YOU ARE THE SENATE FAQ - READ ME FIRST!

[Winter]

You Are The Senate

What is You are the Senate?

You are the Senate is a multi-player AAR (After Action Report) based around a single game of Rome: Total War. Players take on the role of a Roman senator, each complete with his own Roman name and background story, and work together to make decisions concerning the future of the Roman Republic. Concieved originally as a creative writing project, You are the Senate has grown into one of the most wildly popular RPG's/Group-AAR on Total War Center, and has easily the longest history of almost four years of play. We take historical accuracy seriously, but our game is tailored to fit the realities of the forum and the situation we have to play in, so don't expect everything to be by the book!

Well, how does it work?

The "players" of YATS (as we abbreviate the name) form up the Senate. In our version of Rome, the Senate has authority over all aspects of Roman life. These "senators" use information provided from a Rome: Total War game to make decisions on how to run the Republic. Senators come to decisions through debate: all senators have the right to propose a "motion" which is then debated upon by the body. When a Senator moves for a vote, a poll is created and all senators vote on the motion. If the poll passes, the motion passes, and that action is undertaken in game. For example, say the in game Carthage seems to be gearing up for an attack on Sicily. Some Senators decide that a pre-emptive strike is the best option, and they bring forth a motion before the Senate that entitles the Consul, the magistrate in charge of the military (more on this later) to lead legions to war. This motion will then be debated in the Senate House, eventually being brought to a vote. If the vote fails, nothing is done. but if it passes, then Rome goes to war with Carthage. Things would now move into the Consul's hands. He, or they, would lead the legions into Carthaginian lands in the game, attacking whatever target the Senate specified, if any. They are required to create a narrative story, sometimes called an "After-Action Report" (or AAR) for their campaign, covering the major battles and happenings. The Senate will use these "reports", sent by messenger to the Senate, to make decisions on whether to continue to fund the campaign or what strategies are working. And this is but an example of the things the Senate does.

Okay, how about some examples?

Certainly. To keep this fair, the examples I will be using will be primarily my own work unless I receive confirmation from another player that I may borrow his writing. Wars in YATS generally begin with action in the Senate, meaning a motion is proposed and voted upon. Any member can propose a motion at any time, but it is up to the discretion of the Consul or magistrate presiding whether or not it will be voted upon by the Senate. Curia threads (example) are where the debate and discussion takes place, while separate votes are given their own poll threads. When the vote passes, the Consul will go out and fight the battles in game. He will produce a narrative-style report (known as an "After Action Report" or AAR by some), in which he describes the battle or any events in his campaign. He will also keep a "Campus" thread in which he can further elaborate or expand the events of his campaign. Some examples of major battles we've had - note the differences in styles and methods: A defeat at the hands of Hannibal The "Battle of Saguntum" during the Second Punic War in a recent game As you can see, players use different styles and levels of narrative in their reports. There is no one "right" way to write a report, but I can tell you that we appreciate effort more than anything. A few sentence post is not going to impress anyone, and it is not likely that the membership will want to entrust the Consulship to someone who will not make an effort to entertain them with their posts. This is, after all, a creative writing project. If you have the stomach for it, dear reader, I would suggest a trip to The Catacombs, where you can read over our extensive collection of past consulates, but be warned; The Catacombs is an unorganized mess full mostly of old garbage, though there are a few absolute gems.

So, is that all there is?

Hardly! At You are the Senate we pride ourselves on offering a deeper simulation of Roman life than simply the actions of the Senate. For example, each character in YATS will develop their own personal backstory and create a "domus" thread, which will act as their in-character home. Our players have, in the past, held marriages, plotted uprisings, thrown parties, drank themselves into a stupor, and even murdered eachother in their domus threads; as you will no doubt see by reading through the examples provided below, players take their characters seriously and will usually try to develop them as much as possible. Domus Examples: *Note, action in Domi often occurs over a matter of weeks, so some posts, removed from context, will not make sense. Check dates on posts in order to see if posts are part of a series or are unrelated. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=337190 YATS also has a long history of trials. The Praetor, one of the magistrates elected, conducts business within the "basilica" thread, where senators can make complaints against their colleagues. Trials are rare, but are often the most popular events in YATS, as the rhetoric on display is usually the best written - and most vitriolic - of all. These examples are very long, but I urge anyone interested to try to read through some of it to see an example of the kinds of rhetoric that will be in use here at YATS. The trial of a noted Praetor for the unlawful execution of several citizens... ...and the aftermath The trial of a noted Senator for murder The trial of a group of four Senators accused of treason ...and the dramatic aftermath Rhetoric is not merely saved for trials, however; members often use the "Rostra" forum to make powerful speeches against programs or people they dislike. There are far too many excellent speeches to list as examples, so simply follow the above link to the Rostra subforum and read some for yourself! YATS also offers many venues to interact with other senators, or to practice some creative writing. The Viae Romae (Streets of Rome) threads are always very popular for these aspects. As if that all this were not enough, several of our members have taken it upon themselves to post their own creative work to share with us, and it is universally excellent! Creative work of Chaplain118 The Adventures of Naughtius Maximus - Hilarious Narrative Poems by Gaius Julius Civilis And still there are other things. From the intricate stories spun by characters running provinces during their governorships, to random events like games and races, there are so many ways to show your creative talents in YATS that it would be impossible to list them all!

okay, I'm convinced - how do I get involved with this?

Simple. Register first at the Campus Martius subforum, and you're ready to play!

anything else I should know?

YATS players often find it easy to communicate over MSN's messenger service, now called "Windows Live". You do not need this service to play, but it helps a lot, especially in leadership roles! You can find my MSN screenname in my TWC profile - message me whenever I'm on and I'll be happy to help with any problem you have! With that, I would just like to welcome you to YATS! Salve, et Bona Fortuna!