Let's play King of Dragon Pass, just as our ancestors did

Poem that stat.

Send Heortarl to steal it! 4.

If your ancestors "Shared in Dragon knowledge" they approve of you pilfering dragon and dragonewt shit. It's what they would have done.

I take it the images aren't broken for anyone else? I still see previous updates just fine, but not these most recent two images. I'd speculate that my work blocked something if it weren't for the fact that they're all stored in the same place.

Also:

I would've wanted to tell another clan about this opportunity and get into their good books, but since that's not winning anytime soon, let's just write a poem.

I'm at home and for some reason the most recent two images aren't fully loading (the bottom 10% or so of the image doesn't display). Ctrl-F5 and a different browser don't seem to help at all.

Yeah, it may be because I was having Internet troubles when I uploaded them. I'll try again.

Fortunately, the relevant parts are there.

Edit: That seems to have done the trick.

Year 1343, part 15

We are at an impasse, but Windows Update is breathing down my neck. (Seriously? Again?)



I really wanted to break this tie in favor of the option that doesn't get our trickster killed, but more Heortarl antics are strongly in the spirit of this LP, so let's let him have his way.



I'm sending a small party, since although Heortarl is a competent fighter, his MO is trickery. He should be able to get in and out, although with a complement of six others, he's extra-screwed if it doesn't work out that way.



But it does.

The Silver Dragon Statue is a powerful treasure that [TODO: hack executable to figure out if the statue does anything]. It'll make a fine addition to our trophy case.

And



THANKS WINDOWS UPDATE

Your emissaries talk to the ring of Clan Karandoli, a small clan known for giving a second chance to bandits and outlaws. They're also known for the effectiveness and ferocity of their raids. Estavos, chief of the Karandoli, doesn't have any demands. He wants you to tell him why he should join your tribe.

No demands! Well! That's a welcome change.

Yerestia: We want our allies in our tribe. Recommends #3, #4, #5, and #6.
Harvar: Estavos feigns indifference, but in fact the formation of a tribe has the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Recommends #2, #3, and #5.
Insterid: Estavos is no fool. He knows that the Karandoli's days as fierce raiders are finished if the other clans in the area unite. Recommends #2.
Iskalli: The other clans don't trust the Karandoli, but they have been allies to us. Recommends #3, #4, and #5.
Valensta: They would like a treasure for nothing, but so would everyone. Recommends #4.
Arene: The other clans dislike the Karandoli, and will carefully scrutinize the offer we give them. Recommends #1.
Heortarl: I would say we should offer them the trickster seat, but I am still hoping for that great honor myself. Recommends #2, #3, and #4.
Mogri: As the others suggest, we are allied with the Karandoli, so threatening to destroy them might not make sense.

Reply quickly! Windows Update waits for no man. Remember that this is multiple-option, so mention all of the choices you favor.

Five or three

I was gonna threaten to crush them, but I guess they're our allies. So I'll vote three and six.

3 or 5

Can I vote to disable Windows Update?

In any case, all of the people that I trust most are advising it, and these guys strike me as pragmatic and respectful of strength, so 2.

3, then 4 (Silver Dragon Statue!), then 6 (some cows or something), then 5 if necessary.

3. Play that loyalty card.

Year 1343, part 16

This is the year that never ends!



The Karandoli don't take well to our backhanded compliment.



The more time I spend with these guys, the more I wonder why we bothered allying with them.



Per Gerad's suggestion, we offer the dragon statue we just found.



The Karandoli have a very odd conception of "gifts."



And so we bid farewell to our allies, who have chosen not to join us in our attempt at world domination.

At least we get to keep the statue.



Up next: our besties, the Osgosi! Several members of our ring are quick to point out that we are feuding with them and suggest a raid. This is not the best option for our diplomatic future, and it's a terrible idea besides, since the Osgosi are still paying us tribute.



Take a look, it's in a book! We now have Lhankor Mhy's Literacy blessing permanently or until we decide we'd rather be Lawspeaking.



Strapped for ideas on what to do next, I send an emissary to the Orlundi. It's payback time! By which I mean that we will pay them back for a favor we owe them by showing up to their door with enough food to feed forty people for a year. They're not obligated to forgive the favor just because we come bearing gifts, but they almost certainly will.

Also pictured: I accidentally sent Harvar, forcing me to reload.



The Praxians are notable for going to war mounted on ostriches. Enjoy this bit of trivia about a region of Dragon Pass that we are unlikely to explore!



An advisor informs us that Gerad has been planning to sabotage us.

Oh right

You have offered the ring of Clan Osgosi a place in the new tribe you are building. The Osgosi are known for their love of pottery, a craft they pursue with an attitude that borders on fanaticism. Your emissaries report that, to join the tribe, they want each clan in the tribe to promise to buy 20 cows worth of pottery per year from them. They want a guaranteed seat on the tribal ring in perpetuity, and a pledge that no other clan in the tribe can use any other container when an Osgosi pot could be used instead.

We are surrounded by crazies.

Yerestia: They ask too much and they are already our enemies. We would be foolish to bring them into the tribe. Recommends #1.
Harvar: All these demands. And they will still be a thorn in our side at the tribal moots. No recommendation.
Insterid: We have been enemies. Can we be friends? No recommendation.
Iskalli: Our freedom-loving neighbors will rebel if forced to throw away all of their other containers. Recommends #5.
Valensta: 20 cows a year worth of pots is a lot of pots. Recommends #4.
Arene: They must have large and healthy herds to give so much time to their kiln. Recommends #2, #3, #4, and #5.
Heortarl: Our barley plants will yield more if they know their grain is to be stored in such fine pots. Recommends #2.
Mogri: Without Harvar, #4 failed but they joined after accepting #2 and #3. We might have more success now that he's present, but the question of whether we want the hated Osgosi on our team remains.

