The Eleventh Dynasty of Josh
12 March 2020 - current
Contents
Ascension Address
Imagine, if you will, a palace.
Sweep through the graceful envelope to the grand chateau, designed and supervised by master architect Louis Le Vau. The interior is baroque; note the stucco, the gilding, the trompe-l’oeil. See how the flow of the rooms is broken up by courtyards, dappled with sun through the leaves of the climbing ivy.
Once this was a mere hunting lodge. Now it is the seat of untrammelled and uncontested power in the Realm. It is not a building. It is propaganda.
The king’s chamber is in the precise centre of the building. The palace as a whole is designed to give the illusion of perfect symmetry, to give the impression that the Realm is secure and the King is solidly situated at its centre. As you enter through Arms Square the arms of the building reach around you in a constricting embrace. It is vaster, much more expansive than you.
The gardens, designed by the legendary André Le Nôtre, are an unfurling wonderland, one miracle after another - fountains, statues, canals, geometric orchards and concealed grottos. Its purpose was to inspire but also to disorient, to bewilder, to stultify. A man could spend a lifetime in the gardens of Versailles and never leave.
The entertainments are ceaseless - torchlit feasts on boats on the waterways, quiet interludes between lovers in secluded glades, and feasts that never cease.
Louis XIV, the Sun King, has mandated that all of the nobles of France spend their every waking hour and their every last coin at Versailles. This is because Versailles is his prison. While the nobles are at Versailles then they are not at their homes, in their castles, where their armies and their cannons are. When they are at Versailles, he can find them, and he can find their wives, and he can read their letters, and he can make sure that their wives find their mistresses.
Ultima Ratio Regum.
Players
The following players were active at the start of the Dynasty:
Brendan*, Cuddlebeam*, Darknight*, The Duke of Waltham, Farsight, Josh*, Jumble, Kevan*, naught, pokes*, Tantusar*
The following players were active at the end of the Dynasty:
Brendan*, Clucky, Darknight*, Farsight, JimothyFromTLTT, Josh*, Jumble, Kevan*, naught, pencilgame, Tantusar*, TyGuy6
Final Ruleset
Gamestate
Posts of Interest
- Cash and Guns set up the basic resources of the dynasty: Money, Prestige and Power. It also had the first framework for auctioning off items.
- Goods and Services - established the items can have properties and set up a crude way of generating them. Umpire of the Vanities reformed and regularised Item Impacts, White Elephants made some of them undesirable, Re Pro Posal introduced Characteristics for Physical Items, and The Garbage Pile made some of them Repulsive, making very undesirable items get forced upon Dissolute Noblemen.
- Oui are the brought in ribbons, and the concept that holding all of them made a Nobleman into a Champion. The criteria for the award of them was altered several times but they became a crucial part of the victory criteria.
- Nothing is ever forgotten, only hidden and Nothing is ever hidden, only forgotten gave Noblemen a variety of means of getting some limited information about bids.
- Reform the Coinage introduced the concept of weightings, making Power more valuable the less it was used. Rejected on the first attempt, but later successfully re-implemented by Simplified Weights, this was modified by Flex those muscles and Counterbalance.
- There were, of course, several attempts to game the auction system. These were limited by a CfJ to restrict bids to a single message and a proposal to ensure that bids were expressed as numbers.
- Defining the consequences of excess spending was a recurrent theme in the dynasty. Greater Profligacy extended the initial penalty for overspending (the single player with the highest Debt couldn't win), How the Other Half Live extended them further (nobody with a Debt above the median could win), while Je Regrette Tout offered Dissolute high-Debt Noblemen a way back into the game.
- The work of generating Items and Auctions mostly fell to Louis XIV. There were a few mechanics put in place to defray this responsibility: Interior Design created locations where Noblemen could add their own Items to a queue, but after they slowed the game down significantly they were repealed, with the item generation queue then being reinstated and made optional.
- Crime and Constitution allowed Noblemen to steal Items from each other. Became important in the endgame.
- In The Shadow of the Sun King set up the victory condition: a blend of Prestige score, Items and ribbons held.
Auctions and Bids
- The First Auction was later invalidated due to an irregular interaction with a subsequent proposal.
