[LP CYOA] Epic

[Storyfag]

treave, I assume we can specify the distribution of the Ten Thousand? 3v1 odds do seem quite steep for Athena.

What 3:1 odds? Athena has the 5000 strong Olympus garrison, and will get another 5000 from our 10000 strong reserve. The Hittite army advancing on Greece is 14000 strong, so it's not even a 3:2 advantage for them.

 

[Computer Gamer Refugee]

Voting B

We stayed here so we could curbstomp the Hittites...let's make with the stomping.

 

[Bloodshifter]

A

In case that the portal of try wannabes start acting up we should begin in greece also anyone else wants sek to begin opeeration superhuman?

 

[Esquilax]

It's occurred to me that we shouldn't pick C:

You remain at the center of things on your throne, gathering information and directing the war effort. Your immortal and Gieloth allies should be able to handle the frontlines without your intervention.

Another group of scholars have come up with the idea of establishing towers for signalling along the paths of the empire. You recall that Astarth once threatened you with such an idea. With a tower, an oil lamp, a mirror and a book of codes, it is possible for messages to be transmitted long distances at a speed faster than land travel.

In this update, we chose to build a road network. That means a much faster flow of goods and people, but the flow of information is still significantly slower than if we chose to build signal towers. It will take way too long for information from Greece/Anatolia to get back to us so that we can respond accordingly. By the time we've received the information, the situation will have already been resolved. Therefore, we have to commit to a course of action.

Athena is backed up by 10,000 men thanks to our road network and she's probably the best general we've got. She's probably quite happy that we've sent more men to bolster her forces, but if we try to come to Greece on our own, I believe it'll be seen as meddling. We've already sent reinforcements, that'll be more than adequate.

As ScubaV said, Edem and Sekhenun aren't really adept at tactics, so our presence with the invasion force just makes more sense. Supervising the invasion so that we can dictate terms to the Hittites is necessary, plus I want to ensure a swift victory to ensure minimal casualties on both sides. We need all the bodies we can get to monitor the Terasphagos threat.

The Emperor's presence will be needed in Anatolia to make sure our men behave themselves:

Valli - Assurdan's right hand man and a skilful warrior. Dislikes Gutians as they destroyed his village. Dislikes Hittites as they killed his father. Dislikes Babylonians as they killed his grandfather.

I don't want a loose cannon like Valli pillaging and slaughtering people at Hattusa once we've conquered it. I want this invasion to go as smoothly as possible and with minimal collateral damage. That way, the Hittites will be less likely to revolt against us.

Edit: A few random thoughts:

Super-Soldiers

I wouldn't recommend going the super-soldier route, largely because we opted for a spy network instead. We don't have a base of elite troops from which to draw from. Unless we can create Watchers with invisibility powers, I don't think it's a good idea. Let's see what other research opportunities Sekhenun has on the table.

The best countermeasures we've had thus far against the current Terasphagos strains have been a result of fortifications and numerical superiority. I believe that our focus should be on (1) increasing the size of our army by vassalizing the Hittites, and (2) advancing the state of our weapons tech so our standard troops have better equipment. It should be easy to issue our men new weaponry after we've invented it because of our road network.

Expedition to China: Logistics

We have two goals here: (1) Get to China as fast as possible and (2) Minimize attrition and avoid fights along the way while doing so. Sending 20,000 men from Babylon is going to be a disaster if only 10,000 remain once we reach China.

Sending an army across the continent is going to be a nightmare, but I believe we've laid the groundwork for it. The first part of our journey will actually be relatively easy; our road network will bring our army together near our borders quickly, and since we've managed to stop the Gutians from raiding us further, we should go through the mountains to avoid the rebellious Indus Valley.

We should also send a few Watchers out east, beyond the mountains into Central Asia. They can keep an eye by infiltrating the local civilizations there, and when our army arrives they'll tell us where we can resupply for food, whether there's any local resistance, etc.

