Multiple positions?

Hi folks

I was thinking about the fact that many of you, if i'm not wrong, are holding multiple positions in different tGoK games. I would like to ask a couple of questions about it.

1) Why? isn't a single position in a game an enough complex challenge for you? or you wanted to try a completely different position but didn't wanted to drop the old one?

2)How? in my experience tGoK turn requires a huge amount of time to be prepared, two or more positions are easier?

3)How many? how many positions are you holding?

feel free to share your experience about it, and please do not limit to the questions i've written as they are just basic elements to build a discussion on. I'm honestly very curious.

thanks

I am currently in three games playing Persia, Kwantung and Scotland. As to why, well I really do enjoy the games I have always preferred strategy games over shoot-em-ups and Glory is one of the few strategy games out there these days (my other half is mad about World of Warcraft...she just likes killing things...). Each position is a unique challenge and I enjoy the differences, as you can imagine, running Scotland offers very different challenges to a Chinese Province And as I do enjoy the nation building aspects of the game, I don't want to give up on an existing position just to try out a different one

As to the how, well yes each position takes a lot of time but I suffer from bouts of insomnia and doing Glory turns passes the time plus I have a 30 minute train journey each way to/from work, and reading through my turn helps pass the time Also, when I take on a position I develop a 5 (or 10!) year development plan, once that's in place a lot of the routine stuff (military units to be raised, civic improvements to be done, etc) is planned so I know in advance what I'm going to do. Of course the letter writing takes time...but with the insomnia and trains...

In addition, I have a very 'strategic' brain and since moving to Scotland and 'downsizing' my job, the games are now my main way of being 'strategic'

Oh, I love interacting with the other players too

I am currently in three games and have little diversity in the country that is played. I find that aside from the lunacy that invades Scramble at times it is a rather enjoyable game and provides a level of gaming that LGDR does not. The time demands of the larger positions can be something of a burden, but I do enjoy getting to play the role.

I should also note that in the past I have played Denmark and the UDP and found them to be rather interesting. I hating giving up the Denmark position as the RP in that position was becoming rather interesting.

1) The first question you pose is rather interesting... See my dear boy! Both of these games are like a drug and I need my fix more than once a fortnight.

2) The time required to do it right is certainly a problem.

3) Well the answer is... 3!

Coming from the other side of the question. I've (in my small GoK career) always avoided having multiple positions. I gave up one (smallish) position in one game in order to take on a (much larger) position in another (rather than try to run them both at the same time) - daunted by the very aspects you raised (time & commitment etc.)(not to mention cost!). However, I did take up a Swashbuckler role in the game that I left, in order to keep a finger on the pulse and see what eventually transpired in the world I'd helped (in a very small way) to build.

I played 3 at one point, 2 currently.

One is a very large position, and one is small.

I have different goals for them.

My job, by its nature, has spots of free time, so I find I can do a fair bit of turn work from the office. Even so, as Jason suggests, once you get a handle on the game, a lot of the mechanics of your year are easy to plan out.

Shamefully I do my turns at work, it was a career aim 20 years ago to end up with a job I could play postal games at. I have found the email version a far easier way to play the game at work, people would have to look on my work pc screen to see what I was doing which I can switch easily. Which is at lot less embarressing than your boss coming to your desk and finding you are writing a letter as His Sacred Imperial Highness the Holy Roman Emperor to King Charles of Sweden, or work colleagues finding similar letters in the printer.

Basileus wrote:Shamefully I do my turns at work, it was a career aim 20 years ago to end up with a job I could play postal games at. I have found the email version a far easier way to play the game at work, people would have to look on my work pc screen to see what I was doing which I can switch easily. Which is at lot less embarressing than your boss coming to your desk and finding you are writing a letter as His Sacred Imperial Highness the Holy Roman Emperor to King Charles of Sweden, or work colleagues finding similar letters in the printer.

To be caught by colleagues has happened to me also, I was on a train trip with maps, notes, turn and letters all displayed on the desk and a couple of "colleagues" caught me by surprise. I explained them what I was doing and it wasn't ease thing to do

Luckily, doing my sort of work, having weird hobbies is normal so if am ever found doing Glory it's ok Of course, I also do historical re-enactment so people just expect me to be doing strange things...

I currently play glori (x2 one large, x1 very small) , scabble and have a napoleonic battle on the go. I also like postal diplomacy and en-guarde but do not have any games going on at this moment in time.

As players who have struggled to read my letters can confirm I started to play postal games as a way of using up time on the train to work and as a break from study which was my other method of using up train time.

As for strange activity at work and outside I have to own up to getting third party non gamers to sign and write diplomacy and also WW1 letters which I did not want they other player to know was from me. This has resulted in strange looks, questions about my morals having to get a lot of coffee.

But at least its cheaper than getting a girlfriend to do cricket tea's for your team when you are not going to make it back in time. This can be really costly in terms of having to take them out to dinner even if it causes less questions about your sanity and morality.

Finally for players who have variable amounts of time to fill may I suggest they look at scabble. Its a character based game like swashbuckler but as you have x12 to play with one can be making the impressive speach or undertaking the cunning plan while the others just move, drill troops, build railways etc. But if you dont have time for the "cunning plan" you can still make progress.

And if the cunning plan goes wrong.......well you still have 11 to play with.

I concur with Stuart on Scramble for Empire. The discussion and banter seem to be more lively in SFE than the LGDR games that I am engaged in at the moment. We are in the eighth game year and things are beginning to shift about some with the map. Now would be a good time to give it a go if you are looking for a low cost option that will provide much entertainment.