Conquering Rome

Progress

2008-11-16T23:39:00.004-05:00

While progress has been slow, I have been making some. Take a quick look at this screenshot of the forces screen v0.1, showing off Dark Elf unit artwork by Ryan Barger, as well as sample battle calculations.

Impassable Terrain

2008-03-08T23:49:00.004-05:00

Here is a sneak peak of the new movement interface for Kingdoms of Arcania. We removed the hex grid that we used in Fall of Rome to better show off the stunning map. The movement arrow now changes colour to let you know if the proposed path is allowed, would result in a force march, or is impossible.

The shaded area in the middle of the group's path is a gaping chasm cannot be safely traversed. Impassable terrain in Kingdoms of Arcania introduces several strategic considerations that players will have to take into account.

Version 0.1 launched

2008-01-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

A pre-alpha version of Kingdoms of Arcania was finally launched to the development environment and the first test game was created featuring members of the design team. There is still a great distance left to travel, but it's great to finally be here.

Obscure Duplication

2007-04-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

Many people have written about the evils of duplication in code. Refactoring tools have evolved to the point where they can often detect it. Eclipse's "extract method" refactoring will identify similar blocks of code and replace all instances with a call to the extracted method.

There are other forms of duplication in software development that are harder to find, but cause just as many problems. One common example is duplicating state between code and configuration files.

I just finished removing one such case. Fall of Rome uses rules files to define variable elements of the game, including emissary definitions. An example might be:
{ //Emissary Rank
1 //Rank
"King" //Description
}

Unfortunately, the code for determining the icons for representing the emissaries on screen relied upon static variables defined in a Java class:

public static final int kRank_King = 1

public String getIconFilename() {
switch( rank ) {
case( kRank_King )
iconName = "king"
...
}

The Emissary Rank concept is duplicated between the configuration files and the code. This makes it hard to change the Rank definitions, as I discovered accidentally when the Drow Queen I created looked like a Provincial Governor.

Fortunately, this particular instance was not hard to change. Most of the emissary descriptions are very close to the icon filenames, and I was able to replace the switch statement on emissary ranks with one line of code:

return emissary.getEmissaryRankInfo().description.toLowerCase();

Put Code Where It Belongs

2007-02-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

Kingdoms of Arcania feedback has been coming in, and one of the requests was to turn off the banners for controlled pop centers. The banners will still be displayed in the pop center tool tips, but will not be rendered on the map itself. I decided that the boys should nap long enough today for me to implement this - it's a simple if statement to prevent the rendering in KOA, right?

Well, the solution is that simple, but the process turned into a game of Hunt the Wumpus. All the pop center rendering code is contained in one class... or so I thought. A quick read through the code turned up an icon rendering method that includes: if a banner exists, render it. I commented out the line and ran the game to see the effects. None.

Scratching my head, I took a look around, and realized this line controlled the tool tip banner rendering, but not the flags that are displayed on the map. Several frustrating minutes later, I found the following piece of code in an unrelated class:

if( actor instanceof PopCenter ) {
... draw Banners ...
}

After a few minutes studying the code, I was able to apply an Extract Method and Move Method refactoring (with a few other tweaks to make the refactorings possible). This is the frustrating part. A few seconds thought when this code was written could have saved me a great deal of precious time today.

I've been guilty of this type of code in the past. This will serve as a reminder to myself:

"Whenever you're tempted to add instanceof to the code, you're missing an opportunity to improve your design."

Flexible Persistence (Or: More PCType Woes)

2007-02-08T06:53:00.000-05:00

Note to self: when designing a persistence mechanism for an application, make the underpinnings as flexible as possible. If the container doesn't impose any restrictions (Relational database, I'm looking at you), then don't arbitrarily create them.

Many of the Fall of Rome rules definitions are persisted to a flat file. There are several methods that talk to an Archive, asking it to load and store items into the flat file. To make the developer's life easier, the API allows me to ask for an int when I know it's an int, and ask for a String if I know the data type is a string. Unfortunately, the items written and read from the underlying file also encode the type of data. This makes life extremely compilicated when trying to change from a char (the old PopCenterType encoding) and a String (much handier for new pop center types, like Small Towns).

If I want to change how PopCenterTypes are archived, I shall have to hand edit every existing file where they are archived, introduce some method of changing them within the code itself, or altering the underlying persistence mechanism to be type agnostic. All three of these methods will require hand editing the files where the information is stored (and it's duplicated in several places - the master rules file and each individual game turn file).

I believe it will be possible to solve this by attempting to read items the new way, failing, and defaulting to the old way. That's a messy solution to a problem that never had to exist. The rules are stored in flat files. Flat files store bytes with no concept of data type. Lets store everything as a String. Strings can be manipulated to whatever is required by the internal application. It might not be as performant, but for a game where each turn is run every three days, adding an extra couple cycles to the loading time to improve developer flexibility seems like a fair trade.

Encapsulate - Please!

2007-02-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

I just spent the last hours trolling through the Fall of Rome source encapsulating Pop Center types. The concept of pop center type was littered throughout the code as public characters - either 'C', 'T' or 'V'. This has made it exceedingly painful to introduce the new Kingdoms of Arcania pop center types, like the hamlet. The code never cares about the letters C, T or V - they care about what these letters represent. Unfortunately, the logic that applies to cities, towns and villages is now spread throughout the application instead of being encaplated in one centralised location.

This work has laid the foundation for proper Cities, Towns and Villages to come to life in the code. Once I manage to encapsulate the behavior, I will then be able to add the new pop center types.

For any software develoeprs reading this, please encapsulate your data. It makes life so much easier for the next person.

Copy / Paste Is Never a Good Idea

2007-02-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

It's ironic that two days after I write a tirade on the dangers of duplicate code that I succumb to the temptation and am thoroughly punished for it.

Kingdoms of Arcania and Fall of Rome both have a list of pop centers that are used to initially populate the world. The basic concept is:

1) Read in the first n pop centers in the list.
2) Define the placement rules that those pop centers must adhere to.
3) Shuffle the list and randomly place the pop centers on the map.

The list of pop centers is shuffled to make random placement possible. Each pop center that gets placed has n-m possible locations, where n is the number of hexes, and m is the number of pop centers already placed. If we don't shuffle the list before creation, pop centers at the end of the list would have a much lower variance in position than those at the start.

In Fall of Rome, the first pop centers have a hex defined, and in Kingdoms of Arcania they don't. This is important later.

This section of code is very specific to the game being created. Fall of Rome rules are vastly different than those for Centurion. So, my first step in pop center placement was to copy the initial code from the Fall of Rome version and create a new Kingdoms of Arcania version I could properly modify. Duplication between the two versions could then be refactored, as I would have proper test cases around both by the time it was finished.

My first step was to create the new KOA method, then try to create a new game using the admin interface.

"Error creating new game"

Gee, that's helpful. What's wrong?

After digging into the code, I discovered that it was trying to place two pop centers in the same hex. That's odd, but not impossible given the randomization in placement, so I try again. It happens again. And again. Suddenly the problem is not looking so random.

Further digging leads me to discover that it was trying to place the same pop center twice.

Resisting the urge to add an if statement to avoid the case and get things working, I trace back the creation process and find from my copied / pasted code:

For first n pop centers in pop center list
Get info for new pop center
set up rules
create pop center
...

shuffleAndCreate pop center list

In order to guarentee the predetermined hexes could be used for the first Fall of Rome pop centers, they were created, and they were not part of the list that got added to the shuffleAndCreate method. My copy / pasted Kingdoms of Arcania code didn't make that distinction - it created the pop centers in order, then randomized the list and created them again, causing the aforementioned problem.

Copying and pasting code you haven't taken the time to understand is never, never a good idea. That way be dragons. My quick "lets bootstrap what I'm working on by copying the existing method" turned into a debugging session that wasted too much time.

All I can say is "I told you so!"

Reinforcements

2006-12-26T23:51:00.000-05:00

I have just finished implementing Kingdom Specific reinforcements for Kingdoms of Arcania. Fall of Rome has a set reinforcement schedule for all kingdoms. This new feature will enable The Tyrant, a kingdom of Goblins, Orcs and other fell creatures to receive reinforcements more often than the Elves, who do not reproduce so quickly. Keep the reinforcement schedule in mind when you choose the kingdom you want to play!

Campaigns Mod Points

2006-12-12T22:34:00.000-05:00

I took a break from integrating the new Kingdoms of Arcania map, and made a quick change to Campaigns of Centurion. The mod point awards are now substantially higher. The algorithm is simple - the first place winner receives a number of mod points equal to the number of human players * 2. Subtract 2 points for the second place winner, another two points for the third place winner, and so on. This should make it easier for players to accumulate points, and we will start to see some interesting changes to starting kingdoms.

