What is and what should be SMA?

[Chenier]

I believe the date range Tom mentioned goes from 700 to 1300. The latter date may be off (1500? I can find it again tomorrow), but I do remember the earlier date specifically. So any justification for things that are reasonable should demonstrate to have been applicable during that specific time period. No justifications of "The Greeks did it this way in 300AD" or "the Romans had this in 300BC" unless it was still being done by 700 AD. It also means nothing that was invented in 1585, let alone 1985. And even if it occurred in 300 AD and then again in 1800 AD, if it didn't happen during 700-1300, then it's out. So no Roman war chariots.

A lot of BM feudalism or encouraged behaviour fitted more 1500 europe than 1300 or prior. BM's a mix of many things, and isn't true to any one precise historical period or society. Bits and pieces from western european society between 900 and 1500 mostly, I'd say. Borderline 1600 even, perhaps, for some elements.

[vonGenf]

"Medieval" by definition refers to the Middle Ages: "The period in European history between antiquity and the Renaissance, often dated from a.d. 476 to 1453." [source] We can squabble over just how wide a swath, geographically, this refers to, but generally speaking this does not include East Asia, South and Central Africa, Australia, or the Americas.

It goes both farther than this and not as far.

SMA does not only mean the setting is only medieval; it is also specifically the warrior class nobility of the european medieval period. Whatever you do, your character is a knight. He is not a ninja, or a tribal leader, or a siberian shaman.

There are things that happened in Europe between 700 and 1300 that I would not consider SMA. The Sami people, for example, existed in that time and place, but their society was far removed from the european feudal nobility framework. I would object to having a realm based on Sami traditions, because I would have a hard time recognizing the characters as knights.

However, there are things that did not specifically exist in that time period but can be very well adapted to the BM context. Gender equality is such an example: it did not exist anywhere in the form we see in BM, but it was fitted to the SMA requirements and female characters are RPed as knights. The atmosphere remains medieval, even if the details are not.

[Shizzle]

Well, I don't like how you would 'outlaw' certain behaviors, the so-called "peasant-hugging" for example. My character overstepped some rules in society by asking for Peasant Rights. He got flamed for that within the realm, and almost trialled. I think that is the way to handly such things, not by simply saying "it's not allowed".

Characters should be allowed to be eccentric, as long as the players realise they're being eccentric.

I can see a local Lord be close with one of his subjects, in Medieval times. And as such, I think it's SMA, even though it's not within the boundaries of the 'peasant-despising religion freak' ideal.

[Shizzle]

Oh, and what I hate (though I've done so myself - a rule would help me not to), is hope people copy and paste parts of letters to comment on. As if they're using quotes on a forum! (I can live with copy paste for scout reports and unit info, though. Personally I always make it an "attachment" to the letter)

[Anaris]

Oh, and what I hate (though I've done so myself - a rule would help me not to), is hope people copy and paste parts of letters to comment on. As if they're using quotes on a forum! (I can live with copy paste for scout reports and unit info, though. Personally I always make it an "attachment" to the letter)

Part of what we need for this is an actual "attachment" mechanic for letters...

[Indirik]

Oh, and what I hate (though I've done so myself - a rule would help me not to), is hope people copy and paste parts of letters to comment on. As if they're using quotes on a forum! (I can live with copy paste for scout reports and unit info, though. Personally I always make it an "attachment" to the letter)

The problem with such rules is the extra burden they place on players. Copy/pasting is quick and easy. Passing rules that would forbid things like that, and attempting to force people to reinterpret and hand-compose all their letters, would stifle communication. A significant number of people would just not bother writing letters, leaving people even more in the dark as to what's going on. Conversations would probably also tend to get confusing, as not everyone has the same proficiency with writing and language skills. Without the original material to reference, people would have to spend a lot more time restating what had been discussed before, or leave it out and risk the inevitable misunderstandings and confusion.

Yes, copy/pasting may be a bit of an immersion-breaker, but it's a nod to the reality that people just don't have the time or inclination to be completely faithful to how things would really have happened. Whatever we do, we don't want to hamper or inhibit communications between players any more than absolutely necessary.

[Shizzle]

Part of what we need for this is an actual "attachment" mechanic for letters...

I would love that Perhaps something like the regular scout reports, only custom made?

I cannot think of any way around the copy-pasting myself either. :/ Indirik is right.

[Anaris]

I would love that Perhaps something like the regular scout reports, only custom made?

I cannot think of any way around the copy-pasting myself either. :/ Indirik is right.

Well, something we've had in mind for some time is a way to get scout reports out of the message body: instead, they'd show up as separate links below the message.

We'd need to evaluate whether it's a) worth it and b) not abusable, but it might be worthwhile to do something similar with actual messages, as well.

Obviously this wouldn't solve the problem of copying & pasting unit reports (ick) or the results of actions ("Your men work for X hours", etc), but it would at least start to address the problems.

[Telrunya]

Hmhm, I don't mind the current copy-pasting system. Allows for some tampering on the way.

[Anaris]

Hmhm, I don't mind the current copy-pasting system. Allows for some tampering on the way.

That's right.  I knew there was an important reason not to allow attachment/forwarding for messages, but I couldn't remember it offhand while trying to set up 2 new lab computers for my faculty

[Shizzle]

Gotta love adjusting 'straight copies'

[Indirik]

Yep. That's the problem with any kind of official forwarding system that accurately provides entire messages or archives. People will insist on the "official" copies. Anything not sent that way will be instantly suspect as falsified.

I've never tried to actively deceive people when copy/pasting letters, but I have deliberately removed extraneous information that the recipient had no need to know.

[Shizzle]

Same here. Not mentioning something isn't lying, is it?

[vonGenf]

I've never tried to actively deceive people when copy/pasting letters,

You mean "I succeeded every time and I certainly won't tell you until I get caught"?

[Indirik]

You mean "I succeeded every time and I certainly won't tell you until I get caught"?

I most definitely did not say that.