Let's Play: Total War

[AgentPaper]

Okay, a few of you might remember me trying this a while back, and I'd like to give it another go. Basically, the idea is that I play Total War, and a few other people play as the various nobles and royalty that are in the game. Each player controls regions, has their own funds, raises their own armies, and sends them off to war to expand the empire, and their own power. Feel free to ask any questions on how the game works.


Waiting List:
{table]Piedmon_Sama
puppyavenger
Murska
The_JJ
Catseye2121
Dumbledore_lives
Gwyn_ap_Nud[/table]

[13_CBS]

I cast me vote for Broken Crescent! We've had our fill of Europe, why not explore the Middle East for a bit? :smallbiggrin:

[puppyavenger]

eh, does Rome come with barbarian invasion? if so, Rome.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Broken Crescent all the way!

I played and loved that mod for months until my CD drive broke. Give me a chance to relive the halcyon days, please. ;_;

[SurlySeraph]

I played the Middle East to death in Medieval (Almohads all the way!). And I absolutely love Rome to death. Therefore: Rome.

[TFT]

I don't care which mode we play but I'll probably join in.

[Murska]

Well I'll cast in a vote at Medieval 2 since that's the game I'm playing ATM. I do have Rome aswell, and this Crescent sounds interesting...

[AgentPaper]

Seems we have a tie between broken crescent and Rome. Since I can't get at rome for more than a week, I think we'll go with Broken Crescent. I'll be looking at the nations we'll be doing next, and once we have that decided, hopefully by later today, I'll see how many nobles we have to work with.

[puppyavenger]

Seems we have a tie between broken crescent and Rome. Since I can't get at rome for more than a week, I think we'll go with Broken Crescent. I'll be looking at the nations we'll be doing next, and once we have that decided, hopefully by later today, I'll see how many nobles we have to work with.

will you be giving us a list?

[Piedmon_Sama]

I can, having played it before:

Christian Powers
-The Eastern Roman Empire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire)
-The Kingdom of Jerusalem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Jerusalem)
-The Kingdom of Armenia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Kingdom_of_Cilicia)
-The Kingdom of Georgia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Georgia#King_David_IV_the_Builder_and_G eorgian_Reconquista)
-The Kingdom of Maqurra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maqurra)
(I enjoyed playing this faction, since they get a lot of badass warpainted African tribesmen)

Muslim Powers
-The Abbasid Caliphate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbasid_Caliphate)
-The Ayyubid Sultanate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayyubid_Sultanate)
-The Seljuq Empire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seljuq_Empire)
-The Turkish Sultanate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire)
-Empire of the Khwarezm Shah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khwarezm_Empire)
-The Imamate of Oman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Oman#Early_Islamic_period)
-The Ghaznavid Sultanate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghaznavids)
-The Malikate of Sindh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sindh#Islamic_era)
-The Ghorid Sultanate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghorids)

Pagans (Shamanic/Hindu)
-The Solanki Rajputs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajputs) (REALLY enjoyed this faction, acuz War Elephants!)
-The Kipchak Confederacy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kipchaks)

[AgentPaper]

I was going to, but it seems I was beat to it. So, go ahead and vote and such. :smalltongue:

Edit: Should mention that the solanki area actually hindu, not pagan.

[Piedmon_Sama]

If we're voting on factions, I choose Rajputs. Nothing beats a massed elephant charge (in terms of coolness, I mean), and their units look gorgeous with all the Hindu heraldry and unique swords/armor.

[AgentPaper]

Starting up the Rajputs real fast, I'd like to mention that there's only the faction leader and the faction heir as nobles to start with. There could very well be more after a bit, but as it stands the game would start with just me, the faction leader, and one other player as the faction heir. This would certainly work, but I'd just like you guys to know about this.

[Dumbledore lives]

I've got to say the Rajputs are awesome, even if there aren't many generals at the start, and elephants really are awesome.

[13_CBS]

Voting Rajputs as well!

And since I was this thread's first poster, I, Lord 13_CBS, declare that AgentPaper's first faction heir shall be moi. :smallamused:

[puppyavenger]

eh, why not go with the flow Rajputs it is! and I wanna be faction heir!

[RationalGoblin]

Rajputs as well for my vote.

If you're going to roleplay this at all, I'd like to be the normal, non-heir general who gets the most Dread.

Also, where can I find this mod? Is it free?

[Piedmon_Sama]

You can download it for free here. (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=346)

(Be sure to download the patch along with the mod.)

Also, I don't mind waiting for you to produce more generals.

Last time I played this game, my faction's badass crown prince carried the flaming sword of Agni into the heart of the Caliphate's lands and conquered all of southern Arabia in the name of the Gods. This is gonna be awesome.

[TFT]

Rajputs sounds fine.

[charl]

Yeah, go with the Rajputs, and conquer Europe.

[Don Julio Anejo]

If I may ask, what's this mod everyone is talking about? The only mod I played was EB as Pontos...

[AgentPaper]

Broken Crescent is a mod of Medieval II: Total War that is set in the middle east instead of Europe, though the time period is similar, I believe. As for who gets to be the faction heir and only starting noble, I'm afraid I decided previously that noble makeup would work first come first serve starting from when I said people could start claiming. So, the first person to post who wants to be the heir, gets him. After that, post saying you want to be on the waiting list, and it shouldn't be too long before you get your chance to play. Once we have a player, I'll post the first turn's setup. (This time with pictures!)

[13_CBS]

In that case...:smallamused:

Signing up for faction heir position!

[AgentPaper]

Lucky you! Okay, here's our status for:

Turn 1:

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/642/turn1dharhj3.png
At the moment, we only have this one region. The leader, Maharajah Vindhyavarman, has taken the entire armed forces of the area to take the nearby region of Anhilvara, leaving his son to hold Dhar, the capital, with just his mounted bodyguard, and 5000 coins to spend as he sees fit.

I'm currently handling the maharaja and the army, so it's up to 13_CBS to decide what to build, and what units to recruit. For the first turn, Here's what we can build:

Buildings:
We can only construct one building each turn. Most buildings take multiple turns to build.

