Slitherine

MARE NOSTRUM

The Campaign
The game is an abstract reconstruction of the Mediterranean world at about 290 BC and is designed to focus the attentions of the players on FoG battles to be played in a historical scenario, rendered in his flavour with the presence of random events, diplomacy and building actions.
The aim of the game is to defeat the other players and conquer much provinces as possible.

Nations and Provinces
In the game there are 6 nations: Carthaginians, Gauls, Macedonians, Ptolemaics, Romans and Seleucids as well as 2 independent provinces (Illyria and Epirus).
Each nation has 6 provinces, with 4 “home” provinces (one of them, marked with an asterisk, being the capital) and 2 “border” provinces.
Each province gives 1 treasury point to the player.
Every 3 treasury points allow the player to make 1 action per turn, but a player will always have at least 1 action to do for each turn, also if he hasn’t got enough points.
Every nation fights with his own specific army:
Carthaginians: Later Carthaginian (post 235 BC)
Gauls: Gallic (early lowland)
Macedonians: Later Macedonian
Ptolemaics: Later Ptolemaic (greek)
Romans: Mid Republican Roman
Seleucids: Later Seleucid (pre 166 BC)
Illyria & Epirus: Pyrrhic for the first 5 turns and Illyrians from them on.
If a player looses his capital he will be knocked out of the game and all the provinces still ruled by him will fall in the hand of his vanquisher.
The capital can be attacked only when at least 2 other “home” provinces are already occupied by enemies.
A player will loose the game also if the stability of his nation decreases beyond level 1 (see below).

The Map
Here is where you can find the image of the map, that will be updated after the end of every turn.
http://www.mediafire.com/?yniz1jjhyzc

Turns of Play
The campaign starts in 290 BC and foresee 15 turns, each representing 10 years.
Each turn of play begins determining the order in wich the players will make their moves and checking 1 random event for each player.
Then every player, in the given order, will declare his actions on the forum and finally all the battles occuring during the turn will be launched and resolved with the FoG PC game.

Sequence of Play and Random Events
In order to determine in wich sequence the players will conduct their actions a connection is established between each of them and the results of the Italian lottery (wich takes place every 2 or 3 days and that everybody can verify on the web).
The players are assigned to the different wheel in the subsequent order:
Carthaginians: Bari (BA)
Gauls: Cagliari (CA)
Macedonians: Firenze (FI)
Ptolemaics: Genova (GE)
Romans: Milano (MI)
Seleucids: Napoli (NA)
and will get the first number on the left appearing in the proper column, with the highest starting as first and the lowest as last.
In order to determine the events occurring to every player each of them will get the second (and when necessary the third) number on the left appearing in the proper column.

Random events are the following:

1-5 Political Strife / Effects = -1 stability and -1 action
6-10 Slave Revolt / Effects = -1 action
11-15 Famine / Effects = - 1 stability
16-20 Local Insurrection / Effects = 1 fortification (if present) is destroyed
21-25 Religious Unrest / Effects = 1 temple (if present) is destroyed
26-30 Internal Conspiracy / Effects = during this turn the player will fight battles with only 1
Troop Commander
31-35 Great Storm / Effects = 1 fleet sinks
36-40 Invasion / Effects = 1 province is attacked by an independent army (see below *)
41-45 Pirates / Effects = 1 player’s fleet will be attacked by pirates who will remain in that sea
quadrant and attack every other fleet once per turn until they will be destroyed.
46-50 Siege Train / Effects = the player ignores the effect of enemy fortifications during this turn
51-55 Defensive Artworks / Effects = during this turn the player can gain the same effects of a
fortification in a province of his choice
56-60 Naval Technology / Effects = +25 in naval battles fought during the turn
61-65 Military Training / Effects = during this turn the opposite players will fight battles with only
1 Troop Commander
66-70 Earthquake / Effects = the player can destroy 1 enemy fortification of his choice
71-75 Great Blaze / Effects = the player can destroy 1 enemy temple of his choice
76-80 Good Harvest / Effects = +1 stability
81-85 Administrative Reforms / Effects = +1 action
86-90 Political Leadership / Effects = +1 stability +1 action

* Invasions
Carthaginians may suffer invasions in Baetica (Spanish Iberian) and Numidia (Numidian Bogus). The invaders will be managed by the Roman player.

