The campaign is designed to roughly represent the situation of the Mediterranean world at the beginning of the XV century AD and aims to focus the attentions of the players on FoG battles to be played in a historical scenario.
The purpose of the game is to defeat the other players and conquer much provinces as possible avoiding to lose the Capital Province.
Nations & Provinces
In the game there are 8 nations: Aragonese (Christian), Castilians (Christian), Byzantines (Christian), Hafsids (Muslim), Mamluks (Muslim), Milanese (Christian), Ottomans (Muslim) and Venetians (Christian) as well as 40 independent provinces.
Each nation owns at the beginning of the game 5 provinces, with 1 Capital Province (marked with an asterisk and underlined on the map), 1 Core Province (marked with an asterisk on the map) and 3 Ordinary Provinces.
If the Capital Province is conquered the nation crumbles and the player is out of the game, while all of his provinces become independent.
These are the provinces of each nation (the first being the Capital Province and the second the Core Province).
Byzantine Empire
Thrace, Macedon, Lemnos, Thessaly, Morea.
Crown of Aragon
Aragon, Catalonia, Balearic, Sardinia, Sicily.
Duchy of Milan
Lombardy, Liguria, Emilia, Corsica, Samos.
Hafsid Kingdom
Al Jazair, Ifriqiya, Kabylia, Maghreb, Rif.
Kingdom of Castile
Castile, Leon, Extremadura, Andalusia, Galicia.
Mamluk Sultanate
Egypt, Thebaid, Marmarica, Sinai, Palestine.
Ottoman Empire
Rum, Eretna, Mentese, Karesi, Attica.
Venetian Republic
Veneto, Dalmatia, Epirus, Crete, Negroponte.
Every nation fights with his own specific army:
Byzantine Empire - Central Byzantine (later) (EE)
Crown of Aragon - Medieval Crown of Aragon (SOA)
Duchy of Milan - Condotta Milan (SOA)
Hafsid Kingdom - Early North African Dynasties (early Aghlabid) (DaF)
Kingdom of Castile - Medieval Castilian (SOA)
Mamluk Sultanate - Mamluk Egyptian (later) (SaS)
Ottoman Empire - Later Ottoman (early) (EE)
Venetian Republic - Condotta Venice (SOA) in the region of Italy and Central Europe / Condotta Venice (outside Italy) (SOA) in the other regions
Every independent province is part of a region (only in order to make it easier to found it in the list) and fights with his own army, as listed apart.
The players are required to own the DaF, SaS, SoA and EE expansions.
The Map
The starting map of the campaign is this:
and will be constantly updated in the dedicated thread.
Treasury
Each nation owns at the beginning of the game a treasury of 500 ducats.
If, during the game, the treasury is depleted and, as the result of a random event or of a plunder, a budget deficit arises, the player will suffer the loss of 2 stability point.
Stability Level
Every nation has its own stability level that will be influenced by the outcome of battles and this, in turn, will dictate if a Capital or Core province will be liable to be the object of an attack.
At the beginning of the campaign each nation has a stability level of 10. For every battle won during a Land or Amphious Attack the stability will increase of 1 level while for every lost battle it will decrease of 1 level. The results of Allied Attacks won’t influence the stability level.
If a player owns a stability level higher of the opponent of 5 levels he will be able to attack the opposite Core Province.
If a player owns a stability level higher of the opponent of 8 levels he will be able to attack the opposite Capital Province.
Stability levels earn 1 Victory Point each at the end of the game.
Prestige Level
Every nation has its own prestige level that will be influenced by the construction of various buildings and by the events related to diplomatic agreements.
At the beginning of the campaign each nation has a Prestige level of 7.
If the Prestige lowers to level 3 the Nation will lose 1 Stability level.
If the Prestige lowers to level 1 the Nation will lose 2 Stability levels.
Prestige levels earn 1 Victory Point each at the end of the game.
Mode of Play
The campaign doesn’t foresees turns, every player being allowed to make no more than two actions simultaneously, that are to be announced on this thread, so that only when one of them has been completed he will be able to declare the next move.
The campaign is scheduled to last until the 15th of November and the players are required to play with regularity.
If some problem arises they are requested to make it clear on the forum in order to let the other players be informed. In this case a temporary time-out may be allowed giving the other players the chance of suspending the current challenges and to launch new ones in substitution. If the problem persist the player will be substituted and the unfinished matches will be attributed to his opponents.
