Countdown: 7 months
Letter from the Editor
Table of Contents Round Table Community Competitions
RPG Center Click to view content:
RPG CENTER
by Major Darling ( The Major)
I thought I should continue this article and so here specially for you is a very brief Community RPG report..
GTSK Situation
YATS Situation
TFT Situation
Aug Situation
Signoff
Well loyal readers, RPGs are still going and all of the major ones are still strong.. This reporter is Also hearing rumors of a KUE restart.. I will keep you informed. This is Major Darling for Eagle Standard.
An Interview with the Players of YATS Click to view content:
You are the Senate An interview with the players I was contacted by LordRaglan some weeks ago and he asked me if i could do an interview with the YATS players to bring some attention to the old Roleplay game here at TWC. However due to my lazy personality most of the work was infact done by LordRaglan himself, i am merely presenting it to you.
But before we start, what is YATS?
What is Yats?
You are the senate is a role play game based in the roman era. one of several RP games on twcenter it is the longest surviving game. Currently using the Rome Total Realism mod, Imperator II we role play as senators of Rome. This gives us the chance to dictate the direction of our fledging Empire, Carthage or Greece, Pontus or Gaul the decision is ours. With the game being played and the battles actually fought we have had civil wars and feasts. Anything you can imagine we have enacted, Our civil wars have caused Rome to burn several times now.
Each person picks a character to play, my own character has the name Lucius Primus Marcellinus and then we try and follow the Cursus Honorum . This is the career path than many famous Romans followed, including the great figures such as Gaius Marius and Julius Ceaser. Each level of the Cursus Honorum is played by someone with each rank having different responsibilities, the consuls are the ones who play out the battles in game. While the Quaestor uses the game to decide what the finances should be spent on, this can give the Quaestor quite some power (Quaestor is the lowest position on the cursus honorum) as it is hard for the Consuls to win wars without the troops supplied by facilities built by the Quaestor.
Of course this is assuming that everyone works together, and don’t let rivalries interfere – which they usually do. A recent event was where one player tried to do a Caesar and conquer the Empire. He failed but it was fun to play.
There is always need for new Senators so come and give it a go - after all You Are The Senate!
There ya go, thats YATS! Now let's go on with the interviews.
Interview with YtC
Q- What is your role within this game?
Well, I don't know, really. Earlier I used to consider myself as one of the new guys who spent less time posting and more time seeing what the older members were doing. Now I think I've learnt much more about the game's dynamics, and I think I give more to the game these days. So I guess I am little by little turning into one of the old vets Q- Could you describe me the game a bit, in a couple of lines, like what's the point/objectives, some of it's specialties? Describe it like if you were explaining it to a newbie, or like if you would want to sell me your idea/game.
Well, in a few words, YATS is a community rpg in which you take the character of a Roman senator. Now, once you get there, you are given the task of helping the rest of the Senate build you nation in what you want it to be. You can be a liberal politician, or a hardcore conservative. Want war with any country that even gives a bad look to Rome, or support trade with your neighbors. It's up to you.
Q- What do you like and don't like from this game?
Well, I think the thing I like the most, what has kept me playing this for longer than I originally thought, is the whole feeling that you are actually there. When you play rtw or a similar game, I think I'm not alone when I say that one enjoys to make background stories for his generals, create mental AAR's or even think about how this and that family members get along with each other. Now, that is entertaining, but I guess there is only so much you can do.
Now, when you do that, but with an other group of people who have their own ideas, personalities and goals, then what you get is a much more complex scenario. People getting in the way of your ambitions, allies who support you in the debates, or even the chance that in the next corner a hired assassin may be waiting for you. That makes it incredibly more fun than anything I have produced in my head About what I don't like, I guess the only problems are the issues with the organization of the game. We have struggled to find an ideal system to make the game both realistic and playable, but little by little we've come to realize that the simpler it is, the better.
Q- What are the basic rules for players who would like to start playing this game, is there opened spots for new players??
