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Thread: The Amber Room ~ Age 63 Virtual Kingdom

  1. #16
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    The Age Rolled Slowly Past & I Found Myself Alone ~ The Human War Hero:

    For Virtual Kingdoms sake I've begun a solo journey with one of the personalities in the template. It's interesting in monarchy alone. Early on I spent some time answering questions from various kingdoms. My initial restart was as a random so I chose a persona/race appropriate to helping a small kingdom. My experience in the lower tier has taught me a thing or two about undead conversion strikes. Oftentimes economy is the ailment and the ability to march comes in handy.

    Upon transfer to a kingdom, dark and abandoned, I decided to stay with the strategy to see how it fairs in the open field.
    Attacks come almost daily; some days are worse than others. Fortified stance is no deterrent for undead conversion strikes so it's just part of the scenery. Most undead are fine with an amicable trade of elites for war spoils. ToG obviously has great utility and keeping a loose ratio of army prevents overpopulation and poor gold yield.

    I've made a deal with a kingdom to steal my food so I try to keep an abundance available. We had to draw the line at runes so I was forced to erect watch towers to send a polite message. I've had a few kingdoms ask about my status and they've been friendly enough to allow me to grow a little in their midst. Part of my challenge is a mode of conduct to only retal and explore. I could make a good living cleaning up inactives for my neighbors but I felt this was too easy and I didn't want to be considered a threat to the tiniest kingdoms.

    As you can imagine a rainbow build would best serve, but it's difficult to accumulate resources and to keep a build balanced with attack regularity. Sometimes I've been forced to rush build guard stations to absorb immenent trad marches due to my war spoil retaliation. This slows my progress because I can't simply run a huge economy. I have but one ceasefire and this was due to the generosity of the steward of Famous Last Words. A noble soul.

    Again, as a challenge I'm not seeking ceasefires, but it's a curtesy I would never refuse. It's a matter of chivalry and honor. The question are, can I grow without being aggressive? Is there a place for peaceful coexistence in the bowels of Utopia? - The projection amplified: can a 25er built like The Virtual Kingdom establish itself in relative peace? So far the answer is yes, as long as you're vigilant about retaliation.

    One of the undead was making a second conversion volley so I knew I had to discourage the behavior. This was the only time I did both war spoil trad march and ambush. The point was to kill his elites. I was forced to this decision because he was growing and showed signs of hitting down. I wasn't trying to teach a lesson as much as keep an aggressive force in my wheelhouse. I messaged him honorably and he agreed the gains weren't worth it and he didn't like my polite rhetoric lol. So, for now, he's not harassing.

    Time to go grocery shop. I hope I have the will to continue recording my experiences. This kingdom is also a hiatus from the road and travel I've done for several ages.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

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  2. #17
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    Been enjoying reading of the Virtual Kingdom and decided to try the template...

    THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE!
    Year 10: This kingdom only starts when the Age is ending. It's members are drawn from the miscontent and rabble-rousers. They unite with a common purpose: to sow discord, inflame wrath, and spread pestilence. Unhappy with their fate thus far, their one goal is descruction. The distracted, the lazy, those already at war; these are prime targets. How much trouble can they cause before the End of Days?

    Angelic Trumpet of Judgement Day
    Elf Sage - Monarch
    Hark! The trumpet's sound wakens the four horsemen and calls them to reap the harvest of souls...

    Plague
    Undead Cleric x 3
    Orc Rogue x 3
    The plaguebearers come first, trying to infect as many provinces as possible. The undead make the hits while the orcs provide support and liberally apply Vermin to the realm.

    War
    Dwarf Merchant x 3
    Human WarHero x 3
    War is expensive. Especially attacking into other people's war which is what this team is *made* for- a well funded juggernaut that keeps on hitting and hitting at just the worst time.

    Famine
    Halfling Sage x 3
    Faery Mystic x 3
    Third comes a terrible hunger. This team's objective is to steal every bushel and arson every farm in Utopia. Second priority is to support the fourth and final team...

    Death
    Avian Tactician x 3
    Elf Warrior x 3
    Riders of the pale horse are the last thing you ever see. One mission: find any province nearly dead and finish it off!

  3. #18
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    I love it! You truly have a role-players spirit. Deep theme, colossal objectives, template reinvented.

    The sun shines in a pleasing way and I feel unburdened when I see your approach to the game.

    It's freedom.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  4. #19
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    Crazy Like Undead:

    The combination of undead attributes and limits create predictable dilemmas for the living this age. There are tons of undead out there and the less socially adept are choosing the living to convert specs to elites.