Nobles Stables - 2400 coins, 3 turns
This will allow us to train more cavalry, as well as a few elephants with javelin-throwing riders.

Garrison Quarters - 1200 coins, 2 turns
This will allow us to train Indian swordsmen, a nice medium strength infantry.

Practice Range - 2400 coins, 3 turns
This will allow us to create more longbowmen, and some good javelin throwers.

Leather Tanner - 600 coins, 2 turns
This will improve the armor of most newly trained units, and allows us to re-train other units to improve their armor.

Communal Farming - 1200 coins, 3 turns
This increases the output of our farms, which helps growth of our population and generates a bit of income.

Rajput Shrine - 1500 coins, 2 turns
This makes people happier, and increases law by a bit too, which helps growth and income.

Change to Large Town - 1600 coins, 2 turns
The settlement is currently a castle, which means it is focused on military production and good defensive fortifications. If it was converted to a large town, the defenses would be simpler, and military production would be far smaller, with mostly militia and siege engines able to be produced.

Units:
Units always take 1 turn to create, and most regions can produce more than one unit per turn. At the moment, Dhar can create 5 units each turn. However, it only has 3 units it can create, and can only produce one of each so far. All units have a recruitment cost and an upkeep cost. The recruitment cost is how many coins it takes to train that unit, and the upkeep must be paid each turn to keep it running. Different unit types come in different numbers as well, usually around 100-150 for infantry, and anywhere from 20-40 cavalry, though both have more or less for some types of units.

Bharat Light Spearmen - recruitment 160 coins, upkeep 80 coins, 150 men
These will likely be our mainstay infantry unit, especially if we run into cavalry, which they have a bonus against, as do all spearmen. They have a good shield and spear, though their armor is a bit lacking. Still, all around good light spear unit.

It will be 2 turns before we can recruit more of these units.

Hindu Longbowmen - recruitment 160 coins, upkeep 80 coins, 150 men
Though not especially accurate, these longbowmen are numerous, and have good range and fire flaming arrows, making them pretty good all around.

It will be 2 turns before we can recruit more of these units.

Rajput Javelin Cavalry - recruitment 510 coins, upkeep 150 coins, 80 men
Nice light skirmishing cavalry, good speed, and there's a lot of them, at least for a cavalry unit. Perfect for peppering enemy forces with javelins and running down fleeing units, and could probably charge into weak enemy archers if they get the chance.

It will be 4 turns before we can recruit more of these units.

[puppyavenger]

put me on the waiting list!

[13_CBS]

Wait, I get to actually control stuff?! :smalleek:

Huh...well, as a warning, I've never played Medieval II before. I've played Medieval I, but with cheats...

Any advice for me is welcome.

Before I make my decisions, I must ask...

1) Which provinces are in the most danger of getting attacked?
1a) Are any of our neighbors likely to attack us?
1b) Is the Maharaja in need of reinforcements? What kind?
2) Combat wise, what are the strengths of our nation, aside from the obvious war elephants? Do we have strong/mediocre/weak cavalry? S/m/w ranged units? S/m/w infantry?
3) Which nations are our neighbors, and what sort of armies do they specialize in? Do they focus on cavalry, or infantry, or ranged units?
3a) Which nations have horse archers? Are they our neighbors?
4) How much cash does our sole province turn out per turn?

Edit: Also, could I have the stats to both my dude and the Majaraja, to see what each are good at and their personality traits?
Edit2: Also, what's the fastest tech tree to getting spies? Knowledge is power, and all that.

[AgentPaper]

Wait, I get to actually control stuff?! :smalleek:

Huh...well, as a warning, I've never played Medieval II before. I've played Medieval I, but with cheats...

Any advice for me is welcome.

Before I make my decisions, I must ask...

1) Which provinces are in the most danger of getting attacked?
1a) Are any of our neighbors likely to attack us?
1b) Is the Maharaja in need of reinforcements? What kind?
2) Combat wise, what are the strengths of our nation, aside from the obvious war elephants? Do we have strong/mediocre/weak cavalry? S/m/w ranged units? S/m/w infantry?
3) Which nations are our neighbors, and what sort of armies do they specialize in? Do they focus on cavalry, or infantry, or ranged units?
3a) Which nations have horse archers? Are they our neighbors?
4) How much cash does our sole province turn out per turn?

Heh, maybe I didn't go over it quite as well as I meant, but yes, you decide what to do with all regions under your control, and units that you produce or that others produce and lend to you for whatever purpose. Roleplaying and jockeying for power is encouraged, even if it hurts the empire as a whole a bit and especially if it makes things more interesting. Anyways:

1) We only have a single region right now, which is that surrounding the capital of Dhar. The Maharaja, currently controlled by me, is leading the entire army to expand the empire, so you might have more soon.
1a) All the surrounding regions are controlled by rebels, which don't usually attack, only defending. We'll likely run into more organized enemies soon, but none can be seen yet.
1b) The Maharaja is to the southwest, and doesn't need any reinforcements at the moment. He has the entire army, so there's none to send yet at any rate. He'll send you a message if he needs any later on.

2) Cavalry is a bit lacking, and infantry tends to be light, but still decent. Strengths as far as I can tell is good light infantry and spearmen to hold off enemies and cavalry, and good ranged units to kill enemy infantry, especially heavy infantry. Elephants move around in enemy lines shooting arrows or throwing javelins, and stomping on infantry and scaring off cavalry. I've yet to fight an actual battle, though. Requests from the Maharaja should reflect what I find most useful. I'll give battle reports throughout the game, as well, which should help troop choice.

3) I think I'll leave this to be discovered through combat. :smallwink:
3a) Same as above.

4) 545 coins each turn. The king is also providing 700 coins from his personal holdings each turn. Army upkeep is projected to be about 1480 coins, and wages for all staff should be about 450 coins. I'll give a full financial report each turn. (Forgot that this turn)

As for stats, you can see yours on the picture I gave. (except for loyalty, which I will PM to you shortly) The Maharaja has 7 stars of command, 2 chivalry, 4 authority, and 3 piety. Don't feel too restricted by this if you want to roleplay, though you should keep them in mind.

For spies, that needs a city, instead of a castle. You can convert the capital into a large town, or you could wait for the Maharaja to take a city or a castle that you can convert.

