attacks in the first round of the first tournament.

But in the second tournament (with a target of 4-5 players), we're currently only 2, so 2-3 more players would be needed in order for it to take off.
1. Aetius39 ( ).
2. kronenblatt ( ).
3.
4.
5.

Thus, if you want to march upon Rome in competition with other wannabe Augustii and have a go at becoming:

IMPERATOR CAESAR [insert your name here] AUGUSTUS

step forward and please sign up, here in this thread or in a PM to me.

[pompeytheflatulent]

I'm not sure where to post this, but it's just me brainstorming ideas.

Anyway, I think it would be cool if TYME II could be set during the 3rd Century Crisis. You could have 3-5 Roman players + 1 Palmyran player fighting for control of the empire. Then have other players take control of the Franks, Alamanni, Iazyges, Goths, and Sassanid Persians. The non-Roman players would compete among themselves to see who can score the most victory points by raiding Roman territories for loot and prestige.

This is just a rough idea that I have right now, the specific rules need more fleshing out. And it would have to wait on the current TYME, the Diadochi campaign, and the Digital League season 9 to conclude in order to rustle up enough players I think, so there's plenty of time to work out the details.

[kronenblatt]

I'm not sure where to post this, but it's just me brainstorming ideas.

Anyway, I think it would be cool if TYME II could be set during the 3rd Century Crisis. You could have 2-3 Roman players + 1 Palmyran player fighting for control of the empire. Then have other players take control of the Franks, Alamanni, Iazyges, Goths, and Sassanid Persians. The non-Roman players would compete among themselves to see who can score the most victory points by raiding Roman territories for loot and prestige.

This is just a rough idea that I have right now, the specific rules need more fleshing out. And it would have to wait on the current TYME, the Diadochi campaign, and the Digital League season 9 to conclude in order to rustle up enough players I think, so there's plenty of time to work out the details.

That's a very cool idea, pompey: looking forward to hearing more details about it! (Here's a link to very nice map on the subject.)

EDIT: I couldn't find army lists for Alamanni, Iazyges, Goths though?
EDIT2: Alamanni could be represented by Germanic Foot Tribes 260-599 AD; Iazyges by Sarmatian 25-375 AD; and Goths by Germanic Horse Tribes 260-492 AD. And each could for each battle bring different allies for some variety between battles. Plus that the tribal formations were highly dynamic over time, with "tribes" merging, mixing, reforming, splitting up continuously, both from an identification point of view and from a warring and raiding perspective.

• Frankish 260-495 AD with allies: Germanic Foot Tribes 260-599 AD

• Germanic Foot Tribes 260-599 AD with allies: Alan 25-650 AD, Frankish 260-495 AD, Germanic Horse Tribes 260-492 AD, Sarmatian 25-375 AD

• Germanic Horse Tribes 260-492 AD with allies: Dacian (Carpi) 107-380 AD, Germanic Foot Tribes 260-599 AD, Hunnic (Western) 250-375 AD

• Sarmatian 25-375 AD with allies: Alan 25-650 AD, Germanic Foot Tribes 105 BC - 259 AD, Germanic Horse Tribes 260-492 AD

EDIT3: One idea could be to have all players (3-5 in total) being Roman + 1 Palmyran plus them at each point in time also controlling the non-Roman factions farthest away (for example, the Gallic Empire would then control Sassanid Persia, and Palmyra would control Franks). Then the campaign wouldn't require so many players to kick off, plus that it would be more battles and more variety between battles for players. Key issue is still to identify the role and the effects of the non-Roman factions (maybe enough to gain points through victory, inflicted casualties, etc.)

[pompeytheflatulent]

Here's the tentative rules I have worked up so far:

Game is set circa 260 AD.

- Rules for Roman players same as that of TYME I, plus whatever adjustments kronenblatt feels like making after the experience gained running the first tournament. One of the Roman players (controlling the corresponding region at the start) will use the Palmyran 258-273 list. The others will use the Roman 197-284 list. Arab allies are allowed for players controlling the corresponding border region, Armenian allies are NOT allowed since Armenia was a Sassanian client state at this time. (Generally I think that ally choices should be much more restricted both for sake of simplicity and because certain allies like the Alan and Huns are still nowhere near the borders of the Roman Empire at this time.)

- Available non-Roman players are:
1. Franks (Frankish 260-495)
2. Alamanni (Germanic Foot Tribes 260-599)
3. Iazyges (Sarmatian 25-375) with optional Germanic Foot Tribes allies representing the Marcomanni or early Vandals.
4. Goths (Germanic Foot Tribes 260-599 with Germanic Horse Tribes allies) If they launch a sea-borne raid on provinces along the Aegean or Black Sea then use just Germanic Foot Tribes list with no allies.
5. Sassanians (Sassanid Persian 224-349) with optional Armenian allies representing their client state.