Gauls may suffer invasion in Celtiberia (Spanish Celtiberian), and Narbonensis (Massaliotes using Pyrrhic in Greece without elephants and a max of 6 phalanx). The invaders will be managed by the Carthaginian player.

Macedonians may suffer invasions in Dardania (Pyrrhic) and Argolis (Greeks using Pyrrhic in Greece without elephants and a max of 6 phalanx). The invaders will be managed by the Ptolemaic player.

Ptolemaics may suffer invasions in Marmarica (Libyans using Numidian Juba II) and Judaea (Later Jewish Hyrcanus). The invaders will be managed by the Seleucid player.

Romans may suffer invasions in Bruttium (Greeks using Pyrrhic in Italy without elephants and a max of 4 phalanx and 3 tarantines) and Apulia (Samnites using Illyrians). The invaders will be managed by the Gallic player.

Seleucids may suffer invasions in, Phrygia (Attalids) and Cappadocia (Pontics). The invaders will be managed by the Macedonian player.

The third number of the lottery on the left will determine the attacked province (1-45 the 1st mentioned, 46-90 the 2nd). If the chosen province has already been occupied by the enemy or has become independent there will be no effect.

Actions
After that random events have been determined, each player, in the given sequence, may take his actions (1 action every 3 treasury points). Treasury points not employed in a single turn won’t be liable for use in the next. There are building, diplomatic and military actions. Every building and military action must take place in a determined province. If a province is already under attack when it comes the turn of the player it cannot be used as a base for any of those action. The construction of fortifications, suburbs, temples and fleets is completed immediately when a single player has finished his turn.

Building Actions

Fortifications.
If a province is fortified it will have 33% of possibilities to resist an enemy siege subsequent a lost battle (using lottery numbers means a 61-90 result). In this case the enemy will have to retire from the province without conquering it, unless it can use a “Siege Train” (see random events). If the siege is successful the fortifications are destroyed.

Suburbs.
The constructions of suburbs gives the player 1 more treasury point. Suburbs are not destroyed as consequence of an invasion.

Temples
The constructions of temples (wich previously requires the presence of suburbs) gives the player 1 more treasury point. Temples are destroyed in consequence of an invasion.

Fleet
A fleet may be raised only in a sea province, must be placed in that sea quadrant and cannot leave it. In a sea quadrant is possible to place a maximum of 2 fleets per player.

Diplomatic & Political Actions

Peace Treaty
A player may try to impose a peace treaty to an enemy nation following the player in the sequence of actions. The diplomatic attempt succeeds with a lottery number of 46-90. In this case the enemy nation won’t be able to attack the player during this turn.

Alliance
A player may try to ally with an invader force (the ones pointed out in the random events / invasion case) in order to attack one of the enemy province above mentioned using as own the proper allied army. The diplomatic attempt succeeds with a lottery number of 31-90 and involves the consequent clash that will be resolved as a normal land battle.

Grain Distribution
This political measure, intended to appease the poorest and most rebellious citizens, gains 2 stability levels.

Military Actions

Land Battle.
A player may attack by land an adjacent province (diagonal attacks are not allowed save that Celtiberia is accessible from Baetica and Narbonensis, Baetica from Celtiberia and Mauretania, Phoenicia from Cilicia and Judaea, Judaea from Phoenicia and Aegyptus) that hasn’t still be attacked by a preceding player. The province used as a base for the attack mustn’t be assailed by a preceding enemy during that turn. The attack will be resolved with a 500 points DAG battle. If the attackers wins the battle the province will be conquered unless a fortification is present (see above).

