[Game Thread] The Kingdom of Magadha - The Might of India

[Adorios]

Alright, I understand that system but it does lock us into history. For example, you have basically guaranteed that cannons and such will emerge in Europe no matter what we do. I get not letting us push things too much to create massive distortions in a realistic time line, but a driven and energetic kingdom that was driven to expansion would naturally progress. Purpose and resources do drive discovery to a certain extent.

For example, if I push Magadha into a horse archer civilization, then I would develop stirrups, thumb rings & the Cantabrian Circle (all part of horse archery) before they might have been developed by the Parthians or whoever else developed those tactics in real history. I don't really want the phalanx, as Indian geography is not really suited to a fighting formation that collapses whenever it is flanked. But military formations often emerge from reform movements, which are always historical interruptions, even in the civilizations that initially them to us (such as the Roman maniple, the Persian heavy cavalry lancer, the Janissary, Gustavus Adophus's reformed infantry, Wellington's lines of battle, and every other formation that was introduced at a specific time by a specific commander). Their civilization should not get those formations simply because they gave birth to the historical reformer when it is possible for us to give birth to those reformers as well.

What would be the requirement to build this Magadhan War Academy? In terms of resources, and maybe any prerequisite buildings.

[lampofdoom]

I understand that. I didn't mean to imply that its that rigged. If you rework India into a horse based culture you're going to get horse-based improvements faster than other ones. If china decides to not push the development of gunpowder than another nation can easily develop it. And I agree with the development of military tactics isn't defined by nation. If India decides to develop its military strategies more along the lines of Rome (class based military, staggered line formation, heavy shields and spears) you'll get more Romanesque develops in military tech.

[Adorios]

Cool, and I was pretty sure that you weren't that restrictive (if I recall, this is not the first time we've had this conversation in this game) but I just want to be sure that if India falls behind again, it will be because it was my fault.

[lampofdoom]

The shrine to Varuna is completed, bringing with it a sense that the gods much surely smile upon you. Your treasury swells with the new trade route to Kalingas, bring goods such as gold, sugar and fine silks. Just when you believe you can be no more blessed the Gods see fit to give you a child, your wife from Pundra is pregnant! Your tournament turns up a few decent candidates.
First is an intelligent, optimistic man who lacks loyalty and is rather selfish.
Second is a remarkably above average man, who seems to be blessed in all facets of life.
Thrid is an energetic man who's hideous face bears the scars of many tribal conflicts.
Fourth is an intelligent and energetic man who lacks in the looks department.
Last is a man who's intelligence and energy exceeds all the others, but he is prone to
depression and has an abrasive manor.

Treasury
Current Treasury	10,640
Expected Income	1,854

Agents	Location and Mission
Emissary Hinduva	Resting in Kalingas
Emissary Senusha	Training in Rajagriha

 

Name	Rajagriha
Size	Large Town
Population	21,925
Population Growth	1.51%
Public Order	192%
Income	1854
Tax Rate	Low
Integration	This territory is part of your nation's heartland and its citizens enjoy equal rights as Magadhans. (-1 PG, +1 Morale, +5% Law bonus)Full
Garrison	Unit Type Number Upkeep Strength King's Royal Guard Light Cavalry 84 0 100% 1st Spears Medium Infantry 100 95 100% 2nd Spears Medium Infantry 100 95 100% 1st Skirmishers Light Infantry 100 85 100% 584

 