Of course there is! We are currently recruiting anyone who wishes to start his/her own senatorial career. About basic rules, I'd say just don't be afraid to post in the curia, talk to the other players, or even start your own little conspiracy in your House's basement. That is what makes good rpg.
Q- Something else you would like to add?
Join?
Thanks a lot for answering my questions!
And now over to Chaplain 118, one of the old veterans of the YATS game. In this little interview he talks about his past experiences with the game.
Interview with Chaplain 118
I joined YATS about a year ago when I was visiting family overseas. I had originally seen a post in the RS forums about the RPG for some times and didn't give much thought to it at the time. Once I got bored enough, I decided to check out what the place had to offer, and it didn't disappoint. The first thought I had was, what would my character's name be? There were so many Julius, Caesar, or other names that were prevalent in the late Republic that I thought "screw it, time to go with mythology". And thus my first character, Turnus Rutulus Saevus, was born. The name was supposed to be an inside joke on the Aeneid as it literally meant "Turnus the Savage Rutulian", which described the character from the Poem fairly well. Anyways, first day in, I stumbled into the curia and delivered a diatribe against the sitting consul and didn't budge until quite a while later when the Censor had to issue me a Nota Censura. While on Nota Censura, I started to get more involved in the Urbs Romae (then known as the Rostra) and began to spin an intricate story involving a beautiful slave girl from the Caucus and a fellow senator. When restart became imminent, I scrapped the entire idea and built up a huge story that revealed my character's past for quite a lot of rep points Of course, things came and went, and soon YATS was to go through the imperial era. It had almost destroyed the RPG, as many left due to the complexity of the favors and money system as well as the general lack of interest in such an era. I chose to stay because of my first experience in YATS was so enriching that I wanted to see if this one will also be as good. Needless to say, the imperial era ended in a fiasco and I seemed to have left YATS for good. Then at some point in the fall, I stumbled back here and found it full of activity again, having shed the imperial era for the Republican times we all love. However, the happy time would not last, and the RPG once again fell on days when imagination and creativity fell out of the way. So, I enlisted the help of a few more fellow senators and created another background story for my beloved Turnus, this time culminating in his death and the apparent civil war fought in the streets.
And in the latest installment, Turnus was relegated to the pages of history and his adopted son, Pallas took the spotlight. Pallas Rutulus Aventinus (taking his name from Pallas, son of Evander, who fought against Turnus, and Aventinus, one of Turnus' generals). His glory of being Pontifex led to the total destruction of Rome (at least in descriptions) and I had the pleasure of witnessing the first civil war of YATS.
Overall, I look back on my days spent in this imaginary Rome with fondness. Each story that gets finely crafted is always worth a read, and each character who becomes developed takes a life of their own. Even when only a few of us are left to continue a story, the stories get placed and somehow it feels as if we've done a lot even when we have only done little. It's certainly a rewarding experience and I encourage anyone who likes to read and write good stories, speeches, and AARs to come check it out.