Naval Battle.
A player may attack an enemy fleet present in the same sea quadrant that hasn’t still be attacked by a preceding player. The battle will be resolved with lottery numbers as stated above. If the difference between the two fleets doesn’t exceed 25 points the battle ends in a draw and both fleet remains in their place. If the difference is major than 25 points the succumbing fleet will be destroyed. If a player fights with 2 fleets against 1 he will add 25 points to his result. If the battle occurs between 2 fleets against 2 fleets the defeated player will lose all the fleets.

Amphibious Attack.
A player may attack by sea a province facing that sea quadrant that hasn’t still be attacked by a preceding player. The province used as a base for the attack mustn’t be assailed by a preceding enemy during that turn. If there is an enemy fleet in that sea quadrant a naval battle will take place and only if the attacker destroy the opponent’s fleet the subsequent land attack will be possible, being resolved with a 500 points DAG battle. Otherwise the land attack will be aborted.

Stability
Every nations has its own stability level from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 7 and at the beginning of the game each nation starts with a level of 5.
If the level decreases to 3 or less the player looses 1 action per turn.
If the level decreases to 0 the government crumbles and the players is out of the game, while all of his provinces becomes independent.

Victory
A players wins the game when conquers 25 provinces.
If nobody has won before the end of the 15th turn will be considered winner who owns the largest number of provinces. If two players have the same number of provinces the player with the greatest richness will prevail. Richness is measured counting 2 points for every temple and 1 points for every suburb, fleet, fortification and stability level.
Otherwise another turn will be played until someone reaches supremacy.

Hello everybody,

If there are no objections I'm going to take the Seleucids.
Other 5 players are needed at the moment.

I'd like to join this campaign but will be away on business next week - when is it to start?

No problem for the start of the campaign because firstly we have to wait the other 4 players to join us and then it should be necessary to fix wich day of the lottery will decide the sequence of players and the random events.
The lottery draws are made on tuesday, thursday and saturday so, if we complete the roster quickly, we could use the draws of next saturday or tuesday, and give time to each player till the next week end to declare his own moves in the proper order.
Instead you should declare wich of the remaining factions are going to choose (Gauls, Carthaginians, Romans, Macedonians or Ptolemaics).

In the meantime, having found a mistake in the rules, I rewrite the subsequent paragraph

Stability
Every nation has its own stability level from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 7 and every land battle victory increases it of +1 while each land battle defeat decreases it of -1.
At the beginning of the game each nation starts with a level of 5.
If the level decreases to 3 or less the player looses 1 action per turn.
If the level decreases to 0 the government crumbles and the player is out of the game, while all of his provinces becomes independent.

I'd go for Carthage then

I'm interested in taking the Ptolemaic Egyptian faction.

Chris

Macedonians if possible. Is it ok to be in two campaigns?

I'll take mid-republican romans if possible.

I guess that just leaves the Gauls, so I'll take them.

Deeter

Well, so now we are in six and the game can start.

Players are the following:
Carthaginians: petergarnett
Gauls: deeter
Macedonians: george 123
Ptolemaics: batesmotel
Romans: tofman04
Seleucids: Lysimachos

In order to determine the sequence of play and the random events of the first turn we will take the results of the Italian lottery draw of Saturday 17th april, performed at 20:00 Italian Time, that everyone will be able to control at this site:
http://www.lottomaticaitalia.it/home/index.html
on the right top corner under the headlines “Ultima estrazione” (last draw)

I remember everybody that the wheels are allocated as follows:
Carthaginians: Bari (BA)
Gauls: Cagliari (CA)
Macedonians: Firenze (FI)
Ptolemaics: Genova (GE)
Romans: Milano (MI)
Seleucids: Napoli (NA)
with the first number on the left of the assigned column determining the sequence of play and the second (and eventually the third) determining the random event.

In order to simplify things on Sunday morning I’ll give anyway a summary of the draws and the consequences of it.

Before starting I’ve made another little change in the map, reducing the sea quadrant to 4 in order to make them wider and give much more chances of amphibious attacks, wich with the earlier disposition where quite limited, and also in the rules regarding the invasion event, in order to make it works also when the game is progressed and some players will have conquered provinces originally owned by othe players.

