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Topics - Arch-Magos Winter

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Video Games / Europa Universalis IV Lets Play 2: Swedish Boogaloo
« on: August 09, 2014, 03:35:41 AM »
So I promised you guys this, so I'll give ya it



So, right, Sweden. Glorious land of meatballs and people who say BORK BORK BORK a lot. At the start, nothing really special, aside from being under a personal union. In 1444, and hence at the start of the game, Sweden was under the Kalmar Union AKA Denmark holding Norway and Sweden with an iron fist and being dicks. The union will end if I rebel, there's no heir to Denmark's throne, or Denmark has negative prestige. I take a mission to convert Lappland (easy enough) and start preparing myself to -

Wait hold on:



I forgot Denmark was having some troubles with pretender rebels. I cross my fingers for them to succeed, as it'll tank Denmark's prestige.



No such luck. They go out with a wimper. Ah well. It bought me a little more time and cost Denmark some cash and men. Plus I need to wait for Lithuania to get PU'd with Poland - otherwise their alliance with Denmark would spell DISASTER for any attempted independence war.

It happens. I've lucked out. Time to exploit the fuck out of how independence wars work.



First thing I did: ditch nearly every ship for a galley. Then parked my schoolbus of oars in the Kattergat and cut Denmark's armies in half. It takes a while - a long while - but I'm finally able to enforce the demands I actually wanted: All my god damn cores you son of a bitch. Independence now would doom me to an assreaming from the Kalmar union and Muscovy later on.



This looks better, don't you agree? Novogrod got fucked the hell up by Muscovy. Worrying, but I can deal with it.



By 'deal with it' I mean of course, Taking some delicious clay from the Republic, after a short and successful independance war from our masters in Denmark. This (including a laughably failed attempt to take Danzig from the Teutonic Order) is enough to tank the prestige of Denmark enough to let the Kalmar Union self destruct on the death of Christopher von Wittlesbach the Third, or better known as the 'Swedish whipping boy' for how badly we kicked his ass twice in a row. We welcome our newfound free Scandinavian brethren with a collar, and a short war later, Norway is a vassal of Sweden. I'm in control of 2/3 of the Kalmar 'Union' now with this, and about to fucking bring the pain to whoever the fuck I want.



An alliance with Poland later, and I'm starting to show why Russia will never be formed to Muscovy - because I'm breathing down their necks with a desire for land/hot russian bitches. Or more accurately, to take Russia down a peg and force them into a secondary power in the Baltic. This should teach them to ally with Denmark. (Also yes I did occupy Moscow. I like to think my god tier general walked in and installed Ikea furniture everywhere, to teach the Muscovites who's their new fucking impossible to put together overlord. I just steal a province from them to seal their access to the Baltic off, then force them to pay me monies for wasting my time killing 90% of their peasants, plus force them to release the Kingdom of Perm to cut their domain in half. They'll still be able to colonize to Siberia, but this will make them far more likely to get fucked by the Hordes because the majority of their troops are in the west.



And here's where I stopped. It's only 1509, and shit is already getting real. The Protestant Reformation has overtaken several nations, the power of the Holy Roman Empire fading as the Danes take on the Hanseatic League - and keep annoyingly fucking winning. Burgundy still exists, having survived past its risk of the Burgundian Inheritance event firing and splitting them between Austria and France. Which sadly has let France expand like a motherfucker into the Low Countries. The Big Blue Blob is starting to form, and god help us all if they manage to make inroads into Germany.

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Role Playing / Grail War RP: Electric Boogaloo
« on: August 01, 2014, 12:56:04 AM »
So yeah, take two. Let's hope it takes off this time.

7 Masters, 7 Servants. All playable (but no players playing on the same team as themselves, oh no). With your host Arch Magos as GM.

NOTE: Deadline for submitting sheets is Central Time.

Here's your lists (note: a :cthulhu: next to a name means their sheet is submitted, a :heart: if it's been approved):

Masters:
Alice - Master of Lancer
Cherry Lover - Master of Archer
 - Master of Saber
Mooncake - Master of Assassin
Xamusel - Master of Berserker
MissingMandible - Master of Caster
StrayKat - Master of Rider

Knick*

*Might not be participating due to tests, but his name is noted here anyway for if he comes back. Until then, despite the note, assume he's not on the roster until he reconfirms.