Why Test Suites Are Mandatory

2006-12-09T11:39:00.000-05:00

I am not the original developer on Fall of Rome. From my perspective, much of the application is Legacy Code (Affiliate). During the Team Game Launch, I fell fell victim to the lack of unit tests around many parts of the game.

There is a method in the game that returns all orders for any Actor - emissaries, agents, and pop centers are included. This method had a bug. Instead of using the equals() method to determine if the actor executing the order was the same, it used the == operator, which requires the actor to be the exact same instance. This doesn't work if the actor has been recreated, and you are now trying to find out what orders it issued.

After fixing this bug, I ran all the tests I have written, and everything worked well. Unfortunately, several of the game orders did not. There was validation code in place that checked to see if the actor issuing the order had done anything else that turn (train military leaders, build a temple, etc). Once I fixed the getMyOrders() method, it started failing all the validations (the vallidations were written to work with the broken code). This caused no end of difficulties for players who discovered these bugs.

Two lessons learned here:
1) Programmer tests are mandatory - with a test suite in place this bug would not have occured.
2) Be very careful when "fixing" legacy code.

I've learned both of these lessons before - it's a shame to have to relearn them like this.

Team Game Launched

2006-12-03T22:08:00.001-05:00

The Fall of Rome team game enhancements have just been released. New Regular and Veterans games will allow players to delcare allies and enemies, trade resources and intelligence. Thanks to everyone who has helped in the testing.

Team Game Launched

2006-12-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

Neutrality

2006-11-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

Fall of Rome is a dynamic game, where allies easily become enemies, and enemies often become allies. The Team Game playtest has revealed that it must be possible to change a declaration after it has been made. This includes issueing a declaration of neutrality with another player, representing a halt to hostilities, or compatriots that have drifted apart.

Fortunately, the programming logic for declarations was well encapsulated. Changing the declaration type representation from a java boolean (ally / enemy) to a tri-state (adding neutrality) was quick and painless, thanks due to the suite of junit tests that verified everything still worked after the refactoring.

Team Game Feedback

2006-11-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

There has been some excellent feedback so far from the team game competitors. Lord Diamond was the first to recognize that after declaring two allies, there was no reason not to declare the rest of the players your enemy. This would hide who your intended target might be, and at the same time protect your kingdom from being attacked by another. We have implemented a two enemies per player limit, and shall see how that new rule effects the game.

Gifts

2006-11-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

It is now possible to give gifts to your allies without receiving anything in return. This enhancement also provided the opportunity to refactor some of the trade code, encapsulating it within the Order object, and get it out of the GameServer (where it really did not belong).

We also had our first simulation stopper - neutral pop centers are not controlled by players, thus they cannot be checked to see if the noble usurping it is an enemy. A very obvious oversight - this is why we have a testing phase.

Team Game Testing

2006-10-30T23:52:00.000-05:00

It's official - the first Fall of Rome team game test has been started. The lineup consists of:

Ry Vor: Alamanni, Teuton, Ostrogoth
Lord Thanatos: Norse, Huns, Visigoth
Lord Diamond: Celts, Franks, Lombards
Hurtmeplease: Saxons, Thuringians, Vandals

I am sure these fine lords will be able to offer amazing feedback to make the Fall of Rome team variant even better.

Expanding Trade

2006-10-29T23:11:00.000-05:00

Allies in the Fall of Rome team game now have the option to trade gold and supplies with their allies. This will allow players to fund wars in distant lands, or save their allies from economic ruin. It's certainly going to add a new element of strategy to the game, making it that much harder to cut off an opponent's supply lines.

Declared Enemies

2006-10-15T15:43:00.000-04:00

When a player declares an enemy, the following bonuses now come into effect:

1) All brigades of the declared enemy in a legion that is located at the end of the turn in a region controlled by his enemy, loses 4 points of morale.
2) All PC’s gain 10 points of “Maintain Status Quo” when an enemy attempts to Stir Unrest, Incite Rebellion, or Usurp Control.
3) PC’s, when attacked by a declared enemy, gain 10%, instead of a random plus or minus to their defensive strength, as in other cases. So a PC with a defensive value of 10,000 would be treated as having 11,000 when attacked by a declared enemy.

This will make it easier to defend your homeland against invaders.

Sharing Intelligence

2006-10-03T21:32:00.000-04:00

Fall of Rome team games allow allies to share intelligence with one another. If the Alamanni and Celts were allied, the Celt player might see something like this:

As you can see, all of Gaul has been revealed to the Celt player.

The only question is where should the button for sharing intelligence be placed in the UI. The KingdomsViewPage, where the declarations are currently shown, is already quite full:

Any suggestions?

Declarations Tab

2006-09-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

As you can see, the declarations tab on the Kingdoms View Window is starting to take shape. I'm not 100% happy with the code populating the pane, but the functionality is complete.

Adding the declaration order required a lot more effort than I initially expected. There are several (undocumented) features that Orders have to properly implement to work correctly, and I stumbled upon most of them through trial and error. I now have a TestCase documenting the required steps, so work on future orders (such as trading with a partner) will be easier.

I also added close to 40 more tests to get a handle on how each game archives players. There was one critical aspect I didn't realise until it was too late - players cannot be referenced until they are loaded. The initial plan was to persist ally & enemy declarations using the target player. Unfortunately, if the ally was not already loaded, the game coughed. I decided to lazy load the allies & enemies - internally I store the kingdom code, and then find the players at the last second as the game requires them. It's a little more complicated, but I'm happy with the results. I'm also happy I had junit tests in place for the archiving - I changed the implementation, and the tests stayed green. This gave me confidence that everything still worked.

Finished Validation

2006-09-24T15:27:00.000-04:00

I finally had a chance to finish error handling and order validation for declarations while the boys were napping this afternoon. I'm also happy to report that I now have over 100 automated unit tests in place for the game. This is excellent progress.

Slow Week

2006-09-24T10:56:00.000-04:00

It's been a slow week (and weekend) for team game development. I just finished basic order entry, but need to finish the error handling. Hopefully more later today.

Declarations Dialog

2006-09-17T10:32:00.000-04:00

The first draft of the Declarations Dialog for the Fall of Rome team game. has been finished. Click on the new Declarations button in the Kingdom View Window and you will see:

You'll notice that the drop-down list (a JComboBox in Java parlance) has a white background instead of the standard texture used in the other dialog boxes. I believe that the white background makes the kingdom banners stand out more. Does anyone have a preference?

The Kingdom View Window

2006-09-15T22:33:00.000-04:00

The team game adds a new tab to the Fall of Rome Kingdom View Window called "Declarations". This tab will display every ally and enemy declaration made in that game so far. I'm having trouble choosing a colour for the tab. Any suggestions?

Team Game is Underway

2006-09-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

It's been some time since I've posted an After Action Report, so I thought I'd start publishing some development updates.

I am currently working on adding teamplay capabilities to Fall of Rome. This variant will enable players to choose up to two allies and declare an unlimited number of enemies over the course of a game. Kingdoms can trade resources and intelligence with their allies, and declared enemies suffer political and military penalties when attacking.

I have just finished updating the rules header and game archives to support the team game option. This was a big step, and I now have a much better grasp of how the Fall of Rome Archive system works. It's quite simple, but it took a couple attempts before I got it right.

The hardest part of development so far has been adding unit tests. It took 25 tests just to ensure the basic rules header was being loaded correctly. Much of the code was written without testability in mind, so it adds to the challenge. I'm sure many of the posts to come will deal with bringing the game under test.

Fall of Rome Newsletter

2006-01-24T22:58:00.000-05:00

The January '06 issue of the Fall of Rome Newsletter has just been published. This is the first edition that I personally put together from articles written by the players from Fall of Rome. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Game 279: Month 23

2006-01-20T23:23:00.000-05:00

Alaric, the Rex
Arthur stood on a peak in the mountain range surrounding the Visigoth villiage of White Plains, and stared into the distance. The honour guard stood several hundred meters away, providing our liege the solitude he sought. After several hours of contemplation, he rejoined the men, and called a meeting of his staff.

“It is over,” Arthur lamented. “The comet in the night sky was a sign from Jupiter himself. Alaric controls three regions of Rome, and has for several months now. Despite the growing opposition he faces, I do not see any glory in continuing the campaign. Armorica is united under the Celtic banner, and the dreaded Teutons are securely held behind the stone walls of Koln. Send a messenger to Alaric, and let it be known that Arthur and the Celts acknowledge Alaric as the Rex, ruler of Rome!

After almost two years of hostilities, the Celts would finally know peace once more. One by one, the remaining tribes proclaimed Alaric the Rex. Rome was united under the crimson fist of the Visigoth.