And that's it. I hope you enjoyed this little interview and i really hope that you will check out the YATS forum, it's looks interesting indeed. Perhaps even a loyal God Save The King player might join it
Link to the YATS subforum Ytc's profile Chaplains 118's profile LordRaglan's profile
The Critic's Quill Report Click to view content:
I have a lot of great writers at the CQ, and they're skill is not just in reviewing and writing articles about AARs, but actually writing them. Since I have put a bar on contributors AARs appearing in the CQ,so that there won't be tension over a bad review or suspicion that a review is too praising, I would like to take the time here to highlight Juvenal's and SonofAlexander's contribution, as well as some other AARs I have come across which I think you'd enjoy.Juvenal is one of my favourite writers. He was the first interviewee of the Critic's Quill and offered to write some reviews for me. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to have him on the books. I wanted to interview him because, as well as being one of the most successful AAR writers MAARC wise, his Severus series is one of the best AARs about. He combines an ability to write both believable characters, producing an epic campaign with unique and nuanced cast. One of things that really drew me to his stories was his ability to take some little thing which may appear in the game, say the wife of a family member dying, that would usually just take the place of a not at the beginning of your turn, and make it into a story. he can craft likable and unlikeable people, without resorting to the usual stereotypes. Normally I would check this gushing praise with something. Usually it is a writers battle writing ability that would let them down at this stage, or their picture choosing and editing, but the same cannot be said about Juvenal. Sometimes his battles do seem a bit clinical, or some happenings on the campaign portion are a bit formulaic, and he seems to stick rigidly to the plot of his campaign. His stories sometime lack a goal, and may seem to be wandering affairs, but these are minor, minor quibbles with a writer who has rightly won a golden MAARC award. Check out Spite of Severus and Severus the God .SonofAlexander 's Epic of Caelus Morsus Luminius is another grand affair. Started all those months ago in the dark days of January, eight months ago, it is still going strong. This is thanks to a strong character, plot and commitment of the part of the author. It spans a few mods, and the ability to keep a coherent story is all due to the skill of the author. The particular highlight of this AAR is SoA's ability to write a bloody, gruesome and visceral battle scene. One important part of the story, which you'll come across early on, at least for me was that SoA wasn't afraid to let his hero lose. He creates a flawed character, all the more interesting, who develops over the thirty plus chapters of this story. His use of pictures is also something to commend, he does not let the story rely on them, instead using them to enhance the experience for the reader, rather than replacing it. His use of custom made maps and third party pictures also gives the reader more of an opportunity to get into the story. I wouldn't be a critic, though, if I didn't criticise. There are some minor niggles, the story isn't presented in an easy to read manner, though this does get better nearer the end. Some of the dialogue, and especially some of the more minor characters, are hard to follow, and there is no real over arching plot. Our hero seems to jump from one thing to the other, and we are not really sure where it is all leading.In Hoc Signo Vinces '. Sadly it has not been updated in a while, which is a real shame since it has made a strong start, and I was really looking forward to TemplarLord 's story. One of the main reasons I liked it so much was that it started in an odd position. The Crusaders have taken over Northern France, and are planning an invasion of England. He also makes use of ancillary characters, not just depending on one general or family member to tell his story. It mixes this characterisation well with the picture story telling of some more traditional AARs, so that there is something for everyone. Maybe if enough people see and comment on it, TemplarLord will update it. If not, take it as an example from which to learn, a different starting position, and the use of strong characters, that have perhaps been the link between these three different AARs, make a good story. We do not want to read the same old stuff, the same few first turn expansions. TemplarLord knows this, and he has produced an opening worthy of a lot of great AARs. Kallum , ReD_OcToBeR and Antiochos VII Sidetes who came first, second and third in this month's MAARC. A special thanks to all those writers who make the AAR boards such a good and interesting place to visit. Junius
Tale of the Week Roundup Click to view content:
A month of surprises, a month of victory, a month of new beginnings. . .
The month started with Copperknickers scoring his first TOTW victory with a fantastic entry, The Charge—A Soldier’s Account . . . Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Charge - a Soldier's Account
Conflict. War. Victory. Casualties. Words often bandied around by those who have no intimacy with them. No concept of their meaning. Because, my friends, you cannot understand, envision or even hope to conceive the experience. The battlefield is a terrible place - your very soul is ripped apart by what you witness. The shouting, the clang of metal on metal, the screams of the dying and the sapid, metallic tang of blood on your lips.
I am a soldier, a warrior, a defender of my country and a hero. I have taken the lives of more men than i care to count, but i have seen things. Children murdered, young women violated, men using their own limbs as clubs in last desperate attempts to surivive... all of these give me horrific nightmares. But i am not evil, though i have done evil. Achilles favours the strong, and i do only what i must. I risk death, but He protects me and while i have his blessing i am immortal in battle.
For though i have seen the worst sights that ever human eyes have looked upon, i go back into the arena, the sanguinary domain of the sword and spear and javelin, with pleasure. Why? Because, my friends, i am drawn to it. It delights me and fills me with a thrill, an electrifying urge. The charge is the apex. As i raise my sword, and join the rising battlecry, and sprint forward at the enemy, i feel alive.