Building	Function
This is the heart of your Kingdom. All visitors are awed by this massive structure and rightly so. It is here that the highest ranking officials in the empire do business, as well as where the royal family resides. The king and his personal staff can often be found here. Royal Palace of the King	Allows the training of Agent Recruitment Cost Upkeep Diplomat 250 50 Diplomats.
The simplest farming techniques are quick to be implemented but only yield a small amount of food in the long run.Basic Farms	+1 Food production
This enclosure encases a hot spring as well as a series of small shrines to the various deities of the Vedas. The centerpiece is an ornate shrine to Varuna, the lord of the heavens and the earth.	+
The most basic of sanitation methods, this area has small dirt ditches to direct rain runoff and keep the streets a little cleaner. If enough money is directed at the cause perhaps stone covered sewers can be installed."Sacred Enclosure of Varuna"	+5 Public Health
These are simple packed dirt roads, perhaps lined with stones. Although rough and often ill maintained they are much better than simply wandering a sandy trail in the desert.Simple Drainage	Faster travel speed while using.
Literally nothing less could be done to protect this town.Dirt Roads	Resist siege for up to one year.
Even the smallest of villages needs someplace to trade goods. Local traders bring in exotic goods, however they aren't often in stock.Wooden Palisade	+.5% Population Growth, +10% Trade income
Granaries are integral to a growing city. This structure provides secure storage for grain in times of peace, and in the event of siege.Local Trader	+5 Happiness, can survive an extra year of siege.
Standing armies did not exist in India, instead soldiers were recruited as needed and equipped themselves. Any "training" they received was simple and quick. Most of the equipment was stored in the soldiers' homes instead of a central location. Those wealthy enough to afford horse rode those into battle. Most of the equipment was crafted by local smiths or larger farming operations. This conscription center is most likely part of the Governor's home.Granary	Name Type Cost Upkeep Skirmishers Light Infantry 330 85 Spearmen Medium Infantry 375 95 Conscription Center.

Building	Function	Cost	Build Time
Palace Expansion	The growing size of your capital city requires a larger palace to manage efficiently.	2800	1.5 years
Trade Colony	Establishes a minor trade city that promotes foreign and domestic trade	1400	1 year
Doctor	A doctor can take care of most of the day to day illnesses of a city	1440	1 year
Stone Sewers	Cleaner streets and efficient sewage elimination improves public health	1440	1 year
Games Field	Provides entertainment and makes people happy	1440	1 year
Provincial Festival	An important festival for the province	1080	9 months

Allows recruitment of soldiers.

[tt=Under Construction]

Building

Percent Completed

Availible Buildings

[Adorios]

ooc We don't have a map yet for India, but I'm wondering if there is a city near where the actual city of Pataliputra was & the modern city of Patna is along the Ganges river? Also, for the map, you do know that despite the map you are using, Rajagriha/Rajgir is south of the Ganges? Also, I don't think I ever asked: how do I go about getting elephants? India by this time had already used elephants in war, so we know how to do it.

The Magadhan King made a special trip to the Enclosure of Varuna to offer thanks to the god for blessing his first wife with fertility. He made sure that she was well treated in the Palace but he spent more nights with his other wife now. The dynasty must be secured!

He then gathered the four exceptional commanders together to him. "Just as all the castes have their place, so too do all men have dharma: the duties that they must perform in this life. All five of you will be of tremendous help to the growth of this kingdom. If you serve Magadha well, there may come a time when your families rank among the greatest of the kshatriya." This was an oblique reference to the possibility that they could be able to marry/be adopted into the royal clan.

He turned to the first man, Tahumira, who was known to be quite selfish. Tahumira would have to be kept close and put in a position where his loyalty would not be a problem. "Your intelligence will serve you well in your new post as my Brāhmaṇa niyantraka. With our new space dedicated to Varuna, I want Rajagriha to become a center of faith and learning in the area, drawing in the brahmin scholars from all across the land. Bring them all to me. I will give you the resources you need."

He then turned to the second, the deva among men, Asushtra, and smiled warmly. "You I send out with my blessing. Trade with Kalinga has brought wealth to us, but they are ultimately still beyond our control. Even more wealth will one day flow from the settlement I send you to establish. Go forth, and build a place where trade and commerce can flow from there back home. I appoint you Goptri of the Ganges Delta, go build there."

The King turned to the third, Udai, the veteran warrior known for his energy. "You have given much for this kingdom already. And you have learned much. I place you in charge of training my army. Impart your knowledge and skills to them, and give me the best army in all the subcontinent."

Next came the fourth, Ishimara the Ugly and Kusman, who had impressed everybody not only with his skill but with his absolute moroseness about it. "You two I make the generals of my army. Ishimira, you will be my raksaka: in command of those who guard my people and my city." This placed Ishimira in direct command of Bimbisara's bodyguard and by logical extension the garrison and defense of the city. He did not want somebody so morose as Kusman in charge of the defense of the city if it came to that. But that moroseness could serve a purpose, so he turned to Kumsan. "You I make my Amaparama, my supreme general. You are in charge of the army as a whole. For now, that means that I want your excellent mind put to work coming up with excellent ways to use our forces. The men respect you because they know you do not throw their lives away. Come up with better ways to keep my army alive. And to kill more of our enemies."