Results
Here are the final results for Game 279:

Kingdom	Status Points
Visigoth	26050
Ostrogoth	14600
Celts	13675
Norse	11950
Saxons	11500
Lombards	10650
Franks	8425
Alamanni	6550
Vandals	5000
Teutons	4500
Huns	3300
Thuringians	2750

Conclusions
This was my first Veterans campaign, and it was incredibly challenging. Congratulations to Howler the Visigoth ruler, whose well timed assassinations ruined my attempts to knock him out of Aquitania. Our Celts did very well, finishing third in status points thanks due in many ways to our steadfast allies, the Saxons (played by the reknown Lord Thanatos). Special thanks go out to Lord Diamond of the Teutons, a most worthy opponent, who made this a very interesting contest. I learned a great deal from all three of these excellent players, and I look forward to meeting them again on the field.

Game 279: Month 22

2006-01-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

Foiled
In a brilliant covert operation, Visigoth agents assassinated our leaders in Aquitania. Legion Centaur was left leaderless, and failed to make their target of White Tale. Pegasus managed to arrive at their target, but the leaderless group will not be able to overcome the defenses of the fortress they are camped outside. Arthur finds himself surrounded by Frank forces at another Visigoth village in Aquitania. Our military in Aquitania is hamstrung, our nobles are out of position, and our agents have been out maneuvered. The comet grows brighter in the night sky...

Turn 22 Planning
This is potentially the last turn of the game, however we have to play as though it will continue. Thanks to meddling from the Visigoth, we will not be able to take enough of the region to sway it to neutral. Hopefully the Lombards or another kingdom will have more luck in Narbonensis.

Political Plans
- Ambassador Danu will attempt to incite rebellion in Chard Orin. This is likely to fail, as the Visigoth has two nobles located in the village that would be able to maintain status quo, but we will give it a try. With luck, our agent corps will be able to deal with the Visigoth nobility.
- Move prince Mac Cekt to the fortress of Augusto. Governor Orestes will join him there
- Governor Krassis will attempt to usurp control of Prexi
- Governor Malcor will maintain status quo in Fire Helm, just in case the Teuton nobility is still vacationing there
- Governors Balth, Hengist and Odrus will relocate to the town of Burdgala in Aquitania. It just declared its neutrality – odds are there is a Visigoth noble present.

Military Plans
- Arthur and his two brigades in Centaur will Hit and Run the Franks division Incomparable. They will move on to the village of White Tail – just in case the Visigoth is unable to claim victory. They will be joined at White Tail by the leaderless legions from Unicorn
- Pegasus will move to the village of Chard Orin to hopefully capture the Visigoth nobles that arrived there
- Titan will move to the village of Coral Springs.
- Pheonix will attempt to intercept any Teuton military group that tries to leave the city

Covert Plans
- Mouse will recon the Frank capital once again. If we are still alive next turn, we will want to make another attempt on the high priestess
- Horisian the Fox will attempt to poison the Visigoth Baron Vithimer, and Garga the Sublime will poison the Visigoth Count Liberius. This will hopefully clear the way for Ambassador Danu's rebellion.
- Max the Black will look for trouble in legion Pheonix. It's potentially the last turn of the game – we don't want the Teuton to try and steal one of our artifacts
Agent Dirk will recon Koln

Game 279: Month 21

2006-01-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

Aquitania
Arthur overturned the tables in his tent after hearing the news. Our astronomers reported that a comet streaked across the night sky next to the constellation Capricorn; the sign of Alaric and his Visigoths. As we marched through the region of Aquitania, we heard more and more people declaring their allegiance to Alaric. This portent symbolized his growing influence in Rome – if we didn't do something soon, it would be too late.

“All this time in Aquitania, I have been focused on the Franks!” Arthur shouted. “No more!”

The next day, Titan encamped outside the Franks village of Vitnerx, only to be greeted by Alaric's colors flying from the village square. We have had no contact with the Visigoth king over these many months, and when I prepared to send our diplomats, Arthur stopped me.

“These are dire times, genome. The Gods have shown their favor to King Alaric, but I will not have our people bow to another Roman overlord. There is no time for diplomacy – there is only time for war!”

Turn 21 Planning
While we have to keep the Teuton contained, the priority now is to ensure the Visigoth cannot claim victory. The focus is on Aquitania. My nobles in the area are now next to useless. Even though they successfully took the fortress of Augusto, the Visigoths have an army camped outside the walls led by King Alaric and two Warlords. They will take the fortress this turn, beheading the nobles or sending them back to the capital.

Political Plans:
- Ambassador Danu will relocate to Chard Orin in northern Aquitania
governor Krassis will incite rebellion in Prexi, taking it back from the Franks
- Governor Ajax the Weak will relocate to Christinhalm – he will help Count Connacht take back the village
- Prince Mac Cekt will relocate to the village of Vantage in central Armorica – this will place him in striking distance of Aquitania, hopefully not too late to be effective
- Governor Malcor will move to Fire Helm to keep an eye on it, in case Baron Gorgatha arrives once more
- Arthur continues improving his influence

Military Plans:
- Titan will storm the village of Vitnerx
- Split Titan into three legions – two brigades will go with King Arthur to assault the village of Semillion (he is the only leader with the ability to enable our troops to march that distance). Two brigades will go with Centurion Scripio to the village of Coral Springs in southern Aquitania, and the remaining four brigades will go with Centurion Theorek to the town of Tours. This is a very risky move – any one of these potential assaults could fail as the groups will be much weaker divided than they are together, however this is the only chance we have to take enough Visigoth pop centers for them to lose the region. Thanks be to the speed of the Celts.
- Our reinforcements at the capital will be transferred into legion Pegasus and march straight to Aquitania. Centurion Bax the White will hire a brigade of Burgundians to fortify the ranks
Phoenix moves back to Koln, to keep the Teutons in check
- Centurion Fravitas recruits another brigade of Heruli from Agrippina and marches his division to Koln to meet with Phoenix

Covert Plans:
- Horisian the Fox will create a diversion in Poiters, the Frank capital, and Garga the Sublime will attempt to assassinate the Frank high priestess, Auron, who is located there. If successful, this will complete the last of our covert requirements for Mastermind victory.
- Max the Black will stay on counter espionage within Phoenix. The Teuton agents are getting bolder every month – we must protect our artifacts.

Additional Plans:
- Priestess Maximini will heal Phoenix. This should bring them close to full health

Introduction to the Fall of Rome After Action Report

2006-01-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

By: Rick McDowell, Designer of Fall of Rome.

Fall of Rome (www.fallofromegame.com) may be thought of as an online strategy board game for twelve players. While it may be fairly categorized as an historical war game, it is multifaceted: its political, covert, and economic components are each as important as the military aspects of the game. Unlike a typical board game however, there is no waiting for other players to make their moves. Each player chooses a time most convenient to him within a 72 hour window to plan and issue around 15 commands per turn, choosing from over 70 available. At the end of each 72 hour period, commands for all players are executed according to an established sequence of events. For example, battles occur before covert actions, which in turn are resolved before political actions, followed by movement, with intelligence gathering last in the turn sequence. The map is then updated for all players simultaneously, and results of all actions including detailed battle reports are provided in various game screens. Players then have a fresh 72 hours to communicate with their foes and allies through the game messaging system, and to plan their next set of commands. It is a competitive game with a winner declared no later than turn 24, so a single game typically lasts about two months. The standard victory condition is called “The Rex” (meaning sole ruler), and is awarded to the player that can control three of the 12 regions on the map for two consecutive turns. Players each also choose a secret victory condition they may pursue, and this choice will alter their game playing style and strategy. In terms of complexity, Fall of Rome is moderate, if Axis and Allies is considered simple and Advanced Squad Leader is complex. The complete rules and much other reference material is available at www.fallofromegame.com.

Below is a screenshot showing only the outline of each of the 12 regions. The region where Attila’s picture is superimposed is called Pannonia. Throughout the AAR accounts, the authors refer to these region names in their strategies, so this should serve as a convenient reference.

Game 279: Month 20

2006-01-04T22:14:00.000-05:00

Two Fronts

Alas, I was unable to council King Arthur over these last several months, and the campaign has advanced. The Teutons are restricted to the city of Koln in Germania, and we Celts have opened a second front in Aquitania. If we can sway a significant portion of the population to our banner, Arthur will be declared Mastermind of Rome.

The grueling war continues in Germania. Every month, the Teuton pulls another trick out of his hat, and manages to live on. Titan surrounds the city of Koln and the men wait day, after day, after day. Strong from behind the walls of the city, the Teuton legions dare the Celts to approach, but Arthur insists on caution. Our plans do not require the city to fall. As long as the Teuton is contained within the city, he will not be able to interfere in the rest of Germania.

