Messages

16

Wiki / Re: Lots of spambot accounts?

« on: August 04, 2012, 06:46:07 PM »

Well not entirely, for pure example say a wiki account tries to register named Velax since it has to be the forum name or the family name I message him on the forums asking if it's him, he verifies then I approve the account that entire process will take more than likely less than 24 hours.

At most I e-mail him in which case it could be handled slightly above 24 hours.

It's not like account making is the Mexico/US border I wouldn't expect it to be that busy.

17

Wiki / Re: Lots of spambot accounts?

« on: August 04, 2012, 01:55:47 PM »

I have a somewhat of a simple solution, goes along with the wiki team idea.

In order to make an account it has to be approved by a wiki Administrator, you would be encouraged to make an account in accordance with your battle master family last name or Forum name for verification before being approved.

so let the spam bots make away it'll never get approved without proper verification.

18

Wiki / Battlemaster Wiki Team Proposal

« on: August 04, 2012, 01:52:39 PM »

I had an idea, now hear me out here I can do the wiki easily but as you may know that's a big battlefield and it will always help to have more people on board for a diverse and helpful wiki. What I propose is the formation of an official wiki team this team works with developers on a low level advisory role to learn and understand updates to the fullest extent so that they as a team can publish the best manuals and information available.

However what is ultimately in demand is the time of this team, people want to only press as much time as they can afford to a volunteer effort. So in the basis of establishing this team what if we offered a incentive to be a part of this team say... a stipend of gold deposited into their family wealth and longer term members of the team depending on their activity may even get bonuses such as family fame, a unique item for the character of their choice etc, from Tom and the staff.

This helps the wiki maintain a current status and gets a team on board to "actively" keep it up to date. The Wiki team would have no powers other than the simple fact of maintaining the wiki to adhere to the information of the current time, and observing the board to ensure it's kept clean and in accordance with the Social Contract and IR.

This team would be headed by a Department head who would report weekly directly to Tom/Dev Team on the activity, what has been updated, modified, problems to ensure activity on the end of the team as well as list names of those on the team who were active and deserve compensation. An example of the report outline would look like this.


Forum Name:Talratheon
Position: Wiki Team
Date: 2012-03-08


WIKI TEAM DETAILS

Team Members:
Talratheon
Joe Blo
Barbie
Mary Jane
Jenna Jameson


Assignment: Updating the manual before moving on to other aspects of the wiki, including region descriptions in accordance with in-game descriptions.

Activity: Daily Activity on both IRC and Game and Forums.
Comments/Questions/Suggestions:

• Joe Blo is currently very active making changes to the security page and behavior page ensuring contributions immensely *link*
• I currently finished up on the trade wiki page to match the current and also began following up on -pages revolving on the game mechanic of caravans to ensure fluid information.
• Barbie and Mary Jane are currently inactive, and have made no contributions or maintained contact, will consider removal from wiki team within 3 days if no progress is made.
• Jenna Jameson made full headway on the new priest class page, having experimented with the class head on and really getting deep into the aspects of priest game play.

So a report would more or less look like that to keep you and whom ever you wished it Cc to involved and knowledgeable of the changes being made.


I think the development of a wiki team will ultimately help the server grown and population base grow as while we are an ever evolving game the information at hand will also be ever growing, and it is paramount that new player can read the manual and quickly learn the play style of the game before getting too frustrated by the lack of help or ignorance of the game.

The wiki team would also monitor obscenities working together to keep all information factual, educational and to the point.

The team would also be responsible for the forum moderation of the wiki forum as well as making weekly announcements on the changes and updates make on the Battlemaster wiki and also answer wiki related questions to the forum member base.

What does everyone think of this idea/proposal?

19

Development / Re: Your Fame on testing

« on: August 04, 2012, 06:03:40 AM »

Nah I got a 0.. I dunno whats up with that 

20

Magistrates Case Archive / Re: Failure to abide by Magistrate Verdict, Round 3

« on: August 02, 2012, 01:12:08 PM »

Anyone seen the movie called the Crucible?

