There are several rules that players must keep in mind. As a courtesy to other players, please keep in mind:
These rules are subject to change at any time. I'll alert the server when such a change has taken place.
Nation roleplays are a genre of historical wargames where players control countries. The country's actions — including diplomacy, war, trading, and domestic affairs — are all at the liberty of the player. Players cultivate a greater understanding of geography and historical cause and effect using nation roleplays. The usual demographic is history buffs, but anyone is welcome to participate (or spectate!).
The flavor of nation roleplays I host are typically abstracted, so there's less pressure on players to really get in the weeds to have a good time. I lean towards the creation of great stories to be shared together than a total simulation. Oh, and I should mention that the players in these nation roleplays do not have to follow history. They are encouraged to take things in ahistorical directions at every turn.
Since this game will be conducted through Discord with the website acting as a liaison, players will talk in the text channels to one another about their actions. In case you want a brief rundown on some typical country actions, here's a handy little table:
| Action | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Declare War | You want to engage in combat with another nation. Motives include land, resources, or maybe you just plain don't like them. | "I declare war on the Tokugawa." |
| Form Alliance | You want to have a friend that'll protect you in case someone else declares war on you. Note that you'll be responsible for assisting them if they're attacked, too. Allies are not obligated to engage in offensive wars, only in defensive cases. | "Oda, do you want to form an alliance together?" |
| Diplomatic Insult | You don't like another clan and you want everyone to know it. You'll harm relations with the insulted clan but ingratiate yourself with their enemies. | "The Uesugi clan are an embarrassment. Don't bother sending a response delegation." |
| Trade Agreement | You want to build rapport with another clan and fill your coffers at the same time. | "Would you be interested in a trade agreement with us?" |
| Issue Embargo | You want to cripple another clan economically. If your trade relations were previously great or you otherwise have a strong economy, this action could seriously impact the victim. | "We expel and forbid entry to any Hojo merchants from this point forward." |
| Offer Vassalization | You want to control a weaker clan without coming to blows. It's unlikely that a clan will accept such an offer unless they are hopelessly outmatched or particularly timid. Vassals will typically follow you into war. | "Imagawa: become our vassals or die." |
| Form Coalition | You want to keep a growing clan in check by creating a super-alliance against them. In a coalition, an attack on one member is an attack on all. Coalitions cannot be formed unless the target clan is sufficiently large. | "The Anti-Date Coalition is formed. They are unfit to be shogun!" |
| Denounce | You want to bring another clan's mistakes or cruelties to light. Denouncing another clan's actions may help you find friends. | "We denounce the Shimazu clan's summary execution of our traders. This will not go unpunished!" |
This is not an exhaustive list of the actions a player can take. Do not feel limited by only those shown on this table. Just interact with your fellow players and the world around you and the events that happen and you'll find what to do and when in no time.
Sometimes you may want to perform an action in secret. Something you don't want to be televised or mentioned in the main chat. This is when you open up a DM with the GM and let them know you're plotting something. After explaining the action you want to take, the event will be handed off for the GM to process. Its success is not guaranteed.
| Action | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Assassinate | You want to incite a war or otherwise weaken a foe. | "(To GM): I plot to assassinate an official residing at Echigo." |
| Sabotage | You want to boost your chances of cracking a securely-defended position, or sully a reputation. | "(To GM): I plot to sabotage the gates at Sagami." |
| Foment Rebellion | You want to destabilize a foe by capitalizing on their rogue elements. You sponsor a rebel group to rise up. | "(To GM): I plot to incite a Christian rebellion in Aki." |
Just another note that these actions are not exhaustive, just some ideas of what covert actions are at your disposal.
This game is all about war. Don't worry though, it's been abstracted. You don't have to worry about compositions or personally fighting battles. If you're intending on invading someone, simply levy your troops, declare war, and march in. The rest will happen behind the scenes as the target makes their move.
You should keep things like logistics and experience in mind, though. Those can make all the difference. Inclement weather, too.
Typically, the discussions and interactions you have with other clans will fall outside of the basic actions above. Often, other clans both player and NPC will do things that you might have an opinion on. Chime in with your two cents and you may be surprised at the reaction. Additionally, note that you are not limited to doing the above actions with just player-controlled clans. The NPC clans controlled by the GM are also fair game.
On the subject of giving your opinion though, please refrain from writing walls of text. Players are keen to read every message that comes in and from every one, but walls of text are a surefire way to make sure nobody reads yours. Keep things short and sweet.
Finally, don't feel compelled to talk in a proper or formal way. You are free to be colloquial, just keep in mind that the way you speak will reflect as the way your clan communicates, through diplomats, traders, or the daimyo himself.
This nation roleplay features some unique elements that further spice things up. I'll start by talking about turns.
Shogun! is generally a turn-based game. Every day in real life is equivalent to one year in game. During this time, players can submit their actions for conquest or construction or whatever it is they choose. Feel free to continue to RP in real-time, though.
