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A Wargame Idea; The Trodan Rebellion: Rebirth of the Great Valley
Topic Started: July 17, 2014, 3:32 pm (264 Views)
NTNP
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The Trodan Wars: Rebirth of the Great Valley

What is a wargame?
A genre of board games centering on the simulation of warfare, either based on a fantasy scenario. The game starts with the random division of the world among up to eight players and an admin position to be filled by whoever is interested. Most games of this genre consist of one or more maps of the theatre of conflict, a variable number of unit counters (like symbols representing military units such as colored circles for soldiers, as well as markers of various sorts like squares for towns), and rules with accompanying tables and charts shown below. The object of this game is to overthrow the mad Emperor of Troda, unite the nation under a single faction and finally control the entire country through strength of arms and alliances against all internal and external threats.

For this game, there can be a total of EIGHT players, each will be able to choose an unique geographical location populated with two NPC factions to be interacted with alongside at least one race of monsters who could become either your allies or enemies. Through the game, each player will be able to undertake dozens of events alongside the over-reaching goal of eliminating the Mad Emperor and saving the river valley of Troda. What do you say, are you ready to play a game?

What is the narrative?
I know, shocking correct? Usually wargames do not really have a reason beyond an excuse plot, but given our drive to create interesting, intensive integrated stories, I thought we should have one:

Our game takes place in the nation of Troda. While once this country possessed a strong economic and military might in the world as part of the mighty Theocracy of Minerva. The Minervans were once known to worship divine beings known as “Agents of Fate”, individuals who had given themselves over to the eternal will of the world and become it’s messenger in the land of the living. Nevertheless, the religion and country has fallen into obscurity for many years, resulting in a general decline in the world. Over two hundred years ago, Trodan was part of the mighty Theocracy that spread across the entire continent, but with the fall of this eternal nation of light, the land has entered into a dark age of isolation from the rest of the world.

Our story began six months ago with a fateful decision that would change the country of Troda. Since his coronation, the Emperor has been a weak, petty, shortsighted man who cared little for anything beyond the walls to his grand hall and the entertainments within. Even though the lands were taxed to their brim, the extravagance and madness of the Emperor has brought the national coffers to near empty and caused many people to lose their homes, businesses and even lives when they could not effectively pay the enormous demands put upon them. Soon whispers began to dance upon the wind; “rebellion” was the word upon the lips of the commoners and the downtrodden nobility alike. Sensing the impendent danger that may befall him, the Emperor began to take whatever steps he could to secure his continued rule. Prisoners and bandits were given pardons in exchange for joining his forces. What little coin that remained in the coffers was spent to bring in foreign soldiers to reinforce his troops. He was gathering an army, more than he had needed to gather in order to protect himself. But that wasn’t enough. Nothing was ever enough.

Soon an Imperial decree was sent to all the towns in the various eight regions surrounding the capitol. “All lands outside of the grand plains are from here on, required to field their own militias to protect themselves. Men and women of substance, still loyal and true I request your presence in my court for a while. Anyone is welcome, should they prove entertaining to me. All soldiers, men and women of blade and honor are so ordered to come the Imperial Hall to be reorganized into a formal army meant to protect me and this land from any possible enemies! Soon the fully outfitted Legion will return to these lands and free them from the yolk of ANY who would stand in the way of my rule!”

The message could not be any clearer, the Emperor was content to abandon the towns and in the outer regions to the various beasts, fiends, monsters and bandit tribes that he had allowed to flourish in the realm since his rule began. He had truly gone off his rocker. It became quickly clear that those who remained would have to be responsible for the towns. Looking back it was a rather intelligent plan though. It forced the rabble-rousers to protect these regions making sure that they would be less able to prepare for a potential coup de grace while calling back all the loyal soldiers from the lands, ensuring that any who remained would likely be enemies. It was a foolish decision to be sure, but he had made his intentions clear; anyone who would not stand loyally by for the Emperor’s lunacy should remain in the outlying areas and await their death when the grand Legion returned. For those that remained the only option now was rebellion, rebellion against a common enemy. But who would lead them? Some groups still held a degree of loyalty to the Emperor and would have to be won or taken over to the side of righteousness. Not to mention that there were groups out there that were more interested in fattening their own wallets or seizing power for themselves in the confusion and taking what they wanted than any type of honest change. If the rebellion had a chance, then these groups would need to be dealt with before any attack on the capital could be done.