[Murska]

I wish to be added to the waiting list to be added into the game as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, I'll play a bit of Broken Crescent to get a feel for the mod. :smallbiggrin:

[13_CBS]

Very well then.

The Daily Writings of Prince Devapala, first son of Maharaja Vindhyavarman I

First day of the first month, 1174

Dictated to his loyal servant, Vharja

Father took the army to Anhilvara last week, leaving me here to deal with the everyday chores. This pleases me, for unlike my fellow countrymen I am not one for unnecessarily strenuous activity, and managing Dhar from the comfort of my couch suits me better. Though I know that the nobles snicker at me as I pass them holding yet another text borrowed from traveling scholars, I take comfort in the fact that, mentally, I am easily their superior.

It feels as though it were only yesterday when Father, the great Vindhyavarman, united so many of the unruly clans and put them under one banner, the great Rajput Empire. I was too young at the time to participate in the warmaking, and I am glad for this. Unfortunately, I am not young enough to escape all of the warfare, for Father has set out to reunite the rest of our people under his righteous rule.

I am left in charge here, to rule Dhar as Prince Regent in Father's stead. He has ordered me to, "Rule prosperously, and make Dhar the flower of our great Empire", but I am not sure on how to do this. I am young, and inexperienced, though my tutors have taught me well. I am left with several choices:

I can attempt to bolster our cavalry forces, though I am told that our horsemen...will have difficulty against the riders to the west, so I am unsure as to do this. However, I can use this opportunity to revitalize our elephant troops. My tutor tells me that even the great empires to the west were in awe of those mighty beasts.

I can try to also revitalize our famous swordsmen, the Khanda. Surely the infantry of the enemy are weak, no match for our swordsmen.

However, our greatest military strength, aside from our elephants, lie in our archers, each able to shoot the tail feathers of a bird in flight, and leave the bird itself unharmed. Perhaps I shall devote my resources to them.

The greatest question is, however, is whether to bolster Father's efforts martially...or financially. Our province has potential to bring in great riches, and with the right edicts we can all but drown ourselves in wealth, though in that path lies hedonism and weakness.

I would also like to train spies as soon as possible, as I believe that knowledge is a greater weapon than any sword or spear. However, that would mean converting our mighty fortress into an indefensible city, which worries me.

Perhaps, once Father conquers another province, that will be possible...

Very well. I shall send a messenger to Father, stating that I have begun construction of communal farms, and that he can expect a number of archers for reinforcements.


OOC:

Begin construction of Communal Farms, begin training of 1 longbowman archer.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Having played Rajputs before, just going to throw this out there: I had the most success spamming archers and giving them a spear wall for defense. Cheap, unarmored spearmen with a few mailed ones for backup are all you need. Lump all your elephants together in the middle, a ways behind your battle-line. Hold fast until the enemy is close enough, giving your archers as much time as possible to soften them up with arrow fire, and then send all elephants forward up the middle. Actually, order them to move to a point somewhere right behind your targeted unit--the elephants will plow right through. Then order them to turn and dive back in, and repeat until all enemies are a pasty goo.

The only flaw in this plan is some of your archers and spearmen are gonna get crushed when the elephants plow through... but we're supervillains, so who cares, right?

[13_CBS]

The only flaw in this plan is some of your archers and spearmen are gonna get crushed... but we're supervillains, so who cares, right?

We are? :smalleek:

[Piedmon_Sama]

I'm already ringing my be-jeweled Rajah Warlord hands and practicing my insane cackle.

[Murska]

Heh. My normal tactics don't work with this faction so I'll have to invent some new ones. I hate it when after rushing with my general and other melee-units into an enemy city, I notice that my general is an elephant group and thus can run amok, which, in the middle of the enemy group, means instant death.

Not to mention the melee units sucked, at least at start. I'll have to attempt a different strategy, maybe with the aforementioned mass-archers. Pity, I like battles where I can use the basic hammer/anvil of infantry+cavalry.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Oh yeah, you really have to be careful with elephants... don't leave them stuck in melee for too long or they WILL go berserk. Just plow straight through, turn around, and plow back, and keep them away from cavalry. XD

[13_CBS]

I'm already ringing my be-jeweled Rajah Warlord hands and practicing my insane cackle.

I have a feeling my character and your character aren't going to like each other much.

Drama! :smallbiggrin:

[13_CBS]

For those who aren't in the know...

The Rajputs are, superficially, like the idealized Klingons of Star Trek, or like the stereotypical portrayals of samurai; their entire culture is heavily geared towards martial perfection, and consider battle to be a thing of glory and honor. Rajputs are also very patriotic.

Thus it's unusual for my character, Devapala, to be really into books and be nerdy and all that. He is, however, just as devoted to his country as any other Rajput.

Historically, the Rajputs in this time period were frequently attacked (and conquered, I think?) by Muslim forces from the West.

For the sake of historical accuracy, keep these things in mind as you roleplay a Rajput noble :smallbiggrin:

[AgentPaper]

If you guys could tell me what exactly you'd like to see on each turn's report, that would be great. I'd like to get a normal form to fill out each time, but I'm just not sure what would be most helpful.

After paying for the soldier, the workers, costs of production, and the training of the archers, there are 2,888 coins left in the treasury. Projected income for the next year is 258 coins from the farms, 270 coins from taxes, and 700 from the Maharaja's personal purse. Expected expenses are 450 coins in worker's wages, and 1,640 coins to pay for the soldiers.

Training of the new regiment of longbowmen is complete. They have taken up garrison in the castle.

The Maharajah has begun his assault on the enemy castle! Battle report coming soon. (Game crashed partway through first time, so I gotta do it again...:smallannoyed:

[Murska]

I'd like to see battles, events, construction and recruitment reports and if possible, a screenshot of the situation every once in a while. :smalltongue:

[Piedmon_Sama]

Battle screencaps, ys plz.

Probably a good idea to keep track of our overall treasury, though you don't have to be so detailed as to tell us what each city is producing. Just which units are produced where, and how long it would take for a unit to reach the front lines from its city of origin.

