Game 10

Most of the paper activity I show up in, is stuff I've written up myself. Sometimes it's tweaked by Richard, sometimes it isn't.

It certainly seems to have helped my Honour score rise.

I have learnt the hard way to make sure that if I have an ambassador doing anything I dont want made public, I state clearly in my orders "to approach privately" or "to request a private meeting"...sometimes I don't want my antics in the paper

Oh yes, very good point.

Richard can hang you out to dry if you don't emphasize it is a private conversation.

Or, I could just have my people speak Bantu to confuse you all.
Noma, ngangingakwazi bheka yaseNingizimu futhi ulimi Nguni.
Estamos começando a aprender Português, por isso não posso oferecer isso ainda.
Als we gingen op een grote tour van Zuid-Afrika, kunnen we alleen maar uiteindelijk spreken Nederlands ...
Of selfs Kaaps-Hollandse!

I can remember someone posting a public letter in Assyria's End using a sort-of wingdings fonts (to look like hieroglyphics.) Not that I could translate it!

[For all of the terrible foreign languages, blame Google Translate!]

My candidate for the best in-game character so far: The (young) Prince of Wales  

Loving reading about him and his adventures. Heaven help any officers tasked with having to look after him, should he be allowed to march with an army

He's not the Prince of Wales, he's a very naughty boy

Jason wrote:He's not the Prince of Wales, he's a very naughty boy

I'm glad the Jacobites are in play. Always adds spice to the game. Though we would understand if England yet insists on the value of flavorless food.

I say

We are busy playing with our navy!

revvaughan wrote:I say

We are busy playing with our navy!

Rum, sodomy and the lash, eh?

Whatever floats his boat

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:My candidate for the best in-game character so far: The (young) Prince of Wales  

Loving reading about him and his adventures. Heaven help any officers tasked with having to look after him, should he be allowed to march with an army

Can not help but note that that major difference between G10 and other games of Gloire du Roi is the amount of activity based round the French Court.

G8 = 5 years of total silence

G10 = Do we ever get a rest from French Court gossip..........if half the newspaper is not taken up by the mad cap doing's of young Jacobites in exile. Its King Louis grandson playing real tennis with corsair chiefs and exchanging long lingering looks with the fair haired blue eyed neices of French Corsair chiefs.

Perhaps rather than sending the young prince of Wales to the Army he could join the French Navy (Privateering branch) instead.

Will there be three players operating out of (geographic location) France?

The French
The Jacobites
And (going from the Honour ranks at the back of the newspaper) Rene Trouin

I've never been in a game where this could be the case, so I'd be interested to read what people say.

Getting back to improving Rozwi's honour score (as I previously mentioned in a past post of mine).

It rose by a point this month. Looking at the last time it lifted, and what I'd previously done to possibly raise it, and that my character was noted in the newspaper this last month as watching the army in training - I reckon a military approach is benefiting to this position.

I've had confidential advice from my chiefs, as well as the advice published in the newspaper, and its basically all been of the 'lets go to war and capture cattle' variety. Only one of the chiefs wanted to capture slaves. A couple wanted to increase the lands belonging the Rozwi. None of them said 'Give Peace A Chance.'

Luckily, I took on this position as I wanted to try my hand at the warfare aspect of the game - I've previously, only, been involved in pirate skirmishes on the high seas.

Seemingly, the high point of south-eastern African culture is the spear point washed in the blood of your enemies.

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:Will there be three players operating out of (geographic location) France?

The French
The Jacobites
And (going from the Honour ranks at the back of the newspaper) Rene Trouin

I've never been in a game where this could be the case, so I'd be interested to read what people say.

At least they are all on the same side! I am sure in one game recently (was it G7?) the Huguenots were active as well as the main government.

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:Getting back to improving Rozwi's honour score (as I previously mentioned in a past post of mine).

It rose by a point this month. Looking at the last time it lifted, and what I'd previously done to possibly raise it, and that my character was noted in the newspaper this last month as watching the army in training - I reckon a military approach is benefiting to this position.

