Empire: The Glory of Rome (Roman Empire Quest)

[Sir LagsAlot]

I'm just gonna shill my plan again because hot damn is the Overkill train speeding along suddenly. We have most advantages in the fight against the Caliph's army, especially if our garrison comes out. Even if not, we can take that fight, I'm confident of it. And the sooner we end this war and start repairing Oriens, the better for our economy. This war will be over once these armies are crushed, more or less. And we can definitely do that with what we have.

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As one of the people who rolls the dice I can tell you, you're over estimating the advantage we have. The rolls for battles are almost completely luck based in this case after all due to the bonuses for both sides being almost identical so to even have a chance greater than 50% of winning a battle we need to stack numbers like mad.

To argue against Overkill, we'll probably just be disbanding those four meroii in two years after we've cleaned this war up, because we'll need to scrape up the money needed to repair Oriens. It's more or less just a waste of money. Further, throwing four meroii at Aegyptus is totally unnecessary given that they already actually outnumber their force. If I can't argue for repairing Oriens with the cash we have while Oriens is safe, at least don't also raise two more in Aegyptus. It's a total throwaway, we have Niketas on-site already and the plan sends him two battle-hardened meroii already.

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Actually, we have multiple provinces coming online next turn more the turn after that and multiple provinces to repair that are currently under Arab control so we won't be disbanding those meros because we'll have the necessary income to support them. In fact I bet we'll actually be increasing the number of meros we have instead as more provinces recover.

And over half of Niketas's forces are green with the entire force being heavily demoralized and he's being pressured to retreat. His odds of winning aren't looking good and the more he retreats the stronger the Muslims get as their fanaticism and victory buffs to battle rolls will only continue to increase.

Also Oriens is anything but safe right now we're literally fighting over it right now.

 

[Nicholas Brooks]

Also I believe we can use meroii as a sort of pseudo-police force to keep our new or recovering provinces and cities in line.

 

[phoenixfryre]

pseudo-police force to keep our new or recovering provinces and cities in line.

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Yeah, I mean what does the army does in peacetime?

Oh, right. Hahaha peace. Cute word I just made up. Laughs in 50 years of constant warfare.

 

[wildwill]

Yeah, I mean what does the army does in peacetime?

Oh, right. Hahaha peace. Cute word I just made up. Laughs in 50 years of constant warfare.

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The flood of barbarians will never end until Rome is the last state standing.
Changing to
[X] Plan Ain't No Kill Like Overkill

 

[Fezzes]

As one of the people who rolls the dice I can tell you, you're over estimating the advantage we have. The rolls for battles are almost completely luck based in this case after all due to the bonuses for both sides being almost identical so to even have a chance greater than 50% of winning a battle we need to stack numbers like mad.

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What. That's... that's actually really annoying to me. My interest in this quest has been drastically reduced. @phoenixfryre how true is this?

Actually, we have multiple provinces coming online next turn more the turn after that and multiple provinces to repair that are currently under Arab control so we won't be disbanding those meros because we'll have the necessary income to support them. In fact I bet we'll actually be increasing the number of meros we have instead as more provinces recover.

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With pretty minor repairs that didn't cost a lot and thus probably won't give us a lot. I'd rather save up to spend more on infrastructure than expand our military even further.

And over half of Niketas's forces are green with the entire force being heavily demoralized and he's being pressured to retreat. His odds of winning aren't looking good and the more he retreats the stronger the Muslims get as their fanaticism and victory buffs to battle rolls will only continue to increase.

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Fair, but he still doesn't need four new meros/meroii (?) when two hardened ones would do.

Also Oriens is anything but safe right now we're literally fighting over it right now.

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I don't understand. The province map the QM posted on the first page has Oriens as a fair bit above where we are. Assuming this is true and following up on the canals thing, QM, why do we have the canal and Oriens repair options when those things are literally being fought over right now?

Ceterum censeo Mecca esse delendam.

 

[Sir LagsAlot]

What. That's... that's actually really annoying to me. My interest in this quest has been drastically reduced. @phoenixfryre how true is this?

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First Battle of Trapezus:

General Constantius:

• +6 Martial Skill
• +5 Roman Professionalism
• +5 Defender
• +5 Terrain
• +3 Lazica
• +3 Barbaroi
• +3 Elephants

General generic arab name:

• +12 Martial Skill
• +5 Elephants
• +5 Numerical Superiority
• +4 Zeal

With pretty minor repairs that didn't cost a lot and thus probably won't give us a lot. I'd rather save up to spend more on infrastructure than expand our military even further.

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Even the small repairs give tens of thousands in increased income.

Fair, but he still doesn't need four new meros/meroii (?) when two hardened ones would do.

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He already has multiple hardened meros and they're still losing plus this way we wipe out our foes with the fewest possible casualties.

I don't understand. The province map the QM posted on the first page has Oriens as a fair bit above where we are. Assuming this is true and following up on the canals thing, QM, why do we have the canal and Oriens repair options when those things are literally being fought over right now?

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We're close enough to Oriens right now that the Arabs could just waltz over there no problem and we couldn't stop them shrug.

 

[phoenixfryre]

What. That's... that's actually really annoying to me. My interest in this quest has been drastically reduced. @phoenixfryre how true is this?

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All rolls are wieghted as per the historical advantages, for example the Romans usually have a plus five to any combat roll due to professionalism whilst the Sassanids (or their units) have plust three or two. At the same martial skill and repute as general give benefit/disadvantages. Alongside this there's morale modifiers for defeats and victories and zeal. The point being the dice has never been purely up to chance, the chance of a roman army losing to a slavic one will never be 50-50 but at the same time extranuating circumstances have led to the Arabs actually having enough positive modifiers to challenge you. Once again, I fail to comprehend what do you want.

