[Fwd: Birthright]

[Robert Harper]

At 01:52 AM 1/13/97 -0700, you wrote:

> Re : Action Rounds in a Domain Turn. How do PC's or NPC's know what
>everyone else is doing? Why do players have to "declare" there actions?
>
>Say there are 3 players. Player 1 is building, 2 is creating a holding,
>and 3 is forging a ley line. No player should know what the other is
>doing!! Obviously, if the action is successful the other players should
>have an opportunity to notice something new ("Hey, there's a new bridge
>there - good!") a player shouldn't be able to contest something until
>he's aware it exists.
>
>Re: Espionage action. Spy and target regents can commit GB & RP's to
>affect action. How can the target affect an action that is by definition
>secret? Does the DM tell Player 1 "Someone is spying on you
>(espionage)?" Isn't that rather clumsy? A good espionage action would be
>one where the target didn't even know ANYTHING had gone on!
>
>I don't think players should know the levels of holdings in other realms
>unless they check. It's okay to be general (The City of Anuire is big).
>Players should not know what others are doing unless they watch them
>constantly, which can be interesting. A realm that spends a great deal
>of effort on watching others uses resources that could be put toward
>their own improvement.
>
>Pls. let me know what you think.
>
Re Publicity of Actions:

For most actions, the game mechanics need players to have a general idea of
what others are doing to affect outcomes. Otherwise alot of the whole RP
bidding concept falls apart. And I think the setting and rules support this.

Actions don't resolve instantly, they take the better part of a month (given
that's how long a phase is - my players are sticky about time so I use the
following: A Regent can spend up to 7 days on other activities and still
use the month for a domain action. By doubling the GB cost of a Domain or
Realm action, this free time can be doubled to 14 days (i.e., the Domain or
Realm Action is accomplished in 16 days). The Regent does not need to have
this time available continuously (i.e. it can be interspaced among other
activities). No amount of effort quickens action from 16 days of real time,
so multiple actions are not possible except through certain Realm Magics).

For example, the Build action doesn't instantly create a bridge - it takes
time, construction, hiring workers etc. etc. during which others hear news
"there's a bridge going up".

I interpret the expenditure of RP's not simply to be an act of will but to
mean "using political capital" so to speak - making speaches, issuing
decrees (small 'd'), overseeing work, urging key NPC's etc. etc. It is
understood that this is going on whenever RP's are spent, and more of it the
more RP's are spent. So "Ruling" a province means alot of high profile
activity - which others see (if they can affect the action, i.e., have
holdings in the province etc.).

The Forging of a Ley Line can be influence by other wizards if they have a
holding in a province it crosses, again, its reasonable to expect they sense
some disturbance in the Source in this case. And again, its not
instantaneous, so they can take counter actions.

The espionage action is more complicated. I would not permit either party
to know how much the other was committing to affect outcome.

This can tip people off that they have enemies, or that their enemies are up
to something, but that can also be used for subtle outcomes.

A and B hate each other. C slips in and performs a low level espionage
action on both. They both automatically assume the other did it, expend
resources on each other, maybe even go to war while C sits back and waits
for them to weaken their RP reserves, treasuries, armies etc. and then move in.

As long as there are at least three parties involved I don't think letting
someone know "there has been some poking around by mysterious people" is
harmful. Some random events can also be used to simulate an espionage
action by another PC or NPC.


__________________________________________________ _________________
| |
| We ask ourselves if there is a God, how can this happen? |
| Better to ask, if there is a God, must it be sane? |
| |
| Lucien LaCroix |
|_________________________________________________ __________________|

[Rodger Leeder]

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Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 22:24:12 -0700
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Re : Action Rounds in a Domain Turn. How do PC's or NPC's know what
everyone else is doing? Why do players have to "declare" there actions?

Say there are 3 players. Player 1 is building, 2 is creating a holding,
and 3 is forging a ley line. No player should know what the other is
doing!! Obviously, if the action is successful the other players should
have an opportunity to notice something new ("Hey, there's a new bridge
there - good!") a player shouldn't be able to contest something until
he's aware it exists.

Re: Espionage action. Spy and target regents can commit GB & RP's to
affect action. How can the target affect an action that is by definition
secret? Does the DM tell Player 1 "Someone is spying on you
(espionage)?" Isn't that rather clumsy? A good espionage action would be
one where the target didn't even know ANYTHING had gone on!

I don't think players should know the levels of holdings in other realms
unless they check. It's okay to be general (The City of Anuire is big).
Players should not know what others are doing unless they watch them
constantly, which can be interesting. A realm that spends a great deal
of effort on watching others uses resources that could be put toward
their own improvement.

Pls. let me know what you think.





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 Re : Action Rounds in a Domain Turn. How do PC's or NPC's know
what everyone else is doing? Why do players have to "declare"
there actions? 

 

Say there are 3 players. Player 1 is building, 2 is creating a holding,
and 3 is forging a ley line. No player should know what the other is doing!!
Obviously, if the action is successful the other players should have an
opportunity to notice something new ("Hey, there's a new bridge there
- - good!") a player shouldn't be able to contest something until he's
aware it exists.

 

Re: Espionage action. Spy and target regents can commit GB & RP's
to affect action. How can the target affect an action that is by definition
secret? Does the DM tell Player 1 "Someone is spying on you (espionage)?"
Isn't that rather clumsy? A good espionage action would be one where the
target didn't even know ANYTHING had gone on!

 

I don't think players should know the levels of holdings in other realms
unless they check. It's okay to be general (The City of Anuire is big).
Players should not know what others are doing unless they watch them constantly,
which can be interesting. A realm that spends a great deal of effort on
watching others uses resources that could be put toward their own improvement.

 

Pls. let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 



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