Game 10

The French in Game X seem to have problems with their mail. The Foreign Office gets getting some information from well placed informants that report that the French are providing an army for the Jacobins and most certainly have offered a fleet to them. That certainly doesn't seem nice and will likely get ones merchant fleet set ablaze.

Initially when looking at the rules the technology seems important, but it isn't really. For example, with the time to build a battleship by the point it is near completion it is obsolete or the British have blown it up in dock before you get to launch your shiny new war fleet, that's if your playing as Germany and Charles Hawtrey is your admiral! Jason - if you want to stay in I could send you my technology - a Germany/Japan alliance doesn't sound at all ominous for world peace.

Someone needs to find some friendly Huguenots to start a secret Jacobin society in France. Now that would put the cat among the pigeons.

Are your diviners reading the English mail?

revvaughan wrote:Are your diviners reading the English mail?

No. Just the UDPs

[that's a joke! before anyone thinks otherwise ]

Excellent game with so many active players compared to the final years of game 3. Sent out a fair number of letters last month; one of the benefits of taking a laptop to a French campsite. Sat outside in the warm with a beer too lol.

Lucky you, I'm considering putting the heating on.

Anyone in game considering conquering Scotland clearly has never experienced a highland summer

Jason wrote:Lucky you, I'm considering putting the heating on.

Anyone in game considering conquering Scotland clearly has never experienced a highland summer

The Russians in G7 blame the midges, the water and the lack of Vodka for their terrible sickness levels. But I dont think they actually when north of Sterling.

But what I want to know is why would anyone in G10 actually want to conquer the place? What has Jason done now?

Jason wrote:Lucky you, I'm considering putting the heating on.

Anyone in game considering conquering Scotland clearly has never experienced a highland summer

I have. I was at Culloden Moor a couple of years back. We experienced driving rain. Sleet. Strong winds. And then a cold calm. All in the space of a hour-and-a-half.

Stuart Bailey wrote:But what I want to know is why would anyone in G10 actually want to conquer the place? What has Jason done now?

With all that whisky being drank, he's probably ruined his liver. But that's just personally.

Nationally, he's been railing against the un-Scottish Stuart monarchy-in-exile. So maybe a Highland uprising from his own people. Catholics throughout the British Isles venting their displeasure. Or even, if they consider Scotland an easier target than England, the Stuart dynasty themselves.

But I'm more interested to see the Japanese response to Spain opening a trade mission at Edo. As, isn't Japan still a 'closed country' in the game? And to send a trade mission to the seat of Shogunate power is really daring, at least I think so.

Though I may have missed something and Japan isn't as xenophobic as historically it was, or Spain has been negotiating terms privately.

Still, I hope someone's told those Samurai guards not to chop off the hairy barbarian's heads, when they see them popping up at the gates of the Yoshiwara.

Excuse me!

Am I rounding up known Jacobites and sticking them in Edinburgh Castle-No!

Have I declared being repeatedly and wantonly Catholic is now a Capital Offence-No!

I think I am being very reasonable...if you want to, in the privacy of your own mind, in your own home, believe that a Stuart Restoration might be a good thing, then I have no problem with that. Indeed if you wish to discuss with your friends, in the matters of debate, the merits of being ruled by the runaway King James rather than Good King William, that is legal...it shows you're insane but I'm not making that a crime, I don't have enough jails for all the insane people in Scotland...just don't start being naughty and take to the streets over it...

I was looking for something witty to come back with, but found this instead

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Scottish_sentiment

The section titled "Anti-Highlander and anti-Jacobite sentiment" is the bit belonging the TGOK time frame, and I found it quite interesting. Certainly of use to players of Scotland and England, I'd say. If Rozwi was in Scramble, probably us too - should the propaganda sheets feature us tribals as cannibals.

Oh, its all fun and games The anti-Highland aspect, primarily coming from the Lowlands, is always interesting-and in Aberdeen we get confused...sometimes we're big brave Highlanders (so death to the English and those Central Belters)...and sometimes we view those Highlanders as dangerour Barbarians, whilst we're more like the Lowlands and the English...everyone plays safe and just beats the hell out of Aberdeenshire...

Cannibalism?!?! wow. I had no idea they thought that this late.

While I know it isn't a popular position with England and Scotland, I do think the Jacobites add a lot of tension to the early game.

I wish the spanish succession could be managed in a similar way to add tension. Seems there isn't enough in play in game for France and Austria-Hungary to really go at it.

The difference between the Jacobite rebellion and the Spanish succession is:

The first is a small position trying to take over England with whatever support they can get from France. France can, for a modest amount of resources cause a lot of trouble for England which is usually a good deal for France.

The Spanish succession is a major issue between two powerful empires where they both know the war will be very hard, long, expensive and bloody and most likely end in something of a draw. So the solution is often to split the Spanish Empire and both sides are reasonably happy. Not a solution any of the opponents had chosen in real life but in hindsight they may have done so to avoid the war. An advantage the players have to the original rulers, we know what the god decisions where and the not so god.