I'm going to offer up the unorthodox suggestion of bringing Akilhotep with us to China. He may not be well-versed in military matters, but he is a superb administrator, and to me, that says that he is a man who will be crucial in helping us with logistics. In fact, Iltani might be even better for this, because she's studied the military tactics we invented:

“I’m great with letters and numbers, and I also know plenty about the uses of plants. Father insisted that I learn as much as I could about civilized ways as I was to be a princess. He also made me study the precepts of some old Akkadian king that was a big influence on Sumerian military tactics.”

She might be even better when it comes to help with logistics because she's more well-versed on these matters because of her father. She could also parley with the Gutian tribes so that we can be assured of safe passage. As much of a pain in the ass she was last chapter, her skill set seems perfect for this.

 

[Stygian Lurker]

B

 

[Anabanana]

B

 

[oscar]

B.

 

[Baltika9]

I'm going to offer up the unorthodox suggestion of bringing Akilhotep with us to China. He may not be well-versed in military matters, but he is a superb administrator, and to me, that says that he is a man who will be crucial in helping us with logistics. In fact, Iltani might be even better for this, because she's studied the military tactics we invented:

Iltani would be a much better choice, I'd say, if only because the Pharaoh should be left to govern his people during our absence. Leaving an empire without an emperor and a kingdom without a king on an expedition from which we may not return, or he may not return (due to being mortal and susceptible to different kinds of crap Ean isn't) for a long while seems foolhardy. Actually, so is taking his wife away, that has yet to give him a male heir.

Besides which, I am sure that our educational program has produced some rather savvy people. If not, look in the military, our generals are not idiots either.


Also, since we will be in a very, and I mean very, comfortable position to negotiate with either side in China, it would be prudent of us to put some pressure on Sekhenun and Edem and get them to spill the beans on Gieloth, their culture and traditions and set up Ean's brain to communicate with the space squids.

Why? Well, Sekhenun seems to be honor bound by her promise to Ean (remember her reaction when we decided to cancel the deal?). Somebody said that this behavior is a staple of their culture and I think we can use that in tandem with the Gieloth Network and do the following: wait until the Chinese immortals start pressing them hard and offer them a bargain. We pull their asses out of the fire, kill the Immortals, even help them set up shop. In exchange, they leave the world unharmed, dedicate all their efforts on assisting Sekhenun with her research, strike an alliance with us and then GTFO our planet.

And if they disagree, we just kill 'em all anyway. If Athena doesn't liek something, put this into perspective: two Immortals of dubious loyalty vs an entire race of highly advanced space squids with a grudge against the Masters.

 

[kazgar]

A Problem with Iltani and/or Akilhotep is that they're mortal, and its been 13 years since the rift formed, they'll be getting on somewhat, when all the major characters don't age, you need to remember some do.

How do people going for B and C see Terasphagos fitting in or not? Can't completely strip the garrison at Olympus. (would be nice to funnel the Hittites into the rift, but not going to happen, you also have to remember they don't believe in it currently)

A attack from the other direction should help regardless of personal choice, as the speed of the response should take the Hittites by surprise, and may consider them to redeploy forces that were planning on to go to Greece.

 

[Kipeci]

The first part of our journey will actually be relatively easy; our road network will bring our army together near our borders quickly, and since we've managed to stop the Gutians from raiding us further, we should go through the mountains to avoid the rebellious Indus Valley.

Mountains are NOT just an easy blip in the road, they're a very big deal to cross and tend to result in a lot of death, especially the hardcore mountains we're talking about. I would much rather take a walk with our army through the valley instead; bear in mind, if we're coming through with enough men to make a difference in China even after losses taken on the road, we definitely have enough to threaten those guys into giving us at the very least military access.

Honestly, though, just marching an army into China isn't going to be really effective any way we look at it. If we go further inland in Asia, we have to deal with mountains, deserts, angry nomadic peoples; if we stick more to the coastlines, we encounter less in the way of those obstacles but have to navigate tropical terrain and diseases along with established kingdoms that might not take too well to our marching an army through them.

If we march an army on over, we're going to encounter huge losses, pretty much.

 

[kazgar]

Fucking Himalayas, how do they work?