Servants:
Archer: Christemo :cthulhu: :heart:
Saber: Nihilm  :cthulhu: :heart:
Lancer: Dallas :cthulhu: :heart:
Rider: Nachos
Assassin: Lycodrake :cthulhu: :heart:
Caster: Irisviel :cthulhu: :heart:
Berserker: Soldat der Trauer :cthulhu:

Sheet Templates:

Spoiler for Servant sheets are laid out similar to how they are in the VN. Which is roughly as follows::
Class:
Master: (fill this in once you know who your Master is)
True Name: (for the sake of it remaining secret, this remains blank on any public sheets until revealed or death)
Gender:
Height/Weight:
Alignment:
Attributes: (as ranked through E-A, and then EX. E is 10x that of a fit, average human. EX is the exception, it being so exceptional that it's beyond categorization)
Strength:
Endurance:
Agility:
Prana:
Luck:
Noble Phantasm:
Class Abilities: (each ability is also ranked E-A, and then EX.)
Skills: (E-A, EX. These vary on the individual Heroic Spirit.)

Spoiler for Master sheets are as follows::
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Origin:
Affinity:
Magical Tradition:


Now the next stats go from A to E. You start at D for each one (Except for Crest Generation, which goes down to F (No crest) and starts at C), and get 4 points to distribute. Each rank up costs one point. You can take away from starting stats for extra points. It costs one point to increase each attribute.

Ignore this. Anything goes if you can justify it to me.

Circuit Quantity:
Circuit Quality:
Crest (Generation):

Circuit Quality and Quantity dictate your potential as a magus - along with Crest . The higher your Crest, the more prestige your character has in the magical world, and the more family specific spells you have access to. For a price (one point) you can also choose a Sorcery Trait for your master. For another point, you can choose a nonstandard element (One that isn't one of the following: Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Spirit, Metal) or a second of the standard.

Setting Crap:
The 'destruction' of the grail in the 5th war by Excaliber wasn't complete. It took another 10 years for the Grail to get working again - but there are multiple problems now this time around. Waver Velvet is trying to, with the help of a cadre of enforcers, shut the Grail down, for good. But this plan is opposed within the Clocktower itself. Indeed, agents of various families are converging on the city even as masters are chosen and servants summoned, hoping to take seals and servants for themselves.

Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya have been forced to flee Japan to go into hiding as several of these families attempt to secure previous masters to use as their proxies. Shinji Matou himself has proved surprisingly adept at evading these hunter magi, but this situation cannot last. He might also prove to be a boon or ill to any of the Masters, as his own insights into the withdrawn Matou family may hold the key to victory or defeat. As for Zouken Matou... he seems almost disinterested in this war, as if it does not concern him. Whether he has plans for the Sixth Heavens Feel or not remains to be seen, but no hunter magi have entered the Matou lands and left alive. The current church authority itself has not avoided violence even then. Rumors of a cadre of executors now present in Fuyuki under Father Christianson have spread, but no proof has been found. Yet. As is the Good Father seems to have taken his status as Mediator well.

Enjoy!

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Video Games / Europa Universalis IV: Third time the charm?
« on: April 02, 2014, 12:19:50 AM »
So with a DLC to Paradox's newest Grand Strategy game almost out (in a few months I'm hoping) and having just gotten Conquest of Paradise, I have an itch to do an actual After Action report. So, for everyone on DSM I'm going to give you a favor, and start an entirely new game and play nearly 400 years worth of alternate history, from 1444 to 1821, where I'm writing this story through my actions in game (And providing you all with screenshots to follow along). So, which nation do you want me to start with?

What about the mighty Muscovy, the Grand Duchy posed to make the massive nation of Russia, if only it can defeat its most powerful rival, the Republic of Novogrod? Perhaps plucky little Portugal, the trading power of the Iberian Peninsula with ambitions in Africa and possibly the New World? Maybe Jolly Olde England, who's continental ambitions are challenged from the beginning of the game, yet has the potential to become the mightiest colonial power the world has ever known? Why not Sweden, the nation who's struggle for independence will be bitterly contested against the rest of the Kalamar Union, but with victory may in fact carve an empire from the petty struggles of the Baltic States?

Or maybe none of these options appeal to you, and there is some other nation who's struggles through history you might want me to record?

Voting will end in two weeks, so pick fast!

EDIT:

http://www.eu4wiki.com/

A link for a list of nations, possibilities with which to torment me.

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Suggestions / New Posts Scroll
« on: December 11, 2013, 01:03:02 AM »
Personally, I find that this feature is probably losing us new users, as it immediately brings them in to look at any argument we may be having. I suggest adopting a BL style 'Go to unread posts' button next to the thread title.

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Real World Topics / 2014 FIFA World Cup Draws
« on: December 07, 2013, 12:34:54 AM »
It's looking like we've got three Groups of Death again this year, B, D, and G easily winning out on that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FIFA_World_Cup#Matches

Group G though, is looking to have some of the best matches of the groups, with the US-Ghana grudge match coming up right at the bat, and Portugal-Germany is going to be fun to watch. US-Portugal could determine the fate of the group, while the other Germany matches look to be an easy sell for the Iron Cross.