    So being alone in this world I have a new undead friend. At first, as in most cases, the first hit was a conversion which is answered by my obligatory war spoil retaliation. This is done with an awareness of gang bang protection, but a little caution still goes a long way. On the return sortie my undead friend lands 2 bounces. This could be dismissed as ghetto noobery, but I'm going to give this one credit.

    Since we would be toying with the meter and my province is growing faster the bounces serve 2 purposes. One, the undead -75% losses mean that the loss of nw would be much harder on my province and the attacks wouldn't push the meter. The second, if I retaliated not only would I lose more military but would've given ops to a kingdoms with 19 more provinces than mine. I can respect an enemy that knows the ropes. Even if this seems like fruitless loss for both sides we can ignore a chance to learn or embrace it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  5. #20
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    A Day In The Life:

    February 6 of YR4 Wherever (x:x) attacked and stole from Sonic Blue (x:x).
    February 7 of YR4 Sonic Blue (x:x) captured 94 acres of land from Wherever (x:x).
    February 17 of YR4 An unknown province from The Undead Gamers (x:x) invaded Sonic Blue (x:x) and captured 55 acres of land.
    February 24 of YR4 Sonic Blue (x:x) captured 112 acres of land from Burning Paper (x:x).
    February 24 of YR4 I will be (x:x) invaded Sonic Blue (x:x) and captured 57 acres of land.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  6. #21
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    Alliance War:

    Running aground on a philosophy of non-aggression is most interesting on the frontier of old alliances. Apparently my practice of retaliation, exploration and peaceful coexistence doesn't agree with elite doctrine. Though I have 3 aggressive kingdoms on the grid I'm forced to deal with 2 in the exploring field. My reasoning is Acre Confusion! Just kidding; I'm actually hitting the 2 growth kingdoms because I suspect an alliance.

    If I attack the smaller kingdom I'm simply feeding acres up. This smaller kingdom has learned the trick of bouncing with undead. Perhaps the practice is universal. What happens is the undead with such low losses can anchor you to a nw level with their leftover troops. The losses are obviously disproportionate and my defense was compromised. This practice attracts the buzzards as it were.

    In summary, the reason I'm retaliating the 2 growth kingdom is acre cancellation. No CF is expected.

    Summary update: CF. Civilization prevails today!

    Some nostalgia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57vaKllPg7k

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGVbNhrjT8w

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj7ZIqNZqxU
    Last edited by StratOcastle; 05-12-2014 at 11:38.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  7. #22
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    Hello again. This is an update and a chance to clarify a nonaggressive approach in a roleplaying sense. I'm no build strategist as I've stated before but I do abide the build characteristics of nonaggression. Thus:

    Building type Quantity % of Total Current Effects (effect of next 1%)
    Barren Land 0 0.0%
    Homes 270 10.2% Increase max population by 2,700
    Increase birth rates by 34.15% (2.94%)
    Farms 265 10.0% Produce 17,342 bushels per day
    Mills 0 0.0% Lower building costs by 0.0% (3.7%)
    Reduce exploration costs in gold by 0.0% (2.78%)
    Reduce exploration costs in men by 0.0% (1.85%)
    Banks 269 10.1% Produce 6,287 gold coins per day
    10.64% higher income (0.92%)
    Training Grounds 0 0.0% 0.0% higher offensive efficiency (1.39%)
    Armouries 0 0.0% 0.0% lower military training costs (1.39%)
    0.0% lower military wages & draft costs (1.85%)
    Military Barracks 0 0.0% 0.0% lower attack times (1.39%)
    Forts 0 0.0% 0.0% higher defensive efficiency (1.85%)
    Guard Stations 385 14.5% 23.17% lower resource losses when attacked (1.31%)
    Hospitals 300 11.3% 18.73% chance to cure the plague each day (1.43%)
    28.1% lower military losses (2.14%)
    Guilds 385 14.5% 7.2 wizards trained per day
    Towers 215 8.1% Produce 2,412 runes per day
    Thieves' Dens 0 0.0% 0.0% higher thievery effectiveness (2.78%)
    0.0% lower losses in thievery operations (3.7%)
    Watch Towers 290 10.9% 27.28% less damage caused by enemy thieves (2.16%)
    18.19% chance of preventing enemy thief missions (1.44%)
    Libraries 0 0.0% 0.0% increase in science effects (1.98%)
    Schools 272 10.2% 12.89% decrease in science costs (1.1%)
    Protect 42.97% of science from enemies (3.67%)
    Stables 0 0.0% Hold 0 horses
    Produce 0 horses per day
    Dungeons 0 0.0% House 0 prisoners
    Exploration/Construction Schedules

    No barracks, no training grounds, no stables, no armories for that matter. What I want to reflect is a society that believes in a quality of existence. Schools, ample farms, banks, hospitals. Part of the reason I run higher farms is because we don't steal unless absolutely necessary. The strat is not based in the combative but that of metropolitan culture. I've run alone almost all age, but have since invited a friend to join who wanted to experiment with builds.

