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[LP CYOA] Epic
- Thread starter treave
- Start date
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
Bros, if you've drafted 1500 men already and your leader is a brilliant commander, what's the point of more dakka on top of that with R&D? We need to increase internal stability, either economically or culturally. Wasting an opportunity like that on weaponry is a big mistake. If it was for bear cavalry, I would understand, but this isn't worth it.
Quetzacoatl
Liturgist
Conquering the world requires lots and lots of Dakka!
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
Neva enuff dakka!! Conquering is easy, ruling is hard. Like I said, we're a Warrior-King now, not just a warrior, and that means we need a much broader and more
perspective on life and on how to be a leader. Alexander the Great may have been a mighty conqueror, but he was also tutored by Aristotle.
Quetzacoatl
Liturgist
Lets use our meta knowledge of history to aid us. For example, we can organize our army similar to how the romans did it, we can copy the Aztecs and store a large amount of food should droughts and famine strike us, etc. Eventually our empire will be some sort of Frankenstein monster, combining the best elements of empires throughout history together.
Neva enuff dakka!! Conquering is easy, ruling is hard. Like I said, we're a Warrior-King now, not just a warrior, and that means we need a much broader and more
anus_pounder
Arcane
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
Ean is still not a god, and he's certainly not God-Emperor, not yet anyways. If our army is starved, hell, if they abandon or turn on us, we won't get there. Emperors rise from the love of their peoples and armies, and ours do not have much to love us for yet, we're still a pretender and a traitor with zero claims to the throne and even less rights to rule. Make them kiss our footsteps and kiss our ass first, out of adoration, and then begin our unstoppable Kodex Kool Konquest. And invent the damned monocle while we're at it, I think we deserve that much.
Quetzacoatl
Liturgist
ScubaV
Prophet
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2011
- Messages
- 1,022
I picked A for technology because our military is weak, not strong, even though Ean is a good battlefield commander. Sargon invaded Egypt with 5,000 professional soldiers plus another 1,000 guarding Akkad. We have 1,000 total. If the other city-states don't balk we'll get another 1,000 who may or may not be professional (treave didn't say) but certainly won't be the most loyal, at least at first. Then we tack on another 500 raw conscripts through the draft. So 2,500 total, less than half of which we can truly count on. With Akkad in ruins we're going to need military might to keep the other city-states and surrounding countries from getting any ideas. Plus we have Egypt that will probably need to be dealt with sooner or later.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Let's just leave it at 40 km/h for now. It's thereabouts anyway.Usain Bolt certainly can't dodge arrows raining down on him while running at 41.38 km/h.
Compiling update. Vote counts edited above.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
State of the Empire circa 2290 B.C.
The military still remains weaker than it was under Sargon, ten years into your reign. The core of the army was made up of a thousand aging, but extremely proficient and hardy veterans of Sargon's campaigns who had remained loyal to you. To that, five hundred young men of Akkad had been drafted over the years, and you have also received another thousand men from the city-states of Sumer. The new recruits are relatively green and untested; the only experience they have is in hunting down cultists. You introduced many new inventions to improve the military. The composite bow, allowing your archers to outrange any army in the region. Shields were now made of bronze instead of wood and leather. Breastplates were forged to further increase protection. Spoked wheels allowed your chariots to move faster and more steadily. You brought in horses to replace donkeys for their greater strength and speed. The voices tell you where to find transparent stones that distort vision when gazed through - you make a note to find a way to use that militarily. Your army may lack experience, but the new technologies more than make up for it.
The reconstruction of Akkad's farmland progressed well, but not as well as it could have. Drafting the young had left the labours of rebuilding on the shoulders of the older men. They grumbled, but they worked hard to restore their livelihood. In the end, you order your soldiers to aid the reconstruction process, which slows down training but ensures that the farmland recovers enough to feed much of Akkad's population. The economic state of the Akkadian Empire still remains rudimentary, with little trade occurring between cities.
The persecution of Shulgi's cult, however, did not endear you much to the people. He had gained a considerable following. Many, even if they were not cultists themselves, had a friend or family member who was. Your hardline stance of execution of any self-avowed cultists created great turmoil in the city in those heady, early years. It was only by securing a food supply to keep everyone fed that you staved off rebellion then. By now, the cultists have all but vanished from Akkad. You declared a return of the old gods to primacy in the Sumerian religion. This served to alleviate the rising tensions caused by your suppression of the cult, though reconversion is slow. Your priests still work hard everyday to convince your people of the supremacy of the old pantheon.