And the competitions continued in TOTW 50 with Benz282 surging to his first Tale of the Week triumph with the story Slaying the Beast . Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Slaying the Beast
Cnaeus took a moment to breathe. The sun was high, dirt filled the air, and the sound of men being gored was deafening; not exactly the best way to enjoy the mid afternoon on a Sunday. Determined to put a stop to the chaos, clever Cnaeus came up with a plan so that the rest of the day might be saved from this dismal fate.
Raising his arms and waving them back and forth in the direction of the nearest beast, Cnaeus shouted, "Hail mighty elephant!"
The monstrosity turned ever so slightly to face him, sending tremors ripping through the earth.
"It is I, Cnaeus of Aretua, member of this humble platoon. As everyone else is busy cowering under your awesome presence, I have elected myself spokesperson."
At this, the elephant seemed to laugh and gored a man that had been standing too close.
"We mean you no harm, great one. Our quarrel is with the men riding on your back."
The creature's eyes filled with rage.
"No, no. You see, they have the pointy-sharp sticks and we find they are liable to throw them at us. Now, my men and I do not like having the pointy-sharp sticks thrown at us, and so we would appreciate it if they would stop."
The behemoth seemed to understand this desire, but remained determined to protect its riders.
"Besides, we do not think it fair that they steer you into harm's way. Those others like you here, they were stolen from their mothers, just as you were."
The fires in the beast's eyes were replaced with the cool waters of sadness.
"Your destiny is greater than all this; you may be a ferocious creature, but you were not made for war. Nor was war made for you. You were made to be free from suffering. You were made to live in bliss. And now, thanks to the men that "raised" you, spears and swords have pierced your flesh. And yet this is not your fault; it is theirs."
The mammoth being stood still.
"So please, let the men who ride above you down. We will make sure they know the pain you feel now. You will be free to roam, free to go where you please, and free to be free. All we ask is that you stop."
With a thundering crash, the elephant fell to the earth. There was a brief silence which was followed by a cheer as men clambered on top of the carcass, slaying the cowardly archers who still hid in the tower.
And therein lay the genius to Cnaeus' plan. While other men attacked the stone hide of the beast, he sent a stab deep into the heart; the very heart and dreams we all share.
"You have finally escaped. Now go; run through your meadows and be at peace, my friend."
A final, bloody tear and uttering in honor of a life that should have been.
TOTW 51 was as hard-fought as ever, but when the dust settled, it was Julius Barca the Great who emerged holding the laurels for his story, A Moment of Clarity . . . Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
A Moment of Clarity
They say your life passes before your eyes when you die. I never believed them, whoever “they” are. Or, in those moments when I did, when I contemplated death (a common practice for a pessimistic soldiers such as I), I had assumed it would be instantaneous. The slowing of time, a series of images, each completely unrelated and utterly dear to me, flashing past, inhibiting my view of my inevitable death.
I was wrong. Instead, I now see my own reflection in the man’s spear. But the figure is not me as I am now. It is me as a young boy, frowning slightly, barely holding the tears in, as my mother rebukes me. It is me as a teen, fearing for my life as my friends and I took turns leaping from a balcony. It was my body, coiled in shock and pain, when I was on the receiving end of a punch to the face, as a young man.
My eyes slid from the steel, moving to the large shield. The round, yellow-and-gold shield, with a pattern eerily similar to my sweetheart’s favorite pair of earrings. This, more than fear of death, caused my eyes to water. I remember her sparkling eyes as she smiled, the pieces of gold and bronze at the sides of her head shaking slightly with laughter. Do the dead miss loved ones? Will I miss my dear mother? My father? My lover? Or will they notice my absence, and mourn, whilst I waste away in some desolate land of those who lost man’s greatest privilege? I know not. The only thing I am aware of now is the spear. A testament to man’s destructive nature; a simple piece of wood, turned into a highly effective weapon of murder and destruction. Do not trees represent life? We kill such magnificent towers of life and longevity, shave the remains, and use them to murder humans and animals. Where is our love of the earth? Pain: the simple act of one’s body informing one’s brain of a problem. In this case, a major problem; there seems to be a piece of wood protruding from my abdomen. Philosophers say pain is good. They announce to the world that accepting it and allowing the body to work naturally is the correct course of action. But has any of those geniuses been run through with a spear? I find it hard to “accept” that.