* Invasions
36-40 Invasion / Effects = 1 unstable province is attacked by an independent army (see below *)

Unstable provinces are marked with an “axe” symbol and are subject to attack during the random event phase by the specific independent armies mentioned below.
Unstable provinces and independent armies are the following:
Numidia (Numidian Bogus)
Baetica (Spanish Iberian)
Celtiberia (Spanish Celtiberian)
Narbonensis (Massaliotes using Pyrrhic in Greece without elephants and a max of 6 phalanx)
Bruttium (Greeks using Pyrrhic in Italy without elephants and a max of 4 phalanx and 3 tarantines)
Apulia (Samnites using Illyrians)
Dardania (Pyrrhic)
Argolis (Greeks using Pyrrhic in Greece without elephants and a max of 6 phalanx)
Phrygia (Attalids)
Cappadocia (Pontics)
Judaea (Later Jewish Hyrcanus)
Marmarica (Libyans using Numidian Juba II)

Carthaginian invaders will be managed by the Roman player.
Gallic invaders will be managed by the Carthaginian player.
Macedonian invaders will be managed by the Ptolemaic player.
Ptolemaic invaders will be managed by the Seleucid player.
Roman invaders will be managed by the Gallic player.
Seleucid invaders will be managed by the Macedonian player.

If a player doesn’t own any unstable province there will be no effect.
If a player owns many unstable provinces the third number of the lottery on the left will determine the attacked province (1-45 the 1st mentioned, 46-90 the 2nd if there are 2 provinces, 1-30 the 1st, 31-60 the 2nd and 61-90 the 3rd if there are 3 provinces and so on).

Before starting the game I’ll open a new thread devoted only to a summary of the revised rules and the little modified new map.

For now that’s all, except than to wish everybody to enjoy the game!

In order to spice up the game a bit more I amended for a last time the rules:
- giving more room in the random events to the invasions at expense of less attractive occurences
- randomizing the managment of the invader’s armies, so to have not alwyas the same opponent,
- placing a suburb in every capital province so giving each player 7 treasury points to start with.

The definitive set of rules and the revised map are now published in a devoted thread, where I’ll also post a “decade” summary at the end of every turn.

The results of the lottery draws are the following:

Carthaginians: Bari (BA) 30 10 26
Gauls: Cagliari (CA) 18 36 68 54
Macedonians: Firenze (FI) 73 47 61 77
Ptolemaics: Genova (GE) 6 8 84
Romans: Milano (MI) 32 68 3
Seleucids: Napoli (NA) 19 48 90 49

It means that the player sequenze will be this one:
1. Macedonians (73)
2. Romans (32)
3. Carthaginians (30)
4. Seleucids (19)
5. Gauls (18)
6. Ptolemaics (6)

And the random events that affects the players are the subsequent
-Macedonians (47) Invasion (61) in the 2nd of the owned provinces that is Argolis (77) managed by the Seleucid player (Lysimachos)
-Romans (68) Great Blaze - the player can destroy 1 enemy temple of his choice
-Carthaginians (10) Slave Revolt / -1 action
-Seleucids (48) Invasion (90) in the 2nd of the owned provinces that is Cappadocia (49) managed by the Ptolemaic player (batesmotel)
-Gauls (36) Invasion (68) in the 2nd of the owned provinces that is Narbonensis (54) managed by the Ptolemaic player (batesmotel)
-Ptolemaics (8) Slave Revolt / -1 action

The players, in the given order, with the Macedonians (george 123) as first and Ptolemaics (batesmotel) as last, are now allowed to declare their actions and, if they like, to make some bold statement in order to light up the atmosphere!
At the same time the invaders may begin sending their challenges to the defending players using the armies mentioned in the *invasion paragraph:
- Lysimachos (Greeks using Pyrrhic in Greece without elephants and a max of 6 phalanx) vs george 123 (Later Macedonian)
- batesmotel (Pontics) vs Lysimachos (Later Seleucid (pre 166 BC)
- batesmotel (Massaliotes using Pyrrhic in Greece without elephants and a max of 6 phalanx) vs deeter (Gallic (early lowland)

Firstly sorry about the delay, I got a bit confused as the random events on this thread differ to the events on the rules thread.

