[OOC] Magic RP (Open to new players)

[bloonewb]

@Aristocles Once again, I am finding faults with the RP, and would like to discuss them. Is this possible?

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

Sure, but if I may say so, part of any good RP is compromise. If you have a problem, I can make corrections, but I won't change everything in a post every time someone complains about something. Adykon is my main character, and he is far more clever than he lets on. It's how he's stayed alive as long as he did in the face of unbelievable dangers. And I can't have everything go improbably right for Rughoi, considering that what he's done was already against the odds to begin with.

Also keep in mind that everything in Traeton is happening really, really fast.

[bloonewb]

@Aristocles I understand that perfectly, but in your most recent post, you literally took everything coming out of Rughoi's inner thoughts and listed them in a briefing to your team. If you would forgive me for saying so, that's very heavy metagaming. Also, in an earlier post, you once again used Rughoi's thoughts and turned them into speech. That "dracon arrogance" thing was a personal thought.

Also, I wonder how a desert environment could field an army of tens and hundreds of thousands. At the end of the medieval age, the largest empires could maybe support an army of ten thousand, max. Rughoi pushes his people as far as possible, and even then can maybe muster two thousand.

[Aristocles]

It is that, I admit. Still, I had a reason for it if you will hear me out. Everything in that speech that Rughoi gave made things go way, WAY too well for him. His position is extremely tenuous, and I suppose while it wasn't the most subtle thing I could have done, it is important to note that he's acting as if he's extremely secure on the throne in a situation where he really isn't. At all. Things can't keep going right for him as long as they have been. He's had no serious reversals since taking over the city. If there are going to be edits, we shall both have to make them.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

As for the armies thing, you'd be surprised. The Sassanid Persians (200s - 600s AD) had huge armies, and they were based in today's Iran. Same thing with the Ottomans.

[bloonewb]

@Aristocles Really? How many troops could the Ottomans field?

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

Depends on the time period. Excluding the modern era (they survived until a bit after WW1), it was a couple hundred thousand, although rarely more than a few tens of thousands at any one point. They had quite a few when they attacked Vienna, twice.

[bloonewb]

@Aristocles Alright, I agree with you on my second statement, but that doesn't conclude my first complaint.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

If there is metagaming (and there is), it's there to counter the incredible and improbably advances made on Rughoi's part. Everything seems to go too well for him. I have to counter many of these improbable advantages specifically just to keep things balanced, hence the metagaming, distasteful though it is. Think of it like a mechanic in a game which prevents a player from powergaming too much. At this rate, Rughoi would have somehow ended up taking over several cities despite the fact that he's outnumbered, outarmed, out... pretty much everything. Taking and holding onto one city is already a major accomplishment. Getting foreign aid to come over from a distant continent in (seemingly) less than a day from human kingdoms is even more amazing. Factor in other possible advantages he's had (kobolds in other cities possibly aiding him, possible alliances with other dracon cities, etc) and... do you see why something had to be done to balance that out?

[bloonewb]

Obviously there has been some sort of miscommunication. I thought there were brief bits of action, followed by a couple of weeks in between each session. So there would be a month between conversing with the Bytheseas and their army arriving, another couple of weeks between the sack of Traeton and declaring war on Aredor, etc etc. So what was the flow of time supposed to be?

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

Much slower than that. It was about the same pace as what I, Bronze, and Evildd (and Caits before that) had. Most of that action progressed with many posts over a single day. There would be jumps, but those generally only brought things forward by a few days at a time at most. I would have imagined that Adykon and company hanging out near the walls would have been a good sign of that. They weren't hanging out on a risky mission for days or weeks at a time.

We can fix this going forward. I can change my recent post if you revise a few things from yours, and we both keep the flow of time constant and slower from now on, okay?

[bloonewb]

@Aristocles Damn. I have a lot to rewrite. Thanks for resolving the issue with me. It's been a great help.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

I do too. Just tell me when you are done, and what I ought to correct. I don't mind some things going well for Rughoi. You want him to do great things, I get it. But he can't be unrealistically successful. That said, seeing the kobold equivalent of ISIS (as we discussed a while ago) has been fun. :)

[bloonewb]

Notes:
Retconning human legion. Diplomacy still taking place.

Retconning war with Aredor. Still rebuilding the city.

Anything else I should change?

[Aristocles]

Notes:
Retconning human legion. Diplomacy still taking place.

Retconning war with Aredor. Still rebuilding the city.

Anything else I should change?

@bloonewb

The diplomacy won't work, but he can still try. So far, those retcons look like they will be good. I'll change what Adykon says, and if I have him be clever, I'll keep it more vague so as to prevent any "mindreading" on his part.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

And by the way, thank you for your patience. You've been a great player. I'm glad that we can handle this like reasonable people.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

Looks like it's time for me to make some edits, and a new reply. I'll have those up as soon as I can, but what did you want me to change in my older posts?

[bloonewb]

@Aristocles The mindreading thing most of all, but with such huge retcons, there isn't even much reason for Akydon or the Fertile Valley to be at war with Traeton anymore.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

Adykon at least would want to help restore Traeton to dracon rule, as would the other dracon cities.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

I am here! Computer issues seem to be over, or at least contained. I can and will post soon.