Rules update 2024
Overview
Every year we carry out a review of some part of the game looking to see what we can improve. This page summarizes and explains the changes so that players can identify and understand the changes easily. We try to include a section after each update to explain the reasoning behind the change, as well as providing an in-character rationale for what has changed where appropriate.
Great Works
The system for calculating the benefits of a great work has been completely replaced. A great work now provides a fixed benefit to every matching resource in the territory where it is built. We have updated every existing great work to state the benefits they provide going forwards. Benefits this downtime are not affected, but all future downtime benefits will be based on the outputs now listed on the wiki.
We have removed the option to have great works that provide additional votes in the Synod.
Reasoning
We've elected to completely rewrite the rules for great works. The existing rules were insanely complex, so complex that almost no great work was ever built without it being a plot opportunity that laid out how much it cost and what benefits it provided. Without that clarity, it was almost impossible to tell what would happen. Worse, as the game has gone on, the rules had become so cumbersome and complex, it became impossible for us to identity what the right play balance should be for any of these opportunities.
Hence we have elected to scrap all the existing rules, and replace them with a completely new framework, one that is much simpler to understand. We can't guarantee it is simple, but it is much simpler than it was. A player can look up the level of investment in a territory, and use that lone single-digit number to work out how many wains would be needed for a great work that further raised the level of investment in the territory.
As part of this change, we have removed the ability to get votes in the Synod from a great work. Due to various factors, the number of votes it was possible to receive in this way was potentially very large, sometimes much larger than those provided by a starting congregation. That had the capacity to distort Synod politics in a way that was not positive for the game. As part of this update we have removed all votes from all great works - that will no longer be an option going forwards.
To make these changes consistent we have gone back and edited all the existing great works to bring them into line with the new rules. There will be some winners and some losers in this process - a lot of people will see the benefits their great work provides increase, some people who were lucky enough to get nearly all the benefits of a single great work previously will see those benefits slashed. While we don't want to make changes that create winners and losers where possible, that is an inevitable consequence in a situation like this where the benefits were so unevenly distributed. We apologise to everyone who is losing out, but the new system will produce a better, fairer game, where great works more even benefits to characters across a territory.
Stealing
- We have rewritten our rules so that entering tents and stealing game items is no longer permitted in most circumstances
- The new rules mean you cannot enter a private tent without the owner's invitation
- The new rules are designed to permit looting on battlefields and allow players to steal unique game items like the Imperial Crown
We have completely rewritten our rules on stealing game items at Empire. It is no longer possible to take game items without the owner's OOC knowledge, unless they are marked with a gold ribbon (indicating a unique game item). In line with these changes we have updated the rules to prohibit people from entering another participant's IC tent without their permission.
Reasoning
The core game design of Empire includes a major focus on player-versus-player (PvP) politics. We try to be as explicit as possible that Empire is a PvP game, that the primary source of conflict derives from the tension between different players' ambitions. We want inter-personal rivalries and clashing political agendas to form the mainstay of the plot for each event.
That conflict includes the possibility for criminality but Empire deliberately aims to discourage PvP combat. The conflict between characters is intended to be social and political in nature - you can defeat a rival in many different ways, none of which require violence. The explicit social contract for the game is that murder is allowed, provided it is the absolute last resort for any character.
We took the decision to adopt that approach because we weren't interested in supporting PvP combat in Empire. Our experience from previous games was that PvP combat can be deeply unsatisfying unless it is carefully managed. It is often over incredibly quickly and usually because one side is attacking with surprise and overwhelming numbers. It also tends to be overwhelmingly fatal - involving one side wiping out the other. In summary, it often involves only the most limited interactions that are utterly one-sided and very rarely enjoyable for the loser. We realised that we were simply not interested in creating a game that provides experiences that we no longer think the majority of our players are going to enjoy.
There are undoubtedly live roleplayers who enjoy being the victim of a clever theft but that is not the game many people come to Empire wanting to play. They simply don't enjoy returning to their tent to find it has been robbed and that everything of value they spent years working to accumulate is gone. There are rarely any interactions between the thieves and their victims. IC theft can be fun for the thieves, but it can be a really miserable experience for the people who get robbed. It is not consistent with the broader game design of Empire to support something that the majority of our players don't enjoy.
