Kingdom of Alara

[Gabanus family]

There are often only so many people who RP often, cherish those who do

[Ehndras]

I'm very happy to receive so much RP and missives in private - its always the same folks, though. I'm sure once we go to war that'll change, but Xavax is nowhere near ready for war yet. We, and the other new realms, still have much work to do for the sake of internal stabilization.

In other news, and to my great surprise, a number of Xavax decided to join Robb and I in defeating the Itor Boss horde - ironically, they arrived before I did! Seems travel speed from Enubec is much better than Betholm, as their one-turn move was a two-turn for me.

King Robb responded thusly, to my happiness. I genuinely smiled with joyous pride at this:

Letter from Robb Starfall   (4 hours, 22 minutes ago)
Message sent to everyone in the region Itor Boss (4 recipients)

My friends, thanks for the help, should you need the same favor in the future dont hesitate to ask and we will come to your help (aid*).

Robb Starfall
King, Master of Coin of Alara
Royal of Alara
Duke of Itorunt
Margrave of Itorunt

[Glaumring the Fox]

There are often only so many people who RP often, cherish those who do

Unless you RP an evil character and mess up and then everyone uses your evil RP's to say 'Yeah I knew it he was evil' even though they were never included or were to know about how evil the character was, people are such piss poor roleplayers generally and its difficult to diverge from the usual tropes and trends. Sundar was roleplaying murdering people in Oc Lu Pesh, no one knew it was him no one roleplayed that they were investigating it but you attack one judge and everyone says ' OH yeah I heard the peasants in Oc Lu Pesh say Sundar murdering people' Like #1 who cares what peasants say and number #2 why are you listening to peasants and #3 You don't know anything unless you were there or included.

[Indirik]

If they get the message, they know. Good form would be to explain how you know, but not required.  And "I read reports of it" is a perfectly legitimate explanation. (Even if a bit lazy.) If you don't want them to know, don't send them the message.

[Glaumring the Fox]

If they get the message, they know. Good form would be to explain how you know, but not required.  And "I read reports of it" is a perfectly legitimate explanation. (Even if a bit lazy.) If you don't want them to know, don't send them the message.

thats weak, if its an 'rp' message its merely a story. If its a direct 'message' to the realm then of course they would know. It is lazy , but thats to be expected!

[JDodger]

totally agree with glaumring here. people rp their characters' internal monologues all the time and send them out as messages. everybody's going to be a mind reader now?

i was pretty pissed at how the sundar thing was handled, but after playing this game so long you gotta know that, aside from a very small collection of players, most BM players, especially rulers, play this game extremely conservatively and will sell out their realm mates in a second just to not look bad. even when the people they are looking bad to are totally inconsequential.

we (shulee, geg and I) campaigned pretty hard for sundar but in the end we were met by a chorus of "he is in their jail, he must have done it, and he totally could have destroyed xavax with his horrible actions!" 

piss poor rp all around and disappointing reaction to a potential conflict-sparking action.

/offtopic

[Gabanus family]

If he was looting in the region and people got a report of it, I guess then it's fair. If it was pure RP, then I agree that it was rather lame to use it.

There is still hope in BM though. In Luria Nova for instance I did something similar. I was arrested for attempting to assasinate the Judge, said he came only there to inspect the destruction of a temple of my faith and that he beat me up and arrested me without cause because he didn't want the investigation. I had even informed him beforehand that I would come. The Emperor of LN accepted the explanation and no action was taken, although I had also hoped it woul spark a war which it didn't.

Some people will abuse RP's, that's true. But I believe that enough will also honor and enjoy them. If a King 'disrespects' RP, then you should easily find an IC excuse for a rebellion for betraying his country and his countrymen.

A king who listens to peasants before he does to his own nobility is a traitor! Bye bye!

[Anaris]

It might be lame, but it is the official rule of RP in BattleMaster, handed down from Tom himself in no uncertain terms, that if someone receives a roleplay message, they are completely free to assume they have every piece of information written in that message.

Even if it's only laid out in the character's internal monologue.

[Gabanus family]

It might be lame, but it is the official rule of RP in BattleMaster, handed down from Tom himself in no uncertain terms, that if someone receives a roleplay message, they are completely free to assume they have every piece of information written in that message.

Even if it's only laid out in the character's internal monologue.

True, but simultaneously it is also everyone's right to choose for their chars not to know about it and subsequently dismiss it as a lie and attack anyone who does believe it IC. RP's allow for ambiguity in this way, which creations friction, which creates fun. If you don't like the King for using this RP as info, just say that the peasants lied and you have a good reason to rebel against the King for instance.

