Discussion for the Legions / tribal levies

[Nyr]

This thread is for any questions or comments about the changes to the Legions (or the introduction of the tribal levies).

A quick FAQ for both:



Does this mean I can do a "stint" in the Legions?
Yes.  That was put in the announcement!

Why remove vertical advancement for nonhumans in the Legion?
Tuluk might be Tuluki enough to allow nonhumans (well, non-elf nonhumans) into its military, but racism and racial prejudice exist in Zalanthas and also in the Legion.  There are still a couple of places with exceptions for vertical advancement of nonhumans.

What kind of perks?  What do you mean by "more autonomous"?
Find out in-game if you wish.

What does "no official training" mean in the tribal levies?
It means that training will be limited access, supervised by the Legion.

Is this tribal levy thing going to be a coded clan?
No.

Do I get crim-code immunity as a tribal levy member?
No.

Can I be part of a clan and be in the levies?
Yes.

What if my clan obligations override my levy obligations?
That's where the levy tax comes in.

Wait, I have to show up whenever this "call" occurs?
That's the deal.  You get enough food and water to survive, a place to sleep if you need it, and some training every now and then.  In return, you are expected to show up when you are needed.  This expectation will be reasonable on an OOC front provided you are reasonable on an OOC front.

What does that mean exactly?
You wouldn't (or shouldn't) be penalized for just not being online when you're needed.  If you have to log out, it'd be silly to expect you to stay in and play, same as it would be if you were a part of a clan doing an RPT.  If you abuse that then that'll be addressed by staff.  If you have some IC reason you don't want to (or can't) heed the call, it can be dealt with in an IC way, but understand that IC obligation IS there.  Bribe your way out of it; if you can't, them's the breaks and that's what you "volunteered" for.

[BadSkeelz]

"Introduction of additional rank categories for Privates, Corporals, and Sergeants, each with perks."

Can this be elaborated on?

[RogueGunslinger]

Oh my... Fuck me for canceling that northern legionnaire concept I was too chicken to try.

[Nyr]

"Introduction of additional rank categories for Privates, Corporals, and Sergeants, each with perks."

Can this be elaborated on?

In short, there will be options for rank advancement and perks to pursue for people that want to do those things.

If you want to advance your character in rank but aren't interested in being a leader, there are now options to do so.
If you want to advance your character in rank and are interested in being a leader, there are also options to advance that way more easily and with more focus.
If you want to just play a soldier that doesn't do well enough to get advanced, you can do that, too.

[Jingo]

Free copper bangles and silk thongs in Tuluk.

[James de Monet]

Irregular militia FTW

Love the concept. Very Tuluki!

[Riev]

Sign me up to train the Levies! Just give me 9 RL months and unfettered access to <certain statted mobs> without staff observation and I'll be right on it!

[Zoan]

Sign me up to train the Levies! Just give me 9 RL months and unfettered access to <certain statted mobs> without staff observation and I'll be right on it!

IORETH GITHFUCKER APPROVES.

[slvrmoontiger]

This is really interesting. Very Tuluki.

Could you elaborate on what is meant by this bullet:

Templarate and Lyksae removed from rank structure of the Legions.

say (getting on ^me hands and knees and in a begging voice) Please don't say find out IG.

[BleakOne]

I like it.

It makes a nice contrast between the different militias too. In Tuluk it seems fitting that there'd be the levy of citizens awaiting the call of their benevolent King, ready to drop their regular business and kick some southron ass at the drop of a sun-adorned headdress. Adds to the 'they have eyes everywhere' and 'we love Big Brother' themes.

Somehow it makes Allanak feel more Allanaki too, but that's for another topic.

[Evilone]

I love the Legion, and I'm glad the docs are in now. Can't wait to see them in greater detail. Wish I still had my Legionnaire.

Good to see the chain of command fleshed out more. I had hoped for that. Another idea I remember bringing up was rewards for service, medals? and so on. That would be really nice too. Plus more campaigns to actually earn them be great too

[Zoan]

Stop making Tuluk cool, it makes it too hard to mock.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I like it.

It makes a nice contrast between the different militias too. In Tuluk it seems fitting that there'd be the levy of citizens awaiting the call of their benevolent King, ready to drop their regular business and kick some southron ass at the drop of a sun-adorned headdress. Adds to the 'they have eyes everywhere' and 'we love Big Brother' themes.

Somehow it makes Allanak feel more Allanaki too, but that's for another topic.

I really do like it. Tuluk is certainly becoming it's own distinct entity.

[Bushranger]

How come this is all I can think of when I read about the tribal levies?

[Rathustra]

Hi, I'm Rathustra and I have been working with Nyr and the Northlands to design the levies! Ask me anything!

[Cutthroat]

Oh my... Fuck me for canceling that northern legionnaire concept I was too chicken to try.

It's not too late to un-cancel a concept.

For the most part, these levies are expected to do one thing, and one thing only:

Anyway, I think the idea is great. I think it makes this clan more playable for players who don't like life-oath style commitments. I don't have much else to say about it.