Elsewhere the other clans still clash. Atilla has forced the Norse out of Panonia, and our scouts have told us the Huns have been seen in Scandia, the Norse homeland. The Visigoth continues to take pieces of Aquitania, and still has not encountered Celtic forces. With luck, we will take enough of the region to ensure Arthur is crowned as the true ruler of Rome.

Turn 20 Planning
The Visigoth continues to make headway in Aquitania, but we have not yet collided. If all goes well, we will not have to...

Political Plans
- King Arthur increases his influence once more
- Ambassador Danu will usurp control of Mariner's Cove in Armorica.
- The five nobles in the fortress of Augusto will work to take control
- Count Connacht will usurp control of Christinhalm
- Governors Malcor and Ajax the Weak will take control of Deep Haven
- Governor Krassis relocates to Prexi
- Prince Mac Cekt relocates to the city of Reims in Belgica – he is safe here considering Belgica is a warzone between our allies the Saxons and the friendly Vandals – not a nice position to be in. A quick letter to the Saxon leige announces his presense.

Military Plans
- Move Titan to the Franks village of Vitnirx on the border with Armorica – they are not strong enough to take the Frankish capital
- Move Pheonix to the village of Fire Helm – Baron Gorgathal just arrived and we want to give him a warm welcome
- Hire a centurion in Duroco

Covert Plans
- newly hired agent Mouse will recon the Frank capital – hopefully we will find a high priestess located there. Mouse's namesake perished attempting to steal a Teuton artifact during the months I was occupied.
- Horisian the Fox and Garga the Sublime train – they need to be prepared to strike at the high priestess, if one is in the capital

Additional Plans
- Build a tavern in Duroco – our newly hired centurion will be able to recruit a brigade from there to join with the three brigades of Celtic reinforcements we will receive next turn (and another hired brigade of mercenaries). These extra brigades will be required to take the Frank capital.

Game 279: Month 15

2006-01-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

A Turning Point
Rome is in turmoil. Pannonia, the stronghold of Atilla and his Huns, has fallen neutral. King Childeric of the Thuringians is on his deathbed, and we have no heard nothing to explain it. Our non aggression pact with the Franks has expired, and no one can grant me an audience with their liege to extend it. Our agents have detected a Frank army camped outside the Saxon town of Agincort is southwest Belgica, just a short march from Armorica. Arthur's sleep has been troubled indeed.

Fortunately, the war goes well in Germania. Agrippina conceeded to Pheonix's demands and have raised the Celtic banner. Duke Mac Cekt stirred the people of Teutoburger to rebellion, and they have renounced their Teuton overlords. Count Connacht convinced the council of Prexi to proclaim fealty to Arthur. The Celtic underworld continues to stimey the Teuton militia. All of our covert actions were all successful – Hush's diversion, Mouse's assassination of the baron and Dirk's recon of Teutoburger were all completed without incident. The diversions by Kelvin Greentooth and Garga the Sublime were also successful, and both gained a level of proficiency.

Turn 15 Planning
We now have to prepare for the possibility of a war on two fronts. Our NAP with the Franks has expired, and I have not heard from their liege. The Teutons are still holding on in Germania, and they will not lie down without a fight. This turn will be all about keeping ahead of the Teutons while preparing for an assault on Aquitania. There will be many tough choices to make – where to assign nobles, agents, soldiers and resources. It's going to be an interesting few turns.

Political Plans
- Our NAP with the Franks has ended – Arthur will enamor Aquitania to prepare for a potential battle with our southern neighbors
- Governor Krassis will stir unrest in Teutoburger and Duke Mac Cekt will usurp control
- The town of Vindon was just rebelled – likely by the Teuton. Newly hired agent Max the Black will recon the town – Governor Malcor and Count Connacht will relocate there
- Hire a Governor in Duroco, in south central Armorica – he will be positioned to move into Aquitania or defend in Armorica
- Hire Governor in Teutoburger – he can stay and maintain status quo after Mac Cekt leaves

Military Plans
- Centurion Scripio recruits a brigade of Heruli from Cenabum. It is more expensive for Scripio to take on this action since he is below the rank of Tribune, however Arthur, the only other ranking leader, is already occupied. Our economy can support the extra brigade, and the extra defense on Cenabum will help if the Franks invade. We select Heruli as they are cheaper to maintain, and are composed of infantry and archers – better for combat in cities
- General Kalanis recruits a brigade of Heruli from Agrippina – they are preparing to storm Koln
- Warlord Ross the Red trains Commandor Gainor
- Pheonix will rest outside Agrippina – this will increase the morale of five of the brigades (the other brigades already have a morale higher than 120.

Covert Plans
- Train Garga the sublime, Arthur's bodyguard
- Dirk recons the city of Koln
- Mouse will counter espionage – see if any enemy agents attempt anything in Pheonix
- Train agent Hush

Additional Plans
- Rhiannon will divine pop centers in Aquitania – if the Franks decide to invade, we will be ready to counter attack
- Maximini will heal Pheonix
- trade 50,000 supplies for 135,000 gold – take advantage of the exchange rate, and cover the amount of gold we have spent with this month's actions

Game 279: Month 14

2005-12-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Never Ending War

Arthur is a patient liege. Inch by inch, Germania was being wrested from Teuton control. Yet another village, Cristinhalm switched allegiance to the Celts. It was only a matter of time before the Teutons would become a non factor.

The Celtic agent corps suffered a serious blow. Agent Zed started a fire in Teutoburger and could not escape the blaze. Teuton sentries captured and interrogated him. Zendafor the Black suffered a similar fate in Koln while performing a routine reconnaissance. After being discovered he bravely fought off the city militia, killing many and making his way to the gates before finally being brought down. Despite the setbacks, the pride of the Celtic espionage corps, agents Hush and Mouse disabled all gates in the town of Agrippina, leaving it wide open for our legions to assault. One more piece of the Germanian puzzle will belong the the Celts, and not a moment too soon.

The region of Viennensis has raised the Visigoths banner. We have not received word from the Vandals, but the loss of their homeland does not bode well.

Turn 14 Planning
The campaign in Germania is progressing. We must keep up the pressure.

Political Plans
- Arthur increases influence again
- Governor Krassis will stir unrest in Teutoburger, and Duke Mac Cekt will incite rebellion.
- Count Connacht will usurp control of Prexi. The Saxons legion Python arrived at the village, but they will stay outside its boundaries.
- Governor Malcor relocate to Agrippina
- It's time once again to poll the people of Armorica regarding the Franks
- Hire a new governor in Nantes to defend against a political invasion

Military Plans
- Pheonix will threaten the town of Agrippina. After two successful sabotages of the town walls, the citizens of the town should be ready to change allegiance.
- Ross the Red will train General Gainor
- Unicorn will move to Agrippina and merge with Pheonix

Covert Plans
- Agent Hush will create a diversion in Teutoburger to cover Mouse as he attempts to assassinate Baron Chilperic of the Teutons. Success here will ensure Duke Mac Cekt's mission.
- Garga the Sublime and Kelvin Greentooth will create diversions in an attempt to gain a level
- Hire a new agent in Cristinhalm, Germania, to keep an eye on the Teutons
- Dirk will recon Teutoburger to ensure the Teuton does not relocate another noble to the fortress.

Additional Plans
- Priestess Maximini will heal Unicorn
- Build taverns in Cenabum and Agrippina – it's time to enlarge the Celtic military

Game 279: Month 13

2005-12-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

Two For One
Bells tolled in Belgica as the Saxons mourned the loss of another king. Arthur ordered a moment of silence for his ally who likely passed during the assault on the Teuton capital.

Our legions progressed steadily in Germania, taking two Teuton villages for the one he managed to recapture. The Celtic underworld owned the shadows of Koln. Agent Dirk proved occupied the city militia, leading them on a wild chase through the alleys. Mouse took advantage of the distraction to end the life of Teuton prince Totilia. Unfortunately, the Teuton capital moved to Koln, so our Duke Mac Cekt and Count Connacht will have to relocate to another target.

In Armorica, Arthur focused on fortifying the region diplomatically. Ambassador Danu learned that the Franks reputation had not improved in recent months, allowing us to rest easier. Talks with Chodomar proved fruitful, and we secured a six month extension to our non aggression pact.

Turn 13 Plans
We need to continue choking the Teutons supply lines.