Item | 1. An antique Ottoman chess set |
---|---|
Brendan | 1,000,000,000,000 |
card | |
Clucky | 3 |
Cuddlebeam | "a googolplex raised to a googolplex" |
Darknight | 1000, 1 Power |
Farsight | |
JimothyFromTLTT | |
Jumble | 10 |
Kevan | 102 |
naught | 10 |
Ninja | 2 |
pencilgame | |
pokes | 14 |
Tantusar | |
The Duke of Waltham | 200 |
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. A copy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War translated into Latin | 2. Management of the toll road between Orleans and Tours | 3. Instruction in horse riding from the King’s own stablemaster |
---|---|---|---|
Brendan | 10,000,000,000,002 | 10,000,000,000,002 | 10,000,000,000,002 |
card | |||
Clucky | 10 | 5 | 5 |
Cuddlebeam | |||
Darknight | 10,000, 2 Power | 5,000, 1 Power | 2,500, 1 Power |
Farsight | |||
JimothyFromTLTT | |||
Jumble | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
Kevan | 43 | 7 | 31 |
naught | 100, 1 Power | 100 | 100 |
Ninja | 5 | 10 | 5 |
pencilgame | |||
pokes | |||
Tantusar | 5, 1 Power | 5 | 5 |
The Duke of Waltham | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
TyGuy6 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
Item | 1. An Athenian natural realist scene depicting Apollo at Crete | 2. Feast of Ortolan | 3. A life-sized nude erotic sculpture of St John the Baptist | 4. Inclusion on the War Council | 5. A suite seven feet closer to the bedchambers of the King |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brendan | |||||
card | |||||
Clucky | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
Cuddlebeam | |||||
Darknight | |||||
Farsight | |||||
JimothyFromTLTT | |||||
Jumble | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
Kevan | 0 | 189 | 0 | 121 | 89 |
naught | 3^7.26Tn | 3^7.26Tn | 7 | 3^7.26Tn | 3^7.26Tn |
Ninja | 10 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
pencilgame | |||||
pokes | |||||
Tantusar | 10,001 | 10,001 | 0 | 10,001 | 10,001 |
The Duke of Waltham | |||||
TyGuy6 | 55 | 1111 | 55 | 222 | 1111 |
Item | 1. A yodeling masterclass with an unwashed Swiss mystic |
---|---|
Brendan | |
card | |
Clucky | 1 |
Cuddlebeam | |
Darknight | |
Farsight | |
JimothyFromTLTT | |
Jumble | 10,000 |
Kevan | 1 |
naught | |
Ninja | |
pencilgame | |
pokes | |
Tantusar | 6 |
The Duke of Waltham | |
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. State of the art Savoyard three-quarter plate | 2. A turkey where the meat has been impregnated with a jet black dye |
---|---|---|
Brendan | ||
card | ||
Clucky | 10 | 10 |
Cuddlebeam | ||
Darknight | 50,000 | 50,000 |
Farsight | ||
JimothyFromTLTT | 20 | 0 |
Jumble | 100,000 | 100,000 |
Kevan | 0 | 203 |
naught | 0 | 0 |
Ninja | ||
pencilgame | ||
pokes | ||
Tantusar | 10,004 | 10,004 |
The Duke of Waltham | ||
TyGuy6 |
- Special Auction 1, created as a result of Centralised Power to dispense of Items waiting in Locations when the Locations rule was repealed.
Item | 1. Barely cooked steak from the Spanish King’s herd | 2. Candied dates with reflective spun sugar decorations | 3. Wine from Merlot grapes strained through muslin to remove all pigmentation | 4. Harry the Black-Hearted Basard gives instruction in fighting dirty to win alehouse brawls |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brendan | ||||
card | ||||
Clucky | 0 | 250,000 | 0 | 0 |
Cuddlebeam | ||||
Darknight | ||||
Farsight | ||||
JimothyFromTLTT | 50 | 2 | 0 | 50 |
Jumble | 125,000 | 0 | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Kevan | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
naught | ||||
Ninja | ||||
pencilgame | 6,000 | 0 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
pokes | ||||
Tantusar | ||||
The Duke of Waltham | ||||
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. An antique, hand-illustrated copy of the Kama Sutra | 2. The heart of a stag from the King’s own forest |
---|---|---|
Brendan | ||
card | ||
Clucky | ||
Cuddlebeam | ||
Darknight | 0 | 100,000 |
Farsight | ||
JimothyFromTLTT | 50 | 3 Power |
Jumble | 250,000 | 0 |
Kevan | ||
naught | ||
Ninja | ||
pencilgame | 100,000 | 0 |
pokes | ||
Tantusar | ||
The Duke of Waltham | ||
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. A tiny, bejewelled, impeccably well-crafted codpiece | 2. The King’s Military Drummers to follow you for an entire day playing motivating a battle tattoo | 3. The Preaching of John the Baptist by Adam van Noort | 4. A notable playwright crafts a comedy about your romance | 5. The ironwood throne of a King of Scythia |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brendan | |||||
