I don't know where Darkom is. I think he still checks the forum and the roleplay.
My large problem isn't really the lack of inspiration, it's a speed issue. In other words, I can't move Ruhk and the Raga army along to the siege, while Lucretia and company are far ahead of them. Thus, I'm stuck waiting for you two to get done, but the posting is taking forever (notably on Verlox's part, as he did admit it) and I don't know what is going on.
The posts at the siege are confusing. I don't know where anyone's troops are, or anything for that matter, and thus I am still undecided on the subject of having Sobotai and Dikembe (Raga officers sent ahead) arrive at the scene because I don't know what it looks like, and I don't want to place your troops in a certain place, IB, when they are yours and it is your choice where to put them. My point is, I am stuck with the Raga until all of this siege crap gets sorted out.
Solution to the problem:
1) If Verlox can't continue, let Solidor do it. He's shown he's capable and he was in SoS with the Crusaders. That could actually lead to a sequel Crusader plot as well...anyhow, it solves the activity issue.
2) Get a map of the battle area consisting of the fort, its parts, and the locations of the troops. We've had one for nearly every battle, or at least all of the ones I've seen in my time in the timeline. It helps all of this confusion to be sorted out.
3) PM each other. If you are stuck or confused, PM the person you are RPing with. Hell, Squid, Tan, and I have about 15 pages worth of PM messages, if not more, and Tan and I have a few msn conversations on our belts.
4) If your character isn't involved, don't complain. Get him involved. Make him go somewhere where someone else is, or something. It has been done.
There. That's my suggestions/opinion. Take it or leave it.
I'm considering reseting the RP and "starting over" tbh.
On the subject of the Ottomans: First, what year/s was it? How far did they march in a single day? How did the get food? Did take it from the land? Did they bring some with them and have supply lines stretching back to Anatolia? Was the 120,000 man army moving in one giant mass? How did they deal with disease, or exhaustion on the march? Were forced marches common? Did they use ships?
All of those are really important questions. When it comes to leading an armed force, logistics is the most important thing a person should know, and I feel that that is just handwaved in this rp. We haven't even advanced half-a-day rp time, and we're expected to already be killing each other? It's 100 miles from the Brena River to Anvil. If an army moves at 15 miles a day (which is really, really fast for one. Prince Edward, with about 7000 soldiers, pushed his army to the bone trying to attack Bran (Simon) de Montfort at his father's castle. He also did that through the night, and just barely made it to make a sneak attack on his counsin. 7000 people, took a whole night to march about 14 miles at a brutal pace), it would take several days, with tired as heck armies, for one of us to force a battle.
Which is another thing. Why do we have to have pitched battles? Only an idiotic commander would risk everything in one throw of the dice unless his army was significantly larger, or he was forced into it by his opponent, like Barnet Heath or Tewkesbury.
Realistcally (though I blame the setting for this), there would be a lot more sieges, castles would be dotted all over the place, and small skirmishes would be the norm.
Edit: I would love to continue, but the logistics need to be respected if we're marching people about. And my biggest issue: What is the ambush you're talking about IB? The dudes in the middle of the road? My dudes?
The Battle of Vaslui between Saint Stefan the Great vs Hadan Suleiman Pasha. He brought over 40,000 troops as Voievode of Moldova vs the Ottoman Empire's army consisting over 100,000 troops and this was referred to by the Ottomans themselves as "the single greatest defeat ever suffered by the banners of Mohamed."
When Mehmed II fought Vlad the Impaler, Mehmed brought as few as 150,000 soldiers or as many as 300,000. All of these battles were in the 1400s.
As for how the armies are marching in the RP, it's been rushed because nothing was happening. It was "wait for this or so subplot to allow for time for the armies to move" and nothing was happening so I just said to everyone "let's just get the armies in place" hoping that would kick start the battles.
That's why I suggested we just cut out all the marching, all the politicking, all the mini-adventures, kidnappings, ect ect (things that take time), and just make this entirely about the battle aspect. Something that wouldn't take a great deal of time, we could all be involved at once, yadda yadda. The problem there is that it cuts out pretty much any semblance of a story. And the story, the politicking, kidnappings, ect ect are fun. They just need time. And inspiration, which is hard when you're combatting a crap-ton of math.
Agreed.
I will admit that the planning and talking, red tape and beaurocracy which has been heavily prominent in the timeline since Highrock has put me off making a large force or heavily involved character. I prefered the idea behind circlet of fire or ring of fire or whatever it was called, set in morrowind, the Oblivion crisis a catalyst to interhouse power plays -- the covert back stabbing and underhandedness was fun to both write about and react to, but with constant planning and conversation and logistics just takes the mystery, the what if, the unknown away. Some times its needed but only when something large is going to happen, for example, when I first joined SoS I set fire to an entire forrest to contain a very small Ra Gadan force, not exactly the best RP move I've made, due in no small part that I was confused about how many numbers there where, I thought i was drastically out numbered by Ra Gagadan forces when infact it was the complete reverse. But I discussed this tactic with Immortal before hand, and told those present in the area that something big and perhaps controversial was about to happen. Every one was cool with it and it ended up playing out into a really detailed and fun and intense battle scene.
For me, thats the exact kind of interaction this kind of RP needs, not on a person to person basis, on a character to character basis. Too much competition ruins it for me, I'd rather march into a battle field with my character brim full of confidence with tactics built solely on what i think will transpire, then be totally taken by suprise and have to really fight for survival. I'd rather walk away from a battle with a rag tag band of survivors looking to rebuild their forces after a crushing defeat than an outright pre-arranged win or loss.
The unexpected makes it more interesting, planning it all out makes it feel like oblivion -- which i've played through so many times that i cant stand to touch it because i know exactly whats going to happen next.
Now I've offered to jump in and take over where others seem to have left off to get this RP more active but my suggestions have either been over looked or shunned, if I get back into it at any point I will not be discussing any plans for a battle. Just point me in the right direction and I'll write, I'm a fair RPer, i'd rather react to what the person writes than what i'm told is going to happen -- many a times i've crippled, maimed or messed with my characters in many ways just to have something more diverse and interesting to develop. If not, fair one, I'll just sit back and observe again.
This is good to hear and I agree with this as well. Since story hasn't been around I think you'd be good to lead the Redguards. I think perhaps we should just do a reset of the RP, have the Inn sub plot or however you want to refer it having happened "prior to the RP" and we can just have more of a focus on the tactics of the battle itself.
Reading this also makes me consider re-starting Circlet Ignited. Until some people turned it to crap it was going really well. I have to admit circlet ignited has always been my best RP that i've created. Most effort etc.
» Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:42 am 