Right actions

Attack Epirus
Build temple at Macedonian

No problem at all.
It was a fault of mine but, having found some "bugs" in the rules I preferred to amend them before the start.
As I stated above the definitive rules are the one posted in the appropriate thread devoted to them.
In order to determine the player who will manage the army of Epirus, that is an independent province, we will have to wait the lottery draw of Tuesday, 1st number on the left of your column (Firenze).
In the meantime I'm going to send you the challenge of the battle in Argolis.

Challeneges posted for the Seleucids and the Gauls from their friendly neighborhood invaders.

Ptolemy Chrisos

Should the Romans go ahead and take their actions for the turn or does it make more sense to wait until the Macedonian battle in Epirus is resolved? I had assumed that battles would be resolved in parallel with or after actions but wanted to see what others thought.

Lysimachos,

Do you want actions sent in PMs to you as well as posted here or just posted in the forum?

Ptolemy Chrisos

Given the fact:
- that if a province has already been attacked during that turn it cannot be attacked again in the same turn,
- that a player cannot use during his phase of activation an already attacked province as a base for any of his actions,
it seems logical to go ahead with the next player's moves also if the preceding battles aren't still finished, because whatever their result, the province will remain "out of the game" for the rest of the turn, been substantially liable of only one action during it.

It means that the Roman player (tofman04) is now ready to place his actions and, after him, all the other in the given sequence.

About the actions it was and still is my opinion that they should be declared openly on the forum in order to equalize the situation between players that moves firstly - and so have the advantage of choosing without restrictions the provinces to attack - and the others arriving at the end, that at least have the chance of making their actions knowing what has happened before.
Moreover, maintaining the actions secret, would create a great mess with the possibility of more players attacking the same province during the same turn, wich is not allowed by the rules.

Can Carthage go yet?

First of all let me herald that the battle of Cappadocia is ended with a Pontic victory and that the province has consequently become an independent one.
The complete result is this:
Seleucids (Lysimachos) 45/42 Pontics 44/52 (batesmotel34)
With many thanks to batesmotel for the nice game and .. for destroying my army

Meanwhile also the battles in Argolis and presumably in Narbonensis are raging and soon we’ll have the news of their outcome.

Alas, the devised sequence of play has shown his limits because if only one player, for the most rightful reasons, doesn’t declare his actions, the whole campaign stalls, as it happened this week.
To solve the problem and following the correct remarks of batesmotel (who probably has much more experience than me in managing a multiplayer campaign) I am now of the opinion that it should be better if all the players would PM to me their moves within a fixed date, giving then to me the task of making a subsequent summary of them to be posted on this thread.

The above mentioned change would have three consequences.
1. Players that don’t declare to me their moves within the fixed date will loose their activation phase during that turn.
2. If a player makes a moves that regards one of the provinces attacked by a preceding opponent the action will be considered as miscarried and lost, given the fact that an already attacked province isn’t liable for other actions. This would add a psychological side to the game, because players would have to take in count and imagine what the preceding opponents are going to do during their action phase in order to avoid wasting their actions.
3. The other players have to trust me as an umpire when I declare that I won’t look the PM of the opponents preceding me in their activation phase before making my moves (this was another reason because at first glance I didn’t accept the proposal of batesmotel, being not fine that a (possibly unfair) player reserves himself an advantage like this). In order to avoid that I mistakenly opens the PM before due time thinking that they regards other matters, they should have the subsequent subject “Mare Nostrum – Turn 1”, “Mare Nostrum – Turn 2” and so on.

If there are no objections to the new rules, the player’s actions of turn 1, included george 123 if he wants to change them or make them secretly as the other opponents, must be PM to me within the 28th of april 12:00 GMT.

No, happy to run with it.

Attack Epirus
Build temple at Macedonian