Previously we have shied away from the logical conclusions of this line of thinking because there are some types of theft that we do want to support - the idea of the clever confidence trick is an integral part of the League brief, so trickery and deception have to be supported in the game. Likewise, we want to allow players to loot characters while they are on skirmishes and battles or other encounters outside Anvil, so we need that to still be possible. We also want people to be able to steal unique game items - such as the archmage regalia. For a long time we were stymied by the apparent difficulty in creating a single definitive rule that would rule out the kinds of petty theft that add nothing to the game, but still leave room for this, and still allow the overwhelming majority of players to play the game without intrusive restrictions.
Over the years we have tried to tighten up the rules in specific ways to make theft more difficult, by introducing rules for locked boxes and rules for sealed tents. The latter in particular was especially important, as there are many people sleeping in in-character tents who find the idea of anyone coming into them deeply unpleasant, especially when there are children sleeping in the field. In practice, we've no doubt that nobody engaged in IC theft wanted to be entering a tent with anyone in it, but just the potential for it to happen was unpleasant for many.
Having spent some time examining our rules over winter, we've decided that the best way to support our desired approach is to simply write the best set of rules we can that support the game we want to run and then supplement that by trying to clearly spell out how we want people to play Empire. All our experience shows that having a clear social contract of what the game is one of the best ways to get a vision on how to play the game and what you can expect that is shared between everyone who plays Empire.
We have to recognise that any rules we create for this won't be perfect. There are bound to be questions and edge cases and with broad rules such as these that include an element of judgement. We want to allow looting on the battlefields - that is important - but we don't want players mugging each other for their lose change. Empire is a game of grand politics in which the great and the good come together to make crucial decisions about the future of the Empire. That's the game we want to run, that's what we want people to play. Larceny, muggings, and random murders are not part of what we want players at Empire to do. In theory we could prohibit mugging but we can't see how to do that without making it impossible for characters to threaten and cajole others in negotiations. But we hope that by clearly communicating the kinds of roleplaying that Empire does and does not encourage, participants will be able to identify the spirit of the rules and be able to pursue that when playing at events.
In theory there is a risk that people might cheat and steal game items and then claim they were lost property. In practice very few people come to GOD to cheat, but again this is another compromise. Lost property frequently includes things that are important out-of-character, like credit cards, a phone, or personal medicines. Our overwhelming priority is to ensure it gets back to the rightful owner by the quickest route possible. So we write our rules to support that goal and try to explain why we want to reward players for bringing lost property to GOD as quickly as possible.
Of course these new rules won't stop all IC thefts at events, because there are players that will cheat, so securing your IC valuables is still the best course of action. However it does mean that if your tent has been robbed while you were out, then you should report it to the referee desk so that they can take note of it. From this point on, stealing items in this way is cheating, and will be treated as such when it happens.
Rough Music
- Rough music is only for Imperial institutions like the Senate or large national groups like the Brands or the Earls' Council
- You must get a referee to accompany you before the rough music begins
- It starts with a riotous procession that moves through Anvil and ends within a minute or two of arriving at the destination
- Leave plenty of room between you and the targets; do not loom over people or physically intimidate them with your size
- Do not enter their building or tent
- Leave enough room for them to flee if they want to; do not shout at or pursue anyone who is leaving the scene
We have changed rough music so that it now consists of a loud procession through Anvil that culminates at the target's location, rather than the racket beginning there. We have added extra emphasis to the previous in-character rules for rough music that always existed, but were rarely followed in practice. We have added a third rule insisting that the target is allowed to flee the scene if they find the confrontation too overwhelming for any reason. We have also included guidance on when rough music can be used.
Reasoning
Empire is an avowedly political game, one where the decisions that people make are crucial to what happens because they have profound consequences. It's not possible to have a game in which the decisions players make are important yet have no consequences. However we want those decisions to result in in-character confrontations that are filled with drama and tension, not out-of-character unpleasantness. The point of rough music is to highlight important decisions that have been taken, to draw attention to them and emphasize the drama and impact they have had. Participants must take active steps to avoid their actions becoming so daunting that they make other players feel out-of-character punished or intimidated.