Political Plans
- Arthur expands his influence once again
- Duke Mac Cekt will move to Teutoburger – the fortress town was owned by the Saxons but has just announced it's neutrality. Governor Krasis will join him there
- Count Connacht will relocate to the village of Prexi, to take it next turn
- Our new governor Malcor will move to the village of Fire Helm in central Germania – he can defensively create status quo if required, and is also in a better position to invade Scandia if we make that decision

Military Plans
- Unicorn will threaten the village of Christinhalm that the Tueton baron Gorgathal just captured. This will force the baron to relocate to Koln, where he will later assassinated.
we will not take the town of Agrippina this turn – the defense is too high, and will result in excessive losses. Pheonix will remain camped outside in siege – they will be joined by Unicorn in time
- Unicorn will move to the village of Vullania

Covert Plans
- Dirk will recon Teutoburger, in case we have to remove any Teuton nobility
- Zendafor the Black will recon Koln
- Mouse and Hush will sabotage defenses in Agrippina, making it easier to take militarily
- Hire a new agent in Cenabum to serve as Arthur's personal bodyguard
- Agent Zed will cause a diversion in Teutoburger to attempt to hide the relocation of Duke Mac Cekt (and to attempt to raise him a level)

Additional Plans
- Priestess Rhiannon will heal Pheonix – attrition in the unit is currently quite high
- Construct a watchtower in Duroco – this will keep an eye on our southern border and warn us of any nobles moving in
- Construct a barracks in Cenabum – this will work with the watchtower to increase the citadel's defensive value
- Construct a watchtower in Nantes
- Hire a new priestess in Beschein, in Belgica on the border with Germania. She will be available to heal on alternate turns with Rhiannon

Game 279: Celts (TOC)

2005-12-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

In this game, I was envoy for Arthur, Lord of the Celtic kingdom. The tales of this campaign are outlined in the following entries:

1. Out of the Ashes
2. Flawless Execution
3. Armorica
4. Eastward Bound
5. The Calm Before The Storm
6. Invasion
7. Attack
8. Rome is Burning
9. Fallen Capital
10. Success Despite Setbacks
11. Calm Once More
12. Hold the Course
13. Two For One
14. The Never Ending War
15. A Turning Point
20. Two Fronts
21. Aquitania
22. Foiled
23. Alaric the Rex

Game 279: Month 12

2005-12-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Hold the Course

Everyone in the capital was tense as the Celts once again faced diplomatic silence. Our non-aggression pact with Chodomar and the Alamanni was set to expire at the end of the month, and no word was received from our messengers in Gaul. Just east of Gaul, the region of Raetia threw off the yoke of the Thuringian. Rumor had it that the Alamanni was part of the liberation. Arthur wisely calmed the more aggressive nobles in his court. Ambassador Danu's interviews with the people of Armorica revealed they held no love for the people of Gaul. Chodomar was obviously busy with events on his eastern border; he will respond to our request for a continuation of the pact in due course.

In Germania, the war with the Teutons dragged through the winter months. Black smoke poured from every village in the region as Teuton and Celtic legions traded ground. The Saxons continued to make headway in Germania, capturing the town of Vindon. Unfortunately, our prized agent O'Rork Ledbelly was caught in the chaos of the assault, and died in a sea of whirling blades.

I spent several nights sitting by the roaring fire with Arthur as he deliberated his next moves. The war in Germania was taking much longer to resolve than he had hoped. Its citizens who were so receptive in the beginning became much more agitated as the seasons blurred together. After many hours he decided to hold the course – Germania would belong to the Celts.

Turn 12 Planning

Resolve will carry the day. Continue with the plan, and everything will fall into place.

Political Plans

The Saxon is moving his nobility to Koln this turn, so we will enter a holding pattern there once again. Zed will guard Count Connact and Duke Mac Cekt.
Relocate the capital to Cenabum – as a Citadel it is the most powerful defensive location we currently control. Should the Franks or Alamanni come calling, this will be the location to meet them from. This also frees up two governors that are guarding the citadel to relocate defensively or offensively. In addition, this will ensure our division of reinforcements that arrives this turn are further east – closer to the Germania border.

Governors Cenabum and Odrus are being redeployed to fortress towns on the border between Armorica and Aquitania. Cenabum will be politically unassailable once the capital has been relocated, but these towns will need the governor's support, should the Franks or Alamanni decide to invade our realm

Hire a new governor in Deep Haven – this will provide political defense should one of the Teuton nobility attempt to take it back – it will also be a good jump off to Scandia should we decide to invade – it is located at the most northeasterly point of Germania
Ambassador Danu will poll the populance about the Franks once more to see if they have been attempting to improve their popularity within the region

Military Plans

Teuton baron Gorgathal arrived in the village of Cristinhalm – Unicorn will pay him a visit – agent Zendafor the black will meet him there
Titan and Minatour converge on the Town of Agrippa, recently recaptured by the Teuton. They are merging to become legion Pheonix
Training season: Warlord Ross the Red trains Tribune Ganior, Marshal Eber Victor Don trains Tribune Kalanis, Commander Cormac trains Captain Zonaris. Our leaders will be prepared to meet the Teuton in battle.

Minatour and Unicorn will threaten the villages where they are camped – both groups have received casualties and are beyond the range of priestess Rhiannon's healing. If we can avoid combat, we will.

Covert Plans

Hush will cause a diversion in Koln, and Mouse will attempt to assassinate the Teuton prince.
Dirk creates a diversion in the village of Prexi, hopefully to gain a level
Kelvin Greentooth will recon Tricasses – need to see what the Alamanni is up to

Additional Plans

Construct a watchtower in Brest on the southern border we share with the Franks – continue fortifying Armorica

Game 279: Month 11

2005-12-17T19:52:00.000-05:00

Calm Once More

After the diplomatic excitement of the previous month, these last few weeks have been rather uneventful. Frequent celebrations erupted in Armorica as both the Citadel of Cennabum and another fortress were completed. The region is now much easier to defend, and the citizens can rest easier. Our inquiries regarding the Franks turned up some interesting rumors. They have not built up politically in Armorica, but the Frankish king does have a rulership of 18 and influence of 144, rivaling that of Arthur.

In Germania, Governor Orestes escaped the Teuton onslaught and arrived safely back at the capital. Arthur deliberated over his next actions; should the governor be deployed defensively, ensuring the loyalty of our subjects, or should he head eastward, back to Germania. We lost both Fire Helm and Vulania to the Teutons, but we shall regain them soon.

Elsewhere in Rome, the Vandals lost ground to the Visigoths, and Viennensis became uncontrolled. We have not heard how the Vandal king fares, but expect the news is grim.

Turn 11 Planning

This turn will focus mostly on military and covert efforts. The Teuton is aware of all our political power in his region, and has nobles on hand to counteract them. I am hoping he will waste orders trying to defend against a political attack that will not come. The extra orders will be used to beef up our defenses in Armorica.

Political Plans

Our NAP with the Alamanni will end shortly – Ambassador Danu will research Chodomar's standing in Armorica
Arthur will increase his rulership once more – we have resources available for extra orders, and the Franks rulership level is a direct challenge to our traditional strength
Governor Orestes relocates to the city of Cenabum. This is a defensive move. Having two governors at the city will help ensure we keep control until we relocate our capital to the citadel.

Military Plans

Unicorn and Pheonix will threaten the villages they are camped outside to join our cause and then rendevous outside the village of Fire Helm.
Minatour will threaten the village of North Point in Belgica to join our kingdom instead of following the Teutons. They will relocate to Broadland along the southern Germania border – one of the final two remaining Teuton villages
Titan will move to the village of Volksburg in Germania. This places the entire Celt military within the Teuton's borders

Covert Plans

Zed will guard Duke Mac Cekt and Count Connact – Dirk's recon of Koln uncovered a Watchtower in the city – undoubtedly the Teuton knows they are present
Our new agent, Zendafor the Black will recon Koln
Agent Mouse will create a diversion in Koln (and what a diversion it will be). Agent Hush will assassinate Teuton agent Stellito. O'Rork Ledbelly will steal gold from the city
Newly hired agent Kelvin Greentooth relocates to a town in southern Belgica – this will allow him to keep tabs on both the Frank and Alamanni cities

Additional Plans

Construct a temple in Beschein on the Belgica / Germania border – it will be helpful to have another high priestess in the area
Continue fortifying Armorica by building a watchtower in Cenabum. In addition to improving the defensive value of the citadel, it will also alert us if any nobles attempt to enter.

Game 279: Month 10

2005-12-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

Success Despite Setbacks

Autumn is always bittersweet in Armorica. The trees are resplendent with color, but everyone is all to aware that the vibrant shades herald the coming of darker times. This month was no different. All of Armorica celebrated at the news that Germania was no longer under Teuton rule, however they mourned the loss of one of their own.