 

[Star]

[X] Plan Ain't No Kill Like Overkill

 

[Professor Vesca]

[X] Plan Ain't No Kill Like Overkill
- [X] [Imperator Focus] Sail two more meroii down to Aegyptus, raise two in Asiana and sail them to you in Caesarea Maritima and raise two in Aegyptus as well to further bolster the war effort there. And as soon as the Arabs have been defeated the meros in Aegyptus are to sail north and aid you in reliving Jerusalem. But until then you shall continue to hold up in the fort and raid the Caliph's army doing all you can to disrupt the siege. (Cost 48,000 Upkeep 32,000)
- [X] (Cost 7,500) Establish a relationship with the Alans, they were apt horse archers and formerly a Sassan tributary with enough wealth perhaps you could poach them.
- [X] The remainder of the Imperial Navy not in use is to be seconded to Aegyptus for the time being where they're to do their best to prevent the Nile from being crossed by the Arabs and are to do to as much damage as they possibly can to the Arabs in the mean time.

 

[Fezzes]

First Battle of Trapezus:

General Constantius:

• +6 Martial Skill
• +5 Roman Professionalism
• +5 Defender
• +5 Terrain
• +3 Lazica
• +3 Barbaroi
• +3 Elephants

General generic arab name:

• +12 Martial Skill
• +5 Elephants
• +5 Numerical Superiority
• +4 Zeal

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Is this a D100? Because those are kinda tiny multipliers. Having to obsessively combine numbers and bonuses to have higher than 80% chances of winning battles that should be slam dunks is just bizarre to me.

Even the small repairs give tens of thousands in increased income.

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Right, I should've known better than to argue that point with someone involved in the behind the scenes of the quest.

All rolls are wieghted as per the historical advantages, for example the Romans usually have a plus five to any combat roll due to professionalism whilst the Sassanids (or their units) have plust three or two. At the same martial skill and repute as general give benefit/disadvantages. Alongside this there's morale modifiers for defeats and victories and zeal. The point being the dice has never been purely up to chance, the chance of a roman army losing to a slavic one will never be 50-50 but at the same time extranuating circumstances have led to the Arabs actually having enough positive modifiers to challenge you. Once again, I fail to comprehend what do you want.

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As I say above, it feels severely random. The things I would expect to be significant advantages are not significant advantages, some are just straight up entirely obscured to us. I think my complaint is it seems too random. Maybe that's just a differing tastes and expectations thing, or maybe I'm a fucking idiot. In either case, I won't kick up a further fuss and will just leave quietly.


Ceterum censeo Mecca esse delendam.

 

[phoenixfryre]

Right, I should've known better than to argue that point with someone

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He only has access to that info because of discord, where I can upload images and stuff far more easily, hence they actually got another sheet and tons of battleboxes I made. None of it is crucial since I'm still working on the income behind the scenes and not even Lags knows everything.

 

[Professor Vesca]

My thoughts: Deploy the navy onto the Nile. Make use of arrows and catapults to attack any attempt to cross the Nile. The river is wide and slow enough that the only viable way to cross is by boat or by heading up river far enough to ford the river, and that doesn't happen for miles and miles and miles, well past modern day Sudan and south Sudan.

Our army will shadow theirs on the western shore. Our navy will also shadow their army. If they go all the way down to the fork we will stop at the border while our navy continues to shadow them with smaller dromon supplying ammunition and food.

When they cross we hit em hard. If they make it we either meet them with our army as they come ashore or as they come back down river into Aegyptus.

Our navy should be attacking them the whole way. If they try to cross through the desert to get away from the river our ships will meet back up with the army. If they attempt this they are likely to run out of water.

 

[BungieONI]

stop This thread has been locked for staff review.

 

[Squishy]

this thread will not be reopened.
Good morning, all;

Over the weekend, we - and by we, I mean the senior staff - have reviewed this thread and determined that it will not be reopened. In addition, I will be handing out a number of infractions, many of them quite severe, and I think it is important that I explain why we've decided to do that. There will also be a forum-wide post later today to address the more general issues involved.

One of the things I think needs to be made clear is that a quest or an interactive story on Sufficient Velocity is more than just a static written work, like a book or opinion column in the New York Times. It is very much a community effort. Sometimes, that community can be a great, productive thing: individuals getting involved in the story, encouraging others to create, and creating a positive, vibrant atmosphere for the author and other readers. Other times, however, that community can be a toxic thing. Sometimes that presents itself as a split community that squabbles aggressively about any course of action and drives off new readers. Other times, it presents itself as a community that encourages distasteful and toxic behavior amongst its participants with respect to the quest itself.

This is one of the latter. In the name of "historical accuracy" about Rome, this quest has degenerated into what I can only describe as a toxic soup of users revelling in vileness. One user ends their posts with

Ceterum censeo Mecca esse delendam.

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As if they were a modern day Cato the Elder. Another wrote - and I am not exaggerating,

Bwahahahahahaahhahaha. Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!! Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!! Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!Blood for the Blood God, and Arabs for his Khorne Flakes!!!!!!!

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This just isn't acceptable. I don't care if it's a quest. As far as I am concerned, this is fundamentally no different to EUIV players meming "remove kebab". This behavior is toxic. It encourages the dehumanization of others. It normalizes genocide, racism, and muslim-bashing. And what's more, there appears to have been very little attempt to contain it or deal with it by the QM.

As community leaders, I expect better from our QMs.