 

[treave]

A - 1
B - 13
C - 3

***

Chapter 6.8: Hattusa Kneels

At first the Hittite king and his advisors sneered at the forces you led against them. On the plains of Anatolia the Hittian chariots reigned supreme, especially under the leadership of their king. Only a fool would face them in direct combat. A fool, or a god. You showed them which one you were in the first and only engagement in the Hittite heartland. A thousand Hittian chariots were torn to pieces on that day as the Hittites fell prey to their overconfidence. Having allowed you to dictate the location of engagement with a simple bait, they ended up fighting with their backs to a river and their wheels in the mud. The Hittian king lost his life in an unfortunate accident during the ensuing rout, drowning in the river as he attempted to flee.

It was much easier than you had expected. The Hittites were tough soldiers and well disciplined, each man capable of giving as good as he got, but their leadership let them down. Of course, in any case, they were unlikely to have won, especially after your public demonstration of divine strength and holy fire. It inspired your men and struck terror in your enemies. The surviving Hittites spread the rumour of your godhood far and wide. In Hattusa, the gates were thrown wide open with hushed whispers. The surviving royalty and nobility knelt before you in defeat, and the first thing you saw upon entering the palace was a giant mural they claim to have painted to appease your possible anger.

"Three heads spitting fire. Six arms wielding a weapon in each with Lubarna's head stuck on each of them. Is it me or does that neck look snake-like? This doesn't seem very godly, maybe except for those huge bird wings."

Sekhenun peers at the mural, then back at you, and shrugs.

"Looks just like what you are to me. I like the screaming men crushed underneath your taloned feet. It's a nice touch."

***

In Greece, however, things had taken a turn for the worse. The invasion of the Hittites had coincided, unfortunately, with an increase in Terasphagos activity. Although Athena and her men had met and defeated the Hittite army decisively further north of the rift, the survivors managed to rally together under another Lubarna, a relative of the drowned king. They fought on, news of their king's demise still far from reaching their ears. In the meantime, Athena's men were distracted with attacks from the Terasphagos their outposts. The creatures managed to breach their barricade and began raiding the lands north of Olympus. Athena and Artemis were forced to retreat from the front-lines to subjugate the Terasphagos in the rear, and the Hittites took that chance to press the advantage all the way to the fortifications surrounding the rift. Trapped between the Terasphagos and the Hittites, the soldiers in Greece suffered considerable casualties. As the Hittites marched forward, though, they began to encounter the Terasphagos, which picked them off piecemeal as the days went by. A mere week after they began their push, most of the army was scattered and fleeing back to their homeland.

Athena began the task of repairing the breach while Artemis hunted down any Terasphagos that had fled. It was not uncommon for a few bands of Terasphagos to slip past the fortifications - they were by no means perfect, and somehow the Terasphagos managed to continue finding ways to appear on the other side of the wall - but this time hundreds of Terasphagos had been let loose. Artemis would be busy with her hunt for some time to come.

Barely a day after that, a new type of Terasphagos flew out from the rift by the dozens, wounding a few men who were taken unawares. Some were shot down but most vanished into the wilderness of Greece. It looks like they were not limited to two forms after all.

***

A. The Terasphagos were showing that they were an unpredictable, ever-changing threat. You focus the energies of the empire on finding solutions to the issue and learning more both about the Terasphagos and the rift. Olympus will be given top priority for all resources that you can muster.

B. In the east the conflict seems to have settled into a stalemate between the Xia and the Gieloth-backed Shang. Now would be a good time to concentrate on boosting mapping efforts, scouting new lands, and finding safer and more secure ways to reach the Far East before the situation deteriorates.

C. The addition of the Hittites as a new vassal has contributed to some internal instability, particularly with the Assyrians, though your reputation keeps things in check for now. You have the empire focus on its internal affairs, to ensure the hassle of absorbing and integrating a foreign empire into your own is smoothed over as much as possible.

 

[Storyfag]

treave: we have quite a few advisors now. What do our vassal kings say? Artemis and the Gieloth? Gudersu? Whatshisname, the leader of the Assyrian cities?

I *think* it's now time to step up our mapping efforts, HOWEVER, ideally we should be able send a few expeditions without neglecting internal affairs. A constant external threat like the Terasphagos does wonders when one needs to keep an empire together.

