2016 The Choosing Philosophy and Other Stuff

[Ry Vor]

Im not sure how a magically deficient kingdom fights a wizard kingdom without the ability to hamper his wizards.  As the CI is 502 my ability to combat the WA without the ability to target his wizards would be drastically reduced.  While he would have the ability to ward any PC my group shows up at and blast the ones that they don't show up at.  Knowing where the group was before they moved no worries and if you want to change the order number to 700 I could support such a move.  But knowing where they will move to, that makes the mission almost impossible unless you are surprising the kingdom.

Im torn on the ability to steal an artifact as well as a well trained agent would be tracking the emissary or group that has it, tailing them and then stealing it when they settled down.

Young Padawan, you describe the tension at the heart of Alamaze, the risks to be taken in planning, the anticipation of learning the results.  Generals who construct the battle plans in real life from afar might feel similarly, although they are trained to not let emotions get in the way.

The Dwarves of the Talking Mountains have competed with Witchlord, Sorcerer and Warlock for nearly 30 years in Alamaze.  Yes, the Dwarves may get nervous, but so might the Warlock or Sorcerer about what to do about the Dwarves: their resistance to magic, their expansive noble court, their great riches, their sharp defenses in the mountains.  Over all that time, there is no clear winner between those kingdoms.  And with the Resurgent map and the Horn Bridge connecting the Mountains with the Mists, the Witchlord has to be concerned with a Dwarven invasion into his island.

In the betas, the Cimmerians and Sacred Order were in 1st and 2nd in the first beta.  The Red Dragon in that game had technical difficulties.

In the second beta, turn 18 status points showed the following:

All Kingdoms:

Current Total

Dwarven 2,100 3,800
Druid 1,850 3,525
Nomad 1,600 3,305
Dark Elven 1,763 3,214
Tyrant 1,525 3,075
Amazons 1,522 2,772
Underworld 1,150 2,600
Black Dragon 1,250 2,425
Necromancer 1,250 2,375
Illusionist 925 2,075
Atlantians 742 1,617

I don't think we've heard from the Atlantians in that game, but in the top 4 we have the Dwarves, a magic kingdom, a military kingdom, and a balanced kingdom.

Yes, the betas were not about winning or status points (so The Gray Mouser of the Illusionist reminds me), but in the absence of more first hand reports on the experience, its something to go by as a surrogate.

When we start the third beta, those who participate are reminded that the game won't go past turn 12, its not about winning, or keeping plans secret.  Its about feeling the kingdom you play and talking about it on the forum, and trying the new things in 3rd Cycle that were not in 2nd.

[Ry Vor]

I wanted to get some talk on the 3rd Cycle Personal Victory and Game Ending Victory provisions either attached or below.  Status Points will also be revised somewhat - I like the x2 prisoner idea. 

Victory. 
 
There are two classes of victory:  Game Ending Victory, and Personal Victory.
A persona may win by both classes in a single game and win great acclaim.
 
Game Ending Victory includes:
1.      The Rex: control of four regions at the end of a turn;
2.      The Lion’s Share:  highest status points at the end of turn 40;
3.      In a team game, a team victory of controlling 6 or 7 regions;
4.      Potential other specialty conditions for a given game.
 
Personal Victory:
1.      Players choose their Personal Victory conditions from a list and can pursue one of three levels of ambition:
a.      Acknowledged.  The persona has gained some notoriety for his accomplishment.  This requires achieving 5 points of Personal Victory accomplishment.   Earns 1000 points final status points and 250 for each interim status point award from the time earned.  This gains an orange badge for the persona for that kingdom in Valhalla, unless replaced by a higher award.
b.      Respected.  The persona has earned respect among his peers who appreciate his accomplishment.  This requires achieving 7 points of Personal Victory accomplishment.  2000 final status points and 500 per interim.  This earns a green badge for the persona for that kingdom in Valhalla.
c.      Renowned.  This persona has displayed audacity and guile in accomplishing a difficult personal victory that has won him acclaim.  3000 final status points and 750 interim status points.   Blue badge in Valhalla for the persona and that kingdom.
d.      Players select which tier of Personal Victory will target on Turn 1 - 3.  Their title in the turn 1 disclosure of the personas will be Baron, Count, Duke (depending on their ambition, i.e., a persona choosing an Acknowledged level of Personal Victory will be listed as a Baron, etc.).
e.      Usurper is the designation if no Personal Victory was selected, and so none were achievable.  A Usurper who claims gold on the podium (first place) gets a special notoriety.
 