Random Events
At the beginning of every month the results of the next Italian lottery draw will be used to determine what random event is going to happen in every nation. For this purpose each nation will be assigned to the different wheels in the subsequent order:
Byzantine Empire: Bari
Crown of Aragon: Cagliari
Duchy of Milan: Firenze
Hafsid Kingdom: Genova
Kingdom of Castile: Milano
Mamluk Sultanate: Napoli
Ottoman Empire: Palermo
Venetian Republic: Roma
The numbers will determine the events and the consequent effects as follows:
1-10 / Riots / -1 stability level
11-20 / Famine / -25 ducats
21-30 / Earthquake / 1 fortification destroyed in a province chosen by the player (if present)
31–40 / Storm / 1 fleet sunk (if present)
41-50 / Administrative Reforms / +1 stability level
51-60 / Good Harvest / + 25 ducats
61-70 / Defensive Efforts / 1 fortification built in a province chosen by the player
71-80 / Naval Efforts / 1 fleet assembled
81-90 / Political Leadership / 1 bonus action
Actions
Actions consist in the building of Fleets, Fortifications and Siege Trains, Academies, Merchant’s Quarter and Churches/Mosques, in Diplomatic Missions, Tax Exemption, Tax Increase and in different types of Attacks.
Fleets
Fleets play their role in the game enabling to launch amphibious attacks and determining the outcome of naval encounters.
Every player that owns at least one maritime province may outfit a fleet paying 50 ducats.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the fleet becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. No more than 3 fleets are allowed.
Each fleet has a combat strength of 40 pts.
Every fleet will be automatically destroyed as soon as the nation will lose his last maritime province.
Each Fleet earn 1 Victory Point at the end of the game if still present.
Fortifications
Fortifications give a defeated player the chance of avoiding the loss of a province after a Strategic Defeat, allowing his army to retire inside and sustain a siege.
Every province owned by a player and not targeted by an attack already launched may be fortified paying 50 ducats. The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the fortification becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr.
After that a Strategic Defeat regarding a fortified province is proclaimed on the forum the outcome of the siege will be decided by the draw of the next Italian lottery wheel of the attackers, with a result of 1-45 heralding a siege failure and a result of 46-90 heralding the capture of the fortifications, their consequent destruction and the conquest of the province.
Each Fortification earn 1 Victory Point at the end of the game if still present.
Siege Trains
Siege Trains help an attacker in overcoming the presence of fortifications during a siege.
Every player may build up a Siege Train paying 30 ducats.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the Siege Train becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. There are no limits in building Siege Trains.
If the attacker wants to use his Siege Train he has to declare it on the forum when launching the attack.
If the battle ends with a defeat the siege train will be destroyed.
If the battle ends with a draw, a marginal or a tactical victory the siege train will remain intact.
If the battle ends with a strategic victory the outcome of the siege will be decided by the draw of the next Italian lottery wheel of the attackers, with a result of 1-30 heralding a siege failure and a result of 31-90 heralding the capture of the fortifications, their consequent destruction and the conquest of the province.
Every Siege Train is liable to be used only once.
Academy
Academies represent the display of the cultural and bureaucratic skills of a Nation.
A player may build an Academy in his Capital Province paying 75 ducats.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the Academy becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. No more than 1 Academy is allowed.
The building of an Academy enhance the Nation’s Prestige of 3 levels.
Academies are destroyed when the Capital Province is conquered.
Academies earns 2 Victory Points at the end of the game if still present.
Merchant’s Quarter
Merchant’s Quarters represent the economic strength of a Nation.
A player may build a Merchant Quarter’s in his Core Province paying 50 ducats.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the Merchant’s Quarter becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. No more than 1 Merchant’s Quarter is allowed.
Merchant’s Quarters allow a player to seal Trade Agreements with other Nations.
Merchant’s Quarter are destroyed when the Core Province is conquered.
Churches and Mosques
Churches/Mosques display the Nation’s prestige related to the presence of sacred buildings.
A player may build a Church/Mosque in each of his Ordinary Provinces paying 25 ducats.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the Church/Mosque becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. No more than 1 Church/Mosque per Ordinary Province is allowed.
The building of a Church/Mosque enhances the Nation’s Prestige of 2 level.
Churches/Mosques are destroyed if the Province is conquered by a player of a different religion.
Churches/Mosques earn 1 Victory Point at the end of the game if still present.
Diplomatic Missions
A Diplomatic Mission represents the dealings involved in the proposals and denials or signing of a Diplomatic Agreement.
Diplomatic Agreements consist in Trade Agreements, Peace Treaties, Mutual Defence Agreements and Alliances.
The inherent action hasn’t cost and maintain validity until the 23.59 GMT hr. of the 4th day, after which it will expire.
If the proposal is accepted in due time, the Diplomatic Agreement becomes immediately operational and the proponent gains 1 Prestige Level but his action lasts until the 23.59 GMT hr. of the 4th day from the launch of the Diplomatic Mission.
A player cannot have more than 3 Diplomatic Agreements running at the same time.
Trade Agreement
A player who owns a Merchant’s Quarter may propose to another player that also owns a Merchant’s Quarter the conclusion of a Trade Agreement.