    There are no formal kingdom plans. My endeavor here is to show that growing and playing peacefully while not being bullied is possible. Sometimes it hurts, but the secret is to be morally grounded first and pragmatic. Morality in this case is basic chivalry. We are polite to even our enemies. We yield to honorable competition, but never to bullies.

    As any province my status could change in an instant. I'd like you to project my results to a full kingdom. Remember, I'm tech inept and have no skills in math. I live by intuition. Before you let your math subvert your morality just remind yourself that you are easily my better. Use your skills in concert with your vision.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  8. #23
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    ~ Changes were made to the MIRROR division to reflect playeresque choices. ~
    Last edited by StratOcastle; 25-12-2014 at 18:39. Reason: To fact check ;-)
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  9. #24
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    Question.

    Can a society that eschews military solutions to some extent ( no tg's, barracks) truly claim to be about quality of existence without extreme diplomacy.

    There are a large number of guard stations within your province.
    Which reflects a desire to protect your cultures ideals imo.

    Is it a false morality to defend those ideals in such a manner as opposed to taking a more martial option to deter those who may oppose your ideology?

    The utopian world is a cold, cruel world. While you may empower your citizens internally, is such a isolationist approach sustainable? Or even capable of defending that ideology?

    Must we always have an option to hit back on those who may threaten our ways of life?
    The Bully rarely stops because he can only take a little, he usually stops when you can take more. :)

  10. #25
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    Diplomacy through strength in a cold, cruel world.

    In my case, as a previously single entity, there may need to be clarification.

    1-In this journey I've avoided seeking CFs because I wanted a raw experience.
    - Gauging the world in it's true nature. If CFs come up they are readily exchanged.

    2-This is the beta. I'm playing for experiment. Preemptive diplo was purposely avoided.
    - while diplo is very real in the kingdom perspective, It was not my goal to find an easier path.

    3-This is dipping the toe in the water; the water is fine. Because I'm not expressly roleplaying by
    manner, but exploring the Utopian landscape I reserved the aspect I enjoy most: challenge.

    Self preservation is obviously on my mind but the test is doing it out here where this tiny kingdom is interesting to every predator. We are smaller than almost every kingdom in the game, yet large enough to have relations with the top 5. Anything that has come our way diplomatically has been through the natural process of being attacked and retaliating.

    I should remind readers that I have no intention of leading. I'm not a leader..or a follower. What I'm doing is presenting to the apprehensive the evidence that you can play your way and succeed. When I say "you" I mean the core of your kingdom.

    My intuition tells me there are at least 3 small kingdoms with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic core of 8 players. Instead of province killing to clean up your kingdom, why not join the enthusiastic players from 2 others? Retain your culture and enjoy synergizing with others. The Virtual Kingdom template is just an idea.

    Thank you for your time.
    Last edited by StratOcastle; 25-12-2014 at 12:40.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  11. #26
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    The Amber Room ~ Age 63 Virtual Kingdom
    Division 1 AMBER

    1) avian merchant - Dancing Sword
    2) dwarf tactician - Hammer Of Thunderbolts
    3) faery sage - Deck Of Many Things
    4) elf mystic - Ring Of Wizardry
    5) halfling rogue - Eyes Of Charming
    6) human war hero - Luck Blade
    7) orc warrior - Maul Of The Titans
    8) undead cleric - Amber Golem

    Division 2 MIRROR

    9) avian merchant - Mirror Of Mental Prowess
    10) dwarf war hero - Apparatus Of Kwalish
    11) faery rogue - Ring Of Wishes
    12) elf sage - Staff Of Power
    13) halfling mystic - Portable Hole
    14) human warrior - Helm Of Brilliance
    15) orc cleric - Vorpal Sword
    16) undead tactician - Clay Golem

    Division 3 GOLD

    17) avian merchant - Efreeti Bottle
    18) dwarf tactician - Sphere Of Annihilation
    19) faery sage - Tome Of Mystical Equations
    20) elf mystic - Ring Of Shooting Stars
    21) halfling rogue- Shadowcloak
    22) human war hero - Rod Of Lordly Might
    23) orc warrior - Trident Of Submission
    24) undead cleric - Bronze Golem

    Monarch

    25) faery mystic - Staff Of The Magi

    This is my current alignment. You'll find other builds that may be superior to what I chose. The playeresque bias in the MIRROR division offers some strengths in land efficiency for faery, halfling and undead.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  12. #27
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    OOC:
    Strat0. I'm playing devil's advocate to strengthen your philosophy. :) I'm roleplaying a lot. :)

    1) We wonder this cold, dark utopian plane of existence. We have a nebulous goal of improving the lot of our folk. Yet is not seeking out friendship with mutual parties a boon to our existence? Trade and cultural exchange are surely the back bone of our society? Should we not seek out new parties who are amicable to our viewpoint?