The campaign ends when a player has won by a Game Ending Victory.  The player then with the highest status points after the final status point awards, whether achieving the Game Ending Victory or not, is given the 1[sup]st[/sup] place podium position.  2[sup]nd[/sup] place goes to the 2[sup]nd[/sup] highest status points, and 3[sup]rd[/sup] place to 3[sup]rd[/sup] highest status points.  A persona who has won by a Game Ending Victory, as well as achieving a Renowned Personal Victory if the game is rated Veteran or above, will receive a special emblem in Valhalla for that kingdom for their accomplishment.
 
 
#993 PERSONAL VICTORY ACCOMPLISHMENTS SELECTION
Players select their own Personal Victory Conditions as part of their Turn 1 order submission.  Players that do not make selections on  Turn 3 have chosen to go Usurper: playing with no chance for personal victory, only ultimate (game ending) victory.  In making these selections, players might substantially control their strategic approach to the campaign.
Method:
1.      Players select 3 – 7 different Personal Victory Conditions to accomplish from 8 categories when they submit their Turn 1 orders.  Accomplishing all results in the player achieving Personal Victory if he submits an order to check for Personal Victory and has in fact accomplished and maintains all three objectives as of the end of that turn.
a.      Players just indicate how many points per category, e.g., the category “Power” they intend to achieve, so a 3 on that selection in order entry means the kingdom must attain 3 points or more in that category to achieve this objective.  So for example: 4 Warlords (1 point); 5 Elite brigades(1 point); 20 Veteran or Elite brigades (1 point) would provide the Personal Victory condition of having achieved 3 points in Power.
b.      Make an entry for up to 7 categories, e.g., could be seven categories of 1 point each to achieve a Respected Personal Victor (7 points), or perhaps 2 categories with 3 and 4 points each.
c.      Players do not need to specify Notorious points: they are additive as earned to other points.  So a player needing 7 points might achieve 5 by his objective and 2 via Notorious, and so achieve his Personal Victory.
 
2.      Players enter order #993 on Turn 1 – 3.
3.      A player may submit an order #995 if he feels he will have accomplished all conditions as of the end of that turn.   If he holds them all at the end of the turn, he has earned his Personal Victory, regardless of what happens later in the campaign.
 
Universal result – any time a kingdom gains a tick, “The (kingdom) has accomplished a Personal objective.”
 
Personal Victory Conditions:  Most conditions are worth 1 point
 
The Victory Condition Categories and specific Conditions:
 
1.      Economic
A.     Control 2 coastal cities (there are 5) – 1 point.
B.     Control two forest or two mountain cities - 1 point.
C.      Control 15 towns – 1 point.
D.     Control 5 cities, that are not coastal – 2 points.
E.      Have current turn gold production of at least 150,000 – 1 point.
 
2.      Power
A.     Have 4 Warlords – 1 point.
B.     Have 5 Elite brigades – 1 point.
C.     Have 20 Veteran or Elite brigades – 1 point.
D.     Have two PC’s with defense of 60,000+ - 1 point.
E.      Control Elan – 1 point.
 
3.      Influence
A.     Influence of 22+ and be on the High Council - 1 point
B.     3 Princes(s), not Demon Princes or Consuls, and on the High Council – 1 point
C.     Have 3+ High Priestess, 3+ Fools, and 3+ Temples – 1 point.
D.     Tolerant in 7+ regions.
 
4.      Magic
A.     A Power 8 and a Power 6 wizard – 1 point
B.     Four Power 6 wizards  and a P3+ – 1 point
C.     Control two towns with Glyphs of Concealment (originally hidden capitals) – 1 point
D.     Control 3 wizard class artifacts not including the Ring of Power – 1 point
E.      Control the Ring of Power – 2 points.
 
5.      Naval Power
A.     8+ fleets in each of 2 seas of quality 12+ - 1 point;
B.     12+ fleets in one sea of quality 14+ - 1 point;
C.     An Elite Ship in each of the four seas – 1 point.
 
6.      Esoteric
A.     Control 4 artifacts of any one class – 1 point
B.     Control 10 artifacts – 1 point
C.     2 Quest artifacts (Require a Key to obtain: Ring of Power, Gem of Planes, Elan Flame of the North, Staff of the Great Orator) – 1 point.
D.     Control the Green Dragon Pair (unusual sighting).
 
7.      Covert
A.     Have four or more Level 12 or higher agents or fanatics – 1 point;
B.     Have four covert class artifacts – 1 point;
C.     Have 7+ prisoners – 1 point;
 
8.      Notorious
A.     At least 5 kingdoms issued a Causus Belli against you and 2 kingdoms declared you enemy – 1 point;
B.     Have magically destroyed or pillaged 5+ towns or cities – 1 point.
C.     Have won (recovered an artifact) in 7+ Unusual Sightings – 1 point.
D.     Have 4+ Wraiths or Liches – 1 point.
E.      Destroy the Ring of Power in the Fire of the Void – 3 points.
 