Don't count the US out right away though this year, our group of death might be a bit of a blessing in disguise. Playing Germany last could clinch us a pass through this year, if we manage to beat Ghana finally then tie/beat Portugal. We could squeak by on points. It's a long shot but it's time to Ante the fuck up. We aren't going all the way but if we can make Germany look like a buncha idiots I'd say that's a fine trade.

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Role Playing / World of Darkness game
« on: November 06, 2013, 04:07:17 PM »
So I was wondering if any forum goers would mind or have an interest in playing one of the New World of Darkness lines. What is the World of Darkness you may ask? Good question, I'll give you a quick history and explanation.

The World of Darkness was started back over 2 decades ago, by a company known as White Wolf. This is the Old World of Darkness, the classic gamelines that started it all, which still has many fans and LARP (Live Action Roleplaying) events even to this day. It's also sometimes called the Classic World of Darkness. An RPG using a rather unusual system for the time, it quickly found it's niche in the then starting trend of Urban Fantasy. It included a rather rich lore that accumulated over the years, and borrowed, changed, and played with many urban fantasy concepts while introducing a few of its own. This is the world of Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Mage: The Ascension. Supernaturals existed in the world, often at odds with humanity as a whole or simply outright dangerous to everyone.

Mind you, the Old World had it's troubles. The system was still somewhat clunky and just starting to define itself, the metaplot eventually got flat out insane (Mages with orbital laser satellites killing a vampiric ancestor figure, the world was going to end in about fifty different ways etc. etc.), a few of the gamelines just never... well, worked, the internal balance was rather crazy and the figures for all the supernaturals made the average human actually rather rare.  Other games besides the big three in this line were: Hunter: The Reckoning (Supernaturally gifted humans hunting monsters. Never really did much besides that and didn't really fit in it's supposed niche), Wraith: The Oblivion (A rather interesting game concept wise due to it's disconnect with the rest of the lines, mainly focusing on the politics and realm of human ghosts. Also has some flat out crazy awesome fluff details) , Changeling: The Dreaming (Pretty much universally agreed among the fanbase of both the Old and New type to be the worst book of the line. It's basically about people with fairy souls and dragon souls and shit and how they're all perfect and special but the world doesn't listen and is becoming dreary without them), Mummy the... I forgot the subtitle which is embarrassing as I actually own this book and haven't read it yet, and Demon the Fallen (About as Schizophrenic as Mummy and Changeling in tone and without a really defining concept.) which are all I can remember off the top of my head.

If you want to learn more about the Old World of Darkness, I recommend either finding the books or buying Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines off of Steam, though it needs a 3rd party patch to work beyond Vista. Bloodlines is pretty much a cult classic of a game and for good reason: It's the first released title to use the Source engine (Really, it dropped before Valve first published a game using the engine) has a compelling plot and mechanics that both honor the original game and pay homage to the World of Darkness at large. Worth the price

Anyway, eventually  White Wolf sorta realized they needed to reboot the setting and fix the mechanics. Thus, the New World of Darkness was born. Compared to the old, it has a pretty much optional and non-existent minor metaplot. There's a LOT of passive aggressive feelings between the fanbases of both over which is superior fluffwise (Except on the matter of Changeling, the New version is pretty much unanimously agreed to be far, far better), mechanically wise, and gameline wise. The New World keeps the classic three lines of the Old World, but puts a new spin and system behind them. Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening all spearhead the New World. The changes in each line are rather minor in most ways aside from the fluff (And with basically the ENTIRETY OF NEW WEREWOLF), but where the New World truly defines itself is in its secondary splats. Hunter: The Vigil (Think Supernatural mixed with Hobo With a Shotgun. Hunters for the most part now have no supernatural powers or abilities, aside from knowing the supernatural exists), Changeling: The Lost (Changelings changed from Otherkin to Abuse Victims of the True Fae. I love the fluff for this game, it's just plain awesome and a callback to every old folktale out there),  Promethean: The Created (Interesting concept wise, about artificial humans trying to become a real boy, but really, really, hard to justify playing), Geist: the Sin Eaters (Wraith's spiritual successor... and just like Promethean, is not really popular, despite being friendlier campaign wise), Mummy the Curse (Haven't read the book fully, but pretty sweet from what I have read) and the upcoming Demon: the Decent (Linked into the God Machine Chronicles, the nWoD's rules overhaul. You're basically Agent Smith.)

Now after all that, you're probably thinking "So Magos, what's the point of that infodump?" Well, here's why: From what I can tell, most of our people in the RP forum are freeformers, and this is where I come in. World of Darkness is excellent in the fact that it lends itself well to transitioning from freeforming to table top play, or to giving freeform a set of mechanics behind it. I'm more than willing to run a game of pretty much any of the new world of darkness lines for you guys. Play by post really doesn't work for a system like this though, as it's far far too slow. So, I'll be likely hosting a campaign on either an IRC channel or on Roll 20. But first, I want to gauge an interest in this before I figure out which line to run.

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