Summer Updates - 011

[DevilDan]

I had assumed that "Valese" was a purposeful misspelling. Now I wonder...

[Kreistor]

Here's a thought: Since Transylvito accepts "protection money" from its neighbors, maybe Don King's going to try to convince Jill to become Queen of the newly-reconstituted Faq, and in exchange for a hefty "protection" payment, Transylvito will ensure that Faq doesn't wiped out by any side looking to make a name for itself.

Heh, I suspect Jillian is going to get an offer to join Transylvito (marriage?), actually. If she brings Gwiffon popping with her, then suddenly the Vamps start moving around the board a whole lot faster. Could be other reasons, especialyl involving Faq, though, but it seemed they already had plans for Faq that didn't require her permission. Jillian has something Don King wants, and it's something she may not be aware she possesses. Maybe her ability to predict Stanley? A Lookamancer in TV could already have made DK aware that GK is rebuilt to L5, and has an army capable of air strikes. TV being heavily air-centric makes this especially worrying. If Wanda confers her bonus to decrypted as she does to uncroaked (I'm not convinced she does right now), then a stack of Archons, dwagons, herself, and Ansom (esp. if Ansom is CW) would be massively destructive. Archons have beams to pick the warlrods out o the stacks of bats, Ansom, Wanda and artifact confer major bonuses to everyone making them virtually invulnerable to unled bats... it wouldbe a major concern to the Don.

[kreszantas]

Something that wasn't discussed properly:

Some had cities to manage

It seems that warlords have more uses than just leading troops and giving bonuses to them. Apparently they act as local representatives of the ruler and administrate cities.
Maybe that's how new sides can split: units of a city develop loyalty to their local ruler, that eventually exceeds the one to the ruler.

Yes, that is probably the most intriguing tidbit in this update, but sadly the least telling. Just what do they manage? Do they handle unit production, or does the Ruler handle that from afar? What else is there? Do they allocate percentage of "Work Points" or somesuch among various tasks, such as 30% forestry, 30% farming, 15% defense bonus, 25% production? Do they just add a small bonus to everything the city does? Like their level in a % bonus to production, economy, etc?

It can be so much or so little. It could also be nothing, in game terms anyway, and just be something done out of habit, but for them to "manage" a city, there must be some variable they could theoretically affect, right? Instead of "look after" or "garrison."

I think it is something simplier, such as making sure the loyal units are protected and to keep an upheaval such as what happened with the Gobwins that coup-de-tat against King Saline. Keep a warlord there that can crush any rebellion, that keeps the natives under control

[Kreistor]

Well, look at Stnaley when he returns to GK. He has no idea what his new city will look like. Someone might need to take down those unwanted banners, change disliked statuary, and so on. Popping doesn't always get you exactly what you want.

The other side is that it takes a Warlord to convert work product into Shmuckers. If a city is supplementing its invcome with farms, a Warlord or Caster needs to convert the food to Shmuckers. Casters are vulnerable and need protection, so I doubt they'd leave one to run a city solo, when any old Warlord will do.

[Cmdr I. Heartly Noah]

I had assumed that "Valese" was a purposeful misspelling. Now I wonder...

I think it's an Italian surname. It's probably pronounced "val-essay," but it looks like Valise, which is good enough.

[valce]

Huh, I didn't know that, neat. I thought Valese was just a random distortion of 'valise,' but apparently it was better thought out than that.

Awesome

[Bobby Archer]

The other side is that it takes a Warlord to convert work product into Shmuckers. If a city is supplementing its invcome with farms, a Warlord or Caster needs to convert the food to Shmuckers. Casters are vulnerable and need protection, so I doubt they'd leave one to run a city solo, when any old Warlord will do.

Ah, I like that idea. Makes sense within the rules we know. Warlords probably can do more that just that, but it's a good reason to have them spread out like that beyond pure defense.