 
 Game Difficulty Rating.
 
The Valhalla Points and other awards are influenced by the caliber of their competitors in that contest.  As with recruiting brigades from towns and cities, games have experience ratings:
A.     Games with few experienced players, those with 50% or more with fewer than 5000 status points, are considered Green, and have 75% Valhalla awards.
B.     Regular games have a mix of newer and experienced players.  Most games will be Regular, which awards 100% of normal status points.
C.     Veteran games will be judged on most players having either high status points or podium appearances.  These games award 125% of status points, and may allow for higher recognition of various Valhalla honors.
D.     Elite games will be those such as Annual Championships and perhaps a special challenge or two in a given year.  These will carry 175% status points.
 

[VballMichael]

Question has anyone used a agent or in another way been able to steal or get some ones starting artifact like valyrian of steel.

yes, picked some up when I took a capital. usable artifacts but no status points and does not count as artifact for ESO.

[Atuan]

One thing I have noticed at least for the Pirates and I suspect this might be the case of all of the dispersed kingdoms. They are not tolerant or better in any of the regions they start with a PC. Why this is odd, is having looked at the Cimmerians, Druids, Sacred Order, Necromancer, Amazons, & Sorcerer every single one of them is tolerant in each of the regions with a starting PC. I remember hearing the Tyrants had the same issue. I would hope this is fixed for the start of the 3rd cycle of this is a HUGE disadvantage should they wish to compete for a region, pick up extra PCs near or with their groups. If this isnt adjusted I cannot see playing a dispersed kingdom.

[VballMichael]

One thing I have noticed at least for the Pirates and I suspect this might be the case of all of the dispersed kingdoms.  They are not tolerant or better in any of the regions they start with a PC.  Why this is odd, is having looked at the Cimmerians, Druids, Sacred Order, Necromancer, Amazons, & Sorcerer every single one of them is tolerant in each of the regions with a starting PC.  I remember hearing the Tyrants had the same issue.  I would hope this is fixed for the start of the 3rd cycle of this is a HUGE disadvantage should they wish to compete for a region, pick up extra PCs near or with their groups.  If this isnt adjusted I cannot see playing a dispersed kingdom.

Yep, Tyrant was actually suspicious in the region of my capital. I think they were planning on fixing that.

[Ry Vor]

Yes, we have that fixed - all kingdoms will start Tolerant in their capital region and at least one other, unless a trait or special ability alters that.

We also made about five changes to the ESO requirements.  Four of them became a step harder: A1, D1, D6, and D7.  (So for example, D7 now requires 3 P4's instead of 2).

The four dispersed kingdoms get 2 points automatically to their ESO.  So a Lesser ESO, after the 2 points for a Dispersed Kingdom need 1 more for a Lesser ESO and 3 for a Greater ESO.  The dispersed kingdoms are the Pirates, Red Dragon, Tyrant, and Underworld.

It was decided there will be no SVC in The Choosing.  Instead, we are introducing a new victory condition: The Usurper.  The Usurper is the ruler who is either in control or substantial in five regions.  If there is a Usurper and a Rex on the same turn, victory goes to The Rex.

We have our play testers lined up for the third beta.  Don't know when exactly the changes needed for the setup for that game will be ready, but Mike usually surprises on the positive side.

Meanwhile, I have lots and lots to do to get a new rules set in place from more than a dozen development documents. But we won't hold up the start of the game for that.

[Atuan]

Sweet. This looks exciting. I cannot wait to play the 3rd cycle. Do you have an estimated date on rolling the 3rd cycle to live?

[Ry Vor]

We are asking third beta players to try as many new things and enter as many battles as possible.  Once its started, and we have our battles, the commercial release will follow.  We are hoping a couple weeks (after 6 turns) of this last beta, if we get the battles.

[Ry Vor]

On the Philosophy side, we will be introducing several new universal results - results that go to all players.  In 2nd Cycle, you see that for enemy and ally declarations, High Council issues, gaining or losing control of a region.  In 3rd Cycle, more universal results will be introduced, including orders to Enamor and Denigrate.

Why?  For one, a kingdom undertaking these actions certainly can't do it secretly - its changing hearts and minds of the populace.  Secondly, this broadens the scope of the game, so instead of being exclusively focused on a local war, kingdoms feel more the overall scope of the campaign.  We'll also have a universal result when a new kingdom becomes the one with the currently highest influence. 

The philosophy is to allow players to feel they are part of a 12 kingdom game, instead of a smaller conflict in the immediate area of their own kingdom.

[HeadHoncho]

Love this!