Triumph and Illusion

by on March 21, 2024 at 1:44 pm
Posted In: Books

The final volume of Sumption’s history of the Hundred Years War does exactly what one would expect. Another eight-hundred pages on a bit more than twenty years of history. It’s excellent stuff as always, but I do feel like it’s a bit lacking. Sumption has always been light on the personalities of the people who haunt the pages of his history, and this more evident here, where both Charles VII and Henry VI are hard figures to understand.

Of course, his main strengths continue in this volume: Clear recounting of narrative history, and attention to the details of finance, recruiting, and wasted motion that inevitably rob large armies and successful campaigns of any ability to bring a large war to its close.

In particular, English finances are in poor shape thanks to all the borrowing Henry V had to do to finance his campaigns in France. However, he had finally converted England’s successes into a real treaty, and gotten a chance to set up an administration across much of northern France. This allowed for tax collection in France to pay for the war in France (well, only part of it, but that was the theory). At the same time, the rump Kingdom of Bourges has little political power, and less money. Once Charles VII is actually crowned, political capital recovers, which is used to re-impose disagreeable levels of taxation, and the financial situation reverses as England deals with declining revenues at home and abroad.

Indeed, the start of the book in 1422 sees both sides politically crippled. Henry V’s heir is eleven months old when he inherits the crowns of England and France, leaving a long regency. The top men are mostly competent, with the Earl of Gloucester being more of a bull in a china shop, but generally kept under control. The real problem is that as the situation grows worse, the main sticking point to negotiations are the English claim to the title “King of France”, and no councilor wants to have to explain to his King on his future majority how he lost that title. It’s something that needed doing (but may still have been insufficient), but since the King was too young to take the step himself, negotiating it away without him invites a treason charge later. And of course, when Henry VI does grow up, there’s no saving Lancastrian France, but there’s no talking him out of the title either.

Meanwhile, Charles VII’s court is still crippled by the internal divisions of the civil war that let England win much of northern France, and get the Duke of Burgundy in their camp. There are several more rounds of internal fighting and deposed councilors, which continue to waste the political strength of the administration in Bourges. But, even when unpopular, the men at the top are generally competent, and the internal fighting slowly winds down with factions largely swept away. This gives Charles VII the strength to go on the offensive, and erode the English position in many of the same ways as the English had done to the French for the last century, devastating areas, taking individual fortified posts by surprise and destroying the ability to generate revenues from the area (nor generate much of anything else…).

The primary dramatic moment comes early, with the English high-water mark. A controversial campaign has devolved into a punishing siege of Orleans, but despite being painfully overextended, the English are winning the battles. Money is nearly out, the garrison is dwindling, and court in Bourges is contemplating moving east to retain what they can there, but they’d be largely cut off from outside help from Scotland or Castile. Joan of Arc’s arrival turns things around, probably more from morale effects as anything else. After the English are defeated at Orleans, the self-confidence of both sides largely swaps, and the crowning of Charles VII just cements this development.

The secondary dramatic moment is the end, when the remaining English positions in Normandy fall in one vigorous campaign. After over a decade of continual losses and ever-deepening financial troubles, there’s precious little will left, and the entire area submits with very few people willing to put up with a siege over was has been an increasingly lost cause. For a denouement we get the end of Gascony, a sudden reversal as an English army actually gets there, and then that campaign’s collapse. We also see the start of the Wars of the Roses as factionalism in England deepens in the wake of failure.

The series weighs in at about 3580 pages of text covering one hundred twenty-five years. It is possible to go much deeper into the weeds than Sumption does, but outside of the things routinely studied of the war, you truly are in the weeds. In fact, the value of his books is all the things he covers from independent captains holding enemy countryside hostage to details of taxation and loans all put into a single framework. Its a truly amazing and readable series, enjoyable for anyone with an interest from start to finish.

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No Place Among the Stars

by on March 17, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Computer games

This is the third in a series of reviews looking at the evolution of Stellaris. See the previous reviews here:
Stellaris: Paradox Among the Stars
Leviathans: There Be Dragons Here!

After Leviathans, Stellaris got its first (large) expansion. Utopia focused on large engineering projects (“megastructures”), and introduced a new major mechanic in patch 1.5, which was released on April 6, 2017 (the same day as EU IV: Mandate of Heaven). Since my initial review was about a later patch, this is mostly about the expansion, but a new feature neglected in my review was introduced at this point.