The combined demands of food, tribute and manpower did not please the other city-states under your rule. They sought to gain their freedom once they heard Sargon was dead, and you were forced to participate in a few skirmishes to bring them to heel. As the dust settled, you proposed a system where each city would send a representative, and together they would advise you in council. The leaders of the cities seemed pleased at the idea of having their voices heard, and accepted your proposal provided they were granted a small stipend from their tributes to fund their life in Akkad. Externally, you extended a friendly hand to your client-states around you. Tribute from them is meagre, but they do pay it, and relations become more pleasant than they were under Sargon. It is good to be liked by your neighbours.
Egypt, on the other hand, you taunt and mock. You send the Pharaoh the head of an ass with a note telling him that you're coming for his ass soon. From all accounts, the Pharaoh was enraged, yet he did not dare to send your messenger back with just his head. Your men later brought you news that he was attempting to broker an alliance with your client-states with which to encircle you - the Pharaoh was rudely rebuffed thanks to your savvy diplomatic tendrils.
***
Chapter 2.2: Ten Years Later
Ten years on, you have not aged a day. This has not gone unnoticed by some of your close attendants, though they pass it off as nothing more than the king being blessed with youthful looks. Today there is a meeting of the council that you have created. It is usually ghastly, with plenty of jostling and positioning from each representative to secure the most beneficial results for themselves. Still, a decade of politicking has inured you to their tricks. Being able to read their intentions help - there was a reason why you selected a small room as the council chamber.
Akkad is now almost self-sufficient in terms of food, and you are considering reducing food tribute in exchange for more manpower. Before that, however, there is a pressing issue you need to solve.
"Councilors." The representatives fall silent, and turn to look at you. "It has come to my ears that members of the Shulgi cult have begun to preach openly in your cities. Particularly in Kish, Lagash and Girsu. Have I not made it clear that any and all cultists are to be killed on sight?"
The representative of Kish begins to speak up. "My king, we have followed your orders faithfully, but our soldiers do not dare to act too overtly. These cultists have a strong following amongst the populace. To kill them like dogs in the street would cause an uprising." The representative of Lagash chimes in, supporting Kish. "Can we not begrudge them some slight religious distraction? After all, our citizens are constantly sacrificing the fruits of their work to uplift the glorious empire. We all know Shulgi was false, but if the peasants think otherwise, let them. It does not matter as long as they devote their work to Akkad."
You sigh. All these years, you have found no sign of Shulgi or Naram. You do not think they would be foolish enough to appear before you. Still, Shulgi's cult is proving to be a long-lived thorn. You wonder if he is not directing them from the shadows.
In your healed left hand you hold a missive from Tuwana, a city-state under Akkadian protection along the coast near Egypt. Apparently the Pharaoh had gotten tired of his diplomatic efforts to coerce your client states to turn against you, and had decided to use force. Tuwana was begging for help against the Pharaoh; the man apparently had an army of ten thousand troops. You wonder if the numbers in the report were right, or if the Pharaoh had conjured his army out of thin air.
Ten thousand men! Your mind boggles at trying to organize the logistics for it. Still, no matter the numbers, Egypt has become an overt threat, along with the resurgence of the Shulgi cult.
***
A. You send your army off to fight its first real war against Egypt. You cannot leave the Pharaoh to do as he will with people that are under your protection. Ten thousand men or no, you will smash them, as you have before.
B. The cult takes priority. As the city-states appear unwilling to fully enforce your decree on this, you make them shape up by sending your army around to kill the cultists again. Letting them fester while you focus on external threats may be risky.
C. You do both, splitting up your forces. You will not have all the manpower you need to beat down the cult quickly, but you cannot ignore the threat from Egypt either.
D. You do nothing and instead spend your time building up a harem. A king must have sons!
***
Extra options for A, B and C:
1. You go to Tuwana, whether alone or with your army. Maybe you can fight off ten thousand men by yourself. Surely Tuwana still has some forces for you to command.
2. You stay in Sumer, whether alone or with your army. You can investigate the cult yourself, since their longevity is suspicious.
The military still remains weaker than it was under Sargon, ten years into your reign. The core of the army was made up of a thousand aging, but extremely proficient and hardy veterans of Sargon's campaigns who had remained loyal to you. To that, five hundred young men of Akkad had been drafted over the years, and you have also received another thousand men from the city-states of Sumer. The new recruits are relatively green and untested; the only experience they have is in hunting down cultists. You introduced many new inventions to improve the military. The composite bow, allowing your archers to outrange any army in the region. Shields were now made of bronze instead of wood and leather. Breastplates were forged to further increase protection. Spoked wheels allowed your chariots to move faster and more steadily. You brought in horses to replace donkeys for their greater strength and speed. The voices tell you where to find transparent stones that distort vision when gazed through - you make a note to find a way to use that militarily. Your army may lack experience, but the new technologies more than make up for it.