 

[Baltika9]

We're not needed in China, since we know absolutely nothing about either side right now, except that the space squids want to eat the Immortals and begin strip-mining the planet.

Since we're still here, the Hittites and Assyrians should be kept in line by their awe of the God Emperor. Since we cultivated such a strong personal legend, might as well use it.

That leaves A. That warpway has me uneasy. Besides, if we leave to stop one devourer threat, I wouldn't want another to jump out in our rear.

Can be persuaded to B, though.
A for now.

 

[treave]

They say, "God Emperor does as God Emperor wants", but if you ask them what they want...

Most of them prefer security, Athena and Artemis are spooked by the Terasphagos, and together with Sekhenun, prefer research. Edem doesn't care. No one thinks you should go to China.

 

[Baltika9]

treave: so, how strongly does the Empire worship Ean? Is he getting into the "always watching, always right" territory yet? Or is he still just a "National Hero?"
Possibly meta questions: is there a real "seer" skill tree? And why do the Masters need human sacrifices to be summoned into this reality? Not enough space on the HDD, forcing them to clear up some memory, or what?

 

[oscar]

Fuck going to China.

A or C sound good. Will hear the arguments.

 

[Storyfag]

Note that B doesn't mean going to China. It merely means preparing a route should we need to go there.

 

[oscar]

Heading east should be our lowest priority. We have plenty on our platter already.

 

[Storyfag]

Still, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for the inevitable moment when heading east will become our top priority.

B

 

[Esquilax]

Internal affairs at a time like this? Abso-fucking-lutely not, that's burying our heads in the sand. Our takeover of Hittite lands will awe the Hittites and Assyrians into doing what they're told for quite some time. If there is a threat of unrest among the Hittites or Assyrians, that's what we have a spy network for. Any potential agitators or rebel leaders are going to find themselves mysteriously disappearing rather quickly.

That leaves either A or B. We've opted to stay here, so I think we should be consistent with that.

Goddamnit, now I'm regretting investing in education. Perhaps we should have invested in a better navy, then we wouldn't have to worry about scouting all these routes.

A

 

[Baltika9]

Still, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for the inevitable moment when heading east will become our top priority.

Indeed, we will have to go to China, sooner or later. Ignoring it would be stupid, as either the Gieloth will suck the planet dry, or the Immortals will become too powerful and too much of a potential threat to Ean and his agenda.

However, so is ignoring the Terrasphagos. Their timing seemed oddly, well, timely. I would like to know why exactly they attacked when Ean was distracted: pure coincidence, or something more? They already demonstrated cunning and the ability to break through the Olympian garrison, so having them pop out en masse while we're off gallivanting in the Orient would be A Bad Thing.

 

[treave]

Unfortunately sea travel would have posed the just-as-big problem of scouting ports of call to resupply in, unless you do it incrementally, building ports and establishing colonies at every place you stop, to prepare for an easier path for your warships later. When I said that you guys underestimate the difficulty of getting to China with Bronze Age technology... well... you can do it the quick way, and go with just Artemis, or do it the slow way and gradually build up a route there, spreading bit by bit. Option B in this update will attempt to make the slow way faster.

Regarding Ean worship - he's just one of many other gods in the religion but lately has become very prominent because, well, the other gods aren't walking around.

 

[oscar]

I'd say closing this demon-spewing armageddon rift on our western border and stabilising the empire will be bare minimum prerequisites for any (IMO foolish. Are we just going to rock up to China and be like "sup guys there's these bad dudes watch out for them") eastern expedition. Plus us departing in any strength to the east just screams "invade me" to the northerners or Murphy's Law will spawn a huge Terrasphagos army to rampage through the empire.

Going to have to go with A here. The sooner we deal with this rift the better, before it starts spawning even worse monsters.

 

[Baltika9]

Regarding Ean worship - he's just one of many other gods in the religion but lately has become very prominent because, well, the other gods aren't walking around.

Has Sekhenun made any progress with Minos' bull statuette? Like, say, breaking an Immortal's dependence on the voices and Masters?