I told you to send him to the Cragspider! Why doesn't anyone listen to me?!

We don't need the smelly Osgosi in our tribe. Kick them to the curb.

You guys are right, I'm the mafia. You found me!

Let's try 2 and 4, then bail if that doesn't work. Heortarl's argument for 2 is quite persuasive.

King of Dragon Pass came out on Steam earlier this week. I didn't mention it, because it's been available on GOG forever.

But wait

This is the Android version of the game! That completely slipped past my radar. If I had started the LP on this version, my life would be so much easier.

See, the main pain point of this LP is that I have to play in three-minute chunks. Switching versions wouldn't change that, but it would probably alleviate the secondary pain point: the inability to retain progress when the game's process is aborted during an event. (Way, way down the list is the fact that the shell for the game is a huge resource-hog, which I expect is also fixed.)

Why should you care about the version difference? Well, if you already own the GOG version, you probably don't need to double-dip. But the newer version has a better interface and automatically saves your progress in such a way that you can rewind to any year in your clan's history.

Anyway, this news -- unfortunately for me -- has no effect on the LP, but there might be a copy of the Steam version in my future.

Saw that on my Steam storefront and had to double check. The cover art is a bit... Metal.

King of Dragon Pass is always metal.

Fair enough. it was bit jarring though when most of the playthrough has that management screen and the painterly events.

David Dunham is interviewed on Roguelike Radio. He covers King of Dragon Pass as well as Six Ages. King of Dragon Pass is of course not a roguelike; the topic is procedural narrative, and that's something the game excels at.

Dunham mentions early in that King of Dragon Pass takes place over the course of 75 in-game years. As we are in our fourteenth, I would like to remind you that this is precisely why I am LPing the "short" game, which will probably take a third of that and will still push this LP towards the longest-running on TT.

Dunham's interview is the first topic on the podcast, and it lasts until about the 13-minute mark, although King of Dragon Pass is discussed until around 17 minutes.

Year 1343, part 17



We decide to capitulate on the 20 pots requirement.



But that doesn't convince the hated Osgosi, which is just as well.



The Oak Trees are 20% more marriageable than the Blue Spruces, so we'll visit them next.



Hey, our surprise gift package paid off. We now owe one favor less than before.

Storm 1



I considered raiding, but A) that seemed like a lot of work and B) I didn't want to get counter-raided. So we learned how to rain instead.

Meanwhile, back on the farm



I was tempted just to automate this decision until I realized there are two right answers.

Yerestia: The gift of these fabulous creatures could end a feud, or fortify an alliance. Recommends #1.
Harvar: These creatures are very valuable. Recommends #4.
Insterid: Our clan magic will increase if we sacrifice them. Recommends #3.
Iskalli: Now our enemies will learn what it's like to fight against dragons! Recommends #2 or #5.
Valensta: Our clan magic might increase if we sacrifice them. Recommends #4.
Arene: I think the earthshakers will be good for ten years, give or take. No recommendation.
Heortarl: Whoa. Whoa.
Mogri: Boasting would improve our reputation at the cost of the (possibly inconsequential) surprise factor.

I like the Insterid/Valensta comparison here. Also, I want to say that this is the most useful thing Arene has ever told us.

Two or Five but mostly Two

Haha Heortarl is always the best.

2.

Write-in vote to sack the entire clan ring except Iskalli and Heortarl, because holy crap guys, really?

(#2)

I'm all about number 5. Folks need to know that they are signing up to be part of TEAM EARTHSHAKER when they agree to join our tribe...and that we will trample them into dust if they refuse.

#5. Everybody gonna want to join your Tribe now.

WHO SUGGESTED #4? THEY ARE BAD AND SHOULD FEEL BAD.

5! What part of EARTHSHAKER do you not understand!?

Year 1343, part 18



"Impressed" doesn't cover it.

Subsequently

The Oak Trees, famed for their skilled cooks, demand the following if they are to join your new tribe. They want the tribe to support exploration in search of legendary lost food plants of Dragon Pass. They want each clan to spend time growing their rare and delicate herbs and spices. Further, the Oak Trees want to send fewer warriors to tribal wars than other clans do.

Yerestia: Let them send seven warriors where the rest of us send ten. Agree to explore for new foods, which might benefit all. Recommends #2 and #5.
Harvar: Although it seems like a demand, if we phrase it correctly, they will see the requirement to cook at our feasts as a privilege. Recommends #3.
Insterid: These belly-shakers are not worth our time. Let's form a tribe without them, then conquer them. Recommends #1.
Iskalli: If they want to contribute less to tribal warfare, they must contribute more in some other area. Recommends #2 and #3.
Valensta: Make them send twenty cows to each feast for every ten the rest of us send. Recommends #3.
Arene: One plot of land out of twenty is not too much to turn over to growing herbs. Recommends #4.
Heortarl: This pastry is delicious! We must have this clan among us! Recommends #3.
Mogri: I like this guy, just chewing on some bread in the middle of a negotiation, pig roasting not twenty feet from him.