Birth of the Motherland Concept thread

[Ace_General]

This is based off an eariler project I was working on last spring but was cut short by my summer classes and a trip to London.

This is sorta a mix of a GSTK feudal RPG and a grander alliance type game like the Swords of the east based stuff set in Early mideaval Russia.

So the core organizational structure is the Realm(kingdom is too tight of a term) of the Kievan Rus. You have 4-5 semi independent princpalites(Roughly Novgorod, Vladimir, Polotsk, Kiev, Volhinya/Ruthania) which are ran by a king who is the most powerful prince. Now in theory, the princes owe fealty to King, but in reality, its more a balence of power poltics, as all of the Princes should at least through the male line have Rukid blood and be able to claim the throne.

Also, at the level below the princes, players can play as most any polity inside the borders of what would now be concidered the European former soviet union, be that a Bulgar Khan, a Khazar/Pencheg or Finnish Chief, Feudal vassals of the Princes, or leading merchants of major cities.

Keep in mind at this time, given the early time period and lack of laws and regulation like in the later feudal system, rulers in Russia are at this time absolute, and also there is not very clear definitions of what is legally a certain territory or ranks, instead, aside from the seats of Princely towns being part of their rulers patriomony, the only real things on what is held by a specfic ruler is by that rulers military strength and the personal relationships of the ruler with lesser powers

A good way of thinking of teh poltical structure of Russia at this time is like a wheel with the ruler at the hub and his vassals relationships primarily going to him instead of to eachother or in a pyramidal structure like in later periods in western Europe. Also, unless you had the military strength to fight your ruler, or you were an elected head of a merchant city or a tribal cheif, vassals served at the pleasure of the Ruler, or Vzhod

[CAJD1991]

This looks like it could really be a lot of fun. Big Russian-lover over here and definitely think it's an area worthy of some RP love.

The jockeying and jostling of the different grand duchies and would-be kings is a very fertile area. Do you have any specific starting off point in mind, or is it to be a less anchored-in-history story with player consensus, more than anything, determining the whos, whats and wheres?

[Agamemnon]

I'd be in, but I don't see many people rushing to sign up for this.

[Lord William]

Im interested, nice to see an Imperial Czar

[Ace_General]

I'd be in, but I don't see many people rushing to sign up for this.

Well we have myself and 3 other dudes, so bam, thats the 4 princedoms

[Ace_General]

This looks like it could really be a lot of fun. Big Russian-lover over here and definitely think it's an area worthy of some RP love.

The jockeying and jostling of the different grand duchies and would-be kings is a very fertile area. Do you have any specific starting off point in mind, or is it to be a less anchored-in-history story with player consensus, more than anything, determining the whos, whats and wheres?

Nice to see a new face here

Well Im thinking its going to make the game around 1000-1100 or so after christanity has been adopted and have the Princes be Rukids. And from here on out, I wont use the terms prince or king because they are very bad translations of the Russian term, instead, its going to be князь(knyaz) for prince and Великий князь or Velikii Knyaz for grand prince

Though I think that well we can figure out the particulars, though for the 4 princedoms I have decided they shall be Novgorod, Poltosk, Vladimir and Kiev.

I will play as the first Velikii Knyaz and will be of Kiev, but for people to make claims its first come first serve

[Agamemnon]

I believe I previously had either Vladimir or Novgorod, I'd like one of those again, I suppose Novgorod.

[Trot]

Hmm this is pretty interesting. Let me know what happens I might join.