Let's Play Medieval II Total War: Polska, Jesteś moim Powietrzem

[Gregness]

Also, is difficulty going to be a factor here? I'd kind of like to see the lp go on expert (or equivalent) just to play up our underdog status.

[Ravashak]

Sign me up for being a spy. I prefer to be killed in quite horrible ways, that's just another way for others to show how popular i am xP

[Wigmund]

I'm fine with having a bloodthirsty commander named after me. Teach the world that Poland is someone to be feared as we march into the Holy Roman Empire (Germany).

[The Argent Lord]

I'm in. Given my username, I should probably be a noble of some sort.

[Solid Snake]

I'll be creating a new topic shortly that will start with a FAQ and then progress to the story's Prologue. This topic will eventually fade into obscurity. In the interim, you can continue signing up for roles here if you'd like a part, though I think I have enough candidates for roles to fill out a roster for the foreseeable future. A couple exceptions: we could use new characters for Priests and Merchants. Also, if you're female and you don't particularly mind playing the role of Queen, feel free to volunteer (despite receiving permission to include several feminine personalities here at NPF, I feel somewhat uncomfortable arbitrarily assigning my character a wife. Ultimately, I may choose simply to write the Queen as an unrelated personality or keep the spotlight off her entirely.)

[Solid Snake]

Polska, Jesteś moim Powietrzem
A History of Poland, by Solid Snake


Frequently Asked Questions

IN GENERAL:

What is Polska, Jesteś moim Powietrzem?

This project is essentially a Let's Play presented in the form of a novel. Each snippet of gameplay is presented in a chapter-by-chapter form. There is a certain degree of interactivity in this project, as at the end of every chapter, readers have the opportunity to vote for several different options that ultimately influence the storyline.

How long will Polska be?

The length of the project will depend on the choices you make: a series of horrible choices may lead this to be a very short Let's Play, while effective strategies will stretch the length. I intend to write Polska until a bitter or glorious end, but I may write a final chapter and end the story prematurely if defeat or victory is imminent, or if interest in the project dissipates.

What is Medieval II: Total War?

Medieval II: Total War is the computer game that this Let's Play is based upon: a majority of the images utilized in chapters will be screenshots depicting our progression through the game. Medieval II is a hybrid turn-based and real-time strategy game that follows the growth of nation-states in the Middle Ages. The turn-based campaign elements work something like Civilization, providing a strategic map upon which cities and castles are developed and units are moved like chess pieces. When a battle is initiated on the turn-based campaign map, you enter a real-time battleground where you can issue orders to military units directly.

Why are we playing as Poland? Why not Britain, France, Egypt, or any other faction?

Check out this topic: http://www.nuklearforums.com/showthread.php?t=36986

Participating voters made the decision: Poland received the most votes.

How frequently will this be updated?

I'm aiming for at least once-a-week updates but there will be weeks (such as finals week) where I do not meet that quota. In general, this will be a relatively slow-to-update Let's Play compared to others, due in large part to the narrative I'm writing. Hopefully, the quality of the updates will justify the lack of quantity.

Why write a FAQ?

I'm just trying to preemptively address the questions I expect most of you will be asking as this Let's Play progresses.

THE NARRATIVE:

Why do all the characters have such ridiculous names?

Hey, don't ask me: Ask your fellow Nuklear Power Forum members! The names used in Polska all stem from usernames of friends here.

But the characters have different names in Medieval II! For example, your screencaps show the name of the King of Poland is 'Wladyslaw', not 'Solid Snake.'

Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to change the names of characters as they appear in Medieval II. So, the narrative will seem to disagree with the screenshots I've provided. I'll generally annotate the screenshots with the correct names of the characters, and hopefully, it will eventually become second nature to frequent readers.

What's up with the occasional, yet inconsistent, use of Polish phrases?

I occasionally include a few common Polish phrases in order to subtly remind the reader that the characters in this story are, in fact, speaking Polish. (Most of their conversations are just translated into English for the benefit of the audience.)

You write CelesJessa's character as a woman, so why does she show up as a man in screenshots?

Because Medieval II: Total War is sexist.
Well, actually, it's because Medieval II is more historically accurate than this Let's Play. In Medieval II, the only female characters that play active roles in the storyline are Princesses, who usually are quickly married off before they can actually accomplish anything.

There's really no fun in only writing female characters as stereotypical Princesses (whose sole purpose in Medieval II seems to be to flirt with men and be rated on their looks.) I'll certainly include at least one female character as a Princess at some point in the narrative, but the majority of the female characters in this story will play the roles of military commanders, spies, assassins and explorers: all roles assigned only to men in Medieval II's coding.