This seems to be spiraling into that direction. Someone has been branded a "Saxon" and suddenly the player is unwelcome in nearly all aspects of game play and mind you not because of something he did but because of his label. We as players must be willing to forgive, it happened and judgement was passed in the past now while he was branded a member of the Saxon clan he alone is not a clan, he is an individual now if the case came along where he and five of his business suddenly emigrated to the same realm, then at that point you could consider a possible clan junction.

I personally feel as if the fear is unfounded, the accusation and the demand both unreasonable and not only unreasonable but anti-community, we are after all players of one large game that requires all of our participation to enjoy.

Furthermore on the discussion of clans every realm, every single one has a small clan within it's leadership it's psychologically inevitable it's why Generals, Bankers, Rulers, Judges remain the same people thought out the course or a majority of the course of the realms existence. People work together, familiarize among one another creating a social circle and degree of familiarity they are are comfortable with. As time goes by they speak among one another outside of the game, tell jokes, talk about other realms and slowly but surely even if unknown to themselves become a clan, as they expand and one of them decides to no longer sit in a position of power they still remain within the circle but allow another in it.

Its's the inevitable social construction, so in closing. Simply being a clan should not be illegal as it was stated earlier but it should only be illegal if that clan through it's actions as Tom stated "to play the game as you would play a board game with good friends, and to value fair play above any victory or power." The concept of roleplay people often forget is while the player is invincible and receives no harm in the bout of role playing (unless a fellow player at a D&D gathering throws a d20 in your eye....) the character is not, I always follow the rule of "!@#$ happens" when role playing, characters are not meant to ever die an epic death, outlive all his friends, or save the world from evil or get the girl or for some a guy at the end. Sometimes they get hit by a bus, trampled by a stray horse, catch tuberculosis,  die of a nick that got infected or catch a STD. You won't always win and that is where the greatest of fun sits, to try and achieve greatness in the face of adversity and through ambition of others however it should be done fairly. So that others may commit to the same ideals of fun and adventure yet "fairly"

21

Development / Re: Your Fame on testing

« on: August 02, 2012, 11:38:24 AM »

I have 100 knighthood on Dwilight

• But then again I was an awesome Knight of Outer Giask,
  
• Served 2 lords for a duration of nearly 6 months as a Steward.
  
  • Bought and sold nearly a total of 9,000 bushels of food.
    
  • Was elected High Justice while being a knight.
    
    • Only Courtier of the realm.
      
    
    so im guessing one or some of those factors have to do with it.

22

Feature Requests / Re: Royal Granary and Royal Treasury

« on: July 26, 2012, 10:26:12 AM »

I'm with Tom on this,

If a Lord is hording food and say the Duke needs it he should send a request to force the Lord to give the food up the chain of command i.e. the King.
the King makes a choice and instructs the Judge to act accordingly, the Judge can then collaborate with the Banker to see just how much food he is
hording then make a judgement to fine him heavily or banish him.

Eventually the Lord gives in or gets banished and loses the region in which case the Duke then appoints a new Lord.

Problem solved, the perfect government doesn't exist it involves "working together" with government colleagues to accomplish goals.

Relying on giving a single position power to solve major realm issues won't help anything, except as a easy button that provides no need for IC social interaction.

23

Feature Requests / Extension of Bulletins

« on: June 27, 2012, 12:28:53 PM »

Title: Extension of Bulletins

Summary: Basically to simply extend the length of the realm councils bulletins, many times I've typed out a nice descriptive bulletin only to press submit or preview to see the last couple of sentences have been cut off due to character limitations. I wish to have the character limitation extended so we can add more for the realm to read.

Details: Just make the bulletin able to hold more characters or ideally sentences of maybe 500-1000 words?

Benefits: More words in the bulletin.

Possible Exploits: None come to mind at all.

24

BM General Discussion / A new continent?

« on: June 27, 2012, 05:14:44 AM »

While we have regular continents that offer 2 turns per day, and the Colonies that offer 1 turn per day.

What if we had a continent not for the faint of virtual heart that offered 4 turns a day, i.e. 1 turn per six hours where everything would speed up and while it goes against the dogma if requiring only 15 minutes a day to play it would be a continent for the "more active" players. it would also be a place where it would be common to see battles involving the same characters occur up to 4 times a day and for people to be on their toes to succeed, since things can change so quickly.

What are your thoughts?