Bimbisara also sent a message to Hinduva in Kalinga, ordering him to return to Rajagriha for consultations. His work in Kalinga had been a tremendous success, but now Magadha must look to the area around it.

On the advice of his new Amaparama, the King also ordered that more scouts be trained for the Magadhan army.

ooc Whew, so busy round if you'll let me do all of this. First, for the simple orders: 1) Build a trade colony. If I have a choice I want to put it at roughly where this map puts the city of Patna, unless there is already a city there in which case I'll want one down stream at about where Farakka is. 2) Recruit a Skirmisher unit 3) Recall Hinduva For the NPCs, basically, I took all 5 of the candidates (no sense wasting the rolls), but I'm using them for all sorts of things, not just generals. I also gave them basically Indian names, although they are completely made up. My vision is that they all belong to the aristocratic warrior caste of the kshatriya. 1) The disloyal & selfish smart guy I stuck in charge of the brahmins in Rajagriha with the objective of growing them. Brahmins in India are the religious leaders but they are also just the generic scholars (one type of knowledge leads to all types). My goal is to build Rajagriha up to a scholarly center so at some point I can turn to them for tech advantages. I told him I would give him resources to do this, so let's say that I give him 100 gold per turn (for now) to invest in scholars. This could grow if it needs to. 2) The perfect subordinate I'm sticking in charge of the trade colony. I'm hoping to use its presence as a leverage to slightly cheapen founding a city there in a little over a year (I want to start the upgraded palace before slashing my population like that) and he will become the governor of that new city when it is founded. 3) Hideous scars man I'm making basically the Chief Master Drill Sergeant of my army in charge of whipping them into a disciplined and effective fighting force. No simple mobs for Magadha, I will have an Army by Varuna! 4) Ugly but smart guy I'm putting in charge of the bodyguard & the defense of Rajagriha. So he's the commander of the garrison. 5) Brilliant but mean guy I'm putting in overall command of the army. His very moroseness probably makes him averse to fighting, and certainly to sanguinary warfare so I'm asking him to look into ways (meaning tactics) of keeping my army alive and killing the other army, relying on his genius to come up with some cool ways. According to my jobs for them, probably only #2, 4 & 5 would actually get bodyguard units. 1 is now a super-scholar & 3 is mixing in among the common troops.

[lampofdoom]

There is probably a city where Patna is (which may become another territory seeing as it was the hitorical capital of the Magadha Empire) but you can still set up a trade colony. The colony doesn't establish a new city, but acts more like an extra source of population control and income. (Sending political undesirables and malcontents to a colony that will one day be able to offer valuable trade.)

I know that you are south of the Ganges. (not sure why this is important as the territory you control includes a good chunk of the Ganges. Elephants are obtained at high level barracks, due to the immense area required to train and house them. (Also as a balance issue, because you could completely obliterate everything with elephants at a low level. They are 5 times stronger than any other unit available and can be used as siege weapons.)

And this should prove interesting with the massive administrative structure you're setting up. I'm eager to see where you're planning on taking this.

[Adorios]

You can't have a world empire with the bureaucracy to run it!

So I can't 'grow' a trade colony into a city at some point? Oh well, at least he will get experience as an administrator.

[GrimDarkOtter]

Construction on the trade colony begins in earnest. By setting up a designated area outside the city for trade, foreigners will be kept out of peoples' way, and the more undesirable trades can work freely. All of this, and the associated taxes, will be overseen by your able bureaucrat. Your newly-recruited champions get on with their assignments, and your beloved wife begins to show a rounding of her belly.