And the month closed with a Star Wars-inspired picture in TOTW 52, and TheTrueGreek was triumphant with the story Jedi Varus’s Legion . . . Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Jedi Varus's Legion.
START TRANSMISSION. It was cold, the rain seeping through our stormtroopers armor. A Geonosian traitor is guiding us to the last know location of General Greavus, but i fear we may be to late to save this planet. I have a feeling of grave danger ahead, but i cannot tell from where.
We spotted a Droid Destoyer up ahead, and the general deployed his troops into a grand line of men. 100,000 troops, 10 ranks deep, 10,000 ranks accross, with our capitol ship providing close support, morale was high, even in these conditions. It was then that we heard a rumbling inside the Republic's Savior , and she started to list as her left engine began to put out. Soon, we saw a fighter lift off from the Savior and fly off into the distance, confused, the general tried to contact the ship, but there was noone there to recieve the call. As the Savior continued to list, it began to drop.
Soon, the middle engine sputtered out, a huge explosion seen coming from it. Now the ship began to seemingly push itself towards our line, almost as if it wished touch the ground but its last engine wouldn't let it. Our commanders wouldn't let us look at the specticle, thinking that a droid attack could come at any time. Then, a screeching could be heard, although from where i have no recolection. Then there were explosions as the Savior began to fire its main cannons into our line, we were shocked, and didn't do anything at first, but we realigned our cannons and even though our heavy firepower tore at it, it kept shooting. Then, another rumble and its last engine sputtered out, it soon began to freefal, right at our lines.
It crashed and sent a huge wave of dust and blood and armor everywhere, 10,000 of our own troops were killed by the crash, with another 10,000 from it sliding over our men. Then, from under us, the ground began to shake. Out of the ground sprouted huge creatures, with mandables capable of ripping off an arm without effort. thousands of these sprouted up from the ground, ripping apart our army, and even though we fought back, their tough hide made nothing but the strongest of heavy weaponry useless. Master Varus killed many of these, before his head was ripped off by one of these creatures. At his death, we had nothing that could fight these monsters from Hell, and they ripped our armor and flesh apart, till our massive army was nomore.
I managed to hide in a cave nearby, however, i fear that i shall not be alive for long. May anyone who finds my body use this to know what happened to Master Varus's Legion. END TRANSMISSION
From the Eagle Standard, this was Theodotos I, covering the Tale of the Week beat for the month of August. And remember. . . The month may have ended, but the competitions roll on! Submit your story to TOTW 54!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Vote in TOTW 53!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Graphics Competition Roundup
Picture of the Week Roundup Click to view content:
Picture of the Week Report for the month of August
Brought to you by B. Ward , PoTW Manager & ES PoTW Reporter
“ A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it? ” The PoTW & UESW competitions are held every Monday for members of the TWC community to showcase their talents in capturing and for some manipulated various screenshots and images from various total war games. The PoTW forum doesn't only stop at the competitions, but allows members to post their creativity in the form of screenshots, images, and videos in their own user galleries represented by threads started by our many artists.POTW 158: Winner Giovi
UESW 71: Winner maxmazi
POTW 159: Winner Thanatos
UESW 72: Winner maxmazi
POTW 160: Winner Dignan
UESW 73: Winner maxmazi
POTW 161: Winner maxmazi
UESW 74: Winner stefaneke
September 07, 2009, 01:11 PM
/ Eagle Standard Volume VII Issue VIII
...is my daddy!