Yet perhaps the strangest of all things was a rumor that had begun to spread from town to town. Men and women of no renown had begun to appear in towns, seeking out the individuals of power and importance in the land. They all wore black robes, covered their faces with strange masks and all had unnatural looking purple hair. In the stories, they would appear before important people and offer them a deal. Sometimes they would request gold for their knowledge, other times they would come to warn of impending disasters or unanticipated windfalls. Other times they just seemed to appear after a natural event occurred within the world, as if to highlight the options laid out before them and give a glimpse into what might occur in response. While usually cryptic in their true purpose, they tell no lies and all their predictions seem to come true. The common folk had begun calling them the mystic “Agents of Fate.” In the last year, there have been dozens of appearances from these masked figures but since the Imperial edict abandoning the outer realms they have begun appearing in mass.

With the need for Rebellion growing as the battle lines are drawn, anyone not willing to slaughter their own kinsmen or are more loyal to the crown than their own lands, friends and neighbors are now the enemy and must be destroyed in the Emperor’s eyes. Now is the time for these men and women of renown to rise up if they wish for their country to survive. With the few completely soldiers ordered back to the capitol and the various towns left unprotected, there is no other choice but to create a militia in hopes of protecting themselves against the wild beasts and the brutal forces of the outside world. Even if they held no disdain for the Emperor (although so few probably do not hate him), it has become clear that he cares nothing for anyone but himself and intends to wipe out anyone that will not agree to his madness.

It has been one season since the decree was nailed to every door and wall in the outer lands. With that time, the various towns have begun to solidity their leadership and a relatively small amount of gold (2,000) was gathered in order to create a militia. Now is the time, if anyone has the strength of will and spirit to gather their allies and be prepared to lead the land into a future free of lunacy. How will they overcome the might of the Emperor’s legion of mercenary soldiers and brutal soldiers? How will the Agents of Fate influence the world and the army? How will this country change thanks to your hands?

Turns:
Due to being a wargame, there is an importance of when to post. I have decided to make it where time is a little more fluid than in many examples and as such, the posting requirements will show that. Every six hours, all players may post. When each player posts, one of the things to be remembered is that they should include a “log” of the various things going on in their lands at the time. Things like Unit recruitment or training, a list of buildings, any ongoing projects along with how close they are to completion and of course anything involving the movement of Units around the area in case a battle might want to be initiated in the immediate future. Below the log is an optional narrative based analysis of what is going on in the world. While it makes it a lot more fun to include these narrative sides to the story, if you are in a hurry then do not feel bad about skipping it.

Moving on, every 12 turns (or 3 Real Life Days) represents a change of season within the narrative. At that point, all the various “logs” compiled by the admins will be posted in a separate topic outlining how each NPC or Lesser Faction has changed over the last 12 turns. Also unless already stated, if an Event hasn’t been fulfilled by the end of the season, it will either become null and void (if a win-win or win-neutral) or the worst case scenario will take place. From there, every 48 turns (or 12 Real Life Days) will constitute a year in the narrative. If you intend to play this game, you are expected to post at least ONCE per SEASON (every THREE DAYS) in order to be active and not replaced by a Lesser Faction which will result in your defeat. If you choose to play, remember you need to post at least once every THREE DAYS and at least tell us what your area has been up to over the last freaking month. If you are currently engaging in a battle however, the requirements are intensified and require at least ONE POST PER DAY or less the powers that be will take over. You do not want the powers at be to take over, it will not end well for your side. However, you can always ask a fellow player to post in your stead!