The existing information already presented clear rules for rough music, like not attacking the targets and not entering their house. There have been a number of occasions at recent events where that IC guidance has been ignored. So we have updated the wiki entry to make it clear in-character why these rules exist but also to state clearly that we require participants to treat these as part of the out-of-character rules of the game. If you engage in rough music you must follow the three golden rules for everyone's benefit.
We've changed rough music to emphasize a procession that ends at the target, so that players can maximise the drama of what they are doing. The rough music must end within a few minutes of arriving at the destination: it achieves very little in-character to prolong the racket at that point, it simply makes it more out-of-character unpleasant. Starting the rough music early and as part of a procession to the destination means that people can still make a hullabaloo and get everyone's attention, but should prevent any single group of players from being on the receiving end of the noise for too long.
We know that Marcher players enjoy engaging in rough music, but the best way to roleplay at Empire is to make the things you do enjoyable for other players as well as yourself. We don't want the Marchers to have a reputation as bullies, so rough music must be a dramatic, climactic confrontation not a punishment.
IC Explanation
As the guardians of Marcher culture, the egregores have taken steps to remind all Marchers of the importance of following the rules when engaging in rough music. Having spoken with Marchers throughout the nation, they've collated the wisdom of the Marches to provide some best practices that they expect everyone to follow.
Weakness
We have updated the rules to make absolutely explicit that you cannot make any calls while under the effects of WEAKNESS (this includes EXECUTE). We have also added religious skills to the list of skills you cannot use while suffering from weakness. We've simplified the rules wording to make it clear that you can't cast any spells or contribute to any rituals while under the effects of weakness.
Reasoning
The previous rules implied you couldn't make any calls by listing all the sources of power that you couldn't use while suffering from weakness. That left room for an interpretation that said you could make a call if it was from some source that wasn't mentioned in the list. That was never our intention - one of the primary things that weakness does is stop you making any calls. We've rewritten the rules to make it clear that that is always the case.
We've also added religious skills to the list of skills you cannot use while suffering from weakness. You have never been able to use heroic skills or cast spells or rituals while under the effect. Omitting religious skills was an oversight on our part that suggested that these skills weren't as taxing or important as heroic or magical skills. That's not the case - and we've added religious skills to list of skills that prohibited by by the weakness condition.
Writ of Consecration
We've added the rules for the new Synod judgement for a writ of consecration to the wiki. This follows the decision of the Imperial Senate to use a motion to create a new law requiring such a writ before any citizen can use true liao to create an inspirational location dedicated to a paragon, exemplar or other inspirational location. The appropriate virtue assembly must raise the writ of consecration and pass it with a greater majority. If that happens, then the Imperial civil service prognosticators will produce a report on the options available to the Synod and the likely outcomes of each - it will create a plot opportunity that is published as a wind of fortune or as part of another wind of fortune. The report will provide one or more possible competing mandates for the Synod to consider at the following summit.
These mandates will be available for a single season. Any opportunities to create inspirational locations that have not been previously taken up have now expired, as the new law represents a significant change in circumstances.
Reasoning
For the most part this is a small wiki update to reflect the changes made by players, however we have included it here because we have made some tweaks to the process as part of our rules review over winter. We've changed the timing of the various parts of the writ, so that we have time to produce a wind of fortune laying out all the consequences of a decision before the General Assembly makes its decision. That means we can ensure that players can make an informed decision based on the consequences rather than having to guess what the outcome will be. We've also made it so that any options will be accessed using a mandate that a priest has to raise in the General Assembly, rather than being automatically raised by the Tribune. We've done this because there are likely to be options to pick between and because we want the mandate to name the priest who will carry out the true liao consecration.
Previously the options presented by these kind of winds of fortune have often been open-ended, so that players can take as long as they wish to decide if they want to take them up. That tends to leave a history of open options that can be a problem to deal with later when circumstances change. Given the involvement of the virtue assembly in creating the original writ, the new process means that they will have to reaffirm that is their wish (by passing a new writ) if any opportunity it produces is not taken up at the following summit.
IC Explanation
The Imperial civil service have issued guidance for the new writ of consecration. The guidance has been amended to allow the civil service to provide the maximum possible information to the Synod before they make their final decision. The civil service have also submitted an administrative motion to the Imperial Senate to ask them to consider if the new writ should also cover the use of true liao to create sacred sites as well as memorials to inspirational figures. The civil service recommend this change - as it will significantly simplify Imperial governance - but are cognizant of the fact that the Imperial Senate may have wanted to deliberately exclude sacred sites from the new law.
