Game 8

Jason wrote:Though in all seriousness,  I have been tempted to give the Mahratta Confederation a try one day

Hey, what a coincidence! Today is one day. Tomorrow is also one day. After that it's all just days...

OK I'll do it in G11

Jason wrote:OK  I'll do it in G11

Game 11 is someday, not one day

Deacon wrote:

Jason wrote:A powerful Moghul India would be great to have in-game, we did in Game 2 at the end.  I wonder though if rather than challenging China/the Ottomans, it might decide to reduce or even expel completely at least some of the Europeans from India?  Maybe they could work with China, with the Holders of the Mandate of Heaven driving the barbarians from their outposts in the FarEast>  

Possible, but at this stage, what most Europeans have are trading enclaves. The population in them is tiny, and expelling them might be a point of honour, but it would come at having little extra population and a drop in trade income as you damaged the infrastructure. Historically, from what I've read, those enclaves had vast networks of native craftsman and traders that they did business with. Taking them would certainly hurt the european powers trade with India, but it would hurt India's trade as well.

In the end, I don't think expelling Europeans would consume much of the Moghul's efforts since he'd have (assuming he had otherwise conquered India) no difficulty laying siege to most of the places, so he'd still have the question of what to do next and India only has so many neighbors.

Some of those towns held by Europeans also have very large populations. Especially the English held towns. Not a bad idea. But economically it would be hurtful and cannot see it being worthwhile from that point of view.

The good thing with a Moghul position. Is there are lots of small groups around them. Apart from the Indians there are others and you could easily pick up a dozen more towns without looking at Indian postions. To the ~Moghul north. So the Moghul position could be turned into something special if in the right hands.

The Maharattas position does not have the easy pickings that the Moghul has to the north of him. Perhaps another reason why the Maharattas position is always up against it, compared to the Moghuls.

It looks like I resurrected the topic, glad of it
About Maratha I guess that they could be playble only with european aid or a weak moghul leader, because the early XVIII century is not their best period.

Historia wrote:It looks like I resurrected the topic, glad of it
About Maratha I guess that they could be playble only with european aid or a weak moghul leader, because the early XVIII century is not their best period.

My (limited) experience with these positions is that Richard isn't that detailed on that score, so I wouldn't assume the historical weakness is mirrored in game.

Deacon wrote:

Historia wrote:It looks like I resurrected the topic, glad of it
About Maratha I guess that they could be playble only with european aid or a weak moghul leader, because the early XVIII century is not their best period.

My (limited) experience with these positions is that Richard isn't that detailed on that score, so I wouldn't assume the historical weakness is mirrored in game.

I agree with Deacon. I also think it depends what sort of game you want to play, If you like to play an expansionist game then yes the Maharatas aren't for you, but if you are more into nation-building (internal improvements rather than expansion) and/or you like to try and take a position in a different direction, then it could be for you.

Deacon wrote:

Historia wrote:It looks like I resurrected the topic, glad of it
About Maratha I guess that they could be playble only with european aid or a weak moghul leader, because the early XVIII century is not their best period.

My (limited) experience with these positions is that Richard isn't that detailed on that score, so I wouldn't assume the historical weakness is mirrored in game.

Historically, the Maratha only just survived the last Moghul offensives.........but when the last Great Moghul dead in 1707 and the Moghul Empire imploded they entered their period of greatest expansion mostly in the south but later in the North of India.

Gloire seems to actually give the Martha a much bigger power base than they had in 1700 by putting all the non Moghul Empire states into one position.

To judge from the size of area it controls I would think that the Maratha are a fairly substantial position in Gloire du Roi terms. Plus it does not have the religious problems of the Moghul Empire, problems which could get a lot worse with a active Martha.

Hope games speed up again soon. It's been 5 weeks since last turn drop and I'm staring sadly at my empty inbox...

When games move slower than real-time, you know it's going to take a while to accomplish anything...

Richard was away for a short time hence the delays, playing catch up

Kingmaker wrote:Richard was away for a short time hence the delays, playing catch up

Thanks, but I reserve my inalienable gamer right to whine about lack of a turn.

Must admit, three weeks is long enough for me. Any longer and you start to question the point of playing. In a game that takes so long.

How do others feel about their preferred game turn time.?

prefer 10 days used to love the sound of my letter dropping thru the box, but now if i am late or pushed for time I use email all the time, still miss reading the letters by hand tho

Shorter is better for me. Since so many plans take years to play out, I appreciate the accelerated clock.

I appreciate the quicker turnaround time can be expensive for some. I wander if the next new game of lgdr could have a 10 day turn around time.? Would. It get enough support.? Looks like the three of us would be interested.

Be interesting to see if there was support for it.

Must admit I do prefer a quicker turnaround time (though of course realise its extra work for Richard...and even he is allowed time off ).