Our Celtic legions earned tremendous glory capturing four Teuton villages. Ross the Red distinguished himself in the field, and earned the title Warlord, our highest honour. The Celtic underworld redeemed themselves. Agent Mouse stole the Sickle of Admante from Teuton Marshal Sigmund, and though he was injured in the process he carried the wounds with pride. Unfortunately, our nobles did not fare so well. In an unexpected setback, despite a stir unrest by two Saxon counts, our rebellion of Vindon failed, and Prince Ambrosius was executed. The loss of Arthur's heir sent a shockwave throughout the kingdom.

The Teutons responded in force to our assault on Germania. Baron Gorgathal took control of Volksburg, as we expected. Two divisions moved to two of the villages we captured this month in central Germania – one placing Governor Orestes at risk.

Diplomatically, it was the final turn of our NAP with the Franks. Despite sending them a message several days earlier, I had not received any responses. The Vandal king warned me that the Franks had withdrawn from Viennensis, where they were earlier invading – apparently it was a matter of honour. That left the Franks free to march north to my under-defended region, a very precarious position. At the last minute, the Frankish liege agreed to extend our NAP for an additional five turns – enough time to finish fortifying the region. Disaster averted.

Turn 10 Planning

We have to continue putting pressure on the Teutons. With another five turns of peace secured with the Franks, we can concentrate on Germania.

Political Plans

Arthur will increase influence
Duke Mac Cekt and Count Connacht will relocate to Koln once again – after the Saxons took the Teuton capital, it moved to another fortress town, and the city can still be affected politically. The Saxons are also planning to move several nobles to the city – we should be able to rebel it given enough noble power. Agent Zed accompanies them as a bodyguard.
An ambassador in Armorica will talk to the people to learn how the feel about the Franks. If they are well loved, it could be something to worry about.
Hire a new governor in our village in Belgica – if more political power is needed in the city, we'll get it there.

Military Plans

Minatour will storm Volksburg and hopefully capture the Teuton baron that took the village from us. They will march one league north to a Saxon village in Belgica. The Teuton king Odavacer is personally leading a division of troops here.
Unicorn moves to Vulania to reclaim it after the Teutons rampage
Titan moves deep into central Belgica, leaving Amorica at risk, but placing them within striking distance of Germania. I'm putting my faith into our last minute NAP with the Franks – if he was honour bound to call off his assault on the Vandals when he had the advantage, then I believe he can be trusted.

Covert Plans

Agent O'rork Ledbelly guards Duke Mac Cekt before his relocation occurs – the Duke is now a target after his failed attempt to incite a rebellion
Dirk will recon Koln – lets see who is present in the city
Hire two new agents, one in Cristenhalm, on the border between Germania and Scandia, and one in Duroco – just to keep an eye on the Franks

Additional Plans

Priestess Rhiannon will heal Minatour. After all these assaults, the men are in need of healing.
Construct a fortress in Duroco – this is the last town in the region that requires fortification

Game 279: Month 9

2005-12-11T18:02:00.000-05:00

Fallen Capital

All in Germania held witness to the plumes of smoke streaming from the Teuton capital. Witnesses told of brigades of Saxon heavy infantry lining the plains of Mainz, gleaming in the sun. At their head stood Vortigern, resplendent in his shining armor. He called his men forward to battle, to glory, and to victory. After weeks of bloody fighting, the Saxons reigned victorious over the Teuton capital, but at a tremendous cost. Vultures and other carrion beasts gorged on 12,000 Saxon corpses that lined the fields, and mighty Vortigern himself was laid to rest.

Our forces took advantage of the chaos to move into position. Four villages were surrounded by Celtic troops, and our nobles arrived in two Teuton towns, prepared to sway the people of Germania to our banner. Both the Teutons and Norse continued to spread lies and vile rumors, making the people of Germania hesitate before joining our cause, but join they would.

Turn 9 Planning

It's time to take a bite out of the Teuton supply lines. If they cannot pay and feed their people, they will be much easier to contain.

Political Plans

Enamor Scandia – if the Norse want to get involved in Celtic business, we will be prepared to extract payment

Duke Mac Cekt will stir the people of the town of Vindon to rebellion, and Prince Ambrosius will then usurp it.
Count Connacht will attempt rebelling the fortress of Teutoburger

Military Plans

Our legions will attempt to take the villages Prexi, Fire Helm and Christinhalm by force.
Pegasus will threaten the village of Vulania to join the Celts. Governor Orestes convinced the people to rebuke the Teutons – now it was time to instill proper rule.
It is time to find the last remaining village in Germania: Minatour and Pegasus will scout the territory en route to joining at Volksburg – a Teuton baron has arrived there and started stirring up the locals. Unicorn and Pheonix will rendevous just south of the northerly Germania swamps, hopefully covering enough ground to uncover the village.
Reactivate Titan from the reinforcements at the capital and start marching them toward Germania.

Covert Plans

Hush will create a diversion in Koln while Mouse attempts to steal the sickle of Adamante – a powerful artifact. This will be much more useful to us than poisoning baron Gorgathal in Volksburg.
Train O'rork Ledbelly
Agent Zed will guard Count Connacht as he stirs up trouble in Teutoburger.

Game 279: Month 8

2005-12-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

Rome is Burning

We Celts were not the only people marching to war. Conflict erupted throughout Rome. Arthur heard tales of the Norse attacking the Huns, the Franks invading the Viennensis, home of the Vandals, and fair Raetia, homeland of the Thuringians, was under assault by the Alamanni, Ostrogoth and Lombard. The Celtic courts heard a host of tales featuring all the tribes but the Visigoths – Alaric's people remained surprisingly silent.

Despite surprise favoring the Celts, our invasion plans went completely awry. The Teuton underworld proved superior to Celtic agents. Baron Aed Ruad was assassinated before he could execute his plan to stir the people against their masters. Hush created an excellent diversion to distract the guards, and Mouse planted poison the prince Totila's goblet, however the prince must have had a premonition, and he refused to drink more that night.

The loss of Baron Aed Ruad and the foiled poisoning prevented our nobles from stirring the people of Koln to rebellion. Their pleas fell on deaf ears, and the city remained under the heavy yoke of the Teuton. The Teuton militarily garrisoned behind the city walls, arriving just days before Titan could cut them off.

Elsewhere in the region, Governor Cimbraeth was killed attempting to incite rebellion in Agrippina. A Teuton noble worked behind the scenes, stirring the people to a frenzy. A mob swarmed Cimbraeth as he attempted to present Arthur's case to the town, and the Governor was not heard from again. About this time we discovered several slanderous fliers spread throughout this town and others. The Teutons and Norse kings both spread slanderous lies about the Celts in an attempt to turn people against us.

Our security was tightened after these initial scares, and we managed to capture a Teuton assassin, and seriously wound two others. This was the one bright note of the month – we should be able to breath easily as the Teuton agents take time to heal.

Turn 8 Planning

With the Teuton military holding the city, another plan seems to be called for. We will attempt to cut the Teuton supply lines by taking control of all the villages in Germania. The Saxons will assault the Teuton capital, as planned.

Political Plans

Arthur will enamor Germania – lets try to keep ahead of the Teuton and Norse propaganda campaigns
Move Count Connacht to a rumored town in norther Germania. Zed is escorting him to his destination
Move Prince Ambrosius and Duke Mac Cekt to another rumored town – the easternmost in Germania. O'rork Ledbelly is moving with them as their bodyguard.
Governor Orestes will incite rebellion in the village of Vulania.

Military Plans

Move Pegasus to the village of Vulania – if Governor Orestes is not able to convince the villagers to rebel, Pegasus will take care of the rest
Titan will split into Minatour, Pheonix and Unicorn. Each legion will march to a different village

Convert Plans

Dirk will recon Koln to keep an eye on the people gathered there
Mouse and Hush go back into training – they will be more effective when they are next called upon

Additional Plans

Relocate priestess Rhiannon to the Saxon city of Reims – this places her close enough to Germania to act within the region.
construct a fortress in Brest, one of our towns in Armorica – This will provide us with much needed status points, defense and a couple points of influence, which is useful since Arthur is devoting his efforts elsewhere.
Trade 4000 supplies for 3600 gold – get back to a positive balance.

Game 279: Month 7

2005-12-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Attack

Even greatly oppressed, the Germanian people are loyal to their Teuton overlords. Agent Zed started a fire in the market square and barely escaped with his life. Smoke filled the streets, and panic reigned. Alas, Zed's diversion was for naught. Spies lurked in the alleyways of Koln, and our nobles were identified one by one as they entered the city. Only Baron Aed Ruad escaped notice.

Angry messages arrived in Armorica days later, and Odavacer's wrath jumped from the pages of correspondence. Arthur laughed at the threats contained within, and ordered the attack. Soon the village of Volksburg would be smoking at the hands of Titan, and Koln would overthrow their rulers. King Arthur had another plan as well, one more devious in nature...