Tradition

As a larger expansion, Utopia introduced an all-new mechanic to the game, traditions. They were originally an expansion-only feature, but were added to the base game in patch 2.0, though you still get an expanded list of options with the expansion.

A new currency, unity, was added to purchase traditions. It has a few other uses now, but at the time was purely for this mechanic, and it is still the main thing it gets used for. Each tradition purchase costs more, so that the addition of extra buildings to generate unity will not race an empire through all the possibilities in a hurry. Purchases are selecting a tradition, and then unlocking the five bonuses within it. Each tradition grants a bonus when it selected, and a second one when the last bonus of the set is purchased.

This is basically the idea groups from March of the Eagles and Europa Universalis IV. Like EU IV you select which groups you take, and in what order. Unlike Paradox’s other games, there’s no fixed order you have to purchase the individual bonuses in, though there are mini-trees in each set restricting you to two or three choices at a time. Also, the overall tradition is a purchase in itself, instead of being unlocked by technology, so you could buy seven traditions (the maximum number you get to use, and until patch 3.1 all there are) straight off for the starting bonuses, and then go back and get the internal and finishing bonuses in each later (I doubt it is often done, but it is possible).

The reason there are seven traditions is the eighth slot in the panel for them is taken up by ascension perks. These are an extra bonus you get to pick every time a tradition is finished.

Some perks were part of an ascension path, which are only accessible with the expansion. These are generally more powerful, and can change how an empire fundamentally works, but require going through several perks to get at. As of patch 3.6, these were changed to just needing one perk, but then opened up a new tradition (this accompanied an overall increase to the number of traditions available) with its own tree.

To a very real extent, traditions aren’t needed for the game, so they wouldn’t have been a bad expansion-only feature. But, they’re still a good a good set of bonuses, and Paradox has liked the ideas mechanic ever since their introduction in EU III. With them being part of the base game, they fall under Paradox’s current model of getting the essentials of a mechanic for free and a fuller version with the expansion. Also, several other expansions have featured their own new ascension bonuses since, and this way it only takes one expansion purchase to get access to them.

Government

In the patch, one of the ethics pair names were changed (from collectivist/individualist to authoritarian/egalitarian), as much to get names that fit the mechanics better as anything else. At the same time, the central gestalt consciousness ethic was introduced in the expansion for use with hive minds.

Hive minds are an alternate authority type with some good bonuses (faster population growth and decreased effect of empire size), and never worry about population ethics or other related mechanics. This makes them a bit less adaptable (since they can’t change ethics and the bonuses from them), and any population not part of the hive mind will get killed, driven out, or assimilated. Generally the first two, leaving the hive mind with a non-diverse population, also inhibiting the ability to colonize non-native types of planets. Authority itself was added in the patch to help better define how governments work, and when/how the leader changes.

Hive-mind populations outside of the hive can be subject to purging. Actually, nearly anyone can be, but even otherwise very accepting governments can get rid of people who are now mindless drones. New government policies dictate when you can declare this and slavery to be legal, with more detailed management happening at the species level. I haven’t really done much with either, which have extra options with the expansion, but you can play as the more brutal forms of empires with these policies.

Two new civics are available with the expansion: Ascensionists are restricted to spiritualist governments, and get greater benefits from planetary ascension buffs (added in patch 3.6 with that mechanic). Fanatic purifiers get bonuses to space combat, but can never lose the trait, must be either spiritualist or militarist, and fanatic xenophobe, and cannot engage in normal diplomacy with anyone else.

Three new origins are available with the expansion (two of them were civics until origins were invented with patch 2.6). Mechanists start with robots available, though they’re not as good as the ones available if the technology is gotten during the game. Syncretic evolution starts you with a population of a second species that evolved with the main one on your home planet, though they get the “servile” trait. And tree of life gives the homeworld agriculture at the expense of mining; colonies can also get their own, and are severely hampered without one.

Finally, three new pre-built empires are available with the expansion, to show off the new features. The Xanid Suzerainty are arid-dwelling arthopods with a population of strong, industrious servile species from syncretic evolution. The Lokken Mechanists are democratic mechanists, giving them early robots to make up for being slow breeders. And the Ix’ldar Star Collective is an arctic hive mind in the usual SF insectoid tradition. Their civics allow extra research from unemployed pops, and an extra leader.

Megastructures

The “big” feature of the expansion is the ability to construct some of the largest projects ever imagined. Ringworlds and Dyson spheres are the hallmarks of this feature, though there’s plenty of lesser projects as well.

