Middle Provincial Era GROGPUBLIC game thread

[IncompetentIdiot]

I will  agree to that

As will I.

[Ethel the Frog]

I thought I was voted into a position of power recently, but don't seem to have any actual decision making capacity. 

Anyway, I am indeed willing to send someone out to the boonies.  Better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven, as one says.

David

[JasonPratt]

I thought I was voted into a position of power recently, but don't seem to have any actual decision making capacity.

You agreed (per the Contract, and in conjunction with the Field Consul) to appoint Scipio as Dictator, so he has been making the Proposals since then. (He handed off PM duties temporarily to AzTank upon Furius' re-election to Censor, who then per Contract handed back without Prosecutions.)

Having agreed to the Contracted Proposals (though with some fill in the blanks for details ;) ), you've been voting automatically to follow the Contract. In that sense you've had the same decision making capacity as any other Player (who isn't the Dictator this Turn).

[ArizonaTank]

I agree with Jason's plan

[JasonPratt]

Rolling 1d6, with Terentius as odd, I rolled a 1, so the Conservatives get Sicily (for now).

Step 7: Scipio Proposes Terentius of the Conservatives (per random dice roll) as Governor of Sicily, and Acilius of the Plutocrats as Governor of Sardi/Corsi, plus the unaligned Sulpicius as Governor of Cisalpine Gallia (recalling Valerius of the Aristocrats to Rome); which the Contracted Players agree to vote on.

Those senators immediately 'deploy' to their Provinces, leaving Rome, with Val returning. Terms are set (or for Gaul reset) to 3.

Aristocrat normal vote tally goes up by Val's 4 knights and 2 Ora, to 21. (Currently per the Aristo special ability, because they lead in total Influence, actual voting on any topic adds another 4+4+4 knight activist votes for 33 votes.)

Conservative normal vote tally goes down by Terentius' 1 knight + 1 ora to 11.

Plutocrat vote tally goes down Acilius' 2 Ora + 2 knights, from 13 to 9.

Aelius didn't go anywhere, as it happens, so no effect other than the sub-Contract between Tripoli and AzTank on the Governance of Sicily.


The Conserva-Milito Profit-Sharing Sicilian Consortium starts now with the following Contracted terms:

1.) Having randomly drawn the Governorship for Sicily, AzTank promises to take Spoils from it whenever allowable during Terentius' initial three turns as Governor. (The qualification prevents a War from accidentally voiding the Contract: if a War is attacking Sicily during Terentius' term, he can't take spoils. Also, this Contract doesn't cover any future re-elections to this Governorship.)

2.) During that time, Terentius promises to send half of the total spoils he gathers, to Aelius of the Militarists, with any half difference split up by one Talent in favor of Aelius on the spoils; with the understanding that the spoils overall total will be split in such a way across the turns as to be exactly even on the final turn or to be one Talent ahead for Aelius. (I the umpire have the responsibility of making sure that works out. ;) )

3.) Any Influence gained by Terentius in managing Sicily will be his to keep.

[JasonPratt]

That ends all Mandatory Business.

Step 8: Going into Other Business, the Dictator (I.I.) Proposes Raising the final 8 Legions (at 80 Talents). Republic cash goes down 80 from 126 to 46.

All 25 Legions are now Active, with 6 of them being Level 1 Vets.

There was no apparent agreement on spending the cash for instituting a Level 2 Vet Training Regimen Reform, which is probably just as well considering the remaining cash: you'd need 80 Talents. (10 x 6 Vets) + (10 x 2nd level)

[JasonPratt]

Aurelius of the Populists, who holds the Armaments Concession, immediately receives 2 Talents x 8 Legions Raised = 16 persona cash; and picks up a Minor Suspicion.

[JasonPratt]

Step 9: The Dictator Scipio (I.I.) Proposes giving the Land Commissioner Concession to Pontifex Maximus Flaminius of the Progressives (to help offset the risk of Evil Omens).

[JasonPratt]

10.) The Dictator Scipio then Proposes Deploying himself and his Magister Militium Manlius, Faction Leader of the Militarists, to the 2nd Punic War with all Legions, plus 5 Fleets for securing and providing transport and Logistic Support.

11.) They leave Rome, ending the Senate phase with the departure of the Dictator (as Presiding Magistrate).

(Manlius will come back one way or another if he survives, so I won't adjust Militarist voting unless he dies. I'll wait to adjust Aristocrat voting, too, until I see whether Scipio dies or must stay as Proconsul, or comes back.)

This ends the Senate Phase for this Turn.

Next up... ending the Early Provincial Era with a bang (one way or another)!

[JasonPratt]

TURN THIRTEEN -- COMBAT PHASE
-----------------------------

So we reach the defining conflict of this Era, the defense of the Italian heartland:



Dictator Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, and his Master of the Military Manlius, Faction Leader of the Militarists, and all 25 of the Roman Legions; versus the 2nd Punic War led by Hannibal and Hamilcar!

Total Roman Legions: 25
Total Veteran Legions: +6
Scipio's Mil skill: +5 (all used)
Manlius' Mil skill: +9 (all used)
2nd Punic War Land Strength: -15
Hannibal's Mil: -7
Hamilcar's Mil: -3
and no remaining factors.
Thus DRM = 25+6+5+9-15-7-3 = +20! This will be an automatic Victory with no Roman losses, unless the 3d6 totals 8 or 9 (Disaster), or 12 or 16 (Standoff). Scipio's special ability nullifies the War's own inherent D/S results of 10, 11, and 15.
Rolling 3d6: 3+4+6=13! Hamilcar almost pulls off a Standoff result, but cannot quite prevent the crushing Roman overpower from sweeping the field to a total Victory!

