A Ballad of Blood and Wine (Fantasy Nations) Planning Thread
Sept 20, 2021 7:35:53 GMT
Dewin likes this
Post by Jack of Names on Sept 20, 2021 7:35:53 GMT
Just to make sure, assuming that this is like our older nations games, how would issuing turn orders work?
Does the game use the "normal" 6/3 order PMs or are they made in IC posts?
Also, how specific would you want these House sheets to be? Mainly asking in regards to the characters and forces parts.
Things don't happen quickly in this setting, it takes time for projects of importance to be finished, it takes time to muster men, for people to travel, etc. I'm either shooting for 'monthly' turns (in character months, not ooc months) or 'season' turns, but i think season turns would be a very slow game. What I'm thinking of is doing mechanical turns first in PMs like this:
1) A player DMs me with actions they would like their house to take. These actions have series factors to take into consideration. It could be building a new fort or fortress, raising the levy, mustering men, etc. I'm not yet sure how many actions to allow per turn.
2) The player and I hash out the details of just how this is being accomplished. I'm not going to require extreme specifics, I'll just be wanting to make sure that the house/demesne is even capable of completing the requested tasks with their resources and influence, and making sure the player understands the consequences of their decisions if there happen to be any.
3) I inform the player of the outcome of each tasks, and how many turns certain larger projects may take. Then the player makes a POV post using one or multiple of their characters, likely a little lengthy depending on how things went for their turn, to put what they've done in the narrative.
Now aside from this, players could also freely post as their characters in back and forth meetings and conversations, or roleplay correspondence by way of written word, such as letters by raven or messages delivered by swift riders.
I'd also be open to players making more than just their own House characters if they want. Want to do some posts as a down on his luck hedge knight? a Neffetese pirate? A simple baker in the countryside? Why not.
Players could even make characters that are part of or in the service of other player houses, but to do this they would need permission from those players. I wouldn't want this to turn into people making such characters just to fuck with and undermine the other player from within.
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Now, let's talk about your house and your other questions.
For house characters I at least want names and ages, so I understand where they fit in to the house as far as expectations and issues like succession go. Anyone who wants to give more information than that is welcome to, but it isn't strictly required. I'm not going to rush you in giving everyone a name though, you can patch them in as you think of them.
For troops I'm unsure. Do you think it would be better to list separately special troops like household guard? They're likely better paid and better trained men-at-arms with specific oaths but maybe that alone makes them worthy of separate mention. My initial ideas was to just separate footsoldiers from cavalry, and cavalry from knights.
The only issue I see with your forces is the amount of men-at-arms you have. 45,000 regulars is... a lot of regulars. I'd expect at least half of that number if not a little more to be conscripted smallfolk, peasants handed cheap armor and cheap weapons.
I really like house Kershaw, nice description of their banner. If you want to push the idea of their hatred for Skaelers definitely make them a northern house: they will have suffered greatly from the Bloodwinter, but be making good progress in recovery due to their resources.
It's not a bad idea at all to include the Steppe, but just remember that it isn't great for farming. Though your entire domain isn't just steppe, I'm aware of that too.
Though really, Iron Peaks could be pushed more to the East or West easily and still be none too fond of the Skaelers. Much like the Norse of old, Skaeler raiding parties are cunning as they are brutal, and struck further south than just the Northern houses both during the Bloodwinter and before.
In the North you would be close to and possibly rival to another NPC great house, house Hacklai. Their demesne is smaller than yours but highly defensible, encircled by mountains but for a small few paths and they benefit from many mines and fertile volcanic soil. Your houses are similar in some ways and yet very different in others.
West you could possibly share a border with the House Gwyn. Highlanders like the Scots they are, but not quite so untamed as to be regarded as barbarians in anything other than a purposeful insult.