Treasury
Current Treasury	11,965
Expected Income	1,750

Agents	Location and Mission
Emissary Hinduva	Resting in Rajagriha
Emissary Senusha	Training in Rajagriha

 

Name	Rajagriha
Size	Large Town
Population	21,748
Population Growth	1.52%
Public Order	216%
Income	1,750
Tax Rate	Low
Integration	This territory is part of your nation's heartland and its citizens enjoy equal rights as Magadhans. (-1 PG, +1 Morale, +5% Law bonus)Full
Garrison	Unit Type Number Upkeep Strength King's Royal Guard Light Cavalry 84 0 100% 1st Spears Medium Infantry 500 95 100% 2nd Spears Medium Infantry 500 95 100% 1st Skirmishers Light Infantry 500 85 100% 2nd Skirmishers Light Infantry 500 85 100% 584

 

Building	Function
This is the heart of your Kingdom. All visitors are awed by this massive structure and rightly so. It is here that the highest ranking officials in the empire do business, as well as where the royal family resides. The king and his personal staff can often be found here. Royal Palace of the King	Allows the training of Agent Recruitment Cost Upkeep Diplomat 250 50 Diplomats.
The simplest farming techniques are quick to be implemented but only yield a small amount of food in the long run.Basic Farms	+1 Food production
This enclosure encases a hot spring as well as a series of small shrines to the various deities of the Vedas. The centerpiece is an ornate shrine to Varuna, the lord of the heavens and the earth. Sacred Enclosure of Varuna	+5 Law
The most basic of sanitation methods, this area has small dirt ditches to direct rain runoff and keep the streets a little cleaner. If enough money is directed at the cause perhaps stone covered sewers can be installed.Simple Drainage	+5 Public Health
These are simple packed dirt roads, perhaps lined with stones. Although rough and often ill maintained they are much better than simply wandering a sandy trail in the desert.Dirt Roads	Faster travel speed while using.
Literally nothing less could be done to protect this town.Wooden Palisade	Resist siege for up to one year.
Even the smallest of villages needs someplace to trade goods. Local traders bring in exotic goods, however they aren't often in stock.Local Trader	+.5% Population Growth, +10% Trade income
Granaries are integral to a growing city. This structure provides secure storage for grain in times of peace, and in the event of siege.Granary	+5 Happiness, can survive an extra year of siege.
Standing armies did not exist in India, instead soldiers were recruited as needed and equipped themselves. Any "training" they received was simple and quick. Most of the equipment was stored in the soldiers' homes instead of a central location. Those wealthy enough to afford horse rode those into battle. Most of the equipment was crafted by local smiths or larger farming operations. This conscription center is most likely part of the Governor's home.Conscription Center.	Name Type Cost Upkeep Skirmishers Light Infantry 330 85 Spearmen Medium Infantry 375 95 Allows recruitment of soldiers.

Building	Function	Cost	Build Time
Palace Expansion	The growing size of your capital city requires a larger palace to manage efficiently.	2800	1.5 years
Doctor	A doctor can take care of most of the day to day illnesses of a city	1440	1 year
Stone Sewers	Cleaner streets and efficient sewage elimination improves public health	1440	1 year
Games Field	Provides entertainment and makes people happy	1440	1 year
Provincial Festival	An important festival for the province	1080	9 months

Availible Buildings

Building	Percent Completed
Trade Colony	25%

Under Construction

[Adorios]

ooc The coding in the bottom part are all screwed up. I don't know how they are set up, but the tables & spoilerbuttons are off. Also, I want to clear some of the decisions I made with lamp and make sure they stay approved: 1) My bodyguard units are horse archers. 2) I have three additional generals, with bodyguard units (per TW rules), described in the post way up above. 3) 100 g/turn to the development of a scholarly (philosophy & scientific community). 4) 200 g/turn gives me a +5 law bonus in all my cities from the anti-corruption initiative.

Bimbusara began to plan a big party for the birth of the first child by his dynastic unions (he also spent a lot of time with his second wife, trying to see if he could get them both pregnant at the same time). Other than that, for once the new king launched no major reform programs, but let the country run with the programs he had already established.

He waited for reports on the construction of the trade colony and examined the military of his country. Right now it was balanced between mainline infantry and scouts. The King decided that mainline infantry was to be the more important. So he commissioned another unit of spearmen. At the same time, he engaged with their drill instructor, known for his hard attitude, to train the spearmen. He wanted them to be disciplined to follow even intricate instructions on the battlefield.

[GrimDarkOtter]

I just checked, the coding is showing up fine for me, so I don't know what the trouble is. And thanks for the explicit notes on the other matters. Just checking with Lamp on some things for other players, then hopefully we'll roll along to winter.

[Adorios]

It is better now. I wonder what happened last time. Good to know this game is still rolling.