Do Battles Work:
Usually with me, I rely on rather complex mathematical formulas in order to determine victories and defeats. However, this time I would like to offer something easier for everyone, just let the players decide after seeing an ‘overall’ look at how powerful each side is. Most battles will take place with each side having an objective that they will strive to complete in the rather short two back and forths that a battle will take place in a turn. Obviously, Units still exist and there is still a numerical aspect to the game but it is not an important aspect unless a fight is exceptionally one side or if a moderator is needed to determine the effectiveness of a battle. Unlike in a straight battle (as seen in FERP), most conflicts often have some sort of an objectives that determine the victor and loser rather than purely a numerical aspect. Both the attacker and defenders have objectives they wish to uphold. Perhaps for the Attackers it could be as simple as “hurt as many enemies as possible” while the Defenders is “Survive”, so then if either side doesn’t manage to completely destroy the other then it would be considered a “no win situation.” If the Attacker alternatively has the objective of “burn down a building and kill as many civilians as possible” then the Defender might have the objective of either “force back the invading attackers” or “protect the town”. Thus, whoever is closest to their objective between negotiations between the parties involved (and occasionally a war mod if a decision cannot be met peaceably) one side will be declared Victorious and the other Defeated. If a unit or army is defeated, then they are forced from the immediate area and if it happens to be a town then it is surrendered to the victor. Alternatively, if you are the victor, you have the option to either withdraw yourself or take the location. If it was a No-Win situation though, both sides remain in their current location or both sides have the option of retreating.

So for the most part, whoever wins or loses is determined by objectives. But how do you figure out how much health each side lost? Well the first and best option is to look at the numbers, make a solid argument and talk it out with the other person playing. Outside of that, I present this rather simple formula:

Attack + 1-10 for tactics – Defense +1-10 for tactics = #

If the number is a positive, then the Attacker has inflicted more damage to the defending army in their assault. The higher the positive number, the greater damage done to the Defender’s Army and the less damage done to the Attacker’s Army.
If the number is negative, then the Defender’s counter attacks inflicted more damage to the Attacking army. The higher the negative number, the greater damage done to the Attacker’s Army and the less damage done to the Defender’s Army.

How things change as the army’s and numbers get bigger:
Spoiler: click to toggle


Types of Resolutions:
Spoiler: click to toggle


Combat Units Sheet:
Spoiler: click to toggle


Buildings:
Buildings exist within each town, providing a unique aspect to every area. These buildings are sorted based on their economic (gold gaining) or military (Unit creating/strengthening) attributes and can be transformed into another type of building usually for a small charge in a short period or destroyed and rebuilt into another form entirely. Initially starting towns begin with three building slots available. If sought as a project for 4 turns by a Unit, Led Unit or Hero up to five buildings slots can be found and in total five buildings can be constructed per town. If an army, attacks a town and its defenders are routed, defeated or non-existent then the attacking army can either occupy the town OR destroy one building resulting in it turning back into an open building slot.

An example of your town log
Spoiler: click to toggle


Lesser Factions:
While player factions are very important, Lesser Factions also exist within the story in order to provide an immediate foe for players to interact with when they enter the game in contrast to the ever looming threat of the Emperor. Players have the option to either A: Choose the “type” of faction present, or allow the RNG to decide what types of opponents will be provided that the majority agree to the terms. These factions provide the player the opportunity to learn the combat mechanics, develop your own faction and interact with the game early on without fear of being overwhelmed. It also lets you come to understand the situation slowly and effectively. The following is a description of the four types of Lesser Factions found in the game. Below are explanations of each type:

Royals
Spoiler: click to toggle


Barbarians
Spoiler: click to toggle


Nobles
Spoiler: click to toggle

Merchants
Spoiler: click to toggle


For those of you who wish to be “Lone Wolves” it is possible to play the game this way:
Spoiler: click to toggle


An example of what a once per season log looks like
Faction Name: Obvious
Date: Year 1000+; Season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter); Month 1-3