The simple solution requires you to use your imagination. The avatars will still appear male, but I'll be writing the characters as women (and I may include outside images of Slavic women in medieval costume to give you a better conceptualization of what they'd look like, if I'm fortunate enough to find any.)

What's up with all strange personality traits? Why did you choose to make my namesake character a drunkard, sexually promiscuous, or dimwitted?

While I try to incorporate some personality elements of the Nuklear Power personalities who populate this story's chapters, ultimately, Medieval II's coding also plays a strong role in assigning character traits. Medieval II uses complex algorithms (I do not fully understand them) to assign characters positive or negative personality traits in the game. I'll try not to portray the negative ones too graphically, but the garnered (and sometimes, randomly assigned) vices and virtues of the characters are an essential element of the story.

For further information check out a previous writeup I concocted:
http://www.nuklearforums.com/showpo...6&postcount=43

Ooh! I want to join in the fun! Can you assign me a character?

Yes, but for reasons articulated in the above post, you'll need to give me explicit permission prior to doing so.

You're free to establish preferences as to what kind of character you'd like me to introduce your namesake as. However, once I include your character in the storyline, only a premature death will write him or her out, and character traits that develop are at least partially out of my hands. (That's equally true for me, though...an iteration of 'Solid Snake' may develop traits like 'prefers men' or 'gluttonous' or 'bloodthirsty,' and I'll be bound to write this fictionalized variation of 'myself' in that fashion.)

Why hasn't my character been introduced yet?

New characters will be introduced only as quickly as our Let's Play justifies their existence. I imagine a dozen Chapters into this storyline, more than half its characters will still not have been introduced. It's just the nature of the beast, I suppose. Please be patient!

Why is there a Solid Snake and a Solid Snake II? Will there eventually be a Solid Snake IV?

Time passes by fairly quickly in a Medieval II game, and as generations come and pass, older characters die off and younger ones replace them. Unfortunately, there really aren't enough unique NPF personalities to draw upon for characters.

My solution to this conundrum is to ensure that the firstborn son (or daughter, for our female characters) of the father or mother inherits their name. There's a slightly different process to ensure this effect with military and non-military units (diplomats may be replaced by their 'children' once they die, the programming is more stringent as to whether military officers have children.)

The end effect preserves a sense of mortality, as if your firstborn heir dies, your influence on the storyline dies with it. For example, Solid Snake II dies without leaving an heir, and another family member inherits the throne, a Solid Snake will no longer rule as King of the Poles. Alternatively, let's say Solid Snake II has multiple sons. His firstborn son would be Solid Snake III, and continue my namesake. His secondborn son, who may inherit the throne if Solid Snake III dies prematurely, would actually be a different NPF personality -- Mirai Gen, for example.

This is one of the more confusing aspects of the narrative, but also one of the more potentially intriguing elements as it adds further intrigue to know that voters may have ulterior motives. If Solid Snake III is a dreadful ruler, assigned terrible personality traits by Medieval II's coding, Mirai Gen may attempt to convince voters to send Solid Snake III on a suicide mission...and Mirai Gen would inherit the throne and his own namesakes would rule over Poland.

(At any point in time, you can request to effectively stop the progression of your bloodline. If Dauntasa, for example, wants Dauntasa II to be the last character to share his namesake, he can simply message me the request and -- instead of killing his character outright -- I'd simply name his firstborn son after someone else.)

If all the Solid Snakes die out and another character inherits the throne, will you keep writing or end the story there?

I'd continue writing the story until Poland wins (or loses.)
There would just be no more Solid Snakes running amok.

Why are your chapters so long? Don't you have a life?

Not really. =)
Writing is perhaps the most effective way for me to relax. For one reason or another, it calms me. Given my current circumstances, I could use the zen moments.

Can I constructively critique your chapters?

Of course! Just try not to be too hard on me. I know I'm not talented.

You've written some blatantly false misrepresentations of medieval Poland!

That's fine...historical accuracy isn't really what I'm aiming for, and I'll gladly sacrifice historical accuracy for the sake of this fiction. You're free to correct my misunderstandings when they arise, but as the goal of this work isn't to present Polish cultural or political norms flawlessly, I won't be terribly concerned with my mistakes.

I disagree with a major plot twist you've incorporated or the direction you've taken a particular character! This is terrible!

It may be Medieval II's fault (if the game assigned nasty traits to a character), or it may be the voters' faults (if the voters made a series of poor decisions), or it may be my own fault (if I used my own discretion as a writer to make a controversial decision.) Regardless: I'm actually excited about the controversy.
I think it's more interesting when things don't go quite as planned, and heroes become villains, or an otherwise likable character suddenly develops a terrifying habit, or your favorite character is suddenly inexplicably murdered.