Let me tell you, when playing Rajputs: drive west hard and fast and choke the Ghorids while they're still in the cradle. The Malikate of Sindh should be willing to ally with you (against their fellow Muslims, even) so leave them be and just punish the Ghorids before they send their massive wave at you.

[Piedmon_Sama]

For those who aren't in the know...

The Rajputs are, superficially, like the idealized Klingons of Star Trek, or like the stereotypical portrayals of samurai; their entire culture is heavily geared towards martial perfection, and consider battle to be a thing of glory and honor. Rajputs are also very patriotic.

Thus it's unusual for my character, Devapala, to be really into books and be nerdy and all that. He is, however, just as devoted to his country as any other Rajput.

Historically, the Rajputs in this time period were frequently attacked (and conquered, I think?) by Muslim forces from the West.

For the sake of historical accuracy, keep these things in mind as you roleplay a Rajput noble :smallbiggrin:

The other thing to note is that historically, the Rajputs didn't really pay attention to the Muslim incursions until they were right on their doorstep, since they were busy fighting each other. And the various clans (Pratihara, etc.) never even bothered to ally with each other since they hated their rivals, if anything, worse than the invaders coming out of Sindh and Afghanistan. The Rajputs were also hilariously arrogant in the initial encounters, attacking head on with woefully outnumbered forces (according to the book on Medieval India this game inspired me to check out).

[13_CBS]

Since it'd be a bit silly for the Maharaja to go out and fight while his lands are in political turmoil, I rewrote a bit of history and had him unite a good chunk of unruly clans before the start of the game (hence the big single province we start with). :smallbiggrin:

Be good little princes, you guys!

[AgentPaper]

Obviously history is going to be re-written a bit. :smallwink: Anyways, the battle went okay, I think taking fortifications is going to be hard for us to deal with until we can get some good siege. I managed to take the city, but I'm down from about 1350 troops to a bit over 400. I managed to keep most of the elephants alive, so losses are mostly replaceable, but I'm going to have to hold up here and re-group. I promise I'll give you guys the play-by-play with pictures next time around!

[13_CBS]

...huh. Reinforcements are in order, I suppose.

On the other hand, the upkeep's gonna be a lot less. :smallbiggrin:

Fourteenth day of the third month, 1174

Dictated by his faithful servant, Vharja

A short letter came by messenger today, bearing...good news. Father has conquered Anhilvara, but at high cost. The city was taken by storm, the messenger tells me, but many men were lost. Perhaps that was to be expected. Father took with him only spearmen and green troops to invade a fortress populated, with no siege engines to cast down the walls. We now have a new great city from which we can spread our Empire. I shall request for Father to turn it into a city, rather than keeping it as a mere castle.

Be that as it may...Father's image as an invincible conquerer has been broken.

The nobles are gathering. I must see to them.

[Cristo Meyers]

Maybe this happens a lot more rarely and I was just really lucky, but in my game I once had two General-less armies march out and after they each fought a battle or two the captain of each was promoted to a General character.

Maybe you could use that to your advantage?

[Piedmon_Sama]

Obviously history is going to be re-written a bit. :smallwink: Anyways, the battle went okay, I think taking fortifications is going to be hard for us to deal with until we can get some good siege. I managed to take the city, but I'm down from about 1350 troops to a bit over 400. I managed to keep most of the elephants alive, so losses are mostly replaceable, but I'm going to have to hold up here and re-group. I promise I'll give you guys the play-by-play with pictures next time around!

As Rajputs, taking fortifications is always going to be a headache. We won't really get good at it until late in the game when we have Kshatriya and Axemen to act as storm-troopers. Until then, taking a city will pretty much always mean extensive casualties (good thing that if Hindustan has one thing in abundance, it's expendable dudes. You're right to keep the elephants back, though--keep them milling around in the back and out of arrow fire. The worst thing that can happen is they get driven berserk during a fire exchange and run roughshod over your lines.

[AgentPaper]

I found the best way to work it was to abandon the gate in general, and just get all of your infantry on ladders and onto the wall, trying to pin down any archers if possible. Then, you have your archers shooting fire at the largest portions of enemy troops, making sure your infantry are set on defensive. The enemy sits on the wall like ducks and you rain fire down on them, chipping away at their numbers and morale. Once you've got most of the enemy tied up, you send some infantry (hopefully heavy infantry once we get some) to get on the gate, and storm your elephants through straight at the city center. It helps to be attacking all three gates that you can get to, and then send your elephants at the gate or gates that you are most likely to get through.

In later battles, I plan to have "teams" to tackle the walls, starting with 1 archer unit to support 1 infantry, though I may add more archers or infantry, whichever works better. In a perfect scenario, I'd have one or two teams at each gate, and the rest of the teams interspersed along the rest of the walls, forcing the defenders to cover the entire walls. With the infantry on the walls and not in the city, once I get the gates open I can run my elephants right into the city square, supported by any infantry who are either not blocked or can punch through early enough. Archers will likely get on the walls and shoot into the city if the wall defenders are killed or not there, or they might go to help support a nearby team.


Also, the city I just took is already a city, so as soon as the Maharaja hands it over to you, you'll be able to turn it towards spy production. The Maharaja is requesting at least 2 units each of spearmen and longbowmen as soon as you can manage. Once he has these reinforcements and anyone he can recruit in the new city, he'll move on to take more land and let you control the city.

[13_CBS]

Aye aye, captain!

Question: where exactly is the province you just conquered? Is it the one to the southeast of us? Depending on its location, I may end up fortifying it a bit in case rebels or some crazy fellow with an army comes charging in.

[AgentPaper]

I'm down to the south-west, actually. The maharajah is going to crusade west and then north, to expand the empire as much as possible towards the other nations as possible. Once he's out of room to expand, we'll consolidate and declare war on someone, probably whoever's attacked us the most by then, and allying those who don't attack us outright. This is the general gameplan, though if the maharaja dies before it's done, it'll be up to you whether to continue it or to try your own way of doing, well, whatever you want.

[13_CBS]

That reminds me, we should try to set up how successions work.

So once the current Maharaja (you) dies, his heir (me, unless I die) will not only succeed the empire but also determine how the game goes? So I'd be the one calling all the shots if the current Maharaja kicks the bucket?