Habitats are large orbital facilities meant to house large populations. They operate as small planets, with improvements available to increase the size as your empire gets experience with them. Originally, they were size-12 planets with their own set of buildings that did well for energy and research, but poorly for minerals and food. After the change to districts in patch 2.2, they went to size-4 (with improvements to ‑8; and are size-6 as of patch 3.9) with their own district types, replacing agriculture and mining with research and amenity-producing ones. In all, they’re a bit limited, but a good help for an empire forced to “grow tall” by close borders and a lack of habitable planets.

Gateways are effectively artificial wormholes, capable of instant transport across the galaxy, but with some real improvements. First, they are a one-to-many network; travel can be between any two active gateways. Second, both ends must be friendly controlled. So having one next to your home system will not allow a hostile empire to instantly move to the center of your empire, but they can allow you to shift forces to a distant frontier quickly, as long as you can hold on to the far end. Gateways are constructed in two steps: first a construction ship must prepare a site (expensive and time-consuming), and then it can be activated without the ship (also expensive and time-consuming). Ancient gateways will be randomly scattered about, which effectively have already gone through the first step. The proper tech will allow them to be re-activated… even if you don’t have the expansion, though you can’t build new ones without it.

The real megastructures all have multiple steps and require rare advanced technologies to get to. Occasionally, ruined versions of these can be found in the galaxy, while new ones can only be built with purchase of Utopia, ruined ringworlds can exist and be repaired without it. The two “regular” ones are the science nexus, which has four stages, consumes a lot of energy, and generates a lot of research as well as a boost to research speed, and the sentry array, which is similar to build, but gives a scan distance of the entire galaxy. The Dyson sphere generates insane amounts of energy (and costs a lot of unity), while the ringworld is counted as four very large planets with their own unique set of districts.

While habitats have had development problems, the rework in patch 3.9 has helped a lot, and they do their main job quite well. They are also the only representation of largely residential space colonies I can think of in a space 4X game. The bigger ones are only limited by the high requirements to be able to build them and then actually do so (this is perfectly fine). Gateways can be very handy, especially if you like playing in the larger galaxy sizes. The ability to always repair an existing ringworld and gateways is another good example of letting players get a taste of new content without any purchase, and the (occasional) existence of ruined megastructures helps with Stellaris’ goal of having a ‘lived in’ galaxy.

Conclusion

Stellaris’ first big expansion is a solid one that has gotten better over time, and I certainly recommend it. There’s no pressing need to get it though, and is recommended for players with at least a couple games under their belt. The base game went through some evolution, and (at the time) two new major features were included.

Since traditions are part of the base game now, this isn’t as essential a package as at launch, but what is here is still very nice. The expanded ascension perks are ones I generally don’t go for (other than chasing down megastructures…), but they are good, and I should spend more time with them. The megastructures themselves are the big star, and well worth it, though they are naturally a late-game item.

Of more general use are the extra civics and origins made available with Utopia, and that is also a good reason to get it. I haven’t done a lot with the particular ones in this package, but they’re good, and hive-minds are staple of SF.

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Mistress of the Empire

by on March 13, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

First off, the electronic version of this book is in better shape than the previous. That had obviously been properly proofread, but there were still some major formatting problems with scene breaks and the like. Well, not even that’s a problem here. So the ebook is very solid.

As to the novel itself? Yes, it is also very good, and a worthy sequel to the first two. This one was conceived a little after the first two, and it shows with some sequelitis. The biggest problem is that with the title, and the trajectory of the first two, you know where this is going to end up from an early stage.

But the process of getting there is as well done as ever. Mara’s continuing struggle for reform and struggles with the Anasati are sharply curtailed with the Council of Mages, powerful, and outside the law, intervenes, and demands a halt.

This turns the narrative to a new struggle, with higher stakes, while the old struggles continue in the background, and this drives the rest of the plot.

In the end, I wasn’t as satisfied with it as with the earlier books. While the conflict is real, even with some time spent with some of mages to give their point of view, it all feels too impersonal.

On the other hand, the cast of major characters is better fleshed out and expanded. This ends up as the stronger point of the book, which makes up for a lot. Still, the entire Empire trilogy is excellent, and not to be missed.