The reconstruction of Akkad's farmland progressed well, but not as well as it could have. Drafting the young had left the labours of rebuilding on the shoulders of the older men. They grumbled, but they worked hard to restore their livelihood. In the end, you order your soldiers to aid the reconstruction process, which slows down training but ensures that the farmland recovers enough to feed much of Akkad's population. The economic state of the Akkadian Empire still remains rudimentary, with little trade occurring between cities.
The persecution of Shulgi's cult, however, did not endear you much to the people. He had gained a considerable following. Many, even if they were not cultists themselves, had a friend or family member who was. Your hardline stance of execution of any self-avowed cultists created great turmoil in the city in those heady, early years. It was only by securing a food supply to keep everyone fed that you staved off rebellion then. By now, the cultists have all but vanished from Akkad. You declared a return of the old gods to primacy in the Sumerian religion. This served to alleviate the rising tensions caused by your suppression of the cult, though reconversion is slow. Your priests still work hard everyday to convince your people of the supremacy of the old pantheon.
The combined demands of food, tribute and manpower did not please the other city-states under your rule. They sought to gain their freedom once they heard Sargon was dead, and you were forced to participate in a few skirmishes to bring them to heel. As the dust settled, you proposed a system where each city would send a representative, and together they would advise you in council. The leaders of the cities seemed pleased at the idea of having their voices heard, and accepted your proposal provided they were granted a small stipend from their tributes to fund their life in Akkad. Externally, you extended a friendly hand to your client-states around you. Tribute from them is meagre, but they do pay it, and relations become more pleasant than they were under Sargon. It is good to be liked by your neighbours.
Egypt, on the other hand, you taunt and mock. You send the Pharaoh the head of an ass with a note telling him that you're coming for his ass soon. From all accounts, the Pharaoh was enraged, yet he did not dare to send your messenger back with just his head. Your men later brought you news that he was attempting to broker an alliance with your client-states with which to encircle you - the Pharaoh was rudely rebuffed thanks to your savvy diplomatic tendrils.
***
Chapter 2.2: Ten Years Later
Ten years on, you have not aged a day. This has not gone unnoticed by some of your close attendants, though they pass it off as nothing more than the king being blessed with youthful looks. Today there is a meeting of the council that you have created. It is usually ghastly, with plenty of jostling and positioning from each representative to secure the most beneficial results for themselves. Still, a decade of politicking has inured you to their tricks. Being able to read their intentions help - there was a reason why you selected a small room as the council chamber.
Akkad is now almost self-sufficient in terms of food, and you are considering reducing food tribute in exchange for more manpower. Before that, however, there is a pressing issue you need to solve.
"Councilors." The representatives fall silent, and turn to look at you. "It has come to my ears that members of the Shulgi cult have begun to preach openly in your cities. Particularly in Kish, Lagash and Girsu. Have I not made it clear that any and all cultists are to be killed on sight?"
The representative of Kish begins to speak up. "My king, we have followed your orders faithfully, but our soldiers do not dare to act too overtly. These cultists have a strong following amongst the populace. To kill them like dogs in the street would cause an uprising." The representative of Lagash chimes in, supporting Kish. "Can we not begrudge them some slight religious distraction? After all, our citizens are constantly sacrificing the fruits of their work to uplift the glorious empire. We all know Shulgi was false, but if the peasants think otherwise, let them. It does not matter as long as they devote their work to Akkad."
You sigh. All these years, you have found no sign of Shulgi or Naram. You do not think they would be foolish enough to appear before you. Still, Shulgi's cult is proving to be a long-lived thorn. You wonder if he is not directing them from the shadows.
In your healed left hand you hold a missive from Tuwana, a city-state under Akkadian protection along the coast near Egypt. Apparently the Pharaoh had gotten tired of his diplomatic efforts to coerce your client states to turn against you, and had decided to use force. Tuwana was begging for help against the Pharaoh; the man apparently had an army of ten thousand troops. You wonder if the numbers in the report were right, or if the Pharaoh had conjured his army out of thin air.
Ten thousand men! Your mind boggles at trying to organize the logistics for it. Still, no matter the numbers, Egypt has become an overt threat, along with the resurgence of the Shulgi cult.
***
A. You send your army off to fight its first real war against Egypt. You cannot leave the Pharaoh to do as he will with people that are under your protection. Ten thousand men or no, you will smash them, as you have before.
B. The cult takes priority. As the city-states appear unwilling to fully enforce your decree on this, you make them shape up by sending your army around to kill the cultists again. Letting them fester while you focus on external threats may be risky.
C. You do both, splitting up your forces. You will not have all the manpower you need to beat down the cult quickly, but you cannot ignore the threat from Egypt either.
D. You do nothing and instead spend your time building up a harem. A king must have sons!
***
Extra options for A, B and C:
1. You go to Tuwana, whether alone or with your army. Maybe you can fight off ten thousand men by yourself. Surely Tuwana still has some forces for you to command.