Turn 7 Planning

Capturing Koln is the key to this opening gambit. The Saxons plan to assasult the Teuton capital next turn. It is our responsibility to ensure the city does not become Odavacer's new home.

Political Plans

Baron Aed Raud, Count Connacht and Duke Mac Cekt will stir unrest in Koln. Prince Ambrosius will attempt to rebel the city.
Governor Cimbraeth incite rebellion in Aggrippina – this is a risky plan, but with our spectacular regional reaction in Germania, I believe it has a chance to succeed.
Our newly hired Governor Orestes will relocate to a rumored Teuton village in central Germania
King Arthur will increase his Rulership ability – according to the status point report, we were in second or third instead of the lead, as is our custom. We must get the lead back.

Military Plans

Titan will assault the village Volksburg, and then move to the city of Koln. If I were the Teutons, I would be moving my military there, hoping to capture the Celtic nobles by taking the neutral city by force. Titan will prevent that from occuring.
Move Pegasus to a Saxon village on the Belgica/Germania border – they cannot meet with Titan, so lets keep them out of harms way

Covert Plans

Hush will perform a diversion, and Mouse will attempt to poison the Teutonic prince Totila in Koln
O'rork Ledbelly will guard the prince and duke.

Additional Plans

Relocate priestess Rhiannon to a village on the border between Amorica & Belgica. She needs to be closer to Germania to be used effectively.
Construct citadel in Cenabum. This will help protect the region, as most of our military is away on the offensive.
It was an expensive turn, and we have spent more gold than we have in our coffers. Trade 12,000 supplies for 9000 gold.

Game 279: Month 6

2005-12-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

Invasion

The air in Armorica was thick with anticipation. Celtic nobles resided in small Belgican villages, completely out of their element in the rustic, though friendly, surroundings. Marshall Eber Donn regaled the men during their march through the region with tales of defeating Cerberus, the three headed hound of hell, and claiming the Ekkisax. His tales roused the men; their feet grew lighter, and they marched with their heads held high, dreaming of the glory to come.

King Arthur's council chambers buzzed as he played host to emissaries from across Rome. He struck a non-aggression pact with the Vandals, who had finally taken control of their homeland, Viennensis. We also played host to a stream of messengers from King Vortigern, lord of the Saxons. After several weeks of planning, and months of preparation, it was time to free Germania from the yoke of the dreadful Teutons.

Turn 6 Planning

It is time to launch our strike into Germania. After consulting with the Saxons, we decided the Celts would focus on capturing the city of Koln. King Vortigern was bound by a non aggression pact to stay out of Germania for another month. We Celts would be the vanguard of the invasion.

Political Plans

The people of Germania are already well disposed to King Arthur and the Celts. Arthur dedicates himself to increasing his influence.
Prince Ambrosius, Duke Mac Cekt, Count Connacht and Baron Aed Ruad all relocate to Koln – the city will fall next turn - O'Rork Ledbelly relocates to the city to play bodyguard. Agent Zed attempts a diversion to try and slip the nobles in quietly. Dirk recons the city, to learn who else is present.
Relocate governor Cimbraeth to a town in eastern Germania. With our regional reaction and influence, he should be able to rebel a town.
Hire a new governor in our village along the Germanian border

Military Plans

Titan moves to a reported village on the western border of Germania
Pegasus moves deep into central Belgica. Hopefully next turn the two legions will be able to combine on a western town in Germania
Our senior leaders will train the more junior in preparation for the battles to come

Covert Plans

Agents Mouse and Hush train for one more month – next turn they will be unleashed to deal with whatever agent Dirk finds in Koln.

Game 279: Month 5

2005-11-29T23:03:00.000-05:00

The Calm Before the Storm

Armorica was bustling with preparations for the invasion. One by one, Celtic nobles left hearth and home bound for the east. Word quickly reached Arthur's court that all our emissaries arrived safely at their destinations. During their travels they also heard of other distant regions swearing fealty to other kings. The Alamanni kingdom assumed control of Gaul, and the Pannonia bowed down to Atilla and his Huns.

Turn 5 Planning

This turn will place our nobles and troops within striking distance of Germania. It's nearly time to strike.

Political Plans

Arthur will once again shower the people of Germania with gifts, which will increase his regional reaction there
Prince Ambrosius, Duke Mac Cekt, Count Connact, Baron Aed Ruad and Governor Cimbraeth move to pop centers on the border between Belgica and Germania. Agents Zed and Dirk continue escorting them.

Military Plans

Titan will attempt to retrieve the Ekkisax, and afterwards will push through the plains into central Belgica. With their speed, they will be able to strike into Germania next month.
Reinforcements arrived in our capital this turn. They were assigned to legion Pegasus, and marched eastward.
Ross the Red imparts his wisdom, training more up and coming leaders in Titan, preparing them for battle.

Covert Plans

Mouse and Hush will once again undergo training. By the time they arrive in Germania with Titan, they will be experienced enough to wreak havoc with the Teutons.

Additional Plans

Construct storehouses in Sleepy Hollow. They will provide much needed supplies to fuel the war against the Teutons.

This leaves me with one order remaining, and not enough gold to issue anything. I could drop the construction of the storehouses to move a couple of lower ranking nobles instead, however I prefer to leave them in Armorica for the time being as early warning systems – Ambassadors are perfect for the Learn King Standing command.

I send a quick message to the Saxons to let them know of my positioning. Next turn, we strike!

Game 279: Month 4

2005-11-26T23:13:00.000-05:00

Eastward Bound

With Armorica loyal to Arthur, it was time to march against the Teutons and free Germania from their grasp. Our allies the Saxons conveyed the location of several towns and villages in Belgica that would play host to our nobility as they traveled through that region. Titan journey through the Saxon homeland was delayed. Our finest leaders braved the stronghold of a Giant – a man three meters tall. Several of the men were seriously wounded, and we lost Centurion Mac Torin. After the grueling battle, Ross the Red, newly promoted to Marshal, was in possession of Dragon Slayer, a Norse sword that once belonged to Beowulf.

Elsewhere in Rome, the Thuringians subdued the central region of Raetia. Rumor has it the Franks of Aquitania began an invasion of the traditional Vandal stronghold of Viennensis. Arthur's treaties with the Frank kingdom prevent him from interfering in this invasion, and he is true to his word. The Celtic forces will be deployed to Germania.

Turn 4 Planning

It is currently quiet in Armorica. All neighboring kingdoms are friendly. This turn will be devoted to building our economy to support the coming war, and moving our people into position.

Political Plans

Arthur will once again shower the people of Germania with gifts, which will increase his regional reaction there
Prince Ambrosius, Duke Mac Cekt, Count Connact, Baron Aed Ruad and Governor Cimbraeth move to pop centers in Belgica. Agents Zed and Dirk are assigned as bodyguards.

Military Plans

Titan will remain camped outside the unusual sighting where the Ekkisax is located

Covert Plans

Mouse and Hush will once again undergo training.
O'rork Ledbelly will create a diversion in Koln. The previous one was successful, hopefully he will be able to gain another level.

Additional Plans

Rhiannon will once again Heal the legion of Titan. This is risky, as she is weary from the last month's attempt to heal. I feel the risk is worth it however – we need to ensure Marshal Ross the Red is healthy to investigate the sighting next turn.
I was going to build watchtower in Cennabum. It would notify us whenever enemy nobles arrive. Considering the NAPs we have with our neighboring kingdoms, it is better to spend the money on a market now, and purchase the watchtower later. This way I accumulate the extra gold & supplies. Two additional brigades are scheduled to arrive at our capital next turn, and I want to ensure a robust economy to help pay for their maitenance
construct a mill in the village of Seabreeze (where our storehouses are). It grants a bonus to storehouses in addition to the benefits of the mill itself
Build storehouses in Questor
After all the construction, we have used up more supplies than we had stored. It is time to take advantage of the global trade discrepancy in supplies. I trade 1000 gold for 1800 supplies.

Game 279: Month 3

2005-11-23T22:48:00.000-05:00

Armorica

All of Armorica celebrated the third month of Arthur's campaign. Every neutral population center throughout the region declared there loyalty to the Celtic kingdom as Cenabum, Rennes, Sleepy Hollow and Kiar Bannor were swayed by the Celtic military and nobility. Seven other regions pledged allegiance to the monarchs that resided there, including our allies the Saxons, and potential enemy, the Teutons.

