Messages

46

Development / Re: Different way to nerf militias

« on: December 01, 2017, 01:37:59 AM »

1) Heroes and captains both boost the performance of player-controlled units so I don't think the comparison is accurate, and there's a lot more variability in militia performance in successive battles if they've retreated or are scattered than with player controlled units.
2) Militias for the most part are immobile so have a more settled existence than player-controlled troops. They always have a place to live, first preference for any food and presumably local attachments.
3) Most cities are not Oligarch and will not resist a sustained siege by a single realm committed to their capture. Having spent my entire BM career on the receiving end of gangup wars whilst practicing the black arts of defensive warfare I've never seen any evidence that the gangups occur because the victim has unconquerable cities.
4) Sieges could be handled with a new unit stance besieging which if all defenders are in normal or defensive would establish a siege and put the onus on the defender to attack (as with a TO) and lose the advantage of walls. During the siege food couldn't be moved into or out of the region. Enable the Black Market for traders and this could allow them to smuggle a proportion of food offers into the city at a sizeble profit siphoned direct from the region's tax office.
5) There are still a few Priests and they make great Diplomats due to both having Oratory as a primary skill. I'd like to see more of them and think priests shouldn't count against a player's noble character count.

47

Development / Re: Different way to nerf militias

« on: November 30, 2017, 08:36:21 PM »

Militias haven't been nerfed at all. With our declining player base, militias are getting stronger than ever. There just aren't enough people you can bring to siege a city. Just look at the Northern Alliance on EC. At most they can bring 35k CS. If you haven't noticed, there is no cap or downside for recruiting militias.

I'm pretty sure the Northern Alliance could field a much larger army than that if they tried.

They are way too good right now. Cities are already getting way too difficult to crack. When was the last time you've managed to starve a city?

For that to happen, it needs a complete overhaul of food system which won't happen for years or maybe never.

The "new" food system made it much more difficult to starve cities anyway, and since then I've only seen that done when a realm could be completely starved of food. Sieges aren't something BM does well but where I think mechanics could be improved without necessitating a huge rewrite of what's already there.

As to peasant militias, instead of demanding they be nerfed you could get a skilled diplomat or priest involved. Whilst it's time-consuming they have the necessary skills to generate hate or love. Or do you think all those angry peasants currently playing hunt-the-knight in Aureus are just there by happenstance?

48

Development / Re: Different way to nerf militias

« on: November 30, 2017, 01:07:33 PM »

I'm against Nerfing militias. In rurals they're only a threat to small raiding parties whilst big cities with strong defences should be tough nuts to crack by direct assault.

I'd much prefer a siege mechanic instead to blockade food imports to a specific city and starve both the population and the garrison as part of an overhaul of the Trader class.

49

Development / Re: Spawned peasants to prevent their region from any form of production

« on: November 28, 2017, 07:52:22 PM »

Regions actually recover quite quickly even after you call peasants. Also, all peasants that spawn from a region are based on RC stats of that region. Where do you think these peasants are getting their weapons and armors from. Peasants aren't really those weaklings you used to slaughter anymore.

I've very rarely slaughtered peasants but I have deployed them a few times and the economic impact has been heavy troublesome - especially when they take heavy casualties. I'm currently exploring what can be done with more reactive peasant militias so I'll not venture any further opinion until I have more data to work on.

As for region lords being able to call peasants, I am actually against that. That would make attacking another realm a living hell.

Lords who wanted to take advantage of that would have to be in their regions, and as most realms are struggling with low noble density I suspect that would damage their defences in other ways.

50

Development / Re: Spawned peasants to prevent their region from any form of production

« on: November 28, 2017, 10:30:35 AM »

Calling out the Citizens' Militia is a last-ditch strategy. Usually at that point only the capital remains and the defenders are playing for time. Sometimes that pays off, mostly it doesn't. Having it completely nerf the region would remove any possibility of the realm surviving so why not just remove the Citizens' Militia in the first place?

However peasant mobilisation is usually prompted by hatred for another realm as their troops move through a region and provides a counterbalance to excessive looting as well as a lever Diplomats and Priests can use to influence events. The fact it inconveniences attackers is no reason why it should also inconvenience defenders.

Production is already reduced proportionate to the extent of peasant mobilisation, affecting both gold and food. Extending that to affect RCs would be interesting but it makes no sense unless RC-quality militia units are spawned and when they disband refill the RCs they were drawn from.

And if we go that route I think region Lords should have an option to call out their local peasant militia without honour or prestige losses. Medieval Lords had few qualms about using feudal levies.

51

Development / Re: Spawned peasants to prevent their region from any form of production

« on: November 27, 2017, 10:13:31 AM »

Production already takes a hit when peasants mobilise.