I dislike the way you write your chapters, but I still want to participate in voting and contribute to gameplay decisions.

You're under no obligation to read my chapters. At the end of each chapter, I'll include a one-paragraph long TL;DR summation of events. You can just read that, and that'll give you enough vital information to cast a vote.

Of course I'd really appreciate it if you at least tried to read my incoherent ramblings, but you are under no obligation to indulge me.

VOTING AND OTHER GAMEPLAY CONSIDERATIONS:

How do we vote?

At the end of every chapter, I'll designate a few choices we need to make, and I'll present you with several different options to choose between.

I've made an incredible several-paragraph long argument, but the majority of voters have disregarded it. Shouldn't you choose quality over quantity and go with my superior reasoning?

Nope! This is a purely majoritarian process. You're free to include long-winded justifications for your votes, as these may help persuade other voters (or establish yourself as an intelligent voter worth listening to.) But the quality of your argument cannot trump the will of the people.

Do you vote?

No: I'll only break ties, if necessary.

What if I just make completely random, foolhardy decisions in a deliberate attempt to mess up the Let's Play?

I won't stop you, unless you're blatantly trolling other voters or deliberately insulting me or others with degrading comments. If you do cross the line repeatedly, I may eventually strip you of your 'right to vote.' (In which case, your vote simply wouldn't be counted.) However, to earn such a demerit you'd have to make such an ass out of yourself that Moderators were called onto the scene to clean up your mess.

Can I change my vote if I disagree with the option I've selected?

Yes, from here on out, you may change your votes. (This will encourage even later voters to include justifications for their choices, in hopes of swaying those who have already participated. The more passionate debate I can encourage, the better.)

However, I do request that you not edit your preexisting votes. Instead, post a new reply that copies your prior text and indicates the changes you'd like to make.

Why do you artificially restrict our voting choices?

I'll frequently offer at least one or two terrible, borderline-suicidal options (if only to allow the more sinister among you to deliberately sabotage a character you hate), and I'll also occasionally offer deceptive options that seem pragmatic but would actually lead to defeat.

Generally, however, offering you an unlimited number of potential options only makes voting exorbitantly difficult, as you're all likely to come up with an infinite number of varying strategies. It's easier on me to simply guide you to something like five possible buildings to construct or four possible objectives to attempt to conquer. This also enables me to better prepare different possibilities for future chapters ahead of time.

Occasionally you'll ask voters to determine what a character, like NonCon, chooses to do. Why not only leave that personal decision up to the individual Nuklear Power personality? It's strange to have everyone making decisions on a single character's behalf, particularly if NonCon disagrees with the decision we made for 'him.' Right?

Remember: these characters are merely fictionalized, independent representations of Nuklear Power personalities. I've included these characters in hopes that their narratives will invest many of you into the storyline, and because frankly, including NPF friends makes the story more fun to write. But the choices NonCon the character makes in this Lets Play have no direct correlation to NonCon himself. NonCon may be rooting for his own survival, but voters may determine it's best if NonCon sacrifice himself to protect Polish interests.

Nonetheless, if you make an exceptionally charismatic argument, you may convince other voters to choose options that benefit your character. I certainly hope at least a few of you consider this.

You're a terrible military commander! I could play Medieval II far better than you!

That's entirely possible. Still, I'll be offering you all the opportunity to vote on tactical deployments for our troops and decisions made in the middle of combat. So, it won't be all my fault if we lose a battle. =)

What difficulty level are we playing Medieval 2 on?

Normal.
I'm not quite interested in micromanaging battles enough to play on a harder difficulty level.

Should I participate, even if I know next to nothing about Medieval 2?

I hope you do! You can listen to the arguments of more experienced Medieval 2 players or simply make your own judgment calls. Intimate knowledge of Total War strategies is certainly not necessary to participate, though such knowledge can certainly be beneficial.

You're a crazy man, Solid Snake.

Yup!
But in all sincerity, I hope you enjoy the story.



(And remember, if you're a fan of the project, the best way to ensure I continue updating frequently is to compliment my work, as corny as that sounds. Like any other person, I'm a greedy fucker in need of occasional validation whenever I waste my time.)

[Azisien]

Whose a good boy?! *biscuit*

[Magic_Marker]

Why is there no Magic_Marker character.

*sniff*

Please change that. Puh-leeaeeese?

[Sage Harpuia]

Interesting, always wanted to see a LP of this kind of game.. I'm in if there's any roles left unfulfilled.

[Sifright]

I'd love to be included as a character. ^^ This looks like it could be amazing!