    2) Must we seek challenge when there is an easier path? The man who climbs the north face of the Eiger has achieved a great challenge. The man who is delivered by plane has not. Yet they both enjoy the same view. Is it only the challenge rather than the result that defines us? Or is only the result that does?

    3) What is leadership? Is it having personal qualities that people wish to follow? Or is it but the mere enforcement of an ideology with the capability to make those believe?

    :)

    OOC: Luv this thread. :)

  13. #28
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    For public consumption the results are fundamental. My personal journey is the joy of challenge and we share to show the timid that we can swim with the sharks. Every day that we are not razed to dust is another success.

    On a personal note, you can pursue any diplomatic endeavors you might see advantageous.

    What I find interesting is our scope of encounters in this tiny kingdom. We see the most devastated war torn kingdoms to the most polished and expertly controlled top kingdoms....close up, without a shark cage. Are we a meal worth eating or a competitor worth destroying? Not yet ;-)
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  14. #29
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    After a days thought process I returned the attacking core of the MIRROR division to original specifications. Human is more likely to hold honor as war hero and will shine in war with their 10% bonus and immunities. Dwarf is simply faster and creates headaches for t/ms as a tac. Orc might have shorter sustain as warrior, but I've run them and it's a solid combination. Undead cleric is near and dear to my way of warring. Avian didn't change as I see merchant as their apex strat this age.

    The changes remain in the t/m group as I see benefit in the reshuffle.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

  15. #30
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    Virtual Divisions:

    While we are saddened to see any reputable kingdoms struggle to survive to the point of breakup we must turn our attention to the possibility of a new life here in The Virtual Kingdom. I've been contacted by a number of players this age in failing kingdoms. It pulls my heart strings because primarily I've been a volunteer to help kingdoms in distress.

    Instead of happenstance migration we could work toward a kingdom that both offers these kingdoms the muscle of relevance and the opportunity to preserve the culture that made them reknown contenders. Here we allow these kingdoms to function in the tight synergy of their best 8 players, independently as a division. Obviously there's a kingdom theater strategy that all 3 divisions work toward, but individual identity is at the forefront of the ideal.

    The evolution of The Virtual Kingdom began as a celebration of the game in it's diversity. We celebrate this in the pageantry of each division having one representative of each personality and race. It's been mentioned here before, but I believe we need to ring this bell to enlighten those who are struggling. We have a kingdom culture. We have divisional culture.

    The evolution of divisions is directly related to my experience trying to help fragmented kingdoms. It's time to stop fighting to recruit and have it be our strength. I'm asking the few that hang on through thick and thin to join 2 other kingdoms fighting the same recruitment battle. It may seem a compromise at first to merge and sacrifice total power. It may seem a compromise to diversify your division equally by personality and race, but consider the long view.

    By offering each player a specialized role we entice their desire to shine in their own way in a team environment. This is about active team oriented players hand picked by each of the 3 kingdoms. You then have 2 other divisions to learn from, to teach to and to compete with. We are passionate about the strat despite the strat. Learn as I have that it will become important in the right way rather than a liability.

    I want you to look at the 2 top kingdoms fighting for the land crown, CR vs Pyro. How far off are we? Look at the competition with homogenous cores and you'll note the pattern of winning has been by these 2 strats. And these are top kingdoms honed to razor sharp efficiency. Behold the balance in the attacker core here in The Virtual Kingdom. Behold the balance in the t/m core. I'm not saying it's superior I'm saying we have balance and we have player attention.

    I'm not throwing American Badass under the bus, but wouldn't you say his desire to play has been heightened since losing his faery to PK? We can joke, but as the CR strat became more balanced the more impressive the victories have been. Players that feel they make a difference tend to make a difference.
    Last edited by StratOcastle; 31-12-2014 at 23:26.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bishop View Post
    Correct me then, instead of being a dick about it.
    love that thick mahogany back with no belly carve or anything...pure thick wood ! The thing ROCK is made of !
    ________
    Weed bowls

    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...+say&FORM=VDRE

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