card | |||||
Clucky | |||||
Cuddlebeam | |||||
Darknight | 0 | 0 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Farsight | |||||
JimothyFromTLTT | 0 | 0 | 1,000 | 1 Power | 1,000 |
Jumble | 0 | 0 | 444,000 | 444,000 | 444,000 |
Kevan | 0 | 0 | 2,709 | 0 | 2,730 |
naught | |||||
Ninja | |||||
pencilgame | 0 | 0 | 1,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 |
pokes | |||||
Tantusar | |||||
The Duke of Waltham | |||||
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. A treatise on advanced duelling techniques | 2. A division of English pike infantry |
---|---|---|
Brendan | ||
card | ||
Clucky | 516,948,364 | 0 |
Cuddlebeam | ||
Darknight | 125,000 | 0 |
Farsight | ||
JimothyFromTLTT | ||
Jumble | 444,000 | 0 |
Kevan | 21,200 | 0 |
naught | ||
Ninja | ||
pencilgame | 0 | 0 |
pokes | ||
Tantusar | ||
The Duke of Waltham | ||
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. Contract for the supply of logistics support |
---|---|
Brendan | |
card | |
Clucky | 516,948,364 |
Cuddlebeam | |
Darknight | 200,000 |
Farsight | |
JimothyFromTLTT | |
Jumble | |
Kevan | 125,000 |
naught | |
Ninja | |
pencilgame | 0 |
pokes | |
Tantusar | |
The Duke of Waltham | |
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. The strategic notes drawn up by Roland of the Paladins before the Battle of Roncevaux Pass | 2. A quail that has been fully encased in marzipan | 3. A collection of pocket-sized Italian cameos |
---|---|---|---|
Brendan | |||
card | |||
Clucky | 516,948,364 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
Cuddlebeam | |||
Darknight | 200,000 | 0 | 0 |
Farsight | |||
JimothyFromTLTT | |||
Jumble | |||
Kevan | |||
naught | |||
Ninja | |||
pencilgame | |||
pokes | |||
Tantusar | |||
The Duke of Waltham | |||
TyGuy6 |
- Special Auction 2, created as a result of The Garbage Pile to re-allocate Items that were not won at Auction the first time around.
Item | 1. Barely cooked steak from the Spanish King’s herd | 2. Harry the Black-Hearted Bastard gives instruction in fighting dirty to win alehouse brawls | 3. A tiny, bejewelled, impeccably well-crafted codpiece | 4. The King’s Military Drummers to follow you for an entire day playing motivating a battle tattoo |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brendan | ||||
card | ||||
Clucky | 516,948,364 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cuddlebeam | ||||
Darknight | ||||
Farsight | ||||
JimothyFromTLTT | ||||
Jumble | ||||
Kevan | ||||
naught | ||||
Ninja | ||||
pencilgame | ||||
pokes | ||||
Tantusar | ||||
The Duke of Waltham | ||||
TyGuy6 |
- Auction 10. Item 3 was subject to an Imperial Guard effect that made all cash bids worth zero, so was resolved solely on the basis of Power. The Nobleman called naught made a bid but it was treated as zero as they were Dissolute.
Item | 1. A single red rose with a sincere note | 2. A stool from the cell of Joan of Arc | 3. Pottery from the height of Seleucid Syria |
---|---|---|---|
Brendan | 0 | 0 | 2 Power |
card | |||
Clucky | 10,000 | 100,000 | 0 |
Cuddlebeam | |||
Darknight | |||
Farsight | |||
JimothyFromTLTT | |||
Jumble | 1 | 0 | 3 Power |
Kevan | 0 | 10,000 | 0 |
naught | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ninja | |||
pencilgame | |||
pokes | |||
Tantusar | |||
The Duke of Waltham | |||
TyGuy6 |
Item | 1. A leather corset and skirt combo, fitted for a young male, with an exposed groin region | 2. A fire-damaged footrest dating from the Roman Republic | 3. A prototype for a smooth-bore pistol | 4. A kitten of a new rare breed | 5. A porcelain egg with gold trim, in the Renaissance style |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brendan | |||||
card | |||||
Clucky | |||||
Cuddlebeam | 10,000,000 | 100,000,000 | 100,000,000 | 100,000,000 | 10,000,000 |
Darknight | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
Farsight | |||||
JimothyFromTLTT | |||||
Jumble | 1 | 0 | 4 Power | 0 | 1 |
Kevan | 980,000,000 | 1,100,000,000 | 875,000,000 | 0 | 0 |
naught | |||||
Ninja | |||||
pencilgame | |||||
pokes | |||||
Tantusar | |||||
The Duke of Waltham | |||||
TyGuy6 |
- Auction 12 was not resolved due to the end of the dynasty.
Ascension
Clucky sought an audience with Louis XIV after gaining a victory score twice higher than everyone else, and was confirmed not to be in too much Debt. They declared Victory.
Commentary
A commentary thread can be fund here.