25

Development / Re: New Estate Buildings Ideas

« on: June 24, 2012, 11:51:40 AM »

Why not give each estate 3-5 slots depending on the size of the region and allow them to build same buildings? Make the bonuses of each buildings not very significant.

Maybe each time you build courtier's office or something, you will improve the estate efficiency by 5-10%? Make it simple and help knights with estate as large as 50% improve their efficiency.

I also dislike storing units. We can already do something similar with our militia units.

agreed,

26

Feature Requests / Re: REJECTED: Blacksmith Paraphernalia

« on: June 24, 2012, 11:50:59 AM »

One, I don't see the original arguments refuted. I see counterarguments, but I don't see the argument resolved.

The wiki arguments are made by someone professed to be a blacksmith apprentice that alone by many standards of verification prime example being Justice systems of alot of countries save for Mexico go by. It's equivalent would be a 1 year student in forensic science testifying as a professional in the field of forensic science over gun shot trajectory and blood splatter in a murder where as a professional's opinion would hold more if not concrete merit.

And since damage is used in many places, that is a major update to many code pieces. I don't see any positive effect on the game that even remotely justifies that amount of effort.

As for that argument, I have no rebuttal if it's not worth the effort to do it then it's not worth the effort to do it end of story, thanks for hearing me out though, Tom.

27

Feature Requests / Re: REJECTED: Blacksmith Paraphernalia

« on: June 24, 2012, 05:04:52 AM »

Your argument isn't making sense to me here. You say that this won't let you march farther, because the damage it can repair is so limited. But if it can't repair damage from marching enough to let you march farther, then how can it repair damage from doing... anything else? Damage is damage. It's not like marching damage is different than sitting around damage, which is different than battle damage. So how does your system let you repair enough damage to stay in the field longer, but not let you repair enough damage to march farther?

It's simple military logistics, a marching army can sustain it self longer than one under constant battle and ties into simple mathematics.

Army A: takes on 1-3% damage marching through 5 regions per region considered they make through each region per turn.To make it to an enemy city before receiving any damages the man amount of damages would realistically tie into boots, horse shoes, saddles, and sandles and food supply (food is already drained if a army compasses the region.) the traveling blacksmith can only repair 1-3% as well now considering he's never going to be perfectly lucky the damages of the army has totaled up to 10% the black smith unable to repair a perfect 3% each turn only happen to make enough repairs to lower damage by 4% leaving the army still with 6% damages

Now you are left with another pickle, pay time you need to pay the blacksmith 20-40 gold.

Suddenly you're in battle and suffer 15-20% damage now at bare minimum you're looking at 21% damage, plus wounded.

At 21% damage you're still looking at the possibility of 1-3% damage on the return trip alone which could total up to 36% again at a lucky minimum lets say he consistently repairs 2% per turn at 5 turns upon returning that's 10% damage he repairs, you're still stuck with 26%.

UNLESS you decide to stay and man it out, then since you're at a city they enemy can easily refit and recruit and now you're facing another battle. 1-3% for hanging around (this is also considering you haven't put your men through training for the entire trip.) You're face with another 15-20% damage now elts say you play it smart and if you happen to win you forage the battle field and gain 2% repairs, the black smith during this one turn only repairs 2% lets look at the equation.

Current damage without returning: 35% plus the recent battle of luckily: 15%  through smart actions you only manage to repair 4%, that leave you with 46% now it's prolly time to go home and refit now.

Either way you have to return to the capital but if you manage to march long distance by the time for example across and continent you get there you'll be too tattered to be worth a fight. By the equation of 1-3% marching per turn across 10 regions minus the possible training aspect and considering you make it across each region per turn you're faced with 30% damage now running a random number generator on a d6 where 1-2=1, 3-4=2, and 5-6= 3,

Blacksmith repairs per turn

• 1% Repaired
• 3% Repaired
• 2% repaired
• 3% Repaired
• 3% repaired
• 1% repaired
• 3% repaired
• 1% repaired
• 1% Repaired
• 2% Repaired

Made it there with only 10% marching damage to answer for, now for battle 18% (randomized again)

current damage total 28%, stick around and it adds up.

See how it works?

