Glad to hear your okay.

HOLIDAYS!!!!

We are entering that time of the year when holiday schedules are a minefield to work around. I am not calling out any specific break however please understand I might not be posting quite as often and I also understand if you aren't able to post as often. The game will muddle along and once we enter January I'll put a bit of pressure back on to try and get things cruising again.

Understood. Thanks boss, and Happy Holidays one and all!!!   :)

Question: How do you want to deal with the macro-level combat and army stuff?

The rule set I am using is pretty light and straight forward but it also lends itself more heavily towards tabletop play. The idea behind it was to pay homage to D&D's wargaming roots by creating a war game based off of d20. You have a grid for the battlefield and troop types and each troop type will have different stats based on its race/specialty/experience level/equipment level etc.

Basically the idea would be that instead of running a character, each of you would be leading a squad of soldiers into battle. I've looked over the rules and while I haven't used them yet personally the feedback from reviews and comments is it is fun and does what it says it does: be a lite war game mini-game based off of d20 mechanics.


So with that being said two paths we can proceed down:

Path A) We bring in the mini-game and you would then spend your gold to build an army. Do you invest a lot of gold into buying up expensive cavalry or go cheap numbers and have a field full of peasant levies? Do you focus on infantry or archers or exotics like aerial knights or combat mages.

Then when it is time to take to the field you would have a battlefield and each squad gets a move and an action (for attacking or special abilities or maneuvers etc.) and it runs like a D&D combat encounter. Roll d20s, add your stats vs. target's defense and then deal damage.

Path B) We focus more on the narrative, I ask some general questions and then just work out all the crunchy bits behind the scenes and when you go to war the focus would still be on your characters. You wouldn't be commanding the army in a tactical mini-game but instead battles would be more like "choose your own adventures" or extended skill checks where you are presented with options, roll your stats and this determines the outcomes. SO for example you might be presented with the fact that enemy archers have taken a hill and are devastating the reserves. Do you inspire your troops for a charge up the hill into enemy fire or do you create a feint or distraction and try to sneak into counterattack range?

Let me know as i think that helps determine what the time skip is going to entail. Will you be sitting down with a catalogue of specific units or do I just drum up a few mercenary options for you to hire in a "choose your adventure" style.

I think I would prefer the mini-game option. But I am a pretty dedicated TBS player! haha. I've no strenuous objections to the CYOA style other than Talia is not exactly built for it. So if that is the route others want, I am fine with it. I can always adapt.

I’d prefer the narrative CYOA style. The mini-game style sounds interesting, and while I as a player could pull it off, that’s just not playing to Angel’s character or strengths. She’s not one to lead troops into battle. She’s more the solo infiltrator/assassin/saboteur type.

Plus, I’d like to believe my own strength as a player lies more along the narrative direction rather than the strategy path.

I think I'd agree with Angel. Alyssa isn't a commander, unless there'd be a guerrilla band...

Although, I also think some form of numeric system would be helpful to help judge the challenge of a given opponent.

Path A sounds interesting!
Just so I understand... it would NOT involve Orila since I would be commanding an army unit. I'd like to see this in action :)

Uh oh, two to two… who’s the deciding vote?  Yry?

Let's just hope this is not the 'pizza topping' debate writ large!

In reply to Talia Alden (msg # 953):

What’s the pizza topping debate?

"I don't know, what do you want" ad infinitum

In reply to Talia Alden (msg # 955):

Lol!  Okay, yeah. That sounds familiar, but I promise you that won’t happen here… cause the first time it comes around to Angel, “what you do wanna do?”… “Plan B. Everyone good? Great! Let’s go.”   :)

BUT I'm good with Plan B too. I don't have to see the other side of mass combat rules. In fact, I would really like to see how this story unfolds and it doesn't need the mass combat stuff. So Plan B gets us into the story :)

Plan B

Oh, and Orila sneaks in to steal the choice! Blah! Well, B will be quite interesting for sure.

ALso, GM, we are meant to warn you that the OOC is nearing its post limit. It's a good sign that this game needs a second OOC thread.

I hear you loud and clear but let me throw one last idea that turning your characters into leaders worthy of commanding armies could be a fun and exciting character arc.

We could dig into having a bunch of peasants staring at Alyssa or Angel or Orila or Talia and saying "So...what do we do now?" while half-heartedly holding some pitch forks.

BUUUT if that doesn't sway anyone I'm fine with going the CYOA Plan B for the battles. They happen off screen and we just focus on you the players.

IF that does sway you guys then I am happy to go the table top strategy route as well. Either or.

Oh, a mix of both with a focus on CYOA is my vote then! Talia as a military commander is something that I like as part of Talia's arc. But, I am also interested in the RP behind the scenes of course.

I have to admit the mental image of folks looking up to Angel for direction, possibly even after they know who and what she really is… (for if I have any hope of exploring that particular bit of Angel’s character development, then I’ve already resigned myself into believing it’s gonna have to be through an NPC, ‘cause the rest of y’all are apparently clueless no matter how many hints I keep dropping!)… has a certain appeal.

I could be persuaded into a compromise like the one Talia mentioned… a mix of both with a focus on narrative CYOA.

Oh, I've noticed. I just don't think Talia has. Talia tends to take things as presented. Hell, Talia probably mislikes that Angel is a warlock more than the other thing...

A warlock? Really? And what pray tell lead dear Talia down that particular, fantastical rabbit hole?
This message was last edited by the player at 00:50, Fri 10 Dec 2021.

I don't really feel the need to classify you as a particular class. Orila feels that you like to talk too much. Joke too much. You're proving yourself to be useful in a fight. But you still act like an outsider :)

In reply to Orila (msg # 964):

That’s actually more insightfully accurate than you probably realize, but I doubt you meant the play on words that makes it thus.  :)

I don't play with words ;)

In reply to Orila (msg # 966):

My point exactly.

*Looks between Orila and Angel. Shrugs*

@Dungeon Master, Show us the way and we will follow.