If the Agreement is sealed it will immediately yields 100 ducats for every party and will last for 30 days. If one of the party attacks the other during the length of the agreement, this will be immediately cancelled and the attackers will lose 25 ducats, while his Nation’s Prestige will be lowered of 1 level.
Peace Treaty
A player may propose to another player the conclusion of a Peace Treaty, also offering or requesting a determined sum of money.
If the Agreement is sealed it will imply that the two Nations won’t attack each other for a period of 30 days and also the exchange of the agreed sum of money.
The signing of the treaty yields in any case 20 ducats for each party.
If one of the party attacks the other during the length of the treaty, this will be immediately cancelled and his Nation’s Prestige will be lowered of 2 levels.
Mutual Defence Agreement
A player may propose to another player the conclusion of a Mutual Defence Agreement, also offering or requesting a determined sum of money.
If the Agreement is sealed it will imply that the two Nations will be bound by a Peace Treaty and that each party may pretend that, in the case he is the target of a Land or Amphibious Attack (not an Allied one), the other party, with his first eligible action, launches a Land, Amphibious or Allied Attack against his aggressor.
It will also involve the exchange of the agreed sum of money.
The agreement lasts 30 days and yields in any case 20 ducats for each party.
If one of the party refuses to act offensively when requested the treaty will be immediately cancelled and his Nation’s Prestige will be lowered of 2 levels.
Alliance
A player may propose to another player the conclusion of an Alliance, also offering or requesting a determined sum of money.
If the Agreement is sealed it will imply that the two Nations will be simultaneously bound by a Peace Treaty and a Mutual Defence Agreement and that each party may launch a Joint Attack Action or request assistance with a Joint Defence Option.
It will also involve the exchange of the agreed sum of money.
The agreement lasts 30 days and yields in any case 30 ducats for each party.
If one of the party attacks the other during the length of it or refuses to act defensively or offensively when requested the treaty will be immediately cancelled and his Nation’s Prestige will be lowered of 3 levels.
Tax Exemption
Every player may declare a Tax Exemption in order to obtain an enhancement of 1 pt. of his stability level, paying 60 ducats.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the effects of the Tax Exemption becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. There are no limits in declaring Tax Exemptions.
Tax Increase
Every player may declare a Tax Increase in order to obtain the availability of 40 more ducats.
The action will cause his stability dropping of 1 level.
The inherent action takes 4 days to be completed after which the effects of the Tax Increase becomes operational at 23.59 GMT hr. There are no limits in declaring Tax Increases.
Attacks
Every attack has to be launched from a determined province (starting point) and reach a specified province (target).
A single province may be used as starting point of two simultaneous attacks.
If a province is already under attack it won’t be liable to become a starting point.
If an enemy or independent province is already under attack from another player it won’t be liable to become the target of a new attack until the current isn’t decided.
An attack against a province owned by another nation repulsed due to a draw or a defeat in battle may not be immediately reiterated by the attacking player, having the winning defender the right to counterattack from his province the starting point of the previous attack.
An attack against an independent province ended with a tactical victory may be immediately repeated.
Land Attack
A player may attack by land any enemy or independent province that confines with his own on the map.
Amphibious Attack
A player may attack by sea an enemy or independent province that isn’t adjacent on the map, when the two provinces are linked with a sea route and the attacker owns a fleet. Apart is published in alphabetical order the list of these provinces.
Before the FoG battle may be started a naval encounter may occur depending on the choice of the defenders who will have two days (until the 23.59 GMT hr. of the second day) to declare on the forum if he wants to engage the opponent’s fleet.
If he gives up or he makes no declaration the FoG battle will be immediately fought.
If he chooses to resist the naval encounter will ensue, whose outcome will be decided summing together, for each player, the combat strength of his fleets and adding to it the results of the draw of the next Italian lottery (taking place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), that is possible to consult here: http://www.lottomaticaitalia.it/lotto/home/
The attackers will have assigned the 2nd number of the wheel of Bari while the defender will have assigned the 2nd number of the wheel of Cagliari. If the defender gets the overall upper number or there is a draw the amphibious attack will abort. If the attacker gets the overall upper number the FoG battle will also ensue.
If more than one naval encounter has to be decided the outcome of the 2nd attack will be determined using the 3rd number of the wheels and so on.
The losing player will have wrecked one of his fleets, but this doesn’t apply if the a draw was achieved.
Independent provinces don’t own fleets.
Allied Attack
A player may attack any enemy province adjacent on the map or linked with a sea route starting from an independent province.
In this case he will use the proper army owned by the independent starting province and all the other rules regarding a Land or Amphibious Attack will be applied.
Core and Capital Provinces are not liable of being the target of such kind of attacks.
Joint Attack
A player, bound with an Alliance Treaty to another party, may launch a Joint Attack against any enemy or independent province adjacent on the map or linked with a sea route either to his and his ally’s province.