28

Feature Requests / Re: REJECTED: Blacksmith Paraphernalia

« on: June 24, 2012, 04:22:12 AM »

He quoted the wiki and explained his reasons why those reasons were completely unfounded. He is not advocating something to replace going to the city to refit. Merely something that will enable longer campaigns, increasing conflicts and making this game something more in line with its name.

Exactly, and to press to point forward brought up by the developers

There was a write-up someone did on the wiki, probably under the wish list page, as to why a portable smithy was completely unrealistic.

Viewing military logistics of the Middle Ages by modern standards provides insight into today's Quartermaster functions. This study will compare some modern classes of supply - Class I (subsistence), Class II (clothing and individual equipment), Class III (petroleum, oils and lubricants), Class IV (construction materiel), Class V (ammunition), Class VI (personal demand items such as sundry packs), Class VII (major end items such as trucks and tanks), Class VIII (medical supplies) and Class IX (repair parts) - to the supply systems that dominated military campaigns in the Middle Ages, 1000 to 1400 AD. The logistical functions of manning, arming, fueling, fixing, sustaining and moving will overlay the comparisons.

Quote
Class IX parts were made and repairs performed by blacksmiths, leather workers and wood workers. Blacksmiths made such necessities as swords, arrowheads, lance tips, shield covers, metal armor and daggers. Many blacksmiths were employed in the general area of villages, castles and fortresses to allow the weapon orders to be easily filled. Blacksmiths traveled with the supply trains and were often employed by feudal lords or worked as "contractors" to paying customers.Their main purpose was to shoe horses, fix weapons and armor, and make items during sieges to supplement those lost or damaged.

Refuted.

Next developers point.

You are correlating "army" with a unit of 20-50 men, or so. I would bet that every minor knight who lead 50 men into battle did not travel with his own portable forge. Perhaps this could be some form of army paraphernalia, if army paraphernalia or supply depots ever got implemented but I don't see it being added as paraphernalia for individual nobles.

My point:

Blacksmiths traveled with the supply trains and were often employed by feudal lords or worked as "contractors" to paying customers.Their main purpose was to shoe horses, fix weapons and armor, and make items during sieges to supplement those lost or damaged.

Again, refuted.

As to the title of the game battlemaster, no one likes peace in fact war is a catalyst for activity it gives people something to rally for and press against others for. While many realms couldn't fight others realm for the simply fact they are too damn far this would give that concept a fighting chance, and expensive chance but a chance nevertheless.

Long-distance warfare isn't exactly something that the game promotes. You're not supposed to be able to march to the other end of the island, stay on station for three weeks, then march home. Nor should you be able to sit inside an enemy realm for a month or two without having to go home. That may be fun for the realm doing it, but it would totally suck for the realm being occupied. The need for the attacker to leave and refit is one of the things that lets the defender catch their breath and regroup.

Again this wouldn't promote long distance fighting just longer ability to hold a army in the field,

In battle master warfare you gain 1-3% equipment damage by simply marching, a battle can take it down 5% easily if you're marching through 3-5 regions your looking at 15% plus a battle equal 20% where as the black smith can only viably in the initial thread only repair up to 1-3% damage at most he'd be able to negate the marching damage but the army would have to return to the capital as damages become overwhelming as always.

As for giving a realm breathing time that is always able to be ignored via game mechanic such as switching out armies in rotations this only add a new elements to the war aspect of the game and allows armies to be fielded "slightly" longer.

As for the Gold sink possibilities that lord can use it for would be this.

• Lords have to build it, it can only recruit so many smiths = $
• Knights and unit commanding nobles have to recruit them = $
• Units with them have to pay overhead fees, for them weekly = $
• while they can't fully repair a unit it will force the unit to return to the capital for "full" repairs = $
• It would give heed to the simple universal concept, wars cost money a rich realm could wage war all day where as a poor realm better start hording and fast.

Now even with this system a realm can't march across a continent to wage war on another realm having to cross 5 realms in the process simply due to the fact even with a smith by the time they got there they have gathered way more damage than the smith could fix making them still vulnerable to any attack. It would allow them to simply stay in the field and remain ballsy longer before having to go back for refits.

This has been rejected before, most of the reasons are posted on the wiki, but the whole discussion had quite a bit more content.

Reasons were given, and refuted by facts and the testimony of player who would find it a good aspect of battlemaster warfare.