- Each turn a non-Roman player will raid one province adjacent to their starting region. This can occur independent of the province being contested between Roman players since no province changes ownership from raids. The defending Roman player chooses the map from available choices in that province. This represents the Roman army intercepting or ambushing the barbarian army as it tries to return home laden with loot. If the non-Roman player wins this battle then they gain victory points corresponding to the province they have just raided: 1 VP for provinces on the border of the Roman Empire, 2 VPs for provinces in the interior of the empire. Once a province has been successfully raided it will be marked down on the map as 'looted'. 'Looted' provinces can no longer be raided for VP by ANY player, but now acts as an open corridor allowing non-Roman players access to raid the juicier provinces further in the interior of the empire. If two barbarian factions choose to raid the same province, then they fight it out in battle and winner takes the VPs associated with that province.

- All battles will be 'Remove the Head' for both Roman AND non-Roman players.

- If all the provinces under the control of a Roman player becomes 'looted'. Then that player will get assassinated by their own soldiers for failing to protect the provinces under their control. Roman players that gets assassinated or dies in battle moves to the bottom of the 'Reserve player list' and their territory gets divided up between neighboring Roman players.

- If a non-Roman player fails to have successful raids (gaining VP) 2 turns in a row, they get usurped by a rival chieftain/intrigue in the Sassanid court. Non-Roman players that gets usurped or dies in battle moves to the bottom of the 'Reserve player list' and their faction gets taken over by the player at the top of the 'Reserve player list'.

- The game ends when there is only one Roman player left. At that point the winner among the Roman players is the one controlling the empire (obviously), the winner among the non-Roman players is the faction with the most VPs.

[pompeytheflatulent]

I'm thinking we will need a new map, one that shifts the focus of the game-play towards the region along the Rhine-Danube and Easter frontiers, and away from Spain and North Africa.

We could use the following map as a base:

3rd century.jpg (173.26 KiB) Viewed 1876 times

Remove the tiny provinces in the Alps and places like Epirus, merge all of Spain into one big province, merge North Africa outside of Egypt into two provinces. In the general the goal is to have more provinces along the frontier regions and fewer, larger provinces in the deep interior parts of the Empire away from the action.

[pompeytheflatulent]

Addendum to the rules:

- In case of a draw in battle, both players loses: The province gets marked 'looted', the non-Roman player recieves zero VPs.


@kronenblatt: How did you make your maps? Any specific programs or methods?

[kronenblatt]

@kronenblatt: How did you make your maps? Any specific programs or methods?

I use GIMP and in there did some basic filling and freehand border drawing. I have some basic white maps without borders that you can start with, if you like.

RomanEmpireV.png (14.58 KiB) Viewed 1818 times

EuropeBlank.png (9.71 KiB) Viewed 1818 times

[pompeytheflatulent]

I apologize beforehand for the quality of the free-hand. But here's the first attempt:

TYME II map.png (17.79 KiB) Viewed 1797 times

I have merged some of the smaller provinces and provinces far away from the frontiers for the sake of playability. There are 30 provinces total, with 13 frontier provinces and 17 interior ones. So the threshhold for number of at-stake provinces for Roman players might need some tweaking.

The base map with province names and invasion paths:

3rd century.jpg (173.26 KiB) Viewed 1793 times

- Franks start opposite Germania Inferior

- Alemanni start opposite Agri Decumates

- Iazyges start opposite Pannonia and Dacia

- Goths start opposite Dacia and Moesia Inferior but can raid along the Aegean and Black Sea (with modified army list)

- Sassanids start opposite the entire eastern frontier

[kronenblatt]

I apologize beforehand for the quality of the free-hand. But here's the first attempt:

TYME II map.png

I have merged some of the smaller provinces and provinces far away from the frontiers for the sake of playability. There are 30 provinces total, with 13 frontier provinces and 17 interior ones. So the threshhold for number of at-stake provinces for Roman players might need some tweaking.

The base map with province names and invasion paths:

3rd century.jpg

- Franks start opposite Germania Inferior

- Alemanni start opposite Agri Decumates

- Iazyges start opposite Pannonia and Dacia

- Goths start opposite Dacia and Moesia Inferior but can raid along the Aegean and Black Sea (with modified army list)

- Sassanids start opposite the entire eastern frontier

Ha ha! Don't worry: it will all look much better once you get thicker (really fat) borders and get to start color filling the provinces. (Just keep in mind to keep borders at one solid color, i.e., no shades in an attempt to get it smooth, because that could create problems later when filling provinces). And already now it looks promising.