Tally of the Votes
We've changed Tally of the Votes so that all players who are eligible to vote will receive a single voting slip in their pack at the start of the event. The bond will give the character's name, the in-character date of the summit and list all titles that are elected by Tally of the Votes that season. Bonds are only valid at the summit they are issued on. Elections will take place in the nation camps on Saturday afternoon; the winner is whoever presents the most votes to support their claim to the position.
Each bond can be used by a single successful candidate. The votes of the winner will be destroyed; anyone who has not won the election is entitled to keep their votes. Voting will then proceed to any remaining titles. This means that if more than one title is being elected, then any citizen who is unsuccessful can use the votes they hold for a subsequent election, if they wish to do so.
A small number of Imperial titles have had their election season shifted to provide the best balance of limiting election administration and maximising interaction between players. Where a title has been shifted, there will be a short election in 2024 at the old date to bring the election cycle into line, and then the next election will be at the new date.
Reasoning
The new rules will enable more electioneering because candidates will be able to seek out potential supporters and ask for their votes directly. Rather than ask them to go to the hub to vote, a process that can be bureaucratic and burdensome for some players, a candidate can ask an eligible voter to show their support by giving them their bond. By putting the bonds in the packs of every player, we make it easier for players, especially new players, to be more aware that they have votes and what they can vote on.
In situations where more than one title is being voted on, it will be much harder for a single powerful voting block to ensure they win all the elections - the new system will support rival groups vying for power to get something even if they can't get the title they wanted. The new process should also make it simpler for our civil service who will no longer need to record each individual vote, just identify the winners.
IC Explanation
With the number of Bourse elections continuing to increase, the Imperial Civil Service have been forced to make some changes to the election protocols to ensure that they can continue to fairly assess the will of the nations in these matters.
New Election Schedule
The schedule below shows the titles elected by Tally of the Votes and the order and season they will now be elected. Titles will be elected in the order listed below. Titles shown in italics have had their election season shifted.
Moved Titles
- Vizier of the Incarnadine Satchel will be elected for three seasons at Spring
- Marracossa Sendito will be elected for three seasons at Spring
- Reeve of Boar's Market will be elected for three seasons at Winter
- Steward of the Mines of Gulhule will be elected for three seasons at Spring
- Preceptor of the Skarsind College of Warcasting will be elected for two seasons at Spring
- Master of Rings will be elected for two seasons at Summer
- Master of the Root and Stem will be elected for one season at Summer
- Quaymaster of the Elosian Docks will be elected for one season at Spring
- Boyar of the Iron Roads will be elected for the first time for two seasons at Winter
- Kalpaheim Tradeholder will be elected for one season at Summer
- The Red Depths will be elected for three seasons at Winter
Artificial Intelligence
- Content generated using Artificial Intelligence cannot be used at Empire events
Content that is made using generative-AI tools (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_artificial_intelligence) cannot be used in the field at Empire. It is fine for digital artists to use procedural tools to create art for the game, but images manufactured by AI art engines must not be used in-character. Likewise, writers can use modern tools to proof their writing, but any substantial block of prose that is generated using a large-language model or any equivalent AI tool must not be used in-character. We also ask people not to post images, video or text created using generative-AI to our forums or Facebook groups.
Reasoning
Empire is a game of hard skills by design - we want success in Empire to derive primarily from your abilities as a player to a large extent. This is why we have always asked people not to play recorded music at events: we want to highlight the role of the many skilled IC musicians in Anvil.
To be consistent with that approach we've decided to ban the use of all AI generated content in-character. Human creativity is at the heart of Empire - we want our game to showcase the abilities of the artists and writers who create art for the game - we're not interested in creating events for machines to attend.
We've also chosen to prohibit the posting of generative-AI content on our forum and in our Facebook groups. These groups are very busy already and generative content adds little value. It is also ethically contentious and invariably leads to unproductive arguments about the use of AI, rather than positive discussions about Empire. This is not a conduct issue; players are welcome to post Empire content that is generated using AI to their own walls. This rule only limits what is used at events and what is posted in our social media spaces.