Hey everyone!
So, I was bored over Thanksgiving, and I was looking at AP's list of the Komnenid Emperors so far, and I decided to do a little statistics work to see what exactly the "average" Komnenos has had so far stat and trait wise. So far, my investigation (which took all of 5 minutes
) has shown:
The average Komnenos Emperor has a Martial of
14.
The average Komnenos Emperor has a Diplomacy of
7.5.
The average Komnenos Emperor has a Intrigue of
11.5.
The average Komnenos Emperor has a Stewardship of
8.6.
Of the six long-reigning Komnenoi Emperors (aka no Zeno, no Andreas), three have had martial training, two have had court training, and one has had clerical training. Of these, we have had:
One Brilliant Strategist (Basil III)
Two Tough Soldiers (Demetrios
Megas and Thomas II)
Two Elusive Shadows (Nikolaios and Manuel)
One Martial Cleric (Thomas I--ironic that he of all people received education from the church XD)
As for traits, a quick count reveals the following:
Lustful - 1 (Demetrios
Megas)
Zealous - 3 (Demetrios, Manuel, Thomas I)
Cruel - 3 (Demetrios, Nikolaios, Manuel)
Generous - 1 (Nikolaios)
Trusting - 4 (Nikolaios, Basil, Thomas I & II)
Deceitful - 1 (Manuel)
Arbitrary - 1 (Manuel)
Vengeful - 3 (Manuel, Thomas I & II)
Just - 1 (Basil)
Temperate - 1 (Basil)
Hostile - 1 (Thomas I)
Valorous - 1 (Thomas I)
Proud - 1 (Thomas I)
Crazed - 2 (Thomas I & II)
Modest - 1 (Thomas II)
So what does this tell us? It confirms a few things we already knew: The average Komnenos Emperor is going to be a warrior above all--
someone's sword has to build an empire! However, the average Komnenos is also not a lofty strategist with a mind in the clouds... they're more likely to be a Kosaca than a Basil, defeating their opponents through sound, tried and true methods rather than inventing "flying columns," new tactical theories, or other marks of otherworldly brilliance (once again, Basil is an exception).
Secondly, a Komnenos must be skilled at intrigue--again with the exception of Basil, justice and purity are decidedly not Komnenid traits. Cruelty and vengeance show up as a common trait, though with a trait that decidedly goes
against a high intrigue trend--trusting. So the average Komnenos evidently trusts a few people wholly and without reservation, but casts doubt on others, and has a furious wrath when wronged.
The average Komnenos finally doesn't care much about the financial state of their realm, or for foreign affairs. Foreign affairs for most of the Komnenoi have consisted of either war or preparing for war, peaceful matters are left to someone else (likely those they trust, whether fair or foul). Domestic affairs are a source of money for foreign wars or other adventures.
It remains to be seen what this new generation looks like, or whether they will prove more exceptions to this, or follow the pattern that has been established. Being a decetiful lying cad that decimates opposing armies is great for a ruler than is an empire
builder, but for someone being an
administrator... they might not be the best...
Hannibal X - A very detailed prognosis there! Hmmm... what to say, what to say? Two things -- one, Algiers and the former lands of Crusader North Africa are already a part of the Western Empire, and something in your list is right. (I won't say which items, or if there are multiples or just one.
Something in the list is right.
)
Kirsch27 - Aha! A true patriot arises to defend the rights of Basil's heirs! I'm surprised no one has tossed in his a scion of the "evil" Leonid branch of the family!
Kidding aside, Bardas
does have skill desirable in a ruler--his martial is good, and he's got the all important Komnenoi deceit going (an in-game trait he shares with only one emperor, Manuel). That said, his intrigue isn't as good as Manuel's, and his ability to influence others diplomatically is atrocious. He's not nearly in the same league as Manuel was stat wise, but he's definitely trying to step into those shoes. Will he be successful? We'll have to see!
Fulcrumvale - Now, the above all said, he
could be the next Manuel, though likely more in a power-behind-the-throne way. He's old (he's 49 or 50 I think in 1238), and he's a known snake, so the chances of him ruling outright himself, apart from something big happening the palace, are low, else, why would he prop up Antemios? If he could take the throne, Bardas would've grabbed it outright... or does he have another game of his own? Oh, the possibilities...
Ksim3000 -Well, we've seen Gabby definitely isn't on good terms with Albrecht, and we saw Bardas playing on an assumption Albrecht isn't on good terms with Gabby. Will this result in an outright conflict? We haven't seen Gabriel in a while...
...as for Silvagentios, maybe at some point we could. All I will say is this--don't mess with an ex-
kentarchos!
4th Dimension - Here's the big unknown in all of this--what are Bardas' children like? We'll be seeing some of them later down the line, is all I'll say!
Siind - Thomas
is nice enough he could be talked into about anything, and Gabriel's idea of what an emperor should be is definitely rooted in the past of glory on the battlefield. With Antemios, you get a drunkard with self-esteem issues. If Antemios has good hands to help guide the ship of state (like Thomas II did during his years of seclusion), things could be just fine. If not, things could turn out absolutely disastrous...
Qorten - Is Thomas thinking for the greater good, or his passion? He does seem to be a genuinely nice guy, and we did have one of those rule already with pretty good results (Basil)...
Vesimir - Now you have to wait for updates like everyone else!
1 - I think by the responses you can tell quite a few people want a Manuel back...
2 - Well, Gabby's got the skills that if it was a battlefield issue and he had a decent army, he could definitely solve it. He's also shown some ability at intrigue (not stellar like Manuel's, but he's got some). He's out of position right now, and its a race to see if he can get into position (with a sufficient army and sufficient political backing to solidify his claim) before Antemios and Bardas can do likewise.
3 - I just finished
Britannia: A Saga of Albion, and yes, some of the characters looked a
little familiar.
Is a Basil going to save Romanion from your evil Bard?
4 - I purposefully left that vague, what Thomas II might have actually seen in Heaven (if he even went to Heaven) and what was his mind unraveling his life in his last moments...
5 - You and a lot of other people.
Hawkeye1489 - Empires have to be nurtured once they are build. Blood makes good fertilizer for only so long before the Empire needs commerce, culture and other seeds to continue to grow. Else, it ruptures and collapses...
Isaac Wolfe - Romanion has faced tests before, and come through shaken but still standing. However, Romanion has also had a time of peace after each of these tests, and as we've seen, recently the Empire has been subjected to one test after another. If there isn't a period to recover, things could explode
real soon...
asd21593 - That's Thomas the Youngest for you... he really wants to know how things are operating without the 'official goggles' a state visit brings. Too bad he's also dumb enough, and silly enough, to think he can
perfectly fit in...
English Patriot - I'm glad to hear
Kentarchos Silvagentios was to your liking--and that Guy of Gisbourne can be converted into a heroic character.
von Sachsen - Don't blame me. Blame the BBC for costume design in their series
Robin Hood.
Though yes, I'm constantly looking for new image sources. I have quite a few I've already used up for characters that have yet to appear!
Leviathan07 - Oh noez! I am destroying the productivity of your workplace! Teh horrorz! Glad to be of service!
RGB - Nah, Albrecht doesn't get mad. Khorbut comes back from the grave and tells Thomas he has to deliver medicine to Lady Helena!
Plushie - I want a big HD TV.
As for Thomas surviving... not if he keeps this kind of japing a habit. Sometime he's going to run into someone really rough that won't be as just and law abiding as Silvagentios...