Looking for 3rd player in Alea Jacta Est (maybe)

[JasonPratt]

W8taminute and I are angling to start a multiplayer game of Ageod's Alea Jacta Est. If we can find a third player, we'll divvy up sides on the shortest 3-player scenario, the Year of the Four Emperors (middle-late 1st-century after Nero's death). If you're going to ask why there are three players in the year of the 4 Emps, I don't know.  ::) But I'm going to guess that one of the emperors just didn't have enough political power to make a 'game' of it.

If we can't pick up a 3rd player, don't worry, we'll find something else. ;) Probably start AJE's Birth of Rome epic with the 3rd Samnite War.

[Philippe]

My dance card is rather full right now or I'd be jumping at the chance.

The first of the four emperors was Galba, the seventy-five year old governor of one of the Spanish provinces.  He was one of many that started a revolt against Nero, and Otho, the much younger governor of an adjacent Spanish province, joined the rebellion and followed Galba to Italy.  Nero's suicide left Galba as emperor, and as he wasn't expected to live very long, the question on everyone's mind was who would succeed him as his heir.  Galba didn't pay the traditional bonus to the Praetorian Guard when becoming emperor, and when he had a falling out with Otho and named someone else as his heir, Otho paid a visit to the barracks and had no trouble finding enough disgruntled guardsmen to murder Galba during his next visit to the Forum.  The Senate didn't like Galba much either, and promptly recognized Otho (but then again, they had to, because Otho had all the troops).

Otho's reign lasted three months.  After a premature engagement against Vitellius' legions near Cremona, Otho decided to be a noble Roman in order to save the Res Publica from further civil war.  His death triggered a rash of suicides among his supporters, who allegedly wanted to share in his glory.  But what would have happened if Otho had gathered the Dalmatian and Pannonian legions before tangling with Vitellius?  If he'd kept a tighter rein on his troops and hadn't been in such a hurry to off himself,  he might have been able to go toe to toe with another pretender on relatively even terms (and the war would n't have been over in a few months).

Otho, by the way, was the former husband of Poppaea, of Monteverdi fame (L'Incoronazione di Poppea).  After she convinced her husband to introduce her to Nero, she became the emperor's mistress.  Otho was appointed governor of a far-off Spanish province to get him out of town.  By the time of Galba's revolt she was long dead, but it's not too hard to understand why Otho had it in for Nero.   

[JasonPratt]

Oh, I'm super-dumb: I wasn't counting Nero among the 4. Here I was, vainly trying to recall which other brief emperor reigned, and why he would be too brief to count as a contender in the game. Should have remembered the three small horns on the beast.  ::)

[Philippe]

You're not super-dumb, and Nero isn't counted.  The four emperors are Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. 

If you can get your hands on a copy of Suetonius, his life of Vespasian is a hoot. 

[Sir Slash]

Yes, I'd jump in too but I've just gotten very busy and couldn't do justice to the MP. Plus, I'm a real novice at this game. I did manage a 'minor victory' in this very scenario against the AI playing as Vespasian not too long ago. I won by taking and holding onto Jerusalem which is worth a shit-load of Vic. Points but it was damned close and Vespasian has a very tough position against a host of enemies in this scenario. I don't know if MP is any different but in my fight against the AI, there was a crisis to deal with almost every turn right up to the end. Not for the feint of heart.

[besilarius]

Have been looking at this game  for a long time, and would be very interested in an AAR.
Hope you find a pigeon - er player - to fill out the game.

[JasonPratt]

You're not super-dumb, and Nero isn't counted.  The four emperors are Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. 

If you can get your hands on a copy of Suetonius, his life of Vespasian is a hoot.

Still dumb, but not super-dumb: I thought Vespasian was the following year taking over from whoever lived out the Four-year.  ::)

[W8taminute]

I suspect a lot of us here may be new to this game so anyone who joins don't worry.  This session could be for instructional purposes only.  I'd be happy to offer advice, at least on the do's and don'ts that I've learned playing AGEOD games in general.   ;)