Interesting...a Let's Play, indeed :smallbiggrin:

Does everyone else agree to this policy of succession?

Edit: Would you, Agenpaper, still be doing all the battles and stuff, though?

[AgentPaper]

When the current maharajah dies, you become the maharajah. (If I understand the indian titles) Then, you name a heir among whatever nobles there are, and then you die, that person is the maharajah. It's basically the same political system as any rule-by-succession. It's normal to name your eldest son as the heir, but that's by no means the only person you can name.

And yes, I'll always be the one running the game. I've taken control of the leader in the beginning to give some initial focus, but once he dies, I'm not going to be in the game directly.

[13_CBS]

Gotcha.

So...is the turn over? :smallconfused: Or is there still unfinished business?

[AgentPaper]

Hm? I've just been waiting for your actions. Or are you not doing anything this turn, just waiting?

[13_CBS]

Oh! I didn't know it was our turn again. In that case...

Tenth day of the fifth month, 1175

Dictated to his faithful servant, Vharja

I finally received a reply from Father yesterday. It seems that he was rather busy with ridding our new province of rebels and leftover resistance. He has requested of me reinforcements of at least two hundred spearmen and an equal number of archers. I shall do my best to raise those troops in time for the next campaign.

I am elated by the fact that Anhilvara shall soon train the first of our spies. May our spy network turn over every rock and shadow every enemy of our Empire!

Father has yet to encounter any series threats to the empire, so I shall hold off on seeing to our defenses, for now.

On a more personal matter, one of the minor court nobles dared to insult me in front of the gathered warriors. He called me "womanly", and weak for immersing myself not in battle but in texts. For his troubles, I slew him with his own sword and had his head preserved and placed in a jar next to my throne, for all to see. Perhaps now all will know that, though I am hesitant to do battle, I am more than willing to kill.


OOC: In Dhar, begin training of two units if spearmen and two units of archers. In Anhilvara, begin construction of...whatever the prerequisite building for training spies is.

Edit: For the sake of finances, would it be more prudent to sack/exterminate provinces like Uch and Sukkur (provinces far away from the borders of any major empire)?

[AgentPaper]

You can only create a unit of spearmen and/or a unit of horse javelineers. That's fine, though, it's expected to take a few turns to re-train the bulk of the army. Next turn you will be able to make another unit of spearmen and longbowmen, if you like. Anvilhara is not yet under your control, not until the Maharaja leaves to conquer the next province. He's currently overseeing the construction of improved military structures, which will improve security and allow better production of military forces in the future.

Anyways, update will come later on today, since I'm hungry and not feeling so well. Blech. :smallsigh:

[13_CBS]

You can only create a unit of spearmen and/or a unit of horse javelineers. That's fine, though, it's expected to take a few turns to re-train the bulk of the army.

Huh? I thought each province could make only 1 unit at a time. I just queued up the requested forces in advance :smallconfused: Have things changed since Medieval I?

[AgentPaper]

Huh? I thought each province could make only 1 unit at a time. I just queued up the requested forces in advance :smallconfused: Have things changed since Medieval I?

Actually, Dhar can make up to 5 different units each turn. However, you can only make so many of each type of unit at a time. It basically works as a "stock" of different unit types, which automatically re-stock themselves over time. For example, spearmen and longbowmen take about 2 turns to re-stock, and you can hold something like 4 of each at most.

[13_CBS]

Ohhh, gotcha. Things have changed indeed.

In that case, just a unit of spearmen. I'll remind myself to make more spearmen and archers later.

[Ethdred]

Interesting game so far (and like the history lessons as well). One thing I noticed is you only have normal tax rates - I normally jack them right up (especially in your capital which is least likely to revolt) and build a religious structure to compensate. But I've only played Rome, not Med2, so happiness might work differently. But it sounds like you'll need the cash soon the way your dad's throwing away the troops :smallsmile:

[Murska]

So, asking in OOC terms, where might you be going next? Are you going to conquer Mumba any time soon or are you expanding westwards first?

[Piedmon_Sama]

I think it's about time we got one of these, so everyone's on the same page:

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3927/provincialmapstartingpofq3.jpg

I think we should make capturing Somnath and Mumba priorities--Somnath will give us access to the sea (allowing us to strike Arabia in the mid-game), while Mumba will be a solid resource provider, and safe in our back pocket. Once we've secured the south, drive northwest. Sindh (to our west) will probably be fighting the Ghaznavids (to our northwest), and should be willing to ally. Try driving Ghazni out of our valley, but wiping them out in the early game will be impossible since their heartland is on the west side of the mountains.

EDIT: Also, a quick guide;

Burnt Orange = Us
Green = Ghaznavids
Deep Red = Ghorids
Pale Gold = Sindh
Grey-Blue = Oman
Light Blue = Not sure, Seljuqs I think?
Tan = Khwarezm, I think?
Pink = Georgia
Pale Red = Byzantines
Flesh-Color = Armenians
Grey = Turks, I think?
Deep Blue = Kipchaks
Fair Blue = Kingdom of Jerusalem
Gold/Yellow = Ayyubids
Olive/Grey-Green = Makuria
Black = Abbasid Caliphate

[AgentPaper]

Ah, thanks. That helps a bunch. Note that those are starting areas, and they will likely be expanding soon, if they haven't already. Update soon, I just woke up and all.

[The_JJ]

Posting intrest in getting my mealy little hands on a noble/general along the line. In the mean time, might I suggest a strategy?

Massed mounted range units. You just can't beat them, unless they changed things up in the mod. Group up, surround them, fade when their calvalry pick out someone to chase, set someone to hunt down routers, and shoot until you run out of ammo.
Charge demoralized remnents.
Win with minimal casualties.
Repeat.
Javalin cavalry will devastate anything with armor, but you run the risks of lower ammo stores and shorter range.

Playing as the Turks I took a few half stacks of nothing but a general and a bunch of Turkomans and stopped all over Europe in every field battle I went into. Sieges took a while but that's ok. I even had some success against the Timirids and Mongols that way.

