Lords of Gyrne

This entry is part of the PBM List.

Costs: Donation of 50 cents (Euro or US-$) per turn
URL: http://www.gyrne.de
Frequency: Variable (ranges between daily and once per 2 weeks, as chosen by players)
Email: help@gyrne.de [ok]
Type: Fantasy Strategy Wargame
Last-Update: 2003Mar23
Keywords: commercial, closed-ended, email, computer, fantasy, german, gui, wargame, economic

Description

The Emperor has died, leaving no heir to the throne! As a true member of nobility, you cannot let the Empire of Gyrne fall prey to your peers! Build alliances, and conquer the known world to claim the throne!

"Lords of Gyrne" (LoG) is a Fantasy Strategy Wargame on variable maps for 2 to 30 players (though much more is possible, bigger maps would outspan most Computer capabilities today). Think of it as a medieval high-brow "Risk".

LoG 3.1 is currently in its late beta phase, and has been intesly tested. It features a graphical user client (the "Field Assistant") used to send the game commands which can be downloaded for free from the Lords of Gyrne website at

http://www.gyrne.de or http://www.gyrne.com

in the "Downloads" section. The client is available for both Microsoft Windows (95 thru XP) and Apple Macintosh (OS 8.6 thru 9.2) , and features a very comfortable interface and map viewing capabilities.

Each turn, players receive a result email in intuitive text, written by the game server, describing your game status, and a beautifully rendered map image of the current world. Players wrestle for the control of the Imperial Throne, and must use their diplomatic, strategic and economic skills to achieve that goal. A player who has reached a majority of votes in the "Imperial Council" by conquering counties and gaining control over the Imperial Insignias (Sword, Crown and Sceptre) is elected Emperor.

Other players can be subdued and turned to "vassals". A vassal can regain his freedom, but must pay off a debt to his liege in gold; therefore players are never actually forced to leave the game and can stay in the game to play an important role, or even rise from the ashes to become Emperor or Empress regardless.

The game features:

-Beautiful language-based output. We think long lists and tables of numbers are un-fantasy-like. Instead, receive your result mail in plain English, containing numbers only where really needed!

-Player Rank and Title system (be a Lord, Duke or King by conquering sets of counties, provinces and kingdoms)

-Market Economy system (trade with pearls, spices, metal, weapons, horses, harvests and rations)

-Realistic population migration system, allowing for players to compete economically for tax payers

-Build up counties with buildings such as fortifications (castles, citadels and fortresses), manors, mills, mines, temples, quays and wharfs

-Military system (hire generals, knights, paladins, longbowmen, footmen)

-Espionage system (hire spies, turn enemy spies, "sleepers", etc.)

-Curse other player's counties by using magic

-Send fleets via the high seas to attack enemies

-Alliance system allows complex diplomatic relations and allied attacks

-Siege enemy fortifications over several turns, battering them with rams, catapults and siege towers

In contrast to many other games, fantastic creatures are not abundant; all players are considered humans, and fantasy takes part only insofar as curses can negatively affect your enemies by conjuring unforeseen effects on them.

Lords of Gyrne has been in development since 1992, and is in English. The program output, our web site, the Field Assistant and its help texts and everything created by the program is in English; the game rules are currently (March 2003) only available in German, but we are working on an English version. The game can be played without having a full copy of the rules, since there is extensive help available online, from within the client program and via our email lists at yahoo!

To take a peek at how the game client looks, how a typical turn result mail and our turn result maps look like, go to http://www.gyrne.de, and click under "Chronicles" in the "Archives". Full game play is on. New players can join the first 5 turns for free, and will only be asked to donate 50 cents per turn after these.

We are developing this game on a non-profit basis, meaning we do not inted to make profit with it, but just covering our online costs at this moment.

For any questions and on how to join, send email to:

help@gyrne.de

Regards, Dorian XIV (Emperor of Gyrne, deceased)

      


Played the game? You can send me comments to be placed on this page by writing lindahl@pbm.com. But don't write me attempting to join the game -- write the GM, whose address is above.


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Greg Lindahl