Suzerainty tips From: bryan@stiatl.uucp (Bryan Donaldson) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 13:24:02 +0000 Suzerainty Tips (from a playtest perspective) IPP Setup Tips 1. Specialize! You simply don't have enough points to do everything, and it's generally beter to be good a something rather than mediocre at everything. 2. Make sure you have some kind of economic power - either a really big starting treasury, a starting city, or a big merchant fleet. This is critical to your future success! 3. The size of your starting treasury also determines the quantity and output of your starting mines, and the stockpiles of other items such as horses, slaves, iron, etc. 4. Make sure that you have plenty of characters. If at all possible, you will want to make sure that whoever you assign as your High Sherrif, Spymaster, Court Mage, and Adjutant General do NOT have to carry out orders - they are generally more valuable if you let them "do their own thing". Also, anyone you assign as governor of a pop center is best left alone to govern as well. 5. I strongly recommend that you spend the points to insure that your Nobles have some military skill as well - they can double for wing commanders, admirals, and the like. 6. Don't neglect the character stat enhancement catagories - extra Acumen is particularly desirable. Note that for starting characters, additional stats translates to better initial starting levels as well (and if you can start with a level 4+ mage, you're in good shape). Personally, I don't worry about Loyalty too much - you can always raise that by giving the character in question more silver. 7. Merchant fleets require escorts to guard them, or you will take big losses to other's raiders. 8. You will start out with information of only the paricular island that you are on, and the location of the Imperial capital. You will need to use either spies, mages, or mobile armies to scout out other areas for future conquest. 9. Note that the payment of troops comes BEFORE your revenue comes in. Therefore, if you start with a big army/navy, make sure you have a large enough treasury to support them for the first turn, at least. 10. I recommend starting with a couple of very small armies that have only dracodorne troops in them - they make great scouting forces. 11. Remember the terrain - LOTS of islands. If you have a big army, you'll need a big transport fleet to make them effective. Either buy it now, or make sure you have enough slipways at your capital to construct it fairly quickly. 12. Make sure that you have at least one mage and one spy to begin with. You can get by without a general (a noble can fill in), but that's only for those of you that have little emphasis on the military arm! Game Tips 1. Early on, go on a hiring spree - you'll need the extra characters ASAP. 2. Bribe the Regent for "upgrades" in titles as often as possible - you'll need the extra orders that come with the title increases. The amount of the bribe required is totally dependant on how much everyone else is offering - I wouldn't try anything less tha 25,000 silver (though early on you may be able to get by on the cheap). It's better to overpay a bit than to continually have the Regent keep your money and do nothing! 3. There are some "hidden" ways of making money that isn't taxed by the Emporer. If you have coal or iron, hire blacksmiths and make steel - it sells for a good profit. Also, every spring turn all of you horses will foal - so you can supplant your income that way as well. Note that only the Empire knows how to breed dracodorne initially. 4. Seasonal fluctuations in pop center income can be quite high, so always leave yourself a "cushion" - the figures that your High Sherrif gives you are estimates only! 5. You can't have enough gold. Buy it whenever possible - you'll use it right up training at the Imperial Academies (they don't take silver....) 6. Areas without a pop center will still generate a small amout of income. you can take control of them merely by moving an army through. You may also locate a mine or harbour this way. 7. The "Enhance Character Abilities" spell is very useful. It's only a level 1 spell, and will give you 1-2 points on a random attribute. It also tells you the loyalty of the character that it is cast on. 8. Don't overlook the abilities of diplomatic envoys - they can sway towns and villages outright, particularly when used in teams. 9. Fleets acquire barnacles at what appears to be 2%-5% per turn, after the first couple of turns. These barnacles reduce their movemnt speed, and their ability in combat until they are removed via order or spell. 10. Plan on training your characters a lot early. 11. Since there will be a lot of people at the Imperial capital at all times (all of the Imperial advisors, and everyone enrolled at the academies), it's a good idea to occasionally spy on this area to get names of potential enemies. 12. Once you have enrolled in an Academy, you must train every turn thereafter, or you will be dismissed and must spend another season re-enrolling. 13. All mines will eventuall "play out" - though this can be staved off or avoided with the "Enhance Mineral Production" spell. Also, the mine output is directly related to the number of slaves working there. Since some of them die each turn, mine production will tend to decrease every season if left to itself. 14. Mages don't normally have a problem with spell failure. Non-mages that know some magic do suffer from this - so be careful when using a spy, for example, to cast a critical spell. 15. Don't land troops on the central landmass until you are ready to challenge the Golden Dracodorne Empire directly, or are willing to be declared outlaw. 16. Keeping excess gold and silver in your treasury will add to your Political Prestige - making your political actions easier. -- Bryan Donaldson bryan@stiatl.salestech.com Sales Technologies, Inc 3399 Peachtree Rd, NE If one is born into an era of decadence, Atlanta, GA (404) 841-4000 one may as well enjoy it while it lasts. Up