Just a thought. :smallbiggrin:

[AgentPaper]

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/861/turn3reportok6.jpg
There's the end of turn report for last turn. Recruitment of 2 units of longbows and spearmen, for a total of 300 of each, is complete, as is the communal farming. Send these to the Maharajah this year, and he will take them to conquer a new city and leave the further management of Anhilvara to you starting next year. (I'll tell you what you can do on that turn)

[Flame of Anor]

My computer won't install Total War. Boo hoo hoo :smallfrown:

[AgentPaper]

Posting intrest in getting my mealy little hands on a noble/general along the line. In the mean time, might I suggest a strategy?

Massed mounted range units. You just can't beat them, unless they changed things up in the mod. Group up, surround them, fade when their calvalry pick out someone to chase, set someone to hunt down routers, and shoot until you run out of ammo.
Charge demoralized remnents.
Win with minimal casualties.
Repeat.
Javalin cavalry will devastate anything with armor, but you run the risks of lower ammo stores and shorter range.

Playing as the Turks I took a few half stacks of nothing but a general and a bunch of Turkomans and stopped all over Europe in every field battle I went into. Sieges took a while but that's ok. I even had some success against the Timirids and Mongols that way.

Just a thought. :smallbiggrin:

I can't say I've tried this out yet, but if you become a leader, you're welcome to produce large amounts of cavalry and send them to conquer. I'll use them as best I can, and if it's successful, others would likely adopt similar strategies. Anyways, I'm going to go make a list of those waiting to join in now. I'll keep it updated on the first post.

Edit: Table is up, if you're not on there and think you should be, feel free to tell me and I'll put you on.

[13_CBS]

Quick question before the next journal post: our income for that turn was about 2900. Is that normal, or was that because the Maharaja recently conquered a city and plundered it for loot?

[Piedmon_Sama]

In my experience, the Rajput javelin cavalry aren't worth the ratty-looking togas they're dressed in. They have shorter range and abysmal armor, even by the standards of our army. Now, once we push into Hindu Kush, we can start hiring some Pashtun and Punjabi mercenaries who will be very nice for that purpose.

[AgentPaper]

I expected as much. Still, same deal. Also, that income is not in fact from looting. The new city is pumping out a VERY nice 1500 coins a turn. This is at highest taxes, but there you have it. :smallbiggrin:

[13_CBS]

I expected as much. Still, same deal. Also, that income is not in fact from looting. The new city is pumping out a VERY nice 1500 coins a turn. This is at highest taxes, but there you have it. :smallbiggrin:

:smalleek:

Uh...would you mind changing whatever's under construction into a Rajput shrine? We don't want any rebellions so soon.

[TFT]

I wasn't put on the waiting list? Please put me on it and give me a quick summery of what's happened, if you could.

[13_CBS]

I wasn't put on the waiting list? Please put me on it and give me a quick summery of what's happened, if you could.

Not much. Agentpaper took the faction leader and the army and took over a province to the west. Meanwhile, the faction heir stayed behind in the capital and built a farm improvement and a handful of new units.

[AgentPaper]

:smalleek:

Uh...would you mind changing whatever's under construction into a Rajput shrine? We don't want any rebellions so soon.

Don't worry, the people there are still happy. And stop jumping the gun! You're not quite in charge there yet, as I keep saying. You have to decide what you're going to do this turn, then next turn you can start construction of whatever you like. The current construction will be done by then.

[13_CBS]

I thought that was for last turn :smallconfused:

Argh! Turn changes are confusing!

No journal writings until I get my head around what turn this is. I'll send any new units made in Dhar over to the Maharaja, and build another unit of archers if able. If Dhar can construct any new buildings, I will also construct a Nobles stables.

[Dumbledore lives]

Could I please be on the waiting list?

[AgentPaper]

Adding players to list...

Anyways, you mind if we fast-forward until we have a few more faction members? I'm thinking about 3 should do. We'll have a larger empire by then, too.

[13_CBS]

Aye, let's do that. Prince Goody Two Shoes isn't going to be very interesting without some cackling brothers to act as his foil.

If you want my input for the fast forwarding, I'll build about 3 spies (1 for domestic purposes, the rest for spying on enemies), and once the stables are finished, some elephants. Plus any infantry reinforcements as necessary. If we have the funds for it, communion farming on our richest provinces too.

If my input isn't necessary...have fun! :smallbiggrin:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

In my experience, farms aren't very handy in castles.

[AgentPaper]

Ok, we have 3 nobles now, but I'm gunna wait until tomorrow to update, since I'm tired and this is gunna take a bit to get out. So, sorry for the delay, I'll get it done as early as I can tomorrow.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Oh, and I would love to take over an army.

[The_JJ]

Oh, can I be on the table as of... before other people.

I did say posting intrest in a noble way back when I first posted.

[AgentPaper]

Added you on. Heh, sorry, I did miss you the first time around. Gwyn is on too now, though at the bottom. Still, it shouldn't be too long, especially if some people opt out. Anyways, now Piedmon_Sama gets to choose between the two new nobles we have, and then puppyavenger gets the other. If one or both of them don't show up, or if they decide to wait for a different noble, the next person on the list gets their choice. If they're waiting for another, they stay on top of the list. If they don't respond, they're off, but can ask to be re-put on the bottom later on. I'll probably give something between 24 and 48 hours to respond before you're removed from the list. Working on the update now.

[Cristo Meyers]

Might want to include the noble's traits and attributes and such, so they know more about who they're choosing.

[AgentPaper]

Okay, here's the new nobles:

Vigraharaja of Dhundar

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/9732/vigragarajaofdhundarnr1.jpg
Owned Regions:
Kutch
http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/3846/kutchrz7.jpg
Sommnath
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2263/somnathsl9.jpg
Notes: Adopted son of the Maharaja, and set to govern these two new provinces to become jewels in the empire. You will not be getting many northern provinces most likely, so you'll likely want to expand by sea if you do. The nation across the desert to the west are our allies, though, so don't try to declare war on them, please.


Vigraharaja Chundawat

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/348/vigragarajachundawatzo0.jpg
Owned Regions:
Dhar
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4244/dharux5.jpg
Notes: Adopted son of Prince Devapala, but he's only 4 years younger than him, so it's mostly political. They're probably more like brothers than father and son. You've been given control of the capital, and tasked with creating a mighty army to send north, as well as providing the Maharaja's army with reinforcements. Together you will conquer the enemies of the empire.