O'rork Ledbelly investigated Koln, the largest city in Germania. He discovered the cream of the Teuton nobility lodged within, prince Totila and duke Hunulf. It was their actions that persuaded the people of the city, and ultimately Germania, to submit to Odavacer's will. Rumor has it several of the city's elders disappeared shortly after the arrival of the Teuton entourage. The rest declared Odavacer their king. Very convenient. Arthur's mind was made up – the Teutons would pay for their treatment of all Germanians.

Turn 3 Planning

Now that Armorica has raised our banner, it is time to prepare for the invasion of Germania.

Political Plans

Arthur will shower the people of Germania with gifts, which will increase his regional reaction there
Duke Mac Cekt, Governor Cimbraeth and Ambassador Unicus move to eastern locations in Armorica. This will leave them in good position to move into Belgica, and onward to Germania.

Military Plans

Unicorn, the patrol with our finest Celtic leaders, will Investigate the unusual sighting they are camped near. They will stop at nothing in their attempt to retrieve the artifact located inside. Afterwards, they will rendezvous with the other legions outside the second unusual sighting in the region.
General Eber Donn will train Centurion Mac Torin – this will help improve our odds investigating the next unusual sighting

Covert Plans

Mouse and Hush will once again undergo training. Hush will join legion Titan.
O'rork Ledbelly will create a diversion in Koln, and our new agent Zed
will do the same in the Frankish villiage of Mariner's Cove in Amorica. These diversions are meant as training sessions. We risk losing our agents, but will hopefully increase their experience level more cheaply than standard training costs.

Additional Plans

Rhiannon will Heal the legion of Titan. The brigades suffered casualties while taking the villages in Armorica that will be replaced by this order.

Game 279: Month 2

2005-11-20T09:17:00.000-05:00

Flawless Execution

Arthur's proclamation created a stir throughout the Celtic nation. A massive entourage departed the capital for Cenabum. Duke Mac Cekt arrived safely in Rennes. Our military maneuvers were unopposed as the legions deployed to the neutral villages in Amorica. Each legion scoured the territory en route to their destination, and each discovered the location of an artifact. Priestess Rhiannon was less fortunate; her divinations failed to reveal the location of any powerful relics.

Our agent corps effectively executed Arthur's commands. Hush started a fire in the Cenabum market at the same time as the arrival of our caravan of nobles. This diversion enabled the entourage to enter undetected.

The kingdoms on Armorica's borders kept to their agreements. All stayed away from the region, ensuring it would soon fall under Arthur's rule. Collectively, the kingdoms dramatically swung Rome's economy. Several kings must have joined Arthur, trading supplies for gold. The new rate of exchange was 16 supplies for 10 gold.

Turn 2: Planning

The major actions this month revolved around carrying out the original plans to take Armorica.

Political Plans

Arthur will work to increase his influence. This will ensure all our nobles are more effective, no matter what region they are in.
Count Connact will stir unrest in Cenabum, allowing Prince Ambrosius to assume control of the city.
Duke Mac Cekt will usurp control of the town of Rennes.

Military Plans

The legions are ordered to assault the neutral villages they are camped outside. We are confident of victory, having an estimated power three times greater than the defenses. This is an opportunity for leaders and troops to gain experience that will be useful in the times ahead.
After the assaults, the leaders of each division will separate to a new patrol, and rendevous outside the caves rumoured to house Dragon Slayer, a powerful weapon artifact. The patrol can move faster than the group as a whole, so this shall ensure we do not waste a turn.
The remaining troops will head eastward into central Armorica. This will position them closer to the border of Belgica, through which they must travel to reach Germania
General Ross will train Centurion Cormac to ensure he is prepared for investigating the unusual sighting next turn

Covert Plans

Mouse and Hush each undergo training
Our newly hired agent will recon the city of Koln. We need to gather information regarding our potential enemy, the Teuton

Game 279: Month 1

2005-11-17T23:33:00.000-05:00

Out of the Ashes

The empire had fallen! We learned of the withdrawal as the sun reached the highest point in the sky. Caesar's legions had departed; the senate was no more. Roman authority vanished from the land, leaving a vacuum in its place.

King Arthur convened his court to discuss the situation. The Romans had ruled our homeland of Armorica for generations. Their departure left the region in turmoil, with no one to look out for the people. After much debate, Arthur declared his intentions; he would bring order to the region, and unite the world under the Celtic banner.

Soon after that fateful council, I, genome, a humble envoy to our mighty king, received a messenger from Vortigern, King of the Saxons. Their kingdom lay to the east of Amorica in an untamed region known as Belgica. The envoy brought offerings of peace from his liege, and an agreement was quickly forged. We Celts would not assault any Saxon holdings, and in return they would leave us in peace.

During the celebrations of the treaty signing that evening, the Saxon envoy told tales of atrocities committed in Germania, a region beyond Belgica to the east. It seems that after the Romans left the citizens to their own devices, a tribe of barbarians calling themselves Teutons seized power. All who opposed them were violently oppressed. King Arthur was a champion of the common man. The tales of the Saxon envoy enraged the Celtic king, and he vowed to put an end to the Teuton tyranny. An alliance was struck with the Saxon king.

Arthur dispatched aides to the Franks who resided in Aquitania, south of Armorica, and to the Alamani in Gaul, south east of the Celtic homeland. Within a matter of days he had secured a non aggression pact with both kingdoms. These agreements preserved the sanctity of Armorica's borders – the Celtic homeland would be safe from external threats for at least the next ten months.

With diplomatic needs fulfilled, it was time to attend to domestic matters. Armorica was still without rule after the Romans fled the region. The Celts needed a strong united homeland to help them face the threat of the Teutons.

Turn 1: Planning
As the Celts, I start with a rulership of 15. This gives me the ability to issue two orders more than all other kingdoms, who start with a rulership of 13. This can be challenging, as we have the same starting treasury as the other kings, so initial spending must be prudent to take advantage of our special ability.

There are several important decisions that need to be made in the initial stage of the game. The first is how to deploy my kingdom. There are three standard openings to Fall of Rome that I have seen used with some success.

Attempt to take the home region as soon as possible. This involves moving two or more powerful nobles to the city in the region as well as capturing the villages and town that we are aware of.
Covertly take the home region. This involves taking the towns and villages that are visible, and finding additional pop centers by scouting with legions or using the high priestess to divine them. This option is usually chosen if you don't trust your neighbors, and fear one of them will try to hinder your kingdom politically, either denigrating you in your home region, or sending a noble to the nearest city.
Rush a neighboring region to catch your neighbor off guard, and eliminate him early.

Each of these strategies have their strengths and weaknesses. Given the relative isolation of the starting position, option #3 does not make sense – I would not be able to assemble enough of my legions and nobles to strike early in either Belgica or Aquitania. Given this is a veterans game, it is possible that one of my neighbors may be planning to use this option to target Amorica (my homeland). Diplomacy is crucial at this point. My initial correspondance with the Saxons, Franks and Alamanni secured a Non Agression Pact with each so I do not fear aggression from any of these kings. With all borders secure, I decide to chose option #1 – the sooner I can take the region, the sooner I receive the resources it provides.

With that choice made, the initial orders are relatively simple to plan:

Political Plans

Arthur will enamor the people of Amorica, to improve our regional reaction there.
Prince Ambrosius, Count Connact and Baron Aed Ruad are dispatched to Cenabum, Amorica's crown jewel. I believe that the prince and count will be sufficient to sway the people to follow the Celts; sending the baron is an insurance policy.
Duke Mac Cekt is sent to Rennes, the closest town to the Celtic capital Cherbourg.

Military Plans

Legions Pegasus and Titan will combine at the capital and then march on the village of Sleepy Hollow. Agent Mouse is assigned to Titan.
Legions Minotaur and Pheonix meet outside the village of Kiar Banor
Celtic troops are very fast – the legions are ordered to scout the terrain, revealing more Armorica territory than simple movement.

Covert Plans

Train agent Mouse for level 4
Agent Hush will create a diversion in the city of Cenabum. This will hopefully be a cheap training exercise for the agent – while there is a small chance of being caught, he is guaranteed to succeed, and will hopefully gain a level
Hire a new agent in our southern town of Brest. He will be used to keep an eye on our neighbors.

Additional Plans

The legions are able to scout most of the western part of the realm – priestess Rhiannon will attempt to divine for unusual sightings in the eastern portion of Armorica. Her scrying will also include part of Belgica. I will let the Saxons know of anything she finds in their region.
current production – 21000 gold, military consumes 12000, with 9000 balance for next turns activities, plus whatever is left from this turn. Planned expenditures: prince + duke + count + baron (hopefully not required) == 18,000. Agent activities + king action , another 15,000. In order to guarantee enough gold on hand, we must trade 33,000 – 9000 = 24,000 supplies for gold this turn. That should leave 13,000 supplies for next turn, more than enough to raise influence