All the rules regarding a Land or Amphibious Attack will be applied with the difference that the Joint Attack must to be confirmed by the allied player, that the naval encounter will occur taking count of the total of the fleets owned by the allied parties, that if the allied players will be defeated the one with the greater number of fleets will have 1 wrecked (whereas in the other cases a lottery draw will determine who will lose the fleet), and that the attack will be resolved with 2 DAG battles against the defender, each conducted by one of the allied player. The result of every battle will be added to make an overall total and the final tally will be conducted on it.
(Examples:
Castilians (2 fleets) allied with Hafsids (1 fleets) Joint Attack Aragonese (2 fleets)
Castilians/Hafsids 120 pts. + 32 pts. lottery draw = 152 pts
Aragonese 80 pts. + 67 pts. lottery draw = 147 pts.
Castilians/Hafsids win the naval encounter / Aragonese lost 1 fleet
follows DAG battles:
Castilians (40/60) Aragonese (70/60)
Hafsids (40/40) Aragonese (25/40)
Castilians/Hafsids (80/100) Aragonese (95/100) = Castilians/Hafsids +15
15:200=x:100 = 7.5% Tactical Victory)
If the allied players obtain a strategic victory the province will be assigned to the player that launched the attack.
If the defender targeted by a Joint Attack is bound with an Alliance Treaty to another party, he may call on his ally with a Joint Defence Option.
If the other party agrees the naval encounter will be decided taking count of the total of the fleets owned by both alliances while the attack will be resolved with 2 DAG battles, each conducted by one of the allied player, the defenders having the privilege to decide the pairings.
Every other aspect of the attack will be determined like an ordinary Joint Attack.
Battles
Any attack will be resolved with a 400, 550 or 750 points DAG battle, depending on the choice of the attacker, who will also decide how to manage the FoW and DM option.
When an independent province is attacked the task of commanding its troops will be randomly assigned to the player who will get the highest number of the next Italian lottery draw, being the players assigned to the different wheels in the subsequent order:
Byzantine Empire: Bari
Crown of Aragon: Cagliari
Duchy of Milan: Firenze
Hafsid Kingdom: Genova
Kingdom of Castile: Milano
Mamluk Sultanate: Napoli
Ottoman Empire: Palermo
Venetian Republic: Roma
Ericdoman1: Torino
If multiple attacks will be in motion against independent provinces at the same moment, the first independent army will be led by the player with highest number, the second by the player with the following highest number and so on.
A player allied with another may not be chosen to lead an independent army against his ally.
If a battle ends with a draw or a marginal victory no consequences will follow.
If a battle ends with a tactical victory the stability level of the players will be affected as explained above, while a plunder will ensue.
If a battle ends with a strategic victory of the attacker the stability level of the players will be affected as explained above and, in the case of a Land or Amphibious Attack, the province will be conquered whereas, in the case of an Allied Attack, it will become independent.
Draws and marginal victories are determined in accord with the FoG rules.
Instead, to determine if a victory is tactical or strategic firstly the BG difference will be comprehensively calculated counting in positive for the winner the number of BG lacking to reach the loss threshold and counting in negative for the looser the number of BG overpassing it.
(Example: Venetians (35/39) = +4 / Milanese (47/41) = -6 / Total BG difference = Venetians +10)
Then the above mentioned result will be compared to the total BG of the two armies and if – using the formula: a (total BG difference between the rout threshold of two armies) : b (total BGs of both armies) = x : 100 – it will represent up to the 15% of it then a tactical victory will be achieved, whereas if it will surpass it a strategic victory will follow.
(Example: Venetians BG difference +10 / Total BG 35+41 = 76
10:76=x:100 = 13.5% = Tactical Victory)
Plunder
A tactical victory against a province owned by another nation earns the winner 40 ducats, that will be taken from his opponent treasury.
A tactical victory against an independent province earns the winner 32 ducats.
After a strategic victory against a province owned by another nation the winner has the chance of leaving the province in possession of his opponent while plundering it for a value of 100 ducats, that will be taken from his opponent treasury.
After a strategic victory against an independent province the winner has the chance of leaving the province independent while plundering it for a value 80 ducats.
If, after a strategic victory, the attacker fails to assault the fortifications present in the Province, the victory will be treated as tactical for the purpose of Plunder.
Victory Points
Victory Points represent the strategic power of a Nation at the end of the campaign.
They are counted summing 4 pts. for every Province, 2 pts. for every Academy and 1 pt. for every Church/Mosque, Fleet, Fortification, Stability level and Prestige level.
Winning Conditions
The player that at the end of the campaign will have the greater number of Victory Points will win the game. If two or more players will have the same number of Victory Points, the player with the greater amount of ducats will prevail. Otherwise all these players will be declared winners “ex aequo”.