Military Logs:
Spoiler: click to toggle


Town Logs:
Spoiler: click to toggle


Social Log (the Narrative):
Spoiler: click to toggle


Overview:
This is basically where the player gives a short, to the point overview of what happened this turn/season. Things like Unit recruitment, training and promotion are important. Any actions taken involving the completion of events also need to be stated here. If any Unit has changed location it should be stated here as well. Lastly if an offer of alliance, declaration of war or negotiations took place they should be noted here too. Basically any changes that either the admin (me) or the other players aught to know should be put here. This section is required.
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NTNP
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There are 9 distinctive areas available in this wargame, eight of which the players can settle and use as their home territories. At this stage, I would like for any player interested in joining the game to select an area for your faction to start the game in.

The map is here:
Spoiler: click to toggle


Descriptions of Each Area:
Starting from the center we have the Great Valley. At the heart of the kingdom of Troda, this fertile river valley is the agricultural and trade center of the entire continent. A great palace known as Trodan Castle resides in the heart of a large island, split between multiple rivers that pass underneath the city bridges. In each of the four cardinal directions is a single great town, most commonly known as the “Directional Gates.” North, south, east and west the four Gates along with the towns that have sprung up around them make up the heart of the Trodan Kingdom. The goal of the wargame is to depose the tyrannical Mad Emperor who makes the Great Valley and Castle Trodan his home. This region cannot be controlled by a player faction at the beginning of the game.

To the north lies the mighty King’s Mountain. These ancient ravines and peaks hold not only the major source of quarry for the realm but is also well known for the ancient ruins that reside in the depths of the earth. Large faces are carved into the side of the mountain, like an ancient king overlooking his realm for all eternity. While an important area to the Trodan people, they also must share this land with the mysterious creatures known as Automaton, or as we have come to know them “golems.” These creatures of stone and magic have existed since ancient time, but none know how they are made. While they rarely venture out of the depths of the mountains, some say that these creatures live forever and cannot die.

In the north-west is the icy Eternal Peaks. Due to the elevation, this area is unreachable from the Great Valley and the only paths leading to it come from the King’s Mountain and the Waterfall Coast. While inhospitable due to both the heavy snow during the winter and the difficulty of reaching the area, this region is extremely important to the merchants. Underneath the black rock and ice lie unimaginable caverns of crystal, silver and gold. This land of avarice has been the economic backbone of Trodan for many years and dozens of wars have been fought here over this mother lode of wealth. Hundreds upon hundreds have given their lives and now lay here under the ice. Since the return of the Agents of Fate, a blinding light has shined down from the peaks… I wonder what that could mean?

To the north-east, in the shadow of the mountains lies a sunken path deep in the earth. The Sunken Road is a large pathway that goes from the mountains and foothills down into a deep ravine. This path is one of the few in the region that leads to the lands outside of the great mountains that protect Trodan. As one follows the road, they will eventually be led out into desolate wasteland where few willingly live. Most know it as a refuge for the wizened and a hideaway for those seeking to fill their pockets with the gold of merchants attempting to head out into the world to make their riches. The few that choose to live in the Sunken Road are hearty people, accustomed to defending themselves against any that might come their way.

To the west of the Great Valley is the Waterfall Coast. This region, still high above the natural shoreline is best known for the elevated cliffs that overlook the sea. It almost looks as if the world just stops and falls when one reaches a certain point, creating massive waterfalls where the rivers run out into the sea. However not all is as it seems. A large cavern system fills the area, giving hundreds of small grotto like entrances into the ocean along with a few paths that lead to the shoreline itself, eroded by constant erosion from the falling rivers above. While a generally poor area, there are few that can disagree that the ports in this region are not exceptionally important to the day to day needs of the Trodan people. Every day new people come by ship into this region, along with great, inhuman creatures from the sea that have been treated as both fierce enemies, occasional nuisances and once upon a time as food.