The English marched all the way to Jerusalem in the middle ages, basically bordering the Asia continent in order to do this they cross the narrow, France, Germany, Italy, etc.. then finally figured out well we aren't supplied out here sign a treaty and go home. Point being for the history lesson is long distance wars are possible, holding out on them isn't this doesn't harm that truth it only extends it slight to our "fantasy game"

29

Feature Requests / Re: REJECTED: Blacksmith Paraphernalia

« on: June 23, 2012, 04:18:27 PM »

Which is why it was suggested as a probable expensive paraphernalia to have as it's charges could add up to alot, and while it would serve as a minimal repair tool on the field it would always be more viable to eventually bite your pride and go back to a friendly city and repair rather than sit on a field for a week+ and let him charge you consistently as he repairs for you at the rate of 1-3% damage daily, not to mention equipment damage of that amount occurs from travelling.

And while I would never expect a nobleman to drag a personal forge around, a black smith with an apprentice or two surely would for the payment opportunities.

30

Feature Requests / Re: REJECTED: Blacksmith Paraphernalia

« on: June 23, 2012, 03:42:40 PM »

There was a write-up someone did on the wiki, probably under the wish list page, as to why a portable smithy was completely unrealistic.

Thanks for the heads up but I read it and have a few arguments of my own.

In the text of the wiki: http://wiki.battlemaster.org/wiki/Science_of_the_Smith

In Conclusion, minor repairs were often done in the field by smiths traveling with the army, but the kind of equipment repair that many are wishing about here simply cannot be done without reforging the weapon, which is a process takes too much time and resources for BattleMaster armies on the move to be able to handle.

However, if you don't mind your army staying in the region for a week or so, then by all means a full portable smithy would be technically if not historically possible, but the repairs that many in BM are wishing for with a portable smithy simply could not be done in the field in the timeframe that they want them to be done, and carrying one with you would slow an army down to the point of being unbearable to the players.

No offense to the wiki writer he has well founded arguments, but arguments while being that of an apprentice blacksmith in the 21 century as he stated making his testimony of a blacksmithing is as viable as a first year medical student of making a testimony on the consequential effects of asbestos in the lungs and it's long term enduring effects into the field of Oncology. And in his conclusion in this quote.

"minor repairs were often done in the field by smiths traveling with the army"

Makes the concept viable.

Further more respectfully I wish to add quote from sites as well.

Military College, Air Force University

Source: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army/medieval_logistics.htm

Viewing military logistics of the Middle Ages by modern standards provides insight into today's Quartermaster functions. This study will compare some modern classes of supply - Class I (subsistence), Class II (clothing and individual equipment), Class III (petroleum, oils and lubricants), Class IV (construction materiel), Class V (ammunition), Class VI (personal demand items such as sundry packs), Class VII (major end items such as trucks and tanks), Class VIII (medical supplies) and Class IX (repair parts) - to the supply systems that dominated military campaigns in the Middle Ages, 1000 to 1400 AD. The logistical functions of manning, arming, fueling, fixing, sustaining and moving will overlay the comparisons.

Class IX parts were made and repairs performed by blacksmiths, leather workers and wood workers. Blacksmiths made such necessities as swords, arrowheads, lance tips, shield covers, metal armor and daggers. Many blacksmiths were employed in the general area of villages, castles and fortresses to allow the weapon orders to be easily filled. Blacksmiths traveled with the supply trains and were often employed by feudal lords or worked as "contractors" to paying customers.Their main purpose was to shoe horses, fix weapons and armor, and make items during sieges to supplement those lost or damaged.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8338993_medieval-job-duties-blacksmiths.html

Blacksmiths were a common part of every military, responsible for outfitting an army as well as for the upkeep and repairs of weapons and armor after each battle. They were required to travel with a military during times of war and would find themselves stationed alongside militaries in castles or forts to service the equipment. Their noncombat value made them too valuable to risk during actual combat. However, they would have to grow accustomed to the harsh life of a soldier.

As you can see from the sources above there were many reason why a blacksmith would travel with an army and why they would travel with an army, sure they could repair "ALL" the damage but minor repairs he could take care of reducing perhaps 1-3% damage every turn as long as he was with and would charge you accordingly leaving you with a 40 gold bill within a week if your unit was large enough and warranted it.