I'll keep a fully updated version of this, with more detail, on the first post as well as each update. Piedmon gets the first pick. Also, in case you guys want to include him in your RP, there was also a fourth brother, who married into the family through your sister, Lakshmi Tomara. He was supposed to be in control of the lands Vigraharaja of Dhundar now has, but he died of the plague in Sommnath, where the plague still runs rampant. Before he died, though, they had a son Padmini Tomoara, who is now 1 year old. There had been a plague in Kutch, but it passed the city by relatively unharmed. There haven't been any other plagues in other cities yet, but it's possible it could spread.

Also, the prince has recently married to Radha of Malwa, and has had a son, Lakshmibai of Malwa, who has yet to reach his first year. The Maharaja's wife, Anjali has also recently given birth (he's 55 but she's only 39) to Mangammal of Malwa, who has also yet to reach his first year. All these kids will likely become new faction members for people to play as in time, but not until they "come of age", probably in the late teens.

If there's anything else you guys want in these profiles, feel free to ask. Please specify if it's something you want on each update or just this one time, though. Piedmon gets the first pick, so he can either choose one of these or opt to wait for a different noble.

Edit: Hmm, those images are as wide as my screen...maybe I need to shrink them down next time...:smallredface:

[Murska]

I'd like to be one of the sons when they come of age, even though it'll take a while. Blood ties are usually what decides who I give the best positions to in my games, mostly for the flavor. Of course, if there's a really good adopted or Man Of The Hour general I'll let them have the best picks but in the case of low-to-average stats I just pick the blood relatives to lead expeditions and major cities. That way they get good stats and usually become pretty good too. :smallwink:

[Cristo Meyers]

I suppose I've waffled and chimed in with unwanted advise long enough...

Go ahead and put me on the waiting list for a noble. I know absolutely nothing about the Broken Crescent mod, but I do at least know something about Medieval 2...

[AgentPaper]

I'd like to be one of the sons when they come of age, even though it'll take a while. Blood ties are usually what decides who I give the best positions to in my games, mostly for the flavor. Of course, if there's a really good adopted or Man Of The Hour general I'll let them have the best picks but in the case of low-to-average stats I just pick the blood relatives to lead expeditions and major cities. That way they get good stats and usually become pretty good too. :smallwink:

You can always opt to wait when you are presented a noble if you want a different one. You could well just keep waiting until the eldest son of the current heir came of age, and then swipe him.

[Murska]

You can always opt to wait when you are presented a noble if you want a different one. You could well just keep waiting until the eldest son of the current heir came of age, and then swipe him.

Well, not to mention that I don't have the pick ATM, that was exactly what I was going to do anyway. :smallamused:

[Piedmon_Sama]

I'll take Chundawat... I like how he has four skulls already in spite of having done nothing. Obviously a puppy-kicker. :smallcool:

[AgentPaper]

Sweet. Now puppyavenger gets his pick. I'll send him a PM. He has until 24 hours from NOW to pick. (I should have sent pied one also, but I forgot :smallredface: :smalltongue:)

[puppyavenger]

reporting for duty!

so what can my town build this turn? sorry ,never played the game.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

puppyavenger, which character are you?

[Murska]

I'd guess he's the one that's left?

[AgentPaper]

Sorry for the delay in posting, I'm meeting with my family at the moment, so not much spare time. I'll try to get the next update up over the next few days.

[Piedmon_Sama]

All good. I forgot to check the thread on Thanksgiving and tonight too, with all the meeting relatives and things.

[AgentPaper]

Update coming tomorrow, since I just got back to my place. I'll get it done as soon as I can, though I have a few other things I need to do as well.

[The_JJ]

*waits for BA general type*

[Piedmon_Sama]

Whenever you get back to this, AgentPaper, rest assured I'm not going anywhere. :smallwink:

[AgentPaper]

Many apologies for the delay. Disgaea 3 has consumed my soul. :smallredface: Anyways, here's massive update #1! Hopefully we'll be seeing these at least every week from now on. I'll do my best. Feel free to ask for any info you want added, or ask questions about a specific thing. Feel free to RP and plan as much as you want before the next update. Don't feel too constricted by what you can do in the game when it comes to RP. If you're really unsure, just send me a PM. Also, if you want to do something in secret, you can PM that to me as well. :smallwink:

Overview:
http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/3046/overview1if8.jpg
To the north-east is Dhar, capital and main military production center of the entire nation. In the center is Anhilvara, the largest city in the region, and a source of much wealth, most of it from trade and taxes. To the south-west is Mumba, a large town, it is also a large producer of wealth due largely to the mines that have been built there. To the south-west, we have Somnath, another large town that is producing a large amount of wealth with it's rich mines, but is currently being ravaged by the plague. To the west is Kutch, a small town that recently recovered from the plague.

Army and Finances:
http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/2158/financesandarmyvo7.jpg
Not many active armies, just each noble in his castle, as well as the maharaja out attacking, and the one captain-led army that's headed to Dhar to join the forces there. Finances are slim, most rulers don't have much to spend right now, what with the war and all.

Nobles:

Vigraharaja of Dhundar
Player: puppyavenger
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/9319/vigragarajaofdhundarfm1.jpg
Treasury: 1000 coins

Income: 2728 coins
1775 from Somnath
953 from Kutch

Expenses: 999 coins
619 to soldiers
380 in wages

Net: +1729 coins

Owned Regions:
Kutch
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/4669/kutchni0.jpg
Sommnath
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/4476/somnathpy1.jpg

Notes: Your palace is in Somnath, but you haven't been there yet for fear of the plague that still ravages that city. Instead you are taking shelter in Kutch, which is past the worst of the plague. You don't have any room to expand by land, so taking to the sea is likely your best bet.


Vigraharaja Chundawat
Player: Piedmon Sama
http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/645/vigragarajachundawatmf8.jpg
Treasury: 1000 coins

Income: 1471 coins
771 from Dhar
700 from the king

Expenses: 1090 coins
900 to soldiers
190 in wages

Net: +381 coins

Owned Regions:
Dhar
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/164/dharqg7.jpg

Notes: You were adopted by prince Devapala as his son, and ordered by the Maharaja to create an army in Dhar and then forge northwards with it. The regions you conquer will support your army to greater glory.