I've had confidential advice from my chiefs, as well as the advice published in the newspaper, and its basically all been of the 'lets go to war and capture cattle' variety. Only one of the chiefs wanted to capture slaves. A couple wanted to increase the lands belonging the Rozwi. None of them said 'Give Peace A Chance.'

Luckily, I took on this position as I wanted to try my hand at the warfare aspect of the game - I've previously, only, been involved in pirate skirmishes on the high seas.

Seemingly, the high point of south-eastern African culture is the spear point washed in the blood of your enemies.

Sounds like you're planning to have quite a big BBQ then

Jason wrote:

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:Will there be three players operating out of (geographic location) France?

The French
The Jacobites
And (going from the Honour ranks at the back of the newspaper) Rene Trouin

I've never been in a game where this could be the case, so I'd be interested to read what people say.

At least they are all on the same side!  I am sure in one game recently (was it G7?) the Huguenots were active as well as the main government.  

I dont think we had active Huguenots in G7 (Think that was a different game) but at one stage in G7 we did have four "English" players active: which beats the three positions active at the French Court in G10:

English Govt
Jacobites
Hon West Indies Company
Sons of Liberty

Which beats the three positions active at the French Court in G10!

We have also had x4 active English positions in Scabble & at times up to 4 active Ottomans in games.

G7 shows that when these situations go wrong......they can go really, really wrong. Its not for everyone but if played well and with a degree of generous roll play on all sides I think these set up's can be entertaining and offer a chance to pick up loads of honour points etc.

Think "En Guarde" toadying and party rules........moved to Glori due Roi.

Perhaps Lord Derby in scabble and Louis XIV in G10 will care to share their tips on "Alliance management & dealing with stroppy and violent merchants & exiled royals"

Stay tuned for Lord Derby's methods of dealing with certain merchants and their antics. It really could prove interesting!

The September 1700 turn has arrived in my email inbox and I've got to say I received a very welcome, and pleasing surprise.

Changamire Dombo II of the Rozwi in seventh position on the honour rankings. [Fair enough, that's last place at this time   ]

I can honestly say I was not expecting that, especially given that I've not been attempting to improve and influence my honour score in the previous turns.

I reckon I'll have to buy some Dancing Girls and have them come up with a version of a Reed Dance. Also, I'll definitely need some Praise Singers to go around Khami and remind people how much of a big cheese I am!

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:The September 1700 turn has arrived in my email inbox and I've got to say I received a very welcome, and pleasing surprise.

Changamire Dombo II of the Rozwi in seventh position on the honour rankings. [Fair enough, that's last place at this time   ]

I can honestly say I was not expecting that, especially given that I've not been attempting to improve and influence my honour score in the previous turns.

I reckon I'll have to buy some Dancing Girls and have them come up with a version of a Reed Dance. Also, I'll definitely need some Praise Singers to go around Khami and remind people how much of a big cheese I am!

Congratulations!

I've never managed to appear on the list!

I've managed it twice now, but only in the first couple of game years.

Blackbeard the Pirate in 1701, in one game a few years ago, and now Rozwi.

As the game progresses Rozwi will probably slip down the rankings and find it harder to compete in the honour stakes with the European and Asian positions, I think.

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:I've managed it twice now, but only in the first couple of game years.

Blackbeard the Pirate in 1701, in one game a few years ago, and now Rozwi.

As the game progresses Rozwi will probably slip down the rankings and find it harder to compete in the honour stakes with the European and Asian positions, I think.

In many ways its easier for small & united powers like the Rozwi to build up & keep a high honour score than large powers. Especially as so many of the larger powers either have internal problems which means half the things they do are going to upset someone. We already have Moghul players on this forum saying its impossible to keep both the Islamic Nobility & Hindu Masses happy........your are either a heretic or a tyrannt!

While other large and generally united powers seem to often have regular foes liable to put the old propaganda boot into their honour score.

Generally speaking if larger powers are ahead of small powers on the honour list its because they are played on a regular basis without long periods as NPC which see's the honour score either static or drifting downwards.

So theory if Rozwi is played from the start with plenty of spear washing & cattle raiding to win the support of the spirits and imports of new fangled fire sticks etc to impress the rank and file........I look forward to the day Rozwi storms past the Europeans to become top of the honour list.