2. You stay in Sumer, whether alone or with your army. You can investigate the cult yourself, since their longevity is suspicious.
XenomorphII
Prophet
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2011
- Messages
- 1,198
A1
We can't let the Pharaoh take out one of our city states without us going to protect it (the others might decide to side with the Egyptians if we did) and splitting our forces sounds like a bad idea.
We can't let the Pharaoh take out one of our city states without us going to protect it (the others might decide to side with the Egyptians if we did) and splitting our forces sounds like a bad idea.
Urist McLurker
Learned
It's our main strength, after all, and I think we might actually need to go there to make sure it goes okay, in case there is an army of ten thousand. I feel issues at home are at a point where we can be absence for a while on campaign.
C1
Edit: Flipped to C1.
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
C1
In the last option, we chose the largest surge in troops combined with a technological overhaul of our entire army. Combined with our skill as a commander and our prowess in battle, I believe that Ean has enough resources to handle both of these threats. treave, if we pick C, how many men would go with us to fight the Egyptians and how many men would remain home to deal with the cultists?
Pissing off and provoking the pharaoh was probably not the best of ideas. I meant to flop to the "do nothing" option but forgot. Oops. Regardless, I believe that we can take them and conquer Egypt with the forces at our disposal. However, there's no question in my mind that we must go after him - if we can't protect those under our protection, why should they serve us?
In the last option, we chose the largest surge in troops combined with a technological overhaul of our entire army. Combined with our skill as a commander and our prowess in battle, I believe that Ean has enough resources to handle both of these threats. treave, if we pick C, how many men would go with us to fight the Egyptians and how many men would remain home to deal with the cultists?
Pissing off and provoking the pharaoh was probably not the best of ideas. I meant to flop to the "do nothing" option but forgot. Oops. Regardless, I believe that we can take them and conquer Egypt with the forces at our disposal. However, there's no question in my mind that we must go after him - if we can't protect those under our protection, why should they serve us?
Tigranes
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2009
- Messages
- 10,350
Is ten years enough for Shulgi to come back to life, I wonder? But it seems the most likely turn of events, that he is now building up his cult again.
Still, I think A1 is the answer. Ten thousand men may be an exaggeration, but Egypt is a large and prosperous country and we need to ensure a definite victory.
I also wouldn't mind A2 - an army is of not much use if shulgi himself is back.
Still, I think A1 is the answer. Ten thousand men may be an exaggeration, but Egypt is a large and prosperous country and we need to ensure a definite victory.
I also wouldn't mind A2 - an army is of not much use if shulgi himself is back.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
You'd be sending your 500 Akkadian recruits to go around cult-stomping, so 2000 go to Egypt. Your elite one thousand, and another thousand tributed soldiers. Ean doesn't want any of the tributed soldiers to do cult-stomping, but if the voices deem otherwise, well...
Quetzacoatl
Liturgist
C1
What Esquilax said.
What Esquilax said.
newcomer
Learned
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
- Messages
- 919
2) After reviving, Shulgi will most likely
a) Go upstream back to Sumer
b) Swept to another civilization such as Indus River
C) Wandering around in desert
& it's quite easy for him to rebuild his cult using mind suggestions... I suggest we capture some of the cultists & read their mind
Cassidy
Arcane
A1
If they are indeed ten thousand strong,
Akkadians, ready your breakfast and eat hearty,
For tonight we dine in Irkalla!
If they are indeed ten thousand strong,
Akkadians, ready your breakfast and eat hearty,
For tonight we dine in Irkalla!
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
Tigranes, Shulgi is still alive. He escaped after we killed Sargon:
What you say about A2 is a good point as well. If Shulgi is present, he could use his charisma/mind control abilities on our men stationed there - that would be nasty. However, we still need a standing force of men within Akkad to maintain peace and order, as well as keep an eye on what the cultists are doing. We can't leave the city completely undefended and without walls at the moment - we look like fools to our vassals and the cultists look like heroes if they manage to take the city while we're on campaign.
We need people there, but fortunately we have enough manpower to manage both tasks. If the situation warrants it, we can recruit some men in Tuwana if need be.
What you say about A2 is a good point as well. If Shulgi is present, he could use his charisma/mind control abilities on our men stationed there - that would be nasty. However, we still need a standing force of men within Akkad to maintain peace and order, as well as keep an eye on what the cultists are doing. We can't leave the city completely undefended and without walls at the moment - we look like fools to our vassals and the cultists look like heroes if they manage to take the city while we're on campaign.
We need people there, but fortunately we have enough manpower to manage both tasks. If the situation warrants it, we can recruit some men in Tuwana if need be.
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