[JDodger]

If he was looting in the region and people got a report of it, I guess then it's fair. If it was pure RP, then I agree that it was rather lame to use it.

There is still hope in BM though. In Luria Nova for instance I did something similar. I was arrested for attempting to assasinate the Judge, said he came only there to inspect the destruction of a temple of my faith and that he beat me up and arrested me without cause because he didn't want the investigation. I had even informed him beforehand that I would come. The Emperor of LN accepted the explanation and no action was taken, although I had also hoped it woul spark a war which it didn't.

Some people will abuse RP's, that's true. But I believe that enough will also honor and enjoy them. If a King 'disrespects' RP, then you should easily find an IC excuse for a rebellion for betraying his country and his countrymen.

A king who listens to peasants before he does to his own nobility is a traitor! Bye bye!

This is how we tried to spin the Sundar situation, but people kept right on RPing as if game mechanics determine the potentialities of RP. "He is in their jail, thus he must have committed the crime" was said, and I'm damn near quoting.

LN, if nothing else, at least sticks up for its own against foreign parties no matter what...well most of the time, they did totally abandon that one Kenwood infil. Xavax apparently does not, but like I say I am not surprised.

Sadly rebellions have largely gone the way of the dodo in this game, most people are just drone soldiers who take the path of least resistance now. Ducal secessions are pretty much the only way to shake things up in a larger realm.

[Indirik]

This is how we tried to spin the Sundar situation, but people kept right on RPing as if game mechanics determine the potentialities of RP. "He is in their jail, thus he must have committed the crime" was said, and I'm damn near quoting.

Nothing wrong with that. If he wasn't caught doing it, how would he have ended up in jail? Random nobles don't just end up in prison for no reason. There had to be *some* reason they got arrested. This is an especially good tactic if you want the guy to take the fall for the crime, for whatever reason. Maybe it will get you off the hook for his stupidity. Maybe you're not ready for the war that it will cause. Or, more often, maybe you just don't like the guy, and appreciate him doing something stupid so you can hang him out to dry.

[JDodger]

because in the real world nobles could be set upon by their enemies and tossed in prison for any or no reason.

saying "the only way he could have ended up in jail is if he committed a crime (because game mechanic)" is bad rp.

[Gabanus family]

because in the real world nobles could be set upon by their enemies and tossed in prison for any or no reason.

saying "the only way he could have ended up in jail is if he committed a crime (because game mechanic)" is bad rp.

I agree, but once he´s captured you do have to come up with a damn good reason for it yourself as well. Saying, nah I´m innocent is often also not enough. Plus what Indirik says, sometimes people just want to get rid of a difficult char. Although this doesn´t seem to be the case in Xavax, sounds more like that they didn´t want war?

[Ehndras]

King Magnus of Xavax here - oh, we want war - but OUR terms, and at a time of OUR choosing. There are various sub-plots at work in Xavax at the moment, and diving headfirst into war with Perleone would be unwise and, frankly, idiotic. (and likely all their allies will go "EVIL XAVAX ASSASSINS! DIE!" for the convenience of an easy war)

Not to mention the last thing Xavax needs - in the eyes of a sensible king - is to be prematurely branded as a realm that sends assassins in the night for absolutely no reason, without declaration of conflict, and soon after requesting a diplomatic bump from neutral to peace.

What Grathe&Friends don't see is what goes on behind closed doors. The report and outcry of Sundar's attempt was sent to every ruler on EC - making Xavax look like a bunch of dishonorable !@#$%^&s and - thus - a viable target for conquest.

I plan for Xavax to be the next Cagilan Empire. Not some band of barbarians.

Also, Magnus never liked or trusted Sundar, even before the whole OLP cannibal thing, though that made it much easier to disavow his actions. Where our other infiltrators actually reported in and followed orders, Sundar did whatever the hell he pleased. Not to mention he defied multiple direct orders to not do anything stupid or violent in or near Perleone, to which he agreed - then went and tried to assassinate their judge, and in a region full of militia at that. Reeeeeal smooth, Sundar. Why not wait 'til he moves out to a neighboring region where - surprise! - there's no militia or foreign nobles to catch you? Impatience and inability to follow orders is the mark of someone who will not last long in a realm. It shows a lack of loyalty and duty, and you can't expect a ruler to go for that.

As a player, I went "Sweet, excuse for war!" as Magnus, he was furious at this abuse of a mere Inquisitorial trainee's power and failure to heed his very clear orders not to engage in aggression, which Sundar spit upon and he doubts ever planned to follow. A rogue infiltrator like that is at best an accident waiting to happen, at worst, an arbiter of chaos that will cause far more trouble than their dagger is worth.

[Gabanus family]

I doubt any realm will get to the power that CE did, but good luck trying.