I hadn't thought of it like that, the external influences. Yes, Rozwi probably will be blessed in that respect. In a previous turn I had one of my chief's asking where Madagascar was, so the general level of ignorance should be a helping hand, and, as long as I can keep the chaps impressed with their Big Chief's importance, Rozwi's honour score should remain levelled out in the long term, barring a point upward or down.

I don't know if I should trust a simple Rozwi tribesman with a firestick though. He'd probably drop the burning match into the grass and start a wildfire, or scare himself half to death with the big Bang!, drop the weapon and run away home.    

Still, I've managed to earn the African states a new toy*. Canoes! Though they're only available to those tribes who historically used them, so I may have to travel to the Congo Basin.
[*Well, I did enquire about canoes and stated the use of them on rivers like the Congo, so I may have helped alter the rules there.]

If I can get the Omani's to send a shipwright mission to teach coastal fishing boat design, maybe the increased food rations may also help the Rozwi honour score to lift a little ... If not, the better diet may help raise the population levels in the long run. Best look into salt sources as the coast is a long way from Khami! The Okavango Delta has salt flats, and there is Rock Salts. I wonder if either can be used for food preservation? Best go and find out.

Playing the Rozwi. More Assyria's End (less the chariots) than LGDR

Sept 1700 Mercurius Politicus has shown up and can probably be entitled "The Italian Job" or "Thats torn it"!!!!

Clearly bored with waiting for Carlos II to pass away and events to start moving Duke Victor Amadeus of Savoy decided to give things a bit of a push and marched his Army into Milan. Claiming the Spanish Crown had not paid a dowry owed since 1582!

It remains to be seen how:

1) The ministers of Carlos II will react to people trying to pinch his prize Duchy before Carlos is even dead. Also how will King Carlos react will the shock finish him off? Or will his last order be.....bring me the head of Victor Amadeus and lay it on my coffin?

2) How Vienna will react........Victor Amadeus is a close relation to Prince Eugine the Emperor's right hand man. But the Emperor probably does not approve of Invasions of Hapsburg Lands in case other people (Ottomans, Prussians, French, English, Dutch etc) get the idea that its acceptable.

3) How Louis XIV & William of Orange will react. According to their 2nd partition treaty of 1698/99? the Duchy of Milan is surposed to go to the Duke of Lorraine in exchange for his Duchy which will go to France.

- Oddly the Duke of Lorraine seems to be suffering memory loss about this major European treaty over which he was fully consulted with at the time. One wonders if suffering memory loss? Or has now changed his mind over the "premotion" now that Milan is full of troops from Savoy?

I agree, the spanish succession just got more interesting, but I think some folks are overstepping and it will be interesting to see if they get stomped for it or not.

Well done Rozwi, always great to see non-Europeans doing well and long may you do so. There was a stage when the 'Admired' list in G8 seemed to be dominated by non-Europeans and I loved that (esp as it meant I was on the list ) . I do agree with what someone said above, it can be easier for a smaller position to do well honour wise than a major power, which given the disadvantages does help balance things up slightly (though I think some positions are more fun to play).

As to Savoy and Milan, I wonder who the allies mentioned in the paper are. Given the movements of returning troops, it could be France-but as Stuart pointed out they are supposed to get Lorraine in return for the Duke of Lorraine getting Milan, so I can't see what France gains other than it hoping to provoke a general war and pick up extra spoils? Given their support for the Pretender (always makes me think of the Freddie Mercury song), anything is possible I guess.
Like Stuart, I can't see the Hapsburgs in Vienna liking this...and I doubt England would be behind it.
As I think we can assume the Spanish haven't encouraged Savoy to do it (I could come up with a reason why they could, but only if I want to add up in a nice padded cell in a jacket with long sleeves), I wonder if the allies are the Ottomans/Russia/Swedes-encouraging Savoy to do this, provoke a nice general war and once the main powers are committed, they (whichever one 'they' are) can snip off some nice juicy, and now poorly defended, targets in Eastern Europe?

Or maybe its the Rozwi...and as we speak their vast army is now heading north in their new canoes, to support their allies in Savoy...