Of course, does increase the cost but maybe not as much as might be expected, at least for me. I have noticed that when the turnaround time is longer, I use the 'extra orders' option a lot more; when its short I tend to think "another turn will be here soon so it can wait until then" and do smaller turns

Jason wrote:Must admit I do prefer a quicker turnaround time (though of course realise its extra work for Richard...and even he is allowed time off ).  

Of course, does increase the cost but maybe not as much as might be expected, at least for me.  I have noticed that when the turnaround time is longer, I use the 'extra orders' option a lot more; when its short I tend to think "another turn will be here soon so it can wait until then" and do smaller turns

Ditto. Turns get longer when the turnaround time extends.

From my point of view. The longer the time between turns, the more disinterested I become. If every turn time was changed to 5 weeks, I would seriously consider dropping from games.

Very interesting reading, in regard player thoughts.

For me, when I first began LGDR it was a quicker turn-around (probably around the 10 day speed) and I found I couldn't keep up with the game (mainly thanks to real life getting in the way).

The three week turn-around I'm finding is do-able for me. Yes, it would be nice to see my in-game plans and investments come to fruition sooner, but what I decided when I re-joined the game (I had to leave last time not because of any reason against Agema) was that I would stick with just with the one game and see it through for the long-haul. If needed, game 10 shutting down, asking if it would be possible to transplant my position and what I'd done up till that point into another, still-active, game.

However, I chose Rozwi after having a good think about how the game works and the game speed.

The position lacks a need for frenzied building-up to keep pace with neighbouring enemies, obviously due to its geographic isolation. And, historically, a southern African position is going to be 'backward' in comparison to any non-African nation that it meets, and the way of life is more relaxed and sedate. I looked at the game map and noticed who my neighbours were (only one played by another player) so I realised that Rozwi probably isn't going to be a nail-biting climactic position, so the slower game speed wouldn't interfere with my enthusiasm for the game. For the most part I play against the GM. Role playing my characters and city building etc. This suites me and works, in this case, with the speed of the game.

Obviously, if I'd picked a 'modern' or more competitive game position I'd be feeling the slower speed and be anxious to see what was happening - but, as I say, I chose a position that I knew would complement the current game.

I have a question for you. It's my first active turn, I send letters (I guess the replies will come the next turn) I appointed some officers and I asked for advices. I can understand that when I ask something to my ambassadors they will need some times to replay, but to my ministers?
How is your experience about that? Thank you for help

Historia wrote:I have a question for you. It's my first active turn, I send letters (I guess the replies will come the next turn) I appointed some officers and I asked for advices. I can understand that when I ask something to my ambassadors they will need some times to replay, but to my ministers?
How is your experience about that? Thank you for help

Asking questions and ideas to your ministers should give you a reply next turn. If you have not signed up for extra orders, perhaps your turn reached its limit financially. So your extra orders were ignored. Have you signed up to except extra orders and payment to your turn?

Depending on. What you asked. Perhaps the ministers did not understand it in some way. you can always drop Agema an email. But I would guess the above is true. I have unlimited extra orders, so all my work gets processed.

Historia wrote:...How is your experience about that?

I've found that if you ask a question of a minister who belongs to your country, or even an ambassador - as long as he isn't too far away in a far off country - you should receive a reply next turn.

I recently asked my ministers for advice. The next turn I received information from three of them. But because the time-limit for my game turn/payment had been used up with everything, I had to wait another turn for the replies from two other ministers.

I often ask for information from two of my envoys who are in the next, neighbouring country - that in real life would be 742km / 461miles distant from me - and I receive their answers next turn. Things like, "What nationality of traders are present at Mozambique?" - "If there's any from Zanzibar, pay them to take you to Zanzibar Island." Next turn, I'd be told a list of all of the trading nationalities who were at Mozambique (those who have trade investments in the "African" area) and that my two envoys had paid to be taken to Zanzibar and had now reached there.

I've never had an ambassador, or envoy, working in another continent, so I don't know how long players have to wait for replies from them.

Hope that helps

Historia wrote:I have a question for you. It's my first active turn, I send letters (I guess the replies will come the next turn) I appointed some officers and I asked for advices. I can understand that when I ask something to my ambassadors they will need some times to replay, but to my ministers?
How is your experience about that? Thank you for help

Ministers will answer the turn asked in the body of your turn. Letters typically arrive the turn, or the turn after sent depending upon distance, ambassadors, Richard's efficiency in filing

Take all minister advice with a bit of a grain of salt, in that all ministers have a perspective/bias. Some are better than others.

For instance, never ask your minister of war, "Do I have enough soldiers?" Because even if every man, woman, and child in your kingdom was under arms they'd say "NO! WE MUST HAVE MORE!!!! MILITARIZE THE LIVESTOCK BEFORE WE ALL DIE!!!"

In this forum are several beginner guides. Feel free to post questions on those threads and most players are happy to give advice. We like the game and want other players to be successful enough to stick around (if not successful enough to beat us!)

sage advice there.... 

Kingmaker wrote:sage advice there.... 

Have you seen the Scottish Heavy Sheep Brigade?