Slitherine

Egyptians - anderarcos11
Assyrians - Karvon ORDERS IN
Mycenaeans - Kronenblatt AI DECIDES
Hittites - Cuddlefission ORDERS IN
Gasgans - SpeedyCM ORDERS IN
Sherden - Indibil ORDERS IN

Nijis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:53 am And here's the turn... Last chance for your bids for Bronze Age hegemony before we fast-forward to a new era. It will be "Load multiplayer game 4" in the load screen. You may have to delete or replace any previous game #4.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ekln2h02 ... 2e5kr&dl=0

Note that the Sherden player probably does not have enough resources for any offensive actions this turn. Sometimes this can happen with settled hordes, as their new homelands are still recovering from when they settled in it. If the Sherden aren't fighting any defensive or proxy battles, I'll have them fight on behalf of the Zagros horde, wherever it decides to go, assuming they want to.

It's ok for me to fight on behalf of the Zagros horde

It occurs to me that Anderarcos notified me in advance that he would be on vacation until mid-August, so unless I hear from him I will delay processing for a week or two.

Hello all, i come back. We can pass the turn

I think I still need Egypt's orders to process. Apologies if I missed them somewhere.

Ok, can send tomorrow?

Sure thing!

Better do AI turn for this time

Will do that, and process shortly. Thanks!

I'm not going to have time to keep up with games the next while, so I'm going to need to drop out of these. Best of luck to all continuing!

Sure thing - I will use the AI for turns, and see if SnuggleBunnies wants to fight the battles. If not I will take them.

All right - here's the last round of battles before the historical fast-forward.
Amid a deepening economic crisis, in lieu of attempting to resolve either the plight of the people or their growing dissent, the Hittite king tries one final throw of the dice to restore his kingdom's greatness. He promises his people that there is great prosperity to come from regaining direct access to Mediterranean trade if they only stay the course and fight for their homeland. His armies march into the fractured southern highlands, demanding that both friends and foes of the empire pledge their allegiance and rejoin his kingdom or face annihilation.

The mad high king of Sparta unleashes his fury at the Gasgan lords now established in ruined Troy. His armies march into Epirus to crush the Gasgan-allied hill tribes, and he goads his Cretan allies to launch an attack on the Gasgans' Libyan allies. The Gasgans for their part launch a reprisal expedition directly into the Spartan heartland and also send ships to help migratory Libyan tribes transit the Mediterranean in the other direction, landing in a Crete that is still recovering from the depredations of the Sea Peoples.

Pharaoh, fresh from subduing its southern and eastern frontiers, turns its attention to the north. Phoenician merchants have been outcompeting Canaanite competitors sailing from Egyptian-owned ports, providing ample justification for an Egyptian punitive expedition. Egyptian agents meanwhile try to keep the ever-restive west in check by playing off one Libyan tribe against another, encouraging its allies near Siwa oasis to raid more hostile tribes by the coast.

Assyria prepares for a peaceful few years. Plans for an expedition to the Upper Tigris are scrapped when it turns out that every major city in the region has offered tribute to Nineveh, leaving the Assyrians no one to fight. Sacrifices are gathered for a great festival to celebrate the apotheosis of the bull-god Ashur and his choice of the Assyrian king as his representative on earth. Even the horde of starving Zagros highlanders that has been menacing the Assyrian frontiers seem ready to pledge allegiance to Nineveh, and are invited across the Tigris in preparation for piecemeal resettlement to the far-flung corners of the empire. But corrupt Babylonian officials sell them moldy grain and they rebel, taking up arms for one last fight before



The Gasgans have a lot of battles thanks to their active proxies, some of which are very similar to each other. I've highlighted two battles that I could auto-resolve.

The Sherden had one raid cancelled due to lack of resources. The Assyrian intervention into Upper Tigris meanwhile was cancelled because the province is already fully allied to the Assyrian empire. I'm not sure why the game allowed you to make that move.

Egyptian-allied Libya attack Gasgan-allied Cyrenaica - EGYPTIAN VICTORY
Map: Middle Eastern Agricultural
Side 1: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (anderarcos11) ROUT LEVEL 18
Side 2: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (Nijis) ROUT LEVEL 46

Mycenaeans intervene against Gasgan allies in Epirus - AUTO-RESOLVE
Map: Mediterranean Mountainous
Side 1: Mycenaean (1250BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (Kronenblatt)
Side 2: Mycenaean (1250BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (Nijis)

Sherden-allied horde try to settle in Assyrian-ruled Babylon - ASSYRIAN VICTORY
Map: Middle Eastern Agricultural
Side 1: Zagros Highlander (2500BC to 827BC) Rise of Persia (Indibil) RL 45
Side 2: Assyrian (1365BC to 891BC) Swifter than Eagles (Karvon) RL 16

