Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Pillin]

Sure getting cold 3 will hurt you alittle, the point is that it will almost certanly hurt others more than its hurting you. It will make the provinces turn cold faster as thats a function of the difference of your scales and the current scales. Also with growth 1 thats in my opinion the best replacement you get (albeit slowly) increased income from your provinces in a long game

It doesn't turn provinces faster to cold by any degree, unless you choose Heart of Winter.

And the same problem comes up, where the only one you know is going to be Cold 2 (or 3) is your home province, you can still under that scale get just as many Cold 1's. It's just on how the sites are set and whatever impact is on the temperature scale. And if you happen to get a game without a heavy variance (it happens probably 50/50)and loss of gold income, poof, you are taking -3% income in your largest starting province as well as most of the provinces you control.

Growth isn't even a 'long game' increase in income. The effect is so minute that it's not even worth mentioning the growth rate unless you are talking in the 100's of turns.

The only reason in my mind to take growth is you need supply and have no access to items to supplement you, or you plan on some savage blood harvesting with heavy patrollers (which growth can even out some of) or you can't up another scale that would increase your income (order, production, luck).

If you want to make sure you have your temperature scale without worrying, take Heart of Winter. It clears it up as well as spreads outside of your dominion.

[ February 12, 2004, 00:26: Message edited by: Zen ]

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Zen:
If you want to make sure you have your temperature scale without worrying, take Heart of Winter. It clears it up as well as spreads outside of your dominion.

Taking Heart of Winter will definitely stabilize your cold scale, but there's one drawback: You can't take Utgard AND Heart of Winter. Meaning if you want to do a Heart of Winter Jotunheim, you're limited to the basic Jotun. No Seithkonas for you! Neifelheim comes with its own Heart of Winter effect, IIRC, but is Cold-3 anyway.

Yes, so you have to either go with the chance that you will stabilize your economy for the 75% 3k-8k provinces with the 25% 10k+ as you take them with Cold 3, Growth 1 or give you an across the board -3% loss including your capital.

Or you can take Cold 2 and have 75% 3k-8k, 25% 10k+ provinces giving you 3% Less while your capital gives you 3% more.

Like I said, it's all in your playstyle and what you are willing to accept as a variable. People don't take Misfortune 2 because of the chances of a variable happening, while others do.

In this particular case the one thing almost guarenteed is that your capital will be losing -5% income (or -3% with Growth) which is a factor, like I said, for me as I place more value on initial effects that impact the game than longstanding ones. Especially with how important gold is.

[Arryn]

Turn #12, Early Spring of Year 2
Spring water.
An early thaw allows travellers from afar to bring word from Ulm that Tulka the Black Lord, self-styled as the "world's most beloved hero" is the new false prophet of Ninhursag. It appears that his predecessor had his career cut short, by a head. Word also reaches us that someone grandiosely titled a "King Triumphant" speaks for the Machakan pretender Uzumna. I suppose that insects must make greater pretenses.

Caelum makes good on it's declaration of war from this past summer and attacks my capital with a score of magically-summoned Black Hawks (via Call of the Winds). The 25 Jotun militias of the local defense easily deal with them, but the battle frightens a number of influential locals (6 unrest), causing a minor drop in the flow of revenues and resources into the city. I vow to punish Caelum at my earliest convenience for their impudence.

A more positive event is the unexpected harvest of a winter wheat crop in the Black Alps, bringing an extra 30 gold in taxes and quieting the remaining dissenters in the province. There is truth in happiness being be found in a full belly, be it humans and fresh bread, a giant with a haunch of venison, or a Wyrm and an ex-cavalry mount.

The siege of Pythium enters its fifth month, as my avatar is met, in the wasteland named for the magical Well of All Waters, by a Garnet Priestess, a Garnet Sorceress, ten cowed and defenseless sacrificial young virgins, nineteen amazons, and a gryphon rider. Jorgun begins the battle at the rear of the field, which the gryphon promptly reaches, attempting to harrass him during his casting of preparatory spells. After casting his second spell (Body Ethereal), the wyrm takes a moment to deal with the pesky beast next to him and delivers a venomous bite, followed up by another bite that swallows the rider -- and mount -- whole. Tasty. Meanwhile, the foul sorceress sacrifices a half-dozen of the helpless girls in three futile attempts to inflict bleeding wounds on my avatar. Jorgun completes his final spell preparations, casting Astral Shield and Astral Weapon, in time to receive the advancing amazons. A half-dozen of the aggressive females strike at the wyrm only to become instantly paralyzed. Jorgun lashes out and eats two of the immobilized barbarianettes, which induce the rest to run for their lives. The wyrm calmly finishes off (eats) the other four snacksicles, as the fleeing amazons run past the virgin slaves, killing three of them in their panic. One poor, abused slave remains on the field, and my avatar mercifully ends her life -- in a single gulp.

Jorgun adds another 7 kills and 12 trophies to his tally, and discovers the (level-0) magic site known as the Well of All Waters (which provides 3 water gems per month).

Tahmar reaches the Alps with his half-score of longdead and half-dozen Jotun spearmen.

The number of dissenters declines by one in Gwyrth and Bel. Atlantis conquers the Wailwind waters just offshore to the south of my capital. I will have to deal with this situation once I am rid of the Pythium pretender.

The Seithkona Ambla joins the coven at Jotunheim, which achieves mastery of the second rank of 'Construction' magics.
The 3 Nornas in the capital reduce the chances of bad events there by 15% each (3 checks). I have 1x 3-Astral, 1x 3-Death, and 1x 2-Nature Norna, which is a prefect split as far as I'm concerned.

My realm has:

• __7 Provinces (+Pythium under seige)
• 346 Treasury.
• 439 Income. (-3)
• 161 Upkeep. (+17)
• 125 Resources in the capital. (-6)
• _72 RPs

Gem income is:

• +3 Water (03)
• +3 Astral (36)
• +1 Death (04)
• +2 Nature (19)

With the discovery of a water magic site, I command that a Jotun Skratti join my coven so that use can be made of the new magical resource. The sudden attack by Caelum fresh in my memory, I increase the provincial defense of the Iron Range by a half-dozen militia (to 7 total), and raise a half-score defenders at the newly-acquired Well of All Waters. These preparations drain the treasury of 332 coins.

My prophet Grymis makes progress proselytizing to the inhabitants in the farmlands surrounding the citadel of Pythium (dominion changes to -1), and carries on with his preaching. Tahmar, in the Alps with his half-score of longdead and half-dozen Jotun spearmen, continues on his way to join the encampment at Pythium. Ualgo takes command of the newly-recruited Jotuns at the castle and takes to the now oft-used route between Jotunheim and the Alps via Gwyrth. My scout Bdvar is rousted from his hibernation and sent into Helmshire. My avatar, still alone, makes his way towards Pythium by way of the Feral Woods to the south, which have revolted against Pythium's control and appear to be defended by a half-score Vine Men.

PS - All provinces with positive dominion, except my capital and the adjacent Iron Range (both at Cold-2), remain at Cold-1.

[Norfleet]

Woo. Go Bdvar. I suppose the hapless, neglected Bdvar received his attention thanks to the discovery that you have Skrattis?

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
Woo. Go Bdvar. I suppose the hapless, neglected Bdvar received his attention thanks to the discovery that you have Skrattis?

'tis a secret I shan't be tellin ...