Game 8

Tomorrow never comes, Yesterday never goes away. So make the most of today.

Well, this turn I have 2 ministers robbing my treasury that I'm probably going to have to hang and Richard telling me it's all my fault despite my vehement objections.

I hope other people are having better results!

Wow! I think that's the first time I've ever heard of that!

I seem to be having better results though am beginning to suspect that my part of the world is becoming a bit emptier than before...

Been there, done that but not in game 8...
One of my minister left with a huge amount of silver, leaving behind a huge mess, but we caught up with him and the money is back where it belong.

Interesting situation developing in Spain.

Yes, his honour must be very low after the hindu tax collector trouble to get a rebellion in the army.

Has anyone noticed that while some positions like Russia & Prussia always seem to get very active and often very able players........Spain seems to bring out the "oddities" in people........both historically & in game.

Have just read the Henry Kamen book on Philip V (ISBN 0-300-08718-7) of Spain. In some ways a fairly able ruler but quite clearly a bit of a loon.

Trying to do something sensible like improve his tax service with trained administrators but then using Hindu tax men sounds like something Philip V could have dreamed up.

Are you sure his advisor isn't called "Baldrick"?

Edmund Blackadder:"Now am I by any chance addressing a senior dignitary of the Spanish inquisition?"

Kidnapper:Speaks Spanish

Edmund Blackadder:"uh good.... because if I am, I wish to make it quite clear that I am prepared to tell you absolutely anything."

Hmmm...a Glory game where the PM of England is Blackadder...

And we hit 3 week turn around! I wonder how Richard managed to turn this one around so quickly. Everybody must have submitted orders early!

Hmm...and it seems someone is playing at pirates...excuse me whilst I talk to my admirals...

Yes, I noticed that. Somebody clearly picked up the Wako pirates given the shipping losses in Japan.

Well if people will have these long public debates about the best way to run pirate factions is it really a surprise the Wako have shown up.

Now, how long does it take to sail to the South China Sea or send orders to Ships which might be in the area?

Wonder if these pirates are real Japanese Wako or the South China Sea Mob pretending to be someone else?

I say sale Dutch East India Company Shares now!

17 japanese ships in one month is quite a haul. Either they've been planning for a while, or the starting position of the pirates is pretty large....

Some of the great yellow sea "pirate" (or Patriotic Ming loyalist) fleets had 500 ships or more and were able to hold whole Chinese provinces to ransom.

As for some of the Japanese clans some of the clans who were most prone to piracy and raiding China/Korea have just been battered first in the unification wars then in the invasion of Korea.

But if some ambitious western Daimyo needs to clear his debts to the Osaka Brokers they would still have 20,000 plus fighting men.

So the finger would seem to be pointing at

1) Ming Loyalist/Yellow Sea Pirates
2) Japanese Wako from Western Clans who dont like the Shogan
3) The Dutch East India company cutting down on rival traders
4) The Spanish in Manila ditto of 3
5) Louis XIV of France because its well know he is the anti christ and everything is his fault esp in G7 but I see no reason why this theory should not apply in G8 as well.

As matter of interest any sightings of the anon Louis XiV in G8? If not he must be off running pirates.

No Louis sightings, no.

I know that the chinese pirates did at one point build up an enormous armada before taking a deal to join the chinese navy. I wouldn't think Richard would start the position with anything near that strength, but I have no idea.

I think it is fair to say the loyal servants of the Holder of the Mandate of Heaven, whilst relatively unfussed by the midgets of Japan losing a few ships, will not take kindly to such uncivilised behaviour near their coasts...

If I understand things correctly the loyal servents of the Holder of the Mandate of Heaven are either Manchu & Mongol Warlords from Manchuria or the Steppe who know nothing about ships or sailing. Or they are Chinese Civil Service types who get sea sick taking a barge across the yellow river.

I think what Jason ment to say was "The loyal servants of the mandate of Heaven, while relatively unfussed by the midgets of Japan losing a few ships, will nevertheless use every tactic in the Chinese civil service guide to diplomatic cover up and white washes to make sure the holder of the mandate of heaven finds out nothing at all about uncivilized behaviour near his coasts"

Long live the Ming Dynasty and down with the Manchu Barbarians and their running dog lackeys!!!!!!!

Was it not the case that Wako specifically don't attack Japanese ships? And a Chinese pirate might also avoid Chinese ships?

As some are rightly saying 27 ships in one month is a large catch. Perhaps 2 pirates? Or perhaps the source is further West (A European or Indian Nation)?

Also interesting is that ONLY Korean and Japanese vessels were taken?

It could well be one of the chinese player positions, I guess. Didn't the emperor about 6 months ago order the taking of some islands held by Japan?

If so, maybe somebody decided that picking on shipping is the right beginning.

Stuart Bailey wrote:If I understand things correctly the loyal servents of the Holder of the Mandate of Heaven are either Manchu & Mongol Warlords from Manchuria or the Steppe who know nothing about ships or sailing. Or they are Chinese Civil Service types who get sea sick taking a barge across the yellow river.

I think what Jason ment to say was "The loyal servants of the mandate of Heaven, while relatively unfussed by the midgets of Japan losing a few ships, will nevertheless use every tactic in the Chinese civil service guide to diplomatic cover up and white washes to make sure the holder of the mandate of heaven finds out nothing at all about uncivilized behaviour near his coasts"

Long live the Ming Dynasty and down with the Manchu Barbarians and their running dog lackeys!!!!!!!

You will soon eat your words Barbarian

Deacon wrote:
It could well be one of the chinese player positions, I guess. Didn't the emperor about 6 months ago order the taking of some islands held by Japan?

If so, maybe somebody decided that picking on shipping is the right beginning.

The order was to remind a certain group of islands that they owe loyalty to the Emperor...and without giving too much away, the person who the order was given to is a rather honourable chap who isn't sinking to piracy...might send a few shells ashore to remind you of who your lord is

Well, who knows what you inscrutable slanted eyes think is honorable?

I think Korea and the Dutch have both dropped, so I doubt it's them. The Japanese didn't attack their own shipping, so that leaves pirates or the Chinese.

I guess you could speculate it's a European power, but Japan is a long, long way out of the way to go to do some piracy. And the Japanese don't even have any particularly good trade goods either

The Chinese invented Honour (along with everything else)...the Barbarians just nicked it