Gasgans attack Mycenaean-ruled Achaea - MYCENAEAN VICTORY
Map: Mediterranean Agricultural
Side 1: Trojan (1250BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (SpeedyCM) RL56
Side 2: Mycenaean (1250BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (Kronenblatt) RL25

Egyptians attack Assyrian-allied Syria - ASSYRIAN VICTORY
Map: Mediterranean Mountainous
Side 1: Egyptian (1200BC to 1150BC) Swifter than Eagles (anderarcos11) ROUT LEVEL 60
Side 2: Syro-Canaanite (1207BC to 1100BC) Swifter than Eagles (Karvon) ROUT LEVEL 56

Hittites try to pacify Assyrian allies in Kizzuwatna - HITTITE VICTORY
Map: Mediterranean Agricultural
Side 1: Hittite (1275BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (Nijis) ROUT LEVEL 44
Side 2: Hittite (1275BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (Karvon) ROUT LEVEL 62

Mycenaean-allied Crete attack Gasgan-allied Cyrenaica AUTORESOLVE
Map: Middle Eastern Agricultural
Side 1: Mycenaean (1250BC to 1180BC). Alternately use Minoans. Swifter than Eagles (Kronenblatt)
Side 2: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (SpeedyCM)

...

Gasgan-allied horde try to settle in Mycenaean-allied Crete - AUTORESOLVE?
Map: Mediterranean Hilly
Side 1: Mycenaean (1250BC to 1180BC) Alternately use Minoans. Swifter than Eagles (SpeedyCM)
Side 2: Mycenaean (1250BC to 1180BC) Swifter than Eagles (Kronenblatt)

Gasgan-allied horde try to settle in Egyptian-allied Aghram - AUTORESOLVE?
Map: Desert
Side 1: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (SpeedyCM)
Side 2: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (anderarcos11)

To me it seems that there's an inherent problem with lack of variety in the campaign in that we not only keep playing the same army lists (our own) when attacking, but we also play them when defending, and against the same opponents. I believe it's that based on that we're assumed to play our allies as well.

Well, playing a historical campaign I think lack of variety in lists is rather to be expected. I don't see that as a drawback myself.

Karvon wrote: ↑Wed Aug 23, 2023 9:58 pm Well, playing a historical campaign I think lack of variety in lists is rather to be expected. I don't see that as a drawback myself.

As I said: as attacker, fine. But when all allies also use the same army lists and playing them as defender as well, it’s a bit too much, in my opinion.

I agree that there is not enough variety, but I think it's a particular deficiency of this period. Swifter than Eagles covers a huge range in time but understandably has less variation within regions. So, we have one set of Mycenaeans covering all of the Greek-speaking Aegean circa 1200 BC, whereas in Rise of Rome you can have a half-dozen lists at any one given time that cover Greek-speaking Asia alone.

If you see another list that's plausibly historical, just send me a DM and I'll probably approve it. Ie, the Minoans have collapsed as an empire at this point and don't have a 1200 BC version of their list, but it's not like there's been a major leap in technology so if you want to use an earlier Minoan list it would be fine. Also if both players agree feel free to have me auto-resolve any of the battles.

Anyway, I'll do the final turn here, and then prepare to fast-forward to a new and hopefully more varied set of lists. If people want to drop out, join or switch kingdoms between the different stages of the game, that's no problem.

I'm happy for the two autoresolve battles to be auto.
As for the other four battles it seems I've got myself into I am happy for others to fight them if they want to try another list for variety (honestly four battles is a bit much).
I'm really interested in playing the Trojan vs Mycenaean one and wouldn't mind playing the Mycenaean vs Libyan one but I'm happy for others to take my part in the other battles if they want.

I can take Epirus and Cyrenaica. Either or both might also be auto-resolved if the opponent prefers.

I created this two callengues

Egyptian-allied Libya attack Gasgan-allied Cyrenaica - possibly auto-resolve?
Map: Middle Eastern Agricultural
Side 1: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (anderarcos11)
Side 2: Libyan (1261BC to 651BC) Swifter than Eagles (Nijis)

Egyptians attack Assyrian-allied Syria
Map: Mediterranean Mountainous
Side 1: Egyptian (1200BC to 1150BC) Swifter than Eagles (anderarcos11)
Side 2: Syro-Canaanite (1207BC to 1100BC) Swifter than Eagles (Karvon)

Passowrd are karvon and Nijis

Nijis wrote: ↑Thu Aug 24, 2023 8:49 pm I can take Epirus and Cyrenaica. Either or both might also be auto-resolved if the opponent prefers.

Yes please, auto-resolve them. And this one as well please:

Gasgan-allied horde try to settle in Mycenaean-allied Crete

Thanks.