[moose o death]

Here's a thought: Since Transylvito accepts "protection money" from its neighbors, maybe Don King's going to try to convince Jill to become Queen of the newly-reconstituted Faq, and in exchange for a hefty "protection" payment, Transylvito will ensure that Faq doesn't wiped out by any side looking to make a name for itself.

Heh, I suspect Jillian is going to get an offer to join Transylvito (marriage?), actually. If she brings Gwiffon popping with her, then suddenly the Vamps start moving around the board a whole lot faster. Could be other reasons, especialyl involving Faq, though, but it seemed they already had plans for Faq that didn't require her permission. Jillian has something Don King wants, and it's something she may not be aware she possesses. Maybe her ability to predict Stanley? A Lookamancer in TV could already have made DK aware that GK is rebuilt to L5, and has an army capable of air strikes. TV being heavily air-centric makes this especially worrying. If Wanda confers her bonus to decrypted as she does to uncroaked (I'm not convinced she does right now), then a stack of Archons, dwagons, herself, and Ansom (esp. if Ansom is CW) would be massively destructive. Archons have beams to pick the warlrods out o the stacks of bats, Ansom, Wanda and artifact confer major bonuses to everyone making them virtually invulnerable to unled bats... it wouldbe a major concern to the Don.

it is best to assume the status of gobwin knob cannot be known until the 2nd turn at the earliest as it was still happening during the first. they are probably worried about what happened in GK as a multihex dirtamancy trap is unheard of. and as such every side involved is probably quite conscientious about leaving troops in the area.

and clearly faq is close to GK but not too close to TV. if they're looking at 4 turns to get home to tv, while stanley made it back to GK within 1 turn. of course this is just a pass leading to FAQ, but still.

[DuffTerrall]

As far as managing cities, could also be something akin to a "Total War" type scenario. Overlord controls overarching production goals for a city - build economy, build defense, build offense, build air, research, etc. In order to choose specifically, though (build a spearman, build a barracks) you need a commander unit like a warlord or an overlord in the city.

[shneekeythelost]

and clearly faq is close to GK but not too close to TV. if they're looking at 4 turns to get home to tv, while stanley made it back to GK within 1 turn. of course this is just a pass leading to FAQ, but still.

Depends on the speed of the Dwagons vs the speed of the TV guys. If Dwagons were as fast as Gwiffons, they could have easily made it back two turns after the altercation, been mid-way home when the big kaboom happened, then one turn for Wanda to find and attune the ArkenPliers, then he arrived on the Third turn.

[moose o death]

the update says one turn since the battle for gobwin knob.

[Cmdr I. Heartly Noah]

a) I think it took Stanley 2 turns to get back to GK. Or one-and-a half. He turned back after the altercation, making X hexes of headway on GK. Then the turn changed and he headed back (during the comic). Then, this summer, he made it back. (during the same turn he left, I guess). Assuming all Dwagons were <56 move (the fast ones having been wiped out), we're talking around 50-80 hexes, (50= ~35 hexes after the recall to GK, then another 15 to get there, ~35 back, then the last 15 on the turn after TBFGK). 82 max (55 + 28 there, turns back same turn, and makes 28 + 55 back).

b) If Jillian's slowest surviving gwiffon has move of, say, 46, then the Warlords are moving 34. x3 = 102. If her slowest gwiffon is 42 (orly speed), they would be moving 30. x3 = 90.

So, max, Transylvito is 2x as far as GK. Minimum, just a tad farther.

Of course, that's to TV's Capital. 4 warlords peeled off to go to other cities that might be closer. Remember how shocked they were to find that there was even one city in those mountains, let alone 3. They must have passed by at least several times on occasion for reconnoitering or w/e. I'd predict the closest TV city to be ~30 hexes away,

[shneekeythelost]

the update says one turn since the battle for gobwin knob.

Stanley was half-way back (or more) before the end of BoGK, wheras TV was still sitting around in the valley getting orders. So Stanley had a head start on them.

[moose o death]

he also got to the battle in about one turn.