To the west of the Great Valley is the Aragats Foothills, a well-known region containing the vast majority of the non-precious metals such as iron and copper used in the construction of weapons, armor, tools and homes. In general, the Aragats area is fairly safe and profitable due to the large number of military groups that call the area home. However, there are legends of creatures hiding deep within the earth. If folk tale is to be believed, once great scaled beasts called this area their territory and ruled over all that would dare to step upon their kingdom of stone and mud. Yet one thing is for sure about the region, there are active swells of lava that run through the underground leading up into the King’s Mountain. Many theorize that a great volcano eruption created the Sunken Road. Regardless of a few extra tremors now and then, the Aragats Foothills are the military backbone of this entire country.

Following the southern road from the Great Valley, you will eventually reach the Sacred Grove . As with most forests, large lumberyards and makeshift farmlands have overtaken the edges of the wilds. Without a doubt, the trees themselves provide a good incentive, but there are many rare herbs and flowers here as well. Along with tasty beasts that call this sea of green their home. Nevertheless, like so many other places in the Kingdom of Troda it is not safe. Massive creatures, beasts unlike anything that those who live in the Great Valley could ever imagine stalk the deepest parts of the forest and prey upon whatever is foolish enough to encroach upon their sacred lands.

To the south-west is the Vanagand Swamp. This unwanted piece of land is little more than knee deep swamp at the coast leading into a seemingly endless torrent of mud and muck all the way until you reach the edge of the forest to the east or the mouth of the rivers up north. Honestly this area is about as distant as they come and very little can be gained from this area, but perhaps that is its greatest defense as well. No one would willingly come here to conquer this land, firstly because it is such a difficult place to navigate but also because the only way in is by following through the torturous woods or by following the coastline into the muck. Moreover, that isn’t even mentioning the rumors of foul creatures residing within the dark places of the swamp, just waiting to rip a child from its mother or to sink an unwary traveler to his murky doom. At its core, the Vanagand Swamp is merely a place where those who want to be left alone may hide, away from the seeing eyes of the world and their greed. While ugly, this is a safe and peaceful land for those willing to accept serenity.

Lastly to the south-east lies the final entrance to the region, the Highwind Plains. This ever flowing grassland goes out as far as the eye can see down the southern roads toward the great forest dwelling nations to the south and the free lands to the east. Trodians best know this as the entrance to their kingdom, and as such many important structures have been developed here to both protect the land from invaders but also to enhance trade. While a direct route to the capitol might have been ideal, the Aragats Foothills make that impossible, as does the eastern half of the great forest. While a safe place near the foothills thanks to the military fortifications, the further away from the mainland you get the more dangerous it becomes. Many say that wildmen, nomads that look more like monsters than men skirt across the edges of the domain robbing and taking anything that they desire from traveler and convey alike.

So these nine locations will be the main regions of your game. From start to finish you have the King’s Mountain, The Eternal Peaks, The Waterfall Coast, the Sunken Road, Aragats Foothills, the Vanagand Swamp, the Highwind Plains and the Sacred Grove to choose from. Each faction may choose one location to start the game in and from there the events occurring may change depending on location. If at the beginning of the game any number of locations are not selected, then they will be considered “obscured by the fogs of war” (for my own ease of mind) and so if any new players choose to join that they may select a location and join with modified stats and resources.

So what do you guys think? We can have up to eight players for this. Who wants to play a game? If you are interested, have a few ideas or for that matter want in you can choose a region at this time too.
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Sin
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Slow and steady...
Good grief, NT. I'm in my mid twenties; I don't have the time to read all of that! D:
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Person A
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Best to sleep on it.
I've tried a wargame before. I started optimistic. I ended horribly burned out and sad and headache-y.

Yeah, sorry, NTNP, but this just isn't my cup of tea.
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Mover, Shaker,
Brute and Breaker.

Master, Tinker,
Blaster and Thinker,

Striker, Changer,
Trump and Stranger.

Worm: Power Classifications
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Kazemitsu
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Assassin
No wargames. No. Ever. Just a plain old rp will do thank you very much.
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