All player clans have three statistics they should remain mindful of. These rankings illustrate a clan's strengths and weaknesses and help influence diplomacy and combat with all other figures in the game.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Strength | This represents the combined military power of your clan, both on land and sea. Having a high-ranking military means your soldiers have the veterancy or technology or numbers to overwhelm any fool who crosses their path. |
| Wealth | This represents the prosperity of your clan based on its trade network and access to resources. Clans with high prosperity will find it has a knock-on effect to improving your clan's stability and effectiveness of your military as their campaigns grow long and distant. |
| Honor | Honor strongly influences several factors including the happiness of your provinces, the morale of your troops, and how other clans perceive you. Clans which are deemed dishonorable will find it tough to make friends or even survive. Honor is lost when acting dishonorably and gained when acting honorably. Pretty simple. Oh and it can be gained from winning significant battles. |
All 74 provinces in the game possess a variety of attributes. When you hover over a province on the map, a tooltip will show you these attributes. They all have significant impact on the way war is waged, money is made, and friends are forged. I will cover them briefly now:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Owner | This is the clan who owns the province. If the province's name has a star next to it, that means it's the capital of the clan. |
| Religion | This is the majority religion of the province. It can be different from the clan's state religion, which can cause conflict. In such a case, you will want to convert the province to your clan's preferred religion. Typically clans of different religion do not gel well together. |
| Terrain | The geography of a clan has a great influence on battling and trading. Rough terrain like hills and mountains make movement difficult, and generally the defender in these terrains receive a bonus in battle. This makes terrain very important to be aware of. |
| Resource | Every province has one resource they produce. When a clan has access to a province's resource, its bonus is shared across the entire clan. These unique bonuses are detailed in the next section. |
| Region | Regions are simply a grouping of provinces into a greater area. They do not have any real impact on the game, but are useful for clans looking to stake their claim on provinces they intend to conquer. |
There are 10 resources in Shogun!. Each one provides a different bonus and falls into one of two categories: strategic or luxury. Strategic resources are useful for war, and luxury resources are good for other means. Gaze upon them now:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Iron | Strategic resource. Used for forging superior armor and swords. |
| Horses | Strategic resource. Used for fielding superior cavalry. |
| Stone | Strategic resource. Used for building superior defenses. |
| Wood | Strategic resource. Used for building superior ships. |
| Crafts | Strategic resource. Used for fielding superior archers. |
| Gold | Luxury resource. Increases income from all sources. |
| Paper | Luxury resource. Improves clan honor. |
| Fish | Luxury resource. Raises happiness and stability. |
| Rice | Luxury resource. Encourages population growth. |
| Incense | Luxury resource. Grants ability to trade with Korea and China. |
To clarify, you do not need strategic resources like Iron or Horses to field samurai or cavalry. You just field better ones than people without it.
When engaging in a trade agreement, two clans form an economic bond. This is a passive change that neither player will need to worry about monitoring (just the GM).
If two clans want to trade resources, the exchange rate is 1 copy of a resource for 1 copy of another resource.
Sometimes when certain conditions have been met, or sometimes even just randomly, events will happen. These events may affect just a single clan, or a group of clans, or the game itself on a fundamental level. Clans are welcome to react and respond to these as they choose. I'll share some examples of these random events now.
| Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gaijin Visitors | Europeans land in Japan around this time and initiate trade relations. Or more specifically, it's up to you if they do. Doing so may bring a new host of challenges including adopting Christianity, but also new opportunities like the use of gunpowder. It is your choice to house them, or behead them, or whatever it is you choose. | "Gaijin have shipwrecked on our shores at Tanegashima and are requesting our aid." |
| Plot Uncovered! | As clans try to covertly gain the upper hand on their enemies, sometimes things don't go according to plan. In such a case, you'll need to dish out retribution or perhaps show mercy. | "We have uncovered a Takeda plot to sabotage our defenses at Sagami!" |
| Drought! | Sometimes weather will strike, too. In such a case, many clans will be inhibited. This could be viewed as an opening for attack, or a key opportunity to work together and make friends. | "A drought is in effect across the Kanto region. Farms in all affected provinces will not generate food this year." |
Reacting to these events is not limited to the affected clans. For example, say you hate the Takeda and hear about their attempt to sabotage the Hojo defenses at Sagami. You could use this as an opportunity to ingratiate yourself with the Hojo by embargoing the Takeda. Play your cards smartly!
Gaijin is the Japanese term for foreigners. Specifically, this describes the arrival of Portuguese traders in Japan around this era. They come to spread Christianity and sell guns to the locals. If your clan wants to attract or perform deals with these foreigners, be aware the impact this may have on you.
Other clans detest those that flirt with gaijin. Converting to Christianity is a decision you should not take lightly as it will likely alienate you from your brethren, but doing so will provide you with access to riches and tools never before seen. The decision is yours.
Though the current shogun's power is waning, his authority as shogun is still respected by all minor (NPC) clans. As time goes on they may feel more rebellious, however. Player clans following along may also snag themselves some special recognition or abilities through their compliance. Here's an example of some shogunal decrees you can expect to see:
| Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Jesuit Proscriptions | If the shogun feels that the spread of Christianity is too suffocating, he may order the extermination of it. Failure to comply will improve relations with Europeans at the cost of more conservative clan daimyos. | "Hear, hear! The shogun has declared all gaijin be shunned and beheaded. Their filth must not infect our lands!" |
| Rebuilding Effort | If a region of Japan has experienced some significant hardship, the shogun may try to organize a relief effort for the affected clans. | "The shogun has graciously offered his resources in the wake of the recent earthquake." |
| Renovation Dues | The shogun may ask for funding from all clans to build some project. | "The shogun has demanded a tithe be paid in his name at once." |
| Compulsory Service | To bolster the shogun's army, he may enact a draft that demands a certain amount of soldiers from every clan to serve him. | "The shogun demands manpower in his quest to preserve peace." |
In order to win, your clan must:
Once these conditions are met, you can proclaim yourself shogun and enact a war ban to bring this turbulent era to an end.