[Barsook]

Never mind!

[Nyr]

This is really interesting. Very Tuluki.

Could you elaborate on what is meant by this bullet:

Templarate and Lyksae removed from rank structure of the Legions.

say (getting on ^me hands and knees and in a begging voice) Please don't say find out IG.

It means pretty much exactly that.  Lyksae no longer has equivalent rank in the Legion matching their House.  Templars no longer have rank in the Legion, either.  The Legion are soldiers, not nobles, not templars.  That's all you need to know.  If you're a Lyksaen, you'll know more.  If you're a Legionnaire, you'll know more.  If you're a templar, you'll know more.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Sounds like some awesome changes and I'm happy to see them.

With the onset of these changes (I  know you can't speak for others), but can we expect to see changes like these moving to other clans?  In particular the changes to recruit time, life sworn aspects, and also being able to "retire" from a clan without having to store.  These are big for a clan and seeing these changes in other clans might make some clans more desirable to join.

[Nyr]

Another thing it does is remove explicit virtual resources (stated in the documentation before as absolutely direct command over dozens--if not hundreds--of virtual soldiers) from the hands of players.  That's a rather large amount of virtual power and influence that cannot be properly represented without staff involvement, and in general, the role of a templar is not one that we feel should concern itself with the day-to-day administration of this particular military organization.  They say "do" and it does.  That's not to say that templar PCs have no involvement with the Legion; they still do.  Recruiting and providing tasks is still part of their role.  They can still fire soldiers, too.  However,  a templar's role is not solely "find things for soldiers to do" anymore than a soldier's role is solely "be a soldier."  That's part of what is expected in the Legion docs changes--more opportunity there for soldiers to pursue other roles that are more like lateral options.  For instance, train the levies?  Here, this tattoo says you can do that, you've earned it.

The virtual resources (the virtual Legions) are still there and are available at the need of player and plot.  However, they will now be assessed against the needs and desires of the virtual city-state and the powers-that-be (in other words, in coordination with staff).

[Barsook]

Sounds like some awesome changes and I'm happy to see them.

With the onset of these changes (I  know you can't speak for others), but can we expect to see changes like these moving to other clans?  In particular the changes to recruit time, life sworn aspects, and also being able to "retire" from a clan without having to store.  These are big for a clan and seeing these changes in other clans might make some clans more desirable to join.

I do indeed like the changes and I'm questing the same thing that JAG is because it would add more fun to the lifeswore since they don't need to store to just retire.

[Nyr]

Sounds like some awesome changes and I'm happy to see them.

With the onset of these changes (I  know you can't speak for others), but can we expect to see changes like these moving to other clans?  In particular the changes to recruit time, life sworn aspects, and also being able to "retire" from a clan without having to store.  These are big for a clan and seeing these changes in other clans might make some clans more desirable to join.

I wouldn't say "expect" so much as "hope".  This is a good test bed for changes.  Should it work out well in the Legions, it may expand to places where it makes sense.

[Desertman]

I just hope the levies don't become a default thing almost everyone in the north joins as a way to have universal sparring time throughout the city. Everyone holding hands singing songs in a sparring circle of patriotic city-wide unity (while sipping tea of course).

"If you join our clan we offer training."

"No thanks man, I get that in the levies. What else ya' got?"

"Free food and water."

"Nope, don't need that, I'm in the levies. What else ya' got?"

"A place to stay."

"Nope, I kind of get that in the levies already. What else ya' got?"

"People to watch your back?"

"I have an entire city of people who have my back due to being in the levies. What else ya' got?"

"We offer some pay?"

"I can make more as an indy in the levies. What else ya' got?"

"Being a member of my House/Clan can garner you more respect than a basic commoner?"

"I already get more respect in Tuluk due to being in the levies. I'm a respected patriot. What else ya' got?"

"Screw it, I'm quitting my House and joining the levies too. You just convinced me."

(Just sort of playing the DA here. I can see some people doing this. Myself included.)

[whitt]

"Nope, don't need that, I'm in the levies. What else ya' got?"

"We can leave Tuluk without being (immediately) executed as a spy in the South or a traitor in the North."

"Nope, don't need that, I'm ... oh... hmmm.  There's life outside of Tuluk?"

[Desertman]

"Nope, don't need that, I'm in the levies. What else ya' got?"

"We can leave Tuluk without being (immediately) executed as a spy in the South or a traitor in the North."

"Nope, don't need that, I'm ... oh... hmmm.  There's life outside of Tuluk?"

That's a good perk I suppose, though I would argue anyone who would actually join the levies is such a Tuluki patriot already that they wouldn't want to go south anyways. So it isn't a perk for anyone that would even consider the levies.

(And not to derail but I can absolutely see Tuluki and Allanaki Templars executing these people anyways. They will only have to kill a couple before the Houses learn to keep their Tuluki employees in Tuluk, and their Naki employees in Allanak.)