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Two Rounds of Mt Vesuvius

by on March 9, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: CC:Ancients

After the Incident at Morkedia, Patch and I did our usual round of Commands & Colors: Ancients. Up this time was the start of Spartacus’ slave revolt, with a battle at the foot of Mt Vesuvius from Expansion #2. Spartacus is hitting the Roman camp, so there’s slave units on both sides, with Romans in the middle, with a wall on one side. There’s four Roman camps as well, which can be looted for banners. Two of them are merely occupied by leaders at the start.

I had Spartacus for the first battle, and I started with Order Two Right Left (thanks to the upside-down setup, I just realized I mixed up my right and left flanks in Vassal) to send in two Warriors, who lost four blocks between them doing three hits to a single Aux. Patch Ordered Lights, which he used to occupy his camps and finished off a Warrior. I Ordered Mediums to hit both sides of the Roman camp, finishing off the Aux, and then lost the second Warrior to blocked retreat. I also did a block to an Aux, and two to a Medium, but lost six blocks across three units to do it.

Patch Ordered Three Center to knock out a weak Warrior, and do a block to a Medium, and a block to another Warrior, who “retreated” to a camp Patch had just vacated to man the walls. Clash of Shields got me that Warrior and a weak Medium, who finished off a Medium, forced an Aux off the wall, and did a hit to a Light at a cost of one block. Patch Ordered Lights, got himself into a really compact mass, and finished off my two units at the walls. 3-5

Patch started the second game with Double Time, with a Medium killing a leader (Varinius) and taking a camp, while a Warrior forced an Aux to retreat, advanced, did a hit to a Medium, and was forced to retreat over the wall with two losses. I used Line Command to get a good chunk of the Roman army in motion, supporting my remaining leader, finishing off the Warrior, and trading blocks with Spartacus’ Medium.

Patch Ordered Three Center, sending two units across the abandoned wall, and a Warrior from behind. He knocked out a Medium with a blocked retreat, and did two blocks to a Light. My Order Three Center got a Medium back in the fight, and let me work with two Auxes stationed to one side. First Strike caused the Medium to retreat again before they could try to get Spartacus, while an Aux and Warrior traded three blocks, and my other Aux did a block and forced a retreat.

Clash of Shields ordered four units for Patch, and lost his just retreated Aux as they attacked across the wall. My Light took a hit, Patch finished off an Aux and attacked the Light on momentum, getting three banners—all ignored (leader, support, and camp), and Patch lost the Warrior on a blocked retreat. An Aux was also reduced to one block by taking a hit and three banners, which took him to the baseline. I Ordered One (Mounted Charge) to finish off Spartacus’ Medium, and he evaded to a Warrior. Patch Ordered Two Center, but got no result, while I Ordered Two Left, and advanced over the wall to force a Light to retreat off the board. 5-4

Afterword

The first game saw a really weak hand for me (my starting cards were almost all ‘order two’), and then the dice favored Patch. However, he used the fortified camps and walls well, and ignored a lot of sword hits thanks to them.

One of the annoyances of the slave army is the mix of Warriors and Mediums. Notably, the ‘surrounding’ force has two of them, and they are out of range of the Romans, forcing the units to break up, while already broken into three groups (the units on the ‘regular’ or ‘wall’ side at least are bunched up).

And the usual complaint about “surrounded” or “ambush” scenarios applies here. Forcing the second group of slave units to retreat away from their start, and through the Roman camp messes up what is actually a fairly fun small scenario. The Romans technically have the advantage of defenses, but just don’t have the units to cover everything, and so have to make some hard decisions, while Spartacus is too broken up to use several cards easily.

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The Citadel of Weeping Pearls

by on March 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

As with other Ailette de Bodard stories I have read, this is a largely character-focused story with unfamiliar signposts.

In this case, we have three different stories going on at the same time, but they’re all focused on the same thing: the titular station, which disappeared thirty years ago.

It was a place of beauty and science, of wonders the likes of which have not been seen since.

Of a daughter of the Empress, who was driven to flee to the far bounds of space and time rather than fight her mother, who had become too worried over what this place could become.

Thirty years later, the disappearance of the Citadel of Weeping Pearls is still such a turning point that it attracts the attention of the three plot lines mentioned before. This gives the book a mix of mystery, time travel, and court intrigue. All three are well done, but I do find the structure a bit bare for my tastes.

However, the atmosphere and tone of the book are extremely well done. Again, that’s less to my tastes, but I do recommend it because it’s that well done. I’d recommend The Tea Master and the Detective as my favorite of the Xuya stories so far, but there is no reason to avoid this one at all.

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