Ardagor wrote:The difference between the Jacobite rebellion and the Spanish succession is:

The first is a small position trying to take over England with whatever support they can get from France. France can, for a modest amount of resources cause a lot of trouble for England which is usually a good deal for France.

The Spanish succession is a major issue between two powerful empires where they both know the war will be very hard, long, expensive and bloody and most likely end in something of a draw. So the solution is often to split the Spanish Empire and both sides are reasonably happy. Not a solution any of the opponents had chosen in real life but in hindsight they may have done so to avoid the war. An advantage the players have to the original rulers, we know what the god decisions where and the not so god.

Its not aways France which gives the Jacobites support in various games Jacobites have had support from Russia, Bourbon Spain, Papacy and other Italian powers. But agree that its normally either powers looking to cause trouble for the English or gain the grace and favour of the Pope and their own Church (or both).

Modern day players who normally think in terms of Nation States and their own position are often not that interested in dynastic as opposed to National interest so its hard to get the WSS to start and run in anything like the historic manner. Generally speaking a single Spanish player selects a new King and it just remains the same Spanish Govt and Empire. Without anyone greatly concerned about if that player is Bourbon or Hapsburg.

My feeling is that to trigger a War over the Spanish succession you either need:

a) Spanish Govt to select a King & the party which has lost out starts a war in support of its man. The problem with this is that you need both parties to be equally set on war because if only one is looking really hardline the temptation for the Spanish player (who wants to keep a united Empire free from civil wars) is to advert the possible problem and remove the threat by crowning the candidate of the threatening faction.

b) A Spanish Hapsburg & a Spanish Bourbon player. This was the starting position in G7 and as the Spanish Hapsburg player I was all set to head for the hills or even South America or Italy (with the Spanish Treasury & Crown Jewels) as Bourbon Armies marched into Madrid.
Sadly (or fortunately for the good of Spain) the nominal Spanish Bourbon player was only really interested in stopping the split up of Spanish Empire, wanted to annex Portugal and had very little interest in who was King of Spain.

Result the Spanish body politic never really split and Spain may as well have been a one player position from the start. But I suspect that with other players a split could have happened which would have brought in other powers.

Yes, I think the issue is that in most games the spanish player picks who the next leader of the realm is, and everything moves on. There are no real threats to that, and no real chance that significant territory changes hands.

As a consequence, it doesn't really follow the historical version where the entire balance of power in Europe was on the line.

Any guesses on when the War of the Spanish Succession is going to kick off, then?

Next question will be, and where - Duchy of Milan / Savoy, or Spain??




Or will there be bloodshed in England, first?

Loyal English vs Rebelling English, or Loyal English vs French??




Or, will the next drop of blood spilt be in Southern Africa?

Portugal avenging the loss of it's people in either Burundi or Malagassy??

Or possibly Rozwi kicking it all off in a land-grab invasion??



Answers on a postcard to the Mercurius Politicus!

I think it will be those naughty Rozwis, I am still certain they are behind all the world's mischief, trying to make sure we are all distracted as they seize the whole of Africa...

Jason wrote:I think it will be those naughty Rozwis, I am still certain they are behind all the world's mischief, trying to make sure we are all distracted as they seize the whole of Africa...

Yes, Yes my eyes are clear.......its all fits perfectly:

Carlos II of Spain being infertile & an idiot plus the death of the Bavarian heir is clearly the result of black magic curses laid by Rozwis Witch Doctors. When Portugal is drawn into the Iberian Crisis the Rozwis will strike and take over Angola etc.

Then when the French heir makes his bid for Flanders and the UDP declares war to stop it......Cape town is next to fall to the Rozwis War Machine.

Using fell magic (or large amounts of gold) the Rozwis Shamen exact great battle & weapon knowledge from the skulls of the Dutch and Portugese which allows them to sweep north towards Ottoman North Africa.

In preperation the Rozwis Witch Doctors seem to have caste a mighty charm to convert the Great Moghul to Shia Islam. Faced with the rise of the Shia and with their Empire riddled with Rozwis/Shia agents the Sultan and the Bey of Egypt waste their power in eastern wars allowing a Rozwis walk over in the north.

If the need more diversions they probably have more spells to get people killed in riding accidents (King William?) and die childless (Queen Ann)......Nothing like a good Jacobite crisis.

What I want to know what are the Holy Inqusition going to do about all this Pagan Black Magic????

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Jason wrote:I think it will be those naughty Rozwis, I am still certain they are behind all the world's mischief, trying to make sure we are all distracted as they seize the whole of Africa...

Yes, Yes my eyes are clear.......its all fits perfectly:

Carlos II of Spain being infertile & an idiot plus the death of the Bavarian heir is clearly the result of black magic curses laid by Rozwis Witch Doctors.  When Portugal is drawn into the Iberian Crisis the Rozwis will strike and take over Angola etc.

Then when the French heir makes his bid for Flanders and the UDP declares war to stop it......Cape town is next to fall to the Rozwis War Machine.

Using fell magic (or large amounts of gold) the Rozwis Shamen exact great battle & weapon knowledge from the skulls of the Dutch and Portugese which allows them to sweep north towards Ottoman North Africa.