52

East Island / Re: Which realm to join?

« on: November 25, 2017, 09:31:12 PM »

Come to sunny(?) Shadowdale and enjoy the fine sea views.

53

East Island / Re: Elves

« on: November 22, 2017, 10:53:52 AM »

I'm glad to know. When you buy a house, you want to invite your friends. I built a hotel, because I wanted unexpect guests to continue the party 

I'm toying with the idea of a Hospitalers' guild following on from Brigdha's RPs during the Oligarch siege. Not quite the same as a hotel chain, but given the dubious morals of many BM nobles it wouldn't be long before nature took its course.

54

East Island / Re: Elves

« on: November 22, 2017, 12:39:05 AM »

Like the Tandaros family, with Hector Serpentis Tandaros (son of Yeux Serpentis and Maya Tandaros), I would love to see more people usin th fact that Erik always had a predilection for taking off his pants. It's good to see people using the opportunity that I left behind. Where's my Dubhaine's heir?

Etain is the daughter of Naevan (son of Brigdha) and Erfrayj, a member of the Serpentis clan whose paternity is less than clear. Erfrayj may be Erik's daughter or granddaughter - or maybe both considering what a nightmare managing his harem must have been. The Dubhaines never marry and practice matrilineal inheritance so Etain's going to have to win the family name the hard way.

Her's isn't the first instance of Elven blood in the Dubhaines though as Rhidhana was conceived during one of Moira's raids in northern Sirion, though the details were never filled in. I can't imagine it would have done Rhidhana's political standing in Fontan much good if it had been known her father was an Elf. The Kinsey's and their allies would have had a field day with that

55

East Island / Re: Elves

« on: November 21, 2017, 10:26:26 AM »

I remember those! They were pretty fun.

I don't think anyone IC really believes in the elven thing, my char uses it as a soft insult of the bastards that invade peaceful south. "Those damn elves", "their elven decadence" etc.

A lot of Dubhaine history is intermingled with the elves and the family predilection for picking handsome, anonymous warriors to father their bloodthirsty daughters means there's a trace of elven blood running through later generations. With the latest generation there's even a marriage to one of Erik's many bastard daughters which is a nod to my respect for (and loathing in equal measure ) the old Silver Dragon.

It doesn't matter if the Elves are a separate race or not, they're so deeply embedded in the psyche of EC at this point that erasing them would improve little and make the continent a less colourful place.

56

Beluaterra / Re: Gotland

« on: November 15, 2017, 07:24:58 PM »

Haha, yes i think Vita wasnt paying attention here.

Noble Rossyth from Thalmarkin killed Jomorosh.

Also only two of the portals where placed by Gotland, I do not know who put the third.

The portal in Gethsemene was placed by Ar Agyr.

57

BM General Discussion / Re: Do you remember the War Islands mini-game?

« on: November 15, 2017, 07:23:25 PM »

I've fond memories of that. Easy to learn, not so easy to master.

Chess was a big part of medieval noble culture so it would be very cool if we had a strategy mini-game tied into BM.

58

East Island / Re: Democratic State of Highmarch

« on: November 11, 2017, 12:53:54 PM »

EC has been down this path before. Fontan held 10 duchies at one point and was such a danger to both Perdan and Sirion that they buried their lifelong animosity and allied to bring her down. Ultimately though it was internal dissent over secretive military planning which ripped her apart.

Vix and Highmarch are both much smaller realms in noble count so perhaps they can avoid similar internal conflicts. But perhaps not. When democracies implode they really do it in style...

59

BM General Discussion / Re: Dwilight monsters destroy realms

« on: November 07, 2017, 07:11:29 PM »

Luria seems to be holding reasonably well against the hordes and like Westgard is strongly invested in a "defence of humanity" campaign. We sent a small force to aid D'Hara with their last infestation despite our own pressures and one day I'm confident that we will reclaim our fourth city of Shinnen.

The Lurian Empire has too much history to simply abandon, and quite a few of us are veterans of the western invasion. If getting hammered by 56K CS in Golden Farrow didn't make me want to join the SA heartlands, the current modest infestations certainly won't!

60

BM General Discussion / Re: Famous Old Characters

« on: October 19, 2017, 07:57:08 PM »

That is actually great stuff Vita! Thanks

And well Mathurin is known because we keep throwing his name around, but Allison was definately a huge impact. Honestly I didn't remember Mathurin, but Seoras kept using it thus so did I. I was anti SA back in the days in the west, but I damn well remember Allison.

Also what is a famous old char? I mean by now Garas is known by all on EC, but does that qualify? I don't really think so, not yet at least, but I suppose that's different for everyone?

I'm likewise wondering if Cathal qualifies yet, or perhaps the Colonies are too much of an afterthought?