Prince Devapala
Player: 13 CBS
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/3813/princedevapalays0.jpg
Treasury: 1000 coins

Income: 4238 coins
2252 from Anhilvara
1986 from Mumba

Expenses: 2171 coins
1791 to soldiers
380 in wages

Net: +2067 coins

Owned Regions:
Anhilvara
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/5056/anhilvaracq3.jpg
Mumba
http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/9511/mumbaoe0.jpg

Notes: Crown prince of the nation, currently the heir to the throne if the maharaja dies. This could change, however. The maharaja has asked you to support Vigaharaja Chundawat with funds for raising an army to forge northwards with. Other than that, he trusts you to manage the nation for the most part in his stead.

Bodyguard units cost 4.4444444444444444... coins per turn. This is a note to myself because to check their upkeep like I do the others, I have to move the noble out of the city, check, and then put them back in. Very annoying

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

You know have 2 choices, basically.

You can either expand north, fighting the Chauhan Rajputs, who have the same units as you, and then later the Ghorids.

or

You can take to the sea, in which case your most likely targets would be the Malikate of Sindh, whom you can ravage with the elephants they lack, or the Imamate of Oman, who would probably make a slightly tougher foe, though, if you hold naval control of the Gulf of Oman, then you can divide them and take them out in two parts.

[13_CBS]

Just posting to let you know that I'm still in the game. Unfortunately, I'm a bit busy at the moment, so no journal post yet.

[Piedmon_Sama]

I still say the land route should be our initial actions, and we should remain friendly with the Malikate of Sindh while we elliminate all our other neighbors. (When I played, they stayed friendly right up until I pushed Ghazni out past the mountains--then I guess they realized they were next on my hit list, but it was way too late for them).

EDIT: Almost forgot! I want to establish a build-order: Farms, Militia, then Archery Range. I'm not going to bother with troops until I have some decent buildings.

[AgentPaper]

Need some actions for the three current players. If we don't get something by tomorrow, I'll be sending out PMs. 48 hour notice from that PM to them being replaced by the next in line.

[Jonesh]

If this one could be put on the waiting list, this one would be pleased :smallbiggrin:
I've never done this before, but I've played Shogun:TW through to the latest medieval, although I couldn't get that last one to work properly. Got a new setup now so it might work now. Eh, anyway.
There isn't a schedule or something it seems?
Secondly, I don't know much about Rajput/Hindu history/religion. I could read wikipedia, I do that a lot anyways~ but if someone could point out some good links there or elsewhere on the web I'd apreciate it.
Thirdly, I'll take any noble I can get, I'd probably hesitate if I had to choose and it'd be fun to improvise with some random traits :smalltongue:
Lastly, are we conquering north? For an example, Delhi, is that a good target?

Lastlylastly, ladders are awesome fun in sieges.
"Against COURAGE what use are walls!?"
Still, that might be because I like to bring numbers to the fight especially to make those pesky archers doing something else other than firing upon my fancy troops.

Elatedly expectant,
Jonesh

[13_CBS]

Hmm...what units are available for production at the moment? Does the maharaja need reinforcements, and if so, of what nature?

[The_JJ]

Re Rajput culture: Very warlike, proud verging on arrogant. Declined to use 'cowardly' gunpowder until they started losing badly to the Muhgals. Picked up gunpowder enthusiastically... and turned on each other gleefully. Muhgals won, but had to marry into the Rajputs. Hence, the guy who built the Taj Mahal was 1/8th Mughal. They brag about this.
Also, one of few blocks that stayed loyal to the British during the Sepoy Mutiny.
So, proud warrior guys, but adaptable proud warrior guys, inclined to infighting.
Notes about Rajput forts that you don't see in Europe (an probably won't see even in this mod): Bends in the walls just before the gates so that elephants can't get a running start when battering. Spikes on the gates at elephant head height, for the same reasons. Labyrinthine layouts and 'sniping' posts on the inside. Beds a few inches of the ground specifically so that assassins can't hide under them.
Handprints stained onto the wall put there by widow's about to throw themselves on a pyre because their husband died.

... I spent a month traveling around the state, okay?

[AgentPaper]

Has everyone lost interest in this? Do I need to go for all-new members?

[Murska]

I'm interested, but my future character is an (uncontrollable) kid at the moment.

[The_JJ]

*waves* still here.

[AgentPaper]

Sent out a PM to each of the players. If they don't respond within 24 hours, I'll be replacing them with the next players on the list. I hope I don't have to do that, but I will if I must.

[13_CBS]

As I've said, I'd like to have more information on what troops are available for construction in Dhar, and the status of the maharaja's army.

[Piedmon_Sama]

I'm holding off on raising any troops from Dhar until I've got the available building upgrades for farming, militia, and archers, selected in that order. The King will understand the inevitable delay when my army is that much better prepared for our drive north.

In other words: Queue the three buildings I mentioned; my character takes no actions until they're finished.

EDIT: Unless the King REALLY wants us to expand fast, in which case I'll need to know what units I have available this turn. My advice is we keep a focus on infrastructure and improve our buildings foremost, but if His Raj-ness want me to start building an army this turn I will.

[13_CBS]

Piedmon, I just realized that I'm supposed to be supporting you. Once I find out what my province has in terms of infrastructure, I can tell you what sort of reinforcements you can expect from me, and what unit requests I can take.

[AgentPaper]

Okay, no reply from puppyavenger, but luckily for him I have a DnD session to run tonight, so if he replies by tomorrow, he's still in. After that, though, next on the list can take his noble.

[AgentPaper]

Sorry for the delay, I'm going to have to put this on hold for a little while. Combination of things like Disgaea and CoX consuming my soul, as well as a very messed up sleep cycle. Anyways, once I get myself sorted out, I'll try to get people going again. I'll give everyone (including puppyavenger) a 48 hour notice when I do start this up again, and then replace as normal if you don't show or don't want to/can't play anymore.