In preperation the Rozwis Witch Doctors seem to have caste a mighty charm to convert the Great Moghul to Shia Islam.  Faced with the rise of the Shia and with their Empire riddled with Rozwis/Shia agents the Sultan and the Bey of Egypt waste their power in eastern wars allowing a Rozwis walk over in the north.

If the need more diversions they probably have more spells to get people killed in riding accidents (King William?) and die childless (Queen Ann)......Nothing like a good Jacobite crisis.

What I want to know what are the Holy Inqusition going to do about all this Pagan Black Magic????  

I'm glad you agree Stuart, all completely reasonable

Ha! Its taking 6 months to walk from A to B, in south eastern Africa. And it ain't just me who's found this out!

Blitz warfare is definitely out, it would take years to reach Angola or the Cape.

The Inquisition isn't allowed in Rozwi. By order. All deals null and void should they turn up. No Christian preaching types inside of Rozwi borders during 1700 - Long may it continue! If needed we will use Black Muti and create the Zombies!

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:

The Inquisition isn't allowed in Rozwi. By order. All deals null and void should they turn up. No Christian preaching types inside of Rozwi borders during 1700 - Long may it continue! If needed we will use Black Muti and create the Zombies!  

Ha! He admitts it !! The Rozwi practice Vodoo & other forms of Black Magic.

Clearly Spain needs a King ASAP so the Holy Inquisition can be ordered to south east Africa to take the purifying fire to vile pagan practices.

Have we had a player character burnt at the stake yet?

Surely the Inquisition isn't enough? call a Crusade, unite the Catholic Powers into a grand alliance and march south at once!

I'll supply some good Scottish pine for the BBQ

Jason wrote:Surely the Inquisition isn't enough?  call a Crusade, unite the Catholic Powers into a grand alliance and march south at once!

I'll supply some good Scottish pine for the BBQ

From my limited experience of Scots camp fires is the wood not going to be so green and wet that he is likely to be smoked to death before the fire takes?

Do you not consider turning the Rozwi Chief into a Kipper a bit extreme? Even for a black magic vodoo Priest?

Not sure if "Smoke the Witch" has the same ring to it.

PS Ref G10 am I the only person who thinks this thread needs a title?

I was thinking "G10 - Lies, damn lies, even bigger whoppers & Scots Propoganda"

Since currently in the game we have:

1) The Duke of Savoy claiming to heir to the Duchy of Milan based on what his Grandmothers Nurse told her about what the Old Duke 4th under Butler told Cook about what was said at a wedding breakfast in 1320 or it might have been a banquet in 1349 just before everone when down with the plague..........or something like that.

2) The English Government trying to pretend that they are not acting for the Dutch Stadtholder (and part time King of England) by claiming loyalty to Queen Mary II when, unless the English have imported the art of Rozwi Necromancy, the good lady has been dead from small pox for five years or more.

- On subject of doing odd things with bodies I am a bit worried about Iberia as well with the Spanish Ministers inviting their Dec's Kings Doctor to attend their latest me
eting and the Portugese wanting to keep his body above ground to June! If the King of Portugal wants to say words over a six month old body in the middle of the Spanish Summer he clearly has no sence of smell or is a Necromancer like his Rozwi ally.

3) A French Corsair chief claiming to be "A sailor, man of Science, financier, explorer, etc, etc"............and not a single word about Piracy, smuggling, barantry, wrecking, arson, insurance fraud and the other fine traditions of Dunkirk & St Molo.

4) The Emperor claiming that a) The Duchy of Milan is part of the Holy Roman Empire and b) Only a Habsburg can rule it.

- These claims would seem to ignore the fact that Milan has been outside of the HRE (like the Papal States, Venice, Tuscany, Genoa etc) for 400 years and ignores the Visconti & Medici Dukes of Milan.

5) Cardinal Portocarrero claiming that a) Spain is a regency and b) The King of Spain can not appoint Ministers without the authority of the Government of Spain c) The King of Naples & Duke of Flanders can not appoint ministers without the agreement of the Govt of Spain.

Funny most people belived that:

- A regency is appointed when the Monarch is a minor - Since both the possible heirs to the King ie Philip of Anjou and Charles Von Hapsburg are adaults you can not have a regency.

- Spain, Naples and Flanders have some limits on Royal Power in the form of the various regional cortez in Spain such as the five guilds in Madrid, the Estates of Flanders and the Council in Naples but I am fairly sure they never claimed a veto over Royal Ministers. Odd promise not to appoint foreigners at most.

- Technically Flanders is a French Fief and part of the Holy Roman Empire and Naples is a Papal Fief. They may share a King and a Duke with Castille and Aragon but I dont think Spanish Ministers can tell them what to do.

6) We have the Doge of Genoa claiming to have spent an hour showing the Maria del Quattro the water features in the gardens of his new Palace. If this is the case he must have shown her the plans by candle light since the gardens have not been built yet and it was dark. Poor lady must have frozen being dragged round a building site in the dark by the mad water lilly fancier of old Genoa Town.

Propaganda? How dare you! We Scots deal only in the Truth!








Not our fault if it's not your truth