Unrest is already at 0, thanks to the confidence inspired by the Senate: SPQR!! The Republic Treasury gains 25 Spoils, up from 46 to 71 cash. This Victory creates the Provinces of Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Citerior. The 2nd Punic War permanently Discards (sparing Sulpcius and Cisalpine Gaul from attack). Hannibal and Hamilcar go to the Curia to see if they will survive long enough for the 3rd Punic War. The 5th Legion becomes Veteran, and Scipio gains its Loyalty chit.

Scipio, gaining the Victory, cannot increase his Popularity beyond the 9 Maximum, but increases his Influence by have the printed land strength of 15 = 7.5 rounded up to 8, from 49 to 57. Total influence goes up 8 from 101 to 109. With no Losses, his Popularity and Influence take no hits; nor are mortality chits drawn.

This is 13 total Faction points ahead of the Militarists. Scipio is already more than 20 points ahead personally; at 30 total Faction points ahead, Scipio will be automatically appointed Consul for Life, with the support of his Faction.

(The Aristocrats also farm an extra influence point per special abililty. I.I. hasn't given me instructions yet on distributing the extra point from Scipio being appointed Dictator, so I need to distribute two points, to Quincy and/or to Val. Naturally, this will take the Aristos to 15 points in the total lead...)

Manlius and the Support Fleets return to Rome immediately, where Manlius resigns as MoH.

Scipio marches back to the Senate with the Legions under his command.

This ends the Combat Phase.

[JasonPratt]

TURN THIRTEEN -- REVOLUTION PHASE
---------------------------------

I.I. must decide

a.) where to put the (Aristo special ability) two extra influence points (Val and/or Quincy);

b.) whether Scipio will retire the 2nd, 4th, and/or 5th Veteran Legions (whose loyalty he owns and who served under his current Victory), trading them in for 1 point each of Ora and Inf (also generating extra Inf points for distribution per Aristocrat ability!);

and c.) whether he will rebel against the Senate. He can count for sure on three Veteran Legions (if he doesn't retire them), but 4 Vets will definitely remain Loyal to the Republic. Scipio only has 5 personal cash to help salt a testing of other Legion loyalties. (Despite needing Fleet support, this was a land battle so Fleet loyalties are irrelevant.) Val no longer has a few extra militia to send under his command if Scipio rebels.

Players can now trade or donate Faction cards among themselves with an immediate reception. (No delayed cards arriving this Turn.) No one needs to discard or donate down to 5 or less cards.

I have contacted all Players with valid Statesmen and/or Concessions to be played -- if you didn't get a pmail from me, you don't have one yet.

I will pause here to resolve a few things before continuing on into Turn 14.

[IncompetentIdiot]

TURN THIRTEEN -- REVOLUTION PHASE
---------------------------------

I.I. must decide

a.) where to put the (Aristo special ability) two extra influence points (Val and/or Quincy);

b.) whether Scipio will retire the 2nd, 4th, and/or 5th Veteran Legions (whose loyalty he owns and who served under his current Victory), trading them in for 1 point each of Ora and Inf (also generating extra Inf points for distribution per Aristocrat ability!);

and c.) whether he will rebel against the Senate. He can count for sure on three Veteran Legions (if he doesn't retire them), but 4 Vets will definitely remain Loyal to the Republic. Scipio only has 5 personal cash to help salt a testing of other Legion loyalties. (Despite needing Fleet support, this was a land battle so Fleet loyalties are irrelevant.) Val no longer has a few extra militia to send under his command if Scipio rebels.

Players can now trade or donate Faction cards among themselves with an immediate reception. (No delayed cards arriving this Turn.) No one needs to discard or donate down to 5 or less cards.

I have contacted all Players with valid Statesmen and/or Concessions to be played -- if you didn't get a pmail from me, you don't have one yet.

I will pause here to resolve a few things before continuing on into Turn 14.

Extra influence to Valerius now that he's not at imminent risk of Carthaginian-induced death.

No revolt.

[malize]

I'll play grain concession on Junius

[JasonPratt]

That will finish the Revolution Phase, then, and Turn 13! (If anyone wants to donate or trade Faction cards, you can still do so, I'll have them arrive immediately for a little while, to account for asynch lag.)

I'll process this afternoon (around 8 hours from now), and kick off Turn 14 with the Mortality and Revenue phases (and new snapshots at last.  Can't believe I forgot those before the Senate phase, sorry.  :-[ )

[JasonPratt]

Having processed the bequeathment of the Egyptian Grain Concession (3 Talents per Turn during usual Revenue, with an option like the Sicilian Grain to multiply that income times the number of Drought effects, by sacrificing Popularity); and having updated the Aristocrat Influence, Turn 13 ends.

TURN FOURTEEN -- MORTALITY PHASE
--------------------------------

Odds are extremely good, although not technically certain, that the Middle Provincial Era will start this Turn. But who will live to see it (maybe)? Or not live, as the case may be?!

No Immanent Wars to Activate this Turn (for which the Senate must be grateful to Jove and Mars!)

After a thorough shuffle of the Dreaded Mortality Bag... family #21 is drawn! The Kindly Ones brush past the newest active family, the Terentians, and tease a few Statesmen, but no active family is stricken this Turn.

This ends the Phase.